Latest news with #IFR
Scoop
7 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Rescue Crew Chief Issues Lifesaving Challenge
The crew chief of the Westpac rescue helicopter service is urging the community to help them get back to base this August, as demand for the lifesaving service continues to grow. 'Every time we take off could be the difference between life and death. This is vital work, but we can't do it alone,' says Crew Chief Rick Knight. The Canterbury Westpac and ROA Mining Rescue Helicopters have already completed over 520 missions this year across the Canterbury West Coast region and demand continues to increase. 'Whether it's a medical emergency in one of our rural communities, an accident in remote terrain, or an urgent response to a personal locator beacon activation, we all rely on the rescue helicopters to be there - and we are. 'But to continue to provide this world-class service we need our community's support. We need the community to take up this challenge and help us get Back to Base,' says Knight. Back to Base is a virtual event in which people are encouraged to challenge themselves to cover the distance equivalent to a real rescue helicopter mission. The Back to Base distances range from 9 km, the distance from Christchurch Hospital back to base, up to 155 km, the distance from Timaru to base. Alternatively, participants can set their own target. Last year, $45,000 was raised through Back to Base with participants finding unique ways to complete the challenge. A team of ocean swimmers swam 500 km, a mum and her two children walked and ran 349 km, while an 80-year-old man walked 9 km. 'It's simple. Choose your distance, get a few sponsors on board and get moving. It doesn't matter if you walk, run, swim, ski, or hit the treadmill – however you move you will be supporting the lifesaving work of the rescue helicopter crew,' Knight says. There are 39 crew who work across the Canterbury and West Coast rescue helicopter service, operated by GCH Aviation. For all of them physical fitness, and the mental strength that comes from that, is vital for their job. 'Crew roles demand a high level of fitness every day – whether we're swimming through rough seas during a marine rescue or trekking rugged terrain to reach an injured tramper. Even helicopter winch operations require strength and precision. It's an intense and highly specialised job. 'The Back to Base challenge reflects the grit and commitment required in air rescue, and it's a powerful way everyday Kiwis can support our mission,' Knight says. Funds raised through the Back to Base Challenge will go towards the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust's MISSION 2026. MISSION 2026 is the biggest transformation the rescue helicopter service has seen in its 40-year history. The fleet is being upgraded with three H145 helicopters, along with a significant investment in new equipment, technology and advanced crew training. The biggest game-changer is the roll-out of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) across the fleet. IFR enables the helicopters to fly in more adverse weather conditions – an investment which means the rescue helicopters will be able to respond to an estimated 20% more missions. The Trust needs to raise $1.4 million towards MISSION 2026. Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust CEO Christine Prince says they need the community's support to get there. 'Please join our Back to Base challenge starting 1 August. Put simply, we need your help to save lives; every dollar contributes towards this. 'With challenge distances from 9 km, anyone can join the Back to Base challenge and be part of our life-saving MISSION 2026,' Prince says. Back to Base distance options are: • 9 km – Christchurch Hospital Helipad and Back to Base • 49 km – Akaroa to Christchurch Hospital and Back to Base • 97 km – Mt Hutt to Christchurch Hospital and Back to Base • 155 km – Timaru Hospital to Christchurch Hospital and Back to Base Back to Base Challenge participants who fundraise more than $100 will receive a Westpac or ROA Mining Rescue Helicopter pin, with a medal provided to those participants who raise more than $250. The highest fundraiser will receive a city flight for two, gifted by GCH Aviation, with other spot prizes up for grabs. Anyone can sign up for the Back to Base Challenge at The Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust has funded the life-saving Rescue Helicopters in Canterbury and the West Coast since 1989. Working alongside service provider GCH Aviation, the Trust is tasked with raising $6 million each year to support the operation of the service, which is not fully government funded. The Trust's funding also supports the provision of life-saving equipment and additional crew training, all of which improves patient care and outcomes.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kushinagar airport gets nod for all-weather flights
Lucknow: The Kushinagar International Airport has been granted the Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) licence which will enable all-weather operations. Until now the airport operated only under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), which limited flights to clear daytime conditions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This upgrade will mark a leap in flight operations in the region. With the IFR licence, planes will now land and takeoff safely even in poor visibility and adverse weather at the airport. The move is expected to boost tourism, trade and regional connectivity, giving momentum to economic development in Purvanchal, especially the Kushinagar area, said officials. "Technological advancement not only improves operational safety but also positions Kushinagar Airport as a more attractive hub for airlines and travellers alike. Authorities are optimistic that the airport will now see increased traffic and play a stronger role in regional growth," said an official.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EY partner in talks to become boss of new football regulator
An expert in financial regulation at one of the big four accountancy firms is in talks to become the inaugural boss of English football's powerful new watchdog. Sky News has learnt that Richard Monks, a partner at EY, is the leading contender to become chief executive of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR). The new body will be formally established once the Football Governance Bill receives Royal Assent, which is expected this month. Mr Monks spent 18 years at the Financial Conduct Authority and its predecessor regulator, the Financial Services Authority, before becoming chair of the G20/OECD Taskforce for Consumer Financial Protection, according to his LinkedIn profile. He became a partner at EY, where he focuses on financial regulation, in the autumn of 2022. The prospective choice of a chief executive of the IFR with no professional experience of the football industry may spark alarm among club executives who will face an onerous new regulatory regime overseen by the IFR. In recent weeks, football industry executives have circulated rumours that the IFR boss was likely to emerge from the professional services sector. It was unclear this weekend whether other candidates were vying with Mr Monks for the post. The IFR has already been set up on a 'shadow' basis, with Martyn Henderson, former chief executive of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, appointed in December 2023 as interim chief operating officer of the football watchdog. The EY partner is understood to have held talks with David Kogan, the government's preferred choice for the watchdog's chairmanship but whose formal appointment has been delayed by an investigation sparked by his previous donations to Labour politicians. William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments, is investigating the process through which Mr Kogan was recruited to the role, and is thought likely to produce his report in the coming weeks. Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, told MPs last month that she was delegating the final decision on Mr Kogan's appointment to the sports minister. Stuart Andrew, the shadow culture minister, said at the time: "The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence. "The decision to launch an inquiry is welcome [and] must include scrutiny of [Sir] Keir Starmer, his advisers, and whether any conflicts of interest were properly declared." If Mr Kogan's appointment is ratified, the appointment of a chief executive would be a crucial step in paving the way for the most radical reforms to the supervision of English football in decades. The legislation includes a new licensing regime for clubs, measures to ensure greater fan engagement and a backstop power allowing the IFR to impose a financial settlement on the Premier League in relation to distributions to English Football League clubs. Revisions to the Bill have seen a requirement for the IFR to take decisions about club takeovers in the context of the government's foreign and trade policy removed. If Mr Monks does land the IFR chief executive's post, ministers are likely to argue that his expertise as a regulator will balance Mr Kogan's decades of experience as a negotiator of sports media rights deals. Last year, Mr Kogan acted as the lead negotiator for the Women's Super League and Championship on their latest five-year broadcasting deals with Sky - the immediate parent company of Sky News - and the BBC. His current roles include advising the chief executives of CNN, the American broadcast news network, and The New York Times Company on talks with digital platforms about the growing influence of artificial intelligence on their industries. The creation of the IFR was pledged by the last Conservative government in the wake of the furore over the failed European Super League project in 2021. Its establishment comes with the top tier of the professional game gripped by civil war, with Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City at the centre of a number of legal cases with the Premier League over the club's financial affairs. The Premier League has also been keen to agree a long-delayed financial redistribution deal with the EFL before the regulator is formally launched. Tentative talks between representatives of both factions failed to produce meaningful progress, however. This weekend, EY declined to comment on Mr Monks's behalf, while the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been approached for comment.
Sky News
19-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News
EY partner in talks to become boss of new football regulator
Why you can trust Sky News An expert in financial regulation at one of the big four accountancy firms is in talks to become the inaugural boss of English football's powerful new watchdog. Sky News has learnt that Richard Monks, a partner at EY, is the leading contender to become chief executive of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR). The new body will be formally established once the Football Governance Bill receives Royal Assent, which is expected this month. Mr Monks spent 18 years at the Financial Conduct Authority and its predecessor regulator, the Financial Services Authority, before becoming chair of the G20/OECD Taskforce for Consumer Financial Protection, according to his LinkedIn profile. He became a partner at EY, where he focuses on financial regulation, in the autumn of 2022. The prospective choice of a chief executive of the IFR with no professional experience of the football industry may spark alarm among club executives who will face an onerous new regulatory regime overseen by the IFR. In recent weeks, football industry executives have circulated rumours that the IFR boss was likely to emerge from the professional services sector. It was unclear this weekend whether other candidates were vying with Mr Monks for the post. The IFR has already been set up on a 'shadow' basis, with Martyn Henderson, former chief executive of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, appointed in December 2023 as interim chief operating officer of the football watchdog. The EY partner is understood to have held talks with David Kogan, the government's preferred choice for the watchdog's chairmanship but whose formal appointment has been delayed by an investigation sparked by his previous donations to Labour politicians. William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments, is investigating the process through which Mr Kogan was recruited to the role, and is thought likely to produce his report in the coming weeks. Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, told MPs last month that she was delegating the final decision on Mr Kogan's appointment to the sports minister. Stuart Andrew, the shadow culture minister, said at the time: "The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence. "The decision to launch an inquiry is welcome [and] must include scrutiny of [Sir] Keir Starmer, his advisers, and whether any conflicts of interest were properly declared." If Mr Kogan's appointment is ratified, the appointment of a chief executive would be a crucial step in paving the way for the most radical reforms to the supervision of English football in decades. The legislation includes a new licensing regime for clubs, measures to ensure greater fan engagement and a backstop power allowing the IFR to impose a financial settlement on the Premier League in relation to distributions to English Football League clubs. Revisions to the Bill have seen a requirement for the IFR to take decisions about club takeovers in the context of the government's foreign and trade policy removed. If Mr Monks does land the IFR chief executive's post, ministers are likely to argue that his expertise as a regulator will balance Mr Kogan's decades of experience as a negotiator of sports media rights deals. Last year, Mr Kogan acted as the lead negotiator for the Women's Super League and Championship on their latest five-year broadcasting deals with Sky - the immediate parent company of Sky News - and the BBC. His current roles include advising the chief executives of CNN, the American broadcast news network, and The New York Times Company on talks with digital platforms about the growing influence of artificial intelligence on their industries. The creation of the IFR was pledged by the last Conservative government in the wake of the furore over the failed European Super League project in 2021. Its establishment comes with the top tier of the professional game gripped by civil war, with Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City at the centre of a number of legal cases with the Premier League over the club's financial affairs. The Premier League has also been keen to agree a long-delayed financial redistribution deal with the EFL before the regulator is formally launched. Tentative talks between representatives of both factions failed to produce meaningful progress, however.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Auto industry robotics installation jumps in Japan
According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), Japan's auto industry installed 13,000 industrial robots in 2024, up 11% on 2023. The Japanese automotive industry installed a total of about 13,000 industrial robots in 2024. This is an 11% increase compared to the previous year and the highest level recorded since 2020. These are preliminary results, presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). 'Japan is the world's predominant robot manufacturing country representing 38% of global robot production," says Takayuki Ito, President of the IFR. The Japanese automotive industry is currently undergoing a restructuring process in order to adapt to alternative powertrains. Most car manufacturers intend to expand their range of battery and fuel cell electric vehicles. This diversified portfolio will require the appropriate production technology, the IFR says. The IFR estimates that car manufacturers represent approximately 25% of all robot installations on an annual basis in Japan. The electrical and electronics industry is the only sector that installs more robots, it says. Their installations reached about 14,000 industrial robots in 2024, which reflects a 5% decrease. 'The use of robotics not only characterises modern industrial workplaces in Japan, but also contributes to the development in everyday areas of application,' says Takayuki Ito. "Auto industry robotics installation jumps in Japan" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
