Latest news with #Wai
HKFP
19-05-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong seeks to turn To Kwa Wan waterfront into tourism hotspot channelling Sydney's Darling Harbour
Hong Kong's urban redevelopment body is looking into redeveloping a Victoria Harbour waterfront area in eastern Kowloon into a tourism cove with restaurants and outdoor music venues. In a blog post on Sunday, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) managing director, Wai Chi-sing, said that the authority had begun a study on the possibility of developing To Kwa Wan into a world-class harbourfront development, which he dubbed the 'Victoria Cove Area.' Wai said the development would be similar to Sydney's Darling Harbour, formerly an industrial harbour that was redeveloped in the 1980s. It would also draw inspiration from the Aker Brygge promenade in Oslo, a former shipyard, he added. The official said that the URA's study, which began in March, covered an 800-hectare area of land and water, including parts of To Kwa Wan, Kowloon Bay, and Kai Tak – the site of a flagship sports park and proposed major commercial, tourism, and residential developments. The study suggested that some idle barges on the To Kwa Wan waterfront could be converted into restaurants, concert stages, swimming pools, or floating beaches, while two breakwaters in the area could host art installations. The neighbouring waters off the Kai Tak Sports Park, with their calm currents, would be suitable for water sports such as rowing or canoeing, or for floating platforms that could be used as performance stages. The sports park is touted by the government as a state-of-the-art venue for large-scale events in a bid to boost tourism amid the city's slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. It hosted the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament in March and sold-out concerts by British band Coldplay last month. Wai added that proposals for the waterfront development would have to comply with regulatory and licensing regimes, and would require technical impact assessments and consultations with stakeholders such as the government and barge operators. Watersports should not interfere with shipping routes, and restaurants must have the appropriate licenses, he said. A consultant has begun discussions with various government departments and is expected to submit a preliminary report and feasibility study to the URA in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, recent legislative amendments loosening rules for creating new land through reclamation could make the development process easier, Wai said. On May 7, the Legislative Council passed a law making it easier for the government to create new land through reclamation in Victoria Harbour – despite objections from environmental activists. The Development Bureau said it would allow fast-tracking smaller reclamation works measuring 0.8 hectares or less and would 'enhance harbourfront areas for public enjoyment.'
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Time of India
Tourists flock to Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani to soak in the Maharashtra Tourism Festival
1 2 Kolhapur: Maharashtra Tourism Festival is attracting visitors in large numbers to the twin hill stations of Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani with several events and activities lined up. The festival was inaugurated on Friday. On Saturday, the second day of the festival, tourism minister Shambhuraj Desai inaugurated 'Carnival Parade' from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Chowk in Mahabaleshwar. MTDC general manager Chandrasekhar Jaiswal, senior regional manager Hanumant Hede, Wai provincial officer Rajendra Kachare, regional manager Deepak Harne, Mahabaleshwar Tehsildar Tejaswini Patil and CO Yogesh Patil were present. Besides, a fun run, cyclothon, helicopter ride, farm visit, floating market, temple visit, carnival procession, display of forts and ammunition, cultural event, laser show, helicopter ride,and other events were also organised. Renowned flutist Amar Oak presented Morning Ragaaz leaving tourists and local citizens spellbound. People were seen hopping around the hill stations, making the most of the festival. Sumit Oswal, a tourist at Tent City from Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, "Visit to Tent City gave the Run of Kacch vibes. It was a great experience witnessing the colourful procession, exhibition of forts, floating market, and laser show. If we knew there was so much to witness, I would have planned my stay for all three days here. It was a great experience for me and my family on Saturday." The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has organised a three-day Maharashtra Tourism Festival to promote the state's tourist destination at both national and international levels. Another tourist, Sumedha Kulkarni from Baramati, said, "Visiting Mahabaleshwar has always been special, and this time with the Maharashtra Tourism Festival, our journey became a lot more memorable. So much to do and so little time is what I can say about this festival. At a few places, we faced traffic congestion. On Sunday, more tourists will arrive, and the administration needs to plan accordingly." The festival includes cultural programs by various renowned artists, forts and vintage ammunition exhibition, food festival, adventure sports activities, children's workshops, helicopter rides, drone shows, food stalls, flea market, visits to temples and other tourist spots, photography workshops, floating market at Venna Lake, laser show, yoga session and morning ragas - instrumental music, fun runs and cyclothon, lectures regarding opportunities in water tourism, biodynamic farming, Tourism Policy of Maharashtra, Carnival Parade, Fun Street, Boat exhibition, etc. The festival will conclude on Sunday.
The Spinoff
27-04-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Anzac Day boycott: why official services will be missing some veterans
The call has sent ripples through the veteran community — but behind the protest lies a deeper story of neglect, frustration and a system many say has failed those it was meant to serve. Every year on April 25, politicians and dignitaries stand before the nation, flanked by medals and wreaths, to speak of sacrifice. They recite familiar lines: 'Lest we forget.' 'We will remember them.' 'We honour their sacrifice.' But this year, a growing number of veterans are asking: what exactly have we remembered? The call to boycott official Anzac Day services comes from No Duff Charitable Trust, a grassroots veterans' group that formed in 2017 to fill the gaps they believe have been left by government agencies. It isn't about disrespecting the day, says co-founder Aaron Wood, a 24-year army veteran who served in Somalia, East Timor, Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands. It's about demanding respect beyond the ceremonies. Wood is quick to clarify: 'We're not calling for a boycott of Anzac Day – that's like boycotting Christmas or your birthday. We're calling for a boycott of the political theatre. The speeches. The sound bites. The empty promises.' Instead of marching under the words 'lest we forget,' Wood wants veterans to mark the day their own way – either before or after the official services – with mates, in silence, or not at all. Behind the protest is a damning reality. Despite a 2017 government-commissioned review that made 64 recommendations to overhaul veteran support – from creating a proper register to expanding mental health care and financial aid – many of the core issues remain. Veterans still struggle to access timely support, thousands are excluded by a narrow legal definition, and government agencies can't even say how many veterans live in Aotearoa. A crisis ignored Wood's frustration, shared by many veterans and their whānau, isn't just philosophical – it's statistical. There's still no official tracking of veteran suicides. Unemployment among veterans is 1.7 times the national rate. Recommendation 44 of the 2017 Paterson Report called for a comprehensive register. It still doesn't exist. 'They can't even tell you to the nearest 10,000 how many operational veterans we have,' Wood says. 'How can you support people you don't even count?' Other issues are just as stark: A restrictive legal definition of 'veteran' that locks out thousands, near-total absence of transitional support when people leave the forces, and a mental health system that, according to the Wai 2500 inquiry, ignored psychological trauma for generations. And while the recent amendments to the Veterans' Support Act were meant to address many of these gaps, only 51 of the 64 Paterson recommendations were implemented in any form. Just four were fully actioned. Others – including several related to financial aid, family care, and data – were simply closed without change. Between 2016 and 2020, No Duff depended fully on volunteers, taking over 1,000 crisis calls – many being referrals from well-resourced and funded state agencies like Corrections and Veterans' Affairs itself. However, without funding, they burnt out. The referrals, Wood says, never stopped. When asked why he's pushing so hard now, Wood recounts the suicide of a young corporal just days after No Duff launched. Nine years on, he says, nothing has really changed. 'In three weeks this February and March, four veterans took their own lives. We're averaging more than the Defence Force's own suicide estimates – and those are nine years out of date.' The situation, he says, isn't just unsustainable. It's shameful. In a written statement, Veterans' Affairs acknowledged that not every recommendation of the Paterson Report has been actioned. A spokesperson said that while some would require 'substantial changes to the principles that underlie veteran legislation' or 'significant changes in the roles and responsibilities of other agencies,' many had been addressed through law or policy changes. 'New legislation was passed in 2020 to action some of the recommendations, others have been actioned through policy changes, and in some cases, the desired result is being achieved through other means,' the spokesperson said. They pointed to Te Arataki, a veteran support strategy launched in 2022, as one of those new approaches outside the original review. 'It was an approach not considered during the Paterson review and one that is showing improved outcomes for veterans and their families.' But veterans like Wood say those outcomes aren't being felt on the ground. The registry still doesn't exist. The legal definition still excludes many. And the services veterans are referred to, he says, still send too many back into the same cycle of crisis. 'We don't feel like it's for us' Marcus Amosa, a veteran of tours to East Timor and Afghanistan, describes the transition out of the military as 'tough'. Wood says it is effectively just a three-day seminar and a sheet of paper explaining how to write a CV. Now reintegrated, Amosa's been trying to reconnect with his local RSA, but says many 'contemporary veterans' feel alienated. 'We walk into an RSA, and it doesn't feel like our place. We're not against Anzac Day, but the day doesn't speak to our reality either.' Amosa says he's still planning to attend a service but fully supports the intent behind the boycott. The broader issues – mental health, veteran recognition, practical support – are too important to ignore. 'There's already been a report. Already been recommendations. Why haven't they been acted on?' While the actual scale of the boycott and its potential impact is unknown for now, Wood says No Duff isn't done. If meaningful action and change doesn't come soon, he says they're exploring potential legal action against the government and New Zealand Defence Force for failing to discharge its statutory duty of care. However, for now, the boycott is about visibility. Despite not being sure of how many people would participate in the boycott, Wood said the call had so far received strong support from those within the veteran community. There had been several ideas floated on what the boycott could look like – including everything from adjacent services, turning backs during speeches, or not showing up at all. 'We're just asking people not to stand in silence and pretend everything's fine. You can still honour the day. Just don't pretend the system isn't broken.' As dawn breaks on another Anzac Day tomorrow, the words will ring out again: Lest we forget. For veterans like Wood, that phrase has become hollow. What's been forgotten, he says, isn't history – it's reality. The stories of the living. The struggle to be seen. The calls that go unanswered. And this year, some will stand apart to make sure no one can ignore it.
The Spinoff
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Anzac Day boycott: why official services tomorrow will be missing some veterans
The call has sent ripples through the veteran community — but behind the protest lies a deeper story of neglect, frustration and a system many say has failed those it was meant to serve. Every year on April 25, politicians and dignitaries stand before the nation, flanked by medals and wreaths, to speak of sacrifice. They recite familiar lines: 'Lest we forget.' 'We will remember them.' 'We honour their sacrifice.' But this year, a growing number of veterans are asking: what exactly have we remembered? The call to boycott official Anzac Day services comes from No Duff Charitable Trust, a grassroots veterans' group that formed in 2017 to fill the gaps they believe have been left by government agencies. It isn't about disrespecting the day, says co-founder Aaron Wood, a 24-year army veteran who served in Somalia, East Timor, Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands. It's about demanding respect beyond the ceremonies. Wood is quick to clarify: 'We're not calling for a boycott of Anzac Day – that's like boycotting Christmas or your birthday. We're calling for a boycott of the political theatre. The speeches. The sound bites. The empty promises.' Instead of marching under the words 'lest we forget,' Wood wants veterans to mark the day their own way – either before or after the official services – with mates, in silence, or not at all. Behind the protest is a damning reality. Despite a 2017 government-commissioned review that made 64 recommendations to overhaul veteran support – from creating a proper register to expanding mental health care and financial aid – many of the core issues remain. Veterans still struggle to access timely support, thousands are excluded by a narrow legal definition, and government agencies can't even say how many veterans live in Aotearoa. A crisis ignored Wood's frustration, shared by many veterans and their whānau, isn't just philosophical – it's statistical. There's still no official tracking of veteran suicides. Unemployment among veterans is 1.7 times the national rate. Recommendation 44 of the 2017 Paterson Report called for a comprehensive register. It still doesn't exist. 'They can't even tell you to the nearest 10,000 how many operational veterans we have,' Wood says. 'How can you support people you don't even count?' Other issues are just as stark: A restrictive legal definition of 'veteran' that locks out thousands, near-total absence of transitional support when people leave the forces, and a mental health system that, according to the Wai 2500 inquiry, ignored psychological trauma for generations. And while the recent amendments to the Veterans' Support Act were meant to address many of these gaps, only 51 of the 64 Paterson recommendations were implemented in any form. Just four were fully actioned. Others – including several related to financial aid, family care, and data – were simply closed without change. Between 2016 and 2020, No Duff depended fully on volunteers, taking over 1,000 crisis calls – many being referrals from well-resourced and funded state agencies like Corrections and Veterans' Affairs itself. However, without funding, they burnt out. The referrals, Wood says, never stopped. When asked why he's pushing so hard now, Wood recounts the suicide of a young corporal just days after No Duff launched. Nine years on, he says, nothing has really changed. 'In three weeks this February and March, four veterans took their own lives. We're averaging more than the Defence Force's own suicide estimates – and those are nine years out of date.' The situation, he says, isn't just unsustainable. It's shameful. In a written statement, Veterans' Affairs acknowledged that not every recommendation of the Paterson Report has been actioned. A spokesperson said that while some would require 'substantial changes to the principles that underlie veteran legislation' or 'significant changes in the roles and responsibilities of other agencies,' many had been addressed through law or policy changes. 'New legislation was passed in 2020 to action some of the recommendations, others have been actioned through policy changes, and in some cases, the desired result is being achieved through other means,' the spokesperson said. They pointed to Te Arataki, a veteran support strategy launched in 2022, as one of those new approaches outside the original review. 'It was an approach not considered during the Paterson review and one that is showing improved outcomes for veterans and their families.' But veterans like Wood say those outcomes aren't being felt on the ground. The registry still doesn't exist. The legal definition still excludes many. And the services veterans are referred to, he says, still send too many back into the same cycle of crisis. 'We don't feel like it's for us' Marcus Amosa, a veteran of tours to East Timor and Afghanistan, describes the transition out of the military as 'tough'. Wood says it is effectively just a three-day seminar and a sheet of paper explaining how to write a CV. Now reintegrated, Amosa's been trying to reconnect with his local RSA, but says many 'contemporary veterans' feel alienated. 'We walk into an RSA, and it doesn't feel like our place. We're not against Anzac Day, but the day doesn't speak to our reality either.' Amosa says he's still planning to attend a service but fully supports the intent behind the boycott. The broader issues – mental health, veteran recognition, practical support – are too important to ignore. 'There's already been a report. Already been recommendations. Why haven't they been acted on?' While the actual scale of the boycott and its potential impact is unknown for now, Wood says No Duff isn't done. If meaningful action and change doesn't come soon, he says they're exploring potential legal action against the government and New Zealand Defence Force for failing to discharge its statutory duty of care. However, for now, the boycott is about visibility. Despite not being sure of how many people would participate in the boycott, Wood said the call had so far received strong support from those within the veteran community. There had been several ideas floated on what the boycott could look like – including everything from adjacent services, turning backs during speeches, or not showing up at all. 'We're just asking people not to stand in silence and pretend everything's fine. You can still honour the day. Just don't pretend the system isn't broken.' As dawn breaks on another Anzac Day tomorrow, the words will ring out again: Lest we forget. For veterans like Wood, that phrase has become hollow. What's been forgotten, he says, isn't history – it's reality. The stories of the living. The struggle to be seen. The calls that go unanswered. And this year, some will stand apart to make sure no one can ignore it.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Punahou School honors legacy of WWII captain killed in action
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Punahou School honored one of their former students, a WWII Medal of Honor Recipient, on what would be his 108th birthday. The honoree, Capt. Francis Wai, lost his life 81 years ago during the Battle of Leyte on San Pedro Beach in the Philippines. Dave & Buster's makes Grand Opening Debut at new location 'The soldiers were stuck on the beach getting shot at by the Japanese,' said Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee. 'Nobody was in charge. So Capt. Wai, not his unit, took charge of all the soldiers. With his courage and cool demeanor, the soldiers followed him and they wiped out the Japanese emplacements. But unfortunately, the last Japanese emplacement killed Capt. Wai.' In Wai's honor, Punahou looked to celebrate his life and heroic sacrifice, not just to make good on his legacy, but to inspire their students to aid their communities and more broadly, the world. '[Wai] had a chance to serve a broader community. We always want our students to think about serving those beyond themselves,' said Dr. Mike Latham, Punahou School president. 'A lot of times that means serving people who you will never meet, who may be very different than you. But that's what American democracy is about.'Initially, the then-Department of War posthumously awarded Wai with the Distinguished Service Cross. Years later however, the now-Department of Defense investigated possible racism in the recognition processes of WWII servicemembers. As a result, Wai's award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Wai's brother, Robert, was able to accept his Medal of Honor on the captain's behalf in 2000 from then-President Bill Clinton. 'I think one of the big lessons Uncle Francis seemed to teach us was taking care of each other,' said the serviceman's nephew, Robert Wai, Jr. 'We have a great family. We love each other. We support each other. It's all that we do.' The original medal was donated to the Hawaii Army Museum, with the Wai family receiving a second medal to keep as a reminder of the service and sacrifice of Wai and his family. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
