text
stringlengths
17
505
Mr Hare told Gail Furness, counsel assisting the Commission, he knew about the first case but did not know about the second one.
He conceded the YMCA's opening statement to the commission was also inaccurate in claiming "there have been external audits of the YMCA that have recognised the YMCA as being at the forefront of child safety."
Evidence before the commission is that YMCA was notified that it received the second lowest of four possible ratings in a Department of Education and Communities quality audit in August this year.
Mr Hare, who started with the YMCA when he was 21, conceded management "from myself down" failed by recruiting Lord and failed to make sure staff were clear about their obligations to report child safe policy breaches.
Earlier this year Lord was convicted for sexual offences against 12 boys during the two years he worked at the YMCA.
He was jailed for a minimum of six years.
But Mr Hare rejected the suggestion the YMCA had a cultural problem which prevented staff from reporting Lord's breaches of child safety.
Staff gave evidence they observed breaches including Lord being alone with children, babysitting them privately, having them sit on his lap, saying he loved one and letting them play with his mobile phone.
Danielle Ockwell, who was supervised by Lord and asked for child protection training because she was concerned about his behaviour, testified she found the YMCA Caringbah children's services manager Jacqui Barnat who supervised Lord "very intimidating and hard to approach a lot of the time."
The CEO said he did not accept staff's evidence that they were uncomfortable with reporting upwards to their managers.
Rather, he said, their friendships with Lord clouded their judgements about reporting him.
Mr Hare said he had provided his view to the YMCA NSW board that the lesson for the organisation from the "Jonathan Lord incident" was "not about reporting" by staff, and the board agreed with him.
Mr Hare said the decision to get staff to sign confidentiality agreements soon after the allegations emerged was made by YMCA general manager of children's services Liam Whitley.
He said it was intended to avoid contamination of evidence but was "overzealous" and poorly executed.
YMCA NSW was not a child safe organisation at the time Jonathan Lord was employed between 2009 and 2011, child sex abuse expert Professor Stephen Smallbone of Griffith University told the commission.
He said there were "serious problems" in recruitment, screening, induction, training and supervision of staff.
The hearing adjourned until December 20.
Blair says he'd like UK comeback
Tony Blair said he'd seize the chance to return as Britain's prime minister - but acknowledges a comeback is unlikely.
In an interview overnight to mark the fifth anniversary of his departure from office, the 59-year-old aired his views on various domestic policies.
Since he stood down in June 2007 after a decade as leader, Mr Blair has largely avoided discussing British politics, confining most of his comments to foreign affairs and his role as envoy to the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers.
Asked if he would return to the post of prime minister, Mr Blair was quoted by London's Evening Standard as saying: "Yes, sure, but it's not likely to happen is it, so..."
He also urged leaders not to turn their backs on the business community following the financial crisis.
As crowds of horse-showing experts gathered in Cardiff to battle it out for Horse of the Year, they knew the competition would be tough.
But nobody was quite ready for three-year-old Fenton Kirkland.
Not yet in school and just months on from taking his first steps, the toddler and his pet Shetland pony Toffee trotted through the three rounds with ease to take the top prize - leaving their 30 adult opponents trailing behind.
The inseparable pair - who are the same height - were commended for appearance, behaviour and style at the annual contest run by Sunnybank Equestrian Centre, in Rudry near Cardiff.
Taking to the stage against men and women in smart bowler hats, he tipped his flat cap at a jaunty angle and paraded two-year-old Toffee around the ring.
Fenton was lauded by judges for natural handling skills well beyond his years.
And Toffee received top marks for his appearance and personality.
Fenton was given Toffee as a third birthday present last March and has practised with the Shetland pony every day since.
His mother Donna, 30, said: "Fenton and Toffee are a great double act."
They were up against all comers but the two of them walked off with the gold cup and rosette.
It was only the second time he had competed with Toffee and we were all ecstatic when he won.
Complete strangers in the arena all thought he was so phenomenal they wanted photos taken with him.
The youngster, from the village of Nantyglo, near Ebbw Vale, South Wales, is following in the footsteps of his aunt Sharon Howells, who has been showing horses for more than 10 years.
Mrs Howells said: "The whole place was electric and everybody was cheering and clapping."
He was running on sand down the full length of the arena and even though he looked so tiny he did a marvellous job.
Fenton is animal mad - he loves horses, tractors and farms and has got two chickens which he looks after.
The way he has started he'll be at the Horse of the Year show before long - and I'm sure he'll do well.
A spokesman for the annual horse show said: "Fenton is only three but he knows how to handle his pony."
They are a great team together.
The judges marked Fenton and Toffee on how well they were turned out and the way they presented in the show ring.
They look for good teamwork between the pony and the handler - Fenton and Toffee were the best in the ring.
I'm sure Fenton was helped by his cute clothes, he really looked the part.
China plea paper 'to be overhauled'
A Chinese newspaper that made a front-page appeal for the release of a reporter accused of defamation is to be overhauled, a press regulator says.
The Guangzhou-based New Express made a rare public plea for the release of journalist Chen Yongzhou.
But Mr Chen subsequently admitted on television that he had taken bribes to fabricate stories about a part state-owned company.
Now the New Express is to undergo "full rectification," the regulator said.
The "rectification" order came from the Guangdong Administration of Press and Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
A preliminary investigation showed that Yangcheng Evening News Group's New Express had published several untrue reports about listed company Zoomlion in the period of September 2012 to August 2013.
New Express's editorial management was disordered, the regulator said in a statement.
It said it had decided to "impose an administrative penalty on Chen Yongzhou by revoking his reporter's license."
It had also "instructed Yangcheng Evening News Group to undertake a complete rectification of New Express, and recommended they investigate the relevant responsible persons at New Express and immediately revise New Express's leadership team."
Mr Chen wrote several articles for the New Express alleging financial irregularities at a construction-equipment company called Zoomlion.
After he was detained, his newspaper published two front-page appeals for his release, saying it backed his journalism.
But Mr Chen then appeared on state television admitting he had published false stories for money.
In this case I've caused damages to Zoomlion and also the whole news media industry and its ability to earn the public's trust, he told state broadcaster CCTV.
I did this mainly because I hankered after money and fame.
I've realised my wrongdoing.
Following Mr Chen's apology, New Express issued a front-page apology, saying it had failed to properly check his reports.
Several high-profile suspects have made televised confessions recently.
Experts say confessions are still routinely coerced, despite a change in the law earlier this year banning the authorities from forcing anyone to incriminate themselves.
The National President of the Anti-Terrorism Front, Maninder Singh Bitta, will read Shree Hanuman Chalisa along with 10,000 other readers on November 23rd, at an event organised by the Shri Hindu Nyaypeeth at Dana Mandi near the Jalandhar bypass.
This information was provided by Bitta after the chief spokesman of Shri Hindu Nyaypeeth Pravin Dang and Ashwini Katyal, Bhupinder Banga, Surji Jain, Bunty Bajaj, Raman Khosla,Bantu and Aman Sharma, had come to invite him to the Hanuman Chalisa Paath.
He appreciated the efforts of the Shri Hindu Nyaypeeth to make children aware of Sanatan Culture.
He said it is also important to give children religious instruction along with worldly education for the unity and integrity of the country.
US-Mexico drug tunnel with its own railway found
One of the most sophisticated drug smuggling tunnels between the USA and Mexico has been found, complete with its own lighting, ventilation and electric rail systems.
US authorities described the four foot by three foot tunnel as one of the most sophisticated secret passages they have ever discovered.
The tunnel, which zigzags the length of nearly six football pitches, links warehouses near Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, USA.
The area is filled with nondescript warehouses, making it easier to conceal trucks being loaded with drugs.
The tunnel was shut down before any drugs made it through undetected, authorities said.
Authorities seized eight-and-a-half tons of marijuana and 327 pounds of cocaine in connection with the tunnel's discovery, according to court records.
Three men who authorities say worked as drivers were charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine with intent to distribute.
They face prison sentences between 10 years and life imprisonment if convicted.
In Nogales, Arizona, smugglers tap into vast underground drainage canals.
The tunnel is the eighth major passage discovered in San Diego since 2006.
Some of the largest tunnels have been discovered after central Mexico's marijuana harvest in October, which presents drug cartels with a challenge of how to quickly get their product to consumers.
In 2010, authorities found a roughly 700-yard passage equipped with rail tracks that extended from the kitchen of a Tijuana home to two San Diego warehouses.
Congress candidate Sarhul Ram Bhagat filed his nomination for the Assembly constituency.
Besides the BJP and the Congress, the National People's Party and two independent candidates, a total of 7 candidates filed nominations on Thursday.
BJP candidate Rajsharan Bhagat, along with his sponsor, deposited his nomination papers with the Returning Officer for the assembly constituency 12-Jashpur on Thursday, which was day 7 after the start of filing of nomination papers for the second phase of the elections to be held on November 19th.
The Indian National Congress candidate Ram Bhagat Sarhul, with his sponsor Ajay Kumar, filed his nomination with the Returning Officer.
The BJP candidate, Kunkuri Rohit Kumar, filed his nominations along with his sponsor Mohanram and the Kunkuri Constituency independent candidate, Dr. Phoolchand Kujur, filed his nominations for the Assembly Constituency Sector 13 along with his 10 sponsors Mrs. Alpino Khalko, Suben Kerketta, Sukhdeo Sai Naag, Hemant Kujur, Shaniram Bhagat, Walter Kujur, Vikas Kumar Jindal, Mr. Gupta, Murari Lal and Mrs. Sushila Kujur.
The BJP candidate, Shibshankar Pankaira, filed his first nomination for the Assembly constituency sector 14 - Pathalgaon with his sponsor Tulsiram Kaushik and his second nomination with his sponsor Rajendra Agarwal.
Councillors accused Dukpa of turning up at the function without an invitation.
Dupka said that he had been invited by the Food Controller.
Upset by this dispute the GTA members left the function.
Eight families were given food grain.
The Town President, Amar Singh Rai, Vice President Suk Bahadur BK and other town councillors were present at the event.
British police serve Assange with extradition notice
Btitish police served an extradition notice today on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has taken refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London and requested asylum.
Scotland Yard said they had served a "surrender notice" on the 40-year-old Australian requiring him to appear at a police station, adding that failure to do so would make him further liable to arrest.
Assange faces extradition to Sweden over sex crime allegations, having exhausted his options under British law when the Supreme Court overturned his appeal against extradition earlier this month.
Fearing Stockholm would pass him on to the US, he sought refuge at Ecuador's embassy in London on June 19, asking the South American country for political asylum.
Scotland Yard has "served a surrender notice upon a 40-year-old man that requires him to attend a police station at date and time of our choosing," a spokesman said.
He remains in breach of his bail conditions.
The embassy declined to comment on the serving of the police notice.