Latest news with #Elena
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WiFicandy Turned a Common Travel Headache into a Sweet Global Solution
WiFicandy Expands eSIM Travel Connectivity to 100+ Countries with 5G Support DUBLIN, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the most frustrating parts of international travel is scrambling for affordable and reliable internet access upon landing. It's a challenge most of us know all too well. Elena Slabutu, a tech enthusiast and travel lover, had experienced firsthand the frustration of unreliable public Wi-Fi and the inconvenience of pay-as-you-go SIMs. Hearing stories of tourists racking up hefty roaming fees and struggling with local SIM cards only reinforced her belief that this was a widespread and pressing issue. In 2018, she founded WiFicandy, a Dublin-based travel tech startup with a simple yet powerful mission: to make staying connected abroad as easy as enjoying a piece of candy. What began as one woman's search for a better solution became a globally loved service helping travelers explore with ease and peace of mind. Elena approached the problem not just as an entrepreneur, but from a traveller's perspective. Her early exposure to the travel connectivity space, working as an intern in 2014 at a startup that introduced portable Wi-Fi rentals to Ireland, planted the seed for what would eventually become her own venture. "For travelers, connectivity has become as essential as a passport," Elena says. "I launched WiFicandy so staying online is one less worry when exploring new places." She noticed a major gap in connectivity for travelers who ventured outside Ireland's major cities. Whether navigating the winding roads of the Wild Atlantic Way or exploring remote villages by public transport, access to reliable internet for maps, bookings, and translations became a necessity. Her empathy-driven solution began with portable Wi-Fi devices, pocket-sized hotspots that could connect up to eight devices and last a full day, perfect for group travelers or families. Later, she expanded the offering to include eSIM services for those who preferred a digital setup. Every step of WiFicandy's evolution was guided by users' feedback, including friends and family. Bootstrapped from the beginning, WiFicandy's early growth was far from easy. Elena borrowed seed money from her family and went unpaid for over a year while reinvesting every cent back into the business. Her dedication and resourcefulness paid off: in 2019, WiFicandy experienced a staggering 900% growth in turnover and gained a loyal following among visitors to Ireland and the UK. Today, WiFicandy offers hotspot rentals and flexible eSIM data packages covering over 100 countries. With innovations like 5G integration and expanded international delivery, the company continues to evolve. But the core mission remains the same: empowering travelers to stay effortlessly connected. Elena is also a proud member of the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC), where she shares her journey, connects with founders, and builds partnerships. "WiFicandy began with my own travel frustrations," Elena reflects. "Now it's a bridge that connects people to the world, to their loved ones, and to the joy of travel itself." Media Contact:Elena SlabuțuFounder & CEO, WiFicandyelena@ Photo - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE WiFicandy
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Street Fighter 6 Elena Update Breakdown: Full Patch Notes, Perfect Parry Adjustments, and Gameplay Changes
Street Fighter 6 Elena Update Breakdown: Elena, one of the most popular characters from the Street Fighter game franchise, is set to make her way to Street Fighter 6 on June 5. This essentially means that Capcom, the title's developer, is set to shake things up with an additional balance patch. There will also be some universal adjustments as the fighter from Kenya enters the mix. Street Fighter 6: Elena is here Elena, a free-spirited fighter, is set to be a part of Street Fighter 6. She will be added to the game on June 5. With this, the title will complete its second full season of DLC.. 'Outfit 3' will also be added for all four fighters added earlier in this cycle. The characters in question are M. Bison, Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and Elena herself. Interestingly, this update also coincides with the release of Street Fighter 6 on Switch 2. When Does Elena Release in Street Fighter 6? Update times revealed Elena is listed as a June 5 release. However, many Street Fighter users will be able to play as her on June 4 itself. The June update for Street Fighter 6, which features a Elena and a new balance patch, will be available on June 4. Here are the exact start and end times for the server maintenance. Maintenance Start: June 3 at 10 pm ET Maintenance End: June 4 at around 5 am ET Once the update is done, all online features will be available again, Moreover, the update will go live, meaning that Elena will be playable a day early. Street Fighter 6 - June Elena Update Patch Notes With the release of this update, as many as 25 other fighters have received balance adjustments. Most of the changes are minor ones. They adjust things like damage scaling. There, however, are a few notable changes for characters like Mai and Ryu. Mai Shiranui's moveset has been altered a bit with her Standing Heavy Kick taking a massive hit courtesy of added recovery time. Ryu, on the other hand, has received a few buffs. His Denjin Charge boosted attacks will now be more effective. However, his Donkey Kick remains untouched. Given the move's popularity, one can expect the character's stock to rise further. There are also a few changes to the mechanics. 'Screen Freeze' will no longer be applicable to all Perfect Parries. It will only happen when the correct direction is held in with regard to an incoming attack Coming to Throw Escapes, users who manage to break out of a grab will get more Drive Gauge and Super Art gauge. This change will make defensive play more rewarding.
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
Schoolgirl, 13, killed after javelin went through her eye in PE lesson pictured
A schoolgirl who died when a classmate threw a javelin towards her has been pictured for the first time. 13-year-old Anastasia Ryzhenko was struck in the eye with a javelin, sending her into a coma from which she never woke up. During a gym class, coach Vladimir Miroshnichenko had paired Anastasia with 16-year-old Timur in Prokhladny, Russia. The coach had 'turned away' when the javelin was thrown, but Timur warned Anastasia when it was too late. Anastasia's mum, Elena, said: 'At that very moment, he threw it, then he called out to her. She raised her head, and the spear hit her in the eye.' Her eye socket was stabbed with the javelin, and her jaw also broke, sparking internal bleeding into her lungs, her mum said. An investigation has been launched by the Russian Investigative Committee. Tributes have been shared online for young Anastasia, who would have celebrated her 14th birthday today. Mum Elena shared gratitude for the first responders and doctors who tried to save Anastasia. More Trending But she added: 'The boy's mother does not admit her son's guilt at all,' said Elena. During all this time, she never came. And the coach didn't come, only on the day of the funeral. 'As a mother, I would have crawled on my knees pleading: 'Forgive me, excuse me, maybe I can help, let me at least take you there?' The Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement: 'The investigation has studied all the circumstances of the incident, interrogated eyewitnesses, employees of the sports school and the relevant ministry, seized documentation regulating the procedure for conducting field training sessions and ensuring safety, and other measures are being taken to collect evidence. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: At least 13 newborns trafficked abroad to 'infertile' parents for £510,000 MORE: Russian court bans memes portraying Putin as modern-day Hitler MORE: Ex-CIA chief reveals where in Europe he thinks Putin will invade next
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Horrific twist of fate that saw girl, 13, killed by a javelin thrown into her EYE during school lesson emerges - as mother condemns PE teacher
A mother whose teenage daughter was killed after a javelin speared her through the eye in a sports field horror has condemned her child's PE teacher and the 16-year-old boy who threw the lance. Anastasia R, 13, died in hospital four days after the freak incident in Prokhladny, Russia on May 3. Speaking out about the tragedy, the teen's mother Elena said coach Vladimir Miroshnichenko, 51, had his back turned to his class when the 7-ft-long javelin was thrown by a student named only as Timur. And in a shocking twist of fate, the javelin only struck the victim in the eye because she looked up just at the last moment when the boy called out a warning, Elena has alleged. 'Not before throwing the spear, but at that very moment he threw it, then he called out to her,' the grieving mother has said. 'She raised her head, and the spear hit her in the eye.' Anastasia, whose eye socket was pierced, also had her jaw broken and began to bleed internally into her lungs, according to reports. She was rushed to hospital and remained in intensive care, but died four days later from her terrible wounds. Anastasia would have turned 14 later this month. Elena also condemned Timur's mother for not admitting to her 'son's guilt.' 'As a mother, I would have crawled on my knees pleading: 'Forgive me, excuse me, maybe I can help,' Elena said. She also criticised them for failing to attend Anastasia's funeral. 'Not a single one came, they didn't say: 'Forgive me, excuse me'. The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into Anastasia's death. It said in a statement that the 'left without the supervision of the teacher conducting the lesson, threw a javelin, which hit the head of an underage pupil of the school born in 2011. 'The victim was immediately taken to a medical facility to receive medical assistance, where she died a few days later from the injuries she received.' 'The investigation has studied all the circumstances of the incident, interrogated eyewitnesses, employees of the sports school and the relevant ministry, seized documentation regulating the procedure for conducting field training sessions and ensuring safety, and other measures are being taken to collect evidence,' it added. 'The actions of those responsible will be given a proper legal assessment.' Officials are also assessing the actions of the teacher who left the students unsupervised. The regional prosecutor's office has initiated its own review into the quality of services provided by the sports school. It was not clear whether the coach - who has not commented on the girl's death - had been detained pending the investigation. The teen's death comes after an Australian high school student was impaled by a javelin in a freak accident during a PE lesson back in 2020. The 12-year-old boy pierced his groin when he tripped over the razor-sharp gym equipment at Saint Stephen's College in the northern Gold Coast suburb of Coomera. The boy still had parts of the javelin inside his body when he arrived at the Gold Coast University Hospital after fire crews had broken off the ends with cutting equipment. The boy is believed to have fallen on top of the javelin after he tried to jump over it while it was stuck in the ground, The Courier-Mail reported. The same year in Australia, a man in his 60s was impaled by a javelin after he fell three metres through a roof. The horrific incident happened in Gladstone, Queensland.
Yomiuri Shimbun
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of Prisoners in First Phase of a Major Exchange
The Associated Press A Ukrainian serviceman Alexander, 45, hugs his wife Elena, 39, after returning from captivity during a POWs exchange between Russia and Ukraine, in Chernyhiv region, Ukraine, Friday, May 23, 2025. CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine began a major prisoner exchange Friday, swapping hundreds of soldiers and civilians in the first phase of an exchange that was a moment of cooperation in otherwise failed efforts to reach a ceasefire in the 3-year-old war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the first phase brought home 390 Ukrainians, including soldiers and civilians, with further releases expected over the weekend that will make it the largest swap of the war. Russia's Defense Ministry said it received the same number from Ukraine. 'It's very important to bring everyone home,' Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, thanking all who worked to secure their return and pledging to continue diplomatic efforts to make more exchanges possible. Dozens of relatives of prisoners cheered and chanted 'Thank you!' as buses carrying the freed captives arrived at a medical facility in Ukraine's Chernihiv region. The men, some with expressionless faces and others unable to contain their emotions, got off the buses wrapped in Ukrainian flags for joyful reunions. Kyiv and Moscow agreed in Istanbul last week to the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side in their first direct peace talks since the early weeks of Russia's 2022 invasion. That meeting lasted only two hours and brought no breakthrough in U.S.-led efforts efforts to stop the fighting. Exchanges at the Belarus-Ukrainian border The swap took place at the border with Belarus in northern Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The released Russians were taken to Belarus for medical treatment, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The exchange, which would be the latest of dozens of swaps since the war began and the biggest involving Ukrainian civilians at one time, didn't herald any halt in fighting. Battles continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed, and neither country has relented in its deep strikes. Russia launched two ballistic missiles at infrastructure targets in the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, killing two workers and injuring eight others, according to regional Gov. Oleh Kiper. It was the first recorded attack on the port since March 11. Moscow's forces attacked settlements in the Kherson region with artillery, mortars and drones throughout the day, killing three civilians and injuring 10, according to the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office. They also shelled Kostyantynivka with artillery, killing one civilian, said Serhii Horbunov, head of the city's military administration. Emotional reunions for some, but others must wait As the freed men entered the medical facility, people holding signs and photos of their relatives shouted names or brigade numbers, seeking any news of a loved one. The returning men inspected the photos, and a serviceman said he shared a cell with one of those on the sea of portraits held out toward him. 'Vanya!' cried Nataliia Mosych, among the gathered relatives, 'My husband!' She hadn't seen her husband, Ivan, for almost two years, she said, beaming. 'It is an unbelievable feeling. I am still in shock,' Mosych said after he came outside to greet his family following registration procedures inside the facility. 'I am really glad, and we were not forgotten, and we still mean something for Ukraine.' Many who were freed expressed shock and disbelief that they had been exchanged. Some had trouble remembering names and details of their lives before their capture. One released POW joked in a video call with his girlfriend that he got a bit older in his three-year absence, and she replied he was as beautiful as ever. Many relatives wept when it became clear their loved ones were not among those returning, and they hoped those who were released could at least offer some information about their husbands, brothers and sons. 'Maybe my dad will come tomorrow,' one small boy cried. News of the prisoner release emerged when U.S. President Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had carried out a large exchange. 'A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine,' Trump said on the Truth Social platform. He said it would 'go into effect shortly.' He added in the post that 'this could lead to something big???' — apparently referring to other diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. No new Russia-Ukraine talks are set After the May 16 talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the prisoner swap a 'confidence-building measure' and said the parties had agreed in principle to meet again. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that there has been no agreement yet on the venue for the next round of talks as diplomatic maneuvering continued. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday night that Moscow would give Ukraine a draft document outlining its conditions for a 'sustainable, long-term, comprehensive' peace agreement once the ongoing prisoner exchange had finished. European leaders have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts while he tries to press his larger army's battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. The Istanbul meeting revealed that both sides remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. The Kremlin has pushed back on a temporary halt to hostilities, and Putin has said any such truce must come with a freeze on Western arms supplies to Ukraine and an end to Ukraine's mobilization drive. A senior Ukrainian official said in Istanbul that Russia had introduced new, 'unacceptable demands' to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory. The official, who was not authorized to make official statements, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The proposal had not been previously discussed, the official said. Putin has long demanded as a key condition for a peace deal that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the four regions that Russia annexed in September 2022 but never fully controlled. Zelenskyy has warned that if Russia continues to reject a ceasefire and make 'unrealistic demands,' it will signal deliberate efforts to prolong the war — a move that should bring tougher international sanctions. Russia's Defense Ministry said it had shot down 788 Ukrainian drones away from the battlefield between May 20 and May 23. Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 175 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as a ballistic missile since late Thursday.
