Latest news with #OliverTwist
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
John Ivison: Premiers seem delighted just to finally be meeting with a grown-up prime minister
Article content The parade of premiers complimenting Mark Carney before and after the first ministers meeting in Saskatoon made for a curious spectacle. Article content Article content These events have tended to leave prime ministers looking like Oliver Twist handing over stolen goods to a roomful of Fagins and Artful Dodgers. Article content Yet this time the mood reflected what one senior Alberta official called 'a special moment': more about seizing a potentially transformative opportunity than squeezing the federal government for the maximum number of taxpayers' dollars. Article content Article content The gathering did not produce a definitive list of projects that will receive fast-track federal approval, but the Ontario premier said there was no expectation that it would. Article content Manitoba's Premier Wab Kinew said he will remain positive, even if his province's proposals do not appear on the list of national projects to be fast-tracked. Article content 'This is Team Canada. It doesn't matter if you're there for the puck drop or if you're killing penalties. At the end of the day, everyone's going to have their time on the ice and everyone is going to have a role in building up this great country,' he said. Article content Article content Scott Moe, the Saskatchewan premier, said he is in agreement with Carney's aspirational targets — making Canada the strongest economy in the G7 and building the country into a global energy superpower — but that words will have to be matched with action. He called the project-selection process 'a generational opportunity for Canadians.' That would require a regulatory shift to remove barriers to investment, but Moe acknowledged that the federal government is talking about introducing legislation that would circumvent the Impact Assessment Act (the former Bill C-69) that many blame for blocking projects. Article content Even Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, often an outlier among first ministers, said there seems to be an appetite for building pipelines to get oil to markets other than the United States. She said she was 'encouraged by the change of tone' evident in Saskatoon.
Otago Daily Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Get ready for St Peter's ‘Oliver!'
Maxwell Terry, 11, and Cecelia Ryan, 12, will be starring in the St Peter's College production of Oliver! Jr next week. PHOTO: ELLA SCOTT-FLEMING St Peter's College will be delivering a slightly slimmed down version of the 1960 musical, entitled Oliver Jr!, based on Victorian Charles Dickens' novel, Oliver Twist. School teacher Brendan Terry, who is co-directing the play with fellow teacher Victoria Kelly, said the play came from the company Musical Theatre International, which does shorter versions of musicals for children. Instead of running for two and a-half hours the show runs for about an hour and 20 minutes, he said, but still includes all the elements of the original stage show, including its famous show-tunes, just shortened slightly. Mr Terry said his students were "really enthused", which he was pleased with, as chances for young people to be part of production like this in Gore were rare. "The opportunities for that, there's not so many locally. "So when they do pop up, especially the kids who are really into it, just gravitate towards it quickly," he said. He said teachers from different departments had all pitched in, hand-making the show's sets, props and costumes and all of the costume work had been done by head of English Lee-Anne Kortbaoui. She had done an amazing job, he said, of creating the shabby Victorian-era costumes, even sourcing old recycled school uniforms for the drab orphanage scene, where the famous line "Please sir, can I have some more?" will be uttered. The line will be delivered by the cast's Oliver Twist, Maxwell Terry, 11. The show also stars Cecilia Ryan, 12, playing the roles of orphan and Nipper. Mr Terry said the show's leads were strong, but the company was working together really well. Younger, smaller year 7, 8 and 9s, made up Fagin's "gang", bringing a lot of playful energy to their roles, he said. The year 11s, who were very strong actors, held their scenes and helped drive the plot, he said. Ms Kelly was more in charge of the choreography and musical direction while Mr Terry said he looked after the directing, acting side of things. The musical theatre company provides the script, score and backing tracks for the shows, as well as examples of choreography and vocals, that students can access online to practise at home. Technology teacher Juliet Sorrel, alongside teacher-aide and technician Duncan McAllister, were working on the sets. Guidance counsellor Catherine Baldock and teacher Lisa Perkins were looking after props. The newly employed arts co-ordinator Kim Salmond McKechie has been posting promotional videos on the school's social media, while administrator Amy-Rae Rooijackers was doing whatever was thrown at her, Mr Terry said. The collective enthusiasm can be seen June 4 and 5 at the Saint James Theatre. Tickets are available at the school office, from $15. Curtains open at 7.30pm.
New Statesman
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Dickens's Britain is still with us
Photo by Chronicle / Alamy The New Statesman staff are sometimes drawn to the windows of our first-floor office in Hatton Garden by events unfolding outside: a purple Lamborghini pulling up to the jeweller's next door, a music video being filmed on phones in the middle of the road, groups of men striking deals or squaring up to each other while security guards coolly observe. I'm always aware, though, that what we're looking at are Dickens's streets. Here are the ghosts of Victorian inequality: slumlands full of crime and punishment. A few doors down is the magistrates' court where Oliver Twist is brought and accused of picking pockets; a couple of streets east is the 'wretched place' where Fagin has his den, and the 'low public-house, in the filthiest part of Little Saffron Hill' frequented by Bill Sikes. Poverty in Britain is regularly described as Victorian or Dickensian – it has become unthinking shorthand, in the way state bureaucracy is reliably Kafkaesque and tech innovations are Orwellian. And yet, the comparison feels increasingly less hyperbolic. Revisiting A Christmas Carol last December – yes, all right, the Muppets version, but it's a family tradition, and besides the screenplay is remarkably faithful – it seemed to me that Dickens's world and our own seem to be drawing closer. The financial precariousness of the Cratchits could be described as 'in-work poverty': Bob's wages as Ebenezer Scrooge's clerk are barely sufficient to keep his family afloat. Today 72 per cent of children in poverty live in a household where someone is in work. The benefits-slashing New Poor Law of 1834 – detested by Dickens – was informed by a Malthusian approach to what Scrooge calls the 'surplus population': generous hand-outs, it was felt, would only encourage working-class families to have more children. It's hard not to hear an echo of such thinking in the Conservatives' two-child benefit cap, so far upheld by Labour: an immoral policy that punishes children from birth. And yes, that would include Tiny Tim. Three in ten children in the UK today are living below the poverty line, an appalling statistic that is at the heart of this special issue of the New Statesman guest edited by Gordon Brown. Dickens's work still speaks to us because of his genius, but his Britain should feel like history. It's to our shame that it does not. Dickens is well read in today's schools: that sounds like something to celebrate, part of the legacy of Michael Gove's education reforms, which we seem to have collectively decided were a Very Good Thing. But speaking to English teachers while looking around secondary schools for my daughter, I was struck by how narrow the curriculum has become. The tables were heaving with copies of A Christmas Carol, Macbeth and An Inspector Calls but contemporary fiction was practically non-existent. When exam boards add more adventurous and modern texts, schools – without the funds to buy new books, or the time to create new teaching resources – tend to stick to what they know. Given the golden age of writing for children and young adults we have been living through in the last 30 years – from Philip Pullman to Malorie Blackman, Katherine Rundell to Alex Wheatle – this is profoundly depressing. The number of students taking English literature at university is falling rapidly, as is the proportion of school pupils who say they read for pleasure. Our system is prioritising exam proficiency and the dubious concept of 'cultural capital' above a love of reading. I would like to say that Dickens, whose concerns were contemporary and whose instincts were unfailingly popular, would not approve – but actually I expect any arrangement that kept him in the bestseller lists would have suited him fine. This is my last issue of the New Statesman before leaving for pastures new: Tom McTague, the new editor-in-chief, launches his first edition on 13 June. I have been acting editor for the past five months, but part of the team for 11 years. Throughout, I have tried to be an evangelist for the back half of the magazine: the writing on books, culture and the 'rest of life'. There is a fallacy (not helped by our education system) that the arts are 'soft'. They are, of course, nothing of the sort: even when not overtly political, art is a lens that brings the political world into focus. It also makes us better humans. The novelist Eimear McBride describes her theatre training as teaching her to employ 'a kind of radical empathy'. That is what good art can do (just ask Dickens) – and it is something our politics is in desperate need of. In my time at the NS my colleagues and I have worked with guest editors including Grayson Perry (who scrawled: 'Cars and watches: not messy like feelings!' on his men's-mag parody cover), Michael Sheen (whose Covid-era catch-up calls included revelations about Tony Blair's Union Jack boxer shorts) and Greta Thunberg (who joined our first video call while striding through Stockholm pushing a broken bike). Gordon Brown (whose moral conviction and preacher's-son past is evident in every interaction) is the only person to have guest edited twice: we collaborated on an issue in June 2016 titled 'Britain in Europe', just before Britain decided Europe was where it didn't want to be. We may have lost that argument but we must not lose this one. On child poverty the case is as clear as the stakes are high. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe [See also: The catastrophe in Gaza] Related
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Runners' block
Reams and reams have been written about road safety before, and more would be written in the future too. But safety remains a distant dream for all sorts of road users. I am a runner, part of a vibrant running group in Velachery, Chennai. Recently, we lost a fellow runner who was hit by a speeding car. I do not want to go into the merits of the incident as to who was at fault. The fact remains that we runners practise at our own risk each day. Amateur running has gained huge popularity in India in recent times; and almost every month, if not, every week, a major event is conducted in some part of the country. Our runners, both professionals and amateurs, are taking part in many prestigious international events such as Comrades Marathon and Boston Marathon and bringing laurels. However, when it comes to practice, we are literally on the streets, with dangers lurking from all sides. Every time we step out, we stand like Oliver Twist and enact his food table role in our own way, 'Please sir, I want some space.' The only place where runners could run safely is roads that have a wide platform or sidewalk. Wide platforms are available only in major cities, especially on major roads. Even interior roads of major cities are narrow; with vehicles jostling for space. That apart, most of the roads across the nation are battered and bruised. When motorists themselves are exhausted in their fight for a motorable road, claiming a separate lane for runners and cyclists would be viewed contemptuously and rejected as a luxury and scandal. Dogged runners Even if one manages bad and narrow roads, stray dog menace is a big threat for us. Many a runner has suffered dog bites, needing administration of vaccine for weeks, which would mean, staying away from practice. With a decade of experience and numerous encounters and face-offs with the man's best friend, now I can convincingly guess, by its very gaze, if a canine is going to charge at me or remain silent. In a lighter vein, these chasing dogs help us to get some extra pace. During rainy season, we face another set of problems. Inundation and muddy roads force us to stop our practice. Potholes lie hidden under the muddy water. When walking itself is difficult on such roads, running cannot even be imagined or attempted. Woman runners have their own set of woes. They suffer harassment, cat calling, rude remarks, indecent gestures and the like. I personally know a few woman runners who have quit because of these issues. After some persuasion, now we are running as a group, to safeguard ourselves. Long-distance running is an art. We need a safe stretch to practise. At the same time, I understand the ground realities and I do not wish to blame the government. I only call upon my fellow runners to be extra cautious while running. The solution lies only with us. Please always run as a small group. Wear bright T shirts. Run in the opposite direction of traffic so that you would be visible to the drivers and you too could notice the oncoming vehicles. Keeping ourselves fit is very important; more so being alive. Your family needs you. taraj2804@
NZ Herald
07-05-2025
- NZ Herald
‘Mastermind' of multimillion-dollar drug importation and distribution ring jailed for 11 years
The head of the group was Mitchell, who worked with Moore and allegedly another man who is still before the courts to distribute Class A, B and C drugs throughout Christchurch. Court documents allege Mitchell's offending related to $11m worth of drugs. Between October 7, 2022 and March 4, 2023, Mitchell, with Moore and the other man before the courts, allegedly worked together with other associates in the implementation and operation of a 'controlled drug operation and distribution ring' in Christchurch. The group used other people to receive the imported controlled drugs, paying them between $3000 and $7000 per importation. The drugs came from an unknown source, suspected of being in Europe, codenamed 'Pinnokkio', with whom Mitchell was liaising and arranging the importations through. Pinnokkio also advised and helped distribute encrypted cellphones to Mitchell and Moore. Before the encrypted phones arrived, they would use end-to-end encrypted messaging applications to communicate with each other. They used different forms of cryptocurrency to launder their funds and profits. The drugs were disguised in various ways, including in fragrances and medicine balls. One of the attempted importations involved about $990,000 of MDMA and was intercepted by British authorities in February 2023. Later, the following month, Mitchell and another man imported $900,000 worth of MDMA into Christchurch. While talking about the importation with his overseas supplier, Mitchell said the quality of the packaging had improved. The police investigation also revealed a discussion between Mitchell and another man about importing MDMA. Mitchell asked the man if he would have more packages delivered to his mother's address for money. The man agreed and said he would have taken the package for free and that he would happily accept $6000. The man asked Mitchell if he had been getting margins from the King Cobras gang and said that $6000 was 'life-changing'. Between November 5, 2022, and March 28, 2023, Mitchell and Moore and the other defendant supplied at least 8kg of MDMA to the wider Canterbury community, worth about $1.4m. Among the names used by people to buy and sell the drugs were 'Swineflu', 'Pikachu', and 'Oliver Twist'. Mitchell also admitted meeting with several money remitters in Christchurch, giving them cash he'd obtained from drug dealing in exchange for cryptocurrency. He would then send it on to the overseas supplier. When confronted by police, Mitchell said he was not going to name any names or addresses. He said he imported the drugs, and they got dispersed. When asked where and who the drugs went to, he either couldn't remember or didn't want to say. Moore said he only dealt with gram volumes of MDMA to support himself financially after coming off ACC. 'Mastermind' Crown prosecutor Penny Brown told the court on Wednesday that Mitchell was the 'ringleader' and the 'mastermind' of the drug importation and distribution ring. 'He was responsible for the importation and distribution of a staggering amount of MDMA – 47kg, and then 13kg of ketamine and also cocaine LSD,' she said. It was accepted the total amount of drugs imported and supplied by Mitchell had a street value of about $11m. The quantity of drugs and the value was a 'crucial measure' of his culpability and indicated the level of harm and also the level of 'commercial gain'. 'Mr Mitchell was solely motivated by making money and financial gain,' Brown said. She said Mitchell came from a 'loving and supporting' family. 'There is to the Crown's mind no nexus between what he's done and his upbringing.' In relation to Moore, Brown said he had played a leading role in the onward distribution of drugs, but a lesser role than Mitchell. Brown said there had been mention in submissions about drug use, but the Crown did not accept this was the sort of case that was motivated by addiction that the courts regularly see. Like Mitchell, Moore had enjoyed a 'loving upbringing'. Mitchell's lawyer, Elizabeth Bulger, told the court that while it was accepted he was the 'ringleader' she did not agree with him being called the 'mastermind'. 'But to say a mastermind is to ignore that there was a whole other overseas operation going on which facilitates the passage of drugs into New Zealand, which is where his involvement begins,' she said. 'I think the Crown are over-egging their pudding a bit to call him the mastermind.' Bulger said Mitchell had no real reason for his offending, other than that an opportunity came his way on a small scale to start with. Once he was in, it was 'very difficult to get out of it'. She said Mitchell had expressed early on that the arrest came as 'something of a relief' as he could now remove himself from it. Mitchell regretted the position he had put his family and friends in, Bulger said. Moore's lawyer, Kerry Cook, said that for Moore the offending was 'enterprise serious in scale driven by addiction'. His life during the time of the offending was 'marked by a chaotic existence' and self-isolation from family and pro-social friends, as well as significant drug use. Judge Zohrab told Mitchell his offending was 'sophisticated'. 'Your role was integral. And whether principal, ringleader, mastermind, all the same you were in control completely of the New Zealand operation.' From a starting point of 17 years, Judge Zohrab gave reductions for Mitchell's guilty plea and other factors, with a final sentence of 11 years and three months. In relation to Moore, Judge Zohrab said the fact that he was charged with only supplying and not importing was an 'important distinction' compared with Mitchell. However, Moore still played a 'significant and leading role' in the ongoing distribution of the drugs. He was part of the wider commercial-level enterprise and directed others involved in the operation. He did not have any links to the overseas exporters. From a starting point of 10 years and six months, Judge Zohrab gave several discounts for Moore's guilty plea, addiction and rehabilitation, as well as his remorse and time on electronically monitored bail. He jailed Moore for five years and seven months. Several other defendants have also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced.
