Latest news with #Stea
Euronews
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Euronews
Roma children, fighting discrimination with chess, here's what they do in Romania
Adriana Pascu, 16 years old, of Roma ethnicity, is a skilled chess player. Thanks to the game, she has developed strong analysis and concentration skills that also help her in her studies. Playing chess was not a matter of course for her and the other children of the Roma community in the Romanian city of Satu Mare. They learnt through the 'Chess for change' project started in 2019 by the Stea association, active in the social integration of Roma children. These children made progress in all areas, especially at school. "I am much more reflective, more focused, and memorise lessons faster," Adriana explains. Chess activates memory, the ability to analyse and anticipate. For Alex Geiger, a chess teacher, it is one of the most democratic sports: "Chess teaches children fair-play; it is the only sport, I would say, where we are all equal, no matter if you are male or female, if you have a handicap." The first objective of the Stea association was precisely to combat early school leaving and motivate children to at least complete the compulsory school cycle. "Chess allows these youngsters to realise that if they put their mind to it and are persistent, they can achieve good results," explains Cristina Bala, the director of the Stea centre. "Children and teenagers," she says, "have managed to participate in competitions, even international ones, and have also won prizes; they have been able to gain positive experiences and gain the recognition and esteem of others. Initially, teachers at school were sceptical, not thinking that Roma children could ever succeed in chess: today they support the project because the children involved are more motivated and better at studying as well. As Delia Sabou, Adriana's teacher, says: "We have noticed in all the children involved in the project that there is an important cognitive progression, an increase in concentration and an improvement in social interaction with their peers and teachers. The director of the Stea centre, Cristina Bala, immediately realised the potential of chess and introduced the activity in 2019. The total cost of the project for the first year was EUR 70,000, with the European Union contributing EUR 60,000 thanks to Cohesion Policy funds. The chess piece that Adriana prefers is the queen, because it is the most powerful piece. She plans to be an accountant when she grows up. It is clear that her life has taken on a new impetus and she will be the real queen of her future. Off to Barcelona in the summer? Make sure to pick a proper travel agent. Taking a trip to London? Watch out for fake car rentals. The risk of being scammed at popular tourism spots jumps by 28% during peak seasons. Some examples are fake destination photos, broken confirmation links and bogus deals. Travel agencies seem to be the places most at risk, with scam rates "four times higher than the global average," according to a new report by the Mastercard Economics Institute. Fraudsters often establish fake tourism companies, attracting customers with juicy offers for excursions, guided tours or supposedly exclusive experiences, while offering unusually low prices. Once the transaction is processed, these tours either never take place or differ entirely from expectations. The report compared around twenty different cities to establish where the risk is highest. In general, tourists reported the lowest travel-related frauds in San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest and Edinburgh, while the highest rates were reported in Cancun, Hanoi, Dhaka and Bangkok. So, how are tourists most likely to fall into a trap in these places? Travel-agency related frauds are the most likely in Hong Kong (70%), Delhi (64%), Barcelona (64%) and Cancun (48%). Taxi and car rentals aren't immune either: Tourists may pay for a service that never materialises after booking, or overpay due to hidden fees, inflated prices or rigged taximeters. Jakarta (66%) has the highest taxi fraud rate across all cities analysed, followed by Bangkok (48%), Istanbul (39%) and London (34%). Food scams also pose problems, such as meals that never arrive, or being overcharged at a restaurant through high service fees. That is particularly true in American cities like LA and New York, where food scams represent respectively 75% and 63% of the total. At the same time, in fraudsters in the accommodation sector may use holiday rental platforms or travel websites to create fake listings and lead tourists to book non-existent properties, or ones that greatly differ from the descriptions advertised. Tourists headed to Phuket in Thailand and Antalya in Turkey should be particularly wary, as accommodation scam rates there represent 39% and 35% of the total, respectively. Looking on the bright side, booking flights and trains remains relatively safe across all surveyed cities, with scam rates generally staying below 10%. However, travellers are at risk of fraud well before they leave home. An analysis of aggregate transaction data shows that in 2024, fraud linked to early trip planning rose by over 12% compared to the previous year. "Fake travel agency websites and excursions that closely resemble genuine services can make it harder for consumers to spot red flags", Mastercard's Executive VP Services Europe Michele Centenaro tells Euronews. He adds that the company aims to eliminate manual card entry by 2030 to boost security: "Digital wallets, protected by tokenisation and advanced AI-driven fraud prevention tools are improving consumer protection".
Euronews
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Euronews
Roma children, chess for integration, the inspiring activity of a Romanian association
Adriana Pascu, 16 years old, of Roma ethnicity, is a skilled chess player. Thanks to the game, she has developed strong analysis and concentration skills that also help her in her studies. Playing chess was not a matter of course for her and the other children of the Roma community in the Romanian city of Satu Mare. They learnt through the 'Chess for change' project started in 2019 by the Stea association, active in the social integration of Roma children. These children made progress in all areas, especially at school. "I am much more reflective, more focused, and memorise lessons faster," Adriana explains. Chess activates memory, the ability to analyse and anticipate. For Alex Geiger, a chess teacher, it is one of the most democratic sports: "Chess teaches children fair-play; it is the only sport, I would say, where we are all equal, no matter if you are male or female, if you have a handicap." The first objective of the Stea association was precisely to combat early school leaving and motivate children to at least complete the compulsory school cycle. "Chess allows these youngsters to realise that if they put their mind to it and are persistent, they can achieve good results," explains Cristina Bala, the director of the Stea centre. "Children and teenagers," she says, "have managed to participate in competitions, even international ones, and have also won prizes; they have been able to gain positive experiences and gain the recognition and esteem of others. Initially, teachers at school were sceptical, not thinking that Roma children could ever succeed in chess: today they support the project because the children involved are more motivated and better at studying as well. As Delia Sabou, Adriana's teacher, says: "We have noticed in all the children involved in the project that there is an important cognitive progression, an increase in concentration and an improvement in social interaction with their peers and teachers. The director of the Stea centre, Cristina Bala, immediately realised the potential of chess and introduced the activity in 2019. The total cost of the project for the first year was EUR 70,000, with the European Union contributing EUR 60,000 thanks to Cohesion Policy funds. The chess piece that Adriana prefers is the queen, because it is the most powerful piece. She plans to be an accountant when she grows up. It is clear that her life has taken on a new impetus and she will be the real queen of her future. The Romanian association Stea deals with the integration of children from vulnerable communities. In Satu Mare, a small town on the Hungarian border, the fight for inclusion is particularly aimed at the children of the Roma community. Stea has been working in this field for 20 years. In 2019, thanks to funding from the European Cohesion Policy, it introduced chess teaching among its activities; the game has been a success among the Roma children and has transmitted energy and enthusiasm to the entire community. Cristina Bala, director of Stea and project manager of Chess for change, looks back on the experience: at first the teachers themselves were not convinced. And yet in the very first year, within eight months, thanks to the perseverance of Cristina and her team, the children, 35 in all, learnt to play and 12 of them took part in international competitions and even won prizes. Chess develops the ability to concentrate, reflect, and analyse and this has had a positive impact on the daily lives of the youngsters involved in the programme. "Chess also has a positive effect on children with behavioural disorders. Some of them could not sit for more than five minutes, in front of the chessboard they can concentrate for more than forty minutes,' Cristina says. "Children who started playing chess in 2019 today continue their studies in high school. And this is the most important result, because our association was looking for ways to change the approach to schooling of these children.' Cristina says that another achievement, thanks to the regional competition she has been organising since 2019, is to have created a space where Roma children and young people meet with Romanian children and young people: the love of chess creates bridges for other activities in common. An inclusion and integration initiative with incredible results: in addition to the development of the children's cognitive and emotional skills, there is also an improvement in their interaction in society because their self-esteem increases. It goes without saying that these adolescents continue to go to school beyond the compulsory age, eventually graduating. Many continue afterwards and go on to university. In an attempt to encourage young Roma to go to university, a law in Romania provides for a percentage of places reserved for them, without having to pass any selection. Today, they are often not awarded because no candidates apply. The Chess for Change project is slowly changing the approach of the most vulnerable communities towards education. Just as the interchange between Roma children and their Romanian peers, parents included, now takes place without barriers and without prejudice. The project started in 2019 with 60,000 euro from European Cohesion Policy funding. The total cost of the project was 70,000 euro. Every year, Stea is looking for new patrons so as not to be forced to discontinue the programme. Off to Barcelona in the summer? Make sure to pick a proper travel agent. Taking a trip to London? Watch out for fake car rentals. The risk of being scammed at popular tourism spots jumps by 28% during peak seasons. Some examples are fake destination photos, broken confirmation links and bogus deals. Travel agencies seem to be the places most at risk, with scam rates "four times higher than the global average," according to a new report by the Mastercard Economics Institute. Fraudsters often establish fake tourism companies, attracting customers with juicy offers for excursions, guided tours or supposedly exclusive experiences, while offering unusually low prices. Once the transaction is processed, these tours either never take place or differ entirely from expectations. The report compared around twenty different cities to establish where the risk is highest. In general, tourists reported the lowest travel-related frauds in San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest and Edinburgh, while the highest rates were reported in Cancun, Hanoi, Dhaka and Bangkok. So, how are tourists most likely to fall into a trap in these places? Travel-agency related frauds are the most likely in Hong Kong (70%), Delhi (64%), Barcelona (64%) and Cancun (48%). Taxi and car rentals aren't immune either: Tourists may pay for a service that never materialises after booking, or overpay due to hidden fees, inflated prices or rigged taximeters. Jakarta (66%) has the highest taxi fraud rate across all cities analysed, followed by Bangkok (48%), Istanbul (39%) and London (34%). Food scams also pose problems, such as meals that never arrive, or being overcharged at a restaurant through high service fees. That is particularly true in American cities like LA and New York, where food scams represent respectively 75% and 63% of the total. At the same time, in fraudsters in the accommodation sector may use holiday rental platforms or travel websites to create fake listings and lead tourists to book non-existent properties, or ones that greatly differ from the descriptions advertised. Tourists headed to Phuket in Thailand and Antalya in Turkey should be particularly wary, as accommodation scam rates there represent 39% and 35% of the total, respectively. Looking on the bright side, booking flights and trains remains relatively safe across all surveyed cities, with scam rates generally staying below 10%. However, travellers are at risk of fraud well before they leave home. An analysis of aggregate transaction data shows that in 2024, fraud linked to early trip planning rose by over 12% compared to the previous year. "Fake travel agency websites and excursions that closely resemble genuine services can make it harder for consumers to spot red flags", Mastercard's Executive VP Services Europe Michele Centenaro tells Euronews. He adds that the company aims to eliminate manual card entry by 2030 to boost security: "Digital wallets, protected by tokenisation and advanced AI-driven fraud prevention tools are improving consumer protection".
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sailor arrested for allegedly making false bomb threat on plane
A U.S. Navy sailor was taken into custody Tuesday at the San Diego International Airport after allegedly claiming that there were explosives aboard a commercial airliner, local authorities said. The Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department arrested 35-year-old John Stea, an electronics technician assigned to Maritime Expeditionary Security Group One, for allegedly informing a flight attendant that the passenger next to him had a bomb on a Hawaiian Airlines flight about to take off to Honolulu, Hawaii, according to a statement from Port of San Diego authorities. The flight attendant told the captain of the alleged danger as the plane prepared to depart. The plane immediately taxied off the runway and parked on the airfield, awaiting security assistance. 'At approximately 8:45 a.m., the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Maritime Tactical Team (MARTAC, also known as SWAT), K-9 Team, and Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with the San Diego Fire Department and multiple federal agencies, responded to the scene to search the aircraft and its contents,' local authorities said. Private plane crashes into San Diego military housing neighborhood All 293 passengers aboard the plane were evacuated, and a bomb sweep ensued, with K-9s clearing all carry-on and checked luggage, according to the statement. Stea was charged with making a false threat, authorities said. The plane took off after a five-hour delay, local media outlet CBS 8 San Diego reported. Stea was released by local authorities, CBS 8 said, with a promise to appear in court, but the Navy has since taken him into custody. 'The safety of the public and our personnel is of utmost importance to the Navy,' a spokesperson for U.S. 3rd Fleet said in an emailed statement. 'We take all threats seriously and are cooperating fully with local and federal authorities.' Stea is also in danger of being placed on a federal no-fly list by the Transportation Security Administration. He faces civilian charges of up to one year in jail.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Who is John Stea? More on suspect in Hawaiian Airlines false bomb threat
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A San Diego-based Navy sailor was cited and released Tuesday after allegedly making a false bomb threat aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight bound for Honolulu. Harbor Police arrested John Stea, 35, after he reportedly told a flight attendant that the passenger next to him had a bomb. The incident occurred on Hawaiian Airlines Flight 15, which was grounded at San Diego International Airport for hours while authorities searched the aircraft. Cellphone video taken by passenger Debbie Danzig shows officers escorting Stea off the plane in handcuffs. Passengers remained on board during the initial investigation before eventually being asked to deplane as authorities, including officers in tactical gear and bomb-sniffing dogs, conducted a full search of the aircraft and luggage. 'It was absolutely silent on the airplane. Nobody was saying anything,' Danzig said during an interview on FOX 5's morning show. 'We had no concerns — the airline handled it very well, everybody was extremely calm.' No explosives were found, and officials later confirmed the threat was a hoax. The flight, carrying nearly 300 passengers and crew members, departed for Hawaii roughly six hours later. Stea is facing misdemeanor charges of making a false bomb threat and falsely reporting a security threat. Because the charges are misdemeanors, he was cited and released rather than booked into jail. According to Navy officials, Stea is an Electronics Technician Second Class assigned to Maritime Expeditionary Security Group One, which focuses on anti-terrorism operations and military force protection. He has served in the Navy since May 2009 and has received several commendations, including the Good Conduct Medal. Stea lives in Coronado with his wife and two children. The U.S. Navy said it is reviewing the situation, and it is unclear how the charges might affect his military career. The San Diego City Attorney's Office will determine whether to prosecute the case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
International Business Times
21-05-2025
- International Business Times
Who Is John Stea? Military Technician Arrested for Making False Bomb Threat on Hawaiian Airlines at San Diego Airport
A Navy technician was arrested for reportedly making a false bomb threat during a Hawaiian Airlines flight, authorities said. Electronics Technician 1st Class John Stea, 35, allegedly told a flight attendant that the person seated next to him had a bomb just minutes before takeoff from San Diego International Airport on Tuesday morning, the San Diego Harbor Police said. Authorities were alerted and quickly swarmed Hawaiian Airlines Flight 15 on the runway at 8:45 a.m. One man was removed from the plane in handcuffs, according to witnesses. However, it still remains unclear whether it was Stea or the person he had falsely accused of carrying a bomb inside the plane. Creating a Panic Situation All 293 passengers on board were evacuated from the aircraft and transported by bus to a secure location. The aircraft was cleared after law enforcement conducted a thorough search of the plane using bomb-sniffing dogs. Passengers reboarded, and the flight took off for Honolulu roughly five hours later, Hawaiian Airlines reported. Officials later said that there is no danger to passengers at San Diego International Airport. "Harbor Police reminds the public that maliciously reporting a false bomb threat is against the law and can result in fines and up to one year incarceration in county jail or state prison if convicted," the agency said. Everything West Smooth after Check "During pushback from the gate, a guest was overheard making a threat to the safety of our aircraft," said Melissa Villegas, a spokesperson for Hawaiian Airlines. "As a precaution, the captain immediately taxied the Airbus A330 to a safe location on the airfield where it was met with local and federal law enforcement, and guests were safely deplaned." "We appreciate their understanding during this situation and apologize for any concern this may have caused," said Villegas. "We are working to get all guests to Honolulu as quickly as possible. We are grateful for the professionalism and care of our flight attendants and pilots throughout this event." The response to the incident included the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Maritime Tactical SWAT team, the K-9 unit, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the San Diego Fire Department, all of whom were dispatched to the scene. "The safety of the public and our personnel is of utmost importance to the Navy. We take all threats seriously and are cooperating fully with local and federal authorities," Lt. Mohammad N. Issa, deputy public affairs officer, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, said in a statement.
