Guests can read and relax in the fasting lounge A 'regular' fast lasts six days at Germany's Buchinger Wilhelmi contemporary art has been installed behind the reception the wood panelling spruced up and its venerable newsstand removed the two-Michelin-starred Pavillon restaurant is being refreshed to reflect the taste for lighter and the stately rooms now come with wellness kits comprising a yoga mat for use in conjunction with a fitness programme designed by an F1 performance coach was the brainchild of a clean-living German naval doctor whose career was cut short by excruciating rheumatism he was persuaded to undertake a 19-day fast after which he reported being completely cured A convert to the healing effects of fasting Buchinger initially opened his own home to treat patients; soon "the fasting doctor from Witzenhausen" needed somewhere larger and After the war came the much larger facility in Überlingen a renowned spa town in the more temperate south (At the instigation of Buchinger's son-in-law an outpost in Marbella was added in 1973.) From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox Decades before Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi received the 2016 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on autophagy ("self-devouring") – the body's ability to self-repair and ward off pathogens when deprived of food – Otto understood that "When we fast the organism employs the energy it would otherwise use for digestion to heal the diseased regions under the 'expert' guidance of our 'inner doctor'." Today it forms the bedrock of any stay at Buchinger Wilhelmi The list of ailments shown to have been relieved by therapeutic fasting is long: rheumatism caloric intake is limited to twice-daily soups or fruit juices "ketosis" – the process by which the food-deprived body redirects its energies to "cleaning house" – takes 72 hours (before which the body simply burns stored glucose and fat) A "regular" fast lasts six days at Buchinger Wilhelmi Besides the daily recording of blood pressure and weight measurements the programme relies chiefly on a midday rest taken with a warm water bottle strapped to the stomach (to stimulate liver function) and the injunction to take gentle exercise tennis courts and an outdoor (heated) pool there are classes and lectures on all aspects of wellbeing alongside regular recitals – a nod to Otto's belief that starving the mind while denying the body is no way to live It's difficult to calibrate the overall effect giving up control of one's diet – and with it feelings of hunger and satiety – has on the psyche did much to research and authenticate therapeutic fasting trained as a psychologist before joining the family business (he recently stepped down as managing director to make way for his son his focus is on the mental-health aspects of taking a break from daily life in particular the benefits of removing oneself from testing environments and the technologies that enable them "Beyond the dogma of a healthy lifestyle," he writes "we offer people a place where they can return to their true selves and be at peace with who they are." there's more opportunity to explore the nooks and crannies of one's consciousness designed by Italian architect Matteo Thun and offering wonderful views over Lake Constance to the Alps serves as both sanctuary and feeding station as is the use of mobile phones (even if younger guests remain inseparable from their devices) No wonder first-time visitors are apt to re-book before departure Although one undeniable draw of Buchinger Wilhelmi is time spent in solitary contemplation it's worth taking advantage of the therapies treatments and life-coaching sessions on offer all of which are designed to rehabilitate the exhausted id A 10-day fasting programme (which includes two consultations with the medical staff drink and fasting provisions) costs £2,340 per person non-fasting stays are available from £218 per night buchinger-wilhelmi.com A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Bill Prince is the Editor-in-Chief of The Blend The 5-star hotel consists of two adjacent buildings and features 151 rooms Netherlands-based hotel management company Cycas Hospitality has been appointed to manage the Grandhotel Bad Pyrmont spa hotel in Germany the company now runs four regional properties the 5-star hotel consists of two adjacent buildings 44-room Fürstenhof Hotel and the Steigenberger Hotel and Spa the hotel is set to begin a significant €20m redevelopment programme across rooms Cycas Hospitality CEO Matt Luscombe said: “Expanding our portfolio of luxury hotels with the addition of this exciting resort hotel represents an important step in our journey at Cycas Hospitality “Our appointment to run this 5-star property with the opportunities to maximise spa and M&E services presents an exceptional inclusion to our portfolio and brings us even closer to 50 hotels under management across Europe.” Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis The hotel’s spa facilities feature 1,500m² of dedicated wellness space including Serail Spa sea salt grotto and spring water sampling in the neighbouring Hylligen Born park gardens and several outdoor activities in the adjacent Weserbergland region and Teutoburg Forest The hotel has five conference rooms spread across 489m² for business travellers and also features a classic ballroom on-site parking and a terrace for private parties and corporate team-building activities Grandhotel Bad Pyrmont managing director Oliver Massabni said: “We are very pleased to have Cycas Hospitality on board bringing hotel expertise to our exciting upgrade programme of the iconic Steigenberger and Fürstenhof Hotels “I’m truly delighted to bring these treasured hotels which play such a valuable part in the local community to life in the near future Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Cycas Hospitality has strengthened its presence within continental Europe today with the announcement of its appointment to manage its 4th hotel in the region the luxury Grandhotel Bad Pyrmont spa hotel near Hanover the 5-star hotel includes 151 guest rooms (including nine suites) within the Steigenberger Hotel and Spa and the 44-room Fürstenhof Hotel The hotel is set to commence an extensive 20M Euro refurbishment programme later this year across rooms delivering an exceptional wellness experience for guests the hotel's spa facilities include Serail Spa sea salt grotto and spring water tastings in the nearby Hylligen Born providing exceptional opportunities for leisure visitors to the region the hotel's setting permits guests access to a private terrace park gardens and a range of outdoor activities within the nearby Weserbergland region and Teutoburg Forest the hotel comprises a total of five meeting rooms across 489m² on-site parking and terrace access for private receptions as well as corporate team-building exercises Hamburg City Hall Image by wikimedia commons — The Reform congregation in the German city of Hamburg has dedicated its first Jewish cemetery who also heads the Liberal congregation in Bad Pyrmont inaugurated the community’s section of the Ohlsdorf cemetery which was supported with a gift of $3,280 for plantings at the site from the Hamburg-West/Südholstein parish church and $1,090 from the Holy Ghost Community in Pinneberg the community has used the main Jewish cemetery in Hamburg-Altona vice president of the Pinneberg community’s synod and a frequent guest at the Liberal congregation’s services called the donation “a sign of reconciliation and peace,” according to the September newsletter of the European Union for Progressive Judaism The Hamburg Liberal Jewish Community was officially established in 2004 and is a member of the Union of Progressive Jews in Germany plus a circle of about 200 supporters and friends The community’s website says its next aim is to open its own synagogue According to the Central Council of Jews in Germany there are currently 2,445 registered members of the Jewish community in Hamburg the city of Hamburg is planning to submit in December an application to UNESCO the United Nations organizations responsible for education and heritage sites for recognition of its main Jewish cemetery — the Jüdische Friedhof Altona — as a World Heritage Site A decision would not be made until mid-2018 Covering about 4.6 acres and holding some 8,100 graves the cemetery — known for its grave designs — was established in 1611 by a Sephardic community originating in Portugal An Ashkenazi section was added a few years later and most of those buried there were Ashkenazi Among the famous personages buried there are the father of the German poet Heinrich Heine It has been an official German cultural landmark since 1960 Jewish cemeteries in Germany are sometimes targeted by vandals police in Strasburg reported that unknown perpetrators had knocked down a heavy gravestone in the city’s Jewish cemetery They have asked the public for assistance in identifying the culprits I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association Metrics details agoraphobia is associated with a significant risk for relapse after the end of treatment Personalized and adaptive approaches appear promising to improve maintenance treatment and aftercare as they acknowledge patients’ varying individual needs with respect to intensity of care over time there is a deficit of knowledge about the detailed symptom course after discharge from acute treatment which is a prerequisite for the empirical development of rules to decide if and when aftercare should be intensified this study aimed firstly at the investigation of the naturalistic symptom course of agoraphobia after discharge from initial treatment and secondly at the development and evaluation of a data-driven algorithm for a digital adaptive aftercare intervention A total of 56 agoraphobia patients were recruited in 3 hospitals participants completed a weekly online monitoring assessment for three months While symptom severity remained stable at the group level individual courses were highly heterogeneous Approximately two-thirds of the patients (70%) reported considerable symptoms at some time indicating a need for medium or high-intense therapeutic support Simulating the application of the algorithm to the data set resulted in an early (86% before week six) and relatively even allocation of patients to three groups (need for no findings confirm the need for adaptive aftercare strategies in agoraphobia adaptive approaches may provide immediate support to patients who experience symptom deterioration and thus promise to contribute to an optimized allocation of therapeutic resources and overall improvement of care Patients’ needs after treatment termination differ interventions are needed that adjust the intensity of support to the patients’ current needs Several components play a role in an adaptive approach: Modifications to the treatment (e.g changes in treatment intensity) are guided by a-priori decision rules at specific stages (i.e predefined time points) and consider tailoring variables (e.g a decision rule could suggest maintaining a low-intense treatment (no modification) if there is a decrease in avoidance behavior (tailoring variable) within the first three weeks of treatment (decision stage) in case of an increase in avoidance behavior the frequency of psychotherapy sessions could be increased One way to operationalize decision rules is to introduce cutoff-scores a score that determines the level of symptom severity that must be exceeded to start with a more intense treatment alternative Appropriate cutoffs must be set to keep the balance between a too low (i.e treat all patients with the most intensive level) and a too high score (i.e no patient receives the most intensive level of care) available resources and potential risks of modifications (e.g side effects) should be considered when defining decision rules It is expected that IMIs will be more accessible and far less costly compared to traditional (face to face) aftercare interventions and thus may find their way into routine care Although combining the strengths of IMIs and adaptive approaches seems promising these approaches must first be developed and empirically tested and then implemented to routine care Studies on post-treatment symptom trajectories and relapse are limited Especially for routine care conditions there are hardly any data Our knowledge on the natural course of symptoms after treatment termination is insufficient to establish meaningful decision rules for adaptive aftercare The first aim was to explore the natural symptom courses in patients with agoraphobia during the initial three months following treatment termination The primary objective was to describe the natural symptom courses after discharge and assess the necessity for additional support The second aim of the study was to develop algorithms (decision rules) for a potential adaptive aftercare intervention and to apply these decision rules to the collected data in order to test their plausibility and simulate the patients’ group allocations over time Three participants did not complete an assessment and one had withdrawn consent to the study four cases were excluded from the data analysis The number of completed assessments ranged from 4 to 13 (M = 12.04; SD = 2.22) N = 49 provided data for baseline (t1) and N = 51 completed the final assessment (t2) they completed 92.58% (674 of 728) of the scheduled assessments The mean age of participants was 45.36 years (SD = 10.35 years) ranging from 20 to 62 years Average duration of inpatient treatment was 45.18 days (SD = 10.02; min = 31 Out of the 56 patients 54 (96.00%) met ICD-10 diagnosis for agoraphobia with panic disorder two patients met ICD-10 diagnosis for agoraphobia only 39 patients (69.6%) were diagnosed with at least one additional disorder 34 patients were diagnosed with an affective disorder (depressive episode (F32): n = 7; recurrent depressive disorder (F33): n = 27 n = 23 patients (46.9%) stated that they currently took medication for their anxiety disorder n = 14 stated that they were treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) Nine patients mentioned other antidepressants it ranged between M = 8.94 in week 6 (SD = 4.07) and week 10 (SD = 4.52) and M = 10.70 (SD = 4.30) at baseline For the avoidance item of the OASIS (item 3) patients reported least avoidance in week 10 (M = 1.62; SD = 1.01) and highest avoidance directly after discharge (M = 2.08; SD = 1.03) Only two patients reported not having a single panic attack during the observation period patients experienced between M = 1.29 (SD = 2.10; week 12) and M = 0.91 (SD = 1.08; week 2) panic attacks per week The total score on the PHQ-4 ranged between M = 4.42 (SD = 2.88; week 10) and M = 5.67 (SD = 2.89; week 3) patients were asked about perceived difficulties related to the transition from inpatient treatment to their everyday lives and also about the utilization of professional support during the observation period In response to the question “Have you sought professional help for your agoraphobia since your discharge from the hospital?” 25 of the 51 patients (49%) stated that they had sought some sort of professional help after discharge 22 patients initiated outpatient psychotherapy The average gap between the start date of help (actual and planned) was approximately 40 days (M = 39.5; SD = 29.9; min = 1; max = 106; n = 28) When asked "Did you find the transition from hospital to everyday life difficult?" 5.9% answered "not at all" This strategy is intended to prevent more intensive and costly treatment from being carried out unnecessarily and allocate resources to those patients who need it most Individual symptom trajectories measured with the sum score of the OASIS The three groups indicated by colors correspond to the PAS level at the end of the study: red = severe Adaptive group allocation over the course of 12 weeks after hospital discharge This longitudinal multicenter study explores naturalistic symptom progression in patients with agoraphobia with and without panic disorder Two thirds of patients still show considerable symptoms at the end of inpatient treatment 76.5% rated the transition period after discharge rather or very difficult clearly highlighting the need for additional support after discharge from inpatient treatment Although around half initiated outpatient treatment they face a gap of around 40 days without help The results confirm that consecutive aftercare offers are meaningful Adaptive interventions seem especially promising as they can take into account the heterogeneous needs and symptom courses in this critical transition period The resources saved by the internet-based and adaptive components could lead to higher acceptance and lower cost per person increasing the likelihood of implementation in routine care decision rules for a possible adaptive aftercare intervention are derived While the group-level analyses are not very informative (no significant variation at the group level) individual symptom courses show very diverse patterns over time Descriptive and visual analyses of individual symptom courses confirm high heterogeneity of symptom courses after discharge Symptom courses are very heterogeneous within individuals suggesting that some patients go through a difficult transition period after discharge from hospital while others manage to stabilize their treatment gains an adaptive aftercare intervention is sketched out Final decision rules incorporate two different cutoff scores on central monitoring measures that performed well in identifying patients in need quickly Cutoff 1 is based on mean symptom severity over two consecutive weeks especially patients indicating high symptom severity (after all 43% of patients) could benefit from the resources that are freed up with about 86% of adjustments take place in the first weeks after discharge from hospital patients could profit from the higher intensity of support significantly combined with adaptive internet-based interventions enables for rapid response to deterioration and immediate provision of additional help the adaptive allocation algorithm proves plausible and promises to facilitate resource allocation the majority of patients (70%) experience a crisis Predicting who will experience a crisis and when is challenging continuous symptom monitoring is crucial to individualize adaptive aftercare interventions no information on the effectiveness of the initial inpatient treatment was available Patients with agoraphobia require support after end of acute treatment patients experience heterogeneous symptom courses and consequently require individualized treatment strategies adaptive treatment strategies can adjust the level of support dynamically over time to better fit the individual needs to the intensity of support Internet-based adaptive aftercare approaches are feasible and have great potential to improve the healthcare situation by allocating resources to the patients who need it most when they need it most grounded on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and exposure exercises (guided and self-managed) CBT is offered in both individual and group settings patients were encouraged by therapists to consider outpatient care upon their discharge from the hospital Given the division between inpatient and outpatient services in Germany it becomes the responsibility of the patient to actively seek additional care The diagnostic criteria of the ICD-10 are as follows: (a) a marked and persistent fear of several situations; (b) exposure to the phobic situation almost invariably provokes an immediate anxiety response; (c) significant emotional distress due to avoidance or symptoms; (d) symptoms are restricted to the feared situations or thoughts about them; (e) the anxiety or phobic avoidance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder A panic disorder can be indicated with the fifth digit (F40.00 Agoraphobia without panic disorder; F40.01 Agoraphobia with panic disorder) Exclusion criteria included acute suicidality there were no restrictions on the use of other psychological or pharmacological treatment for the duration of the study Patients provided written informed consent The study was performed in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki it was approved by the ethics committee of the University Hospital Heidelberg If the assessment was not completed after 3 days participants received an automated e-mail reminder If participants failed to complete the assessment twice in a row they were contacted by phone to resolve technical issues Participants who completed the final assessment received an online gift voucher (€30) The combination of the three questionnaires is widely used and allows the examination of central anxiety constructs The ACQ comprises 14 items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from never (1) to always (5) to measure the frequency with which anxiety-related cognitions occur when the person is nervous or anxious The internal consistency of the ACQ is acceptable The BSQ consists of 17 items and measures the extent of anxiety about physical symptoms (e.g weak knees) on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from not at all (1) to extremely (5) The total score is calculated from the mean of all items answered The internal consistency of the BSQ is good The MI uses 27 items to assess the extent of avoidance behavior in various situations (e.g The data are collected both alone and in company on a five-point Likert scale from never 1 to always 5 the total score is composed of the mean scores of the avoidance alone and avoidance accompanied scales The internal consistency of both scales of the MI is excellent ranging from not at all (0) to almost every day (3) The total score is an overall measure of symptom burden the internal consistency is good with Cronbach's α = 0.85 This sample size allows the frequency of agoraphobic avoidance behavior and other outcome measures to be assessed with sufficient accuracy which is appropriate for the study objective The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions 1990–2010: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 and national burden of 12 mental disorders in 204 countries and territories 1990–2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 Psychische störungen in der allgemeinbevölkerung: Studie zur gesundheit erwachsener in deutschland und ihr zusatzmodul psychische gesundheit (DEGS1-MH) Prospective-longitudinal relations suggest a rethinking of diagnostic concepts and agoraphobia in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Remission and relapse in subjects with panic disorder and panic with agoraphobia: A prospective short-interval naturalistic follow-up Influence of psychiatric comorbidity on recovery and recurrence in generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder: A 12-year prospective study and generalized anxiety disorder: Findings in men and women from 8 years of follow-up The allocation of resources in the care for patients with panic disorder in Germany: An excess cost analysis informing policy and science Psychological therapies for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia in adults: A network meta-analysis A meta-analytic review of adult cognitive-behavioral treatment outcome across the anxiety disorders Psychological treatment of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia: A meta-analysis Response rates for CBT for anxiety disorders: Need for standardized criteria A systematic review of predictors and moderators of improvement in cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic disorder and agoraphobia Long-term outcome in cognitive-behavioral treatment of panic disorder: Clinical predictors and alternative strategies for assessment or their combination for panic disorder: A randomized controlled trial Relapse prevention in panic disorder with pharmacotherapy: Where are we now? Bandelow, B. et al. S3-Leitlinie Behandlung von Angststörungen: Version 2. https://register.awmf.org/de/leitlinien/detail/051-028 (2021) World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for treatment of anxiety obsessive-compulsive and posttraumatic stress disorders—Version 3 Is it possible to prevent relapse in panic disorder? Technology-enhanced maintenance of treatment gains in eating disorders: Efficacy of an intervention delivered via text messaging Internet- and mobile-based aftercare and relapse prevention in mental disorders: A systematic review and recommendations for future research Discontinuation of antidepressants in remitted anxiety disorder patients: The need for strategies to prevent relapse Does maintenance CBT contribute to long-term treatment response of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia Web-based fully automated self-help with different levels of therapist support for individuals with eating disorder symptoms: A randomized controlled trial Internet-delivered disease management for recurrent depression: A multicenter randomized controlled trial In Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change 7th edn (eds Barkham Internet-based guided self-help for several anxiety disorders: A randomized controlled trial comparing a tailored with a standardized disorder-specific approach Editorial promoting help-seeking using E-technology for ADolescents: The ProHEAD consortium The personalized advantage index: Translating research on prediction into individualized treatment recommendations Stratified care vs stepped care for depression: A cluster randomized clinical trial Modular-based psychotherapy (MoBa) versus cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for patients with depression comorbidities and a history of childhood maltreatment: Study protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial Exploring relapse through a network analysis of residual depression and anxiety symptoms after cognitive behavioural therapy: A proof-of-concept study Predicting the naturalistic course in anxiety disorders using clinical and biological markers: A machine learning approach Flexible treatment strategies in chronic disease: Clinical and research implications Introduction to SMART designs for the development of adaptive interventions: With application to weight loss research An experimental design for the development of adaptive treatment strategies Proof of concept for an adaptive treatment strategy to prevent failures in internet-delivered CBT: A single-blind randomized clinical trial with insomnia patients Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) and feedback: Research review and recommendations Einsatz internetbasierter Verlaufsmessung in der Psychotherapieforschung Adaptive treatment strategies in chronic disease Just-in-the-moment adaptive interventions (JITAI): A meta-analytical review Are anxiety disorders publications continuing on a trajectory of growth A look at Boschen’s (2008) predictions and beyond An ultra-brief screening scale for anxiety and depression: The PHQ-4 Psychometric evaluation and Rasch analyses of the German overall anxiety severity and impairment scale (OASIS-D) Ecological momentary assessment of mood disorders and mood dysregulation Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Internet-based selective eating disorder prevention: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial within the ProHEAD Consortium Addressing the treatment gap: A key challenge for extending evidence-based psychosocial interventions Internetbasierte Vorbereitung auf eine stationäre psychosomatisch-psychotherapeutische Behandlung The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders (World Health Organization A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7 Validation and standardization of the generalized anxiety disorder screener (GAD-7) in the general population Kognitionen und Vermeidung: AKV (Beltz Test Assessment of fear of fear in agoraphobics: The body sensations questionnaire and the agoraphobic cognitions questionnaire The jena anxiety monitoring list (JAMoL)—A tool for the evidence-based treatment of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia in primary care Development and validation of an overall anxiety severity and impairment scale (OASIS) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing (R Foundation for Statistical Computing Download references Supported by German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) We thank all patients who participated in the study We are grateful to all therapists on site for recruiting and carefully instructing the patients We thank Lutfi Arikan for his support in the technical implementation of the online monitoring Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL Median Zentrum für Verhaltensmedizin Bad Pyrmont wrote the main manuscript text and performed statistical analyses gave clinical advice for developing the symptom monitoring recruited participants and did on-site study management in the clinics All authors reviewed and approved the manuscript The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52803-z Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- (10/23) For more than two decades Phoenix Contact has been hosting the international technology and education competition xplore the motto was "Technology Award for a Sustainable World": Solutions for daily life in a sustainable world or educational solutions for technology and qualification for a sustainable world were being sought More than 170 teams from over 30 countries applied for the competition During the global online conference xvention in September 2022 and associations selected 100 international teams to support in developing their project ideas for sustainable solutions Each team was granted a voucher for goods valued at over 3,500 euros and provided with the most suitable components for their project free of charge 25 teams from 14 countries were shortlisted and invited to Bad Pyrmont for the grand finale where they gave live presentations of their projects Two teams from the Heriot-Watt University Dubai emerged as winners of first place in their respective categories: "Smart Aquaponic Systems" in the Environmental Category and "NurseBot" in the Social & Health Category The final Award Ceremony was held on 20th October 2023 at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Berlin The teams showcased their projects to state executives and other guests and were presented with certificates of recognition General Manager for Phoenix Contact in the Middle East region commented: "It is gratifying to see the success of the two projects from Heriot-Watt University Dubai in our xplore 2023 competition This is not the first time that students from the university have been successful at winning our xplore award but it is indeed the first time they have achieved top places in two of the five award categories This extraordinary result is a fruit of the successful collaboration between Phoenix Contact and the university that has extended over the past 10 years" Phoenix Contact continues to work with the education sector to qualify future talent in the areas of electrification thereby empowering and preparing the way to the All Electric Society "We are thrilled that our students have won first place in the environmental and social & health competition categories at xplore 2023 Phoenix Contact has been a long-standing partner of Heriot-Watt University and it gives us immense pride to be part of and win their global competition Sustainable technology is the need of the hour and an essential pillar of our future society and xplore 2023 has given us the platform to contribute towards it Our students have worked extremely hard and applied their practical knowledge in delivering the winning entries and we believe that such hands-on experience of putting theory into action is important Initiatives such as these allow our students to experience and develop future skills and become global change-makers We want to express our gratitude to the entire team at Phoenix Contacts Middle East FZ LLC for their continued support over the past ten years" Associate Professor at the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.  About Phoenix Contact: Under a global umbrella brand Phoenix Contact offers innovative products and digitalization expertise for the electrification and automation of all sectors of the economy and infrastructure the family-run company has empowered industry and society to transform into a sustainable world with long-term growth prospects for everyone Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2263342/Phoenix_Contact.jpg Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Phoenix Contact will retire at the end of December 2024 after 33 years with the company Education Computer & Electronics Environmental Products & Services STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) Do not sell or share my personal information: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page undertook an on-site visit to the Steigenberger Hotel Munich on Thursday 14 May 2020 in order to clarify how the company's new extended guidelines and hygiene measures will apply in practice "We have been trialling and revising a new hygiene concept on an ongoing basis over the past few weeks," Mr final tweaks are being made in order to ensure that the best possible preparations are in place as we get ready to reopen The whole of the Deutsche Hospitality team is eagerly looking forward to opening our doors to guests once more." Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts will reopen its hotels in Germany before the end of May The Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts in Bad Homburg Leipzig and Zingst will recommence operations on 25 May The Steigenberger Inselhotel in Constance will also open on 29 May and the Steigenberger Hotel in Munich on 30 May The Steigenberger Hotel Dortmund and the Steigenberger Hotel Bad Wörishofen will be welcoming guests back from 8 June and 10 June respectively the Hotel Fürstenhof Bad Pyrmont and the Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg are scheduled to be available again from 1 July The Steigenberger Hotel Treudelberg Hamburg is already back in business and will be accepting reservations from 15 May the Steigenberger Airport Hotel Frankfurt and the Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam remained open during the lockdown in order to accommodate auxiliary staff crisis team members and guests undertaking urgent business travel This has enabled the company to develop new hygiene standards over recent weeks and these have now been added to a catalogue of measures which was already very comprehensive The stipulations and recommendations provided by government bodies and experts have been flexibly adapted on an ongoing basis General Manager of the Steigenberger Hotel Munich to explain how guest arrivals will be managed whilst maintaining social distancing and ensuring compliance with the new hygiene regulations Further areas covered included the restaurants Given that the State of Bavaria has not yet put any precise stipulations in place Schäfer outlined how the hotel's facilities could be used without compromising social distancing One guest room had been adapted by removing the usual decorative cushions The TV remote control and all the glasses in the room itself and in the bathroom were disinfected after use and packed away in a paper bag Despite the reduction in the number of utensils provided in the room welcome to request any additional items they need at any time Details of the measures, guidelines and exact arrangements may be found here plans are also being launched to celebrate a true milestone birthday Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts will mark its 90th anniversary in the autumn "We are part of a tradition of German hospitality which stretches a long way back into the past," explained Thomas Willms the name Steigenberger represents the epitome of luxury and perfect hospitality for guests the world over." Sven Hirschler+49 696 656 4422H World International Ben Thomas joins Cycas this month as Chief Operating Officer (UK & Ireland) supporting hotels & serviced apartments in key locations across the UK including the opening of the forthcoming Residence Inn Manchester - Piccadilly and Four Points by Sheraton Edinburgh Formerly Chief Commercial Officer at Pentahotels Ben brings over twenty years of operational commercial and project management experience across the UK This appointment underpis a period of rapid growth for the hotel management company with expansion into both the luxury segment [Bankside Hotel Autograph Collection] in 2022 and resort and spa hotel sector [Grandhotel Bad Pyrmont] earlier this year the hospitality specialist now operates hotels across 12 European countries Deutsche Hospitality has said it will reopen many of its Steigenberger Hotel and Resorts properties in Germany before the end of May CEO Thomas Willms said: “We have been trialling and revising a new hygiene concept on an ongoing basis over the past few weeks. The whole of the Deutsche Hospitality team is eagerly looking forward to opening our doors to guests once more.” Leipzig and Zingst are set to reopen on 25 May These will be followed by the Steigenberger Inselhotel in Constance on 29 May the Steigenberger Hotel in Munich on 30 May the Steigenberger Hotel Dortmund on 8 June and the Steigenberger Hotel Bad Wörishofen on 10 June A further batch of hotels in the group will reopen on 1 July The Steigenberger Hotel Treudelberg Hamburg already opened in recent days and three more properties – the Steigenberger Berlin Kanzleramt the Steigenberger Airport Hotel Frankfurt and the Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam – actually remained open during the lockdown period to accommodate auxiliary staff The group has published a series of enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures here including mandatory face masks for guests and employees sanitiser dispensers in public areas and toilets and regular disinfection of contact surfaces Gym and spa facilities will remain closed until further notice steigenberger.com You must be logged in to post a comment Issue 136 – May/June 2025 Issue 135 – March/April 2025 My column last week about Jonathan Penrose’s near brush with death at my hands Soon after reading my account of Penrose’s rescue at Siegen 1970 Short knew that the correct antidote was to lie horizontally on the floor On Twitter he kindly credited my piece with his rapid recovery from this particular hazard Nigel has retained his sense of humour and penchant for logophilia Nigel remains in hospital on breathing assistance and of course we all wish him a full recovery before Christmas pointing out that his own obituary of Penrose correctly emphasised that the Grandmaster title awarded to Penrose was neither of the Emeritus nor the Honorary variety I now summarise the correction which he was kind enough to send me: How it happened was through one of Bob Wade’s many services to English chess when Jonathan Penrose had virtually finished his over the board career Barden thought that his friend and contemporary was worthy of the GM title Barden had been British Chess Federation international grader so he had some standing in putting Penrose forward Barden thought that Penrose’s performances in the 1961 Enschede Zonal and in the 1968 Lugano Olympiad were of norm level and would satisfy the regulations Harry Golombek was FIDÉ delegate at that time FIDÉ were then revising their archives and awarding some titles based on events from 10-25 years previously Thinking that Jonathan‘s case was slightly marginal Barden conceived the cunning plan: it would improve Penrose’s chances if a second English candidate were put up for the retrospective title Barden’s crafty strategy was to appeal to Golombek’s ego by suggesting that he also propose himself This was probably close to a Grandmaster norm who was half a point in front of Golombek in Venice For Golombek there was also the 1951 Bad Pyrmont zonal and one or two other successes to take into account such as a victory at Paignton 1951 against former world champion Max Euwe share of first prize (with Penrose) at Hastings 1952/53 and three British Championship titles the members of the qualification committee were in a mean title-giving mood at that time were offended by England‘s presumptuous act of putting up two candidates adding cynically that Penrose (by then in his mid-40s and with the fainting episode at Siegen in 1970 and his poor result at Nice 1974 in his history) should to try to earn it by future achievements For part of that time I was FIDÉ (World Chess Federation) delegate and Barden believing that I did not rate Jonathan highly felt it was pointless to put Penrose forward again From 1990 to 1993 Barden visited Bob Wade on other matters and found out in the course of conversation that he was then on the FIDÉ qualifications committee Barden then suggested he put forward Penrose again and was emphatic that he would only go for the proper title and not for the Honorary version which he regarded as inferior and not for players of true GM strength I mentioned Enschede and Lugano and Bob immediately went to his tournament collection and picked out the tournament bulletins for both events We made our application between us there and then and Bob took it to the next qualifications committee meeting.” chosen presumably for their supposed expertise knew little or nothing of his achievements or were unsure whether Enschede and Lugano were sufficient.” who was present and whom they regarded as a fount of knowledge and asked what his opinion was As a direct contemporary who knew of Jonathan‘s achievements Lothar gave the application lavish praise and it was granted.” more or less in Leonard Barden’s own words Wikipedia and other sources continue to call Jonathan Penrose Honorary or GM emeritus in 1985 I did apply for and acquire the Grandmaster emeritus title for Golombek himself while I was FIDÉ delegate If the BCF had asked me to put forward Penrose while I was delegate 1979-1986 who achieved three results at Hastings 1972/73 as well as twice winning the British championship when combined with a display of silver tongued oratory winning the British ten times should in itself have been sufficient but this was in the days before Elo ratings had gained traction and all sorts of pin-headed bureaucratic pedantry meant that those results didn’t count Now to the world championship match between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi (“Nepo”) which finished earlier this month in Dubai my suggestions in a previous column to counteract the effect of too many draws proved unnecessary during which Nepo had somewhat the better of things the defending champion went into overdrive from game six onwards winning the longest game in the history of world championship matches the new chairman of the chess circle of the RAC perhaps the most active in chess terms amongst the London clubs put it to me: the Russian tanker was crushed by the huge Norwegian iceberg Nepo was doubtless demoralised by his grinding defeat in the 136 move game six Nepo’s errors in the subsequent three defeats were was one of the most devastatingly one-sided in the history of the world championship One has to go back to the days of Emanuel Lasker to find anything comparable Here is the games link to all games from the world championship What's this for? Already have an account with TheArticle? Sign in here Don't have an account with TheArticle? Register here Please enter your registered email address below and we will send you a link to reset it By proceeding, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy If an account exists for this email address please check your Junk Mail folder and add info@thearticle.com to your safe list I don't get to Pyrmont much, the parking situation means that I often stay away but when I do go there I am often rewarded with good food. On the recent public holiday weekend I was meeting up with Reem and looking for somewhere to go a public holiday weekend is nothing to sniff at And I consulted my list of "to eat" places and gave The Persian Room a call A female voice answered and when I asked her whether they were open over the weekend she said that indeed they were open every single day She added for good measure that the food that they make takes so long to cook that they're open from the early morning So with that little bit of a sales pitch we booked in for lunch at The Persian Room A jug of rosewater flavoured water is brought to the table and the woman who answered the phone is very hospitable In fact although we want to order a bit of everything she discourages us from ordering too much  She tells another table that they can't have a drink because it's too late in the day Our first dish is brought to us and it's a single meatball But don't think that it's a golf ball sized meatball it's more a softball sized one and one that we both have trouble finishing "It has a plum inside" she tells us and sure enough once you burrow inside the enormous orb there is a plum inside The meat is soft and the meatball sits in a rich tomato based sauce and it comes to the table steam rising off it The eggplant dip full of soft ripples of eggplant and a serve of thick yogurt and crushed walnuts on top is moreish and smokey thin  naan bread with sesame seeds which is oven toasted and sturdy enough to scoop the dip out of with although I mostly spread it on top We ordered the fig salad as it has figs and Persian feta which we both adore When it is first put down we don't see any Persian feta so the owner brings us more I would have enjoyed the salad with more of the Persian feta and less of the tinned beetroot slices which didn't really seem to suit the rest of the food or the restaurant The dressing was a very tangy vinaigrette which I also didn't really go for The saffron and rosewater ice cream is made in house and comes out in three scoops They're both good although the saffron is not particularly saffrony flavoured whilst the rosewater one has a good rose flavour The Persian Delight is a gift from the owner as she wants us to try it She makes it with Tasmanian honey and it is a rosewater flavoured Without thinking I say "Oh Turkish Delight!" but am corrected "No _Persian _Delight" although the two are the same in concept Perhaps it's the richness of the majoon but we can't finish it try as we might and sadly we have to leave a bit of it behind Perhaps we should have listened to her advice and paced ourselves do you ask for recommendations on what to order Oil & Gas Middle East Home » Products & Services » Using HART gateways to leverage additional sensor data The NOA concept from NAMUR aims to finally utilize all the unused information available in the field devices of a plant that is not currently being read a flow meter provides data concerning the pressure There is also information regarding the sensor So how can the plant operator access this data the sensor is connected to a control system via a conventional 4 … 20 mA connection and also has a modulated HART signal that can be tapped with a branch line this HART connection is only used to parameterize the sensor and then goes unused This connection is particularly useful in older plants equipped with a conventional control system as there is no need to intervene in the control system One area of focus for NAMUR is the security of the NOA concept Data may only be obtained from the plant in a controlled manner There must be no detrimental impact on the application The data diode model was developed based on this principle It means that the data can only flow in one direction If the HART protocol is used and write access is blocked this approach comes very close to the ideal concept Other possible security components include secure links that can be established by security routers The data source and the target are linked by means of a secure tunnel it is generally irrelevant whether the communication path travels via the Internet or through the complex plant infrastructure of a chemical park Another possible application is the “digital twin” Originally coined as part of the Industrie 4.0 future project this term refers to the detailed digital mapping of a plant This means that all the information concerning actuators and the other components of the plant can be accessed via one system maintenance can be performed in a much smarter way When you consider that a sensor installed in the plant can be clearly identified at the touch of a button and service personnel can access what is essentially its life story This solution also offers an easier and better way to compare sensors installed in the field together with its specific measuring range is best suited to perform an actual measuring task The collected data consequently aids the decision-making process OPC UA can be used as the interface to forward the data acquired in the field to higher-level systems OPC UA is one of the most cutting-edge industrial communication protocols The standard encompasses more than a classic interface like Modbus/RTU as it offers users complex services that will make their work easier OPC UA is a state-of-the-art protocol when it comes to security The OPC UA server transfers the information transparently to systems that wish to collect the data and are authorized to do so the values of all process data or the messages stored by maintenance personnel on the sensor Up to 40 additional items of information can be obtained from a normal pressure sensor – without any configuration effort There is no need for a device description (DD) or device type manager (DTM) with manufacturer-specific interface descriptions Communication is limited to the standard commands of the HART protocol As the gateway also supports the HART-IP standard it can be used as a communication device in conjunction with the PACTware FDT frame application or the M&M container in order to parameterize the sensors in the field Oil & Gas Middle East covers the latest news and in-depth analysis across the region’s upstream sector leveraging its print and digital products to act as the meeting point of the oil and gas industry It is the premier source of information for industry leaders and professionals Home » Products & Services » Using Contactron hybrid motor starters in vertical conveyors Europlan Systemtechnik GmbH is always searching for suitable devices The hybrid motor starters in the Phoenix Contact Contactron product range satisfy the company’s complex requirements Alongside low space requirements in comparison to conventional solutions they feature a significant reduction in wiring and maintenance effort (lead) Jörn Hoffmann established his own company in 1993 growing it to become an engineering partnership with two other people by 1996 the company merged with various small companies in Grefrath am Niederrhein to form Europlan Systemtechnik GmbH a planning office for electrical engineering design In order to be able to provide the entire range of electrical equipment for machines and systems Europlan Systemtechnik moved to Kempen in 2000 Aside from a generously proportioned assembly hall there was enough space for further expansion Hoffman and his team developed and launched Europick a concept for controlling paperless order picking The solution provided users with the option of procuring a complete modular system including conveying technology with a Simatic S7 controller and the pick-by-light procedure all from a single source for the first time The planning office became so successful that it needed more space again the Executive Board decided to build its own building in 2013 Hoffmann and his employees moved back to Grefrath into a commercial hall with 800 square meters of floor space and 250 square meters of office space When asked about the focus of his business Hoffmann answered “Europlan Systemtechnik is a specialist for switching devices and PLC software We create our high-performance systems for wastewater treatment plants and water treatment from consulting and planning right through to startup in controllers and software for conveying systems in the field of logistics This field accounts for around 70 percent of our business.”  Both standard solutions and individual concepts Teamwork is a priority at Europlan Systemtechnik The various interests and experiences of the 11 employees complement each other ideally but do not lose sight of the cooperative work within the company they all provide each other with support in order that the customers benefit from the team’s accumulative expertise This approach ensures that the diverse projects are always realized with expertise and reliability – Regardless of whether the respective projects involve adaptations to standard solutions or tailored automation concepts Thanks to the team’s many years of experience and highly diverse technical and organizational knowledge users are always provided with the best possible solution These solutions feature short development times and low costs coupled with high levels of functionality and stability functional and access security also play a major role This is the perfect environment for the hybrid motor starters of the Phoenix Contact Contactron product range These products are used in the realization of space-saving conveying equipment for the automotive industry and other sectors The best example is the paperless order picking system mentioned above Hoffmann became aware of the motor starters while researching on the Internet He saw a Contactron ad promoting exactly the device features that he was interested in were switched and protected with a mechanical contactor combination and a mechanical motor protection relay This took up a large amount of space in the control cabinet The hybrid motor starters have clear advantages for example because the space saved thanks to their compact design can be used for realizing other automation tasks In comparison to reversing contactor groups the Contactron modules are just 22.5 mm wide – a space saving of almost 75 percent If the application demands an emergency stop function further 90 mm-wide emergency stop contactors are not necessary the tool-free Push-in connection technology significantly simplifies the already reduced wiring These are all good reasons why Europlan Systemtechnik has been relying on Contactron hybrid motor starters for years The devices also ensure higher system availability because they work with much less wear than conventional contactors Comparisons show that the service life of hybrid motor starters is ten times longer This durability is of particular importance in systems with a high switching cycle frequency Because Contactron modules can perform up to 30 million electrical switching cycles they usually do not have to be replaced during the service life of the system The user therefore benefits from lower maintenance effort and minimum downtimes This is another advantage in comparison to mechanical components which quickly reach their limit in such applications and must be replaced frequently resulting in lower productivity and higher costs The Contactron hybrid motor starters are a combination of electro-mechanical relays and electronic semiconductor switches that are controlled and monitored via a microcontroller The semiconductors execute the motor’s wear-prone on and off switching operations while the relays simply control the flow of electricity The microcontroller ensures smooth operation Thanks to the interplay between the mechanical relay and semiconductors the hybrid motor starters are highly compact in design Wherever three-phase asynchronous motors up to 3 kW must be directly started Contactron motor starters are the ideal solution An emergency stop function in accordance with SIL 3 and PL e is integrated into the devices – even though their overall width is just 22.5 mm the devices can be directly controlled via the PLC they are comparable to mechanical components but have a service life of 10 times longer and require around 75 percent less space and wiring effort and UL enable hybrid motor starters to be used in many industrial applications Jörn Hoffmann states in conclusion “Contactron products win thanks to their compactness and reliability we will also be using these devices in future projects They support us in ensuring that the quality and reliability of our machines are of the highest high level.” Such an important meal of the day for someone at work It was the thing that I used to look forward to most when I worked in an office What I ate depended on my mood and the weather Sometimes I'd want something simple and comforting other times a salad or something fresh and light if it was hot Big Mouth on Harris Street in Pyrmont is busy with people hankering for a fix of a comforting toastie or jaffle although I've seen huge queues there in the midst of summer too I am meeting Belinda here at 12 noon because I have a feeling that come 1pm the crowds will hit We take a look at the menu board but that's just a gesture because we had both scoured the menu online already All jaffles are $6.70 or you can make your own jaffle and we decide to get a mixed salad as well The lychee mint crush is nothing short of utterly refreshing and sweet They're assembled and cooked to order by a team that stand behind the counter Each jaffle comes with a piece of paper detailing what is in it to avoid confusion I'm pleased to see that they're sealed at the ends I spent many mornings using my parent's jaffle press during university There is quite a lot of potato in this and I would have loved a bit more chorizo as the potato made it a tad dry We choose the potato and olive jaffle because we want to try a vegetarian option (there are four of them and you can make up your own combo) Our favourite jaffle is the jerk chicken one It's also saucier than the others with the bbq sauce and corn giving it a good balance between toasted gooeyness There are also salads available and you can choose a combination of any of the five salads There is a mixed leaf salad with tomato slices sweet potato and caramelised onion salad and a spinach and marinated grilled vegetable salad It's a massive serving and best split between two or three people we notice that a sizeable crowd has gathered outside They're all waiting for their freshly toasted jaffles and Vienna bread sandwiches (which look enormous and like they could fill the perpetually hungry Mr NQN) It seems we're not the only jaffle obsessed individuals And what is your favourite meal of the day Secret documents and Second World War weapons found in an attic in Twickenham reveal the hidden past of its former owner who died in 2013 aged 99 In the two decades she lived at the very ordinary house at 26 Grimwood Drive and when she died just three people attended her funeral But evidence of a past life as a secret agent came to light when builders came across a cache of ammunition and weapons – including a still-functioning Sten sub-machine gun The discovery briefly prompted the evacuation of neighbouring homes as police carried out a thorough search of the property Police later confirmed that Ms Burgoyne had been posted overseas for the Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre (CSDIC) which operated interrogation centres around the world What is left of her personal file reveals she had studied French and Spanish at college in Manchester and then served for two periods from 1945-47 and 1950-53 was later sent her documents including letters and telegrams from the War Office photos of Hamburg devastated by allied bombing raids payslips from the Women’s Royal Army Corp and freedom passes from the Danish Allied Committee Also among her effects was an invitation to Kaiserhof Hotel which is just an hour’s drive from a controversial interrogation center at Bad Nenndorf used by the CSDIC for interrogating Nazi prisoners One of that trio of mourners at her funeral former neighbour in Grimwood Drive Nicky Murley who remembered her as “an avid theatre-goer” only wished Eileen Burgoyne’s service to her country could have been celebrated during her lifetime roads blocked and gusts hit 120kmh; one man killed in Cowra after a tree struck his car A man is dead and tens of thousands are without power after New South Wales was hit by heavy rain Greater Sydney and other parts of New South Wales were hit by a severe electrical storm on Wednesday, causing widespread flooding in the city centre, traffic chaos and forcing the abandonment of an A-League Women’s fixture. Storms and rain on Thursday are expected to be less severe, but people are being asked to monitor forecasts and steer clear of danger. A man was killed by a fallen tree in Cowra on Wednesday as a thunderstorm tore through central NSW before settling over Sydney and the coast. Read moreAnother four people were injured in Wagga Wagga when high winds ripped off the roofs of their demountable huts Crews worked to restore power to 95,000 customers with more than 155,000 customers experiencing blackouts during the peak of the outages The electricity network company Ausgrid said approximately 90% of the outages that occurred last night across NSW were due to lightning strikes with more than 300,000 strikes reported across the state The situation had been further exacerbated by high winds 0:33NSW storms: House burns down in Mudgee after power pole falls on it - videoAround 89,000 customers remained without power the Hunter and Newcastle regions hardest hit Ausgrid said crews had worked through the night to restore power to 50,000 homes and businesses and were focused on returning power to remaining customers as quickly and safely as possible NSW State Emergency Service crews received more than 2,250 calls and responded to more than 1,800 incidents in the 24 hours to 5am on Thursday predominantly for fallen trees and property damage Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email said volunteers were working through about 1,100 outstanding jobs on Thursday morning with more storms and rain predicted around the northern areas of the state obviously there’s a lot of holidaymakers up there .. people unfamiliar with those locations might be caught out,” he told ABC TV “You could see some really sharp river rises there that you’re not prepared for.” A minor flood watch has been issued for the Orara Wollombi Brook and Lower Hunter and the Paterson and Williams rivers The heaviest rainfall came on the south coast where 127mm fell at Eurobodalla and 102mm at Barlows Bay in the 24 hours to 9am on Thursday Severe thunderstorms will combine with a low-pressure weather system expected to bring up to 80mm of rain until Saturday including falls of up to 100mm predicted in some areas Detailed Severe Thunderstorm Warning for DAMAGING WINDS and HEAVY RAINFALLFor people in parts of Blue Mountains/Hawkesbury, Maitland/Cessnock, Sydney, Wollondilly/Wingecarribee and Greater Newcastle areas.Details: https://t.co/YirEXV8NvB pic.twitter.com/7TEwljaXGu The storm hit Sydney’s western suburbs shortly after 8pm and then moved over the CBD, flooding Town Hall station’s concourse and disrupting rail services already badly affected by the day’s industrial action Sydney Trains released a statement warning that there would be more delays on Thursday “Sydney Trains is forecasting another heavily degraded day on the network from early Thursday,” the statement said “when passengers will again face lengthy delays service cancellations and large service gaps as a result of over 350 bans that have been notified.” “Passengers should also be aware that tonight’s wild storms have caused trees to fall on overhead wiring at Normanhurst and Bell multiple signal/track failures at Shellharbour Junction and flooding at Town Hall which have all had varied impacts to services.” Roads were also badly affected with flood waters in Pyrmont blocking two lanes on the Western Distributor Strong winds were also a hazard with a gust of 100kmh recorded at Sydney airport Lightning forced Sydney FC’s A-League Women’s match against Canberra United at Leichhardt Oval to be abandoned The game was suspended in the 55th minute due to lightning in the area and less than an hour later was abandoned altogether The storm caused more damage later on in the Hunter region where a gust of 120kmh was recorded at Williamtown New South Wales police said that at about 3.50pm on Wednesday emergency services were called to Lachlan Valley Way and found a man had died after a tree fell on his car He has not been formally identified but was believed to be in his 80s Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time A number of your correspondents suggest the football codes have a better record when it comes to brain damage than combat sports (Letters which is why so few people participate in them continue to deny scientific findings and to promote full contact versions of their sports for young children Last year the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia called for full contact sport to be limited to over 14s would dramatically reduce a risk that reflects lifetime exposure which have no efficacy in preventing the internal brain damage that causes concussion and CTE might be compulsory in lower grades in the future Legendary former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali.Credit: Adrian Short As a child in a care institution in the 1950s I was compelled to fight in boxing matches until its council banned the sport because of research done by Baroness Edith Summerskill showing how becoming “punch-drunk” Maybe the only good thing to emerge from the Tszyu bloodbath therefore is that it reminds the public once again what becoming “punch drunk” means for the brain Boxing will not be banned but a case can and should be made that it be better supervised at every level to avoid calamitous damage I concur with Ray Alexander’s comments about the nature of boxing I go further by criticising those in the NRL media that actively support boxing How can they support the huge measures taking by the NRL to mitigate the effects of concussion yet support the brutal sport of boxing and its horrible concussion outcomes who apparently enjoy the spectacle of two people trying to smash each other into submission or even death should listen to Bob Dylan’s passionate song Who killed Davey Moore - says it all about this sordid industry Football codes have finally taken reasonable affirmative action on trying to protect head injuries yet we watch boxers belt each other into submission and fight on with severe facial cuts Governments need to step in and ban this gladiatorial madness is it wise to still allow professional boxing to continue as a spectator sport Surely we have not forgotten the brain injuries inflicted on the irrepressible Muhammad Ali Combine boxing with popular online war games; the kind of savage violence we witness on our screens - the kind once considered too abhorrent for public viewing - is it any wonder that we now live in a more violent society I strongly dislike and object to the photo of the very bloodied face of Tim Tszyu published in the Herald It is very sickening photo which will disturb many people The pledge by the NSW housing minister to endeavour to locate public housing tenants “everywhere in our city” is to be welcomed (“From wasteland to million dollar views; Sydney apartment building with a message for the future” Hopefully public housing tenants will never again be relocated from affluent areas The displacement of approximately 600 public housing tenants from Millers Point and The Rocks besides obliterating the class mix in the area destroyed a unique community and the lives of many of the tenants were severely impacted Critical social ties were shattered and many of the older tenants were no longer able to age in place moved to Greenway nearly 20 years ago.Credit: Rhett Wyman Interesting to see Housing Minister Rose Jackson’s comments regarding the Greenway social housing building that “It doesn’t matter if it is the wealthiest community in Sydney; there should be opportunities for public housing I wonder what the social housing tenants who were forcibly removed from The Sirius building in the Rocks would think of that It is good to see Jackson promoting social housing in all areas of Sydney and desirous of building “70 more Greenways” She should have plenty in the kitty to achieve this we were assured by previous Labor and Liberal governments that all moneys raised by the sell-off of public housing in areas such as the Rocks and Millers Point was earmarked for public housing projects There has never been a more urgent need for public housing in every suburb close to public transport for essential workers The previous government sold off existing public housing in better suburbs for profit thus increasing the public housing shortage The current NSW government’s aim is to build multi-storey housing near stations and transport hubs This policy falls short and requires the government to acquire one domicile for every 20 built thus providing public housing where it is need and cease past planning mistakes by providing public housing estates in the extremities of the city Brendan Jones is dead right (Letters The Liberals do not have policies that will shape our future; merely short-term ideas with little value their view is that it is your money so let’s draw on it and get a home have to hold the money in trust for your use at a later date The better idea is to formulate a housing policy that works for the younger generation which will complement superannuation growth for retirement In the US, 3M Company settles a class action for billions relating to the pollution and dire health effects of the “forever chemicals” it manufactures (“Defence ponders suing US polluter” From the moment they were known to be so damaging to our health and after use “linger for hundreds of years in the environment” So why are we told 3M is “exiting all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025″ Shouldn’t they have “exited” production a long time ago The appalling censorship of UNSW student paper Tharunka would never have happened in my days as co-editor in 1974 (“Students act to dodge uni ‘censors’” Back then we had a student union and the issue of censorship would have gone to a meeting of students to resolve The abolition of student unions was a product of revenge by former Liberal students Tony Abbott Peter Costello and Eric Abetz after they graduated in the 1970s from student politics to federal parliament in the 1990s In our days Tharunka exposed corruption in the university administration conducted lively debates on all issues and defended student rights Bravo to “Noise” and an independent student voice and Pepse have started a rival student newspaper amid claims the current publication is being censored from covering controversial topics.Credit: Rhett Wyman I thought the front page story on MPs being docked five per cent pay for bad behaviour was a day late Aprils Fools Day joke, but then I saw the MPs found to be behaving badly would be kept secret and I knew it was real (“MPs behaving badly face 5% salary clip” As a professional engineer retired from a fifty-year career, I am nervous about the enthusiasm of your correspondents (Letters April 2) for hydrogen as a “wonder fuel” for reducing greenhouse gas emissions Hydrogen is a difficult gas to handle safely But once it moves from specialist areas of industry including producing green electricity on a large scale the level of risk assessment needed goes up several notches I experienced the aftermath of three hydrogen explosions But this was more by good luck than good management and extensive rebuilds followed each A correspondent rightly states that with “enormous resources of wind and solar radiation” Australia should be producing green hydrogen Only one question mate; where’s all the spare water for the raw material Under the guise of “Western Distributor Improvements”, Transport for NSW and the NSW government are using the streets in Pyrmont, one of Sydney’s most densely populated suburbs, as “traffic relief valves” for WestConnex congestion (“Council irate as rat-run pressure rises” WestConnex has resulted in a marked increase in congestion in Pyrmont’s streets Pyrmont has limited entry and exit points and the pressure on local streets and traffic on the Anzac Bridge and the Western Distributor will soon be compounded by the developments at Blackwattle Bay the Pyrmont Metro tower and the Powerhouse Museum all of which are either being planned or are under construction Have Transport for NSW planned the “traffic relief valves” for the ensuing traffic chaos in and around Pyrmont The item about the dangers for pupils attending Fort Street Public School reminded me of the hazards I faced (alone) when attending that school in the late 1940s (“Parents ‘livid’ at injury risk at bridge cycleway choke point” I had three choices: taking the underground passageways to Upper Fort Street with the likelihood of encountering stranger danger; climbing to the footpath beside the roadway and walking back up again to school - safe but tedious - or if running late racing across at the tollgates while cars were stopped to tender their cash and ignoring the imprecations of the toll collectors Cyclists ride past as Melanie Tait holds the hand of her daughter Stella Comin as they drop off her daughter Kiki Comin a student at Fort Street Public School.Credit: Kate Geraghty Couldn’t agree more with Bella Westaway (“Fighting with family at Easter? It should be mandatory” Some of the most profound insights about myself and people I have gained were around post-dinner discussions or arguments that I have had with my family on a regular basis I also learnt the art and value of conflict management being able to articulate what I wanted to say and most importantly that not everyone who disagrees with you is your enemy especially in these times when we are all so divided and unable to discuss politics or society without wanting to destroy the other I can say with conviction that I have not “unfriended” anyone if they hold a view contrary to mine unless they physically or emotionally threaten me While we can portray a different image to what we actually are to outsiders often the discussions on the family dinner table will actually reveal what we really think about the world and people in it Amanda Hooton makes a convincing case for the major health benefits of gardening (“Growth mindset” My late husband and I established a small vineyard as our main garden on the north-facing slope of our Panton Hill property A government subsidy helped with the initial costs including posts Those vines grew so fast that barely 21 months later we had our first exciting harvest with the help of a happy Vietnamese team of pickers We sold our grapes to Yering Station and celebrated our gardening success and health with a bottle of our own wine - bliss I am okay with tomatoes but my carrots remain aspirational; I keep trying though and do find being in the garden as therapeutic as the article describes Amanda always finds such an appropriate way of bringing just a bit of herself into every article Tone Wheeler is on the money (“Prefab or pre-drab” There are already numerous companies out there supplying high-quality prefabricated and modular homes Limitations to the growth in use of prefab is the financial capital required to set up a factory to produce prefab panels or modular homes securing a pipeline of work to make it cost-effective and a change in society’s fixation that large fully brick McMansions are better than a well-designed modular lightweight clad home I live in a weatherboard home that is over 70 years old and when originally built was no more than 100 square metres If we want to get close to solving the housing problem then we need to consider all options including prefab options It seems that we have reached the stage with the word “existential” that we had reached with “fulsome” some years ago - it took years to wean public figures off misusing “fulsome” and it still pops up occasionally If it is intended to say that something is a threat to the continued existence of something else then that is what should be said Leave the phrase “existential crisis” to psychiatrists Good luck with trying to teach left and right in schools - I’m in my 80th year and my husband still asks “do you mean your left or the proper left?” when I give directions (Letters Obviously any early education instructions failed dismally Yes, Tim Overland, the secret is out and no doubt the Hills are alive with the sound of real estate agents’ phones ringing (Letters Maybe we should just tell everyone the article was an April Fool’s Day prank and they should stay where they are Bronwyn would be proud.(“Bowen defends use of two jets for one photo op with PM”, smh.com.au A number of your correspondents suggest the football codes have a better record when it comes to brain damage than combat sports ( its council banned the sport because of research done by Baroness Edith Summerskill showing how becoming \\u201Cpunch-drunk\\u201D is that it reminds the public once again what becoming \\u201Cpunch drunk\\u201D means for the brain I concur with Ray Alexander\\u2019s comments about the nature of boxing should listen to Bob Dylan\\u2019s passionate song Who killed Davey Moore - says it all about this sordid industry The pledge by the NSW housing minister to endeavour to locate public housing tenants \\u201Ceverywhere in our city\\u201D is to be welcomed (\\u201C\\u201D Interesting to see Housing Minister Rose Jackson\\u2019s comments regarding the Greenway social housing building that \\u201CIt doesn\\u2019t matter if it is the wealthiest community in Sydney; there should be opportunities for public housing I look forward to \\u2026.70 more Greenways\\u201D It is good to see Jackson promoting social housing in all areas of Sydney and desirous of building \\u201C70 more Greenways\\u201D The current NSW government\\u2019s aim is to build multi-storey housing near stations and transport hubs their view is that it is your money so let\\u2019s draw on it and get a home 3M Company settles a class action for billions relating to the pollution and dire health effects of the \\u201Cforever chemicals\\u201D it manufactures (\\u201C\\u201D and after use \\u201Clinger for hundreds of years in the environment\\u201D So why are we told 3M is \\u201Cexiting all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025\\u2033 Shouldn\\u2019t they have \\u201Cexited\\u201D production a long time ago The appalling censorship of UNSW student paper Tharunka would never have happened in my days as co-editor in 1974 (\\u201C\\u201D Bravo to \\u201CNoise\\u201D and an independent student voice I thought the front page story on MPs being docked five per cent pay for bad behaviour was a day late Aprils Fools Day joke but then I saw the MPs found to be behaving badly would be kept secret and I knew it was real (\\u201C\\u201D As a professional engineer retired from a fifty-year career I am nervous about the enthusiasm of your correspondents ( April 2) for hydrogen as a \\u201Cwonder fuel\\u201D for reducing greenhouse gas emissions A correspondent rightly states that with \\u201Cenormous resources of wind and solar radiation\\u201D Only one question mate; where\\u2019s all the spare water for the raw material Under the guise of \\u201CWestern Distributor Improvements\\u201D Transport for NSW and the NSW government are using the streets in Pyrmont one of Sydney\\u2019s most densely populated suburbs as \\u201Ctraffic relief valves\\u201D for WestConnex congestion (\\u201C\\u201D WestConnex has resulted in a marked increase in congestion in Pyrmont\\u2019s streets Have Transport for NSW planned the \\u201Ctraffic relief valves\\u201D for the ensuing traffic chaos in and around Pyrmont The item about the dangers for pupils attending Fort Street Public School reminded me of the hazards I faced (alone) when attending that school in the late 1940s (\\u201C\\u201D Couldn\\u2019t agree more with Bella Westaway (\\u201C\\u201D I can say with conviction that I have not \\u201Cunfriended\\u201D anyone if they hold a view contrary to mine unless they physically or emotionally threaten me Amanda Hooton makes a convincing case for the major health benefits of gardening (\\u201C\\u201D Tone Wheeler is on the money (\\u201C\\u201D a change in society\\u2019s fixation that large fully brick McMansions are better than a well-designed modular lightweight clad home It seems that we have reached the stage with the word \\u201Cexistential\\u201D that we had reached with \\u201Cfulsome\\u201D some years ago - it took years to wean public figures off misusing \\u201Cfulsome\\u201D and it still pops up occasionally Leave the phrase \\u201Cexistential crisis\\u201D to psychiatrists Good luck with trying to teach left and right in schools - I\\u2019m in my 80th year and my husband still asks \\u201Cdo you mean your left or the proper left?\\u201D when I give directions ( the secret is out and no doubt the Hills are alive with the sound of real estate agents\\u2019 phones ringing ( Maybe we should just tell everyone the article was an April Fool\\u2019s Day prank and they should stay where they are with its rooftop deck with pool and incredible views Venture capitalist Shayne Smyth has listed the Sydney Wharf penthouse he bought for $20m three years ago for $30m And given the current appetite for Sydney luxury property with harbour views he’ll probably achieve the 50 per cent gain via CBRE’s Caroline Fagerlund The three-bedroom, four-bathroom pad with triple parking at 45/56A Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont has a breathtaking uninterrupted 270-degree outlook over Sydney Harbour Bondi Beach unit block sells $1m+ over reserve 100-year-old George’s Bronte cottages sell for $14m The absolute waterfront north-facing penthouse offers a massive 463sqm of living space including a large rooftop entertainment deck with heated pool there are harbour and city views from all living rooms The living room has 6.6m high ceilings and a gas fireplace and the dining room has space to seat 12 people The penthouse comes with its own marina berth The spacious home office has built-in decks and a wide balcony The library and cocktail bar opens to a covered alfresco balcony with green walls and outdoor heating while the marble kitchen has Gaggenau appliances and a walk-in cool room The master suite features a custom-built walk-in wardrobe The complex offers 24-hour concierge and security along with an indoor pool and gym along with a rare exclusive marina berth on Sydney Wharf There’s level lift access to three secure car spaces and two large storage areas MORE: Kyle Sandilands’ $14m home surprise Unliveable Bondi penthouse sells $3m over reserve Prize home owner’s incredible win ends shock run of bad luck third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. I gave up the prize homeSophie Foster Kristan and Luke Driver with their children Summer at their new home in Pomona bought after selling their prize home for Luke bought with the winnings from a victorious prize home ticket They’re the ultimate dream homes — won off the back of $5 tickets — but two in every five prize home winners won’t end up staying in them RSL Art Union figures show around 34 of the 84 prize home draws won in the past decade were sold off by winners unemployed for eight months due to a sporting injury and about to move in with the in-laws when he was told he’d won over a year ago Mr Driver had won a multimillion-dollar six bedroom three bathroom Yandina Creek home on the Sunshine Coast — where he just happened to be moving for work within days nothing serious — I wanted to go to Bunnings to get PVC pipes to put my fishing rods in Luke Driver had two children when he won this RSL Art Union prize home almost two years ago He was in disbelief when told by an RSL Art Union staff member He snatched the phone off me because of the look of shock on my face he thought something had happened to one of the kids.” It took the officials two hours to convince the pair that it was indeed real Even his wife — who was at work — did not believe him: “I said Krissy we just won the RSL home are you drinking already?’ And she hung up,” he laughs The current RSL Art Union draw 366 pits a Noosa property versus a Pyrmont one Not a bad view from the Pyrmont property which will be drawn tomorrow “We literally packed our bags with clothes and stuff and drove to Krissy’s mum and dad’s house I found all the paperwork and the house was ours Mr Driver said there was never any likelihood that the young family would keep the home though — they needed the cash “I had to ask dad to buy some beers to celebrate,” he said We only had two kids at the time and they were still young the other was three and there were 87 stairs in the whole house It was great to live in it (for three months) They put it on the market for $1.45m and thought they would be waiting for a while for a buyer “because not everyone has $1.45m” but “we got the phone call that first afternoon” We got a bit more because we also got $90,000 worth of gold bullion.” They bought their dream home outright in Pomona the lady was like ‘have you got your finances sorted?’ We said ‘oh we’re just going to buy it with cash’ and she was just looking at us like ‘what’s going on here’.”