Latest news with #Sicilians
Euractiv
04-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Italy urges EU crackdown on opaque airline ticket pricing
ROME – Italy's competition authority has asked the European Commission to increase transparency over the pricing algorithms used by airlines, especially on routes serving Sicily and Sardinia. The move follows an investigation by the Italian Antitrust Authority (AGCM), which earlier this year flagged concerns about opaque pricing. After receiving airline responses, the AGCM is now urging the Commission to coordinate EU-level action to improve fare transparency and boost competition. Rising ticket prices are limiting mobility for Sicilians and Sardinians living elsewhere in Italy, with many abandoning trips home due to high costs. The trend is also hurting the islands' tourism economies. AGCM argues that dynamic pricing algorithms – systems that adjust fares based on consumer behavior – combined with add-on fees for services like baggage or seat selection, are making it nearly impossible for passengers to compare offers. These surcharges, used by nearly half of all travelers, can inflate final ticket prices by up to 400% over the advertised base fare. The call comes as the European Parliament moves to strengthen passenger rights. Last week, MEPs on the transport committee overwhelmingly backed reforms guaranteeing passengers the right to bring a small personal bag and cabin luggage of up to 7 kilograms on board at no extra cost.
Entrepreneur
01-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
I Worked Through Labor, My Wedding and Burnout — For What?
I was raised in financial chaos. Here's my journey as I learned to stop fearing money and discovered that true security comes not from constant hustle, but from trust, balance and letting go. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. I was five years old when my parents got divorced. Before my father left, he bought my mom a forest green Volvo with a beige interior. It was very square and very safe. My mom hated it. About a week later, she pulled into the driveway in a brand-new creamy Corvette with T-tops. It was beautiful, but I immediately noticed a problem: there was my mom, my one-and-a-half-year-old brother and me. Three of us, two seats. The math wasn't mathing, but she was beaming. She had already put her personalized license plate on it that read "WE LOVE" with a frame that just said "Being Italian" — in case you were wondering what we loved — and was wearing her yellow shirt that read "Sicilians Do It Better" in navy velvet iron-on letters. In that moment, it didn't matter that my 40-year-old dad had left her for a 17-year-old girl. That car — and that energy — made her feel on top of the world, as if nothing could stand in her way. My brother would crawl into the trunk space while I sat up front, the T-tops off, windows down, Donna Summer blasting as we flew down the freeway. And even though it would only be the three of us for a little while longer, we were the happiest we would be for a long time. Throughout my childhood, the math not mathing was pretty much an ongoing theme. The only financial advice I got from my mom growing up was: "If you feel like you don't have any money, the best thing to do is spend more." She said this while sitting at the table in our living room, bills spread out in front of her. Behind her were stacks of receipts, every single one taped to paper and filed away in hopes my dad would finally show up and pay child support. She was overwhelmed, and it was definitely what she thought she should do at that moment. That mindset led her to refinance our little house three times. We had plenty of nights without power or food. She filed for bankruptcy twice. But she also went on a lot of cruises with my stepdad and kept a trunk full of fake diamonds from the swap meet, things that truly made her happy. Money wooshed in and out, often with a bit of accompanying drama. Related: How to Handle Your Cash Flow Fears Watching those sudden windfalls and downfalls wasn't just confusing — it made me genuinely terrified of money. I started working at 13. If I wanted anything extra — or really anything at all — I had to earn it. I worked illegally at a few jobs, hustling outside of school: dry cleaners (so awful, so hot), bakeries (great, I love a bread slicer), movie rental places (fun, and watching guys rent porn from someone not even old enough to watch it — iconic), cashier at a vegetarian grocer (Patchouli for days) and eventually waiting tables in the back of the store (loved it; always said I'd still be a waitress if it paid more). No matter how difficult the job was or the hours, whatever it took, I did it. Because of money and family chaos, college was not an option. So I kept working. I carried a constant fear that if I slipped up, even once, I'd lose everything. That fear only deepened when I became responsible not just for myself but for my own company, my employees, the overhead… and my mom. I took every job. I worked through my wedding. I was working in the hospital, giving birth. When I was pregnant with my third, Holland, she was late, so we scheduled the induction for Friday so I could be back at work on Monday. No maternity leave. No vacation. But the truth is: it was all self-inflicted. Related: How to Rewire Your Money Habits for Explosive Business Growth I worked like my life depended on it — because in many ways, it felt like it did. If I stopped, if I even slowed down, I feared I would lose everything. Just like I'd watched my mom do, time and again. Eventually, I took some time off — and the weirdest thing happened: nothing. Everything kept going. And for the first time, I understood my mother's point. Don't be afraid of money. It comes and it goes, and life keeps moving. When I stopped gripping so tightly, money flowed more easily. It was a lesson in trust, in my own capability and resilience. Turns out, my mom wasn't entirely wrong. Money does come and go. The trick is knowing when to let it go, without fear. So buy those diamonds at the swap meet, sweetheart. Money doesn't always have to stress you out. Trust yourself to know when to hold on and when to let go. No, really. Because in the end, it's just energy. And when you stop fearing it, you free yourself to focus on what matters: living well, giving generously, and taking the kinds of risks that make growth — and real success — possible.
Local France
23-06-2025
- Climate
- Local France
Paris blackout caused by heatwave, says network operator
The power cut affected around 1,400 households and buildings on Monday, mostly situated in the oldest part of the city - the Île de la Cité. Among the buildings affected was the Palais de Justice, which houses the French court of appeal and other courts, and the Paris police HQ. Grid operator Enedis said in a statement on Monday morning : "An incident is underway on the electricity network in the Île de la Cité area of Paris, due to the exceptional episode of high heat over the last few days." Paris, like much of France, has experienced the first heatwave of the summer in recent days, with hot weather set to continue until Wednesday . Advertisement The city of Paris is currently in the middle of a massive project to replace its underground electricity cables with heat-resistant ones, after an emergency planning exercise designed to test the city's readiness for the day the temperature hits 50C revealed a major risk of blackouts. This is not just a Paris-based problem - with power cables melting in heatwaves from Portland to Sicily, the world's 80 million kilometres of power lines are largely unprepared to resist extreme temperatures, scientists have warned. Work on the Paris cables began in 2024, with the obsolete paper-insulated lead-covered cables (PILC), which are made of oil-impregnated paper encased in a lead sheath, gradually being replaced by a more heat-resilient version. "We're anticipating the renewal of these cables, which are starting to be affected by heat, to have a very resilient network in Paris," said Olivier Lagnel, deputy regional director for utility firm Enedis. PILC cables, which were the international standard from the late 19th century until the 1970s, were long considered highly reliable. They were wrapped in layers of oily paper intended to isolate the centre of the cable, which heats up as electrons pass through. The cables were conceived to resist temperatures up to 90C. But when heat is trapped for days under the asphalt, they can reach 120-130C - ageing faster and eventually risking failure. Paris's 9,200 kilometres of low- and medium-voltage power cables are entirely buried underground -- to save space and protect them from the wind, Lagnel said. Enedis plans to phase out the obsolete cables in French cities by 2050. "The main problem is that the insulator can dry up, and in that case the cable can be sensitive," said Lagnel. "The idea is to avoid cuts as much as possible" and to "desensitise the network... as heatwaves come back more and more often, stronger and stronger." Advertisement A searing heatwave in July 2023 left hundreds of thousands of Sicilians without electricity and water for days. Heat damage to underground cables was to blame, said supplier e-distribuzione, the distribution arm of energy giant Enel. "We find ourselves operating in conditions of exceptional climatic emergency," where the temperature of the asphalt on roads reached 50C, it said in a statement at the time.
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Is Philly water ice the same as Italian ice? No, and here's why
Philly-style water ice makes a great 7th inning treat – Photo courtesy of Catherine Smith This article, originally published in June 2019, was updated in June 2025. Fans of the podcast "Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce" recently discovered another 'uniquely Philly' passion of Kelce's: water ice. 'WTF is water ice? Are we talking about snow cones?' asked YouTube viewer @treysullivan9248. Kelce, like any true Philadelphian, aggressively but understandably, clarified: 'No, Trey! We are not talking about snow cones!' Advertisement Kelce — media personality, podcast host, and wife of retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce — went on to say that water ice is a Philadelphia summer staple that's basically frozen sugar water. "You can't go wrong with it,' she said. What is Philly-style water ice? Philly kids love their Philadelphia water ice – Photo courtesy of Catherine Smith Most similar to a fresh fruit slushie, water ice has been Philadelphia's favorite summer treat for generations. Each spring, as the weather starts to warm up and hint at summer, we celebrate with our favorite seasonal treat. Moms line up with their kids at their favorite water ice stands. Excited children study the freezer full of colorful tubs. One asks, "Can I have strawberry on the bottom and mango on top?' The teenager behind the counter happily obliges, filling the bottom half of the plastic cup with an icy strawberry mixture and topping it off with another pale-yellow scoop. Advertisement While Philadelphians have been enjoying water ice for generations, the consumption of ice and fruit combinations goes back a couple of thousand years to ancient Sicily (and can be traced even further back to Asia, Persia, and Mesopotamia). To beat the summer heat, according to food historian Liz Williams, ancient Sicilians devised creative means to both refresh and delight. Long before the invention of coolers and refrigeration, the people of Sicily were ingeniously experimenting with ice. Runners were sent up the almost 11,000-foot Mount Etna, Europe's highest active volcano, to collect snow and ice that could be combined with lemons, limes, and other fresh fruits to create a cool and refreshing summer treat. Over the years, Sicilians mastered a method of storing the ice in caverns beneath the volcano before transporting it to other parts of Italy. As they did so, the practice of mixing ice and fruit, known as granita, spread throughout Italy. Different regions developed their own versions of the fruit and ice combination, as well as sorbets and gelato. Fast forward some 2,000 years to the early 1900s, at the peak of Italian immigration to the United States. Approximately 2 million Italians immigrated here at that time, the majority coming from Southern Italy with hopes of escaping the intense poverty back home. Advertisement Men and women looked for creative ways — like peddling granita — to make money while establishing themselves and seeking employment. Just as the different regions of Italy developed different versions of granita over the years, American cities with high concentrations of Italians, especially Sicilians, began developing their versions. How do you serve Philadelphia water ice? Traditional water ice (pronounced "wooder ice" with the local accent) is made with three simple ingredients: fresh fruit, sugar and water. While it was once made by hand, today the ingredients are combined in a metal, cylindrical machine. A mixer inside the metal barrel rotates and scrapes the edges as the mixture begins to freeze and stick to the walls. After reaching the correct consistency, the water ice is transferred into tubs and served up fresh. Where is Philadelphia water ice made? Enjoy a refreshing treat at John's Water Ice – Photo courtesy of Kae Lani Palmisano As water ice has grown in popularity, new stands and mass-produced water ice franchises have popped up. Kids especially love Rita's Water Ice, a chain now available in over 30 states. Two of Philadelphia's most beloved water ice stands are John's Water Ice and Pop's Homemade Water Ice. John Cardullo, founder of John's Water Ice, owned a diner in the heart of South Philly's Italian Market neighborhood and often served water ice as a dessert. In 1945, as the water ice grew in popularity, he decided to close the diner, turn it into office space for his heating repair company, and open a simple water ice stand next door. Advertisement The two seasonal businesses provided Cardullo with steady income in both winter and summer. John's Water Ice still operates out of this original location on Christian Street, with a second location in Huntingdon Valley. Filippo Italiano of Pop's Homemade Water Ice sold his homemade Italian water ice from a cart he pushed around the neighborhood. As word of his refreshing treat spread, children and families began lining up outside his garage waiting for him to open. Since he lived across the street from an urban park, Italiano realized he was well-known enough to quit lugging his heavy cart around in the heat and let people come to him instead. In 1932, he converted his garage into a storefront. Decades later, his grandchildren still serve water ice out of this same location. Advertisement If you're visiting Philadelphia, head over to one of the mom-and-pop stands where you know you'll be met with the tastiest and most authentic Philadelphia water ice experience. Just be prepared, as many are cash only. John's is easily walkable from the Liberty Bell and Center City, while Pop's is located right off the Broad Street Line subway, a perfect place to stop before or after a Phillies game.
Wales Online
21-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
The incredible deli hidden in Cardiff city centre with holiday in the Med vibes
The incredible deli hidden in Cardiff city centre with holiday in the Med vibes If you want to embrace the joy of southern Italian food, long lunches and a friendly atmosphere then look no further Gloria Serena Arcerito, originally from Sicily is the owner of Khione (Image: Bethany Gavaghan ) If you've not tried out Khione Sicilian Delicatessen in Duke Street Arcade in Cardiff, you're definitely missing a trick. Italy is my ultimate favourite destination to travel to, partly because of their different attitudes to food and they have the cutest little shops which are way more fun to browse in and pick up your daily essentials than the standard UK supermarket. But as I found out recently, you don't actually have to travel to Italy to soak up the glory of Italian food culture. Khione first started out running at the market in Pontcanna before opening up in Canton and they have now been operating in the city centre for over six months. Owned by Gloria Serena Arcerito, who is originally from Sicily, she started working on the business and idea during lockdown with the intention of bringing the experience of traditional Sicilian cuisine to Cardiff. All of the products at Khione are all carefully selected and shipped directly from Sicily itself. They're also produced by small businesses and farmers who believe in upholding the traditional family recipes many generations of Sicilians have grown up with. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here Gloria Serena Arcerito, who moved from Sicily seven years ago and has built up a thriving Italian business in the centre of Cardiff (Image: Bethany Gavaghan ) Gloria moved to the UK seven years ago, and lived with a family in Wales where she learned to speak English. Article continues below 'It was hard at the beginning', she explained. 'I decided to do a full immersion so the family was a Welsh-English family. 'So the lady, Jenny, who's my friend and who owned the house, wanted to learn Italian so we taught each other. We created a community and they helped me start the business because they gave me space which I could use for storage. 'During Covid I also used to work at the City Arms - just because I still wanted to learn and be a part of it all.' Before meeting Gloria and speaking to her properly I tried out the food the night before to get a sense of how the business flows of a typical day and I fell in love with the atmosphere, décor - as well as the amazing flavours straight away. Olives, bread, lemonade and a pizza slice from Khione (Image: Bethany Gavaghan ) I arrived just before they were set to close at 6pm and as it was a hot summer's afternoon and went for olives and bread which was totally perfect, and a great, light evening snack. Inside, the vibe is warm and welcoming, and the space invites you to experience a slice of Italian culture in a mix of ways. Downstairs is where the shop sits, where you can stock up on proper Italian food. The décor and layout definitely makes you feel like you've been transported to a Sicilian village rather than the arcades of Cardiff, and when you're browsing through the different products and ingredients - I'd say you feel much more inspired to get creative in the kitchen than picking up food from a chain store, so it acts as a simple reminder of how nice it is to support small businesses. You can look out onto the arcades from some of the seats (Image: Bethany Gavaghan ) But if you thought that Khione was just a shop then think again. You can also order from their wide-ranging menu and be served food upstairs, where they have one of the loveliest, homiest dining spaces I've come across in the city - or you can dine on the seating located outside the deli. The olives were zesty, with loads of flavour and it was genuinely the best bread I'd eaten since stopping at a deli I haven't stopped thinking about in Ventimaglia, in Italy itself. My partner got a small slice of pizza which was in his words 'a delectable choice for a quick bite and actually very filling', and we both opted for bottles of lemonade which were lovely, and tasted gorgeously organic. Also on the menu is a selection of Italian favourites including Pinsa Romana, Tiramisu', Honey and pecorino cheese, full size pizzas and much much more. Upstairs in Khione Considering how food is central to her identity and culture, and what it means to her to bring something she is so passionate about to Cardiff, Gloria said: 'My Dad had a company producing preserves, so my dad and the rest of my family are very into food. 'I used to help my mum when she was cooking and making desserts and I would help make cakes or tiramisu. So I just learned by watching. 'It's nice to cook for the family, and eat together as a family. For example at lunch time we'd always try and wait for each other, of course that's not always possible. There are some gorgeous corners inside the deli which create plenty of room for warmth and connection if you're eating there with friends or family (Image: Bethany Gavaghan ) 'Nowadays it's not always easy if you work all day but if you have a break in the day to get everyone together and talk about what's going on it's a way to release stress and reset for the other half of the day. 'There is maybe a bit less of that in life day to day. Even in the north of Italy, people work all day, finish earlier but there is no break. 'In the south, people are still taking a little break, one hour or two is a way to reset.' But could these values be picked up by people in Cardiff? Gloria has also found that because of the way the business runs in Cardiff, it might already be encouraging people to slow down a little. She explained: 'Some people who are coming in do seem to be staying a little longer than just for a quick lunch. One of Gloria's goals for the business is to provide a range of authentic Italian food to people in Cardiff and build more connection with what they are eating (Image: Bethany Gavaghan ) 'We do serve pizza and paninis to take away. Maybe the fact it is a shop it's slightly confusing, and not just somewhere you go to eat. People are surprised that you can come in and especially go upstairs, where there are completely different vibes. 'The idea is if you want to come here and have a nice lunch, or take home and prepare a dinner if you have a special event, or even daily with the tomato sauce - someone else took care of the food for you, so you can have a nice meal, quicker.' Article continues below
