Plane with 49 people crashes over Russia's Far East
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said that they had found the plane's 'burning fuselage' but did not provide further details.
Forty-three passengers, including five children, as well as six crew members were on board the An-24 passenger plane as it travelled from the city of Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border to the town of Tynda, regional Governor Vasily Orlov said.
The flight, which was operated by the Siberia-based Angara Airlines, disappeared from radar and lost contact with air traffic controllers several kilometres from Tynda airport.
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Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
Category 1 status for church ‘great news'
Kakanui church owners Anna Miles and Michael Simpson (right), and their dog Pippa (left) on the doorstep of the category 1 historic place, and the interior (centre) of the restored former community church that still houses the original piano organ from 1901. PHOTO: JULES CHIN A preservation project has paid off for the dedicated efforts of the passionate owners of the Kakanui church that is now listed as a category 1 historic place with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. The former Kakanui Presbyterian Church, a modest Carpenter Gothic building designed by renowned Scottish-born Dunedin architect Robert Arthur Lawson, has undergone a significant transformation in recent years thanks to Waimate-based couple Michael Simpson and Anna Miles. The pair are ecstatic their restoration project has reached category 1 status after working on the former church since they bought it in 2019. "We are absolutely thrilled and delighted. It's great news," Mr Simpson said. Category 1 historic places are of special or outstanding historical or cultural significance or value. Ms Miles said the church and the area surrounding meant a lot to them and the Kakanui community. "It's just a special spot ... the river, the beach, this place. "So many people came in while we were working on the church and because it was already a notable building and the community had battled to try and save it and fundraise for it when the church still owned it," Mr Simpson said. Built in 1870, and once the spiritual heart of Kakanui, the timber church had weathered decades of change before its final service in November 2019 in the seaside town. Mr Simpson and Ms Miles, who attended the last service, said it was "emotional" and embodied the deep connection the Kakanui community had to the church. Since buying the property, the couple have steadily restored the structure, replacing sub-floor bearing joists, corner studs and weatherboards, improving drainage, restoring windows and repainting the interior. Their restoration has extended to the church's outbuildings — including the bible class hall added in 1933, two small buildings acquired in 1955 for the growing Sunday school and even a brownies den. They say they have kept the budget to a minimum by working with original materials "to minimise waste" as much as possible. They have also strived to keep original details such as original boarding and the iron straps added to the building in 1884 to stop the church from "getting battered by northwest winds", Mr Simpson said. Mr Simpson, a carpenter with heritage expertise, and Ms Miles, equally hands-on, saw the church as more than just a building and have brought it back to life with community events including a night market and musical gigs, Christmas carols and even a friend's wedding. "We'd seen so much loss of heritage and we knew we could work to preserve it ... we see ourselves as stewards of the building". Mr Lawson (1833-1902), the church's architect, is well known for many of Oamaru's classical buildings including the National Bank, the Bank of New South Wales and the Star and Garter Hotel. Mr Simpson said it was "was super exciting" when they got the listing "to get a stab" at preserving the history of the church. The couple said initial meetings with Waitaki District Council building advisers and engagement with Heritage New Zealand had been "fantastic". "The building advisers were so receptive to our ideas ... and Heritage New Zealand assessment adviser Alison Brees who came up and then did a report on it, it was so comprehensive and she was learning, so much," Mr Simpson said. "She was doing all the research on the social history of Kakanui and what it was a symbol of," Ms Miles said. After various project ideas the couple opted to stick to the "essence" of the original design of the building. They have also made some interesting discoveries throughout the restoration of the 154-year-old church including Roman numerals etched into wood behind some of the boards. "Because this was kit-set, likely built off-site or pre-assembled offsite. "An intern at Heritage NZ also discovered through old photos that the bent and forked roof was actually for the rope that went up to the bell on the bell tower," Mr Simpson said. Making the commute from Waimate at any chance they get, they describe the restoration as their "hobby", but the project has taken on new meaning for them as it has progressed. "We saw it as a building project on day one, but it just keeps turning into something else — having events in the church, and restoring it as well as we can, means that it should have a life beyond us, and that's what we want." Mr Simpson said. Originally designed to seat 100 worshippers, the church was constructed in just three months during a period of ambitious development. Hopes were high that the newly built port would turn the coastal settlement into a major export hub. While those dreams faded, the church remained a part of the community's life for nearly 150 years. The couple say they have had "so much fun" restoring the former church and have been grateful not to have a set deadline to be able to enjoy the process at their own pace. Ms Miles said the wider community outreach and public submissions in support of the building to achieve a category 1 historic place had been immense. "All these people submitted saying they thought it was a great idea. They all got involved; it was amazing," she said. Mr Simpson said they were told it was a "recent record" for the number of submissions they received. The couple plan to continue restoration of the church and to celebrate its new-found heritage status with an open day event "to welcome all" in spring. "If we have a gin at the end of the day sitting in here and looking at the ceiling and thinking how lovely it is, well, what else could you want?" Mr Simpson said.
NZ Herald
17 hours ago
- NZ Herald
How the humble air fryer took over Kiwi kitchens – and what we're cooking in it now
In 2022, demand surged in the lead-up to Christmas, and shops struggled to keep up with sales. A year later, Consumer NZ released a detailed buying guide to help shoppers compare the swelling number of models on the market, including larger, oven-style versions big enough to cook a roast chicken. Fast-forward to now, and the trend hasn't fizzled. If anything, it's evolved. What we're cooking now On TikTok, a search for 'air fryer baked oats' returns thousands of short videos featuring ramekins of mashed banana, oats, milk and baking powder, cooked at 180C until puffed and golden. The result is somewhere between a muffin and porridge – a warm breakfast for one with minimal mess. Chocolate chips, peanut butter and berries are popular additions. Other recipes trending this winter include molten chocolate cakes, croissant bakes, cheesy breakfast wraps and stuffed capsicums. On the savoury side, creators are showing off 15-minute pork roasts, skin-crackling chicken thighs, and air-fried gnocchi with crispy edges. Reddit threads and Facebook groups devoted to air fryer cooking are full of creative ideas, from drying orange slices to reviving day-old pizza and finishing off sourdough loaves. Whether it all tastes as good as it looks is another matter, but for many, the joy is in the trying. More than just convenience Part of the air fryer's success lies in how it aligns with how many people now cook: often solo or in small households, and without the time or inclination to use a full-sized oven. It heats quickly, cooks quickly and doesn't leave a sink full of dishes in its wake. Independent tests from UK-based consumer groups show that air fryers can use less than half the electricity of a conventional electric oven when preparing small to medium meals. As energy costs rise, that efficiency can make a noticeable difference to household bills. Air fryer ownership has risen sharply in Australia and New Zealand since 2020, driven by consumers prioritising speed, cost-effectiveness and healthier cooking methods. That shift is visible in local food media and retail recipe collections, where air fryer instructions now sit comfortably alongside oven and stovetop methods. From nuggets to lava cakes While early air fryer content focused on simple swaps – think nuggets, wedges and spring rolls – the new wave is more ambitious. Some creators are tackling pavlovas and bread puddings, while others use the appliance to streamline traditional favourites: shepherd's pie with a mashed kumara topping, or roast vegetables done in half the usual time. Of course, it has its limits. The air fryer isn't a magic wand. Large casseroles and liquid-based recipes are still better suited to a conventional oven or slow cooker. And some of the more elaborate desserts, such as lava cakes in silicone moulds, can be fiddly and prone to failure. 'Frying' without oil was the air fryer's biggest pull for those looking to limit fat in their diets. Photo / 123RF But for everyday use, especially in winter, the appliance has become an unlikely hero. It suits a generation of cooks who want fast results, low energy use and fewer dishes – and it taps into the quiet satisfaction of producing something hot and crispy with just the push of a button. An air fryer is no longer a novelty; it's shorthand for a practical, flexible, and modern approach to home cooking. As winter settles in, more New Zealanders are reaching for theirs not just for after-school snacks or reheating pizza, but for solo breakfasts, weeknight roasts, and the kind of crispy, warming dinners that keep power bills down and satisfaction levels up. And while the internet may still have a few unhinged hacks left to share (air-fried scrambled eggs, anyone?), most people are sticking to what the appliance does best: fast, hot food with minimal mess. Herald contributor Nikki Birrell has worked in food and travel publishing for nearly 20 years. From managing your kitchen to cutting costs, she's shared some helpful advice recently, including how to prep your barbecue for summer grilling, gourmet hacks for elevating budget ingredients and what toppings to choose for different crackers.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Stitched into position
Embroidery once defined someone's standing in China, writes Moira White. We are all familiar with a range of id badges — our own or others' — from military dog tags to membership cards or security passes of one form or another. Some we carry, others we wear clipped to a pocket, or on a lanyard around our neck. They convey a range of information that might include a name, job title, place of employment, or sometimes a photograph. However, none that I have seen are even remotely as beautiful as the silk rank badges (buzi) that were worn for centuries by Chinese court officials. Ming dynasty clothing regulations in 1391 required court officials to wear decorative textile patches that showed which of the nine civil or military ranks they had attained. Birds were used to indicate the civil ranks, while the military ranks were denoted by a variety of animals. Censors, who conducted special investigations for the emperor and reported on other officials, had their own badge depicting a mythical creature, the xiezhi. The badge tradition continued into the Qing dynasty, with most showing a representation of the universe: waves below a landscape and central creature, above which were the sky and clouds. The rank badges (sometimes called Mandarin squares) were worn as matching pairs on the front and back of ceremonial robes. Most are more or less square in shape. Because the robes had a centre front opening, badges on the back were a single piece, but those on the front had a vertical split down the middle. They don't, of course, include the name of an individual, but we do know that each person who wore one had been granted permission to do so by the emperor. However, he (the officials were all men) had to provide and pay for the badge himself, which is one explanation for the variations that can be seen in the style and composition of the design. The exams for the civil officials were taken after years of study, so we know at least those who had qualified to wear the badges were hard working, intelligent, and focused. Tūhura Otago Museum has recently received five pairs of civil rank badges that were given to the donor's mother in the mid-20th century, through her association with the Chinese Presbyterian Church in Dunedin. We already had a small number in the collection. The de Beers donated a censor's badge in the 1980s, and Maud Brown gave us four single badges in 1973; none of them are military. She and her husband, the Rev Thomas Brown, worked for the London Missionary Society in China for most of the 1910s and 1920s. In all five pairs of this most recent generous donation, the bird looks towards a circular red sun, representing the emperor. At least three of the pairs show a silver pheasant, denoting the fifth civil rank. Identifying the birds can be a bit of a challenge, not only for me, but the long, serrated tail feathers in many embroidered versions of silver pheasants are distinctive. Apparently, this is the species of bird most frequently encountered in collections of rank badges. The other two pairs show what may be a wild goose (the fourth civil rank). While wives of officials had been entitled to wear the badge of their husband's rank for a long time, researchers suggest that in the mid-18th century, a custom developed for the animal in a wife's badge to face in the opposite direction to those in her husband's. The creatures would then face one another when the couple sat side by side. Our recent gift includes two pairs facing to the left (said to have been those worn by men, as civil officials sat on the left of the emperor), and three to the right. In four of these pairs, the bird stands on one foot on a rock or hill, but in the fifth, the bird flies through a sky of stylised clouds. Even among these examples, there are many variations in the details. Some have auspicious symbols, the border patterns differ, and the plants depicted on the sides, for instance, vary greatly and are perhaps something the wearers were allowed to choose for themselves. The size of rank badges reduced over the centuries and for that and other reasons, it seems likely that those which comprise this new gift were made in the later years of the Qing dynasty. The social role of rank badges ceased when the Qing dynasty ended in 1911, but removed from their original context, they remained of appeal to textile collectors for their beauty and interest, and the skill shown in their making. Moira White is curator humanities at Tūhura Otago Museum.
