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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Bay's wharf upgrade to stay in long-term plan
The wharf at Jackson Bay could be upgraded. PHOTO: ODT FILES A $4 million upgrade of the Jackson Bay wharf — the only deep-sea port on the West Coast — may be a contender for co-funding with the government. However, councillors remain split over whether more investment is warranted. The road leading into Jackson Bay is also a headache for the Westland District Council, after slips reactivated in November are expected to take years to settle. The future security of the entire Haast-Jackson Bay Rd has been included in a bid to the government's Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF), at its request. It forms part of package of potential investment supporting the wharf as a critical asset. In a recent update to councillors, Mayor Helen Lash said an upgrade of the aged Jackson Bay wharf was originally going to be part of the RIF application put forward with the Hokitika Airport upgrade. "We took it out to eliminate the risk of having the airport turned down ... but [government funding agency] Kanoa have come back and asked us to re-present that." Almost $10m of RIF co-funding was announced for the airport upgrade this year by way of a suspensory loan. If successful, the Jackson Bay project would be secured in the same way. Mrs Lash said the application was now past the second stage of assessment, and they expected to have a decision at the end of June. Letters of support from the fishing industry and community groups had gone in with the application. The $3.9m sought covered a "grand plan" for the wharf to see it was strengthened according to a report paid for by Fiordland Lobster, she said. A fixed crane, launching ramp for recreational fishers and a tolled carpark around the site that Talley's leased from the council was proposed. Mrs Lash said they had also included the Haast-Jackson Bay special purpose road in the funding bid. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi funding has been secured for the link, which is now dotted with active slips, until 2027. PHOTO: ODT FILES "We have asked it be considered as staying in the picture in all perpetuity, rather than have that challenged, or ... being removed," the mayor said. "It's a big ask and we've been ballsy with the ask but we've got nothing to lose with it." She said the application — done at the "very sudden" request of the government's regional economic development and investment unit Kanoa — also had the support of the National Emergency Management Agency as the only deep-sea port on the Coast. More than 70% of submitters to the council's draft long-term plan backed external investment in the port, largely for the role it would have in a Civil Defence response. The other options offered in the draft plan were closing it, or selling it to a commercial interest. Crs Jane Neale, Steven Gillett and Patrick Phelps voted against any more money being spent on the wharf. Iwi representative Paul Madgwick said any government funding would come with strings attached. "Newsflash: Kanoa are not Santa Claus. They expect a big contribution before they give out any cash." Major safety upgrades, including structural beam and decking repairs on a large section of the pier, were completed with $1m of government funding in 2020. However, outstanding repairs remain. The majority of councillors eventually agreed to leave the wharf upgrade in the long-term plan — subject to shoring up external funding. They could still decide later to potentially sell the wharf. Cr Madgwick said its fate could be out of the council's hands at any time. "God might make that decision for us ... once that slip goes big time." — Hokitika Guardian By Janna Sherman
Economic Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
One-third of kids never see the inside of school, but we have nukes: Ex-Pak envoy's viral clip stirs fresh outrage
Synopsis A 2013 interview with former Pakistani ambassador Hussain Haqqani is making waves again in 2025, as Pakistan reels from economic collapse, education gaps, and renewed conflict with India. In the clip, Haqqani challenges Pakistan's obsession with nuclear might while millions of children remain unschooled and citizens live in poverty. His critique has resurfaced following a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir and India's response through Operation Sindoor. The interview underscores enduring questions about Pakistan's direction, security priorities, and human development. As Pakistan faces a deepening crisis at home, a decade-old warning from former ambassador Hussain Haqqani is hitting harder than ever. A 2013 interview featuring the ex-diplomat has resurfaced online, exposing painful truths about Pakistan's priorities. 'One-third of (Pakistan's) young population… never see the inside of any school — forget about madrasas, religious schools, any school,' Haqqani said. 'Another one-third lives below the poverty line, and yet the country has nuclear weapons.' ADVERTISEMENT This statement—now viral—echoes across a nation grappling with economic instability, a broken education system, and worsening India-Pakistan relations. Despite being from 2013, the interview's relevance feels sharply present in critique went deeper than statistics. He questioned the national mindset that glorifies military might at the expense of societal progress. 'The real threat to Pakistan essentially is from a failure to come to terms with its geography, with its history, and with having a direction for it as a nation,' he said during the panel. His remarks form a blistering takedown of Pakistan's state doctrine—where weapons take precedence over welfare. 'We are now like the guy who keeps buying guns to try and protect himself and then says, 'Oh gosh, I can't sleep because I'm afraid somebody will steal my guns,'' he observed, describing the country's fixation on defence at the cost of its citizens' sense of security. Haqqani also invoked the vision of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She imagined a future where Pakistan retained its nuclear deterrence but redefined its global role. 'We will keep the nukes, but we will eventually sign up with some kind of international agreement… We are not going to live as an insecure nation,' he said, referencing Bhutto's forward-looking ideals. ADVERTISEMENT It was not a call to disarm but to recalibrate—to pair defence strength with internal development and diplomatic resurfacing of this interview comes on the heels of a major terror attack. On 22 April, a deadly strike in Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 Indian tourists. The attack, attributed to Pakistan-based terror groups, has plunged the region into crisis. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a military campaign targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These camps were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen. ADVERTISEMENT What followed was a series of retaliatory attempts by Pakistan to strike Indian military bases between 8 and 10 May. India responded by targeting eight Pakistani airbases on 10 May using long-range missiles and India has moved swiftly too. Following the Pahalgam attack, India placed the Indus Waters Treaty under suspension—a significant shift in a treaty that has governed water sharing between the two nations since 1960. With six rivers under its control, India now holds leverage that could strain Pakistan's already fragile agrarian economy. ADVERTISEMENT Haqqani has been outspoken on Pakistan's internal threats long before the recent escalation. In a post on X, he questioned the legitimacy of allowing extremist outfits to flourish while maintaining a formal army. 'A terrorist attack in Pahalgam led India and Pakistan to the brink of total war. To avoid that in future, it is important to shut down Jihadi groups,' he wrote. 'With well-equipped armed forces, why does the country need Lashkar, Sipah, Jaish, and their Difa-e-Watan Council?'These comments were not made in isolation. They coincide with global concerns over Pakistan's nuclear safety. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently said Pakistan's nuclear weapons should be brought under international monitoring, specifically the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Even Haqqani conceded that Pakistan's nuclear programme is technically sound and well-guarded. But the central question remains—what use is strategic deterrence if it coexists with illiteracy, poverty, and social fragmentation? ADVERTISEMENT Pakistan's leadership, according to Haqqani, needs to look inward. Until the country resolves its core contradictions—missiles in the skies and millions of children out of school—the promise of security will ring hollow. In 2013, his message was seen as provocative. In 2025, it feels prophetic. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein. NEXT STORY
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fans snap up a tube of this bestselling $5 mascara every 7 seconds
A good mascara can help make your eyes look bigger and brighter, and it won't leave dark smudges on your skin after a long day. That said, there's one product in particular that's catching shoppers' peepers — it's the Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara, and according to the brand, one tube of the stuff sells every seven seconds. That's over 12,000 mascaras per day! And at just $5, it's a wildly affordable way to get full, fluttery lashes. So, what makes this mascara a step above the rest? For starters, the price. But that's not all: The formula is ophthalmologist-tested and delivers everything you could want in a mascara. (Check out our full review.) The cone-shaped brush glides over each lash to separate and coat from root to tip and make your eyes pop. And there's a reason for the "False Lash Effect" moniker: One coat is all it takes to achieve long, voluminous, defined, clump-free lashes, fans say. Another plus? According to PETA, this affordable formula is cruelty-free. With over 265,000 five-star ratings, this mascara is a bona fide Amazon hit. Over 100,000 were bought in the last month alone! One happy shopper called it a "miracle worker," adding: "I really do look like I have on falsies. But in a natural way. At age 52, your eyebrows and eyelashes start to thin and turn gray (mine did, anyway). This mascara solves that problem. No clumps." "Better than popular name brands at a fraction of the cost!" exclaimed another rave reviewer. "As a woman who has bought every mascara out there, from expensive department store exclusives (around $30-plus) to brands found in local drugstores ... this mascara rivals and is somewhat better than all I've bought before. It gives your lashes a thick, full length in a few coats. ... I highly recommend it." "I'm 70 years old and my eyelashes are thinner and shorter," shared a five-star fan. "I put on one coat and let it dry and then put on another coat and I cannot believe how good my lashes look. They are longer and [there] seem to be more of them. This product is amazing and such a great price." "I wanted a mascara that would make my eyelashes look longer and 'pop.'" shared another fan. "This really does what it says it does! I'm very pleased with it. My only complaint would be that it is difficult to remove and takes more cotton balls than any other brand I've had — but then again, none of the others looked as good, either!" (Tip: Pair it with a hardworking makeup remover, such as these hypoallergenic Almay eye makeup remover pads.) "The only tiny drawback is that I do get the raccoon look throughout the day," wrote another shopper. "It probably doesn't help that I use a lot of moisturizer around my eyes. But as long as I remember to do a quick occasional swipe under the eyes, it's not a huge problem." If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.) The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
Boston Globe
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
More than 200 runners race in 26.TRUE, the ‘real Boston Marathon'
The Marathon seeks to encourage While the Boston Marathon requires runners to submit qualifying times, reserved one hundred spots this year for first-time marathoners. Advertisement 'The event allows us to think outside of the box and really rethink and change the narrative, change the history about who deserves to be running,' Lash said. More than 50 people lined up on Dale Street along Malcolm X Park, ringing cowbells and cheering for runners as dancehall music boomed from a Red Bull-branded truck. 'Pain is temporary, Strava glory is forever,' one supporter's sign read. Chloe and Peter Hinrichs, who work respectively as an accountant and a landscape designer, traveled from out-of-state to watch their son race. The couple said they were happy to join a supportive environment cheering on the runners along a memorable course. 'It just highlights all the great neighborhoods of Boston,' Peter Hinrichs said. 'In the Boston Marathon, they don't really run that much in Boston.' Advertisement originated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when ''Let's use this as an excuse and an opportunity to run through the streets of our neighborhoods and really spotlight the city of Boston in a way that the namesake marathon, the Boston Marathon, does not do,'' Lash recalled thinking. PIONEERS intended to be a one-time event, but participants quickly expressed interest in running the course again the following year, Lash said. As the event has 'Those three civil rights leaders and activists are huge motivators to us,' Lash said. Organizers wanted to 'encourage the runners to really soak up and understand what the meaning of their impacts means for us,' she added. Jade Lozada can be reached at
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More Americans than ever can't afford healthcare. prescriptions, study says
The inability to pay for health care has reached a new high in the United States, a new study says. More than one-third of Americans -- an estimated 91 million people -- say they couldn't afford to access quality health care if they needed it today, according to the latest West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index. "The rising trajectory in the inability to pay for healthcare is a disturbing trend that is likely to continue and even accelerate," said Tim Lash, president of West Health Policy Center, part of a group of nonprofit organizations focused on healthcare and aging. "Policy action at both the state and federal level is urgently needed, or even more Americans will have to go without treatment or be forced to make painful tradeoffs between paying for medical care or paying for other necessities," Lash continued in a news release. "The human and economic costs are enormous." The Healthcare Affordability Index has been tracking health care access in the U.S. since 2021, researchers said. Its latest results show that 35% of Americans could not access quality health care if they need it. Rates were even higher among Black Americans (46%) and Hispanic Americans (52%), results show. Access to health care remained stable among wealthier Americans, but declined significantly among lower-income households. About two-thirds (64%) of people earning less than $24,000 said they can't afford health care, an 11-point increase from 2023, results show. Likewise, 57% of households with an annual income between $24,000 and $48,000 said they struggle to afford health care, up 12 points from 2023. In all, about half (51%) of Americans are considered "cost secure," in that they have faced no recent difficulty affording either health care or prescriptions, researchers found. It's the lowest level observed since the index started in 2021. Hispanic Americans have experienced the greatest declines in such security, with 34% saying they have no problem affording health care - down 17 points from 2021. Black Americans experienced a 13-point drop in health care security, with 41% now saying they don't struggle with health care bills. Overall, about 11% of Americans, about 29 million people, are classified as "cost desperate" - meaning they are unable to afford either health care or prescriptions. "Healthcare affordability and access continue to erode nationally, and this issue is especially acute among Black, Hispanic, and lower-income adults," Dan Witters, a senior researcher at Gallup, said in a news release. "White adults and those in higher-income households, in contrast, remain largely insulated from these worsening trends," Witters added. "Among these groups, this is the widest gap in access to care we have recorded thus far, with many Americans experiencing increased hardship year over year." The survey was conducted online and by mail between Nov. 18 and Dec. 27 among 6,296 people 18 and older. Respondents were from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus 1.6 percentage points. More information KFF has more on Americans' struggle with health care costs. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
