Latest news with #mismanagement
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka govt blames Virat Kohli's RCB for excessive turnout
The Karnataka government submitted a status report on the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede in Bengaluru that claimed 11 lives and left over 50 people injured to the High Court on Thursday. In its report to the High Court regarding the stampede, it has pointed to serious lapses and mismanagement from the franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru. According to the state government, no formal permission was taken, with the event organiser (DNA), merely informing the police about the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory parade on June 3 without seeking formal approval as mandated by the 2009 city order. Consequently, the police denied permission. Despite police denial, RCB proceeded to publicly promote the event. On June 4, they shared open invitations on social media, including a video appeal by Virat Kohli, encouraging fans to attend the free-entry celebration. The report said, "On 04.06.2025, the RCB, unilaterally and without consultation/ permission from the Bangalore City Police, posted a photo at 7:01 am on the official RCB handle on social media (Instagram, Facebook, "X") informing that there is free entry for people and inviting the public to participate in the Victory Parade, which would commence at Vidhana Soudha and conclude at Chinnaswamy Stadium." "A second post on Social Media was made by RCB at 8am reiterating this information. Subsequently, on 04.06.2025, at 8:55am, the RCB shared a video clip of Virat Kohli, on RCB's official handle @rcbtweets on X, in which he stated that the team intended to celebrate this victory with the people of Bengaluru city and RCB fans on 04.06.2025 in Bengaluru. Thereafter, RCB made one more post at 3:14pm on 04.06.2024, announcing a Victory Parade to be held from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium from 5pm to 6pm, stating that this victory parade would be followed by celebrations at Chinnaswamy Stadium," the report stated. "This post mentioned, for the first and only time, that free passes (limited entry) were available on and until this point, there had been no information regarding the disbursement of passes, implying that the event was open to all based on RCB's prior posts. The posts on RCB's official social media handles garnered immense engagement online ( with the first post receiving approximately 16 lakh views, the second post receiving approximately 4. 26 lakh views, the third post receiving approximately 7. 6 lakh views, and the fourth post receiving approximately 17 lakh views). Copies of these posts/announcements made by RCB on Social Medial are produced herewith as Document No. 4 series (pg 56-61). This led to a public gathering of immense proportions, exceeding 3,00,000, individuals," it further added. The massive turnout far exceeded expectations and crowd management capabilities. Due to overcrowding at the event organisers at 3:14pm on the day of the event, organisers abruptly announced that entry to the stadium would require passes, contradicting earlier messages and triggering confusion and panic. The state government said that the RCB, DNA, and KSCA failed to coordinate effectively. Mismanagement at the entry gates and delayed openings led to a stampede, resulting in injuries to seven police personnel. To prevent further unrest, the police permitted a restricted version of the event to proceed under controlled conditions. The aftermath includes both magisterial and judicial probes, registration of FIRs, disciplinary action against police officers, suspension of the Chief Minister's political secretary, transfer of the state intelligence chief, and announcement of compensation for victims. On June 4, eleven people died and more than 30 were injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy stadium as a huge crowd of nearly 3 lakh people had gathered to witness the victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru for winning the Indian Premier League (IPL). Following the incident, the Karnataka government suspended top police officials at the Cubbon Park Police Station on June 5 and formed a one-man commission under a retired High Court Judge to probe the incident. After announcing ex-gratia worth Rs 10 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered an increase in the compensation amount for the families of those who died in the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede in Bengaluru to Rs 25 lakh each.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Can Trump Fire Powell? He Likely Lacks a Case, Legal Experts Say.
President Trump on Wednesday continued his assault on Jerome H. Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, saying it was 'highly unlikely' that he would fire him 'unless he has to leave for fraud.' The warning shot related to Mr. Powell's handling of a renovation of the Fed's headquarters in Washington, involving a pair of buildings that are around 100 years old and undergoing a roughly $2.5 billion revamp. The president and his allies have seized on the project, which kicked off in 2021, as a potential avenue to fire Mr. Powell over allegations of mismanagement. But firing a Fed chair is a legally knotty endeavor and one that has not been tested in modern U.S. history. That's because, under the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, the chair can be ousted only for 'cause,' which is typically interpreted to mean malfeasance or gross misconduct. Legal experts have quickly assessed that the case the president may be building to remove Mr. Powell for cause is flimsy and likely to face serious obstacles if Mr. Trump follows through with his threats. 'I don't think there is a case here,' said Lev Menand, a legal scholar at Columbia University. 'There has to be a showing of misconduct, and Powell would have a lot of avenues to challenge the administration if they proceed against him.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Penn State employee's lawsuit alleges mismanagement of at least $500K
A whistleblower lawsuit filed by a longtime Penn State employee alleged the university and a top administrator mismanaged at least $500,000 during a time of universitywide belt-tightening. David Aneckstein, the senior communications director for Penn State Outreach and Online Education, said in the lawsuit there were so many wrongdoings in the lead-up to a fall conference that it amounted to a waste of government money. He also said he was demoted in retaliation for raising his concerns. A message left Monday with the university was not immediately returned. Aneckstein said he filed an anonymous whistleblower complaint in late August about what was an upcoming Outreach conference, one that argued it was inadequately planned and would result in a 'significant loss of state funds.' He said he met with Larry D. Terry II, the university's vice president for Outreach, one-on-one and suggested the conference be delayed a year because it 'needed a different timeline to be successful.' With major organizational changes in the department that oversees programs including WPSU, Shaver's Creek Environmental Center and The Arboretum at Penn State, Aneckstein argued there would be less staff to assist and that it would be difficult to plan a well-attended conference in less than eight months. He also placed blame with a planning committee that he said missed several internal deadlines for securing venues, speakers, sponsors and an agenda. Those delays, he alleged in the lawsuit filed last month, hindered the university's marketing and communications plans. Registration numbers were 'exceptionally low,' Aneckstein said in the lawsuit. There were only 125 people registered — about half of whom were Penn State employees or speakers given complimentary tickets. Aneckstein also said only 20% of the 850 hotel rooms blocked for the conference were reserved, costing the university more than $160,000 because of a contractual obligation to cover the cost of rooms that were not booked. A draft report — which Aneckstein's attorney summarized but did not include in the lawsuit — allegedly placed the loss at $500,000, though Aneckstein said he believes that did not account for other 'excessive costs' such as employee trips to Philadelphia, San Diego and Dallas. He further wondered if Terry and others were 'enjoying the ability to network with important and powerful individuals and make connections that would position them for significant personal gain regardless of the conference's ultimate success (or failure).' Aneckstein, who has worked for the university since 2008, said he was told his position was no longer needed within two months of raising his concerns. All of his external communication responsibilities and job duties were removed Jan. 1, his attorney wrote. He's seeking at least $50,000. A message left Monday with his attorney Christopher A. Macey Jr. was not immediately returned.
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Bush teams up with notorious Trump foes to trash 'colossal mistake' shuttering USAID
Former President George W. Bush joined up with former President Barack Obama and U2 singer Bono to comfort United States Agency for International Development employees Monday, while also taking shots at President Donald Trump and his administration for shuttering the agency plagued by accusations of fraud and abuse. "Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it's a tragedy," Obama said in a video that was shown to departing USAID employees Monday, according to the Associated Press. "Because it's some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world." Obama summed up the decision to shutter the agency as "a colossal mistake," and added that "sooner or later, leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed." Bush, Obama and Bono spoke to departing USAID employees Monday in a videoconference as the agency officially was shuttered following the Trump administration's reporting that it was overrun with alleged corruption and mismanagement. The videoconference did not include members of the media, with the Associated Press reviewing and reporting on clips of the conference later that day. USAID is an independent U.S. agency that was established under the Kennedy administration to administer economic aid to foreign nations. It was one of the first agencies investigated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in early February for alleged mismanagement and government overspending, with DOGE's then-leader Elon Musk slamming the agency as "a viper's nest of radical-left marxists who hate America." USAID officially was absorbed by the State Department Tuesday. Bush, who overwhelmingly has shied away from publicly criticizing Trump, lamented in his recorded message to the staffers that the end of USAID marks an end to his administration's work rolling out an AIDS and HIV program that is credited with saving 25 million people nationwide. "You've showed the great strength of America through your work — and that is your good heart,'' Bush told USAID staffers, according to the Associated Press. "Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you." Bono of U2 fame recited a poem he wrote reflecting on USAID's closure and his claims that millions around the world will likely now die, according to the Associated Press. "They called you crooks. When you were the best of us," Bono said. Fox News Digital reached out to Obama's and Bush's respective offices Wednesday morning for additional comment, but did not receive responses. Other longtime Trump foes, such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, thanked foreign service officers for their work before USAID's closure. "In all my years of service, I found that foreign service officers and development professionals were among the most dedicated public servants I encountered," Clinton posted to X Tuesday. "Their work saves lives and makes the world safer. Today, and every day, I stand with them." Obama and Bush overwhelmingly have remained tight-lipped on their views of Trump under his second administration, with both former presidents attending Trump's inauguration and not weighing in on the majority of Trump's policies. Obama has taken issue with Trump's "big, beautiful bill," which is clearing its final hurdles to passage and will fund Trump's agenda on social media, while Bush has consistently shied away from public rebukes of Trump in recent history. Bono previously has claimed that cuts to USAID would kill hundreds of thousands of people, and had slammed Trump in 2016 as "potentially the worst idea that ever happened to America." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was serving as acting administrator of USAID, announced the State Department absorbed USAID's foreign assistance programs Tuesday after decades of failing to ensure the programs it funded actually supported America's interests. "Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War," Rubio wrote in his announcement. "Development objectives have rarely been met, instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown." "This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end," he continued. "Under the Trump Administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests. As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies—and which advance American interests—will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency." The shuttering comes after DOGE gutted USAID as part of Trump's effort to remove waste, fraud and abuse from the federal government earlier in 2025. Trump repeatedly had touted DOGE's work uncovering fraud and mismanagement within the federal government, including in his March address before Congress celebrating that DOGE identified $22 billion in government "waste," including at USAID. "Forty-five million dollars for diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships in Burma," Trump said as he rattled off various examples of federal waste. "Forty million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants. Nobody knows what that is. Eight million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of. Sixty million dollars for indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombian empowerment in Central America. Sixty million. Eight million for making mice transgender."
The Australian
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Australian
Western Australia's Shire of Coolgardie faces uncertain future following audit report, ‘significant doubt' on viability
A regional council in Western Australia is staring down an uncertain future, after a report from the state's government watchdog expressed 'significant doubt' over the shire's ongoing viability. The Shire of Coolgardie is under fire for 'shocking mismanagement and poor governance' amid revelations that employees were improperly dismissed and one contractor worked remotely from a Caribbean island. The report, from WA's Auditor General, found the shire was in a precarious financial position after incurring a net loss of more than $4.6m in the year ending 30 June 2024. Liabilities exceeded the council's assets by more than $14.2m. 'These conditions indicate a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt about the ability of the Shire to continue as a going concern,' the report states. During the review, auditors found that a Senior Project Officer employed by the council from October 23, 2023 to October 2, 2024 had been working remotely from the Caribbean island of Montserrat. A Senior Project Officer employed by the council had been reportedly working remotely from the Caribbean island of Montserrat, the audit found. Picture: Visit Montserrat 'The Project Officer appeared to be located in Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean,' the report read. 'The offer of employment stated that the duties were to be performed at home, in the office in Kalgoorlie, or Kambalda. 'We inquired but did not receive a response from Shire management on how the staff member performed their duties efficiently while being in a different jurisdiction with a 12-hour time difference from Perth.' The staff member was also found not to be in compliance with their working holiday visa, which stipulated they could not work more than six months overseas. The staff member was recruited directly by the Shire's former chief executive. The regional council faces allegations of 'potential cultural issues'. Picture: Coolgardie Visitors Centre The review also found that the council had 'potential cultural issues' that stopped employees from raising concerns without facing the threat of termination from senior management. Two former employees filed claims against the council for 'termination without cause' - one alleging that a senior executive appeared to be manipulating the tendering process for Shire projects in favour of certain tenderers. WA's Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley spoke to the state parliament last week about the potential of merging the Coolgardie Shire with the neighbouring City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder. She said she had arranged a meeting with representatives from both councils and the local member to address 'serious concerns about the financial viability of the shire'. 'Although I am assured that no malice has been intended by elected members, nevertheless, shocking mismanagement and poor governance has occurred at the shire. Malcolm Cullen, President of the Shire of Coolgardie, said it was too early to discuss a potential merger due to how close the council elections were. Picture: Supplied 'I would urge the shire to do what is right for its community and region and be cooperative in speaking with its neighbouring council at Kalgoorlie–Boulder and jointly support a boundary adjustment.' Local member Ali Kent also spoke in parliament, and noted previous scrutiny faced by the council over financial mismanagement. 'So many of my constituents have met with me as they are upset and concerned about the future of the shire when it is faced with this ongoing uncertainty,' Ms Kent said. The Coolgardie Shire's President Malcolm Cullen told the ABC that the announcement of a potential merger had come to close to council elections. 'The three-week time-frame for these discussions provided by the minister does not allow time for genuine and open negotiations,' Mr Cullen said in a statement reported by the ABC. 'Such a decision deserves careful consideration and should not be made at a time of transition.' Brendan Kearns Cadet Journalist Brendan Kearns is a cadet journalist with News Corp Australia. He has written for The Australian, the Herald Sun, the Geelong Advertiser, CHOICE, Cosmos, and The Citizen. He won Democracy's Watchdogs' Student Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 and hosted the third season of award-winning podcast Uncurated. He studied as Master of Journalism at The University of Melbourne, before that he worked as a video producer and disability worker. @brendandkearns Brendan Kearns
