Latest news with #HPO
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
CNF, CNA take over Falam trade centre in Myanmar
Aizawl: Chin National Front (CNF) and its armed wing, Chin National Army (CNA), have taken over the administration of Falam township's India-Myanmar No 2 trade centre (Rihkhawdar) in Chin state of Myanmar, leader of the Hualngoram People's Organisation (HPO) said on Thursday. The trade centre is the main trading point with the Zokhawthar India-Myanmar border trade hub in Champhai district of Mizoram. Rihkhawdar India-Myanmar No 2 trade centre has been the most flourishing trade hub with India in Mizoram sector, with 62 trade items being allowed for border trade in the section. However, the formal border trade is yet to take off even after the then Union commerce and industries minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated a land customs station at the India-Myanmar border trade centre at Zokhawthar on March 25, 2015. Unofficial commercial activities continue between India and Myanmar in the sector, even without formalisation of the trade. The HPO leader told TOI over phone from Rihkhawdar that an agreement to this effect was recently signed by the HPO, a civilian administration administering the area, and the CNF/CNA. "Both CNF/CNA and HPO/Chinland Defence Force (CDF)-Hualngoram are a part of the larger alliance of Chinland Council (CC). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo The agreement means that the administration of the area, including trade with Zokhawthar (India), will be shared by the CNF/CNA and the HPO under CC, while the CNF/CNA will be solely responsible for security of the area. " The agreement came after the Chin National Organisation (CNO) and its armed wing, Chin National Defence Force (CNDF), militias attacked Rihkhawdar, Khawmawi and nearby villages on July 2 and captured the HPO/CDF-Hualngoram camps before withdrawing from the area on July 10, following retaliatory attacks by CNA cadres. CNF/CNA is the main ethnic armed organisation (EAO) in Chin state raised on March 20, 1988. The area, especially Rihkhawdar and Buannel, is a tourism hotspot, attracting large number of tourists from Mizoram as well as other parts of the country and even abroad. Tourists often pay in valuable Indian rupees, boosting the economy of this remote Myanmar area. Rihkhawdar is famous for the 'Rih dil', or a heart-shaped Rih lake, which has important status in the traditional religion and narratives of the Chin people, which include the Zomi, Lai, and Mizo. According to the ancestors of these tribes, the lake, located around 3km from the Indian border, was a corridor to heaven called 'Pialral', or beyond the earth. All souls destined to 'Pialral' must pass through the lake. Due to its cultural importance is often referred to as "The largest lake of Mizoram is Rih Dil, which is but in Burma (Myanmar). " While technically in Myanmar, Buannel, drawn by its natural beauty and cultural significance, attracts visitors despite its remoteness. Buannel is very much part of the Mizo emotional landscape and is considered a part of their traditional territory as it is regarded as the dwelling place of the nymph queen, 'Chawngtinlerhi', and is believed to be the birthplace of all animals. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Hamilton Spectator
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
This downtown Hamilton street will be a pedestrian zone this summer
A stretch of a street in downtown Hamilton will soon turn into a pedestrian paradise for nearly the rest of summer. The city announced in a media release that King William Street, stretching from James Street North to Hughson Street North, will close to vehicle traffic from July 16 to Sept. 14 in partnership with the Downtown Hamilton BIA. The closure will allow for a reimagination of the space, said the city, and the street will feature outdoor seating, community programming and a 'welcome atmosphere designed to bring the community together.' 'This is a proud moment for our city,' said Mayor Andrea Horwath, in a statement. 'I can't wait to see King William Street come alive as a dynamic public space where neighbours connect, local culture shines, and our small businesses thrive.' To kick off the closure on July 16, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) will play a lunchtime concert, while Hamilton Fringe Festival will host opening night festivities. The festival then takes over the space until July 27, with live stage entertainment and daily programming. Throughout the closure, there will be pop-up performances from local musicians, dance shows from 73 'Til Infinity Dance and weekly concerts from the HPO, as well as pop-up market days featuring local vendors selling artisan goods. Residents are also encouraged to stop by, either to connect with friends or the community, as well as dine out at some of the restaurants that line the street. City manager Marnie Cluckie called the transformation of King William a 'place for people,' adding that it reflects the city's 'creativity, culture, local character, and community spirit.' The two-month closure comes after the Downtown Hamilton BIA temporarily transformed King William into a pedestrianized space on seven select days in 2024. For the full schedule of events, visit . The schedule will be updated as more events are added and details become available. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Mikhail Brat was celebrated HPO violinist who emigrated from Soviet Union
Celebrated violinist Mikhail Brat's move to Canada from the former Soviet Union wasn't just Canada's gain and that country's loss, but also Israel's. When Brat and his wife Alla told Soviet authorities they wanted to emigrate — not a thing the state looked kindly on — there was some belief the Jewish couple and their 10-year-old son Alex would move to Israel like other Soviet Jews. 'Israel is already full of musicians,' Brat jokingly told the Hamilton Jewish News in 1976, the year the family arrived in Hamilton. Mikhail Brat was a celebrated violinist who came to the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in 1976 from what was then the Soviet Union. He played with the HPO until he retired in 2016. He is pictured here in 1979 as a soloist with the McMaster Symphony Orchestra. But it was not a laughing matter that brought the family here. Brat told The Spectator in 1979 that while he loved Russian culture, he was frustrated by political restrictions and discrimination against Jews. He and his wife lost their teaching jobs when they sought exit visas. Brat — who died Feb. 2 at age 87 — was a welcome addition to the city's classical musical scene. He had an audition before Boris Brott and was hired to play with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra six months after arriving here. He remained a fixture until he retired in 2016. Brat served in the orchestra's first violin section and was one of its principal players. When the HPO went under in January 1996 because of $1.2 million in red ink, he was quickly snapped up by the former McMaster orchestra, Symphony Hamilton. A year later, he was playing with the New Hamilton Orchestra, which was renamed HPO in 2000. He was part of the HPO string quartet The Orpheus, which also consisted of Sonia Vizante, Marie Pebbles and Marsha Moffit. Apart from Hamilton Place, he played concerts in the Church of the Ascension, the Main-Hess Community Centre and the First Place Auditorium. Mikhail Brat plays the violin with fellow members of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in a photo that was likely taken not long after he arrived in Hamilton from the Soviet Union in 1976. In 1997, he was the concertmaster for the Symphony in the Barn Festival in Grey County, off Highway 6 near the town of Durham. He also appeared as a soloist with the National Chamber Orchestra of Canada. 'He was a very kind person and had a huge heart,' said his son Alex, senior executive director of labour relations at the University of Toronto. 'He was very well-liked. He was a person who wanted to make people feel good, not just by his music, but he would tell jokes. He didn't have a mean bone in his body.' His daughter Katya, a clinical research co-ordinator at St. Joseph's Hospital, said her father 'was very studious, loving and artistic. He was also very adventurous. I really admired his drive to move from the Soviet Union to here, and then learn the language as well. He was a wonderful dad.' In a statement, the HPO said 'Misha graciously' devoted 40 years of his life to the orchestra and that it was 'honoured to have worked with Mikhail Brat.' In 1986, Spectator reviewer Ken Gee attended a HPO candlelight concert at the Royal Botanical Gardens, featuring Brat as a soloist. He said Brat shone playing Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor. 'It's tricky to set tempos in Prokofiev,' wrote Gee. 'To his credit, Brat took a freewheeling approach which let the varying moods of the music find their own speeds. He gave time for the more beautiful melodies to breathe.' Brat was born June 11, 1937, in Odessa to a pair of music teachers. The family was relocated to Siberia when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, but returned after the war. He studied at the Odessa Conservatory and the Leningrad Conservatory before going to Lviv to work with its symphony and teach at the conservatory. Brat arrived in Hamilton with $300, a violin and a pile of concert posters. He said he was not permitted to bring newspaper clippings of his reviews because Soviet authorities feared they contained messages in code. Brat is survived by son Alex, daughter Katya and a grandson. He is also survived by his first wife Alla and his second wife Theresa. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Over 5kg of heroin seized from school near Mizoram border
Aizawl: Hualngoram police seized 427 hawngs (packet), containing around 5kg and 200 grams of heroin, from a school classroom in Khawmawi village located at Chin state of Myanmar near the Mizoram border on Thursday, Hualngoram People's Organisation (HPO) leader Pu Hminga said on Friday. Hualngoram police is a part of HPO, a civil administration governing some areas adjacent to Mizoram's Champhai district, which have been liberated by combined forces of the Chin National Army (CNA) and the Chin Defence Force (CDF)-Hualngoram from Myanmar army rule. Hminga told TOI over phone from Khawmawi village that the contraband, suspected to be trafficked to Mizoram, was seized from TPCE nursery school, a private institution owned and run by Ngun Sui Thang (37). Thang is known to be a member of education board of the Chin National Organisation (CNO) and its armed wing Chin National Defence Force (CNDF). "As Thang had already absconded when the school was searched, his wife Tuan Kim Thiam (35) was arrested. Hualngoram police launch a manhunt to find Thang and seek the help of Young Mizo Association (YMA), the largest civil society in Mizoram, and the Mizoram Police for his arrest," he said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Telegraph
04-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
How to turn your business into a high-performance organisation
Performance is measurable, whether the dial turns towards success or hovers over a need to do more. But which measures of high performance are the reliable ones? Defining 'high performance' in business can be difficult because no two high-performance organisations (HPOs) look the same: sector, size, services and products all impact what defines 'good' performance. Another serious impact on an organisation's high performance extends from the health or otherwise of the wider economic climate, and that climate's outlook is not at its brightest across the UK at present. Add to that a lack of necessary awareness about HPOs and how to achieve that status in companies and you have a challenge to meet and a problem to solve. But André de Waal, academic director of the HPO Center, says there is a simple, defined framework for spotting an HPO: '[It's] an organisation that achieve[s] both financial and non-financial results that are increasingly better than those of its peer group over a period of five years or more.' However, how this translates in practice, and what the secrets of high performance are, remain more challenging to pin down. High performance = sustainable and seamless high productivity Improving performance is a critical challenge for UK PLC. Though the UK's productivity level is the fourth highest in the G7 countries, it is 18 per cent lower than the United States, and we've been drifting further from international benchmarks since the pandemic. So how do you set about creating and sustaining a high-performing organisation? De Waal, now a globally leading HPO practitioner, has developed a detailed list of five HPO factors based on years of research: management quality; openness and action orientation; long-term orientation; continuous improvement and renewal; and employee quality. It therefore makes sense that building an HPO must start from the very foundations of the organisation – which can sometimes mean unlearning old ways. 'What got you here won't get you there,' says award-winning social entrepreneur Anisa Morridadi. 'If you look at leaders, entrepreneurs, athletes, performers – anyone at the top of their game – they leave strategies behind and adopt new ones to get to the next level.' Taking De Waal's framework in a broader sense, Morridadi believes an organisation's ability to access high performance can be broken down into two factors: systems and, perhaps most importantly, mindset. Building the HPO mindset 'It's not about your assets. It's not about your machinery. It's about how your people behave, and if they behave in a high-performance way, you'll automatically get the financial results,' says De Waal. Morridadi cites learning from mistakes as a key factor: 'A critical element of high performance is visionary leadership. You have to create an environment where people can recognise the boundaries, push past them and learn from the results – how do we go again?' De Waal echoes this, pointing to continuous learning as one of the most important behaviours that drives performance. What's the only type of mistake you're never allowed to make in an HPO? 'The same mistake,' he says. Learning is one area where the UK has fallen behind. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the number of publicly funded qualifications started by adults has declined by 70 per cent since the early 2000s. Employer-funded training has also declined, with a 27 per cent fall in spending per trainee since 2011. The nature of workplace training has changed radically in recent years, from afternoon sessions in stuffy rooms filled with flipcharts to a more self-directed approach powered by digital learning systems like the one offered by MHR, a leading HR, payroll and finance software provider. An agile and effective training model allows you to learn in the flow of work. It is estimated that up to 70 per cent of learning comes from doing, and learning as you work is more effective because it means fewer distractions and greater focus on learning, as well as completing the task at hand. Social learning, within and between teams, and the more easily digestible approach of bite-size learning are both well-placed to connect effective training with the process of doing. Learning on the job is the flexible friend of organisations bent on achieving high performance. Offering staff these kinds of routes to advance their career, and encouraging them to pursue self-development through feedback, is key to building a business environment that can sustain and fuel a thriving HPO. Sustaining performance A key component of an HPO is sustained performance. Morridadi believes that it starts with strong systems: 'You don't rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.' According to De Waal, it means constantly embracing growth. 'Never stand still. As every sports person will tell you, it's not that difficult to get to the top.' The real challenge, he says, is staying at the top. This is an area where technology can have a significant impact. While good technology alone won't deliver an HPO, De Waal acknowledges it's hard to deliver and sustain high performance without it: 'Without technology, I don't think you can become an HPO, but it's not enough [on its own]. It's got to combine with the people.' MHR's HR payroll and finance capabilities are a prime example of technology systems that can accelerate the raw performance potential of a team, unlocking frictionless focus and company-wide high performance. Good systems embed good practice; great systems do that while also creating the platform for adaptability and change. Collaboration for innovation Learning in a high-performance organisation goes beyond skills; engaging with stakeholders and customers to understand their changing needs is critical. 'What makes a lot of organisations stand out is not that they just chase what matters but that they're constantly asking what matters and why, and they involve their teams, their stakeholders and their customers in that process,' says Morridadi. This inclusive approach has repeatedly been shown to drive better performance. But you can't just ask people to participate. 'You have to be quite explicit in creating an inclusive approach to risk-taking; that it's not just reserved for people with certain securities in their job title. You have to make it psychologically safe for everyone,' explains Morridadi. Of course, with a range of factors both inside and outside an HPO impacting on the level of its success, perhaps we should accept that the very definitions of high performance are themselves subject to change. 'I'm 64, I'm probably now recognised as the world expert on high-performance organisations,' says De Waal. 'You know what? I have more questions now than I had nine or 10 years ago.' If you want to stay on top – no matter how long you've been doing it – the journey to change, grow and adapt never stops.
