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Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Kerry charity launches cycle to provide supports to children with special needs
The local charity who provide support to families right across Kerry need the public's help to help fund supports like speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and job training for older children. The cycle scheduled for June 22 has been launched ahead of the annual Tour De Munster which is takes place in August and raises funds for Munster's Down Syndrome charities. The Kerry charity have put out a call for cyclists to come and take part in the event and "make a meaningful difference in the lives of those with Down Syndrome in Kerry.' "While our cycle raises important funds to support services to our members and their families it also puts Down Syndrome Kerry in the public view and offers the local community an opportunity to support the charity and take part in a fun event,' said Chairperson John O'Connor. Whether you're an experienced cyclist or looking for a fun family outing, there is a route to choose from with a 95km route for the seasoned cyclist heading to Kenmare and Molls Gap, a 75km route also taking in Molls Gap and Ladies View and a 25km family route around Muckross and Dinis. The event starts and finishes at St. Oliver's National School, Ballycasheen, where ample parking will be available. Along the way, there will be complimentary refreshments at rest stops and at the finish line. A raffle is also being run in conjunction with the event with some great prizes on offer including an overnight stay at the 4-star Castlerosse Hotel and Resort.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Arson attack possible cause of Cannes power cut
Arsonists could be behind a major power cut at the Cannes Film Festival, according to French police. The power cut caused chaos just hours before the festival's star-studded closing ceremony, with local media suggesting it could have been caused by 'malicious acts'. The French national gendarmerie confirmed that officials were 'looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately', reported Reuters. It added that no arrests had been made so far. Mobile networks, 4G, traffic systems and train lines were all affected, making travel and communication difficult. The headquarters of the festival switched to a backup power supply that organisers hoped would allow the closing ceremony to take place. An official statement from the festival said: 'A power outage is currently affecting the city of Cannes and surrounding areas. At this stage, the cause of the outage has not yet been identified. Restoration efforts are under way. 'The Palais des Festivals has switched to an independent power supply, allowing all scheduled events and screenings, including the closing ceremony, to proceed as planned and under normal conditions.' The first signs of power trouble were seen ahead of a press conference with The Crown star John O'Connor, when a loud bang was heard in the festival building, before it was plunged into temporary darkness. Guests were later seen paying for drinks and ice cream in cash, while expensive local restaurants lost the use of card machines. France Info, a radio network, broadcast unconfirmed reports that two 'malicious acts' took place along train lines in the Var region, to the west of Cannes, before the blackout. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Irish Independent
06-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Changes to Rent Pressure Zones needed to cope with growing population, Cabinet to be told
The report by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) – the body that advises the Taoiseach on policy and strategy – outlines proposals to ensure future population growth is spread across Ireland's five largest cities. Among its recommendations are that 'more flexible rent controls' are needed to increase housing supply. This report is separate to an 'options paper' on RPZs which has been presented to Housing Minister James Browne. That review outlines a number of options including allowing landlords to increase rents by more than the 2pc cap that is currently in place. The NESC report on 'Deepening Compact Growth in Ireland' will further feed into the Government's thinking on what to do when RPZs expire at the end of this year. RPZs were introduced in 2016 to try to calm soaring rents and have been extended ever since. They will need to stay in place for at least another two years while an alternative system of rent controls is formulated, Housing Commission chairman John O'Connor has said. The NESC report details how to ensure that at least half of the population growth between now and 2040 takes place within five cities and their suburbs. The Land Development Agency will have an important role in making this happen over the next 15 years. At least 50pc of that growth should be in Dublin and the other half in four other cities: Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford, the report said. Between 2016 to 2022, the share of population growth represented by the five cities was just 32pc. The National Planning Framework target of having 40pc of new housing developments within existing, built-up areas is now being achieved, but the NESC said even more could be done. The report, to be presented to the Cabinet by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, outlines the benefits of 'compact growth', including 'higher productivity and innovation, more sustainable travel, improved access to services and lower energy consumption'. The report welcomes commitments in the Programme for Government relevant to compact growth, including the creation of a new strategic fund to invest in infrastructure, the enactment of a new Compulsory Purchase Order Bill and ensuring every local authority has an expanded vacant property team in place. Other recommendations include: going further than the current target of having 40pc for new housing developments within existing built-up areas; increasing investment in cost-rental homes; developing a brownfield activation strategy; and encouraging 'densification of existing areas' including more use of corner sites, gardens and mews development. It also recommends an increase in public investment to unlock land suited for desirable compact growth. The NESC recommends the Government should, where possible, continue to seek reductions in the construction costs of apartments as well as houses and a 'more three-dimensional approach for planning in areas subject to the prospects of significant regeneration and change', to help people understand what is involved in new development and thereby facilitate deeper engagement. Meanwhile, the Cabinet will also discuss its latest economic and fiscal projections. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will get approval for the first Annual Progress Report, which will be presented to the European Commission. The report outlines how Ireland will comply with EU budget and debt rules, and replaces what used to be the Stability Programme Update. The EU is allowing opt-outs from the fiscal rules to allow states to spend more on defence. But Ireland is not expected to be among the countries that will seek such an exemption. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan is also expected to seek approval to extend the laws allowing outdoor seating for licensed premises for another six months until the end of November 2025. The Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 was introduced as a temporary, Covid-related provision to facilitate safer outdoor socialising. The relevant provisions of the act can be extended for up to six months at a time by resolution of each House of the Oireachtas. The extension is requested to give clarity to licensed premises, local authorities and gardaí.
Toronto Sun
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Toronto Sun
Authorities believe crash through Illinois after-school building that killed 4 wasn't targeted
Published Apr 29, 2025 • 2 minute read Emergency vehicles block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, Ill. Photo by John O'Connor / AP CHATHAM, Ill. (AP) — Three children and a teenager were killed and others were injured when a car drove through an after-school building in a small city outside Springfield, Illinois, but authorities said Tuesday it likely was not a targeted attack. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The car left a road, crossed a field and smashed into the side of the building in Chatham on Monday afternoon, Illinois State Police said in a statement. It travelled through the building, striking numerous people before exiting the other side. Police said two 7-year-olds, an 8-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed. Six more children were taken to hospitals and one remains in critical condition. The driver, who was not injured, was taken to a hospital for evaluation and police said toxicology reports are pending. The driver, a 44-year-old woman, was not in custody on Tuesday morning and the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Police said the crash doesn't appear to have been a targeted attack. The struck building houses Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors, which holds after-school programs and summer camps, according to its website. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Although the reason for the deadly crash is not yet known, it was not the first of its kind. Only two days earlier, a car plowed through a crowded street during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, killing 11 people. 'I cannot gather the words to express much of anything that will make sense in print. However, I do know that our families who suffered loss and injury today, are hurting very, very badly,' YNOT Outdoors Founder Jamie Loftus said in a social media post on Monday. 'They are friends and their kids are like our kids.' Loftus said security camera footage showed a vehicle that left the road 'a substantial distance' away and sped across the field toward the building. 'With no apparent attempt to alter its direction,' it crossed a road, sidewalk and into YNOT's parking lot, then into the building,' Loftus said. After passing through the building, the vehicle crossed a gravel road and crashed into a power pole and ballfield fence. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Video from the scene showed an area behind the building cordoned off with yellow tape and a large hole in the side of the building. 'I am horrified and deeply saddened by the deaths of children and numerous injuries in Chatham this afternoon,' Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement Monday. 'My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they're experiencing _ something that no parent should ever have to endure.' He said his office was monitoring the situation and was ready to lend support. Chatham Police Department asked for prayers. 'A terrible tragedy has occurred here that has affected all of us,' the department said in a Facebook post. By Monday night, some members of the community and beyond had changed their Facebook profile photos to an image of a red ribbon and the words 'Chatham Strong.' Canada Federal Elections Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Consett Cycle Festival set to return after six years
A cycling festival event is to return to the calendar for the first time in six Cycle Festival attracted more than 10,000 people to the County Durham town in 2019, but the Covid pandemic put a stop to the event. Organisers are now bringing the festival back on 22 June with a men's and women's Tour de Reservoir race starting and finishing in the town centre. John O'Connor, who helps organise the event, said: "The people embraced it and it would've been a tragedy that we didn't repeat it, because it was so successful." Mr O'Connor, chair of the Project Genesis Trust, said the festival aims to celebrate the resilience of the town and highlight it as a cycling hub. The festival was set to return in 2020 and mark the 40th anniversary of the closure of Consett Steelworks."We wanted to paint a positive picture of how the town came back from that great impact," Mr O'Connor said."In 1980, the unemployment rate in the Consett area was over 40%. "We wanted to try to put an event on that demonstrated how the resilience of the Consett people had fought back against that."The pandemic meant it could not go ahead and British Cycling events need to be scheduled two years in advance, which contributed to the is now hoped to repeat the festival in 2026 and 2027. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
