Latest news with #OV
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 4-star ATH will take OV to Texas instead of Texas A&M on June 20
2026 4-star ATH will take OV to Texas instead of Texas A&M on June 20 Four-star ATH Paris Melvin from Cypress (Texas) Cypress Springs has switched his Texas A&M visit for Texas on the June 20-22 weekend.@OB_JasonS — Adam Gorney (@adamgorney) June 12, 2025 The 2026 recruiting class is filled with elite talent at every position, and Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is close to landing several prospects in the coming weeks after hosting 18 prospects last weekend. This weekend, the Aggies will host 15 2026 prospects, headlined by the return of five-star DL/OL Lamar Brown. However, one of Texas A&M's future 2026 visitors, four-star athlete Paris Melvin Jr., has reportedly changed his mind regarding his official visit to College Station on June 20, as the Cy Springs (TX) native will now take an official visit to Texas on that day. This is quite surprising given Melvin's recent prediction to land with the Aggies. Still, just like five-star Edge Jamarion Carlton canceling his A&M OV, this is simply of the sporadic nature of recruiting. While this is certainly better news for Texas, Melvin is considering all his options; however, knowing that the Longhorns are now listed as his final visit of the summer likely puts them in the lead. On the field, Melvin can do it all, earning a 16-6A first-team selection as a defensive back and return specialist after his 2023 sophomore season. At the next level, Melvin will likely play cornerback for either team he chooses, as Texas or Texas A&M will take full advantage of his speed and athleticism, likely in the slot. According to 247Sports, Melvin is currently positioned as the 138th-ranked prospect in the 2026 class, the 10th-ranked athlete, and the 20th-ranked prospect in Texas. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Georgia Gets Bad News on Highly Coveted Star Playmaker
The Georgia Bulldogs are expected to land the top tight end of the 2026 recruiting class. But it won't come without some very strong competition. Five-star tight end Mark Bowman visited Ole Miss over this past weekend. On3's Steve Wiltfong reported the visit went very well. Advertisement 'The OV was a blast,' said Bowman. 'I would say the biggest takeaway was the family like feel. It didn't really feel like I was on a recruiting trip it was more just having a good time with the coaches.' Ole Miss' involvement in Bowman's recruitment isn't completely out of left field. After all, the tight end had a scheduled official visit with the Rebels. But it sounds as though the Rebels could be gaining on Georgia. Georgia Bulldogs football head coach Kirby Smart© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Bowman's visit to Oxford, Mississippi, came days after Wiltfong and On3's Chad Simmons wrote that the Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans present a challenge to the Bulldogs for the five-star tight end as well. Advertisement 'I like the Bulldogs for Bowman, but Texas and USC are ones to keep an eye on for the reclassified tight end," Wiltfong wrote. "UGA remains in the mix for multiple top targets at the position this cycle.' Simmons argued that Texas is the biggest challenger to Georgia with Bowman. 'Texas was his childhood favorite school and the visit he had to Austin this spring pushed the Longhorns to the top of his list," Simmons wrote. "He visited Georgia again after that visit and the Bulldogs have the momentum going into the official visits." In addition to holding the No. 1 tight end ranking, Bowman is the No. 4 California recruit and No. 16 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. Related: Georgia in Danger of Losing Highly Touted Playmaker to Texas
Daily Maverick
08-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Government models 3.5% growth by 2029 as it launches 30 key reforms — here they are
Reform or bust: Ramaphosa bets on infrastructure, energy and local government fix as he launches the second phase of Operation Vulindlela. If there's one programme that works well in government, it's Operation Vulindlela (OV), the presidential reform programme run by excellent technocrats and led by Rudi Dicks. The parties in the Government of National Unity argue about most things, but agree that OV is the mechanism to get SA to grow, and grow in a way that ensures employment. In its first phase, the programme unlocked R500-billion in the economy, mainly in energy, after the Cabinet lifted the cap on independent energy production. It has also seen a 51% reduction in data costs as the government finally achieved the spectrum auction. OV helps government departments and the three spheres of the state work together on often simple reforms. The OV value has been independently verified. These energy reforms have generated 22,500MW of independent power (mostly renewable) to lift the pall of 12 years of load shedding, which has burdened South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the Northern Cape had seen billions of rands pour in for wind and solar plants. 'Electricity being delivered properly has had an impact on our people. The green shoots of reform are sprouting,' said Ramaphosa as he launched the second phase of OV on Wednesday. 'When I got off a boat in Cape Town, a young boy of about seven said, 'Can I talk to you?'' Ramaphosa agreed. 'He told me, 'Please bring electricity back. I want to watch my TV shows.'' A turbocharge The second phase of the OV started on Wednesday, 7 May, and it has set 30 key reforms to work on, notably in the digital economy and local government (see below). The Bureau for Economic Research has modelled the reforms and found that, if implemented, SA could target 3.5% growth by 2029. The National Treasury forecasts SA to grow at 1.9%, but on Tuesday, Moody's Ratings agency dropped its forecast growth for SA in 2025 to 1.5%. 'In the reform scenario, real GDP is R399.6bn (+7.7%) higher than in the baseline by 2029, and investment is R196.7bn (+22.3%) higher,' the OV Phase 2 finds. OV is already working in eThekwini and Johannesburg. The team will apply the lessons it learns in the six other metros before fanning out to the entire broken third sphere of the state. Local government breakdowns harm the economy and are a rising concern for businesses, specifically for energy and water security. Saul Musker, the president's director of strategy, says the 30 reforms are meant to 'turbocharge' the economy. Budget 3.0: An infrastructure Budget The National Treasury is running this phase with OV, which can be read as a blueprint for the third 2025 Budget, which Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will present later in May. The Treasury will increase conditional grants to the metros as announced in the Budget Review, but only on strict conditions of financial rectitude and with a commitment to reform. Competition may be introduced to entities that provide water and electricity, with a key principle to ringfence revenues to ensure reinvestment through maintenance and new infrastructure investment. Musker said the second phase of OV had a five-year horizon and would work in seven focus areas. Ramaphosa said SA would spend up to R1-trillion on infrastructure over the medium term and characterised Budget 3.0 as an infrastructure Budget. 'We need bold, far-reaching reform initiatives to revitalise our economy,' he said. Both OV Phase 1 and Phase 2 depend on partnerships with businesses, which have invested human and financial resources in the reforms. In turn, the government is much more pragmatic in energy and logistics, where the private sector is encouraged to invest in generating electricity and, soon, running parts of the rail network. THE 30 REFORMS Energy Reform Complete the restructuring of Eskom and establish an independent transmission system operator. Establish a competitive wholesale market for electricity generation. Streamline the regulatory framework for energy projects through the Energy Security Bill. Reform the electricity distribution industry to establish financially and operationally sustainable distribution companies. Strengthen and expand the national transmission network. Logistics Reform Complete the restructuring of Transnet and establish an independent National Ports Authority and rail infrastructure manager. Enable open access to the freight rail network. Introduce private sector participation (PSP) in ports and rail through a dedicated PSP Unit. Establish the Transport Economic Regulator. Finalise the National Rail Bill to establish a legal framework for a competitive rail sector. Water Sector Reform Implement institutional reforms to improve the management of water resources. Strengthen the regulation and oversight of water service provision. Support the introduction of private sector partnerships in the water sector. Develop a National Water Action Plan. Establish a coordination structure to ensure water security. Visa System Reform Implement the points-based system for Critical Skills visas and General Work visas. Implement the Remote Work Visa. Expand the Trusted Employer Scheme. Implement an Electronic Travel Authorisation for tourist visas. Local Government Reform Shift to a utility model for water and electricity services to ensure financial and operational sustainability. Review the institutional structure of the local government system through an updated white paper on local government. Review the funding model and functions assigned to local government, including the use of conditional grants. Standardise and professionalise the appointment of senior officials in local government. Require all metros to establish or appoint ringfenced, professionally managed and independently licensed utilities within two years. Spatial Inequality Reform Revitalise and restore passenger rail services. Strengthen demand-side housing policy to support densification. Release public land and buildings for affordable housing and other development. Clear the backlog of title deeds and make the titling system more accessible and affordable. Review land use, building and other regulations to enable low-cost property developments. Digital Transformation Develop and implement a digital transformation roadmap for South Africa, including: Digital identity; Data exchange; Digital payments; and Digital service delivery platforms (eg, relaunch of DM
Gulf Today
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Filipinos in UAE to vote online as polls open today
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ferdinand Ver has repeated his call for the 189,892 registered Filipino voters across the seven emirates, to enrol over the Philippines' Commission on Elections (Comelec) overseas voting portal so their favoured senatorial and party-list representative candidates, have the chance to be part of the national legislative bodies for the crafting and enactment of laws towards nationhood, beginning July 2025. Ver made the reiteration on Saturday morning when he oversaw the Final Lockdown and Sealing (FLS) of the landmark Comelec Online Overseas Voting and Overseas Counting System (OV/OCS), the Comelec-designated Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEIs) at the Philippine Embassy-Abu Dhabi, conducted. 'We are not campaigning for any candidate. We are campaigning for your active participation at this online voting, the first in the history of Philippine Elections, with 189,892 Filipinos in the UAE, the largest out of the 1,241,690 registered voters worldwide,' said Ver, viewed by followers of the Philippine Embassy-Abu Dhabi Facebook Page. The top diplomat made the appeal as he mentioned as well that of the 1,241,690, only 48,000 had registered, since the voting enrolment portal was also opened for the test vote on March 20. He cited the GMA-7 Online news that quoted on Friday, Comelec chairman George Garcia from Manila, adding that of the 48,000, 15 per cent or 7,200 were from the UAE. For the Doubting Thomases on the authenticity and security features of the OV -- a project of the Comelec with the Philippines' Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Ver said, 'Let us all enrol and make our voices count. Let us put our faith and trust in our country's electoral process which made possible so that Filipinos from all over the world have the chance to be heard.' On Friday afternoon and over at the Philippine Consulate General, responsible for the 123,891 certified Filipino voters in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah, Consul General Marford Angeles said, 'Let us enrol until May 7. Let us cast our vote beginning April 13. Filipinos are known to spend time with their mobile phones and devices, please take this opportunity given us to cast our vote easily.' According to the 'Digital 2025: Nearly Two-Thirds of Southeast Asia's Population Are on Social Media,' published in the tnglobal website, 'Filipinos spend an average of eight hours and 52 minutes a day on the Internet – maintaining its rank as being significantly ahead of the global average of six hours and 38 minutes. Most of this time on the Internet is spent on their mobile phones at five hours 21 minutes, which is also significantly ahead of the global average of three hours and 46 minutes.' The consular mission in Dubai has its own set of Comelec-designated SBEIs which completed the FLS on Friday. They received from the Comelec-designated Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group, a Comelec-issued two dashboard/administration laptops and printer, and voting kiosk (also a laptop for onsite voting when registered voters encounter enrolment and casting issues; also for the illiterate, senior citizens, people of determination and the pregnant). Led by Ver, the Comelec-designated DFA personnel in the UAE participated at the 14-country Middle East and Africa Feb.24 to 26 OV/OCS training in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The FLS was conducted on or before April 12 in all the 77 Comelec-designated OV diplomatic and consular posts worldwide to make sure that the OCS is empty before April 13. Test votes have been encouraged even in the first manual overseas absentee voting in 2003. The activity has been part and parcel of the ecosystem to preserve the sanctity of the ballot. From the March 20 Philippine Embassy-Abu Dhabi/Philippine Consulate General-Dubai Joint Online Voting Community Briefing, Comelec-Online Voting director Atty Ian Michael Geonaga pointed out that all votes cast are 'encrypted and these are only seen by the voter himself.' Geonaga however cautioned that even as OV is adopted, any form of electioneering or coercion done on anyone in the act of casting a vote is still punishable by law: 'Still, be vigilant and please report any to us.' From the hybrid community briefing, Geonaga mentioned that he saw the necessity to go online voting when he visited the UAE during the 2022 presidential elections and saw the crowd of voters at the Philippine Embassy and Philippine Consulate General.
