Latest news with #Hazel
The Citizen
a day ago
- Science
- The Citizen
Girl (17) obtains Actuarial Science degree, one of UP's youngest-ever graduates
Mongiwa Hazel Ntuli (17) has become one of the University of Pretoria's (UP) youngest-ever graduates when she obtained her degree in Actuarial Science, earning her a nod from Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane. Originally from Rosettenville in Johannesburg, Ntuli's academic journey is an inspiring tale of early talent and exceptional perseverance. She began her university studies in 2022 after rapidly progressing through primary and secondary school, thanks to her outstanding academic abilities recognised from an early age. 'When I was in Grade 3, I mistakenly wrote a Grade 4 mathematics paper and scored the highest of all the actual Grade 4 students,' she said in a press UP press release. 'My teacher identified this and allowed me to write more Grade 4 papers, and saw that I performed exceptionally well.' Minister Nkabane described Ntuli's accomplishment as an extraordinary milestone, making her one of the youngest graduates in the university's history, and a shining example of academic excellence, resilience, and the transformative power of education. 'Hazel's story is one of exceptional talent, discipline, and vision. Her ability to excel from an early age; her courage to navigate university life years ahead of her peers, and her determination to push through challenges, are deeply inspiring. 'Her pursuit of a qualification in Actuarial Science – a demanding discipline that is central to problem solving, financial risk management, economic modelling, and long-term sustainability – is particularly commendable,' Nkabane said in a statement on Thursday. The minister emphasised that Ntuli's success represents not only a personal triumph, but a beacon of hope for the nation. 'Her success comes at a time when South Africa is facing a critical decline in the number of learners enrolling in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects. These fields are crucial to building a competitive, inclusive, and resilient economy, and young people like Hazel are proof that with the right support and determination, our youth can rise to the task of building a stronger, more sustainable South African economy. 'Her story affirms the importance of identifying and nurturing talent early, and of creating learning environments that support young people to thrive, regardless of age, gender, or background. Hazel is not only breaking boundaries in the academic space; she is breaking intergenerational barriers, becoming the first graduate in her family, and lighting the way for countless others,' the Minister said. Nkabane encouraged learners across the country, especially particularly young girls, to draw inspiration from Ntuli's journey. 'As she continues her studies and charts a path into the professional world, Hazel carries with her the hopes of a nation and the pride of her community.' – At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain, review: how The Boss was reborn in the UK
Music has an amazing power to take you right back to how you felt at a time and a place. As soon as the opening bars of Born in the USA pumped out of my TV screen, I was back at Wembley in 1985, the sun shining like summer and life would last forever. I wasn't alone, the memories that peppered When Springsteen Came to Britain (BBC Two) highlighted Bruce Springsteen 's special knack of making massive stadium gigs feel deeply personal. There was Hazel from Manchester, still starry-eyed decades on from being plucked from the stalls to the stage to dance, Courteney Cox-style, with her idol. And a wee lad from Essex given the mic to sing the words to Hungry Heart. It was these moments that marked out from the crowd an otherwise fairly standard talking heads music documentary. There were snippets of an interview with The Boss himself, a random band of celeb fans paying homage and brief bursts of electric live footage. But it was when the show veered off familiar tracks that it hit home. It may feel like ancient history, but there was miner's wife Juliana recalling how Springsteen, without hype or ceremony, privately gifted $20,000 to help families struggling during the miners' strike in her pit village, like it was yesterday. 'He's a hero to us, always will be.' When we did get to sit down with the man himself, there were nostalgic memories of how the young Bruce picked up a guitar for the first time after hearing The Beatles on the radio and how, after his first show in London, he hid in his hotel room because he thought he'd been terrible. He'd been great. In truth, there was nothing much in this that Bruce fans – can you see where I'm coming from? – hadn't heard before. The programme made a half-hearted effort to play up the overplayed hype machine that semi-stalled Springsteen's career in Britain, tagging him the new rock messiah when he was fresh out of New Jersey bar gigs, but we were essentially here to celebrate Bruce in a story that stayed just this side of hagiography. Fair enough. It's hard to stay a man of the people when you've sold a billion records but, unlike a lot of rock stars, it genuinely feels like Springsteen has stayed as close as you can to your roots when you live in a mega-acre ranch. He's still the lyricist who spoke directly to teenage fanboy Rob Brydon, his tales of blue-collar New Jersey drawing close parallels with the steel mills of South Wales. 'When I was young, I had Paul Weller talking about Down in the Tube Station at Midnight – what the hell is a tube station? I was from Port Talbot!' recalled Brydon, a Boss doppelgänger (would I lie to you?) in his youth. 'I felt much closer to New Jersey than I did to London.' I actually hadn't listened to Springsteen in a while, but music has the power to take you right back. Time to bust out my 1985 Born in the USA Wembley t-shirt. Summer's going to last forever again.
Global News
6 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Liberals request auditor general investigation into collapsed Metrolinx deal
The Liberals are asking Ontario's auditor general to launch a value-for-money investigation into the sudden end of a contract signed by provincial transit agency Metrolinx with a consortium to deliver two decades-plus of train services. In mid-May, Metrolinx confirmed it had ended an agreement it signed with a consortium to provide 'faster, more frequent' service across its GO train network. In January 2024, Metrolinx announced it had accepted a proposal from the group ONXpress — made up of German train operator Deutsche Bahn and Canadian Aecon Concessions — to plan and run its rail system. By the start of 2025, however, the agreement had been scrapped — more than 22 years early. Ontario Liberal MPP Andrea Hazel has written to the auditor general requesting a report into the contract, how much has already been spent on it and whether it was properly handled. Story continues below advertisement 'This contract was a cornerstone of Ontario's GO rail electrification project—an initiative intended to modernize commuter transit, reduce emissions, and serve over 7 million transit users across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area,' Hazel wrote. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Its abrupt cancellation threatens to delay the project by several years, risk hundreds of jobs, disrupt GO Transit and UP Express operations, and undermine public trust in Ontario's transit planning.' She asked for answers on the cost of the cancellation, how it would impact plans to modernize and electrify GO transit and the procurement process through which ONXpress was selected in the first place. Metrolinx has been silent on what led to the cancellation or how much it might cost. 'ONxpress Operations Inc. was awarded the contract to take over operations and maintenance of GO rail and UP Express effective January 1, 2025,' Metrolinx said in a brief statement confirming the end of the deal. 'While both teams worked closely toward this goal, the parties are working on an amicable settlement to end the partnership.' The transit agency did not respond to questions from Global News about a potential auditor general report. The auditor general's office confirmed the request had been received, but did not indicate if it would take on the assignment. Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria skirted questions about the potential investigation or why the Metrolinx contract had fallen apart at Queen's Park. Story continues below advertisement 'Everything we do, we think fully through it and we do for the betterment of transit riders,' he said in response to questions about how much taxpayers could pay for the deal. 'So we're going to continue to move forward as we have on many of our transit projects that will support transit riders and the community.'
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Fourth Wing fans must read magical new fantasy by BookTok star Hazel McBride
A Fate Forged in Fire is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and House of the Dragon by George R. R. Martin From Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses to Powerless, there's no shortage of existing romantasy series to get into. But for readers looking for something new to sink their teeth into, the first book in a new duology featured in Goodreads' list of the most anticipated 2025 romantasy novels could be the answer. A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride is a Celtic-inspired romantasy. Tìr Teine was once a territory built on matriarchal rule, but it has been without a female heir for centuries. Aemyra, a blacksmith's daughter gifted with rare fire magic, has hidden in the shadows, waiting for the king to die so she can bond to his dragon and protect her fellow people. But when her plan is foiled, Aemyra finds herself in the middle of a dangerous game of politics and plots, involving Prince Fiorean a dragon rider and fire wielder who also happens to be her biggest adversary. Speaking to Mirror Online ahead of the book's publication, Hazel, who has over 70,000 followers and 6.5 million likes on TikTok, discussed how TikTok has helped boost the popularity of the romantasy genre in recent years. "There's always corners of the internet that can be toxic and I think you have to go in with an open mind," she said. "But as a bookish community in general, they're so supportive and they really do just come together. And I think it is a community made up primarily of women, I think that's what's also helped to give rise to the romantic genre as well. "It is a genre primarily written and read by women. So it's only natural that we talk about it and recommend it to our friends. "I think there's a certain safety in it as well, especially potentially when we're seeing a rise of violence against women in our reality, to read a man written by a woman. It's a nice escape to read about these female main characters who are being treated so incredibly well and having all of their needs met. It has this kind of escape of yes, this is our hope, this is what we want, which I think is really lovely." Being a TikTok creator comes with its challenges too, however, with Hazel explaining: "The way TikTok works, it's not like other social media, like Instagram or Facebook and YouTube [where] people who are seeing your content are like 90 per cent people who follow you so they know your backstory, they know who you are, they won't be so quick to take things out of context. "Whereas on TikTok you're just fed random videos most often from people you've never seen before. And if that's the only video that they see, they might form a different opinion of it, or the algorithm could feed it to the wrong side of TikTok." Sharing her advice for other authors on TikTok, Hazel continued: "But I think it's I think it's overwhelmingly positive. But I think any author that's using it needs to protect their mental health and understand that it's okay to have a boundary here, whether that's, you know, I only post a certain amount every week, I only talk about certain things, et cetera." A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride is published in hardback at £20 by Renegade Books on May 27, 2025. You can find out more and order it here.
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Kirkcudbright Scout undergoing brain tumour treatment receives Unsung Hero Award
Hazel Dempster was one of just 20 young Scots from across the UK chosen to receive the accolade from Chief Scout Dwayne Fields. A Kirkcudbright Scout who is being treated for a brain tumour has received one of the movement's top awards. Hazel Dempster was chosen to receive an Unsung Hero Award from Chief Scout Dwayne Fields at the organisation's home in London's Gilwell Park. She was one of just 20 young Scouts chosen out of 475,000 Scouts from across the UK to receive the award, which recognises acts of outstanding bravery and selflessness. She said: 'I'm surprised and proud at receiving Dwayne's heroes award. It was great to meet him and talk with him.' The citation for Hazel's nomination read: 'Hazel is an amazing young person, a fantastic young leader who takes time to engage the quieter Scouts and includes everybody helping them to do their best. 'Hazel has been receiving treatment in recent years for a brain tumour, going through chemotherapy and now a newer form of treatment, but through this, she continues to carry on with Scouts and making a difference to other young people. She doesn't let her treatment stop her. 'She enjoys helping out, comes up with creative ways to help make Scouting as enjoyable as possible for the Scouts whilst also gaining leadership and teamwork skills. 'She also regularly takes it upon herself to fundraise for the Kirkcudbright Scout group, baking to raise donations, taking part in larger bake sales as well as helping at fundraising stalls.' The Unsung Heroes Award is a coveted personal achievement which recognises the amazing skills and endeavours of young people across the Scouts community – from Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and people in the Scout Network. The winners were nominated by Scout volunteers for their outstanding bravery and leadership in the community, showing skills and qualities which are learned by being part of the Scouts and subsequently taken through life. Winners were chosen by an experienced panel of Scout Ambassadors led by the Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields. He said: 'A huge congratulations to the winners of this remarkable award for acts of courage and selflessness in the community. Being part of the Scouts provides young people with skills they take with them through life, and the stories of these young people represent the highest form of Scouting values. 'I want to thank you for your dedication and celebrate what is a truly outstanding achievement.'
