Latest news with #SWD
HKFP
24-07-2025
- HKFP
Hong Kong activist sentenced to 120 hours of community service for defrauding gov't in welfare scheme
A Hong Kong activist has been handed 120 hours of community service for defrauding the government of HK$16,780 in welfare benefits from a subsidy scheme for the elderly. Eddie Tse, a 68-year-old licensed social worker, appeared at the Eastern Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning. He earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud relating to the government's Old Age Living Allowance scheme, which gives a monthly stipend to those aged 65 and above earning below a certain income. The judge sentenced Tse to 120 hours of community service, saying he took his remorse into account. According to the prosecution's case, Tse defrauded the Social Welfare Department (SWD) of four monthly payments of HK$4,195 last year – in July, August, November and December – a total of HK$16,780. The subsidy is means-tested with a monthly income cap of HK$10,710 for a single person, or HK$16,330 for a married couple. The SWD requires beneficiaries whose income exceeds the limit after the one-year grace period to declare to authorities, but Tse did not, the prosecution alleged. Tse was said to have hidden income from his part-time job as a supervisor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, as well as commission for his work on the Social Workers Registration Board's disciplinary committee, which exceeded the Social Welfare Department's cap. His lawyer, Andy Chan, said during a mitigation hearing earlier this month that those jobs did not provide Tse with a fixed monthly income. At the sentencing, Magistrate David Cheung questioned why Tse had pleaded guilty if his case was that he had mistakenly believed he qualified for the welfare scheme after calculating and averaging his income by month. Chan said there was no conflict between Tse's guilty plea and his case, and that the basis of his plea direction was recklessness, as he had not made precise calculations to check his eligibility for the scheme. Legal aid application A veteran activist, Tse has advocated on a host of issues relating to his social work profession and beyond, from environmental matters to columbaria. The fraud case came to light after Tse applied for legal aid last August for his judicial review – a legal tool to challenge government policies – of the authorities' controversial plan to build the San Tin Technopole, a tech hub near the city's border with mainland China. Tse, as well as other activists and green groups, has expressed concerns about the potential harm to wetland conservation efforts. Legal aid applications are means-tested, meaning they are subject to the authorities' review of applicants' financial circumstances. Tse's application was left hanging for months, prompting the court to delay the judicial review. Tse was arrested for fraud in January, and days later, his legal aid application was rejected. The judicial review was dismissed in April, after a High Court judge barred former pro-democracy councillor Debby Chan from taking over the challenge from Tse. During hearings related to the judicial review, Tse's lawyer said he and his family members had been on the receiving end of harassment due to his attempt to challenge the government.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Damaged pipelines, dug-up roads leave Arumbakkam residents struggling
Residents of Arumbakkam have raised concerns about sewage overflowing from trenches dug for stormwater drain (SWD) work, as pipelines are frequently damaged. They have urged the authorities to expedite the work, citing the slow progress and dug-up roads as a danger to motorists and pedestrians. Arumbakkam is one of the city's low-lying areas prone to flooding during monsoon. 'It is a welcome initiative to improve the stormwater drain network to reduce waterlogging in the area. Many streets in Arumbakkam remain under sheets of water even after brief spells of the slow pace of work of SWD has been a huge inconvenience to residents. A motorist slipped and fell into the trench earlier this week,' said treasurer, Kannappa Nagar, Venkatakrishna Nagar Residents Welfare Association. The work to upgrade the existing SWD network started nearly two months ago. However the residents say, the sluggish progress has disrupted daily life. In the meantime, rainwater from nearby roads is drainingin to low- lying streets like Indira Gandhi Street. a resident of Indira Gandhi Street, said sewage has filled the trenches dug for the SWD, overflowing onto the remaining narrow stretch of the road, making it difficult to pass through. Several other streets, including Venkatakrishna Nagar first to fourth streets, Duraipillai Street, Sri Sakthi Nagar, are facing similar issues with sewage stagnating in trenches. Residents also warned that sewage stagnation in the trenches posed health risks and stressed the need to complete the work before Northeast Monsoon sets in. Officials from Chennai Metrowater said the agency was coordinating with the Greater Chennai Corporation to carry out and complete the SWD construction soon. They acknowledged that in some cases, water and sewer pipelines had been damaged during digging, and added steps were being immediately to pump out stagnant sewage and carry out repairs.
New Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
No penalty for TVK, says mayor
CHENNAI: While the TVK has said it will repair the public property damaged during Sunday's protest, including the broken steel railings along the road's centre median and plants that were destroyed, mayor R Priya on Monday said the civic body is prepared to carry out the repair works, or TVK can do it under the Namakku Naame scheme if needed. She added that no penalty is being imposed on the party for the damage. The mayor said this while addressing the media after inaugurating super-sucker machines for stormwater drain (SWD) desilting operations in Royapuram. She said, 'Any public gathering is respectable only when it takes place without causing damage to the public or public property.' The mayor also launched a crawler robot to inspect silt levels in SWD and verify silt removal with pre-and post-cleaning photos. The silt is collected using super sucker machines and transferred via pipes into closed dumpers to prevent spillage, then sent to Kodungaiyur and Perungudi.
The South African
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Craven Week: WP hold off SWD to be crowned champions
Western Province powered past South Western Districts to win the final match of the U18 Craven Week in Middelburg while the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions and Free State finished their respective campaigns on a high. The Youth Weeks programme came to an eventful conclusion on Saturday, with all 16 teams featuring in the final round of the U18 Craven Week tournament staged at Hoërskool Middelburg. WP finished the week with three victories, while the Bulls, Boland, Lions, Leopards, Free State, Griquas and Pumas were among the winners on the final day of the competition. The battle between WP and SWD was fiercely contested, with the Eagles drawing first blood. Western Province responded with tries from fullback Jaden Ocks, captain Josh Neill – who was named the Player of the Tournament – and No 8 Quintin Potgieter to take a 17-9 lead into the break. SWD clawed their way back after WP were shown a yellow card early in the second half. Eagles prop Kai Pratt scored during this period, while flyhalf Virgil Pockpas added the conversion to reduce the deficit to 13 points. The Eagles scored again right before full time, but WP managed to secure a 27-21 victory and yet another unbeaten campaign. Earlier in the day, the Bulls thrashed Eastern Province 76-24, with wing Thabiso Simelane, centre Dylan Stumke and flanker Elwin Jansen Van Vuuren scoring two tries apiece. Simelane went on to finish the tournament as the leading try-scorer (six). The Lions dominated the first half of their match against the Western Province XV, before the Cape side hit back in the second stanza. After leading 17-7 at the break, the Gauteng outfit hung on for a 27-26 victory. Free State controlled the contest against the Sharks, who struggled with their discipline. Flyhalf Darius Erwee kept the scoreboard ticking, while hooker Marinus Oosthuizen scored two tries to steer the boys from Bloemfontein to a convincing 34-12 win. In other fixtures, the Leopards produced one of the most dominant performances of the day, scoring eight tries in a 54-7 rout of the Limpopo Blue Bulls, Griquas edged the Valke 26-19, and the Pumas were too good for Border, winning by 48-12. EP 24-76 Bulls Boland 38-36 Griffons Golden Lions 27-26 WP XV Limpopo Blue Bulls 7-54 Leopards Sharks 12-34 Free State Griquas 26-19 Valke Pumas 48-12 Border WP 27-21 SWD Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Craven Week Day 3 results: What's happened to Blue Bulls rugby?
South Western Districts and the Western Province XV extended their winning records on the third day of the U18 Craven Week at Hoërskool Middelburg on Wednesday. SWD and WP XV recorded their second wins of the competition, while Free State and the Limpopo Blue Bulls got off the mark, following their respective defeats on day one. The Blue Bulls lost for the second straight match. After edging Free State 35-34 in their first fixture of the tournament, SWD dominated the clash against the Golden Lions on Wednesday, scoring eight tries in a resounding 54-22 victory. Christiaan Vorster and Jacobus de Villiers scored two tries apiece for the Eagles. Earlier in the day, Limpopo completed an incredible comeback against the Griffons, after trailing 19-0 in the first quarter. Hooker Ziahn Lombaard scored a hat-trick while fullback Ryno Mienie slotted seven conversions to steer their team to an unlikely 49-44 victory. Fresh off their 52-6 win over the Griffons, the WP XV racked up a further 45 points and seven tries against the Pumas, with lock Gershom Pieters and replacement forward Caleb Koeberg grabbing a brace apiece. Free State bounced back from a first-round loss to SWD, scoring seven tries in a 52-33 victory against the Blue Bulls. Fullback Lamla Mgedezi and No 13 Ethan Adams starred for the winners, scoring three and two tries respectively, while centre Thabiso Simelane claimed a hat-trick for the losing side. The tournament will continue at Hoërskool Middelburg on Thursday, with Boland facing the Valke at 10:00, and Western Province tackling the Sharks later in the day. Limpopo Blue Bulls 49-44 Griffons Western Province XV 45-14 Pumas Free State 52-33 Blue Bulls Golden Lions 22-54 SWD Boland vs Valke – 10:00 Griquas vs Leopards – 11:30 Border vs Eastern Province – 13:00 Western Province vs Sharks – 14:30 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
