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jilipark website The 250 delegates at the recent Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ) 44th annual leadership conference agreed that members had a significant role to play in Jamaica realising its goals under Vision 2030. This included developing a thriving work place, so as to achieve each employee’s fullest potential and a secure, just and cohesive society, in order for the Jamaican economy to be prosperous. The conference, held on November 14 and 15 at the AC Marriott Hotel in Kingston, focused on helping leaders and human resource management practitioners to better understand that their contribution is critical to organisational and national development. The two-day conference was under the theme “HR Revolution: Navigating The Future...2030 and Beyond.” Among the key topics covered were the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI); diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); work-life integration; work place flexibility, as well human-centric and adaptive leadership in navigating current and future complexities of a rapidly evolving work force. Attendees benefitted from future-focused discussions on emerging human resource trends and practices; expected challenges; strategies and opportunities to review real-world examples and success stories from local and international organisations. “HRMAJ is committed to elevating the ‘people profession’, which has expanded beyond what we typically once knew as the HR functions,” said HRMAJ President Dr Cassida Jones Johnson, Independent Executive Consultant with over 20 years’ experience in strategic human resource, talent management, people engagement and executive coaching. “With other roles emerging in preparation for the future workplace, which has been changing in definition, the significance of upskilling and reskilling in the field in preparation for the role and impact of AI provide opportunities to transition administrative functions and areas such as culture, engagement and human-centric leadership at the forefront of all organisations,” she continued. “In fact, our 44th conference has raised the anchor for navigating the seas ahead, with opportunities to collaborate with other associations across the region and in developed countries.” Conference Chair Dr Lois Parkes, Leadership Development Institutional Specialist for the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration, noted: “Conference 44 was a huge success, as it created the platform for deep discussions on critical human resource and leadership policy challenges affecting both the private and public sectors. Going forward, HRMAJ will continue to provide an avenue for further dialogue, policy guidance and capacity building to empower work organisations to address these challenges head on.” To encourage work-life balance, the delegates were treated to representations of Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage of film and comedy through the showing of the six winning films of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Short Film Competition 2024, the Laugh Lab and open mic with comedians Elias Fennell and Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley. There was also a wellness component by fitness advocate Shani McGraham-Shirley, who conducted exercise sessions. The conference was supported by such sponsors as Caribbeanjobs.com; Securys (Jamaica) Limited; HEART/NSTA Trust; Management Institute for National Development (MIND); National Housing Trust (NHT) and John Galt Insurance Brokers Limited. Exhibitors included: Dale Carnegie Training; Jamaica Stock Exchange e-Campus; Bioregeneration Integrated Medical Centre; Allied Insurance Brokers & GK Mutual Funds; Mona School of Business; Gift Tech Limited; University of Technology Jamaica (UTECH), Return on Investment Consulting (ROIC) Limited; Orbit360 & Roar Unleashed and Caribbean HR Solutions. Through advocacy, policy guidance and world-class training in many areas of human resource and leadership to build capacity, competencies and credibility for people professionals and emerging leaders, HRMAJ remains committed to promoting organisational growth, enhancing human capital development and increasing workforce productivity. The association may be reached through website www.hrmaj.org.

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After rail blockade, farmers call for Pb bandh on Dec 30‘Stay home, hunker down’ plea from City of Saskatoon ahead of weekend snowstorm - 650 CKOM News Talk SportsNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Javon Small scored five of his 31 points in overtime and Tucker DeVries added key free throws late in regulation and finished with 16 points as West Virginia beat No. 3 Gonzaga 86-78 in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday. Small's layup with under 2 minutes left in OT gave West Virginia a 79-75 lead. After a Gonzaga miss, Sencire Harris hit two free throws to make it a six-point lead. With 27.1 seconds left, Harris made a steal and scored on a dunk for an eight-point lead, putting the game out of reach. Amani Hansberry scored a career-high 19 points and Toby Okani added 10 for West Virginia (3-2). Braden Huff scored 19 points and Khalif Battle 16 for Gonzaga (5-1). Gonzaga showed its depth, outscoring the West Virginia bench 30-2. West Virginia’s only loss was by 24 points at Pitt, but the rebuild under Darian DeVries is showing promise. Gonzaga turned it over at midcourt late in regulation when Tucker DeVries poked it away from Nolan Hickman and raced the other way before getting fouled. DeVries made two free throws with 5.9 seconds left to tie it at 71-all. Battle inbounded the ball and got it back, but lost control on a drive as time expired. The shorter Mountaineers outrebounded Gonzaga 42-36 and shot 50% in the second half, battling the Zags to a draw in the paint. Nembhard had 12 assists and just one turnover in 43 minutes, but was 1 of 10 from the field. West Virginia will play Louisville on Thursday in the winner's bracket. Gonzaga faces No. 14 Indiana on the consolation side. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

FILE PHOTO: French Economy, Finance and Industry Minister Antoine Armand attends a debate session on the first part of the 2025 budget bill (PLF) at the National Assembly in Paris, France, October 22, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo PARIS - French Finance Minister Antoine Armand said on Saturday that the 2025 budget could still be improved, but stopped short of giving ground in a standoff with the far right over new concessions. France's budget deficit has spiralled out of control this year, pressuring French government bonds, although ratings agency Standard & Poor's gave Prime Minister Michel Barnier's fragile minority government a rare reprieve late on Friday by leaving its rating steady. Any relief is likely to prove short-lived with both the left and far right threatening to bring Barnier's government down over the budget, which seeks to squeeze 60 billion euros ($64 billion) in savings through tax hikes and spending cuts. Marine Le Pen's far right National Rally (RN), whose tacit support Barnier needs to survive a likely no confidence motion, has given him until Monday to accede to her demands to make further changes to the budget. "This government, under his authority, is willing to listen, to have a dialog, to be respectful, to improve this budget," Armand told journalists. Asked about the showdown with Le Pen, he said: "The only ultimatum really facing the French is that our country gets a budget." On Thursday, Barnier dropped plans to raise electricity taxes in the budget as the RN had demanded, but it is keeping pressure on the government to hike pensions in line with inflation where the government had hoped to postpone an increase to save money. RN lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy told Les Echos newspaper on Saturday if the bill is not modified the party would back a no-confidence motion. The test could come as soon as Monday if Barnier's government has to use an aggressive constitutional measure to ram the social security financing legislation through parliament, which will trigger a no-confidence motion. "The government doesn't seem to want to move (on pensions). We are waiting to see the social security bill on Monday to draw conclusions," Tanguy said. The RN also wants planned cuts to medication reimbursements by the state to be axed, increased taxes on share buybacks and financial transactions as well as a cut in France's contribution to the European Union's budget. The government's aim to cut the budget deficit next year to 5% of economic output from over 6% this year is already sliding in the face of costly concessions made to the RN and other parties. Standard & Poor's said that it expected the deficit at 5.3% next year and said the outlook was unclear after that whether France could keep reducing the deficit to an EU limit of 3% as currently planned by 2029. As the RN has firmed up its demands, French debt and stocks have come under pressure in recent days, pushing the risk premium on French government bonds to their highest level in over 12 years. "The absence of a budget (and) political instability would bring a sudden and substantial increase in the financing costs of French debt," Armand said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now

The Tobacco Cessation Centre at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), an accredited centre by the World Health Organisation, conducted a number of educational and health activities and events in the last quarter of 2024. Aimed at enhancing community awareness and informing the public about the risks of tobacco product consumption, especially new products such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, the centre aimed to help users quit smoking and overcome the harmful habit. The Tobacco Cessation Centre intensified awareness campaigns in educational institutions by launching a campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education across several schools in Qatar. The campaign aimed to raise awareness, provide accurate information, and correct misconceptions about tobacco and its products, while also reducing tobacco use among youths. The campaign covered more than 15 secondary and high schools and engaged over 1,000 students through educational and interactive sessions. These sessions emphasised the importance of awareness and highlighted promotional tricks used by some tobacco producers. Discussions were held with students about new tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches to correct misconceptions associated with them. The centre also participated in various vocational and health exhibitions held at public high schools to encourage students and teachers to adopt a healthy, nicotine-free lifestyle. At a community level, the centre participated in several events alongside other institutions across Qatar to prevent tobacco use. These events included Doha Week for Healthcare, sponsored by WISH 2024, as well as activities with the Qatar Diabetes Society, Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, Aspire Academy, University of Doha for Science and Technology, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and various departments within HMC. Related Story HMC marks Qatar National Day Dreama Centre launches new story series for children

As we transition to warmer weather in the austral summer, many changes take place. Domestic dogs and cats may shed winter coats. Fish such as bass and trout prepare fat reserves for migrations to deeper waters. And social insect queens emerge from hibernation in search of a place to start their nests. Most people won’t be surprised that bumble bees and ground-nesting wasp colonies have queens. What is surprising, though, is that those big bees and wasps we see in the spring are the queens – not the workers – building their nests all on their own. A bumble bee foraging for nectar. Jennifer Jandt , CC BY-NC-SA Bumble bees and yellowjacket wasps typically nest in the ground (though you might see some nesting in trees or buildings). To locate the perfect nest site, both species search for abandoned rodent holes (the perfect cosy size to insulate a big queen and a small nest). After they find their spot, the queens forage and defend their young from the perils of life as an insect – predators, pesticides and pathogens. If the queen can’t find a nest site and gather enough resources, or perishes before workers emerge, the colony will fail before it even gets started. Life of the larvae Like butterflies, wasps and bees start life as helpless larvae. Wasp and bee larvae are essentially big stomachs with a mouth. They have no legs, and are stuck in place until they’re grown. Larvae rely entirely on older generations to survive. Wasps collect pulp to smooth into hexagonal paper cells (similar to the inside of a honey bee nest) where the defenceless larvae will grow. They usually collect this pulp from untreated wood – the wasp that landed next to you on the park bench is just gathering building materials. She won’t take much, and she won’t stay long. Bumble bees produce wax that they mould into honey pots (to store food) and balls (where they nestle their eggs). The bees need enough nutrition to produce this wax, which they’ll get from the flowers in your garden. Wasp larvae are primarily carnivorous, getting protein from live prey or carrion. Bees get protein from floral resources like pollen, although adults of both species feed on nectar. Wasp queen licking honey dew from aphids on rose leaves. Jennifer Jandt , CC BY-NC-SA After a few weeks, larvae will spin silken cocoons and pupate (just like butterflies). This is a chance for the queens to take a break from feeding those hungry larvae (which are insatiable before they pupate), and focus on raising more young. The queens still continue foraging, though – no one is coming to feed them until their daughters are adults. Once the offspring emerge from their pupae as adults, they won’t leave the nest just yet. They will need a day (at least) just for their exoskeleton (their body and wings) to harden. Until the exoskeleton is set, bees and wasps can’t fly to forage, or sting to defend. They also need time to develop a circadian rhythm . This ensures when they emerge from the underground nest, they do so when it’s light outside (wasps and bees don’t forage too well in the dark). Division of labour We are now nearing the end of spring in Aotearoa. There are still a few queen wasps and bumble bees flying around, but we are also starting to see small foragers. These are the “first cohort” of workers. The queen – who did all the chores on her own – was limited in terms of what she could feed her young. In early spring, food might be scarce. Once the first cohort of workers emerge, things outside and inside the nest begin to shift. Floral resources and insect prey numbers increase – meaning foragers have an easier time finding food. Because workers are foraging, the queen can remain in the nest where she primarily lays eggs and incubates her developing brood. Workers also subdivide the chores in the nest. Some will forage for protein, some for sugar, and others (like wasps) will forage for nest material or water. Some workers might remain in the nest to keep the temperature and humidity constant, others might remain in the nest to watch for invaders or predators. Bumble bee queens are much larger than the workers (number tags help identify individuals from the nest and don’t affect their behaviour). Jennifer Jandt , CC BY-NC-SA Queen bumble bees and yellowjackets only live for about one year. They emerge as adults in autumn, mate, then hibernate over the winter months. After emerging from hibernation in spring, they start a new colony on their own and watch as it grows to hundreds (bumble bees) or thousands (yellowjackets) of workers. At some point, the queen will stop laying eggs. She’ll often leave the nest on her own when she knows her time is up. The workers will make sure the larvae in the nest are raised as new queens, and the cycle starts anew. Among royalty In the North Island, there have been a number of “ frighteningly large ” perennial yellowjacket nests reported. Wasps (like this yellowjacket queen) can be as effective as bees at transferring pollen between flowers. Jennifer Jandt , CC BY-NC-SA As our climate changes, warming temperatures may extend the season of social wasp nests, leading to more of these large nests. Although the original queen dies, the new queens may choose to join an established nest of workers and take over as the new queen (skipping that period of hibernation). Yellowjacket wasps sometimes receive a bad rap, particularly due to their very effective nest defence strategies, with the potential to butt heads with gardeners. But wasps – just like bees and butterflies – are important pollinators in our floral ecosystems, and also help keep annoying pest bug populations down. So, if you’ve noticed the huge wasps and bumble bees flying around this spring, just remember – you’re among royalty. Connal McLean is affiliated with The Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust and The Entomological Society of New Zealand. Jennifer Jandt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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