Latest news with #Francine


Evening Standard
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Chic, ultra-curated and small-batch: how second-hand fashion is moving on from Vinted
Had enough of scrolling the tens of thousands of Vinted hits, in search for a new (old) treasure? Last month, a new luxury second hand platform launched which is not your average resale site. Called Francine and run by Amy Bannerman, who currently works as eBay's pre-loved style director, it's a much more curated approach. The number of items on sale are small: 10 to 20 items per collection, and they're all unique. The first 'drop' was a collection of gorgeous upcycled, vintage leather jackets that were hand-painted by artist Chiara Perano; the second is a collection of embellished Teva sandals.

Zawya
6 days ago
- General
- Zawya
Democratic Republic of the Congo - Bana Education: Distance learning for displaced children, with support from Radio Okapi
When asked what she prefers at school, Francine, 12 years old, looks up with a shy smile. What she loves above all is discovering new things — especially in science. Later, she dreams of becoming a nurse. Francine lives at the Kigonze displaced persons site, on the outskirts of Bunia, in Ituri. Like thousands of other children, she fled violence with her family, leaving behind her school, her friends, and her landmarks. Today, she lives with her aunt and follows a catch-up school program at Saint-Luc primary school, built on the site so that learning wouldn't become a lost memory of exile. It's there that she discovered Bana Education, a radio program broadcast by Radio Okapi, designed to bring school to those who no longer have easy access to it. When Learning Comes Through the Airwaves In one of the classrooms, the teacher adjusts the volume of a speaker connected to a mobile phone. About thirty students listen attentively. The clear voice of a radio educator resonates in the room. The day's lesson is about gallinaceous birds. " We use live radio or the rebroadcasts they send us. Thanks to the teacher speaking in easy-to-understand terms, the children follow the lessons. We see that they understand better. They are more motivated," explains the teacher. In this school, as in others located in areas with limited access to scholastic instruction, Bana Education has become a pillar of education. A precious solution where textbooks are rare and teachers are understaffed. Implemented by Radio Okapi, this program accompanies children experiencing school dropout or living in areas affected by conflicts. It offers educational support in mathematics, science, French, and general culture, in a simple, interactive, and adapted manner. At Saint-Luc school, which hosts 978 students, including 555 girls, children are divided into three levels according to their educational background. The radio program is integrated into classes to expand access to education. Concrete and Encouraging Results Loti Benoît, director of the institution, testifies: " Many children here are in precarious situations. Some have lost several years of schooling after fleeing violence. We sometimes welcome them without report cards, without clear history. Bana Education is precious support. Children want to learn. When they hear the radio, their eyes light up." He emphasizes the program's impact, particularly for children in examination classes: " Several ENAFEP questions focused on concepts heard in the broadcasts, especially in general culture. This helps strengthen their level." Listening, Learning... and Still Dreaming Eliya, 14 years old, is in sixth grade. He fled the territory of Djugu with his family. He confirms the program's usefulness: " I love the science classes. On the ENAFEP, there was a question about oviparous animals. I knew how to answer because I had heard it in Bana Education!" His dream: to become a doctor to "heal people in the community." At the TARAJA school catch-up center, also in Bunia, Évodi, a third-level student, recounts: " This program saves me. What I don't understand well in class, I listen to again at home during holidays. Once, I had homework on adverbial phrases, I understood nothing. Then I listened to Bana Education, I did my exercise well and got a good grade." Education, Even at a Distance Bana Education is much more than a school broadcast. It's a ray of hope broadcast daily over the airwaves. An appointment that thousands of children await, sometimes gathered around an old radio in their reception center or at home. In a province marked by years of conflict, it gives meaning back to learning, structures days, brings continuity... and above all, dignity. In Ituri, in a region still marked by conflicts, education remains a daily challenge. Today, thanks to this initiative carried by Radio Okapi with MONUSCO support, aid takes another form — that of a voice, knowledge, a lesson. Because a child who learns is a child who hopes. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l'Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).


Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
‘Crew screamed 'evacuate' so we LEAPT from plane's wings': Inside Ryanair panic as airline accused of downplaying horror
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PASSENGERS have claimed it was "pure hell and chaos" on the Ryanair flight where people were injured when they leapt metres down from the wing. Protocol allegedly went out the window when a steward ran down the aisle screaming "evacuate, evacuate" and panicked passengers clamoured to escape after a false fire alert. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Passengers can be seen standing on the wing Credit: Solarpix 7 Francine Elkinson suffered a bad break to her right foot Credit: Supplied 7 Richard and Jo Barton blamed the chaos on the 'appalling' response by the Ryanair team Credit: Supplied Footage of the Manchester-bound plane on the tarmac in Palma, Majorca shows a cluster of people on the wing - with some plunging to the ground. Multiple passengers required surgery for badly broken bones after plunging metres onto the tarmac - despite the airline claiming only "very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc.)" were sustained. Francine Elkinson, 57, suffered a bad break to her right foot and had to undergo a three-hour operation to have pins and plates inserted. Speaking from her hospital bed in Palma on Monday, Francine told The Sun: "I was watching a film when suddenly they told everyone to evacuate. read more in world news SICK BRAG Brit traitor who fights for Vlad brags he's won medal for 'wiping out' Ukrainians "There was an open door and I just went through it. I was so terrified and in a daze that I didn't know what was going on, and I jumped." Francine said she was among three people taken to the hospital in Palma - and believes there were six overall with broken bones. Emergency services in Majorca reported that 18 people had been injured in total. Ryanair has organised for Francine to return to the UK on a flight this evening - but she said she is "terrified" and doesn't want to fly again. Her friend, Danielle Kelly, 56, was back in surgery on Monday for a third operation after breaks to her foot, wrist and elbow all needed pins inserting. Other passengers who were onboard have blamed the Ryanair staff for the "totally chaotic" evacuation. Passenger planes left buried in FOAM in hanger with suds spilling over runway after giant fire extinguishers go wrong Richard and Jo Barton, from Saddleworth, Greater Manchester, slammed the airline team's behaviour as "appalling", insisting: "They completely failed." Richard, in his late sixties, said: 'I can't believe what Ryanair are currently claiming. 'They're brushing it off as just a few sprained ankles and banal injuries- that's not what happened. Jo, in her early 60s, said: "I witnessed a woman with a dislocated leg in a weird angle, it wasn't just sprains and bruises. 'In reality, it was pure hell and chaos. I could see men even pushing women and children out of the way to get out for safety. 'People were scrambling to get off the plane through the exit doors leading to the wings, with people leaping 15 feet from the wings to the ground. 'Those people broke their arms, legs and shoulders and they were screaming and crying in agony." Richard pins the chaos on the "lack of training and terrible handling" by the team of air stewards. 7 Passengers file away after abandoning the plane Credit: Solarpix 7 The 'chaotic' evacuation happened on the runway of Majorca's largest airport Credit: Getty He said: "One them was yelling: 'Evacuate, evacuate!' "Some lads pushed the emergency exit open over the wing, because that's what you're told to do in the safety briefing, and people went out onto the wing. "Everyone thought there was a fire and there was nobody at all there to direct them - so some people jumped out of panic." The former operations director believes even one of the air stewardesses broke her leg after plunging from the wing. "I know this because I helped carry her 50 years away from the plane," he said. The couple claims that after the passengers evacuated, wounded people were lying around in an unsafe area near the plane - and were forced to wait up to 30 minutes for medical help. 7 Richard and Jo vowed they would never fly with Ryanair again Credit: Supplied 7 Ryanair claimed that passengers suffered 'very minor injuries' and apologised for the 'inconvenience' Passengers were left hanging around with minimal information until a new flight was finally arranged at 7am, Richard said. Ryanair's said: 'This flight from Palma to Manchester (4 July) discontinued take-off due to a false fire warning light indication. "Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal. "While disembarking, a small number of passengers encountered very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc.) and crew requested immediate medical assistance. "To minimise disruption to passengers, we quickly arranged a replacement aircraft to operate this flight, which departed Palma at 07:05 this morning. "We sincerely apologise to affected passengers for any inconvenience caused.' The airline has been contacted for further comment.


Bloomberg
02-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
BOE's Taylor Calls for Three More Rate Cuts in 2025
00:00 You've been in the job for a year. What's been the biggest difference? Well, thank you, Francine. It's supposed to be here. It is coming up on a year. And I think that's causing me to reflect, especially here in a breezy center, that the the economic winds have been shifting. So the way I would describe the evolution of my outlook and my thinking is I, I think a year ago, as in many central banks, the the view was that we were on track for a soft landing. We'd had a burst of high inflation rates and rates have been elevated to counteract that with high interest rates in the past, you would have normally expected some kind of slowdown in the economy, but that kind of damage wasn't happening. So there was a lot of optimism around that and I think a sense that we were progressing back towards target without undue economic damage. Now, things have shifted. I think I would say now that soft landing is at risk in my view. We've seen the economy slowing down in the UK, inflation in terms of core measures coming back towards target. There is a bump in 2025, which we're going to talk about, I'm sure. But now my worry is when we get into 2026, we're coming back to Target. But the danger could be overshooting to the other side, where we end up with the economy below capacity and inflation potentially undershooting. So I think that that's the sort of now. Yeah. And Alan, you've been very clear that you think we're so far away, away from where you think the neutral rate is. So would you go to bigger cuts? I don't think bigger cuts are necessarily needed or desirable, but I think, you know, we only meet eight times a year. So there's a kind of integer problem. You've got so many cuts you can do in a year. The market has interpreted, you know, gradual to mean once a quarter. But if you feel that a slightly faster easing might be needed, if you're worried about mounting downside risks, then you need to get an extra cut in somewhere if you think maybe five cuts are needed. So, you know, it could come at different points depending on how the centre of the committee moves. Will you vote for a 50 basis point cut again? Well, I'm not going to prejudge my vote. I think everything has to be taken into consideration afresh, each meeting. So as everyone likes to say, we're not on a preset path. It's it almost doesn't need to be said, but you have to look at the data afresh each time. And we're going to be getting new information on the trajectory of inflation. We're coming out with a new forecast in August. We're going to have more information about where wage settlements are landing, which is a particularly important indicator for me and for the rest of the committee. So I think we're going to look at that and each time. How much do you worry about the labour market and it actually deteriorating quickly? We've seen signs in certain data. Yeah, I think we're starting to see cracks there. So the unemployment rate is rising in a new forecast, latest forecast, it's going to top out at around 5%. Vacancy to unemployment ratio has been coming down very steadily. It was tight a year ago. That's another big change. And Steph, to judgment now is that we've got some labour markets like. So I think we're in a point now where we've got slack in the economy, we've got an output gap. And so I'm comfortable there that the underlying inflationary pressures in terms of the demand and supply balance and I am tipping the other way. So I think that's helping the disinflation process along quite helpfully in inflation though, do worry about second round effects. I mean, again, there's there's concern about what happens after the trade negotiations in the next couple of weeks and months. Right. So I think I'd maybe separate that into into three little chunks. I know you've got a lot to go through, but I'll go with the rule of three here. So second round effects, I worry about those most with energy, right. So energy is a key input. It's it's well at the chain in terms of you know, it's upstream from a lot of things. It's an input used in many other sectors. So the energy shock look back at the history of the last 50 years, what's taken us away from Target the most. It's been two big energy shocks in the seventies and now. And so second round effects that are a big worry, something like food, it's more of a final product. I don't worry about the transmission through the input output structure of the economy, but you worry more there about does it dislodge inflation expectations. So I think the key to me though, is to focus on expectations measures. They don't always disagree. Households, financial markets, businesses say different things, but I think that's that's maybe less of a concern than if we have an energy shock. But given that I mean, there was a because of the energy shock, is there, you know, a worry that actually you have the deteriorating labour market, but also inflation going through a tough time in the next couple of months? Yeah. So this was really why I was kind of a little bit in a wait and see mode in the start of the year. In the first quarter, the first two meetings I was hit with a lot of new data. The hump became apparent. A lot of that was from administered prices, so it wasn't really something predictable out of the demand. And supply balance in the economy. It was news about electricity, about water, about Texas, about any number of things. Those stick around. Once they're in, they're in for 12 months. But we're fairly comfortable at the moment saying when that 12 month period comes to an end, they're going to start to fall off in 2026. So I think is that as we get more comfortable and more data came in and the underlying measures, particularly the wage inflation I mentioned, we started to see wage settlements which were coming in absolutely in line with our agents PACE survey as we went through 2025 over the last few months, I felt more comfortable that that disinflation process is intact and it's progressing as I would have expected. I need to ask you about Katy, because we had a hint yesterday from Governor Bailey that we may be getting a smaller overall balance sheet run off in the next year or two because of constraint liquidity at the end of the curve at the long end curve. Do you think sticking to the £100 billion run off would actually be too rapid? Well, as the governor mentioned, we're about to go into the review of that actually starts this week. And I'm going to spend two months poring over the figures, thinking about the situation and the context matters. We're in a different place than we were a year ago. So that has to be taken into consideration. I mean, the broader context here is that we're transitioning to a different regime in the long run with liquidity coming through repo rather rather than through outright asset purchases. And that should be a gradual transition, and that's what we have in mind. So I think that destination hasn't changed. But just as we said a moment ago, with the right decision not being on a preset path, I don't think one should think of the q t being on a preset path either. So it's a very much alive decision and I think we have to look look at the context, liquidity in the market, how does it interact with monetary policy? We're voting as the Monetary Policy Committee. Do we think asset purchases and sales are perfect substitutes for bank rate? That may not be strictly true. Not without a lot of, you know, very special assumptions. So I think all of that is going to be taken into consideration.


New York Post
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Everything old is old again — like Putin playing with Stalin's handbook
Everything old is old again Contrary to popular belief, I have thoughts. Putin. Playing us in the Ukraine like Stalin played us in Korea. The USA negotiated that Korean armistice for years — but fighting continued. The armistice? Not signed until Stalin died. Putin is playing with Stalin's handbook. Now, we speak of the Great White Way. Broadway is shrinking to narrow way. Current productions shrivel and there's yesteryear's reruns like 'Cabaret,' 'Chicago,' 'The Music Man' and 'Othello.' OK, so maybe a $2 bill isn't returning, but white powdery round doughnuts have been making their moves. And young people are moving back in with their parents. Cinema? Besides an upjuiced Tom Cruise still smashing, bashing and trashing, there's maybe a 600th 'Star Wars' and soon maybe Shirley Temple outfitted in some shmatta from a consignment shop. Next up? Garter belts, stockings and boobs INSIDE bras. Coming next? Sitting in a rumble seat it'll be Tom Hanks playing a teen and De Niro chasing one. Forget Christmas. We'll re-see 'Miracle on 33rd Street,' a silent 'It's a Wonderful Life' and campaign buttons that say 'Vote for Thomas E. Dewey for President.' Want more? How's corduroy, plaids, chunky sweaters, vinyl records, recorders, vintage cameras, hairpieces. Watch. Before you know it we'll get a cloned Richard Nixon back again. Don't forget convertible cars or retro office buildings getting reborn into cozy apartments. Year by year, bit by bit, day by day, what's NOT going back is the way you used to look good in that magnifying mirror. Contrary to popular belief, I have thoughts. Giving back to alma mater WHAT's going forward is the top women's college — Barnard. Graduates include Greta Gerwig, Helen Gahagan Douglas, Eileen Ford, Twyla Tharp, Sheila Nevins, Erica Jong, Cynthia Nixon, Jeane Kirkpatrick — and philanthropist Francine LeFrak who last week opened the Francine A. LeFrak Center for Well-Being. It provides holistic support across key dimensions of health and wellness — physical, mental, financial. She previously opened the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Theater which seats 2,300. At the opening, Brian Stokes Mitchell sang 'The Impossible Dream' to honor the late Ethel who had a big crush on Brian Stokes Mitchell long back — when he had just two names. ALSO changed? The medical fraternity. Tell your doctor: 'Oh, I'm suddenly so grateful to you. I'm just beginning to suddenly feel a bit better. How can I ever repay you for taking care of me?' Doctor: 'By check, cash or money order.' FOR sure mostly in New York, kids, mostly in New York.