Latest news with #Tie
Scotsman
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Costly inquiries are all very well if we learn lessons from them
Lord Hardie's inquiry into the long and costly tram project cost £13 million Lord Hardie, the retired judge who chaired the nine-year long inquiry into Edinburgh's trams, admitted to MSPs last week that he was upset when he found out that the public were told about his £1 million pay cheque for his work on the investigation. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... He thought the revelation might lead to journalists 'pestering' him at home. As it turned out no-one, not even the most enthusiastic tabloid hack, knocked on his front door, so he was free to enjoy his post-retirement bonus with his family, unmolested by the press. As for the general public, well they had more things on their plate to worry about than Lord Hardie's bank balance – the cost of living crisis for a start. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Even more staggering than Lord Hardie's daily rate – set by the Scottish Government, which apparently has a fee schedule for retired judges – was the total cost of the inquiry itself. It cost tax payers £13 million, which works out about £1.5 million a year to produce a report that told us what we all knew any way. The 961-page report can be summed up in three points: the city council's original budget was way off track; the management of Tie – the arms-length company set up to deliver the tram system – was chaotic; and the Scottish Government ducked its responsibility for oversight of the project, despite giving it a £500 million grant. None of which came as surprise to any of us who had been subjected on a daily basis to the 'living hell' that was Edinburgh city centre during the construction of the (shortened) tram route. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So why did it take nine years and £13 million to come to the same conclusion the average Edinburgh citizen had reached only months after the work started? Lord Hardie's evidence was to Holyrood's finance and public administration committee, which recently established its own inquiry into the cost of public inquiries. Kenneth Gibson, the committee's convenor, hit the nail on the head when he said his inquiry had 'the potential to be a really interesting piece of work given the significant sums of money that public inquiries often involve.' There are four public inquiries ongoing in Scotland right now, looking at the Covid crisis, hospital safety, child abuse and the death of Sheku Bayoh. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So far the costs of these are estimated at a staggering £200 million. This is money the country can ill-afford to spend. How many social care staff would one public inquiry buy? Of course, public inquiries are important for finding out why bureaucrats bungled major capital projects such as the parliament building and Edinburgh's tram network, or what mistakes politicians made during a health crisis such as Covid. But they are not worth the reams of paper they are written on if no-one learns any lessons from them. Nor should any public inquiry take nine years. What on earth did Lord Hardie and his team find to ask questions about over a seven-year period? And why did it take two years to write the report? That works out at just over a page a day – which deserves a separate inquiry of its own.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I put the Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 Ultra through a 10-round photo face-off — here's the winner
Apart from its smaller battery, a big trade-off that many point out about the Galaxy S25 Edge is its camera system. Unlike the rest of the S25 lineup, the Edge only gets a dual camera setup — a 200MP main sensor paired with a 12MP ultrawide. The only thing the S24 Edge is lacking is a dedicated telephoto camera, which shouldn't be too bad, right? Well, it's tougher because of its $1,099 cost, which isn't too far away from the $1,299 sticker price attached to the S25 Ultra. Sammy's flagship comes with two dedicated telephoto cameras, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 50MP one with a slightly longer 5x optical lens. They complement the S25 Ultra's 200MP main sensor and 50MP ultrawide. There are clearly differences between them, but I mention in my Galaxy 25 Edge review how its main camera performs just as good as the S25 Ultra. Still, it's going to take more than that to convince people the Edge is the one to get. It's no surprise that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the best phone and best camera phone you can get right now, made better by its longer battery life and added S Pen utility. I've taken both phones with me to capture the same scenes, then preview them on my computer to inspect their differences. In this Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off, there can only be one that comes out on top. After taking countless shots with their main cameras, I can say that their performances are more or less identical — which is a good thing. Overlooking Bryant Park's sprawling lawn, it's almost hard to tell the two apart because they're similar. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Both phones do an excellent job of exposing the entire scene, including the shadows all around the trees in the background. Details in the foreground, like the chairs with Bryant Park etched on them and the wooden box, all look the same. Farther away in the background, the surrounding buildings and skyscrapers all hold the same amount of detail. Winner: Tie This is another reason why you can't always judge a camera by its specs. On paper, it seems that the S25 Edge is at a disadvantage with its 12MP ultrawide camera — especially against the pixel packed 50MP ultrawide of the S25 Ultra. But since the phones by default downsize images to 12MP, their performances look very similar. At the corner of Broadway and 42nd street near Times Square, I pointed both cameras straight up to see how much of the scene they could capture. Even though Samsung hasn't disclosed its field of view, it appears as though the Edge has a wider one over the Ultra. Meanwhile, the exposure of the shot and details throughout the scene, like the one way and Broadway signs to the left, all appear identical. But since the S25 Edge has a smidge wider reach, I'm giving it the win here. Winner: Galaxy S25 Edge Without switching to other color profiles, it's clear that Samsung's signature style is evident in how they produce colors by default. It's all about the saturated tones with these shots inside of Whole Foods by the produce section. Many of the colors appear to be the same, like the yellow peppers on the middle shelf and green squash to the right. However, the red peppers on the top right and middle shelves are much more oversaturated with the S25 Ultra. I personally don't mind, but it's more of an unrealistic look compared to the Edge — which is still saturated in tone in my opinion. Winner: Galaxy S25 Edge Their main cameras again appear to have no major differences, as these shots from Bryant Park underneath the trees deliver the same exposure. I like how they prioritize the exposure on the trees, so the areas in shadow are brightened up a bit. With the buildings peeking from behind the trees, they're overblown by the two phones, but neither one seems to be better or worse with this. Winner: Tie Sticking with their main cameras for capturing panoramas (instead of their ultrawide cams), it's another similar outcome between the S25 Edge and S25 Ultra. Most notably, they cast the same exposure from left to right — struggling a bit with the brighter spots in the middle, which is due to how they compensate for the shot starting from the left. That area was in shadow when I started the shot more so than the rest, which explains the overexposure in the middle. Winner: Tie Both phones have 12MP (f/2.2) selfie cameras, and based on all the selfies I shot of myself, I can say they're identical. I really like how they capture the same fine details around my face, like my hairline and slight stubble. The S25 Edge and S25 Ultra capture the same details in the fabric of my hoodie. And finally, I don't see any difference in how my skin tone looks — which gets the exposure treatment to brighten me up a little. Winner: Tie With my colleague Ryan Epps as my model, the portrait shots from the S25 Edge and S25 Ultra appear identical at first glance. There's proper subject-background separation when I shot these portraits at 2x zoom, along with accurate blurring all around the edges of Ryan — including the two areas between his arms that can sometimes hang up some phones. But when I zoom into his face, I notice an over-sharpening effect applied to the S25 Ultra's shot, which does draw out a little more detail. It's also worth pointing out that the S25 Ultra also offers portrait mode in 3x and 5x zoom, which I feel are better suited for portraits. In contrast, I'm locked into either 1x or 2x zoom with the S25 Edge. Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra One of the trickiest parts of capturing macro photos with both phones is getting the same focus between them, since it's really narrow the closer I get to subjects — and this is one of those examples. I will say, though, that both phones take exceptional macro shots that are rich in detail. Overall, I like how the shots came out with this yellow flower. Not only are the petals well defined, but they also capture the water droplets all around it. But it ultimately comes down to focus, which in this case goes to the S25 Edge. Winner: Galaxy S25 Edge So far in this Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo shoot-out, it's been largely a close race with neither one proving to me its cameras are considerably better. But as I've alluded earlier on, the lack of a dedicated telephoto camera with the S25 Edge could be a big trade-off for those needing to get closer. I captured these telephoto shots at 10x zoom, seeing that's where the S25 Edge maxes out — whereas the S25 Ultra goes to an ridiculous 100x zoom. Right away, there's a noticeable difference in what they capture with more detail and definition from the S25 Ultra's dedicated 50MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. I can make out the individual bricks and other ornamental details around the building, which appear as nothing more than streaky details with the S25 Edge. For all the optimizations and enhancements that Samsung applies with the Galaxy S25 Edge's shot, its performance just can't match what an optical lens offers. Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra Despite the rainy and windy conditions, the low light shots I captured with both phones appear to deliver the same qualities — which I'm not surprised given how similar their main cameras behave. The scene above was actually darker than what the images show, which proves how well they are at brightening up dark conditions with their night modes. I don't see much difference between the S25 Edge and S25 Ultra here, as they properly boost the exposure to draw out the hidden details around the tree, while also mitigating the strong light source in the background. When it comes to low light, they can turn any dim scene and make them bright. Winner: Tie Technically this Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo shoot-out is a tie after tallying up the results, but it's not in my opinion. While the Galaxy S25 Edge wins in categories like colors and ultrawide, its margin of victory is narrow in those rounds. In contrast, the Galaxy S25 Ultra proves to be superior when it comes to its portrait and telephoto performances. The former isn't a huge stretch over the S25 Edge, but its telephoto performance can't be overlooked because of the amount of detail it's able to capture. This gives the S25 Ultra an inherent advantage for capturing subjects farther away. I'm not saying that the $200 difference separating the two is justified solely by the S25 Ultra's telephoto performance, but it's just one of many things that would convince me to buy the Ultra over the Edge. Based on its performance, I would suspect the S25 Ultra would also have a benefit with video recording with its telephoto capabilities. All of these reasons validate my sentiments of the S25 Ultra being the better phone overall.
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Former Chelsea academy star retires at 24 for shock new career.... as he claims new venture is 'destiny'
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Nicolas Tie has retired at the age of 24 to join the French army. Tie represented a number of the Blues' academy teams for three years having joined the club in 2017, and featured in Premier League 2, UEFA Youth League and Under-18 Premier League fixtures. However, he was unable to make his breakthrough into the first team, with the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero ahead of him in the packing order at the time. Born in France, Tie was called up to the Ivory Coast squad in 2018 but was forced to withdraw due to injury. He was later selected for the 2020 Olympics. The former shotstopper departed Chelsea that year to join Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, where he failed to break into the first team over three years. He has now called time on his career for a new venture in the French Army. Tie told Ouest France: 'I've had some good tests and I've got the regiment I asked for. 'I'm ready, I'm training every day for this.' Asked why he has called time on his football career, Tie responded: 'I lost my taste for football. 'I'm athletic, I didn't see myself doing an office job. I always liked military careers, so I said to myself: "Why not join the army?" 'My stepfather is a paratrooper in Ivory Coast. I used to go to the barracks to observe, it inspired me.' Tie enlisted in the French Army's First Parachute Hussar Regiment on April 1 and says he is prepared for anything. He said: 'I don't do politics. I have committed to treating the problem at the source. If the OPEX (external operation) in Ukraine is launched, let's go. It doesn't scare me.' Tie also acknowledges that breaking into Chelsea's first team felt nearly impossible, and seeing his friends from France's national football center at Clairefontaine succeed made it even harder. On his spell with the Blues, he added: 'There, I was always treated like the club's kid. I was upgraded in every category, from U13 to Premier League 2. 'But I saw all my friends from Clairefontaine, Sofiane Diop, Benoît Badiashile, and Lorenz Assignon making their Ligue 1 debuts, which made me want to try my hand at that level.
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Former Chelsea starlet quits football aged 24 to join the army after admitting ‘I lost the taste for the sport'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER Chelsea goalkeeper Nicolas Tie has quit football aged 24 to join the French army. Tie was on the Blues' books between 2017 and 2020. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Nicolas Tie was on Chelsea's books between 2017 and 2020 Credit: Getty 3 The Frenchman, now 24, featured for various Blues academy sides Credit: Getty The Lille-born stopper did not crack Chelsea's first team, but did feature for their various academy age groups in the Premier League 2, Uefa Youth League and Under-18 Premier League. Tie, who was called up to the Ivory Coast national team in 2018, left Stamford Bridge in 2020 for Portuguese side Vitoria. After failing to make the first team in Portugal, the 6ft 1in goalkeeper has opted to hang up his boots. In an interview with French paper Ouest France, Tie revealed that he has joined the army. READ MORE ON CHELSEA GEORGE BEST Tyrique George's rise from Chelsea prospect to wing ace outshining superstars "I've had some good tests, I've got the regiment I asked for," Tie said. "I'm ready, I'm training every day for this." On what led him to such a drastic career change, the former Blue admitted: "I lost my taste for football. "I always liked military careers, so I said to myself: 'Why not join the army?' EUBANK JR VS BENN - BETTING TIPS AND LATEST ODDS "My stepfather is a paratrooper in Ivory Coast; I would go to the barracks to observe… It inspired me." Tie, who claimed to be "proud" of his "little career" also revealed that he would be willing to serve in Ukraine. Enzo Maresca is concerned with Chelsea's missed 'easy chances' after limping into the Conference League semi-final The goalkeeper-turned-soldier said: "I don't do politics. I have committed to treating the problem at the source. "If the OPEX (external operations) in Ukraine is open, let's go! It doesn't scare me." Join SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford Bridge
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Former Chelsea starlet quits football aged 24 to join the army after admitting ‘I lost the taste for the sport'
FORMER Chelsea goalkeeper Nicolas Tie has quit football aged 24 to join the French army. Tie was on the Blues' books between 2017 and 2020. 3 The Lille-born stopper did not crack Chelsea 's first team, but did feature for their various academy age groups in the Premier League 2, Uefa Youth League and Under-18 Premier League. Tie, who was called up to the Ivory Coast national team in 2018, left Stamford Bridge in 2020 for Portuguese side Vitoria. After failing to make the first team in Portugal, the 6ft 1in goalkeeper has opted to hang up his boots. In an interview with French paper Ouest France, Tie revealed that he has joined the army. "I've had some good tests, I've got the regiment I asked for," Tie said. "I'm ready, I'm training every day for this." On what led him to such a drastic career change, the former Blue admitted: "I lost my taste for football. "My stepfather is a paratrooper in Ivory Coast; I would go to the barracks to observe… It inspired me." Tie, who claimed to be "proud" of his "little career" also revealed that he would be willing to serve in Ukraine. Enzo Maresca is concerned with Chelsea's missed 'easy chances' after limping into the Conference League semi-final The goalkeeper-turned-soldier said: "I don't do politics. I have committed to treating the problem at the source. "If the OPEX (external operations) in Ukraine is open, let's go! It doesn't scare me." 3
