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NDTV
14-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
South Africa End 27 Years Of Hurt: A Look Back At Why They Were Given 'Chokers' Tag
On a clement London Saturday, South Africa atoned for years of hurt, dejection and near-misses, lifting the World Test Championship title, beating Australia by five wickets at the Lord's. South Africa clinched their first major ICC trophy in 27 years, having last won the ICC KnockOut Cup in 1998. South Africa's victory comes less than a year since they suffered heartbreak in the T20 World Cup 2024 final to India. And as the Rainbow Nation celebrates, we take a walk down the memory lane to revisit all those times when the Proteas ended up so near yet so far before finally breaking the jinx. 1. 1992 WC, Semifinal vs England: It had more to do with weather than nerves. But SA's fate to be the bridesmaid at major moments began at Sydney. SA needed 22 runs off 7 balls with Brian McMillan and David Richardson at crease. Skies opened up at juncture and the equation became 22 runs off 1 ball, thanks to a miscommunication on their revised target. 2. 1999 WC, Semifinal vs Australia: The most disastrous day in SA cricket history. They needed just 9 off the final over bowled by Aussie pacer Damien Fleming. Lance Klusener smashed the first two balls to bring the equation down to 1 run off four balls. But after a couple of dot balls, a scamper for a single ended in the run out of last batter Allan Donald. The match was tied and the Aussies entered the final against Pakistan by virtue of their earlier win over the Proteas in the Super Six. 3. 2003 WC — The Boucher Blunder: Co-host SA needed a win over Sri Lanka at Durban to enter the second phase of Super 6s. SA were 229 for six when the rain stopped the play, the par score under D/L method. But before umpire S Venkataraghavan called the teams inside, SA wicket keeper batter Mark Boucher blocked the last ball of the 45th over bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan. At that point the match was tied, and the game never resumed, signalling the end of the road for SA at their home event. 4. 2015 WC semifinal vs New Zealand: SA posted a healthy 281 in a rain-curtailed 43-over-a-side last four clash against the Kiwis, who needed 30 runs off the last three overs. So, SA finally winning? But Grant Elliot had other ideas as he smashed a last-ball six off Dale Steyn to crush SA dreams. 5. 2022 T20 WC Super 12 vs Netherlands South Africa needed just one win to enter the semifinals. They had a rather easy opponent in the inexperienced Netherlands at Adelaide. But SA choked while chasing a gettable 159. A spirited Netherlands bundled out SA for 145 to celebrate a 13-run win that ended the former's journey at the ICC showpiece. 6. 2024, T20 WC vs India South Africa: was coasting at 151 for four in 16.1 overs chasing 177 against India at Bridgetown. Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller were well set with SA needing 26 runs off 29 balls with six wickets in hand. But Hardik Pandya got rid of Klaasen to spark a familiar SA collapse and they ended up at 169 for eight, losing by just 7 runs. 7. 1st Test vs Sri Lanka, Durban, 2019: Skipper Faf du Plessis (90) and Quinton de Kock (55) ensured that SA reached 259 in their second innings, setting the tourists a stiff 304-run target. SA bowlers led by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj inflicted regular blows as SL slipped 226 for 9. Easy win then? But the proteas failed to dismiss Kusal Perera (153 not out), who in the company of Vishwa Fernando (6 not out), knocked off the remaining 78 runs for the final wicket. Daryl Cullinan vs Shane Warne This is one of the most famous personal rivalries in cricket. The magician from Down Under held a psychological edge over Cullinan, a languid SA batter with oodles of talent. But Warne just bullied him so much that he could amass only 157 runs across seven Tests against the Aussie at an average of 12 while getting dismissed four times. 'Hello Daryl! What colour is the couch?' Warne's sledge to Cullinan, reminding him of his session with a psychologist to counter the leg-spinner is still being talked about. But otherwise, the SA batter retired with 4554 runs from 70 Tests at 44.21 with 14 hundreds. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
New FEMA chief sparks frustration with head-turning statement at staff meeting: 'Disaster response is no joke'
David Richardson, who took over as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in May, seemed to say on a June 2 call that he was unaware the United States experienced a hurricane season. Richardson's remarks may be even more concerning in light of his decision not to update FEMA's hurricane response plan this year. As Reuters first reported, Richardson is understood to have said in a conversation with staff, just one day after the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, that he was unaware there was such a season in the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the agency, later said in a statement that Richardson was joking. The FEMA chief, who has no background in disaster response, per Reuters, reportedly announced in that same meeting that new guidance for hurricane recovery would not be completed this season. Instead, according to the Wall Street Journal, FEMA will stick to last year's plan — though some seem to have expressed concerns about how even that plan will be executed in the wake of recent staff and program cuts. It was reported earlier this year that FEMA also decided to rescind its broader strategic plan and dramatically reduce its in-person emergency training, all in the lead-up to hurricane season. "Suffice to say, disaster response is no joke," Representative Bennie Thompson said in a statement to Reuters. "If you don't know what or when hurricane season is, you're not qualified to run FEMA. Get someone knowledgeable in there." Thompson serves on the House Homeland Security Committee, which provides oversight of FEMA. Whether Richardson was uninformed or making a questionable quip, there are serious concerns about America's readiness for this hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted that the season, which extends from June through November, will bring "above-normal hurricane activity," with up to 19 named storms, including six to 10 hurricanes. Storm preparedness at the federal, state, municipal, and individual levels is crucial to safe navigation of weather events with the potential for severe impacts. Hurricanes can cause major flooding, extensive power outages, significant property damage, and, most terribly, injuries and death. Last year's Atlantic hurricane season was devastating for the U.S. This May, USA Today reported that "with more than 400 fatalities, 2024 was the nation's deadliest hurricane season since 2005," when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. The six months' worth of storms also dealt at least $190 billion in damage to affected regions, according to NPR. Experienced, engaged, and compassionate leadership is essential to deploying a reliable disaster response force when hurricanes strike. Delivering care and resources in the aftermath of major storms can save human lives and help rebuild livelihoods. What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home? Move somewhere else Reinforce my home Nothing This is happening already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. With the federal plans and capacities still uncertain, some hurricane-vulnerable states are taking on certain elements of storm preparedness themselves. Individuals and communities will also be doing what they can to ensure local safety, home security, and critical supplies. Working out a disaster plan in advance — one that accounts for evacuation routes, property weatherization, and collection of non-perishable food, clean water, and medical supplies — is key. And it might be most effective when developed in coordination with neighbors. Talking with friends and family about critical climate issues can help make important — sometimes overwhelming — tasks like this more doable. Whether exchanging information about how to install solar panels as a backup to get through grid outages, learning about how to support policies that safeguard communities, organizing food drives, or just looking out for one another, cooperative efforts can make a big difference in tough times. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Wealthy Australians are worried we might realise how rigged the system is in their favour
We need to talk about wealth. The latest dwelling price figures reveal that for the first time the average home price across the nation is above $1m. While that will quite rightly have people concerned about affordability, we need to also think about what this means for wealth and just how unequal our society has become. A couple of weeks ago the Australian Financial Review released its latest 200 richest list. It was a list of wealth, not income. Income is how much you earn over a set time – usually a year – whereas wealth is the value of everything you own right now. And my goodness, the wealth of the richest 200 has grown. My colleague at The Australia Institute, David Richardson, calculated that in 2004, the combined wealth of the AFR richest 200 was equivalent to 8% of Australia's annual GDP. Now they are worth 24.5% of our annual GDP. Over the past year the wealth of the richest 200 has increased 6.9% to $667.8bn – well ahead of the 3.4% increase in wages. But that should not be a surprise because wealth generally grows faster than income, and very much so over the past 25 years: If the graph does not display click here And if you think that graph looks familiar, it might be because you have previously seen my graph of property prices and household disposable income per capita: If the graph does not display click here The link between property values and wealth is rather crucial in Australia because land and the value of dwellings makes up around 55% of the total of Australian household assets (most of the rest are deposits, shares and importantly, superannuation). And the value of dwelling and land has grown much faster than income over the past decade: If the graph does not display click here We can look at the house prices and see that in Sydney the median established house is now $1.395m, or that in Adelaide it has risen in the past year from $769,000 to $842,500 (a 9.6% increase), and bemoan the further falls in housing affordability. But we also need to think about what these rises in values means for those who hold them – and the ones who don't. If the graph does not display click here The housing figures we cite each quarter for house prices are actually titled Total Value of Dwellings. The Bureau of Statistics estimated the total value of Australia's dwellings in the March quarter this year at $10.9tn. Yes, trillion. That was a $125.3bn increase from the December quarter last year. By contrast, in the first three months of this year, Australians were paid $300.2bn in wages and salaries, up $4.35bn from the 2024 December quarter. That means in one quarter the value of housing stock owned by households (ie not including property owned by governments or businesses) went up $125.3bn while the value of wages paid went up just $4.35bn. If you are starting to think owning property might be a good way to get some wealth and worsening housing affordability means fewer people are able to accumulate wealth, then you are right. The total $10.9tn is now four times the value of Australia's annual GDP. As economist Alex Joiner noted, that is well above the value of US housing stock and it's a major drag on our productivity, because land, to be honest, doesn't do anything except generate wealth. And wealth is very much more concentrated at the top than is income. The survey on income and wealth from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2019-20 revealed that the richest 20% held 48% of total household income. That might seem bad enough, but in the same year the top 20% held 62% of all wealth: If the graph does not display click here Wealth also grows faster at the top. Income inequality in the decade from 2009-10 was relatively stable. But the wealth of those in the 90th percentile (ie wealthier than 89% of Australians) grew by 39% compared with just 24% for those in the 40th percentile: If the graph does not display click here And here's the kicker: we tax income quite well; we barely tax wealth at all. Remember that $4.35bn increase in wages and salaries? Most of that would be captured by income tax. What about that $123.5bn increase in dwelling value? Barely any of it is taxed at all. A very small part of it will get captured by increased council rates or land tax, but for the most part, as with all forms of increased wealth, it is barely touched by the tax office. And this is the point behind those fighting against the absurdly small changes to tax on superannuation. Barely anyone will get hit by it – maybe 0.5% of us. And even if for some weird reason we would go 30 years and 10 federal elections without the $3m threshold being changed, you would need to squint and shuffle some numbers around to have maybe 10% affected. The current median superannuation balance for men in their early 50s is around $162,000; for women it is $111,000. You really think $3m is anything even remotely possible for most people? If the graph does not display click here So why the ruckus? The same reason there is massive noise about any changes to the capital gains tax discount: wealth. Those with wealth like property prices rising because that increases their wealth, and they love that the capital gains tax discount gives them a 50% tax break when they generate even more wealth. The attempts to change superannuation tax concessions has worried the extremely wealthy that people will realise just how rigged the system is in their favour. And they worry it might finally be the start of attempts to address the growing wealth inequality in this country. It should be. Greg Jericho is a Guardian columnist and policy director at the Centre for Future Work
Euronews
11-06-2025
- Euronews
Thousands of visitors pledge good behaviour on Scotland's iconic NC500
Around 3,000 visitors have added their signatures to a new pledge calling for more responsible tourism along the route of one of Scotland's most famous road trips. The NC500 is roughly 830 kilometres long, a round route beginning and ending in the city of Inverness and weaving through some of the Highlands' most suggestive landscapes. The pledge, set up by the North Coast 500 Ltd company last October, was designed to encourage responsible and environmentally conscious tourism throughout the Scottish Highlands. It hopes to address the complex challenges that tourism brings to local communities, especially along the popular coastal route. The pledge covers several key commitments visitors are asked to embrace during their Highland experience. These include responsible waste management through proper disposal methods, using only designated parking facilities for both daytime visits and overnight stays, and supporting the local economy by choosing regional businesses over chain alternatives. Additionally, tourists are encouraged to follow Scotland's Outdoor Access Code, maintain appropriate noise levels to respect local residents, and observe all traffic regulations, including speed limits and road signage. Driving behaviour receives particular emphasis, with visitors urged to exercise caution and courtesy, especially when navigating the challenging single-track roads that characterise much of the NC500 route. It comes after ongoing concerns about road safety and traffic management in the region due to the tourists making the famous journey. Almost all the signatories of the pledge have also participated in 'extra mile' tasks. So far, 13 per cent have taken part in beach cleans, 12 per cent donated to local food banks or charities, 91 per cent bought from local businesses, and 83 per cent shared responsible tourism advice either in person or on social media. The pledge was developed through consultation with both residents and business owners along the route. Guidelines were created that address real community concerns while remaining practical for visitors to follow. David Richardson, development manager for North Coast 500 Ltd, emphasised the positive response from tourists, noting their genuine desire to contribute positively to the destination. 'It's been really encouraging to see just how many people want to do the right thing. The pledge isn't about rules or restrictions - it's about giving people the opportunity to understand the place they're visiting and how they can help look after it,' he said. "The pledge helps to start those conversations and encourage more conscious choices, which is a step in the right direction for everyone.' The pledge is supported by a digital platform providing educational resources to help visitors understand how to explore the Highlands responsibly. It is part of the broader goal of fostering informed decision-making among tourists. While the North Coast 500 route, established over ten years ago, has brought significant economic benefits to regional businesses, it has also seen growing concerns among Highland residents about traffic safety and antisocial behaviour. The visitor pledge represents an attempt to preserve the route's economic advantages while mitigating its negative impacts on local communities.
The National
10-06-2025
- The National
3000 sign NC500 pledge amid Highland concerns over tourism impact
The organisation behind the promotion of the coastal route introduced the visitor pledge in October last year, and asks visitors to: leave no trace by disposing of waste responsibly park only in dedicated parking areas during the day and overnight prioritise shopping in local businesses follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code keep noise levels low adhere to all road signs and speed limits drive carefully and considerately and yield to local traffic, especially on single-track roads The full pledge can be read here. Around 93% of people who signed the pledge have taken part in some sort of "extra mile" task. So far, 13% took part in beach cleans, 12% donated to local foodbanks or local charity boxes, 91% prioritised local businesses and 83% shared responsible travel tips either in person or on social media. The pledge, developed in consultation with residents and businesses along the route, invites visitors to commit to respectful and sustainable tourism during their visit, helping to address the challenges facing local communities as a result of tourism. READ MORE: Local bus operator axes all services after entering 'liquidation' David Richardson, development manager at North Coast 500 Ltd, said: 'It's been really encouraging to see just how many people want to do the right thing. The pledge isn't about rules or restrictions — it's about giving people the opportunity to understand the place they're visiting and how they can help look after it. The early response shows that visitors genuinely care, and that's a really positive foundation to build on. 'We know tourism brings both benefits and challenges, and while there's no single solution, what we're seeing is a willingness from visitors to be part of the answer. A lighthouse by Duncansby Stacks, a collection of sea stacks that jut out of the North Sea (Image: Unsplash) "The pledge helps to start those conversations and encourage more conscious choices, which is a step in the right direction for everyone.' The pledge is supported by a digital platform to provide tourists with educational resources to help them explore the Highlands responsibly. The NC500 was established more than a decade ago, and while it brings many benefits for businesses on the route, a lot of locals in the Highlands are resentful of its promotion given it has led to dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour.
