England striker Ivan Toney will miss out on the home-based European Championship in 2028 due to the fact that his trial for attack will encounter the competition.
Toney is set to deal with trial on a charge of attack occasioning real physical damage connecting to an occurrence in London in December 2025. He is implicated of punching and headbutting a guy in a Soho club.
The Al-Ahli star appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday to plead innocent. His trial date was set for June 12, 2028, almost 2 years away and throughout the group phase of EURO 2028.Ivan Toney’s trial date has actually ruled him out of EURO 2028
Ivan Toney (Image credit: Getty Images )Toney, 30, has actually just bet England 10 times, however he was consisted of in the Three Lions team for the World Cup in 2026. Thomas Tuchel, who exposed at the time of his team statement that Toney’s addition remained in part to his capabilities as a charge professional, is set to take charge for the European Championship too.
Enigma over Toney’s continuous worldwide potential customers while playing in the Saudi Pro League are now a non-issue. The previous Brentford frontman will not be consisted of in Tuchel’s team and might even discover that Thursday’s judgment has actually successfully ended his global profession.
Judge Hehir apologised to Toney for the date, discussing that the court system is too hectic for it to be any faster. According to The GuardianToney was launched on genuine bail however advised to stay in routine contact with his legal group over the next 2 years.
“When Toney appeared at Westminster magistrates court to enter his plea at the start of October, the court was told by the prosecutor, Tom Heslop, that Toney and Da Silva exchanged words that resulted in them ‘squaring up’ to one another before Toney ‘lunged forward and head-butted the complainant, followed by a few punches’,” reports Sam Cunningham.
The very best functions, enjoyable and footballing tests, directly to your inbox weekly.
“Da Silva injuries to his nose and fingers, it was alleged. After pleading not guilty, Toney requested that his trial be heard at a crown court.
“Judge Hehir informed Toney that the law required him to provide the footballer an official caution, just like any accused on bail waiting for trial, about the effects of stopping working to go to court.”
Toney left Brentford to join the Saudi Pro League in 2024, becoming one of the first and most high-profile players to make the move with potentially years of top-level football still ahead of them.
Ivan Toney (Image credit: Getty Images)
The 30-year-old has actually discovered objectives simple to come by in Saudi Arabia, where he assisted fire Al-Ahli to back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite honours in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
One-time Newcastle United striker Toney played the entire of both finals, regardless of an alternative in interruption time in additional time versus Machida Zelvia this year, both under brand-new Magpies supervisor Matthias Jaissle.
He has actually not been chosen by England given that the World Cup.
Kieran Gibbs thinks Arsene Wenger should have more credit in hindsight than he typically got in his last years at Arsenal.
In the last few years, we have appear a variety of huge clubs completing in mid-table obscurity – or perhaps worse.
Chelsea ended up 12th in 2023 and 8th in 2026. Manchester United ended up 15th in 2025. Tottenham ended up 17th in both of the previous 2 seasons and were at severe risk of transfer last season.There’s a variety of factors that has actually taken place, consisting of a big walking in the cash the Premier League’s middle-class are constructing of television rights relative to their equivalents in other nations.
Whatever the cause, previous Arsenal left-back Gibbs feels Wenger did a much better task than individuals always understood to keep the Gunners regularly in the leading 4.
Kieran Gibbs found out a lot from Arsene Wenger ( Image credit: Getty Images)Wenger’s last Premier League title came in the Invincibles season in 2003/04, they did not complete lower than 4th up until his last 2 seasons in charge, in 2016/17(5th)and 2017/18( 6th ).
Things at first became worse following Wenger’s departure before enhancing once again.
The very best functions, enjoyable and footballing tests, directly to your inbox each week.
Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta took Arsenal to back-to-back 8th-place ended up before the latter slowly got to them back on top of the English video game once again in 2015.
And Gibbs informed FourFourTwo: “During my time there, I always felt that we were only two or three signings away from winning the league.
“The club was in a cycle, after moving into the brand-new arena, where the board were just ready to invest so much and we were losing gamers in essential minutes.
Kieran Gibbs believes other clubs ‘battles put Arsene Wenger’s efficiency in viewpoint (Image credit: Getty Images)“f you compare it to other big clubs who are struggling now, it wasn’t as bad as it might have been perceived at the time.
“We never ever fell out of the Champions League locations.
“I believe he did an amazing task and I’m really lucky to have actually bet. All of his stories and lessons have actually stuck to me
Friday once again! Astounding things. Before getting your teeth into the weekend, eat of the most recent Friday Football Quiz. Can you respond to all of these concerns and end up being a legend in your own life time?. It’s dead simple. There are 20 concerns in all and the Friday Football Quiz does not have a time frame. Off you go.FourFourTwo has more football tests than you can shake a stick at and they’re all thanks toKwizlyWhen you’ve nailed today’s Friday Football Quiz, tuck into these carefully picked football quizzes to introduce the weekend in design.
We’ve been developing a huge bank of Premier League quizzes for you to take pleasure in, so let’s solve to it. Our brand-new Premier League Years Picture Quiz will check your memory of a few of the most well-known pictures of the last 35 years. If you can get all those, you may likewise keep in mind a few of the league’s historical bad lads. can you call every gamer ever to have been sent 3 times in a single Premier League season?
Far from the Premier League, we can turn our attention and yours to football’s primary specific award. Harry Kane won it in 2026, however can you call all the other gamers who have gathered the Ballon d’Or in a World Cup year?
For European club football professionals, we have the supreme tests. Can you call every group ever to have actually played in the Champions League because 1992-93 leaving out play-offs and qualifiers? Next, can you call every group playing in the league stage of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season
The very best functions, enjoyable and footballing tests, directly to your inbox each week.
We’ve got a lot of crosswords too. The current is FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 76which has hints on journeymen, Wembley and outright errors. Register for our newsletter for your day-to-day afternoon rundown of carefully picked trivia. To finish your transfer to balcony legend status, lock in your area in The Club — our complimentary subscription center where you can open secret tips for our hardest tests, climb international leaderboards, and discuss the most recent subjects straight in the remarks area.
Chris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football author specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa ReviewHe supports Coventry Sphinx.
The digital twin principle made its trustworthiness in engineering. Its origins trace to a 2002 University of Michigan discussion in which Michael Grieves explained a“Mirrored Spaces Model”: a virtual system holding the details about a physical one, connected to it throughout its life.
A jet engine maker constructs an exact virtual reproduction of a physical turbine, feeds it real-time sensing unit information, and runs simulations that forecast failure before it takes place, enhance upkeep periods, and test style adjustments without touching the physical possession. This design is indispensable due to the fact that the expense of being incorrect about a turbine is high, the variables are quantifiable, and the physics are well comprehended. Organizations have actually used the very same concept to factory floorings, supply chains and city facilities, each time with the exact same underlying reasoning: a vibrant design of an intricate system enables constant optimization that routine evaluation can not match.
The business itself has actually gotten just part of that treatment. Even Gartner now examines organizational digital twin platforms as a classification, explaining them as vibrant designs of how a company operationalizes its organization design, releases resources and provides client worth. Many of these twins design how work streams, not what it is worth, and that space is substantial.
A vibrant design of the business
Still, most big companies still browse tactical choices with an image of themselves that is fixed, insufficient and financially unattributed. Org charts explain reporting relationships as they were drawn at the last reorganization instead of how individuals really connect. Process maps explain meant or developed workflows, not real ones. And preparing files explain resource allowances as they existed at the time of the last spending plan cycle. None of these artifacts respond to the concern that matters most for tactical decision-making: what is the work in fact worth, at the level of granularity needed to enhance it?
A living design of the business alters what is possible. Picture a representation of how work in fact streams throughout functions (not as developed or developed, however as carried out), where choices collect and sluggish, where handoffs lose details, where threat focuses up until it surface areas as an event, and where resources are used to activities whose financial contribution has actually never ever been taken a look at. Linked to real-time functional information, that design relocations leaders beyond the fixed artifacts that presently replacement for organizational self-knowledge.
A design of how work streams is helpful just for functional medical diagnosis, not a total financial understanding. Strategic redesign needs understanding what the work measurably produces at the level of private activities, choice points and handoffs.
Improving the digital twin with financial procedure modeling
As I have actually talked about in previous pieces, Economic Process Modeling (EPM) supplies that extra layer. By decaying procedures into their constituent parts and associating worth throughout 5 measurements (earnings contribution, expense and friction, threat direct exposure, choice worth and details worth), EPM changes a procedure map from a detailed artifact into a financial instrument.
The output is not a flowchart however a worth journal: which parts are worth drags that expense more than they contribute, which are misaligned (an individual doing a system’s task, or the reverse), and where worth is produced however never ever gathered, normally as information the procedure disposes of. That is the side of business case that cost accounting alone can disappoint. It is the worth layer the business digital twin requires to support tactical choices instead of simply functional ones.
Test financial procedure design journal.
Douglas Laney
Business, understand thyself
The useful advantages of a business digital twin including EPM are substance:
It allows companies to design the P&L effects of a restructuring before headcount choices are made.
It surface areas the procedure elements where AI financial investments might create the greatest return per dollar– instead of needing that prioritization to be solved through stakeholder settlement and executive sponsorship, which is how it is presently fixed in many companies.
It makes noticeable the details properties being created and ruined by present procedure styles.
And it reveals where danger is focusing in functional workflows before that concentration produces a regulative finding or a client failure.
These are not incremental enhancements to existing preparation procedures; they represent a various quality of organizational self-knowledge.
What makes this possible instead of speculative is that the needed inputs exist in a lot of big companies currently. Process mining tools draw out real workflow patterns from system logs, ERP and CRM systems hold the functional and client information required to associate income and expense at part level, and threat systems hold the direct exposure information.
The missing component is the financial design that sits above the facilities, equates functional patterns into worth attributions, and makes the business clear as a financial system instead of a collection of functions.
Financial procedure modeling in action
CentrePort, is the port and logistics operator in Wellington, New Zealand. Its CentreConnect freight service produced a high volume of little inter-port charges, each evaluated and fixed up by hand by a little business group working from spreadsheets. Instead of automating initially, the business designed the invoicing workflow to private container motions, connected each activity to time and expense information, and checked standardization and automation situations before dedicating to alter.
Processing time per billing fell from 25 minutes to 23 seconds. The more telling results were those a throughput metric would miss out on: less monetary inconsistencies and less overpayment danger, more powerful information governance than spreadsheets permitted, and foundation for scaling volumes without including personnel. Those are threat, details and choice worth, not just expense.
CentrePort has actually because used the technique to other business procedures and now treats it as a prerequisite for modification. “Before carrying out any tasks, we now make sure that the present state is comprehended, together with the upstream and downstream effects of modification,” stated Tanya Dednam, Head of Digital.
The development from physical to business digital twins
As lots of organizations and the worldwide economy continue to move towards digital, AI-based and services-oriented offerings, financially modeling the business can end up being more vital than modeling physical things.
The example to physical digital twins brings an essential constraint: Turbine physics are steady whereas organizational economics are objected to, context-dependent and subject to tactical option. A business digital twin constructed on EPM does not produce a single reliable response about what a procedure part deserves. It produces a structured basis for the argument, with specific presumptions that can be taken a look at, challenged and modified as conditions alter, which is exactly what differentiates a beneficial analytical structure from the fixed preparation artifacts it changes.
The competitive benefit this ability gives is not in the design itself. Rather, it remains in the organizational discipline of making financial attribution a constant practice, of dealing with the business as a possession to be actively handled instead of a structure to be occasionally restructured when the last reorganization quits working. And instead of an enterprise-wide focus, the useful aperture is a single procedure with high financial direct exposure– preferably one currently under change or AI financial investment pressure, designed all right to notify a genuine choice or action.
Organizations that design, procedure and examine the EPM-enhanced digital twin of their procedures will have the ability to adjust, enhance and change with considerably higher dexterity than those browsing with difficult org charts and preparing PowerPoints.
Zanele Muholi’s visual advocacy has actually produced a few of the most unique and remarkable creative contributions to modern South African culture. Their capability to foreground traditionally marginalised individuals in the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood has actually constantly stimulated lasting psychological connections.
Muholi’s plain usage of black-and-white images is constantly attractive and mystifying– drawing observers into the worlds included in the frame. With a profession this identified, numerous an author (me consisted of) has actually lacked superlatives to encapsulate their effect, worth and artistry.
Where scribes run out of words, the world never ever appears to be except methods to acknowledge, honour and commemorate a creative powerhouse such as Muholi.
The current is their acknowledgment as the 2026 Hasselblad Award laureate. It is extensively thought about among the world’s most substantial photography awards, and Muholi is the 46th recipient. Officially provided in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 9 October 2026, the award features a gold medal, a Hasselblad electronic camera and 2 million Swedish kronor (about R3.3-million). It is likewise accompanied by a significant solo exhibit entitled Zanele Muholi: Hasselblad Award 2026, which will run up until 4 April next year.
“When this honour comes, I get it on behalf of my neighborhood,” Muholi stated. Their work has actually constantly looked beyond the self, even when they have actually been the topic of it.
‘Seminal work’
The exhibit draws from 6 of Muholi’s bodies of work, consisting of Just Half the PictureFaces and Phases and Somnyama NgonyamaEach checks out the presence, self-respect and charm of black queer, lesbian and trans lives.
These 3 series exemplify Muholi’s development as an artist and an archivist. Faces and Phases is the most popular of the 3 due to the fact that of its objective as a counter-archive. Muholi has actually formerly explained it as extending beyond portraiture to end up being a method to record black queer and trans resistance and presence. Hasselblad has actually called it a critical body of modern photographic work.
Just Half the Picture is most considerable for its unquestionable links in between visual advocacy and recording violence. Premiered in 2002, it shows how Muholi’s art has actually long been rooted in statement and the paperwork of lived experience.
Qiniso, The Sails, Durban, 2019, from Zanele Muholi’s Somnyama Ngonyama self-portrait series. (Photo: Zanele Muholi; Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson and Southern Guild)
In Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Dark Lioness), Muholi moves from being the photographer to being the subject. This is, for me at least, the body of work most synonymous with the visual activist, in large part owing to the striking use of heightened skin tone and contrast. In this series, the question of representation of blackness and who holds agency over its representation is a noteworthy expansion from merely “who gets to be photographed?”
Narrative control
Visibility, representation, archival importance and autonomy are key tenets of Muholi’s work throughout the years. These foundations have set their visual activism apart and brought a greater degree of narrative control over black queer and African representation to its rightful custodians – the people who live these realities.
Hasselblad’s recognition of Muholi’s visual activism is an institutional acknowledgement of both the work and the authority of those who tell these stories.
“This prize is not mine alone,” Muholi declares. “I carry it with the many faces, names and histories that have trusted me with their stories.” It is a significant responsibility – one that Muholi has carried consistently throughout their practice. Not in place of the community, but in service to it. DM
This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R39. The e-edition of Daily Maverick’s weekly newspaper, DM168, is now free for readers who are signed into their Daily Maverick account. Click here to access the latest e-edition.
Qiniso, The Sails, Durban, 2019, from Zanele Muholi’s Somnyama Ngonyama self-portrait series. (Photo: Zanele Muholi; Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson and Southern Guild)
In Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Dark Lioness), Muholi moves from being the photographer to being the subject. This is, for me at least, the body of work most synonymous with the visual activist, in large part owing to the striking use of heightened skin tone and contrast. In this series, the question of representation of blackness and who holds agency over its representation is a noteworthy expansion from merely “who gets to be photographed?”
Narrative control
Visibility, representation, archival importance and autonomy are key tenets of Muholi’s work throughout the years. These foundations have set their visual activism apart and brought a greater degree of narrative control over black queer and African representation to its rightful custodians – the people who live these realities.
Hasselblad’s recognition of Muholi’s visual activism is an institutional acknowledgement of both the work and the authority of those who tell these stories.
“This prize is not mine alone,” Muholi declares. “I carry it with the many faces, names and histories that have trusted me with their stories.” It is a significant responsibility – one that Muholi has carried consistently throughout their practice. Not in place of the community, but in service to it. DM
This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R39. The e-edition of Daily Maverick’s weekly newspaper, DM168, is now free for readers who are signed into their Daily Maverick account. Click here to access the latest e-edition.
More than 1,000 individuals have actually signed up with a government-funded medical trial screening whether breast cancer radiotherapy can be reduced from 3 weeks to 5 days, possibly conserving clients 10 medical facility gos to.
The FAST-Forward Boost trial, which is being “carried out at 39 health centers throughout the United Kingdom, will examine whether a much shorter course of radiotherapy integrated with an extra targeted dosage, called an increase, can assist avoid breast cancer from returning.”
The UK Department of Health and Social Care divulged this in a declaration on Friday, explaining the advancement as part of efforts to enhance cancer treatment and client assistance.
The trial is led by the “Institute of Cancer Research, London, and moneyed through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.”
According to the department, “the trial intends to hire 4,830 individuals by 2028, with those registered to be followed up for 5 years. Outcomes are anticipated in 2033.
“If effective, the much shorter treatment schedule might lower clients’ travel expenses and time far from work and household while maximizing capability in the National Health Service to deal with more individuals.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper stated the trial showed how the UK was utilizing its research study abilities to enhance cancer treatment.
“This trial demonstrates how the UK is utilizing our world beating research study abilities to pursue substantial enhancements and improvements in cancer treatment for clients,” she stated.
Cooper stated the program was planned to reduce breast cancer treatment times and enhance client care.
The statement likewise comes as the federal government steps up efforts to enhance breast cancer screening, early medical diagnosis and assistance for clients.
The department stated breast screening uptake amongst ladies getting their very first invite had actually reached 63.6 percent, the greatest level in a years.
Around 4 in 10 ladies welcomed for the very first time do not participate in screening.
The federal government is likewise dealing with the National Institute for Health and Care Research and NHS England on trials including expert system to support the analysis of mammograms.
It has actually likewise partnered with Breast Cancer Now for 3 years to assist females acknowledge breast cancer signs and gain access to trusted info and assistance after treatment.
Tosin Oyediran
Tosin Oyediran is a reporter with Punch Newspapers, bringing over 8 years of newsroom experience to his protection of politics, health, advocacy, sports, and home entertainment. Understood for sharp interviews and human-centered reporting, his work concentrates on public responsibility, civic concerns, and the stories forming daily lives.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has actually traced the look of thought synthetic intelligence-generated pictures in its initial register of citizens to abnormalities supposedly presented by some registration officers who had access to its registration system.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, revealed this on Friday throughout a look on Arise Television, describing that some registration officers throughout the nation utilized their login information to present doubtful records into the database.
He stated the commission found the abnormalities through its Automated Biometric Identification System, which was utilized to analyze the registration records.
“We have registration officers on the field. And these registration officers, they have login information to log into the system.
“So what we have actually discovered is that a few of these registration officers, not all of them now, a few of them throughout the states nationwide, they’ve done various things to bring these abnormalities onto the register,” Bayode stated.
He discussed that while a few of the pictures were produced utilizing expert system, others arised from bad registration treatments.
“Some of these photos are AI-generated. A few of them not AI-generated, however really bad registration. And this thing entered the register by the registration officers and since they have access to sign up individuals,” he stated.
Bayode included that INEC had actually recognized the records and comprehended how a few of the abnormalities happened, however might not describe why the officers included had actually presented them.
“When the ABIS was worked on the system, we saw these individuals. We understand what they did. We understand how they did it. Truthfully, I do not understand why,” he included.
The ICT director stated the commission had actually been working to tidy up the register even before releasing the initial variation, including that it was under pressure to finish the workout within the statutory 90-day duration.
The disclosure follows public issues over suspicious pictures and other abnormalities found after INEC submitted its initial register of citizens to its site on October 26.
As formerly reported by The PUNCH, screenshots distributed on social networks revealed pictures believed to have actually been produced utilizing AI connected to citizen records in parts of Edo State.
Other issues consisted of declared replicate entries and problems by some signed up citizens that their information were missing out on from the online register.
INEC had previously stated the online variation was the exact same initial register physically showed at Registration Areas across the country in between October 9 and 15 for the Display, Claims and Objections workout.
In a declaration on October 27, the commission stated some doubtful records had actually been determined and flagged throughout the physical display screen, including that it had actually begun an evaluation and restorative action.
It likewise worried that the released register was not the last accredited variation which the online release did not show all continuous data-cleanup activities.
INEC is anticipated to finish its confirmation, adjudication and data-cleanup procedures before accrediting the last Register of Voters on December 15, 2026.
With its leader Jacob Zuma out of sight because early October, the uMkhonto Wesizwe celebration’s assistance in eThekwini has actually visited 8 portion points, according to the current Ipsos survey launched on Friday, 30 October, to 47% versus 55% in the first-wave Ipsos survey previously this year.
ANC assistance is down to its most affordable, determined by the biggest internal study of political viewpoint– to 30% nationally; 27 %in Johannesburg and simply 10%in Durban.
“The celebration controlled politics, Parliament and the majority of the city governments in the nation. This year studies are revealing a continuing decrease in assistance for the celebration and no celebration commands strong bulk assistance,”states Ipsos director and political expert Mari Harris.
Her most current study, changed for signed up citizens, has the DA at a little bulk (51%) in Cape Town– a number that lines up with many studies however which will be identified by citizen turnout. Now in its last capture, the blue celebration is waring choose little celebrations.
[ 19659005]In Johannesburg, Ipsos has the DA leading the ANC(30% vs the ANC at 27%).
3 significant stories of the election project’s studies are the ongoing decrease of the ANC, the development of the DA(however not as high as it desires )and the development of MK(however stunted by Zuma’s disease and shenanigans in the celebration). The meta-narrative is of fragmentation– where 546 signed up celebrations posture a problem for citizens and push South Africa in the unfaltering instructions of a union nation.
“Looking at the pre-election studies carried out, we will most likely have brand-new union federal governments in the majority of the city towns after the elections, and there will be numerous regional and district councils governed by unions,” states Harris.
The very first Ipsos Pulse of individuals study for 2026 revealed 42% assistance for the Government of National Unity (GNU), considered strong. South Africans desire practical unions, states Harris.
“Currently, two-thirds of South Africans think various political celebrations need to likewise interact on city government and local levels.”
Capital gains and a last capture
In Tshwane, the DA is at 34% assistance to the ANC’s 31%, according to Ipsos, a figure that tallies with all surveys so far, as Paul Berkowitz reported here. The ANC has actually lastly discovered its marketing muscle and a fresh group has actually taken the guiding wheel– the celebration remains in its last rise with high presence throughout the nation. This might stem its losses.
“In previous elections, the ANC constantly was successful in materializing inroads throughout the last couple of weeks of marketing before an election– and we will need to see whether they prosper in mobilising the ‘rise’ once again this time,” states Harris. DM
Like a Cape rock crab crawling along a lonesome beach, questioning why he’s been created to stroll sideways when every other animal goes directly ahead, I took myself off for a solo supper at a seafood dining establishment I ‘d been becoming aware of.
A few of us resemble that, I think. We discover our own method life, far from the shoal. No schools of cumulative idea for us; we leave the mammalian mothership behind and wander off looking for experience.
In some cases we discover ourselves at a door, open it, and go within.
Going up the stairs from a foyer that recommends absolutely nothing at all of what you may come across up there, we discover ourselves (my individual pronouns are “nous” and “moi”) in an area more light commercial than interesting or apprehending. Whatever the interior designers’ quick was, it was not to develop effect.
I’m not stating it’s unsightly. I like the lighting particularly. This interior does include weight to the argument (fine, my argument) that Death To Minimalism ought to be a mandatory topic at interior style school. It’s great approximately a point– that point being the one at which you go back, browse at your workmanship, and believe: hmmm, it simply requires some colour, some voomah. A striking mural maybe. An enforcing sculpture. Something to jail you before anything on your plate does.
Galjoen’s interior. It looks rather pretty in a photo, however is less motivating once you’re within. (Photo: Tony Jackman )
And what is on your plate at Galjoen definitely is apprehending. Impactful. Yes, vibrant too. Flavour and texture are in charge here. Numerous scrumptious tastes of so numerous components. Simply lovely, stunning food. Which’s what we’re actually spending for when we eat in restaurants. No matter how figured out designers are to prevent any possibility of enjoyment in their colour and texture combination, whatever can be forgiven– and thus is– if the core factor we eat in restaurants is met aplomb: to delight the taste buds.
And there’s a beautiful surprise aspect. No composed menu exists to you, a minimum of at the start. There’s just a chalkboard on which is scrawled: Bread|Coconut fish|Chokka|Braaivis|Simply cheese|Koeksisters & & perskes|Add-on oysters R50 each|R1,050 pp.
R1,050 consists of no red wine, obviously, however for this level of dining it is no place near the greatest cost in the area. There are 2 red wine pairing alternatives, routine for R525, or big for R725. I’m not informing you which I had in case my household reads this.
You are inquired about allergic reactions and so on, as we constantly are nowadays, however then you relax without any concept of what remains in shop besides that it will be from the sea.
The mussel meal(information listed below)was as perky and fresh as it searches in this photo. (Photo: Tony Jackman )
I liked this component specifically: little folded cards are put along with each course informing you what is on your plate. It’s the menu, postponed. Like this one:
SALDANHA BAY MUSSELS
West Coast snoek roll and garlic buchu flatbread.
Kashmiri butter with snoek furikake.
Steamed Saldanha Bay mussels in a parsley sauce with marinaded onions and parsley oil.
Puzzled regarding what furikake might be? Not from our coasts and do not understand where Saldanha is? What type of bread is it precisely? With some meals there’s a 2nd card that elaborates:
West Coast Snoek Roll|Nation loaf made from Lowerland Kalahari white wheat is filled and rolled with a curried snoek crown before baking.
Furikake|A Japanese dried dressing, normally made with dried seaweed, toasted sesame seeds, salt, and dried fish flakes. We make ours utilizing dried dry fried snoek.
Saldanha Bay|Icy, nutrient abundant waters of the West Coast offer a few of the finest growing conditions in the Southern Hemisphere for mussels and oysters.
The West Coast snoek roll, middle foreground, was scrumptious.(Photo: Tony Jackman)
Elegant, clever. No requirement to get the menu, unfold it, and discover the meal’s description. And it’s provided in more information than the majority of menus supply, anticipating any requirement for the waiter to rattle off whatever the chef informed her to inform you when she came to work 2 hours back and after that scooted off to the restroom to run over her lines frantically.
That snoek-y bread roll (snoekish? snoekerig) was so tasty however I understood it was going to be excessive prematurely, so I consumed about half of it before putting it aside. Snoek patee (to utilize the Afrikaans word) covered in bread is a wonderful development. There was a magnificent oyster close by, preening pearl-like and luscious in the mouth.
The ‘coconut fish’ course at Galjoen. (Photo: Tony Jackman)
We carried on to the coconut fish, which was served cooled and I believed that made it unique. I take pleasure in the simpleness of these names; it recommends a distaste for pretension. They serve steamed linefish after it’s been marinaded in a lemongrass paste, in a coconut and lemongrass broth boosted with sesame and a little heat in a chilli-hot crunch of fried shallots and garlic. The flavours advised me rather of Thai steamed fish.
: Chokka! I was so pleased to see that word on a Cape Town menu. Chokka, our regional types of squid likewise called the Cape Hope Squid or, officially, Loligo reynaudiiChokka, typically utilized as bait. Chokka the afterthought. Chokka, our really own throwaway line.
And they braaied it. Served it with crispy arms, ajo blanco (the southern Spanish sauce of almonds, bread, garlic, olive oil and sherry vinegar), “unique tomatoes” and an olive and herb salsa.
‘ Braaivis ‘at Galjoen, (Photo: Tony Jackman)
The colour of the sauce on this meal lightened up the whole space. Was this the component that would enhance the state of mind of the area if it were to be framed and become an art setup?
No possibility once I ‘d taken a forkful. This was yellowtail, prepared over the coals, and had an enjoyable smokiness and touch of char. The sauce was of spinach, and it had actually plainly been prepared by someone who comprehends colour in food including veggies. A dollop of a pleasing potato purée stressed the sauce and a drizzle of wild garlic olive completed it off elegantly.
There were shiitake mushrooms in a side meal of wild rice, usually a grain I prevent as I’ve never ever liked the texture, however I did enjoy this. Crispy charred onions topped the mound of rice, which consisted of littles green bean and stated mushrooms.
Simply cheese, basic as that. Or is it?(Photo: Tony Jackman)
You can see why they called this course”Just Cheese”, as it does not appear like much. Really, it describes a creamery of that name on Springvale Farm near Greytown in KwaZulu-Natal. I believed “Cheddem” was a typographical mistake initially however it’s their name for a Cheddar-Emmental hybrid, aged for 6 months. It’s nutty in a method that you would not anticipate from Cheddar.
Mosbolletjie toast (conventional loaf made with grape needs to and redolent of aniseed) is topped with the cheese, date butter, and toasted macadamias.
Koeksisters & perskes (peaches), a pudding served at Galjoen. (Photo: Tony Jackman)
Not a koeksister however a pudding made to taste like one. Sort of. Trientjiewyn-preserved peaches(what a terrific name– it’s the dessert red wine they were maintained in), honeybush yoghurt cream, passionfruit, Ideal Milk, Nuttikrust crumb, and caramel dust. (Nice! A modest crumb made from a normal old shop-bought biscuit. Like.)
I truthfully do not keep in mind much about that dessert besides that it was tasty, and maybe since there ‘d been a little bit more red wine than I ‘d planned on. Stunning white wines, each of them, however I’m not one to dissect what’s in a glass, just to savour it, and whatever was luscious.
Thankfully there was an Uber to take me home. In which I didn’t leave my leather coat, since I ‘d left it in the dining establishment over the back of my chair. It was returned to me the next day, due to the fact that these are extremely good individuals. DM
Tony Jackman spent for his own meal and red wine completely.
If you live on a big block, you already know the problem with most home security cameras. One lens can only see so much, so you either accept blind spots across the driveway, side yard and back fence, or you buy three or four cameras and start juggling batteries, mounting points and app tiles. Then, more often than not, you get asked to pay a monthly fee to actually keep the footage.
EZVIZ thinks it has a better answer. The company has launched the HB90f Triple 3K Kit in Australia, a battery-powered outdoor camera with three 3K lenses, an included 8W solar panel and local storage on a supplied microSD card. It’s available nationally from today, 30 October, through Harvey Norman, with an RRP of A$669.95.
What the HB90f actually is
The HB90f is the flagship of EZVIZ’s outdoor battery camera range. Rather than a single wide lens, it has three 3K lenses split across two units. An upper wide-angle lens takes in the big picture, while a lower lens unit is designed to bring distant detail closer, with EZVIZ quoting up to 12x mixed zoom.
A triple-motor design lets the upper lens and the lower lens unit rotate independently. That means you can point them at the same spot for a wide view and a close-up of the same scene, or aim them in different directions to watch two separate zones from a single device. EZVIZ claims 360° coverage overall, and an Auto Patrol Mode can check a set of positions at regular intervals, which is handy if you’re trying to watch a large property with one camera.
The HB90f was recognised as a 2026 IFA Innovation Award Honoree when EZVIZ showed it at IFA in Berlin earlier this year.
Local AI and no subscription
The headline feature for many Australians will be what you don’t have to pay for. EZVIZ says person and vehicle detection, plus familiar face recognition, run on local AI chips inside the camera rather than in the cloud, and work without a subscription. The kit includes a 32GB microSD card at no extra cost, so you can store footage locally from day one.
In practice, the camera’s smarts are designed to cut down the number of pointless alerts. Familiar face recognition is intended to tell you when someone you know arrives, while human and vehicle detection are meant to cut out alerts for things that aren’t people or cars. When the upper wide-angle lens detects a person, the lower lenses work together to zoom in and track them. There’s also Tap-to-Zoom, which lets you pick an area in the wide view for a closer look.
If someone’s where they shouldn’t be, the HB90f has red-and-blue warning lights and a siren for deterrence, plus two-way talk so you can speak to whoever is at the gate. Built-in spotlights enable colour night vision.
Jock Jones, EZVIZ’s Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, says the triple-lens design is aimed squarely at larger local properties.
“The level of detail available as a result of the three lenses working together is astonishing, and perfect for large Australian properties and outdoor spaces with multiple areas to monitor. From the driveway to the garden, it helps homeowners see more of their property and follow activity with less manual checking.
Aussies demand great security, with easy to use technology, which does not lock them into ongoing subscription fees and monthly bills. With the HB90f we are able to deliver just that, a simple to use yet technology-packed smart security camera, which can cover wider or multiple areas in a single device.”
Jock Jones, Country Manager, EZVIZ Australia and New Zealand.
Solar power and Always-On Video 2.0
Running cables to the far corner of an acreage block is expensive, which is why battery and solar cameras have become so popular. The HB90f has a 10,400mAh rechargeable battery and comes with an 8W solar panel to top it up and reduce how often you need to take it down for charging.
EZVIZ pairs that with its Always-On Video (AOV) 2.0 technology, which it says supports 24/7 recording. It’s worth understanding how this works, because it’s not the same as a wired CCTV camera recording full-frame-rate video around the clock. During quiet periods, the camera records low-frame-rate time-lapse footage, then switches to full-frame-rate recording when it detects an event. That’s a sensible trade-off for a battery camera, as it keeps power use and file sizes down while still giving you a picture of what happened across the day, but it’s a time-lapse between events rather than continuous video.
EZVIZ is also upfront that solar charging performance depends on sunlight and how the panel is installed. A panel tucked under eaves on the south side of the house won’t perform like one with clear northern sun, so think about placement before you start drilling.
The key specs
Based on EZVIZ’s release, here’s what you get in the HB90f Triple 3K Kit:
Three 3K lenses, with an upper wide-angle lens and a lower lens unit
Up to 12x mixed zoom
Triple-motor design with independently rotating upper lens and lower lens unit, and 360° coverage
Auto Patrol Mode and Tap-to-Zoom
Local AI human and vehicle detection, familiar face recognition and auto tracking
Colour night vision via built-in spotlights
Red-and-blue warning lights and siren
Two-way talk
Always-On Video 2.0
10,400mAh rechargeable battery and included 8W solar panel
Weatherproof design
Local and cloud storage support, with a 32GB microSD card included
How it fits in the EZVIZ range
This is the top of EZVIZ’s Australian outdoor line-up. When the company announced its expanded local range in August, the dual-lens HB90 Dual Kit was listed at A$549.95, the 4G HB90x at A$649.95 and a two-pack of the HB90 at A$949.95. The HB90f’s A$669.95 price was flagged in that announcement too, and EZVIZ is now formally launching it. That makes the third lens and longer zoom a A$120 step up over the HB90 Dual at RRP.
One thing to watch: when EZVIZ revealed the HB90f globally at IFA, it mentioned 4G connectivity alongside Wi-Fi. The Australian release describes the HB90f as a Wi-Fi battery outdoor camera and doesn’t mention 4G, so if you need a camera for a spot with no Wi-Fi coverage, such as a back paddock or a remote gate, check the model details at Harvey Norman before you buy.
When I first heard about the new colour Kobo ereader a few years ago, I wasn’t sure if I would find it useful. If a buyer wasn’t into manga or other graphic novels, what would colour eInk actually be useful for?
Then I realised recently that many other books have colour photos. Travel guide books and cookbooks are the obvious examples, but they are far from the only ones.
Kobo Libra Colour
The Libra Colour has a 7 inch E Ink Kaleido 3 screen, physical page turn buttons and an ergonomic shape that suits one handed reading. It is also waterproof to IPX8, so a trip to the pool or the bath is not a worry. Storage is 32GB, which Kobo says is enough for up to 24,000 ebooks.
The ComfortLight PRO front light lets you adjust both brightness and colour temperature for night reading. It also supports the Kobo Stylus 2 for notes and highlights, but the stylus is sold separately for $119.95. Kobo rates the battery at up to 40 days, based on 30 minutes of reading a day with the front light at 30% and wireless features off. Your result will be shorter if you read for hours at a time.
Will it last?
If you are wondering whether an ereader will last a long time, Kobo ereaders are well known for having a very long lifespan compared to other popular mobile devices like phones. In fact, many people still use Kobo ereaders that are 5 to 10 years old with no problems with the battery or screen.
Kobo also says the Libra Colour is repairable, so key components can be replaced to extend its life. That makes the $399.95 price easier to justify if you plan to keep it for years.
Planning a Japan trip in colour
I have been using the Kobo Libra Colour recently to plan a trip to Japan. Being able to see photos and maps in colour on the ereader screen has been a much better experience than on my older black and white Kobo.
Photos are where I notice it most. They are simply easier to appreciate when the colours are there. Maps in a guide book also give you a better feel for a place before you go.
There are limits to be aware of. The colour layer on this screen runs at 150 PPI, while black and white content runs at 300 PPI. Text stays sharp, but colour images look softer and more muted than they would on a phone or tablet. For a reading device that is a fair trade, but it is worth knowing before you buy.
Kobo Remote Unboxing
Is the Kobo Remote useful?
The Kobo Remote is a small Bluetooth page turner. You click the larger button to go forward and the smaller one to go back. It pairs with one button press and works with Kobo ereaders that have Bluetooth, including the Libra Colour, Libra 2, Clara Colour, Clara BW, Clara 2E, Sage, Elipsa and Elipsa 2E.
I got mine recently, and whether it is useful for you depends on your needs. If you hold your ereader in one hand while you read, the Libra Colour’s built in page turn buttons already do the job. The remote only starts to make sense when you are not holding the ereader at all.
I think it works best with a Kobo that has a SleepCover, because the cover can act as a stand. The ereader then sits up on its own, and you can page through a book with the remote. That suits reading on a desk, at the kitchen bench or on a bedside table.
If you fly often, there is another idea to try. Some seats have a phone holder area, and you may be able to hang your ereader from it by the SleepCover. Then you can read using the remote without holding the ereader. Whether this works will depend on the seat design, so treat it as an experiment rather than a promise.
The remote is light at around 36 grams and has a gentle 20 degree bend that fits the hand. It has no clip, so nothing gets in the way of the screen. A lanyard is included, and it runs on a single replaceable AAA battery that Kobo says lasts months. It can also skip 30 seconds forward or back in Kobo audiobooks, but that is all it does for audio.
I am disappointed that the Kobo Remote uses a disposable battery. I would have preferred a built in supercapacitor battery that recharges over USB-C, like my new Dell keyboard and mouse (I will review those later). Most of us already charge an ereader, a phone and a few other things from USB-C, so one less cell to buy and swap would be welcome.
To be fair, a replaceable AAA battery has one upside. If it ever runs flat, you can swap it in seconds rather than waiting for a recharge. Kobo says one battery lasts months, so for most people it will not come up often.
Price and Availability In Australia
The Kobo Libra Colour costs $399.95 in black or white, and the Kobo Remote costs $44.95 in black or white. A Libra Colour SleepCover is $49.95, so the full setup for hands free reading comes to $494.85. Kobo’s Australian store lists free shipping on orders over $49 and a 45 day return period.
Product
Key specs
Kobo Libra Colour
$399.95
Screen
7 inch E Ink Kaleido 3, 1264 x 1680, 300 PPI black and white, 150 PPI colour
Storage
32GB
Front light
ComfortLight PRO, adjustable brightness and colour temperature
15 supported, including EPUB, PDF, MOBI, CBZ and CBR
Kobo Remote
$44.95, black or white
Remote connection
Bluetooth 5.0, up to 20 m range
Remote battery
One replaceable AAA (included), months of use
Remote size and weight
9.96 x 2.21 x 3.00 cm, 35.2 g (black) or 36 g (white)
In the box
Remote, AAA battery, lanyard
Verdict
The Kobo Libra Colour is easier to recommend than I expected. If you read only text novels, colour is a bonus. If your reading includes travel guides, cookbooks or other books with photos and maps, it makes a real difference.
The Kobo Remote is a more specific buy. It is a good fit if you prop your ereader up in a SleepCover and want to read without holding it. If you always read with the ereader in your hand, you can skip it and save $44.95. A rechargeable battery would have made it an easier recommendation for me.
Just wait ’til we add more AI and this thing’ll really fly
Google is paying a higher price for its bet on AI than even Alphabet’s $51.4 billion in Q3 capital expenditures suggest.
The biz appears to have traded its high-performing search advertising business for the mediocre monetization of AI Overviews and AI Mode, a misstep that contributed to investor concerns as Alphabet lost roughly $500 billion in market value despite management’s attempts to reassure Wall Street.
Google’s year-over-year search revenue growth slowed from 17 percent in Q2 to 12 percent in Q3. It’s still headed in the right direction, but at a slower rate.
During Alphabet’s conference call for investors, Douglas Anmuth from JPMorgan Chase & Co asked whether that’s because Google is showing fewer ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode than it shows in its traditional search results.
Chief business officer Philipp Schindler cited several reasons for that: foreign exchange rates, Europe’s elimination of its customs-duty exemption, and “the lower monetization we were seeing in AI Mode.”
To compensate, Google said it is expanding the distribution of AI Overview ads and adding multiturn ads in the US for AI Mode queries.
But some Google Ads customers appear to be more concerned about quality than quantity. In a social media post, Max Anderson, CEO of OnlyFinder, complained that Google has responded to declining search volumes by attempting to manufacture revenue growth through “short-sighted, highly extractive, customer-hostile tactics,” such as charging advertisers more for lower-quality clicks, including clicks on search terms they had not agreed to target.
Eric Seufert, an analyst with Mobile Dev Memo, dismissed the doomsayers in a blog post.
“It’s tempting to look at the successive deceleration in Search revenue growth from Q1 2026 as a response to pressure from other chatbots and to assume that Search query volume is migrating elsewhere,” he wrote. “But the earnings release notes that the ‘year-over-year Search query growth rate the highest it has been in the last five years’ in Q3, so it’s clear that Search usage isn’t declining.”
So people are still searching, and the business is still growing, but less convincingly, thanks to the lower monetization of AI Overviews and AI Mode. And Google’s answer involves more ads in AI interactions.
Nate Elliott, principal analyst for AI at Emarketer, told The Register in an email that AI represents a double-edged sword for Google’s ad business.
“On the one hand, Google owns the thing that people use AI for most: search,” Elliott wrote. “Our surveys say that by far the top reason people use AI is to look for facts and information. Luckily for Google, people also tell us they haven’t stopped using search engines – they’ve simply added AI as a new behavior on top of search. That means people spend more time than ever looking for information, and most of those people don’t even think twice before doing their searches on Google. If Google figures out how to effectively monetize those users, that’s great news for them.”
But, said Elliott, people may find tools they like better than Google Search as they become accustomed to AI-based discovery.
“If ChatGPT or Claude or Muse is better at helping them find what they’re looking for, people’s search habits might change for the first time in a generation,” he said. “That’s potentially catastrophic for Google’s ad business. The same is true if they maintain their market share but simply can’t figure out how to make money from this new kind of discovery.
“The problem is, Google isn’t giving us very much information about what the specific impact is of AI on their business right now, so everyone’s reading into the tiny scraps of information they are releasing.”
Elliott said it’s remarkable that Google has managed to keep the largest and most mature digital ad business growing at a double-digit rate every quarter in recent years.
“But it appears that most folks disagree, and instead are concerned that the advertising business ‘only’ grew by 10 percent,” he said. ®
Cameron Diaz’s appearance in The Mask has resurfaced in an online beauty debate after an Instagram post comparing the actress with Sydney Sweeney prompted fans to revisit her 1994 Hollywood debut. The discussion has drawn praise for Diaz’s iconic red-dress appearance as Tina Carlyle, with commenters arguing that her appeal extended beyond her looks. Others disagreed, favouring Sweeney in the comparison, while questions also emerged over an alleged statement attributed to Diaz that remains unverified.
Cameron Diaz’s ‘The Mask’ Appearance Wins Over Instagram Users
The Instagram discussion has repeatedly returned to Diaz’s appearance in the red dress she wore as Tina Carlyle in The Mask, which starred Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss.
One commenter recalled the scene, writing, ‘Watch the movie, the mask. Holy hell. That red dress. Sheeesh’. Another declared, ‘The Mask Cameron Diaz is undefeated’.
Other users praised Diaz’s appearance and screen presence, arguing that her appeal was not limited to physical attractiveness. One commenter said she had ‘not just the looks but had the vibes’, while another described her as a stronger actress.
The reactions suggest that the film remains an important reference point for audiences remembering Diaz’s early Hollywood career.
Sydney Sweeney Comparison Divides Fans
Although many commenters favoured Diaz, the discussion was not unanimous. Some users expressed a preference for Sweeney, with one writing, ‘I must respectfully disagree’.
Others attempted to distinguish between the actresses’ respective appeal, suggesting Diaz had the stronger facial features while Sweeney had a different physical appeal.
Several comments also compared their makeup, styling and screen presence. Some argued that Diaz’s appearance in The Mask represented a more natural Hollywood beauty image, while others defended Sweeney’s attractiveness.
The discussion therefore extended beyond a straightforward comparison of appearances, with commenters bringing up acting ability, personality and changing beauty standards across Hollywood generations.
Did Diaz Actually Make the Comparison?
The Instagram discussion also features an alleged statement that Diaz considered herself more attractive than Sweeney during her prime. However, there is no verified interview, recording or direct statement establishing that Diaz made the remark.
A fact-check published by IndiaTimes on 14 April 2026 also found no credible source confirming the attribution. The claim should therefore be treated as unverified rather than evidence of a disagreement between the actresses.
How the Mask Launched Diaz’s Hollywood Career
Released in 1994, The Mask marked Diaz’s feature-film debut at 21. Directed by Chuck Russell, the comedy helped introduce her to cinema audiences through her portrayal of Tina Carlyle.
She subsequently established herself through films including There’s Something About Mary and Charlie’s Angels, becoming one of Hollywood’s recognisable actresses during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Diaz also voiced Princess Fiona in the Shrek franchise, adding animated films to her acting credits.
Diaz’s Hollywood Comeback Continues With New Projects
After stepping away from acting following 2014’s Annie, Diaz returned alongside Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s Back in Action, released in January 2025.
She later appeared in Outcome, directed by Jonah Hill and starring Keanu Reeves, Matt Bomer and Hill. The film premiered on Apple TV+ on 10 April 2026.
Her upcoming projects include Netflix’s Bad Day, scheduled for 11 December 2026, and Shrek 5, which is scheduled for theatrical release on 30 June 2027. Diaz is returning as the voice of Princess Fiona.
news Odisha’s ruling BJP and opposition parties have joined forces to block Andhra Pradesh’s rural polls in Kotia. The united stand escalates a decades-old border dispute now before the Supreme Court.
Image used for representational purposes only
Koraput,Oct 30, 2026 13:38 IST
Odisha’s ruling BJP and all opposition parties have decided to jointly oppose the Andhra Pradesh government’s move to conduct rural elections in the disputed Kotia region, political leaders told news agency Press Trust of India on Friday.
The territorial dispute over the Kotia villages, located in the Eastern Ghats along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, has continued for decades and often comes to the fore during elections. Both states claim territorial rights over the villages, and the matter is before the Supreme Court.
Residents of the disputed villages have dual voting status and can exercise their franchise in both states. Andhra Pradesh is scheduled to hold elections there on November 5.
The Koraput district administration, under whose jurisdiction the disputed villages fall, has warned of strict legal action, including arrests, against those who violate prohibitory orders or influence residents to participate in the polls.
The decision to jointly oppose Andhra Pradesh’s move was taken at an all-party meeting on Thursday. The meeting, chaired by Koraput Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan, was attended by leaders of all major parties. They unanimously agreed to protect Odisha’s territorial interests.
Jeypore Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said there would be “no compromise” over Kotia’s territorial status. “Not an inch of Kotia will be surrendered to Andhra Pradesh. Kotia is an integral part of Odisha, and we are one when it comes to protecting the region. Those who are choosing to vote in Andhra Pradesh’s elections on November 5 should also give up the benefits they receive from the Odisha government,” Bahinipati said.
Former Koraput MP and BJD leader Jhina Hikaka said political leaders would jointly visit the disputed villages and, if necessary, camp there to prevent Andhra Pradesh from conducting the elections.
“We have unanimously decided to stand together for Kotia. Leaders from all parties will visit the villages and, if required, stay there to ensure that Andhra Pradesh does not conduct the elections,” Hikaka said.
BJP MLA Raghuram Machha said the Odisha government was taking all necessary measures to protect the state’s interests and sought cooperation from all political parties.
Mahajan told Press Trust of India that the administration had filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court challenging Andhra Pradesh’s election-related activities in Kotia.
“Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita will come into force from November 1 to prevent unauthorised activities and maintain law and order in the region,” the collector said.
Warning against attempts to influence villagers, Mahajan said strict action would be taken for any violation. “Anyone found luring villagers to participate in Andhra Pradesh’s elections or violating prohibitory orders will face legal action. Arrests will be made if necessary,” he said.
Security has been tightened across sensitive border villages, with police personnel deployed at key locations to monitor the movement of people ahead of the polls. The collector said the administration was also focusing on development initiatives and addressing villagers’ grievances to strengthen public confidence.
The political parties and the Koraput administration have thus taken a joint stand against Andhra Pradesh’s proposed polls in Kotia, while pursuing legal, security and administrative measures in the disputed region.
The car pulls up alongside a teenager walking a suburban street in Meadow Heights, and an organised crime figure leans out the window.
“Hey, bro, wanna make some money?”
This is how a firebombing starts – a youth barely into their teens, recruited directly off the street by a stranger offering cash and the lure of something dangerous.
Set fire to a car. Burn down a shop or a restaurant. Stage a carjacking or a home invasion.
The money on offer can be as low as $200.
A man flees as flames erupt at the Melton store.Victoria Police
This is just one of the ways shadowy gangland figures have found an army of disposable foot soldiers to drive the unprecedented spate of arson attacks plaguing Melbourne.
Over the past decade, arson attacks across the state soared nearly 75 per cent to 3600 incidents a year in 2026 from a record low in 2021.
In the past fortnight, police and fire services have been grappling with a spate of more than 23 firebombings on cars, shops and homes.
Five police and legal sources familiar with the recruitment system, but unable to speak publicly, have described crime figures using social media, random approaches on the street, and even the funeral of a teenager killed in knife violence as recruiting grounds.
A 13-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries after firebombing a car in Taylors Hill on October 5.Nine News
Police have warned that some of these children have had no prior contact with the justice system before being convinced to commit arsons, abductions, carjackings and home invasions.
Two legal sources echo those fears, revealing more than half the young people fronting court under Victoria’s new “adult time for violent crime” laws have had no previous contact with police. Alarmingly, arson has become an entry point into even more serious crimes for some vulnerable recruits, they say.
The widespread use of “cleanskin” teenagers is a revolutionary development for organised crime.
Many of the accused who are being deliberately “groomed” come from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly African teens.
Children as young as 13 have been arrested – and nearly killed – in a seemingly random spread of fires across the city.
Many of these fires are now not connected to the state’s “tobacco war” but are the result of personal and business vendettas that are being escalated or enforced with “cheap” contract arson attacks.
Crime as a service
In this month’s string of arson attacks, the targets were a motley collection – more than 14 cars, three private homes, a cafe and barbecue restaurant, a mechanic, a fruit shop, a tobacco store and a factory.
The only thing they appear to have in common is the way police suspect the vast majority of these attacks have been commissioned.
Victoria Police declined to comment for this story.
Police and underworld sources, who cannot be publicly identified, say the driving force for the wave of arsons – dating back to late 2023 — has been the emergence of a “crimetasker” or a “crime-as-a-service” ordering system.
At its most sophisticated, The Commission – the organised crime gang responsible for the “tobacco war” and the “bar wars” that plagued Melbourne earlier this year – have been operating a bespoke, secure phone-based app that is based off the popular “odd jobs” contracting app, Airtasker.
Jobs are commissioned anonymously by high-ranked organised crime players and accepted by other senior players in charge of running crews capable and willing to execute violent crimes, such as firebombings, robberies, drive-by shootings and murders.
The “chain” extending downwards often sees jobs ending up in the hands of teenagers who have been recruited by Oliver Twist-like “Fagin” characters.
They are connected via the app but the negotiations for the particular job or attack are done through private encrypted communications channels.
The app is self-erasing after 24 hours, if a specific code is not entered, and any advertised “job” disappears after a set time limit.
But it is not confined to just one single app – the system works more like a network of interconnected webs of communications allowing “shot callers” to accept jobs from an array of underworld figures.
“Different individuals or subgroups handle specific, discrete tasks, dividing the risk and responsibility, creating a chain of contractors and protecting higher-level actors while exploiting those at the bottom,” the AFP wrote in a submission to an ongoing parliamentary Inquiry into Combatting Crime as a Service.
“The fragmented nature of this process prevents participants from seeing the bigger picture and protects the facilitators.
“This process creates a cycle where vulnerable or unsuspecting individuals are drawn into a larger criminal enterprise.”
At the street level, the communications with the soldiers who conduct these attacks are almost exclusively run through free and widely available encrypted messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp and Threema.
An organised crime detective, who cannot be identified publicly, said most of the recruitment is being done by direct approaches in person and word-of-mouth referrals that are passed along anonymously via these encrypted apps.
On Thursday, Victoria Police issued a public appeal to help identify a series of online anonymous “handles” – Onepercent, Motion and Work – that are being used to recruit mainly teenage offenders into violent crimes.
“Tasking criminal offences while hidden behind an online platform is not a faceless crime,” Detective Acting Inspector Simon Pengelly said.
An arson at a Richmond tobacco retailer – part of a 75 per cent surge in attacks.Joe Armao
“Arsons, extortions, kidnappings and other violent criminal offending is being used to intimidate, influence and impose and is putting the Victorian community at risk.
“This offending is a top priority for Victoria Police, and we will continue to target everyone involved – from those who plan and finance it to those who task it and those who carry it out.”
Police intelligence, tendered in court proceedings, shows would-be arsonists are provided detailed instructions on what targets to hit and how to run the jobs, but never why.
This can include the time of day the attack should be staged, how much petrol to obtain and how much damage needs to be caused.
Can you get wooden plan(ks)…Want to put it on the ground next to curb…So ram comes up easy.
Instructions from a shot caller on how to stage an arson ram raid
One criminal in his mid-20s was contracted to do two arson jobs and three drive-by shootings between July and October 2024. The jobs paid between $10,000 and $20,000.
None of the targets were connected and, despite the offender pleading guilty, there is no discernible motive for any of them.
In one chillingly casual conversation recovered from a seized mobile phone, a shot-caller on an encrypted app known only as CASPA told “contractor” Jonah Vaivao – known as UM@GA – that his “client” would pay $15,000 for an arson attack on a retailer.
UM@GA: Any work CASPA: Yes brother…Can you do today? UM@GA : Burn or spray CASPA: Burn brother…Brother they agreed for 15 [$15,000] UM@GA: Yeah that’s sweet…I found it….It’s under apartment
The target was the stone and benchtop business Aldo Brodic, which occupied the ground floor retail space of a residential building in Richmond.
CASPA: Is that all good UM@GA: Yeah I don’t mind…I want 20 with the apartments brother UM@GA: He said spray shop for 20 UM@GA: Consider it done CASPA: To not risk apartments UM@GA: Yeah if a casualty comes from the burn it’ll be fucked
Vaivao was sentenced last week to eight years and six months in prison, with a non-parole period of five years and six months for four charges of discharging a firearm, two charges of arson and several theft and weapons offences. The identity of his shot-caller remains a mystery.
This disconnect between the high-ranking organised crime figures ordering the jobs, those contracting them out and the young people who do their dirty work is the reason, police say, the arson attacks have been so difficult to stop.
Police have arrested only one significant shot-caller to date, a 20-year-old member of The Commission. The Age is not naming the man for legal reasons.
In July, he was arrested and charged for commissioning arsons, home invasions and kidnappings connected to the “bar wars” extortion plot.
The man is facing rare criminal charges for recruiting a child to commit a serious violent crime.
However, even with the 20-year-old in custody for more than three months – and police naming the operation as “the most consequential arrest” since the start of the tobacco wars in 2023 – the fires have accelerated.
Human error and human costs
The “crimetasker” system is a meat grinder for Victoria’s at-risk youth, experts and police warn.
In the string of fires set this month, a 13-year-old suffered burns to 90 per cent of his body after a botched attack on a home in Taylors Hills where he was promised a $3000 payment.
Two 16-year-olds appeared at the Children’s Court charged with conduct endangering life, recklessly causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, arson and theft of a motor vehicle. One had no prior criminal history.
Last week, teenagers aged 14, 16 and 17 were arrested in a stolen car loaded with jerry cans of petrol. Their destination is not yet known.
Earlier this year, Victoria Police launched Operation Phoenix, a series of intensive night patrols they say have proactively stopped youth offenders on their way to wage arson attacks.
While the crimetasker system helps protect those at the top, it also has a massive margin for error.
A number of the latest fire bombings have been classified by law enforcement as mistaken identity attacks with arsonists accidentally targeting either the wrong person or location.
“These people are not rocket scientists. They go off bad information, they don’t check. It means innocent members of the public are getting caught up in this,” a police source said.
In mid-October, a Berwick cafe was targeted twice in a week, with police publicly issuing warnings that the offenders are attacking the wrong target.
“What is particularly concerning is the offenders being ‘crime-tasked’ to carry out these serious offences on behalf of others, often have little or no understanding of who the intended target actually is,” Arson Squad Detective Inspector Chris Murray said.
You embarrassed the f— out of me…Wallah…Hit the wrong gym then burn down a cyclist store next door…Bad amauters (sic).
Warning sent by a shot caller after a bungled attack
“In this case, the business and its owners appear to have been wrongly targeted, while the person believed to be the intended victim has no association whatsoever with the cafe.
“Innocent people are being placed at risk because criminals are treating serious violence as a contract.”
There are also nasty surprises in store for those who get caught by police.
When they are recruited, the teenagers are promised crime gangs will provide them with top-notch lawyers if they are caught.
“It never happens. Instead, it’s: ‘If you talk, we’ll kill your entire family’,” a source familiar with the recruitment system said.
Once you’re in, it’s also nearly impossible to get out.
“There’s a day of reckoning when they try to get out. They’re told: You can’t believe you’re going anywhere. You’re doing more jobs for us. Don’t ask fucking questions,” a police source said.
Children who live in residential or out-of-home care, are estranged from their families, neglected or homeless, excluded from schools or have learning problems have long been at increased risk of being groomed to commit crime.
Victoria’s Commissioner for Children and Young People Tracy Beaton said criminal gangs know who to prey upon, grooming them through gaming platforms and encrypted apps.
Commissioner for Children Tracy Beaton.Alex Coppel
“I was talking to a young man the other day, and what he was talking about was, ‘You get into the gang because you’re able to provide for your family, but actually then you’re too frightened to leave the gang because the consequence of leaving, or the consequence of being exposed because you’ve committed crimes and somebody’s going to tell, or they know where you live, or they know who your sister is’,” Beaton said.
“They (criminal gangs) use mechanisms to maintain control … so it’s much harder to then find a different pathway.”
As well as facing legal consequences, Beaton says children need other reform measures, such as education and positive social inclusion, to give them an alternative future and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
Monash University youth justice researcher Associate Professor Susan Baidawi said crime gangs exploit children to shield themselves from prosecution and expand their networks beyond state and international borders.
Baidawi – who is working with Think Village on campaigns for Victoria’s Violence Reduction Unit to disrupt recruitment methods – said the proliferation of encrypted messaging now sees cleanskin cash-for-crime candidates being recruited outside those from typical marginalised profiles.
“We have to understand that for crime networks this is a business model, and it’s a business model that’s proving quite effective,” Baidawi said.
“Particularly, what we’re seeing is greater use of online spaces and a rise in jurisdictions where it was less present previously, and the ease of recruitment of young people who have not previously been involved with police.”
To break the cycle and limit criminal recruiting, Baidawi said Australia needed to mirror the UK’s public health model, rather than a justice response.
“It’s certainly fair to say that Victoria and other Australian jurisdictions, particularly NSW, are behind the eight-ball on this,” Baidawi said.
“We have, to date, primarily been trying to use a criminal justice approach to increase penalties for adult exploiters, to increase penalties for young people for certain types of offending.
“But it’s easy to see that that isn’t going to be preventing these activities, that there are only responses after the harm has occurred.”
Like thousands of others, I climbed aboard Sydney’s new Metro extension this morning. The excitement was palpable after two painful years of lurching pink buses (chronicled in excruciating detail by CBD’s John Buckley). Commuters took selfies and collected I Love Metro badges on platforms they haven’t seen since September 30, 2024, when the old T3 line closed. I barely had time to pin on a badge, however, because the metro pulled into the station within minutes. The old quarter-hour wait for the service to the city has been consigned to history.
Melburnian Ash Williamson (second right) and friend Steven McPhearson (right) on the first southbound train after earlier catching the inaugural service from Bankstown.Audrey Richardson
My trip was during peak hour, but the Herald’s transport and infrastructure editor Matt O’Sullivan rode on the very first service at 4.31am. Matt is too modest to admit it, but he’s quite the rock star in the mass transit field. Some of the trainspotters who gathered for the first service this morning were almost as excited to spot him. He’s attended a few such events in his 17-odd years reporting on transport and aviation for the Herald, including the launch of the Metro city section in August 2024, and said today’s event was even more exuberant.
“It took it to another level,” he said. “It was a carnival atmosphere. A bigger number of people turned out at an earlier time. The train left at 4.31am, but most people were there by half past three. It’s been a long wait, and it reflects the importance of this upgraded line to the people of the south-west. It’s also the completion of the final part of the $30 billion, 66-kilometre line that connects the north-west to the south-west, via the CBD. The train itself was absolutely packed, we were squeezed in like sardines.
“The south-west has always had a rail line, but what’s really important is the reliability. The heavy rail line carries the bulk of people . It’s a good set-up, but it’s old – like an old car, it’s a lot more prone to breaking down. This is a fully autonomous rail line.” I spoke to Matt at lunchtime, and he was still busy writing. I suggested he might need a nap. “The trainspotter adrenaline pushes you through,” he said.
The extension is good news for the commuters of the inner and south-west, but it also opens up that part of the city to the rest of Sydney. As culture reporter Kayla Olaya wrote this week, the metro has supercharged the area around Sydenham station. Now, it’s Campsie, Lakemba and Bankstown’s turn. The south-west has incredible food (El Manara in Lakemba is a personal favourite), and to help our readers navigate these opportunities, senior writer Alexandra Smith selflessly embarked on a culinary tour of the Sydenham to Bankstown stretch (keep an eye out for that tomorrow).
Speaking of dining, the Herald hosted its annual Good Food Guide awards on Monday night. This is always a fabulous event, led by the brilliant head of Good Food Sarah Norris, and one of the best things about it (apart from the snacks) is the exuberance in the room. These people love what they do, are hugely clever and creative and, best of all, support each other generously. There were big shouts of excitement when Sixpenny in Stanmore won restaurant of the year, when Hussein Sarhan and Alex Tong from South End were announced as chefs of the year, and when Vespertine was crowned bar of the year. There was a standing ovation when Peter Gilmore, of Quay and Bennelong fame, was named a Good Food Guide legend.
You can read the full list of winners here, and you can also share the restaurants that take your fancy with your prospective dining companions via the Herald’s new article gifting function. Starter digital subscribers can gift three articles (including subscriber-only stories) per month, and premium digital readers can share five per month. Gifted articles can be read for up to seven days or three visits, whichever comes first, and the credits will be reset at the beginning of each month.
The gift article option will no doubt be useful tomorrow, too, when you’re reading the first instalment of our Most Beautiful Homes series, which looks at the most original, stylish and livable homes in Sydney. We enlisted the help of industry judges, as well as our own internal experts, to sift through nominations from architects and designers and find the top 10 homes across three categories: heritage, modern and apartments. The homes are a lovely mix of quirk, style and ambition, and the pictures are the sort that you could pore over for hours.
Tomorrow it’s heritage homes, on Sunday it’s modern ones, and on Monday we will take a look at Sydney’s most beautiful apartments. Next Friday, we’ll feature the winning homes in each category across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (with absolute objectivity, I can assure you that Sydney’s are the best).
Get a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter.
Architecturally designed homes offer many benefits, from individuality and customised layouts to functionality and responsiveness to their surroundings.
They also often feature premium building materials, including bespoke joinery, along with energy efficiency and indoor-outdoor flow.
Here are the best architect-designed Sydney homes for sale right now.
Architect Ashkan Mostaghim and Peter Reeve of CRD Design designed this family residence, transforming a rundown commercial building and garage into a unique and impressive space.
The north-facing building captures natural light inside and also offers views from the outdoor terrace. It also has five bedrooms, including the main bedroom suite with a dressing room and en suite, all on its own level, plus garaging for up to four cars and a workshop.
The district facade, honouring the property’s history, is another feature, as are the landscaped gardens by Linda Ross of Linda Ross Gardens.
The residence is on the Redfern-Chippendale border, close to Redfern station, Central Park and the University of Sydney.
Designed by award-winning architect Kreis Grennan, this Lilyfield home blends the charm of the original period cottage with pops of colour and raw materials in the extension.
It features high coffered ceilings, preserved fireplaces, and brand-new Blackbutt floorboards, plus a standout kitchen with Verde Guatemala marble benchtops, Blackbutt cabinetry, tactile concrete and antique finishes.
The bathrooms are a design standout, thanks to their use of colour, texture and materials. They showcase Calacatta Viola marble, striking black-and-white chevron marble tiling, dramatic art deco wall sconces and rainwater showers.
Outside, a courtyard, framed by landscaped gardens, features a pizza oven and overlooks a dual studio.
Set on a block measuring approximately 209 square metres and 5.6 metres wide, this architect-designed home offers generous proportions and connects to the surrounding greenery.
It is set across multiple levels, with separate living, dining and lounge spaces and a master retreat on the top floor.
Front and rear balconies are accessible via French doors from two first-floor bedrooms.
A north-facing courtyard, framed by gardens and bamboo screening, together with under-house storage and a cellar, completes the layout.
The location, close to parklands and the village cafes and dining, is another drawcard.
Designed by Nick Bell Architects, this home creates resort-style living in the sought-after suburb of Lane Cove.
The home features a contemporary style and is eco-conscious, with a central atrium that draws natural light, double glazing, solar panels and a 4.5 kW solar power system.
The materials are of high quality and include bespoke joinery, a Corian island and wide-plank French oak flooring.
Outside, there is a saltwater-heated pool, sandstone terracing and a fully equipped cabana.
The property is located within walking distance of Lane Cove Plaza shops and is close to local schools, parks and recreational facilities.
Victoria’s sickest mental health patients are waiting more than a year for a hospital bed and ambulances are reaching priority response targets in just 66 per cent of cases as state parliament’s annual “dump day” reveals the dire state of our health system.
The revelations were contained within some of the 192 annual reports and reviews tabled to parliament on Friday afternoon, part of the government’s yearly tradition – which has been criticised for reducing scrutiny on unfavourable documents.
Dump day slay: It is an annual tradition for the government to release masses of reports on one day to shirk scrutiny. Penny Stephens
The practice has been criticised by integrity advocates, who say deliberately holding back reports until they can all be published at once has no place in a healthy democracy.
“Releasing hundreds of reports at once, particularly late on a Friday before a long weekend, acts as a smokescreen and limits accountability,” said Transparency International chief executive Clancy Moore.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
Health
Victoria’s health and emergency services are under intense pressure from the state’s growing and ageing population.
Ambulances are missing key response targets, with just 66 per cent of critical code 1 emergencies responded to within 15 minutes.
This is significantly below the benchmark of 85 per cent, but a 4 per cent improvement on the previous year.
Ramping also continues to be a problem at the state’s hospitals. Only 71 per cent of patients were transferred from ambulances to emergency departments within 40 minutes, missing the target of 80 per cent.
Ambulance Victoria met its 15-minute response time benchmark for code 1 emergencies just 66 per cent of the time. Wayne Taylor
Ambulance Victoria revealed that it was exposed to “significant liquidity risk” and had just seven days of available cash, or $30.9 million, in reserves.
Triple Zero Victoria is also feeling the heat. Just 80 per cent of code 1 ambulance cases were dispatched within the 150-second benchmark, against a benchmark of 90 per cent.
The agency said it was regularly managing more than 3000 ambulance calls a day, with “no relief in sight”.
The Royal Children’s Hospital’s grim financial outlook was overturned in June when it received a one-off $12.6 million payment from the Department of Health. It had previously faced a deficit due to employee overheads, overtime and escalating medical supply costs.
The health service revealed that it had written off $9.13 million of capital expenditure for an expansion of its emergency department that was suspended in March 2023 after the original design was deemed “not fit for purpose”.
Mental health
Forensic mental health patients, including those found not guilty of murder and manslaughter due to mental impairment, are waiting a year or more to gain a secure mental health bed as the operators of Thomas Embling Hospital push to try to secure operational funding from the state government to open its new beds.
Forensicare revealed it was now dealing with Victoria’s longest delays on record for securing a bed for people found not criminally responsible by reason of mental impairment.
Its annual report confirms there are 19 men awaiting admission to Thomas Embling, with an average wait of 374 days. One severely unwell man has been waiting 638 days.
The 136-bed forensic mental health hospital is undergoing a $515.7 million expansion to eventually deliver an additional 82 secure beds. However, it has so far only been provided funding to begin opening 40 beds this financial year.
Faced with high rates of mental illness among people entering custody and intensified pressure following bail changes, an average of 16 people a month were recommended for compulsory treatment at Thomas Embling last year. Only half of those were able to be admitted, due to capacity constraints.
There were more than a dozen instances of occupational violence and aggression a week reported during the first year of operation at Victoria’s flagship new youth mental health service. Staff at the troubled Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service reported 634 violent incidents last year – meaning there were 135 incidents reported for every 100 full-time equivalent staff.
In its annual report, the newly established youth mental health service acknowledged it had a high rate of reported hazards and incidents – of which 92 per cent related to violence and aggression – which it put down to a strong culture of reporting.
“The rate of incident reporting across during the year reflects strong staff engagement with reporting processes rather than high levels of workplace risk or incidents,” it said.
In August, The Age revealed strong concerns by senior clinicians at the service, including claims of rising violence, an exodus of staff and widespread drug use in secure wards. Those concerns came after four people forced their way into the reception area at the service’s Sunshine campus and assaulted two people and fled before police arrived.
The service stated it was now permanently relocating its Sunshine services to a new “safe, fit-for-purpose environment” in Spotswood.
Finance
Since the May budget, the state government has committed $2.75 billion to fund previously unannounced policies over the next four years, far surpassing savings identified over the same period.
This included $275 million to support hospitals and patients, $164.6 million for additional PSOs and police reservists, and $50 million for the royal commission into the Big Build. Just $471 million was identified in savings.
“That’s not what one would reasonably expect of a government which saw putting Victoria’s finances on a sustainable footing as a major priority,” economist Saul Eslake said on LinkedIn.
Some $5.1 billion has been wiped off the government’s revenue over the forward estimates, mainly due to falling house prices slashing expected income from stamp duty.
The government recorded a $2.7 billion surplus, according to an annual financial update published earlier this month, largely due to higher-than-expected income from Commonwealth grants.
But surpluses over the forward estimates, which started at $1 billion a year when outlined in May, have been pared back to as low as $300 million.
Economist Saul Eslake.Alex Ellinghausen
The Victorian Auditor-General in a separate report tabled on Friday warned that blowouts, interest payments and employee costs continued to threaten the government’s plan to pay down debt and repair the state’s finances.
The auditor-general said current fiscal strategy was focused on the short term, and recent attempts by the government to address debt “do not go far enough”.
Greater Western Water
Beleaguered utility Greater Western Water will receive a $250 million lifeline from the Victorian government if needed over the next year as it continues to post deficits created by its botched IT upgrade.
The utility launched an upgraded billing system in May 2024, but it couldn’t create bills automatically, leading to major delays and incorrect bills.
The 2025-26 annual report for Greater Western Water reported a $202.5 million operating cash loss over the last financial year, largely driven by revenue it lost because of these issues and the cost of fixing their billing system.
In 2024-25, it posted an operating cash loss of $191.7 million.
To support its recovery, the Victorian government has approved $250 million in equity funding for 2026-27, contingent on need and the organisation’s financial performance.
The number of customers on flexible payment plans has risen by 23 per cent, to 35,669 households. Complaints about payment issues rose by 48 per cent and now represent one in every 100 customers.
Australian Grand Prix
Victorians subsidised the Australian Grand Prix a record $119 million this year, up from $102 million last year.
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation’s annual report shows the grand prix brought in $159 million in revenue but spent $279 million, leaving a shortfall of $119 million for the Victorian government to pick up.
In March, The Age reported taxpayers were on the hook for an extra $115 million to rebuild the Formula 1 pit facilities at Albert Park after asbestos was discovered in the building – pushing the total cost of upgrades to $395 million.
Education
Child safety has been a major focus of the Department of Education over the past 12 months, according to its secretary, Dr David Howes.
It delivered changes in line with the rapid child safety review, which began after more than 70 charges of child abuse were laid against a former childcare worker Joshua Brown in 2025.
It also launched the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA), which started operating in January this year.
“We have also developed clearer guidance for all Victorian schools on identifying and responding to child abuse, including grooming,” Howes wrote.
There were 876 reportable allegations made, with 307 claims of physical violence in Victorian government schools and early learning centres.
During its first six months, VECRA issued 15 prohibition notices and six suspension directions, a total of 21 actions aimed at preventing potentially unsuitable individuals from working in early childhood services.
And Victoria’s Institute of Teaching suspended 29 teachers on an interim basis for teachers assessed as posing an unacceptable risk of harm to children.
There were 67 school upgrades in the previous financial year, with an additional 205 major capital projects under way and due to be completed by late 2029.
Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter.
Angus Delaney is a state political reporter at The Age. Email him at [email protected] or contact him securely on Signal at angusdelaney.31Connect via email.
Henrietta Cook is a senior reporter covering health for The Age. Henrietta joined The Age in 2012 and has previously covered state politics, education and consumer affairs. Email her via [email protected] or [email protected]Connect via X, Facebook or email.
Kieran Rooney is a Victorian state political reporter at The Age.Connect via email.
Caroline Schelle is an education reporter, and joined The Age in 2022. She previously covered courts at AAP.Connect via X or email.
Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on October 29, 2026. Here are the key takeaways:
• Halle Berry scored a courtroom victory after a Los Angeles judge dissolved a temporary restraining order filed by her ex Olivier Martinez, who had accused her of abusing their son, Maceo. Berry’s attorney, Marina Beck, told Us in a statement outside of court that the actress is “extremely pleased” and will continue focusing on her family’s well-being.
• Christina Aguilera got into the Halloween spirit early by posing nude in a steamy bathtub selfie while teasing her upcoming costume. “Last looks before xtinaween 😏🎃🤡😈👻,” the Grammy winner wrote on Instagram on October 28.
• Patrick Mahomes addressed the Kansas City Chiefs’ controversial signing of Justin Tucker, who previously served a 10-game suspension for multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. The quarterback said general manager Brett Veach does “a great job of bringing great players in” and emphasized the team’s focus on Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
Edited by Samantha Benitz. Story produced with AI assistance
To install app on your device, tap the Share button in Safari. Scroll down and select 'Add to Home Screen'. Then tap 'Add' to place the app icon on your Home Screen.
Manage push notifications
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
You are subscribed to notifications
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
You are subscribed to notifications
Would like to install our app?
Progressive Web App (PWA) is installed successfully. It will also work in offline
Push notification permission blocked in browser settings. Reset the notification settings for website/PWA
/%20file/attachments/orphans/%20DM-30102026001CPTJHB_695081.%20jpg)
[ 19659005]In Johannesburg, Ipsos has the DA leading the ANC(30% vs the ANC at 27%).
