Latest news with #Ria
ABC News
a day ago
- General
- ABC News
Bridge collapse derails train in Russia's Bryansk region bordering Ukraine
A passenger train has derailed after a bridge collapsed in Russia's Bryansk region bordering Ukraine. Three people died and 28 were taken to hospital, Russian media outlet Ria reported. "Unfortunately, there are injuries," Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said on the Telegram messaging app. He added that the collapse took place in the western Vygonichskyi district in the area of a federal highway. Russia's Baza and SHOT Telegram channels, which often publish information from sources in the security services and law enforcement, reported that the passenger train crashed into the collapsed bridge. Baza reported, without providing evidence, that preliminary information indicated the bridge was blown up. Reuters could not independently verify the Baza and SHOT reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Since the start of the war that Russia launched with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, there have been continued cross-border shelling, drone strikes, and covert raids from Ukraine into the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions that border Ukraine. Russia's emergency ministry said on Telegram it sent an additional deployment to the fire and rescue units already working at the site. Reuters
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Sweet dreams: dessert parlours help to revive UK's high streets
Dessert cafes and ice-cream parlours are hoping to play a role in a revival of UK high streets and the night-time economy, as people seek an alternative to going to the pub or an expensive meal out. Their number has soared by almost 700 in the UK in the past decade, according to analysts at Green Street, formerly the Local Data Company, with outlets in places from Aberdeen to Plymouth. The market is thought to be worth more than £500m, including several national chains as well as much-loved independents from The Pudding Stop in St Albans to Cloud 9 in Brighton. 'It's a nice chit-chat place,' says Ria, 24, emerging from a lunchtime stop at a London outpost of one of the UK's biggest chains, Creams, with two friends. 'Especially if you are craving something sweet. It's a Friday treat at a decent price.' 'I've noticed it's becoming a bigger thing,' says Gemma Saunders, 46, who's just bought gelato with her daughter Elizabeth, 13. 'It's a nice alternative to going out drinking and more and more people aren't drinking. It's quite a family place.' 'I can meet my friends in places like this,' adds Elizabeth. 'It's less expensive than going out for pizza.' The last couple of years have been challenging, as the rising cost of dairy products plus higher energy and wage bills have combined with falling visitor numbers to high streets and shopping malls. However, Creams – which has 93 outlets, almost all of which are run by franchisees – is back on the expansion trail with plans for about 10 new outlets this year, and a similar number next year. The menu features the Hot 'n' Cold Chocolate Fudge Volcano, the Lemon Meringue Cheesecakundae, the Birthday Cake Loaded Shake and hot waffles topped with Oreo, Bueno and Speculoos. The company – which opened its first outlet in Southall in 2011, has its own Gelato factory in Dagenham and makes its waffle mix in Dunstable – is exploring new types of venues in cinemas and travel hubs, such as train stations. It is also testing two sites in Tesco supermarkets and is in talks to go international, with the Middle East or the US a likely first step. Rival company Kaspa's, which has about 100 outlets, has also been on the expansion trail, opening its first central London venue last year, while younger challenger Heavenly Desserts, which has 60 outlets in the UK after recent openings in London and Middlesbrough, is aiming for 100 by next year, with plans for outlets in Bedford, Basildon and Manchester. At the more upmarket end of the scene, Bristol company Swoon Gelato has expanded to Oxford and Bath, and now has a spot in Selfridges department store in London, putting dessert firmly on the fashion menu. Arguably, the concept of a dessert specialist goes back to the early 20th century with the likes of Bettys in Harrogate or Lyons Tea Rooms, or the ice-cream parlours that began opening across the UK from the late 19th century. However, the likes of Creams, Kaspa's and Heavenly Desserts have given desserts-only venues a youthful twist – with a mix of cakes, waffles, crepes and gelato – aimed at those who want an alternative to the pub or more staid atmosphere of coffee shops and tearooms, which often close at 4pm. Since Creams opened its first outlet in 2011, the dessert shop has become a meeting point for a wide array of British society, from kids and teens, who take over such venues as a place to hang out after school or in the early evening, to family groups and other non-drinkers searching for an alcohol-free place to socialise into the evening, to gen Z mates who increasingly favour booze-free venues and have an eye for the pop of colour an elaborate dessert can add to their social media feeds. At Creams, the decor is reminiscent of a night club, with black walls and spotlights helping to highlight the bubblegum-bright colours of its gelato. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion 'It is a very democratic meeting place,' says Kien Tan, senior retail adviser at PricewaterhouseCoopers, who puts dessert cafes in the same category as bubble tea venues. 'It is an affordable sweet treat, especially for people who don't drink alcohol. During the day there can be a cosy club crowd of older people who want an unthreatening place to have a treat.' A spokesperson for Heavenly Desserts said it primarily attracts 18- to 35-year-olds. 'While we welcome guests of all ages, it's this younger demographic that most strongly connects with the brand and continues to drive our growth. As a brand, we benefit from the growing desire among younger people for mindful, alcohol-free social experiences,' a spokesperson said. Everett Fieldgate, the chief executive of Creams, says you might find a different demographic attacking the waffles and ice-creams depending on the time of day you enter one of the company's outlets, which open as late as 3am in some locations. The Australian is giving the brand a new spin with a lighter look intended to appeal more to twentysomethings, families and daytime punters. He has also introduced a healthier range of items – including fruit skewers, albeit drizzled in chocolate – as families try to dial down their sugar intake. 'Consumers are definitely holding back, and they're being very careful with where and how they're spending money,' says Fieldgate. He says some consumers are looking to cut their spending on their favourite treat while others are downsizing from a meal out to just dessert and Creams is 'benefiting from both'. Fieldgate says Creams is also benefiting from the trend for some consumers to take time out – permanently or temporarily – from drinking alcohol, saying to friends, as he puts it: 'Let's go somewhere where I'm not going to be tempted.' In the cost of living crisis, such dessert places may not be cheap, with Creams' Hot 'N' Cold Chocolate Fudge Volcano Sundae costing £10.95, but they are so massive they can be shared and the whole experience is likely to cost less than a full meal out. Fieldgate says 2025 has started well, with sales helped by the warm sunny weather, although he says the group is 'keeping a close eye on costs' and being careful to ensure new sites are viable amid higher business rates and wages. He says the hospitality industry needs more help from government to revive high streets and help it fight back against online shopping. 'People are holding on by the skin of their teeth because of poor consumer confidence and the constantly increasing cost of doing business,' he says.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Sent by angels' – Tyrone GAA star and wife overjoyed after birth of baby daughter with rare name
DARREN McCurry and wife Ria welcomed baby daughter Renn into the world earlier this month. They did by sharing a cute close-up image on Advertisement 2 The couple shared her name alongside this heartwarming image Credit: @riamccurry and @dazzlerdarrenmc 2 McCurry will be in action tomorrow when Tyrone take on Mayo in Omagh The caption revealed Renn's date of birth as it read: "Renn McCurry 08.05.2025. Truly sent by angels above." The post generated a tonne of well-wishers from friends and family alike. Dee hailed: "Massive congratulations to you both, delighted for yous!" Meanwhile Cathryn added: "Ah Ria I am just over the moon for you!! Your perfect little bestie for life! Congrats girl." Advertisement Read More On GAA Finally, Michelle gushed: "Congratulations to you both on your precious new arrival!" The 2021 All-Ireland winner will be lining out for the Red Hand this weekend as they look to build on They're now in a commanding position to get out of their group as this weekend sees their designated home game come against a Mayo side at a low ebb after Unfortunately, Mayo will also be without boss Kevin McStay for the foreseeable future as Advertisement Most read in GAA Football On Monday the Mayo county board confirmed he would be handing over control to assistant and former manager Stephen Rochford. In a unified statement, McStay said: 'Mayo GAA Board and I are in strong agreement that current Assistant Manager / Head Coach Stephen Rochford will lead our preparations for upcoming games. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - "We are blessed to have a man of Stephen's calibre and, as a valued member of the management team for the past three seasons, he ensures continuity. "While I will not be on the training field or on the sideline on match day, I will be with management and players in spirit every step of the way." Advertisement Mayo GAA chairman Seamus Tuohy expressed support for the 63-year-old. He said: 'We extend our best wishes to Kevin and thank him for all his work to date. "We look forward to him returning to the role as soon as it is practical for him to do so. "We also stand fully behind Stephen and everyone involved in the set-up." Advertisement "Mayo GAA will be making no further statement on this matter and would ask that Kevin and his family be afforded privacy at this time." Prior to that shock loss to the Breffni, Mayo had come very close to winning the Connacht final against neighbours Galway. However, their old failing of not being able to close out games from winning positions reared its ugly head once again as
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
A cyclone diary
When Ria and Rahul heard they were going to Chennai for their vacation, they were surprised. Why Chennai? 'That is because your paati lives there,' said Baba. 'She is always busy,' Rahul said. 'Not any more. She's retired and wants you to visit,' Amma said. Paati was serious looking and a little scary but, when Amma said that they could go to the beach every day, they agreed. It was their first flight without their parents and they stepped out of the airport feeling like brave adventurers. In the car, they waited for the AC to cool them down. But paati drove with her window down, occasionally putting her head out to scan the sky. The children got hotter and hotter. 'Tell her,' Rahul hissed. But Ria, usually brave, didn't. 'Then I will,' Rahul threatened. Paati heard and asked, 'What is it?' 'Paati, why are you looking at the sky?' Ria asked before Rahul could complain. 'The meteorological department issued a pre-cyclone watch. So, there might be a cyclone soon,' said paati. 'The weather department?'' Ria giggled. 'If they say it'll rain, it definitely won't.' 'That's not true. They are usually accurate,' Paati said. The children exchanged looks and said nothing after that. Paati's house was old and it was cool inside. 'This is the house I grew up in,' Paati told them. That explained the ancient furniture, the children thought, the wooden cupboards and narrow high beds. That evening, they went to the beach and had a grand time playing in the sea. A discovery It was raining the next day and the children were bored. Looking in the cupboard in her room for something to read, Ria found an old notebook. 'Rahul, it's a diary. Must be Amma's,' she said. The diary was called My Cyclone Diary and Ria giggled, as she read out, 'The Cyclone No One Wanted. This came out of the blue, on the day of our class picnic. We'll have an Umbrella Picnic now.' 'Umbrella Picnic,' Rahul laughed. 'Younger Amma was funny,' Ria laughed. Amma had lived through several cyclones and named them all. One was called Deepavali Destroyer, another was Sports Day Spoilsport. Then there was The Cyclone that Came to Stay. 'Why did she hate cyclones?' Rahul wondered. 'They spoilt her plans,' Ria explained. 'Sports Day and a picnic cancelled and imagine… a rainy Deepavali.' They were laughing about Amma's description of the cyclone she had named The Spitter, when they heard Paati calling. She needed help cooking dinner. They washed and peeled vegetables while, on the television, people discussed Lehar. 'What's Lehar?' Rahul asked. 'The cyclone,' paati said. 'They should have called it Rain Spitter,' Rahul laughed. 'Or Cloud Burster,' Ria added 'The Big Bad Cloud...' 'The Uninvited!' They were giggling and didn't notice that Paati had stopped chopping to stare at them. 'How did you come up with those names?' she asked. 'From Amma's diary,' Rahul grinned. A surprise 'Your Amma's diary?' paati asked and Ria felt a squirm of fear. Was paati going to scold them for reading someone's diary? Instead, she said, 'Do you have the diary? I would like to see it.' When they brought it to her, Paati flipped through it, smiling gently. 'This is my diary,' she told them. 'Your diary?' Rahul squeaked. 'You gave all those names to cyclones?' Ria asked wonderingly. When Paati nodded, Rahul said, 'What amazing names: Cloud Burster! The Cyclone that Robbed Me!'' 'I was an angry child,' paati laughed. 'Every time I made a plan, a cyclone would rain all over it.' 'But why did you stop writing in your cyclone diary?' Ria asked. 'Did you start liking cyclones?' Rahul asked. 'No, I began to study them,' laughed Paati 'Study? From where?' They asked. 'From a book, of course,' Paati said. 'It was written by an Englishman named Henry Piddington. He coined the name cyclone, from the Greek word cyclos. It was after this that I started another diary: My Weather Diary.' That didn't sound as much fun as a cyclone diary. When Rahul said, 'It sounds like homework', Ria nodded in agreement. 'Hmm,' Paati nodded. 'But writing the diary helped me understand what I wanted to do. That's how I began to work in the meteorological department. Later, my diaries helped me write a few books.' There were 14 books, all with Paati's name on them. The children couldn't believe it and looked again and again at the author photo. Yes, it was their grandmother. 'When you started working, did you forget your cyclone names?' asked Rahul. 'Of course she did,' Ria said, impatiently. 'Actually, I didn't.' Paati's smile was mischievous. 'You didn't? Really?' 'The first cyclone of my job, I called Spoilsport. The next was Weepy Day, then Snotty Rider...' the children giggled. 'The weather people were shocked. So, they decided to find good names for the cyclones,' smiled Paati. 'Paati, you can name the next cyclone Rahul. It's a good name,' said Rahul, while Ria and Paati burst out laughing. 'I don't name them,' Paati explained. 'Each country suggests names for cyclones. So, when a cyclone hits that country, they pick a name on that list. That's how cyclones are named.' 'Paati, what else can you tell us?'' asked Ria. 'About what?' 'About cyclones.' 'The weather!' Their Paati, it turned out, could tell them a lot. Through their summer vacation, she did!
NZ Herald
12-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Critics slam Government move to remove ECE cultural obligations
Minister for Regulation David Seymour said the changes are to 'streamline' operational requirements and reduce the regulatory burden on centres, but opponents said it amounted to recolonisation. 'Initially I was angry,' said Hawke's Bay-based Kaiako Penina Ria (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Pārau). 'Not just for myself, but for my ancestors and whānau that fought for us to be recognised as tangata whenua. From that point of view, it feels like we're starting all over again.' Ria said the proposed law change reminded her of the stories she had heard from her grandparents and great-grandparents about how they were treated by the education system. Assimilation enforced by the Native Schools Act in 1867 saw schooling conducted entirely in English, with the curriculum skewed towards instruction in manual and domestic skills. Mātauranga Māori and cultural practices were sidelined, and for decades, Māori were also punished for speaking te reo Māori at school, contributing to the loss of the language and deepening educational inequities. 'Our whānau went through so much so we could have the future that they wanted. I feel like it's important that we carry that on for them, and also for our future generations,' Ria said. Currently, ECE centres must meet minimum standards set by the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The review recommended that only 26 of the current 98 licensing criteria be retained in full with the rest amended, merged, downgraded or removed. 'The Government is addressing ECE regulations to ensure child safety is priority number one, children's education is number two, and parental choice is number three,' Seymour said. 'The ethnic background of the child shouldn't have any bearing on this, and providers shouldn't be forced to worry about the Treaty when their priorities are keeping children safe and educating.' Academic research has previously highlighted the importance of children feeling secure and supported in their culture. 'There is little doubt that a secure cultural identity is essential for wellbeing and for educational and societal participation and success. It is a key factor in people's sense of self and their relationships with others,' a report commissioned by the Education Review Office (ERO) said. Ria said for preschool children, acknowledging culture included using waiata, karakia, speaking te reo Māori, and teaching of purākau (traditional Māori stories). 'We value where they come from, we learn about their whakapapa and what's important to them, a lot of recognition of who they are, their uniqueness. 'Working in mainstream and seeing the importance for tamariki Māori, to know where they come from and learn about their heritage. To me, that's important, it's something that I wish I would've had when I was younger.' While there was a focus on te ao Māori, ECE centres also support other cultures, such as celebrating the start of Chinese Lunar New Year. Kirikiriroa Hamilton-based kaiako and NZEI Te Riu Roa Early Childhood representative Zane McCarthy said that while his centre will likely opt to keep the bicultural aspects, he worried some centres would drop them altogether. 'There are bad actors. There are bad apples and poor employers who will quash it. It's basically colonisation again.' McCarthy was particularly concerned about the private centres, which he said made up around 75% of the sector. 'A lot of that 75% have profit-driven motives. When you've got a teacher workforce who are crying out for professional development to learn about te ao Māori, they're needing support in order to uphold te Tiriti and mokopuna Māori. But that comes at a cost, and so when you've got profit-driven motives, they're going to look to scrap that aspect in order to make the bottom line look better.' He said there have been big benefits of the cultural requirements in the past. 'Whānau have learned, have grown and learnt alongside their tamariki, when they're coming home with new kupu, waiata, purākau, that they're learning from them, and they're becoming even bolder in their own culture and identity as well.' Green Party MP and spokesperson for ECE Benjamin Doyle said the move prioritised corporate greed and profit over public good and wellbeing. 'There will be some private ECE owners who are looking to make a profit over everything else, and so they'll see that as an unnecessary thing to do anymore, because it's not related to their licensing, they'll just opt not to.' Doyle said celebrating culture and identity can make Māori learners feel seen. 'When they are nurtured by waiata and purākau, when they are nurtured by those values of manaakitanga and whānaungatanga, it increases their hauora, their wellbeing. And that is not intangible, right? It's tangible.' By taking the current requirements away, Doyle said, the evidence shows tamariki Māori will not thrive. 'Learning does not occur. It cannot occur when we do not celebrate identity and culture. So it will have a huge impact on our tamariki. And we know that when tamariki thrive, whānau thrive, and if tamariki are suffering, whānau suffer.' The Early Childhood Council represents childcare centre owners and managers in the ECE sector, speaking for more than 1500 centres across Aotearoa. Early Childhood Council chief executive Simon Laube said he was not concerned the change would result in a lack of acknowledgement of children's culture, and questioned whether they should have even been a requirement for centres to open in the first place. 'Was it really right to give it to a service provider as a regulation?' Responding to the argument that private providers will prioritise profit over the wellbeing of children, Laube said that was not the reality he saw day-to-day. 'We spend our time trying to support providers who can't actually pay their current costs of business so they are not profitable and that's a strong kind of trend across the sector. It's quite hard to even really engage with that argument properly, because we're struggling to just keep our centres going with what the current expectations are.' Removing requirements around cultural aspects would not even necessarily result in cost-savings, Laube said. 'If you really do think about it in terms of business costs, what could they save money on there? You still need to have resources for learning, would they not have language in them? Would they not have people in them? Would that not include culture? It's very hard to cut out culture from a people-based industry.' Cabinet has accepted the recommendations, and Seymour will introduce the Education and Training (Early Childhood Education Reform) Amendment Bill in July.
