Latest news with #Harries
Bangkok Post
a day ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
UK wants Thai investors for modern industry plans
The United Kingdom is inviting Thai investors to participate in "Modern Industrial Strategy 2025", a 10-year plan it recently launched to bolster future industries and strengthen UK-Thailand relations. During an exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post early this month, Rhiannon Harries, the UK's Deputy Trade Commissioner for the Asia Pacific (Southeast Asia), said the strategy is intended to ease business entry and offer long-term investment certainty -- particularly for Thai firms looking to establish or expand their presence in the UK. Launched on June 23, the strategy outlines the UK's ambitions to become a global leader in eight industries of the future: advanced manufacturing; clean energy; creative industries; defence; digital and technologies; financial services; life sciences; and professional and business services. Ms Harries emphasised that the initiative is designed to reduce investment barriers and streamline regulatory processes. "The UK is open for business with Thailand," she said. "We want to work with Thai investors to deliver long-term growth across strategic sectors." The strategy includes concrete measures to address longstanding bottlenecks. For instance, to support Thai investment in grid infrastructure, the UK government will introduce a new connection accelerator service by the end of the year to speed up access to the national grid. Simultaneously, the energy regulator Ofgem is reviewing the entire grid connection process to enhance efficiency. The UK's Planning and Infrastructure Bill will further support these efforts by allowing the government to designate key strategic documents, such as the Industrial Strategy, to guide infrastructure approvals. This includes reserving grid capacity for priority projects and cutting wait times for major investments. Ms Harries noted that planning delays and regulatory burdens have often discouraged investment. To mitigate this, the UK will hire more planning inspectors and simplify planning permission processes -- while ensuring environmental obligations are met. The UK government also plans to spend £1.2 billion (52.1 billion baht) annually by 2028–2029 on skills development, including training 6,000 new construction workers. Other supportive policies include reducing electricity costs by up to 25% for energy-intensive industries by 2027 and improving access to skilled talent through global talent schemes and visa reforms. Thai investors have already made significant inroads in the UK's clean energy sector. With the UK holding the largest offshore wind market in Europe, the strategy aims to double investments in clean energy, expanding into hydrogen, carbon capture, and civil nuclear power. A £1 billion clean energy supply chain fund and a £2.5 billion investment in small modular reactors (SMRs) have been pledged, she said. In the digital sector, another area of Thai interest, the UK will invest £2 billion in artificial intelligence. A new AI Growth Zone will be established to accelerate investment in digital technologies nationwide.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Programme helping those settling in
New people are essential to filling all roles needed in Central Otago's ever-expanding work force but settling in to a new place is often difficult, making newcomers hard to retain. Central Otago District Council community and engagement manager Paula Penno said Welcoming Communities was a programme led by Immigration New Zealand in partnership with the Human Rights Commission. It was so successful that after the government funding ran out the council agreed in the 2024-25 annual plan to extend the programme for a further two years. The council approached Central Lakes Trust for support and received $16,000 — 20% of the programme cost of $80,000 per year which included a part-time paid position, Ms Penno said. Welcoming Communities officer Heather Harries said her part-time role worked well alongside her other role as an ESOL teacher with Reap. Helping people feel part of the community led to better outcomes for the newcomers and the rest of society, she said. Most newcomers in Central Otago arrived from somewhere else in New Zealand. Some were from overseas and needed assistance with residency and visas and others needed to find their place in the community. Challenges included finding accommodation and then travelling to work given the lack of public transport in the region. A lack of childcare options often meant a family could only have one parent working which led to unanticipated financial pressures, Ms Harries said. One family she had worked with were struggling as the father had to pass an academic English exam but his wife was working 5pm to 10pm, so instead of attending his English lessons he was minding the children. With few contacts in the community and no family around those were traps people found themselves in, she said. "Creating networks and connections between the families, schools, employers, and support networks is crucial in guiding the families through the settlement process." Other newcomers were older Kiwis from other parts of the country and remote workers. They sometimes found it difficult trying to make friends in a new community without the easy introductions that came with meeting people through work or having children at school. The ultimate aim of Welcoming Communities was that it would be self-supporting and not need a paid leader, Ms Harries said. However, volunteers came and went as their circumstances changed and they settled into their new lives, so someone was needed to keep the momentum going. A wide range of activities were organised by the group, from international potluck meals, sporting events, evening drinks, walking groups and a women's swimming group. Ms Harries said she identified with newcomers as she had moved to Central Otago more than six years ago and found things difficult initially. "As an ESOL teacher I realised everything I felt was magnified. I had New Zealand residency... a government department rejecting an application feels like a personal rejection but it's just them doing their job." Moving from Mumbai, in India, to Cromwell seven years ago brought many surprises for Mamta Nerurkar. From finding familiar food to much more limited shopping options and no public transport were some of the things she had to adjust to, along with very short days in winter and long ones in summer. Meeting other mums and families through Welcoming Communities and other community groups had made the transition easier, she said.
Wales Online
18-06-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Quick-thinking restaurant boss saves customer's life
Quick-thinking restaurant boss saves customer's life He leapt over a toilet door and sprang into action Jordan Harries, general manager of The Welsh House in Carmarthen The actions of a quick-thinking restaurant manager and his staff helped save the life of a diner who had a heart attack. Jordan Harries, general manager of The Welsh House in Carmarthen, was alerted by a staff member that a cubicle in the ladies' toilets was blocked. He went inside to inspect further and discovered that a woman was inside unconscious. An ambulance was called and in the meantime the 28-year-old carried out CPR and later used a defibrillator on the customer until paramedics arrived to take her to hospital for further treatment. Reliving the day Mr Harries said: "A member of staff came to me and said there was something behind a cubicle in the women's toilets but they weren't able to get in to have a look. "I came in and ended up jumping over the top and found there was a woman who was unconscious. "I asked for a member of staff to go and call and ambulance and also to get a relative who was dining with them to ask them some questions. Article continues below "I used to work in a hospital during Covid so I've had some experience. I asked some general questions as to whether the lady had any allergies to try and work out what the issue could be. "At this point the lady was still breathing but unresponsive. "The relative told me there was no allergies or anything and during this time the woman stopped breathing. I commenced with CPR and used a defibrillator, which had been located in St Catherine's Walk. "Within the next few minutes paramedics arrived and worked on the lady. They were probably in there for 45 minutes to an hour and then took her to hospital." Mr Harries, 28, of Tenby, had worked at Folly Farm up until the coronavirus pandemic. He did not want to sit at home or to get furloughed and so got a job in healthcare at Withybush Hospital. He got placed onto the Covid ACDU ward, working to help people who were on ventilators and really unwell, and so he was equipped with skills on what to do in the troubling situation. Thankfully he and his colleagues at the restaurant received good news about the customer's condition some weeks later after the incident on May 5. Mr Harries added: "We didn't hear what had happened for a few weeks. "We had an NHS support representative come in to say that she had heard there had been an incident and to offer me and my team some support and then a friend of the lady who had had the incident actually wrote a review on Google thanking the manager and the team for saving her friend's life so we knew the lady was alive. "She had had a heart attack but had survived. "She has actually been back into the restaurant since for food and to say thank you and drop me off a card. "We've taken some good learning out of this and spoken to a local company in Carmarthen who have offered to give defib training for free to the team. It was a great team effort and to learn she was okay it was a real morale-booster." Having learned what happened opera singer and television personality Wynne Evans visited The Welsh House to personally thank Mr Harries for his courage. As a token of gratitude he presented Mr Harries and his team with hospitality tickets to an upcoming Wales match against Belgium. Jordan Harries with Wynne Evans 'It was an absolute honour to meet Jordan and recognise what he did,' said Wynne. 'In moments of crisis true character shines through and Jordan showed nothing but courage and heart. "But what really struck me is that this wasn't a one-off – Jordan is constantly giving back. "Whether he's mentoring young people, supporting grassroots sport, helping local businesses thrive through workshops, or leading community events he's someone who genuinely puts others first. "He's a real local hero and a perfect example of the kind of community spirit that makes Carmarthen so special.' Operations manager at The Welsh House Alex Budge added: 'Jordan is more than just a manager – he's a role model and a pillar of this community. 'His leadership is defined by integrity, care, and selflessness. "Everyone enjoys working with Jordan. His enthusiasm shines through in everything he does, and it's infectious. "We're immensely proud of what he's done not just in this moment of bravery but every day he shows up with purpose and heart.' Article continues below 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.
Wales Online
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Ross Harries: 'Every Sunday was like presenting Newsnight rather than Scrum V'
Ross Harries: 'Every Sunday was like presenting Newsnight rather than Scrum V' Ross Harries has been one of Welsh rugby's leading presenters for over a decade, dealing with the sport's 'exhausting' politics and subplots Premier Sports presenter Ross Harries (Image: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland ) Ross Harries has spent the past 14 years as a central figure in Welsh rugby broadcasting, becoming one of the most trusted voices in the sport. From presenting the BBC's flagship Scrum V programme to covering the Six Nations and Rugby World Cups, Harries has reported on some of the greatest moments in Welsh rugby — as well as its most turbulent chapters. Today, Harries fronts Premier Sports' rugby coverage, and with Welsh rugby in arguably its most precarious state for years, he's well placed to assess the current crisis and whether the game in Wales can emerge stronger on the other side. Despite the national team's decline and uncertainty surrounding the future of the regions, Harries is confident there are better times ahead for Welsh rugby. "The one thing I always cling to is that we always produce good rugby players," he told WalesOnline. "I regularly travel to all the different territories the URC covers. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "There's still a perception when you chat to people from Ireland, Scotland and South Africa that Wales still has a reputation for producing skilful and gifted rugby players. Article continues below "Take the rise of someone like Blair Murray. "A cynic might say he's come through the New Zealand system and he is a Welsh international but he represents that Welsh flair. "If you were to create a Scarlets player in the lab you'd come up with Blair Murray. "He's a player who plays head-up rugby, is a really skilful footballer and can play in multiple positions across the backline. "If you look at the Scarlets backs there's tons of hope for the future there. "When you consider not so long ago Jonathan Davies and Scott Williams were still in the squad but couldn't get a game because you've got Macs Page, Johnny Williams, Eddie James and Tom Rogers, who is having almost a renaissance, isn't he, after his initial rise. "So, I look at that Scarlets backline and think 'jeez, those players are as skilful as anyone across the domestic leagues in Europe'. "We just need a few nasty, meaty forwards to get our national team back on track. "But we have Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan, who is one of the only genuine world-class players we have. "There's always hope and things do go in cycles. "I'm confident we can climb out of it." This weekend, Harries will lead Premier Sports' coverage of the United Rugby Championship final between Leinster and the Bulls at Croke Park — a massive occasion in one of sport's most iconic stadiums. After more than a decade in broadcasting, you might think the big days would lose their shine but Harries insists they still get the blood flowing. 'We can be a jaded bunch as journalists and broadcasters but I think it's really important that despite all the negativity we experience that we can have those pinch-me moments,' he said. 'I remember one specific game when I presented Ireland v Wales in the Six Nations in Dublin. "It was one of those weekends where everything had been done last minute. We'd done the U20s game in Athlone on the Friday then had a late bus journey to Dublin after that. "Everyone had had a few beers on the bus and I was just sitting there with my laptop scrabbling together the running order for the Test match. "I was flying back that night to present Scrum V in the club, so my mind was frazzled because I was trying to juggle three running orders at once. 'I was aware that audience figures in those Six Nations games get up to 8-9 million figures at times. "You've got all that stuff going through your head, so it can sometimes be easy to lose focus of the bigger picture. "I remember standing there about five minutes before going on air and I was trying to compose myself. "It was a sold-out Aviva Stadium for Ireland versus Wales. It was around the time when that rivalry was at its fiercest. "I was just thinking 'let's get through this and make sure you get to the airport in time to catch your flight'. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "I remember just turning around and Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy were doing some passing drills in the dead ball area directly behind me. "I just had this almost like an epiphany where I went 'jeez, that's one of the greatest centre pairings that's ever played rugby' and here I am standing just yards from them with a mic in hand about to present the coverage of their game against Wales. "It had this really relaxing effect on me and I thought, 'do you know what, I need to appreciate this as it's happening'.' Growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s, Harries had few triumphs to cheer for as a Welsh rugby fan. But as a broadcaster, he's been front and centre for some of the national team's most iconic moments — including Sam Warburton's rise as captain. 'I remember interviewing Sam Warburton when he'd come back from the 2011 World Cup and bless him he was getting so much press coverage," he said. "I almost didn't want to do the interview but I had to do it. I knew he'd be sick of getting asked about the red card. "He was such a gentleman and he was so diplomatic. He handled it so well for a 22-year-old. "We became quite friendly as a result of that. There's always a line you don't want to cross in broadcasting because ultimately you've got to maintain a level of professionalism. "I remember after that 2012 Grand Slam victory over France I was right down on the touchline. "The final whistle blew and Sam was there because he'd come off injured. He just launched himself into the air doing a fist pump before turning around and I was the first person he saw. "He enveloped me in this massive bear hug. It was one of those moments where I thought 'you know what, I've probably compromised my professionalism a bit here and I hope my boss doesn't see that on the coverage' but it felt like 'wow, this is amazing'.' Unfortunately Welsh rugby has slipped back into its old ways with the men's national team slipping to a record 17 defeats in a row and the regions struggling to achieve consistent success. Harries was a prominent journalist in Wales the last time there was a rift of this magnitude between the Welsh Rugby Union and its four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets. The future of Welsh rugby is uncertain with a tiered funding model and the possibility of reducing a club or two being considered. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Working as a journalist through such turbulent periods is extremely challenging, as Harries knows all too well. "It can get really depressing, can't it?" he added, "I remember there was a long period where there was a huge row which felt never ending when Roger Lewis was CEO. "There was that constant warring between the union and the regions. It wasn't too dissimilar to what we are seeing now, although there seems to be a bit more collaboration now. "I know there's still a lot of antagonism and people have entirely different opinions of how the game should be run. "But back then it got really quite malicious. I was hosting Scrum V. At that point it seemed every Sunday was like presenting Newsnight rather than Scrum V. "It almost became a political show where every week we were trying to hold WRU directors and regional directors to account. "While it was an important subject that needed to be covered I think Welsh rugby fans as a whole just got really jaded with it all and they lost their appetite for rugby. "Ultimately it was a rugby show that was supposed to show highlights and analysis with a bit of fun and humour. "In Wales sometimes if you try to inject a bit of humour you then get accused by the social media mob of trivialising things or not taking things seriously enough. "You have to cover the political stuff and you have to give it the air time it deserves, but equally you have to remember that 80-90% of rugby fans aren't really interested in that." So, what is Harries' views of Welsh rugby's latest crisis? "It is exhausting," he admits. "There seems to be a bit more of a will to compromise than there has been in the past. "Back in the days of Roger Lewis some of those press releases were quite malevolent in tone and it seemed like it was us against them, whereas there seems to be more of an attempt to build a consensus here. "But the numbers just aren't adding up, are they? We've got four regions - none of whom have won anything since Cardiff won the Challenge Cup in 2018. "The sums seem to point towards cutting a region but we all know politically and socially that could be disastrous for Welsh rugby. "In an ideal world what we need is more money. "Look at Rachel Reeves at the moment, she is trying to satisfy everyone but she can't say yes to every request that comes across her desk. "It's almost the same thing in Welsh rugby. The money that Welsh rugby raises isn't sufficient to support four teams that can realistically compete for trophies. "Do we go down to those 2+2, 3+1 or does someone come in and do a David Moffett and take a sledge hammer to it all? "It just seems like we are in no man's land at the moment." Ross Harries is part of the Premier Sports team bringing every game live from the URC and will be lead presenter for URC's Grand Final this Saturday from 4pm on Premier Sports 1 as Leinster take on Vodacom Bulls at Croke Park. Ross will be alongside Tom Shanklin, John Barclay, Simon Zebo, Stephen Ferris, Ian Madigan Ryan Wilson and Rory Hamilton on commentary. Article continues below Premier Sports now broadcasts more than 400 live rugby games every season from the most exciting club rugby competitions in the world. 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Sydney Morning Herald
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
60 years young: Channel Nine Perth kicked off with songs and jokes – and maintained its high spirits
It all began on a Saturday night 60 years ago — June 12 to be exact — with a pictorial celebration of the city, Montage of Perth, and ending with Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons singing and dancing their way through Guys and Dolls. But the most intriguing part of the opening night popped up in the middle of the evening with the locally produced a half-hour sketch comedy show called All My Eye and Betty Martin Too featuring the bearded, accordion-playing Pinjarra-raised entertainer Peter Harries dressed as Mr Whippy. 'Perth City Council had moved to ban Mr Whippy playing Greensleeves because it was annoying people,' remembers Harries. 'So I dressed up in a white tunic and white hat and sang [to the tune of the traditional English folk song], 'Alas, dear sirs, you do me wrong, to cast a ban on my ice cream song'.' Unfortunately, All My Eye and Betty Martin Too, a Perth version of the British news satire That Was The Week That Was and Seven's Mavis Bramston Show, was pulled after 14 weeks as the incipient station cast around for a point of difference from its Dianella neighbour TVW-Seven, which launched six years earlier. 'We were 30 years ahead of our time,' chuckles Harries, who despite being on the cusp of 90 still has vivid memories of the night our second commercial television station came on line. 'We were easily beaten by a variety show on Seven hosted by Gary Garvolth. Indeed, the whole station struggled in the early days.' Harries held on to his job and became one of the station's most popular performers, appearing on the Channel Niners Club (along with Veronica Overton, ventriloquist Ron Blasket and Gerry Gee and musician Peter Piccini) and became part of tradition of breeziness and warmth that has distinguished Nine from its more traditionalist commercial rival. On Thursday night there will be a nostalgia-filled glimpse of the early days of Nine Perth when Harries joins many of the station's former stars such as Jenny Seaton, Jo Beth Taylor, Chris Woodland, Terry Willessee and Jenny Dunstan in Celebrating 60 Years: Channel Nine Perth, a 90-minute special hosted by newsreaders Michael Thompson and Tracey Vo. Nine Perth's history is also being celebrated with an exhibition at the WA Museum Boola Bardip that includes one of Channel 9 Perth's first studio cameras and a Steenbeck flatbed editing suite used for splicing tape for broadcast in the 1960s. Nineteen-year-old Seaton (nee Clemesha) was working at Boans as an announcer and fashion show host when she was asked by the legendary smoothie Lloyd Lawson, who had crossed over from Seven to Nine, to audition to be a stand-in for weather girl Veronica Overton. 'There weren't a lot of people experienced in public speaking back then, so there wasn't a lot of competition. I bluffed my way through, quite frankly,' laughs Seaton. Seaton did such a fine job filling in for Overton she was given her own gig, Women's World, and worked on a range of other programs, including children's and panel shows. 'All for a $150 a week,' she laughed. 'It was so exciting. There were so many talented, creative people working together to get a television station up and running. It was all brand new. We were making things up as we were going. 'And you have to remember that so much of it was live television. It was like a mini Hollywood. Big sets, huge studio cameras, outside broadcasts. 'And this was going on every day.' Seaton spent 15 years at Nine before moving to Seven, and her long experience with both stations has given her insight into the difference between the two broadcasters. 'Seven was always a more conservative station because of the people who started the station, such as Sir James Cruthers,' she says. 'Nine always felt like more fun. Hey Hey It's Saturday over in Sydney captured vibe at Nine.' Former Nine producer and presenter Jenny Dunstan agrees that the station always had an upbeat vibe. 'Channel Nine to me was always one of the friendliest and more progressive TV stations. I had a childhood dream to work with Channel Nine,' says Dunstan who eventually became the full-time presenter for young people's programming and family entertainment. Nine Perth was so committed to entertainment that they hired one of the stars of the racy 70s soap The Box – Melbourne actor Barrie Barkla – as an all-round presenter and to do the weather. Sometimes that commitment to keeping it light backfired. Barkla was fired for an April Fool's stunt, when he was asked by the news crew to dress up as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who was rumoured to be gate-crashing the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference. 'They told me to get down to the airport where there's a uniform and a make-up person waiting for you. We put it to air, but the bosses were furious and fired everyone involved. For about two hours we weren't working for STW-9,' Barkla, 82, says over the phone from his home in Adelaide. It is hardly surprising that with Nine's light and bright brand they would be first station in the country to broadcast in colour in 1974, be the first to broadcast for 24 hours and be targeted by the country's most flamboyant businessman, Alan Bond, who ran the entire network from Perth for a few years in the 1980s. 'Straight away it was apparent that we were meant to be doing braver and bolder things in news,' former Nine news director Terry Spence recalls in tonight's show. Bond's involvement in sailing meant that Spence's team had a ringside seat for the famous 1983 victory in the America's Cup and its defence in Fremantle four years later, with cameras placed in the boats transforming a remote event into a white-knuckle ride. Sport has been so central to the Nine Perth brand that it was not surprising that in 2018 its highest-profile sports presenter, Michael Thompson, was tapped to be its weeknight news presenter, giving the station a genuinely appealing focal point in its continuing battle against cross-town rivals Seven. Thompson believes the character of Nine goes back before Bondy to another sporting moment intertwined with the station's history – the creation of the World Series Cricket in 1977. 'Kerry Packer took on the cricket establishment and injected some of that Sydney flare,' says Thompson, who began his career in journalism with The Daily News and joined Nine in 1987. 'While Nine Perth is a very news-driven organisation we understand the need for light and shade. 'A huge team is involved in putting together the news. As newsreaders, Tracy and I have the privilege of seeing how it all comes together, so we see the whole picture. 'Sometimes the day's news can be very challenging, so you just need something that is a bit of fun or a bit lighter. As a presenter you really feel that. 'You feel the need to mix up the stories so it's not all heavy news.' 'People still want news professionals to boil down the most important events of the day.' Michael Thompson Vo agrees that there is a real difference between the way Nine and their great rival Seven present the news. 'We have always had a more conversational approach to presenting the news,' says Vo, who joined the Nine Network in Sydney in 2007 and returned to Perth permanently in 2020. 'We have never wanted to come across as news anchors and presenters. We want to be the people who tell you the story. It is your story, not ours.' Thompson and Vo say that being involved in tonight's 60th birthday show reminded them of how much has changed in news presentation, even while they've been at the station. 'We are now finding that people on the streets are journalists,' says Vo. 'They film events on the streets and send them to us. Or post them on our social media accounts. So they have become our eyes on the ground. 'Compare this to the days when a journalist had to use a pay phone to file a story.' But with all these changes, Thompson remains convinced that traditional television news has a future. 'The overall reach of Seven and Nine last night would have been over 300,000,' he says. 'People still want news professionals to boil down the most important events of the day. 'They want the nuts and bolts, the news you can't afford to miss. 'And they want it to be presented in a way that reflects the gravity of those events but balanced with something that brings a smile.'
