May 2024 - Hoang Viet

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May 31 2024

Scotland vs Israel Euro 2025 qualifier delayed as protester chains himself to goalpost | UK News

The start of Scotland’s women’s Euro 2025 qualifier against Israel was delayed after a protester chained himself to one of the goalposts at Hampden Park.

With hundreds gathered outside with Palestinian flags, the anti-Israel protester got on to the pitch at the Glasgow stadium prior to the women’s teams’ pre-match anthems.

The game was played behind closed doors after intelligence suggested demonstrators were planning to disrupt the match in protest at Israel’s ongoing Gaza offensive.

The man, wearing a ‘Red Card For Israel’ t-shirt, stood against the post and appeared to use a thick bicycle lock to chain himself around the neck, which was challenging for police and ground staff to remove.

The game had been scheduled to kick off at 7.05pm but was delayed by just over 30 minutes.

Both teams returned to the dressing rooms during the disruption and emerged for a second warm-up and kick-off once the protester had been removed.

Campaigners and charities including Show Israel the Red Card and Scottish Friends of Palestine held protests outside the ground, where they called for an immediate ceasefire and held small replica coffins.

They have also criticised the Scottish Football Association (SFA)’s decision to allow the game to go ahead and claimed it was an attempt to “sportwash” Israel.

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The SFA previously said it had “no option” but to play the game without supporters present after receiving intelligence on the planned protests.

The return fixture will be played at the BSC Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, next Tuesday, having been moved out of Israel due to the conflict.

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May 31 2024

‘Thoroughly dishonest’ mother jailed for stealing daughters’ inheritance | UK News

A “thoroughly dishonest” mother who stole her daughters’ inheritance has been jailed.

Katherine Hill, 53, worked with her 93-year-old father, Gerald Hill, to cheat her children out of the money left to them by their grandmother, a court heard.

Gemma and Jessica Thomas had been left £50,000 in their grandmother’s will.

It stated they could access the money once they turned 25, but Katherine and Gerald Hill emptied the account in just over a year.

At Swansea Crown Court on Friday, Ms Hill, from Pontardawe near Swansea, was handed a 30-month prison sentence.

Mr Hill, of the Gower, was handed a suspended sentence. If he were jailed, the judge feared he would cause “chaos” to the prison system due to his advanced age.

‘Spiteful and dishonest’

Recorder Greg Bull KC said Ms Hill had instigated the scam and had used her father as a “patsy”.

“I’m satisfied that you were so annoyed that your daughters had been left more money than you, that you spitefully and dishonestly decided to obtain their inheritance,” he said.

“You did it in part for greed – not only through greed but also in spite, the spite being that your daughters decided to live with their father rather than you. You used this money as a weapon against your own children.”

In mitigation, barrister Matt Murphy, who spoke on behalf of Ms Hill, said she was “considered by her colleagues to be trustworthy”.

He said the offence was a “one-off, unique scenario in her life”.

‘Effectively under house arrest’

Speaking for Mr Hill, Harry Dickens asked for his client not to be jailed due to his age.

Mr Dickens said his client was effectively under “house arrest”, as no family or friends would talk to him since the offence.

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In a victim impact statement read on her behalf, Jessica Thomas said the incident had been “seriously damaging to [her] mental health”.

“I find it hard to understand how my family could have caused such hurt and pain to their own flesh and blood,” she added.

Prosecutor James Hartson also read a statement on behalf of Gemma Thomas who said she and her sister had been “exploited out of money”.

“I have been let down and lied to by two people who are my blood and my family,” she added.

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May 31 2024

Lib Dems announce free school meals plan funded by buyback tax | Politics News

The Liberal Democrats have announced plans for free school meals for all primary school children funded by a new share buyback tax.

In a policy announcement that could put pressure on Labour, the Lib Dems said the plan would begin with an immediate extension of free school meals to all 900,000 children living in poverty who currently miss out.

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The second phase would see all primary school children receiving free school meals as the public finances stabilise.

The pledge, to be included in the Lib Dem’s manifesto, would be funded by a 4% levy on the share buybacks of FTSE 100 listed corporations.

This is similar to the excise tax on buybacks implemented by President Biden in the US and could raise around £1.4bn a year, the party said.

A share buyback is when companies buy back their own shares from the market to increase their price – essentially so they can return excess cash to their shareholders

Critics have warned this can come at the expense of productive investment in the economy.

The Lib Dems said the practice has allowed the profits of oil and gas giants, banks and large corporations to soar during a cost of living crisis.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “Across the country, I hear heartbreaking stories of children going to school with empty packed lunch boxes as parents struggle to cover even the basic costs.

“Conservative MPs should hang their heads in shame at a legacy of children going hungry in the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.”

He added: “I am proud the Liberal Democrats have the most ambitious plan for free school meals of any party, which would save parents money and transform the future for millions of children.”

The announcement could put pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to make a similar offering – given this is something many of his MPs want to see.

Free school meals are already rolled out in London and a promise to extend the scheme was at the centre of Sadiq Khan’s successful bid for a historic third term as the city’s Labour mayor.

Labour’s policy nationally is to ensure every primary school child in England has access to fully funded breakfast clubs, but not lunches.

However, a series of Labour MPs have called for the national rollout of free meals, something which was in the party’s manifesto in 2019.

Under current rules, pupils in England get free school meals up to the end of Year 2 and then only if their families receive certain benefits. There have long been warnings from poverty campaigners that thousands of children in need are missing out.

In 2022, research by PWC found that every £1 spent on free school meals for the poorest children generates £1.38 in health and earnings benefits, including improvements to children’s health, education and future working life opportunities.

The analysis found that a free school meals scheme could inject up to £41.3bn into the economy over 20 years.

The Tories’ position is that free school meals should be targeted, going to those who most need it.

The government say that over a third of pupils in England now receive free school meals in education settings, compared with one in six in 2010.

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May 31 2024

Police ‘organisational failure’ left couple in crashed car by motorway for three days | UK News

A woman who, along with her partner, lay undiscovered in a crashed car for days probably would have survived, but for “organisational failure” in police call handling procedures, an inquiry has found.

Lamara Bell, 25, and John Yuill, 28, died after their car careered off the M9 near Stirling on 5 July 2015 as they drove back from a camping trip.

They lay in their Renault Clio for three days before being discovered on 8 July, despite police being alerted to the incident.

Mr Yuill, a father-of-five, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Ms Bell, a mother-of-two, died four days later in hospital.

Sheriff James Williamson found in his determination, published following a fatal accident inquiry (FAI), that there was no system of reconciling information recorded by officers in notebooks with action taken.

He said: “The failure of Police Scotland to properly risk assess the call handling procedures and have a system of reconciliation was an organisational failure.”

Police Scotland repeated their apology to the families of the deceased, adding that “significant improvements” have been made to call handling systems since 2015, which are now “incomparable” to the systems in place at that time.

Mr Yuill suffered unsurvivable injuries in the crash, however Ms Bell would probably have lived had she received medical attention on the day of the incident, albeit with long-term neurological problems.

Sheriff Williamson noted the Bilston Glen police call handling centre was under pressure that summer due to staffing shortages, and there was confusion among officers about the tripartite call handling system comprising the Aspire, Avaya and Storm systems.

Police sergeant Brian Henry, now retired, volunteered to do overtime at Bilston Glen, arriving into what the sheriff described as a “confused, fractious working environment”.

The inquiry heard that on 5 July he took a call from a farmer named John Wilson reporting a car off the road and recorded it in his police notebook, but he failed to log it into the Storm case management system and no action was taken.

Sheriff Williamson found police had not identified the risk that calls may be missed.

He said: “Brian Henry was inadequately trained and left largely unsupervised to operate a system that allowed for human error to go undetected.

“His human error going undetected meant that Lamara Bell was left in a vehicle by the side of a major motorway in Scotland suffering devastating injures.

“These injuries, together with the delay in rescuing and treating her, led to her death.”

The car was discovered on 8 July 2015 after another member of the public rang the police.

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Sheriff Williamson found the incident was not the result of one individual failure by Police Scotland but “more than one and these failures took place over a lengthy period of time, during which the opportunity to resolve them was lost”.

The FAI came after the family of Ms Bell was awarded more than £1 million in damages from Police Scotland in a civil settlement in December 2021.

In September 2021, the force was fined £100,000 at the High Court in Edinburgh after it pleaded guilty to health and safety failings which “materially contributed” to Ms Bell’s death.

Sheriff Williamson said Ms Bell’s suffering over a period of three days, when she was severely injured but conscious, is “almost incomprehensible”.

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May 30 2024

Jail for ‘UK’s biggest benefit fraudsters’ who stole £53m using fake claims | UK News

Five gang members who falsely claimed more than £53m in benefits have been jailed for a total of 25 years.

In what is thought to be the largest benefit fraud and money laundering-related scheme in England and Wales, the gang made thousands of false universal credit claims using real people or hijacked identities.

Gyunesh Ali, 34, committed fraud by false representation “on an industrial scale” during the scheme which also involved fellow Bulgarians Galina Nikolova, 39, Stoyan Stoyanov, 28, Tsvetka Todorova, 53, and Patritsia Paneva, 27, Judge David Aaronberg KC said.

At Wood Green Crown Court in London, they were sentenced to a total of 25 years and five months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple fraud and money laundering-related offences.

They were also all warned they are liable to be deported after serving their sentences and the judge acknowledged “an enormous amount of work” was carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to prosecute the gang.

Bundles of cash stuffed in shopping bags and suitcases were found during a raid on their properties, as well as a luxury car and designer watches, jackets and glasses, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

One gang member was also filmed throwing stacks of £20 notes in the air.

The gang supported their false benefits claims with an array of forged documents, including tenancy agreements, payslips and letters from landlords, employers, schools and GPs.

If the claims were rejected by the DWP, the gang would try again until they were accepted.

Investigators discovered three “benefit factories” in London, where they claimed to help people obtain national insurance numbers using “claim packs” of forged and false documents, the CPS said.

The court heard they also gave claimants tips on how to fool the system.

After applicants made the claims, they left them in the gang’s hands and they then laundered the money through several bank accounts.

Ali and Nikolova were the main people behind the fraud.

The judge said the maximum sentence he could give them under current laws is 10 years but added he would give them credit for their guilty pleas, time served and other mitigating factors.

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Ali, who had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false representations, possession of articles for use in fraud and possessing criminal property, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.

The judge told him: “You played a leading role in a scheme that was complex and sophisticated in nature. Your offending lasted for some four-and-a-half years and were involved in a vast number of false declarations.”

He had fled to Bulgaria after his arrest but was extradited back to the UK in February 2023.

Nikolova, who was found to have caused £25m in losses for taxpayers, was given eight years in prison.

Todorova was given a three-year sentence but she was due to be released on licence on Thursday because of time already served in custody and under house arrest.

In court, it emerged Todorova and Nikolova had tried, unsuccessfully, to flee the UK after their arrests in May 2021.

Paneva was 19 years old and was paid £80 a day when she was recruited by the gang’s leaders for the scheme. She was jailed for three years and two months.

Stoyanov was sentenced to four years in prison after also pleading guilty to multiple charges.

An order for a surcharge is set to be made at a future confiscation hearing.

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May 30 2024

Homeless face being sent outside of Edinburgh as Taylor Swift shows push up hotel demand | UK News

A number of homeless people face being sent outside of Edinburgh to make way for tourists ahead of Taylor Swift performing in the city.

The City of Edinburgh Council said it is working with those affected to find “alternative accommodation”.

The local authority said as a result of its housing emergency, it must at times use tourist accommodation to house homeless people.

However, as it won’t be available year-round – particularly over the summer holidays – it is “reluctantly” used as a last resort as a short-term fix and is only booked one week at a time.

Swift is set to perform at Murrayfield Stadium next week on 7, 8 and 9 June, with tens of thousands of fans expected to flock to the Scottish capital to see the US singer – many with prior hotel reservations.

If the council fails to source accommodation in the city, then the homeless households will be moved elsewhere in the country.

There is no evidence of homeless people being removed from accommodation where they are currently staying.

Councillor Jane Meagher, housing, homelessness and fair work convener, said: “It is a symptom of the housing emergency we face in Edinburgh that at times we must use tourist accommodation to house homeless households.

“We know it won’t be available year-round, particularly over the busy summer months, so we use it reluctantly as a last resort.

“We’re aware of the situation and are working with the affected households to find appropriate, alternative accommodation.”

Shelter Scotland described the situation as “a blatant injustice”.

Alison Watson, director of the charity, said: “This situation is yet further evidence of the urgency of Scotland’s housing emergency.

“In Edinburgh that emergency now places people experiencing homelessness in direct competition with tourists; a blatant injustice.

“Our frontline services have seen people in need of a bed tonight being told their only option is to leave the city.

“A family going through the trauma of homelessness in Edinburgh should not have to move miles from their job, school, and community to find emergency accommodation.”

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There is a legal obligation for people declared homeless in Scotland to be offered emergency temporary accommodation, and this can come in the form of hotels.

The council declared a housing emergency last November in the face of increasing homelessness figures and a lack of supply.

The Scottish government followed suit earlier this month after sustained pressure from campaigners and opposition parties.

Ms Watson is calling for Holyrood to deliver its promise of a national housing emergency action plan.

She said that without change, the council will be facing the same issue during Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.

Ms Watson stated: “At a time when the City of Edinburgh Council has declared a housing emergency and the Scottish Housing Regulator says the city’s homelessness services are experiencing systemic failure, we need a different response from the Scottish government.

“Scottish ministers must deliver their promise of a national housing emergency action plan that delivers more homes and more money for Edinburgh.

“Without that change we can expect more of the same when the festival kicks off in a few weeks’ time.”

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May 30 2024

Bodies found in search for father and son who went missing in Scottish Highlands | UK News

Two bodies have been found in the search for a man and his son who went missing during a hike in the Scottish Highlands.

Tom Parry, 49, and his son Richie, 12, were due to return to their Cheshire home on Wednesday after visiting Glen Nevis and Glencoe.

Their car was found in the Three Sisters car park in Glencoe where they stopped the day before to go hillwalking.

In an update on Thursday, Police Scotland said two bodies had been found during a search in the area on Wednesday evening.

A force spokesperson said: “They are yet to be formally identified. However, the family of father and son Tom Parry, 49, and Richie Parry, 12, from Cheshire, who had been reported missing in the area, have been made aware.”

Police said enquiries are ongoing, but there are “no apparent suspicious circumstances”.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.

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Inspector Craig Johnstone said: “Our thoughts are with all those involved. I would like to thank all emergency services and mountain rescue volunteers.”

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May 30 2024

Hackney: Child among four injured in shooting near east London restaurant | UK News

A child is among four people shot near a restaurant in east London.

Police have said the child is in a serious condition and are waiting for updates on the health of three adults also injured in the incident in Hackney.

All four were taken to hospital with gunshot injuries.

Officers were called to the scene in Kingsland High Street at about 9.20pm on Wednesday, according to the Metropolitan Police, with specialist firearms officers attending.

No arrests have been made and police are still investigating the circumstances of the shooting.

Deputy assistant commissioner Matt Ward said: “We know Londoners will be shocked by what has taken place tonight.

“Our thoughts go to all those affected.

“Fast-moving enquiries are underway and we will update as soon as we can. If anyone has any information, please contact us.”

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, incident response officers and members of our tactical response unit.

“We also dispatched a trauma team from London Air Ambulance, which consisted of a doctor and a paramedic in a car.

“We treated three adults and one child at the scene before taking them all to a major trauma centre.”

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May 29 2024

Starmer’s decision over Diane Abbott is part of a wider strategy – but polling suggests trouble ahead | Politics News

Does Diane Abbott and the row over her future matter?

Keir Starmer clearly calculated not so much, although I’m told it blew up far more than the leader’s office expected, with the mess and delay a product of disagreements internally about what to do with her.

High-profile Labour politicians like Jess Phillips are now kicking off, and televised rallies in front of supporters in Hackney have undoubtedly obliterated the party’s attempts to get messages out on NHS waiting times.

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But does it move the dial politically – particularly when the party is 27 points ahead according to the latest Sky News/YouGov poll and Sir Keir is keen to do all he can to preserve relations with the Jewish community?

Possibly not in the first instance. But it may have secondary effects.

Sir Keir is avowedly determined to present a “changed” Labour Party, away from the one that held Jeremy Corbyn in high esteem.

The decisions about Ms Abbott are part of that wider strategy. There are still parts of the party nostalgic for this era, however, and Sir Keir famously won the leadership trying to keep them onside.

But there’s a paradox in the polling that suggests trouble ahead. Yes, if the polls are to be believed (and many Tories don’t) Labour is on course for a decent majority and control of Number 10.

However, Sir Keir’s own ratings are – less than stellar.

The YouGov/Sky News poll asked this week whether voters thought he would be a good or bad prime minister. Almost half – 47% – said bad. The older the voter, the more pessimistic they are.

Sir Keir is starting from a low base – not as bad as Rishi Sunak, but still bad. By contrast, only 33% said they thought he’d be good.

That level of enthusiasm suggests Sir Keir may not enjoy much of a public opinion honeymoon, just at a point where he is likely to have to start by making difficult decisions, most notably on raising taxes.

One of the themes of this election has been the party’s clarity that while it will promise not to raise income tax, national insurance and corporation tax, no such bar exists on other taxes.

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With rules to restrain borrowing lifted from the Tories and unsustainably tight Whitehall spending plans, something has to give.

Judging by the first week of the campaign, that seems to be tax – a subject the Tories are likely to dwell on in the coming days.

If he is suddenly unpopular, Sir Keir needs an army of supporters to insulate him.

But some of those are the supporters who are unhappy with his treatment of Ms Abbott.

This row might not matter that much now or in this campaign, but if the bonds between leader and party are easily frayed then there’s trouble ahead.

Rishi Sunak could tell him that.

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May 29 2024

Amie Gray: Family pay tribute to personal trainer stabbed to death on Bournemouth beach | UK News

The family of a personal trainer stabbed to death on a beach in Bournemouth have paid tribute to her, calling her “one of the most amazing, funny, kind and energetic souls”.

Police launched a murder investigation after Amie Gray, 34, a personal trainer and women’s head coach at Dorset Futsal Club, was killed on Friday night.

Amie’s wife Sian Gray said she was “the most loving wife and mother”.

“Words cannot describe the pain that we feel,” she said.

“Her giggly laugh and big smile will be hard to be without. A larger than life character.”

“I will miss you immensely my love. To the moon and back, forever and always,” she added.

“Thank you for all of the love and support shown and for respecting our privacy. It is a difficult time for everyone.”

Amie’s mother Sharon Macklin said the family were “devastated to have lost one of the most amazing, funny, kind and energetic souls”.

“When Amie entered a room it filled with laughter and her presence could not be ignored,” Ms Macklin said.

“She was beautiful inside and out and there are no words that can express how empty our lives will be without her.

“We will miss her so much and our hearts are forever broken.”

A 20-year-old man from Croydon, south London, was arrested on Tuesday night on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after a large manhunt. He remains in custody.

A 17-year-old boy from Lancashire was released from charge on Monday, after being held in police custody.

Another woman, 38, from Poole also suffered serious injuries and is still being treated in hospital.

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An inquest into Ms Gray’s killing opened today and recorded her cause of death as “multiple stab wounds”.

Detectives have appealed to anyone with information that may help their investigation to contact Dorset Police.

Officers were called to Durley Chine beach at 11.42pm on Friday after reports that two people had been stabbed.

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