Author: info@thewitness.com.au

“Additionally, Nishad’s reference to the board having ‘deep pockets’ gave the impression that financial resourcing alone could repair the organisational shortcomings raised. His request that parents themselves scope safety upgrades like fencing and bollards – while Affinity would simply fund it – was both dismissive and inappropriate. It is comparable to asking gym members to source parts to repair faulty equipment.”The parents also took issue with the conduct of Affinity’s Victorian state manager, Debbie Smith.‘This is our children’s safety. Do not ask me to take the emotion out of it.’A parent whose child attended an Affinity centre“Debbie Smith drew a…

Nigel O’Neil, the chief executive of Woodards, said moving to the Queensland model risked pushing the industry back 20 years, before mandatory statements of information documents were introduced, when buyers had to rely on verbal conversations with agents.In explaining why the new working group had been established, REIV interim chief executive Jacob Caine said the Bidding Blind investigation had put the issue of underquoting back in the spotlight, demanding that the sector revisit ideas that had been floated over past decades.Caine said that Victoria’s Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos and Opposition Leader Brad Battin would be invited to participate.“The leader…

Alas, COVID-19 deprived him – and an entire generation his age – of showing their wares during 2020.Like Fremantle key forward Josh Treacy, whose senior year at Bendigo Pioneers was wiped out, Newcombe was pushed off the radar of AFL clubs by the shutdown of football in Victoria (Treacy, who had played under 18s in 2019, was belatedly picked up in the rookie draft).Power and passion: Hawthorn’s Jai Newcombe.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSeveral recruiters contacted by this masthead had the same story on Newcombe – you can’t pick a player if you’re unaware of his existence.“There’s nowhere to go…

His luck ran out in 2016 when he was unceremoniously fired by Facebook. The entrepreneur claims the decision was sparked by a $US9000 donation he made to a Trump-aligned campaign group that ran an advertisement featuring then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton beside the phrase “too big to jail”.He hired lawyers to pursue a wrongful termination lawsuit, and in 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that Luckey had negotiated a settlement of at least $100 million from the tech giant.Palmer Luckey came to Canberra in 2023 in his bid to shake up defence contracting. He seems to have succeeded.Credit: Alex EllinghausenFrom virtual…

That’s above the Fed’s target of 2 per cent, but traders believe not by enough to convince the Fed that inflation is the bigger problem now for the economy than the slowing job market. The Fed has just one tool to fix either problem, and moving interest rates to help one often means hurting the other in the short term.“Right now, inflation is a key subplot, but the labour market is still the main story,” according to Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.On Wall Street, Centene helped lead the market with a jump of 10.7 per…

The dad-of-four showed off his salad-making skills by preparing a special lunch for herDavid Beckham has nothing but just love for his beloved daughter. The English former footballer, who shares his daughter Harper with wife Victoria Beckham, admitted that his most recent gesture risked leaving his 14-year-old feeling a little embarrassed. The dad-of-four showed off his salad-making skills by preparing a special lunch for her. What made the doting dad feel a little shy that he decorated the salad with shredded leaves and added a large red pepper cut into the shape of a love heart.  He captioned it: ‘Hope she does…

LoadingAl Muderis’ lawyer told CBD, in response to inquiries: “Please also note the sale of the property has nothing to do with payment of legal fees”.Still, it’s always nice to be liquid.A very Cranbrook inaugurationAfter a tumultuous few years, prestigious Bellevue Hill private school Cranbrook will be hoping for a smooth and scandal-free transition into co-education in 2026.The century-old Anglican boys school has appointed Anne Johnstone as its first female head, and she was inducted into the role in an elaborate ceremony in front of 1476 guests last week.Former Ravenswood School principal Anne Johnstone was inducted as Cranbrook’s new head…

Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeAngus Bell had one last reminder to dispense. It was deep into extra time on a sweltering afternoon in Townsville, and in 29 seconds, the big prop would score a try to give the Wallabies a stirring victory over Argentina.The plan was straightforward, literally. Take a second tap on the Pumas’ line, recycle and use brute force to get the chocolates.But first things first.“It was funny because when we were going to take the taps, I made sure I told ‘Beeps’ [Brandon Paenga-Amosa], ‘Make sure you tap it’,” Bell said.“They were actually my…

The vast bulk of Donald Trump’s presidential playbook centres on deal-making. On matters as diverse as trade and foreign policy, the approach seems broadly consistent: sweep away such guardrails as global rules of free trade or geopolitical alliances, and reduce matters to a suite of country-by-country agreements. In this way, there is no need for the US even to feign consistency, or fealty to any set of overarching principles. Trump doesn’t need a coherent philosophy on tariffs or democracy, sovereignty or even war. In this world, there are no rules, or doctrines. There is only leverage.In this way, Trump hopes…

Broker is busy in trading at Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. — PPIThe stock market reached another milestone on Monday, crossing 156,000 points in intraday trade as optimism over circular debt reforms and strong liquidity lifted investor sentiment to record highs.The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 Index settled at 156,087.30 points, up 1,810.11 points, or 1.17%, from the previous close of 154,277.19. During the session, the index climbed to an intraday high of 156,080.79 points, gaining 1,922.09 points, or 1.25%, while touching a low of 154,944.87 points, up 667.68 points, or 0.43%, from the…