The post The Most Popular Online Casino Game – Book of Ra appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

Positive airway pressure machines (CPAP) are effective treatments for respiratory diseases, but different types of such machines have their own characteristics and advantages. Let’s look at the differences between CPAP, Auto-CPAP, BiPAP and VPAP sets, and learn their advantages.

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) devices.

CPAP devices create a constant, stable air pressure, which is supplied through the patient’s mask during sleep. This constant pressure helps keep the airways open, preventing collapse and respiratory arrest in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other similar diseases.

Auto-CPAP (Automatic Continuous Positive Airway Pressure).

Auto-CPAP machines, also known as APAPs, automatically adjust the air pressure depending on the patient’s needs. They detect airway collapse and automatically change pressure to prevent it. This allows users to obtain optimal air pressure for each phase of sleep without the need for manual adjustment.

BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) та VPAP (Variable Positive Airway Pressure).

BiPAP and VPAP machines provide two levels of air pressure: one for inhalation and the other for exhalation. This allows patients to receive more comfortable treatment, since the pressure decreases during exhalation, which facilitates the removal of carbon dioxide from the lungs and reduces the fatigue of the breathing muscles. BiPAP is the standard terminology, while VPAP is the brand name of ResMed.

Advantages of modern BiPAP and VPAP devices:

1. Comfort. Maintaining pressure in two directions allows patients to experience a more natural breathing process during sleep, which reduces discomfort and increases compliance with prescribed treatment conditions.
2. Specialized treatment. BiPAP and VPAP machines will be useful for patients with more complex respiratory diseases, such as: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung pollution, etc.
3. Adaptation. Some BiPAP and VPAP models have the function of automatic adaptive pressure regulation, which allows the device to adapt to changes in the patient’s needs during the night.

The choice between CPAP, Auto-CPAP, BiPAP and VPAP depends on the individual needs of the patient and the characteristics of their respiratory disease. Modern BiPAP and VPAP machines provide greater flexibility and comfort for patients with more complex diagnoses, and Auto-CPAP will be useful for those looking for automated pressure regulation. The choice should be made after consultation with the doctor and taking into account the individual needs and conditions of the patient, and you can buy devices from us: https://medsupplycart.com/

The post Comparison and advantages of different types of CPAP sets. appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

Multiple people have been shot dead and injured in a shooting at a school in Prague today.

‘Based on initial information we can confirm there are dead and injured people at the site,’ police said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Police in the Czech Republic’s capital urged residents to shelter and avoid the area ‘due to an ongoing shooting incident’ close to Charles University in the centre of the city.

The sickening sound of gunfire could be heard in Prague as armed police officers descended onto the scene. 

The British Embassy in Prague has urged people in the city, a hotspot for tourists, to avoid the around the Charles University and the Faculty of Arts.  

People can be seen running from a building in Prague

Police in the Czech Republic’s capital urged residents to shelter and avoid the area ‘due to an ongoing shooting incident’ close to Charles University in the centre of the city

This is a breaking story, more to follow…  

Source: Read Full Article

The post Multiple people dead and injured in Prague school shooting appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Masie Lomax-Newton was playing outside at her family’s farm in Atherton 
• CCTV footage shows the toddler playing in puddles before going to the pond
• Her mother and grandmother previously pleaded guilty to child neglect
• Maisie was treated for a global hypoxic brain injury but sadly died on December 1

The mother and grandmother of a two-year-old girl who fell into a pond and drowned while they tended to their horses instead of her, have both been given a 12-month communtity order.

Masie Lomax-Newton was playing outside at her family’s farm in Atherton, Wigan, when the tragedy occurred on the morning of November 8, 2021.

CCTV footage shows the toddler splashing in puddles and running around Crab Fold Farm, before going to the pond by herself.

She was in the pond for 19 minutes and had been unsupervised for 33 minutes before she was found, Manchester Crown Court heard.

The little girl was rushed to Royal Oldham Hospital but sadly died on December 1.

Mother Emma Lomax-Newton, 30, and grandmother Cindy Molyneux, 52, previously pleaded guilty to child neglect. 

It was indicated to them at the time by the judge that they wouldn’t go to prison.

They were both sentenced to a 12-month community order as well as 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR).

Mother Emma Lomax-Newton, 30, and grandmother Cindy Molyneux, 52, pleaded guilty to child neglect

They were both sentenced to a 12-month community order as well as 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR)

Neither women were said to have any previous convictions on their records

Prosecutor Rachel Shenton told the court that on November 8 2021, two-year-old Masie and her one-year-old brother were taken by Lomax-Newton and Molyneux to Crab Fold Farm for their regular daily visit. 

They kept six horses at the farm and looked after horses belonging to other people, the prosecutor said. 

The women and children arrived at around 10am when they started on general maintenance tasks including mucking the horses out and cleaning the paddocks.

Ms Shenton highlighted a few occasions where Masie was out of sight of her mother and grandmother before coming back into view.

The prosecutor said: ‘There was plastic fencing around the pond area, though it appeared to be down in one particular area.

‘Masie was seen there alone for four minutes between 12.18pm and 12.23pm, splashing in puddles.

‘At 12.22pm she then goes back to the farm and is playing by herself before wandering towards a muck heap. 

‘Then from 12.47pm to 12.59pm she is seen walking to the right side of the pond before falling in.’

Lomax-Newton and Molyneux were seen looking for Masie before they found her at 1.18pm that day, the court heard.

Masie was treated for a global hypoxic brain injury, but sadly died on December 1, with her cause of death being recorded as a bronchopneumonic brain injury as a result of drowning.

When interviewed by police, Molyneux said she did not see Masie at the pond but admitted she had a large responsibility for looking after the children and that Masie had been out of her sight for 10 minutes.

Lomax-Newton maintained that her mother looked after the children whilst on the farm, and said she had seen Masie 10 minutes before they found her. 

Neither women were said to have any previous convictions on their records.

The judge said the wider family had been significantly affected by the incident, though to a ‘greater extent’ were the defendants affected themselves.

Mitigating for Molyneux, Rachel Cooper said the harm caused was ‘permanent and palpable’. 

‘The family has to live with the loss of Masie far beyond any sentence.

‘A child left unsupervised for one minute can cause themselves serious harm, just as a child left for half an hour may come to no harm at all’.

Ms Cooper added that there was no suggestion that Masie was ‘anything other than a loved, wanted and cared for child’. 

Judge Nicholas Dean KC, presiding over the case, said: ‘What happened here could have happened to almost any mother or grandmother, even the most caring and careful.

‘A child left unsupervised for one minute can cause themselves serious harm, just as a child left for half an hour may come to no harm at all. There is an element of neglect here but punishment lies in the consequence of that neglect and the fact of the prosecution.

‘It’s a human frailty. There was no malevolence here, just a caution that you cannot ever be too careful.’

As a consequence of her death, social services became involved and found Molyneux to be a ‘loving and dedicated grandmother’, and said the entire family have supported both women. 

The barrister said Masie was described as a ‘bright, loving, bubbly child who enjoyed books, singing and dancing’. ‘She was a much wanted and loved child’. 

Source: Read Full Article

The post Girl, 2, drowned while her mother and grandmother tended to horses appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Thrill-seekers have been urged to stay away from the volcano in Iceland, which erupted on Monday night

A hiker had to be rescued last night by a helicopter after getting lost near an erupting volcano in Iceland.

The aircraft was called to the eruption site on the Reykjanes peninsula to search for the hiker, who managed to flag down the passing helicopter using SOS signals, the Icelandic coast guard said.

Ásgeir Erlendsson, a spokesman for the coast guard, said it was initially reported that two people had become lost earlier in the evening on account of the person becoming separated from their gear.

‘The helicopter found him and took him back to town,’ Erlendsson said. ‘He had become very cold and had left his equipment with a flashlight in another place, which is why it was thought that these were two men.’

People have been urged to stay away from the volcano, which erupted on Monday night. Trill-seekers flocked to the site following the eruption, with people getting as close as possible to the expanding lava field.

However, experts have warned that the on-going eruption could see new fissures open up and rip apart the nearby town of Grindavik, as the area remains on high alert amid uncertainty around what the coming days will bring.

Iceland’s met office announced yesterday that there was an increased risk of unannounced eruptions, with even emergency responders told to evacuate from the town, which is about 25 miles from Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital.

A hiker had to be rescued last night by a helicopter after getting lost near an erupting volcano in Iceland

The aircraft was called to the eruption site on the Reykjanes peninsula to search for the hiker, who flagged down the passing helicopter using SOS signals, the Icelandic coast guard said. Pictured: A helicopter flies near a volcano spewing lava and smoke as it erupts near Grindavik, December 19

People have been urged to stay away from the volcano (pictured), which erupted on Monday night. Trill-seekers flocked to the site following the eruption, with people getting as close as possible to the site

Bubbling lava pours out of chasms near the town of Grindavik, Iceland on December 19

Molten lava is comming out from a fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula 3km north of the evacuate town of Grindavik, western Iceland on December 19

A close up of the Southern active segment of the original fissure of an active volcano in Grindavik on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula

The eruption signals a heightened risk of volcanic fissures opening without warning inside the fishing town – which is home to some 4,000 people and was evacuated after it began to be shaken by earthquakes weeks ago.

Locals have shared videos of their homes being ripped apart, with houses sealed and a number of people told they cannot return after the force of the tremors ripping homes from their foundations.

Iceland’s tourism industry, driven by attractions including the Blue Lagoon which is just a stone’s throw from the eruption, has also taken a huge hit – with some flights delayed and nervous holidaymakers cancelling reservations and pushing back their trips for the coming months.

‘The future is still uncertain,’ Icelandic tourist board boss Jóhannes Þór Skúlason told MBL.is. ‘We have to see how this eruption plays out. If the upheavals continue for a long time, the impact on the tourism industry can be great into next year.’ 

Meanwhile, people around the world have marvelled at the stunning new images coming out of the country, with drone footage showing the steaming lava flows pouring out over snow-capped mountains and laying bare the extent of the 2.5 mile (4km) chasm.

Tens of thousands of tremors have been recorded around Grindavik since a ‘seismic swarm’ first rattled the region in late October, with the Fagradalsfjall volcano threatening for weeks to erupt before Monday’s explosion at Sundhnúkagíga, which has unleashed a much larger flow than any seen in recent years. 

With a huge magma tunnel stretching beneath Grindavik fissures could still open without warning, geophysicist Benedikt Ófeigsson told Icelandic news outlet DV.

‘A magma tunnel was also formed [underground] from which the eruption emerged, and it extends considerably further south and north than the fissures themselves, and we can fully expect that they will start erupting without warning, as actually happened in Fagradalsfjall,’ Ófeigsson warned.

Experts are due to meet to assess the ongoing situation on Wednesday morning after an update last night that the eruption has been weakening.

The volcano has been spewing enough lava to fill an Olympic swimming pool every 20 seconds, an expert said on Tuesday.

David Pyle, a professor of Earth sciences at Oxford University told Live Science that earthquakes around the eruption area have now died down, suggesting the fissure has stabilised.

‘The eruption rate is likely to be in the region of a few hundred cubic metres of lava per second — enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool in about 20 seconds,’ Pyle told LiveScience. 

‘The length of the fissure may be an indication of how much magma had been able to accumulate in the crust over the past few weeks.’

The Icelandic Met Office said in a statement last night: ‘The lava flow is estimated to be about one-quarter of what it was at the beginning of the eruption on 18 December, and a third of the original fissure is active.’

Police have said that the eruption does not pose a danger to life and that no injuries have been reported so far, despite thrill-seekers flocking to the area.

While locals and tourists alike have to witness the incredible nighttime scenes firsthand, authorities have warned that the darkness makes the site even more dangerous.

A drone is capturing the lava flow from the erupting volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula

The eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula just north of the evacuated town of Grindavik began last night at around 10.17 pm after an earthquake swarm, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said, referring to a series of small shakes

Lava comes to the surface at the site which is a short distance from the town of Grindavik

Billowing smoke and flowing lava turning the sky orange are seen in this Icelandic Coast Guard handout image during an volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula on Monday 

The biggest risk posed to people living near the volcano is volcanic fumes, authorities said, which could cause trouble breathing or choking.

Fears that poisonous gas from the eruption would impact the Reykjanes peninsula overnight fortunately did not come to pass. 

Pollution levels have gone up in parts of the peninsula however, raising concerns among experts.

People are being asked to stay away from the area as smoke and ash continues to emanate from the eruption.

The Icelandic Met Office estimates that hundreds of cubic meters of lava per second escaped the volcano in the first two hours of the eruption began on Monday, though this has reduced significantly since.

The lava is about 1,200 degrees Celsius (2,200 degrees Fahrenheit). 

The volcano last erupted in March 2021, but before that had been dormant for 6,000 years.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Hiker rescued by helicopter after getting 'lost' near Iceland volcano appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

Rescuers are scrambling to find survivors in temperatures of -13C after China's deadliest quake in years struck rural Gansu province.

Officials said the shallow quake struck just before midnight 60 miles from Gansu's provincial capital, Lanzhou – with at least 118 confirmed dead in Gansu and Qinghai so far.

At least 20 people remain missing – and the death toll is expected to rise.

Sub zero temperatures means the "golden window" to find survivors is shorter than usual, officials said.

The huge quake damaged more than 5,000 homes – many of them ramshackle brick structures – and sent residents running into the freezing streets for safety.

Dozens of aftershocks rocked the mountainous region – and officials warned tremors with a magnitude of more than 5.0 were possible in the next few days.

The quake is China's deadliest since 2014 when more than 600 people died in southwestern Yunnan province.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "all-out efforts" with rescuers digging through mountains of rubble as daylight revealed the extent of the damage from Monday night's quake.

"Temperatures are below freezing in the area, and rescuers should be on guard for secondary disasters," he said, according to CCTV.

Most read in The Sun

HOMECOMING

Alex Batty speaks for first time as he returns home after 6 YEARS in commune

GAYNOR AGONY

Missing mum-of-three is confirmed dead by cops who reveal possible cause

STRICTLY LOVE

Strictly’s Ellie Leach finally breaks silence on ‘romance’ with Vito Coppola

BRAVE STAR

Kate prepares kids for heartbreaking Christmas as husband fights for his life

Footage from one of the worst-hit places showed survivors warming themselves by a fire in bitingly cold -13C temperatures as emergency services set up tents.

China's state news agency Xinhua said shaking was felt as far away as the major city of Xi'an – about 350 miles away.

Local reports said more than 1,400 firefighters and rescue personnel had been sent to the disaster zone, while another 1,600 remained "on standby".

Some 200million yuan (£22million) in disaster relief funds has been given to Gansu and Qinghai.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in China.

In August, a shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern part of the country, injuring 23 people and collapsing dozens of buildings.

In September 2022, a 6.6-magnitude quake hit Sichuan province leaving almost 100 dead.

And in 2010, a 6.9-magnitude quake in Qinghai left 3,000 people dead or missing.

China's deadliest earthquake in recent decades was in 2008 when a magnitude 8.0 struck Sichuan, killing nearly 70,000 people.

Source: Read Full Article

The post At least 118 dead & 400 injured after huge 6.2 magnitude earthquake hits China as rescuers brave -13C to find survivors | The Sun appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• The broadcaster and journalist , 83, has called for a free vote on assisted dying

Earlier this month she announced she was leaving Childline after 37 years following her diagnosis with stage four lung cancer.

And now Dame Esther Rantzen has revealed that she has joined assisted-dying clinic Dignitas and will consider going there to end her life should her next scan show she is getting worse.

The broadcaster, 83, has called for a free vote on assisted dying as it’s ‘important that the law catches up with what the country wants’.

Dame Esther, who was diagnosed at the beginning of the year, said she will find out in a few weeks if a new medication she has been taking is ‘performing its miracle’ or if it has ‘given up’.

She added that if ‘nothing’s working’ she might ‘buzz off to Zurich’ in Switzerland but realises this would put her family and friends in a difficult position as they could be prosecuted should they decide to join her. ‘I have joined Dignitas,’ she announced on The Today Podcast hosted by presenters Nick Robinson and Amol Rajan.

Dame Esther Rantzen has revealed that she has joined assisted-dying clinic Dignitas and will consider going there to end her life should her next scan show she is getting worse

Dame Esther explained to her family that she didn’t ‘want their last memories of me to be painful because if you watch someone you love having a bad death, that memory obliterates all the happy times’

‘I have in my brain though, well, if the next scan says nothing’s working I might buzz off to Zurich but, you know, it puts my family and friends in a difficult position because they would want to go with me. And that means that the police might prosecute them.

Is Assisted Suicide illegal in Britain? 

Under the Suicide Act 1961, anyone helping or encouraging someone to take their own life in England or Wales can be prosecuted and jailed for up to 14 years if found guilty of an offence.

Section two of the act states that a person commits an offence if they carry out an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide or attempted suicide of another person, and the act was intended to encourage or assist suicide or an attempt at suicide.

In 2015 MPs including former prime minister David Cameron rejected a Bill to legalise assisted dying.

Opposition to changing the law has come from faith groups, campaigners who say disabled people may feel pressured to end their lives and campaigners who fear assisted dying would become a business.

‘So we’ve got to do something. At the moment, it’s not really working, is it?’

Dame Esther said that she had discussed the issue with her family and they had told her it was her ‘decision’ and ‘choice’.

She continued: ‘I explained to them that actually I don’t want their last memories of me to be painful because if you watch someone you love having a bad death, that memory obliterates all the happy times and I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want to be that sort of victim in their lives.’ 

The long-time presenter said that, if she was made prime minister for the week, she would ‘get them to do a free vote on assisted dying’.

She added: ‘I think it’s important that the law catches up with what the country wants.’

Dame Esther also told how she was looking forward to a ‘very unexpected’ Christmas with her family. ‘I didn’t think I would make it to my birthday [June 22],’ she admitted.

‘I definitely didn’t think I’d make it to this Christmas, which I am, it appears. Though anything can happen; I live in a forest, a tree can fall on me.

‘I’ve got to drop off my perch for some reason, and I’m 83 damn it, so I should be jolly grateful and indeed am.’ The mother-of-three and grandmother-of-five helped to set up Childline, which provides counselling to young people, in 1987. Her daughter Rebecca Wilcox, 43, is now training to join the charity.

In 2012, Dame Esther also set up The Silver Line, a confidential helpline to help older people combat loneliness later in life.

Dame Esther’s admission comes after it emerged that Dame Diana Rigg had made a heartfelt plea to MPs to give Britons autonomy over their own deaths shortly before she died in 2020.

In a series of audio recordings, Dame Diana called for legislative change to make assisted dying legal after pleading with her daughter Rachael Stirling to help her end her life.

Three years on from her death, actress Ms Stirling, 46, made the recordings public.

Dame Esther Rantzen has revealed that she has joined assisted-dying clinic Dignitas (pictured) and will consider going there to end her life should her next scan show she is getting worse 

Dame Esther said that if the next scan says nothing’s working, then she ‘might buzz off to Zurich’ (Pictured: A bed in the clinic Dignitas assisted suicide clinic)

The beloved star detailed the horrific symptoms she suffered in her final days. In the recordings, published by The Observer, she said: ‘I have cancer, and it is everywhere, and I have been given six months to live.

‘And I’m not frightened of describing the least attractive aspects of my condition: the fact of the matter is I have lost control of my bowels. This, to me, is quite the most dehumanising thing that can happen.

‘They don’t talk about how awful, how truly awful the details of this condition are, and the ignominy that is attached to it.

‘Well, it’s high time they did. And it is high time there was some movement in the law to give choice to people in my position.

‘This means giving human beings true agency over their own bodies at the end of life. This means giving human beings political autonomy over their own death.’

Dame Esther married Desmond Wilcox, a fellow journalist, in 1977. The couple had three children together, Miriam, Rebecca, and Josh, before Desmond died from heart disease in September 2000 aged 69

The broadcaster, 83, has called for a free vote on assisted dying as it’s ‘important that the law catches up with what the country wants’

Dame Esther said that she had discussed the issue with her family and they had told her it was her ‘decision’ and ‘choice’

Dame Prue Leith, 83, is also a long-standing campaigner on the issue of choice for terminally ill people, having witnessed her brother David die a painful death from bone cancer in 2012.

In May, the Great British Bake Off judge said at an event hosted by Dignity In Dying, for which she is a patron of, that MPs show ‘a lack of courage’ and ‘harm’ their constituents by not changing the law to legalise assisted dying.

READ MORE:  British woman, 45, with terminal breast cancer fast-tracks plan to die at Dignitas due to looming lockdown as she slams UK’s cruel assisted dying laws for forcing her to end her life alone

Assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

The Health and Social Care Committee is due to publish its report into assisted dying and assisted suicide in England and Wales, having launched an inquiry in December 2022 to examine different perspectives in the debate.

Dame Esther became a household name at the BBC and is perhaps best known for presenting That’s Life! – a programme featuring a mix of investigations, topical issues and entertainment – from 1973 to 1994.

In addition to her success as a journalist and broadcaster, she set up children’s charity Childline in 1986.

In 2006, the charity – which offers counselling and support for children and young people in the UK up until the age of 19 – became part of the The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

She was made a DBE in 2015 for services to children and older people due to her charity work.

The full interview with Dame Esther on The Today Podcast is available on BBC Sounds today.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Dame Esther Rantzen reveals she is considering assisted dying appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

The top 50 products of the year were named today – with Aldi washing powder the surprise leader of a list including a barbecue, shredder and thermometer.

The supermarket’s Almat Bio washing powder, costing just £3.95, was followed by a £449 laptop and a low-cost cooker in the ranking by consumer champion Which?.

The list is based on exhaustive testing, tasting, pulling and prodding by its independent experts, and includes everything from baked beans to electric cars.

Amid the cost of living squeeze, many of the choices deliver premium quality and performance at a value price. At the same time, many of the best buy choices are from budget or relatively little-known brands.

While on the face of it these products are very different, the experts at Which? have ranked them from top to bottom.

The accolade of product of the year was given to Aldi’s Almat Bio washing powder, putting it ahead of all the fancy tech, TVs and a £65,000 electric car.

It was credited for its superb stain removal, colour protection, fully recyclable packaging and ingredients that won’t harm any aquatic life.

Second place went to a Lenovo laptop, which was celebrated for its simplicity, speedy processor and exceptional battery life.

A Currys Essentials cooker came third despite a modest price of just £229. Elsewhere on the list, a 50p tin of Asda baked beans were found to be tastier and far cheaper than branded rival Heinz.

Other cheaper items beating branded rivals included Co-op’s £22.50 Les Pionniers Non-Vintage Champagne, which outperformed Veuve Cliquot which retails at around £47.

Many of the choices deliver premium quality and performance at a value price (file picture)

Among other items on the list were a video doorbell, an iPhone, a hedge trimmer, pizza oven and even a thermometer.

Harry Rose, editor of Which? magazine, said: ‘How does a washing powder beat a top of the range smartwatch or flash electric car to be crowned Which?’s product of the year?

‘Simply by being better at doing the job it’s made for than more expensive rivals, while even managing to get ahead of the competition in areas like being less harmful to wildlife.

‘Our experts have whittled down the thousands of products Which? tests every year to the 50 most impressive bits of tech, kitchen appliances and everyday home products that make life just that little bit easier.’

The firm’s experts nominated their favourite products launched or tested in the last 12 months, whittling down 4,000 products to the 50 in the list.

50 Best Products of the Year 2023

1. Aldi Almat Bio washing powder – £3.95

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14-inch Gen 8 laptop – £449

‘The IdeaPad is a laptop that suits a demographic of users that don’t need the best and won’t ever utilise all the strengths of a high-end device. Instead people can get a speedy processor, solid specs and exceptional battery life that they need for everyday computing tasks while keeping their costs down earning it a Which? Great Value badge.’

3. Currys Essentials – CFSEBK22 cooker – £209

‘For a low-cost product, this Curry’s freestanding cooker got to number three the top 50 list by scoring almost as much in Which? tests as the top scorer in its category despite being £446 cheaper – making it an affordable option that won’t let you down.’

4. Skullcandy Rail True Wireless In-Ear earphones – £54.99

‘There are better headphones out there, but these were the cheapest high performers tested by Which?. Replacement charging cables and ear gels should help make them usable for longer and they have warm, rich sound which won’t leave users disappointed.’

5. Ubiquiti UniFi Protect G4 doorbell – £215

‘If you haven’t got a video doorbell yet, Which? recommends the Unifi. It’s easy to install, the picture you get on the app is fantastic, plus there’s a light for dingier days. But the coup de grace is the ability to store videos without the need for a pricey cloud subscription.’

6. Kobo Clara 2E eReader – £129.99

‘If you are looking for an e-reader, the Clara 2E is a Which? Best Buy. Automatically adjusting brightness on the e-ink screen gives you the look of real paper and the convenience of reading in different lighting conditions – and there’s room for dozens of books. It has one clear advantage over Kindles, too, you can borrow library books on it.’

7. LG GMB844PZFG fridge freezer – £1,024

‘If you’re spending more than a grand on a fridge-freezer it helps to know it’s not going to run up your energy bills. LG’s giant, two-door fridge-freezer costs less to run than most similarly sized models, without compromising on excellent, accurate and consistent chilling.’

8. Apple Watch 9 – £429

‘The most impressive thing about Apple’s watch isn’t the sharp screen and improved features, it’s the manufacture. Apple says that this smartwatch is its first carbon neutral product. As for this superb watch, the S9 chip is lightning-fast, and puts Siri, helpfully, at its heart. It’s an excellent fitness companion, too, with accurate tracking so you can understand your stats and see progress.’

9. Road Angel Halo Pro 2022 dash cam – £199

‘Dash cams record the road in front and behind, and can help prove fault in an accident. That’s if they’re any good. This one has outstanding video quality earning it a Which? Best Buy. It’s also fairly straightforward to use, so you won’t spend hours setting it up. There’s a GPS sensor in there, too, so you can track speed and route, which can be shared with others via the useful app.’

10. Ubiquiti UVC-G4-Instant home smart camera – £166

‘Home surveillance doesn’t have to mean a mess of wiring any more, and the simplicity of smart, wi-fi cameras has made them incredibly popular. The Ubiquiti is the best Which? has tested bringing continuous, high-quality recordings for 24-hour peace of mind.’

11. MacAllister MBV18-Li-2 18V 2.0Ah leaf blower – £99

‘Like every other garden tool in this list, it uses a battery. And while at 11 minutes 30 seconds it doesn’t last that long, the gusts emanating from this leaf blower nozzle are more than a match for loose leaf litter. It’s easy to use, lightweight and we put it together in less than a minute.’

12. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max – £1,199

‘The 15th-generation Pro Max has the first phone camera to get five stars and its new chip is powerful enough to play PlayStation 5 games, despite the compact handset. Plus, it has a new durable titanium design, we dropped it 100 times onto concrete and it barely left a mark. Few devices can compete.’

13. Asda Baked Beans – 50p a can

‘These beans were found to be tastier and far cheaper than Heinz by the Which? taste test panel.’

14. Whirlpool FFWDD 1174269 BSV UK washer dryer – £579

‘This washer dryer takes care of the whole laundry journey. Your clothes come out stain free and ready for your drawers and wardrobe, leaving you more time to do literally anything else.’

15. Sony WF-1000XM5 headphones – £279.99

‘With these earbuds, Sony has caught up with Apple’s popular AirPods. Extraordinary and versatile sound, remarkable noise-cancelling and more than eight hours of playtime is incredible.’

16. Co-op Les Pionniers Non-Vintage Champagne – £22.50

‘Our panel of champagne experts adored the creamy, fresh flavour with notes of fruit, nuts and a hint of smoke which beat Veuve Clicquot.’

17. Shark HZ3000UKT vacuum cleaner – £249

‘It cleans superbly, no matter the type of floor, with minimal suction drop off as the dust canister fills with debris. It keeps allergens locked in, too, with a little help from the fantastic filter.’

18. Leapfrog LF2413 baby monitor – £70

‘This isn’t unique, but it’s the icing on the cake of this fantastic monitor, with a price few can match. The 14-hour battery easily lasts the night and the decent signal range means you can keep an eye on your little one wherever you are in your home.’

19. Samsung HW-Q930C soundbar – £749

‘Each of the 15 speakers in this sound bar works in harmony to create beautiful balance and pure immersion.’

20. Fairy Platinum Plus Anti Dull Dishwasher Tablets – £10

‘Dishwasher tablets don’t come better than Fairy Platinum Plus. We gave it the full five stars for cleaning and for its ability to keep your crockery sparkling, which means Fairy isn’t kidding about these tabs having anti-dull technology.’

21. LG OLED42C34LA television – £949

‘Few products are as consistently phenomenal as LG’s OLED TVs. The 42-inch OLED42C34LA is the latest in a long, unbroken line of Best Buys: dozens of peerless TVs that look better, sound better and work better than any other brand.’

22. Samsung A54 5G smartphone – £449

‘With an eight-core processor, three cameras (including one lens with practically the same specs as the flagship Galaxy S23) and 41-hour battery life, this is a high-end phone in mid-range clothing.’

23. AEG TR959M6BC tumble dryer – £1,295

While it may be a high upfront cost, it’s energy efficient, so will cost you less to run. There’s so little wrong with it that our only con was the price.’

24. Asda George Home GDK101B-22 kettle – £30

‘The LED temperature display, backlit buttons and gloss black design will look delightful on any worktop. Looks aside, it’s quick with a low minimum-fill level – and it expertly filters limescale so your brew tastes perfect.’

25. Asda GMMD101B microwave – £57

‘It heats food evenly, keeps it moist and it’s a doddle to clean. Asda is still the best for cheap, small appliances.’

26. Miele G 5110 SC Wh dishwasher – £779

‘It uses less water and energy than most, so it’s cheap to run, too. And your dishes? They’re spotless and sparkling.’

27. Beyond meat Beyond Burger (2) – £4

‘The delicious Beyond Burger beat Linda McCartney to be the only Best Buy. It’s truly worth skipping the meat aisle for with 82 per cent of the Which? tasting panel feeling it was a flavoursome and convincing meat substitute.’

28. TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro Mesh Wifi 6E 3-pack – £500

‘Talk about advanced, this incredible router (and its two buddies that you dot around your house to create a net of wi-fi) is compatible with an advanced version of wi-fi most devices don’t even use yet. If you’re upgrading a router, why not choose one that’s futureproof, fast, reliable and simple to set up?’

29. Miele WED164 washing machine – £999

‘Described by Which? testers as a spectacular appliance that uses less energy and water than most, but still leaves your clothes spotless and the cherry on the cake – a 10-year warranty.’

30. Canon PIXMA G4570 printer – £259

‘There are no cartridges in this Which? Best Buy printer, you get a tank of ink instead, which you can refill yourself. Printing costs are far lower as a result, even though the initial cost is high. It’s all-in-one and excels at everything – printing, scanning, copying. Terrific.’

31. Genesis GV70 (2022) electric car – £65,105

‘The Genesis GV70 has two pure-electric engines that pack a punch creating a massive 490hp – that’s more than a Ford Mustang. Despite having more power than a muscle car, Which? Testers found the GV70 still has enough range to drive you from London to Newcastle without stopping for a plug-in.’

32. Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro 2023 – £1,280

‘The latest MacBook Pro is ‘majestic’ according to Which? experts. Blistering speeds from a processor that runs the most demanding software as if it’s booting up minesweeper and a lustrous screen give the computer a feeling of pure quality. The efficiency of all these high-end components means the battery doesn’t suffer and we managed more than 15 hours of video playback.’

33. JTX Fitness JTX Studio V5: Bluetooth Connect + Bike – £899

‘The JTX Studio V5 is the perfect piece of equipment both for people who are just starting a fitness programme or those looking for something more challenging. It has 10 different resistance levels and is incredibly stable, so you won’t topple over as you push hard through those last few kilometres, even on uneven floors.’

34. Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 tablet – £799

‘It’s not easy for a tablet to beat the iPad, but Samsung has managed it in Which? tests, even if not by much its impressive. The S9 exudes quality at every turn, from the absurdly fast processor that means you’ll barely ever look at a loading bar to the screen that’s vibrant enough to get lost in – even at only 11 inches corner to corner.’

35. Lenco PDR-046 Dab radio – £110

‘Where many radios have rudimentary displays, the Lenco has a large, full-colour one displaying what station you’re on and what music or show is playing. It shows the degree of care and pride that Lenco has in its products – and that extends to the crystal-clear audio.’

36. Fairy Max Power Original washing up liquid (640ml) – £3.50

‘The incredible grease and fat removal of this Which? Best Buy washing up liquid makes light work of any washing up.’

37. Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ – £199 or £350 with stand

‘This Which? Best Buy barbecue is described as a ‘versatile marvel’ by Which? testers, it can smoke, grill, roast and even air fry food, so even the fussiest guests will be satisfied. The digital display keeps you up to date with timings, temperatures and when things need flipping, so you don’t need to keep lifting the lid to see how your food’s coming along.’

38. Dyson Gen5 Detect vacuum cleaner – £749

‘There’s a reason Dyson is synonymous with vacuum cleaners. Consistently excellent as a brand and this model is no different. It cleans well on any floor type, and is equally good at sucking up large debris and tiny crumbs. Plus, it’s got a tremendous allergen filter and an army of useful extras.’

39. HP M24 computer monitor – £249

‘Home working has made a decent monitor a near essential purchase for millions – and the M24 should be high on your list. The picture is crisp and clear, and there are plenty of ports so you can connect a variety of laptops and desktops.’

40. Joie Cybex Cloud T i-Size + Base T car seat – £429

‘It’s hard to find fault with this excellent car seat. Not only will it protect your child in a crash, but it’s also well designed with both the parents and babies in mind as it’s easy to fit and offers a comfortable ride.’

41. Tower T17102 Vortx Vizion air fryer – £120

‘It’s testament to the popularity of air fryers that even a model that narrowly misses out on a Best Buy can be one of the most popular reviews on Which.co.uk. What the Vortx Vizion has going for it is the two ovens that can be used simultaneously and you don’t need to be an expert to use them. There are 10 presets, including chicken, fish and, of course, chips, so you can hit a button and let the air fryer do all the work of cooking a delicious dinner.’

42. Smeg HOBD472D venting hob – £1,930

‘Venting hobs put the extractor in the middle of the hob – freeing up the space where a cooker hood would be. And the compact HOBD 472D is one of the best. It has a narrow vent that automatically adjusts suction, and is amazing at removing grease and odours.’

43. LG Xboom Go XG9Q portable speaker – £600

‘It’s rare to find a portable speaker that sounds as good as home speakers.. Not only does it have an excellent sound, Which? experts found it’s also easy to use and the battery lasts a staggering 33 hours – perfect for a weekend camping trip.’

44. Oral-B iO 10 smart toothbrush – £339

‘The key feature of the iO Series 10 is its ability to connect to the Oral-B smartphone app, which has a full range of functions designed to give users a better brushing experience.’

45. Fellowes AutoMax 90M shredder – £186

‘Seeing an A4 sheet – packed with the sort of personal info scammers dream of – shredded into confetti is so satisfying. But destroying sheet after sheet, it can lose its lustre. Which? found you can pop up to 90 sheets into the slot and it will munch through them like a greedy caterpillar while you do something more interesting.’

46. Jura E6 Platinum (15467) coffee machine – £749

‘When good coffee is your raison d’etre, you need a machine that will do those beans justice. It’s not the quickest Which? tested, but the automatic milk frothing means you’re only one press away from a delightfully foamy cappuccino.’

47. Stihl HSA 60 hedge trimmer – £320

‘If something’s better than all its rivals, then it’s got a great chance of getting on this list. Which? testers found there’s nothing better for trimming hedges than the HSA 60. With a rotating rear handle and lengthy blade, it’s cordless, mighty and satisfying to use.’

48. Ooni Volt 12 pizza oven – £799

‘As much as using an enormous wooden board to shuffle bases round brick ovens looks appealing, Ooni has gone with the safer, novice-friendly, option of precise, simple controls that make sure you get a wonderful pizza rather than a charred puck.’

49. Al-ko 36 V 42.2 Li lawn mower – £699

‘Battery power instead of petrol on this lawn mower means no dragging wires decapitating petunias or frustrated yanks of caught cords smashing garden gnomes into concrete paving, just free and easy mowing; until the battery runs out. Which? Found the huge batteries in the Al-ko last for 40 minutes between charges and it’s an excellent mower besides, capable of cutting a variety of grass lengths with ease.’

50. Kinetik Wellbeing Smart Ear & Forehead Thermometer- £60

‘Sometimes a hand on the forehead won’t do. Especially if you suspect the 10-year-old in front of you is trying to bunk off school. Which? found Kinetic’s thermometer gives accurate, contactless readings in just 1.5 seconds.’

Source: Read Full Article

The post Which? reveals best 50 products of 2023 with Aldi washing power top appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.

Self-confessed conman Kristofer Ridgway, who scammed clients and pocketed more than $1.5 million in secret commissions, has been released on bail by a Queensland magistrate and will return to court in February.

The corporate watchdog in April permanently banned the former stockbroker from having any involvement in financial services and on Monday revealed it had charged him with two counts of providing false or misleading information during its investigation.

Kristofer Ridgway was bailed by a Queensland magistrate last week.Credit: Louise Kennerley

Ridgway appeared at the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday. He was released on bail and the matter was adjourned for mention on February 5.

“It is alleged that Mr Ridgway provided false or misleading information to [Australian Securities and Investments Commission] while he was being examined during a compulsory examination conducted by ASIC as part of its investigation into Mr Ridgway’s role in recommending unlisted McFaddens Securities shares to clients,” the corporate regulator said in a statement.

“The matter is being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions following a referral by ASIC.”

Ridgway was sacked by his employer Shaw and Partners in February 2022 after he was caught using his position as a senior financial adviser to act as a middleman in a global investment scheme to lure unsophisticated investors into products that left them financially devastated.

He persuaded them to buy shares in unlisted companies with the expectations that they would soon be listed and deliver a windfall.

He was paid secret commissions of more than 17 per cent to sell the products sourced by McFaddens Securities, which he confessed to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald was “100 per cent a scam”.

Clients were misled into believing the global investment schemes were endorsed and backed by Shaw and Partners, which made them easier to sell.

“I don’t want to think of myself as a crook but some of my actions in recent times have been terribly unlawful. I’m ashamed and sorry,” Ridgway admitted earlier this year.

“I have no self-respect or no self-worth. I struggle to look at myself in the mirror.”

The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.

Most Viewed in National

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article

The post Self-confessed conman Kristofer Ridgway bailed appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Edward Tuddenham repeatedly prescribed medication for close female friend
• Tribunal said his ‘dishonest’ behaviour put the woman’s life at risk 
• 79-year-old told investigators he was ‘totally disgusted and ashamed of himself’

One of Britain’s most eminent haematologists has been banned from practising as a doctor for three months after a disciplinary hearing held in secret.

Prof Edward Tuddenham was found to have repeatedly prescribed medication to a woman with whom he had a ‘close personal relationship’.

During his 55-year career, he is credited with revolutionising treatment of the blood condition. But a tribunal said his ‘dishonest’ behaviour put the woman’s life at risk due to his ‘persistent breaches’ of the ‘fundamental tenets’ of the profession.

Prof Tuddenham, 79, told investigators he was ‘totally disgusted and ashamed of himself’, later admitting he was guilty of ‘a very bad example of misuse of power’.

But the medication he prescribed, the condition she had and the nature of her relationship with the married doctor remain veiled in secrecy as his lawyer asked for the hearing to take place behind closed doors.

Prof Edward Tuddenham was found to have repeatedly prescribed medication to a woman with whom he had a ‘close personal relationship’

This was allowed by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, despite its ‘default position’ that hearings should be in public.

It has released a heavily redacted 28-page document setting out its findings against Prof Tuddenham, who is Emeritus professor of haemophilia at Royal Free London Hospital and gave evidence at the public inquiry into the infected blood scandal.

It said the woman – called only Patient A – was seeing a GP after she was diagnosed with ‘XXX’. She wanted more of one medicine than her GP would give so bought some online. But in 2016, said the panel, she asked the professor to write a prescription when she ran out, without the GP knowing. ‘He said that he reluctantly agreed, believing it would be a ‘one-off’.’

But this ended up being monthly and over four or five years he wrote around 50 prescriptions, each for 28 tablets.

In 2021, after suffering black-outs Patient A was admitted to hospital where a consultant became concerned at the medicines she was taking and the professor was reported to the General Medical Council.

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust said he was no longer an employee.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Doctor banned from practicing for three months over 'risky' treatment appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Gunung Padang is said to be the oldest man-made stone structure of its size
• But some critics argue that it was only built around 6,000 to 7,000 years ago

Experts are in a disagreement over claims that an Indonesian pyramid could be more than 25,000 years old. 

Gunung Padang, a 98-ft-deep ‘megalith’ submerged within a hill of lava rock, is said to be the oldest known man-made stone structure of its size, according to a group of archaeologists who have been researching the ancient site. 

They claim in a research paper that it is more than twice as old as the current frontrunner, the Göbekli Tepe ‘megalith’ discovered in Turkey, which is thought to be aorund 11,000 years old. 

However, following its publication last month, other scientists have now contested their findings, saying that the data provides ‘no support’ for such a conclusion. 

Instead, critics argue that the structure was only built around 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, making it just older than Stonehenge which is said to have been built about 5,000 years ago. 

Experts are in a disagreement over claims that an Indonesian pyramid (pictured) could be more than 25,000 years old 

Gunung Padang, a 98-ft-deep ‘megalith’ submerged within a hill of lava rock, is said to be the oldest known man-made stone structure of its size, according to a group of archaeologists who have been researching the ancient site 

But critics argue that the structure was only built around 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, making it just older than Stonehenge (pictured) which is said to have been built about 5,000 years ago

Geologist Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency led the crew of archaeologists, geophysicists and geologists in finding out more about Gunung Padang between 2011 and 2015. 

READ MORE: Scientists discover ‘world’s oldest’ pyramid: New carbon dating shows Gunung Padang in Indonesia was built 10,000 years ago – making it THREE TIMES OLDER than Stonehenge and Egyptian pyramids

They used ground penetrating radars to take subsurface images, core drilling and ‘trench’ excavation techniques, to probe down into the very first layers of Gunung Padang — which lay over 9 stories (98 feet, or 30 meters) below its surface.

At the pyramid’s core, the team found what they described as ‘meticulously sculpted’ and ‘massive’ lava-stone structures made of andesite, a fine-grained kind of igneous rock.

This inner-most chamber, dubbed Unit 4, ‘likely originated as a natural lava hill…before being sculpted and then architecturally enveloped during the last glacial period,’ sometime between 16,000 to 27,000 years ago, they wrote in the journal Archaeological Prospection. 

‘Evidence from Gunung Padang suggests advanced construction practices were already present when agriculture had, perhaps, not yet been invented,’ they claim.

But others have now hit out at the extent of the claims and agree that while the chamber may be over 20,000 years old, there is no proof it was built by humans. 

Flint Dibble, an archaeologist at Cardiff University, told the Observer: ‘The data that is presented in this paper provides no support for its final conclusion – that the settlement is extraordinarily old. 

‘Yet that is what has driven the headlines.’

Geologist Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency led the crew of archaeologists, geophysicists and geologists (pictured) in finding out more about Gunung Padang between 2011 and 2015

They used ground penetrating radars to take subsurface images, core drilling and ‘trench’ excavation techniques, to probe down into the very first layers of Gunung Padang — which lay over 9 stories (98 feet, or 30 meters) below its surface 

He added: ‘If you went to the Palace of Westminster and dropped a core seven metres into the ground and pulled up a soil sample you might date it as being 40,000 years old,’

‘But that does not mean the Palace of Westminster was built 40,000 years ago by ancient humans.

‘It just means there’s carbon down there that’s 40,000 years old. It is extraordinary that this paper has been published.’

The backlash has prompted Natawidjaja, who is also the paper’s main author, to invesitgate his team’s research further. 

He said last week: ‘The investigation … addresses concerns raised by third parties regarding the scientific content of our paper. We are actively engaged in addressing these concerns.’

Source: Read Full Article

The post Is this Indonesian pyramid REALLY older than Stonehenge? appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Over-budget replacement for notorious Barlinnie will also have owl and bat boxes and fruit trees 

It’s being built on the outskirts of ­Scotland’s biggest city to house some of the country’s most hardened criminals.

But now it can be revealed the new HMP Glasgow is also set to become home to hundreds of endangered swifts – thanks to nesting boxes built into the prison walls.

The prison, which will replace the ­notorious Barlinnie jail, has already raised eyebrows after we disclosed it will also feature owl and bat boxes, fruit trees and extensive gardens for inmates.

The latest revelations, boosting its credentials as ‘Britain’s greenest nick’, follow a request from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) for 300 special bricks – with holes for the globally threatened swifts to live in – to be incorporated into the jail’s five massive halls.

The charity said the nesting bricks would be a ‘biodiversity enhancement’ at the prison which is under construction at the junction of the M8 and M80 motorways in Glasgow’s East End.

RSPB Scotland said: ‘Swifts are a quintessential sign of Scottish summertime and an intrinsic part of Glasgow. However, they have declined and are now a ‘red-listed’ species on the list of Birds of Conservation Concern.

The new HMP Glasgow will replace the ­notorious Barlinnie jail and has already raised eyebrows after it was disclosed it will also feature owl and bat boxes

The prison is also is set to become home to hundreds of endangered swifts with nesting boxes built into the prison walls.

‘Swifts are entirely reliant on buildings to nest and return faithfully to the same site each year. Loss of nest sites is a key factor in the decline of swifts.’

They recommend installation of ‘a minimum of 300 swift nest bricks for this large development’. Despite having top-notch environmental credentials, the new prison – which is already hundreds of ­millions of pounds over its initial estimated budget of £170 million – has been widely criticised.

It has been dubbed ‘HMP Soft Touch’ over its facilities and gardens – with halls rebranded as ‘houseblocks’ and inmates, including rapists and murderers, to be known as ‘residents’.

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: ‘Just weeks ago, the SNP justice secretary admitted the spiralling cost of this prison will be at least £400 million yet someone has hatched this latest bird-brained idea.

‘Scotland has suffered almost 17 years of SNP economic mismanagement and a complete disregard for taxpayers’ money.

‘The public is supposed to be paying here for a high-security prison, not a nature reserve.’

The new jail is a far cry from cramped and crumbling Barlinnie, where the practice of prisoners using buckets as toilets in their cells only ended in 2004.

HMP Glasgow will instead offer a ‘campus-like’ setting for more than 1,000 of Scotland’s worst offenders.

In addition to the wildlife-friendly elements, the jail will feature a ‘health and wellbeing garden’ for ‘residents’, providing an area for ‘reflection, prayer and meditation’.

A ‘horticulture area’ will also be created with planting beds, polytunnels and ‘trained fruit trees’.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has described the facility as having ‘more in common with a school or college than with a Victorian prison’.

An SPS spokesman said: ‘We are committed to ensuring a range of benefits from the HMP Glasgow development, including for local biodiversity.’

Source: Read Full Article

The post Jailbirds! New Scots prison to have 300 nesting boxes for SWIFTS appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Alina Page, 35, leapt to her death from a ritzy Manhattan apartment building 
• The mom-of-two was found outside The Brittany after plunging from the roof 
• Sources told DailyMail.com she ran from her $7,500-a-month apartment after an argument with her surgeon husband 

A mother-of-two killed herself by jumping from the roof of her luxury NYC apartment building after an argument with her husband, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Alina Page, 35, fell from the 36th floor roof of her Upper East Side high-rise apartment building on Thursday evening, after a disagreement with her partner, Orthopedic surgeon Brian Page, sources claim. 

It is unclear what the two were arguing about, with Page being discovered with critical injuries outside The Brittany, according to the NYPD.

The building boasts a roof terrace, with sources confirming to DailyMail.com that Page is thought to have jumped from the highest point.

Alina Page (right) leapt from the roof of The Brittany after an argument with her surgeon husband Brian Page (seen with their two children) 

Page, from Russia, married Brian in 2007, and she would often share her love for her New York home. On the night of her death, sources said she ran from the couple’s $7,500-a-month apartment 

An NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com Page’s injuries were ‘consistent with a fall’, and there were no signs of criminality in the death, but investigations continue. 

Initial reports from the incident described the mother-of-two as ‘clinging to life’ after being found on the sidewalk of her ritzy neighborhood. 

Police confirmed that her injuries were as a result of a fall from an ‘elevated height’. 

She was rushed to the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, but was pronounced dead on arrival after succumbing to her injuries.

The young mother made the move to the Big Apple with her husband in 2021 with their two children from Temple, Texas.

The family appeared to live a life of luxury, as sources claim Page ran from the couple’s $7,500-a-month apartment after the argument with her husband. 

Page, from Russia, married Brian in 2007, and regularly posted about her love for her new New York home and shared sweet snaps of her beaming family. 

The young mom’s social media is filled with smiling, family photos with Brian and their two children, including a Halloween scavenger hunt they prepared to welcome their kids to the new city in 2021. 

According to The Brittany’s website, the building boasts a ‘stately framed entrance with 24-hour doorman, landscaped gardens with sparkling fountain, elegant two-story lobby, landscaped rooftop sundeck with mesmerizing panoramic river and city views.’ 

The smart apartment building also comes with a 7,000-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness club, 55-foot indoor swimming pool, and men’s and women’s saunas.

The young mother made the move to the Big Apple with her husband in 2021 with their two children from Temple, Texas

The couple appeared to live a life of luxury, and would regularly share sweet snaps of their family lifestyle in New York City 

Page was rushed to hospital on Thursday evening ‘clinging to life’, however she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival 

Just a few blocks from the Gracie Mansion, the residence of New York City’s Mayor, the building is known for its picturesque views of both the East and Harlem rivers bordering Manhattan. 

Page’s apparent suicide comes just weeks after another person threw themselves from the top of another of the Big Apple’s tall buildings. 

The Gotham Hotel was the site of Playboy model Stephanie Adams’ death, after she and her seven year old son plunged to their deaths from the 25th floor of the hotel

Investigations were launched after a man fell from the Gotham Hotel near Fifth Avenue on October 27, where a room can go for upwards of $1000 a night. 

The swanky hotel was the site of Playboy model Stephanie Adams’ death, after she and her seven-year-old son plunged to their deaths from the 25th floor of the hotel.

Adams was married to the boy’s father, Manhattan-based chiropractor Charles Nicolai, and the pair had been in the midst of a bitter custody battle at the time.

Authorities said she pushed her seven-year-old son Vincent out the window of a 25th floor hotel before leaping to her death.

The two landed on a second-floor balcony and were both pronounced dead at the scene.

For help and support call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988, or call The Samaritans on 212-673-3000 

Source: Read Full Article

The post Russian mom-of-two, 35, identified as NYC apartment building jumper appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

•  EXCLUSIVE: Jack Tweed says Jade would want her mum to be at the studio 
•  Jackiey is banned amid an ongoing feud with Bobby’s dad Jeff Brazier
• Jack said his ex mother-in-law has ‘an absolute right’ to watch her grandson

Jade Goody’s mum Jackiey Budden has ‘an absolute right’ to watch grandson Bobby Brazier at the Strictly final live tonight, her ex-husband has said.

Jack Tweed said Jade would want her mum to be at the studio to watch the 20-year-old dance on one of the biggest television events of the year.

But Jackiey is banned amid an ongoing feud with Bobby’s dad Jeff Brazier – who she said had been a ‘c**k for nine years’ in an interview with Mail Online earlier this month.

The 66-year-old has not been to any of the Strictly shows and is due to miss the final when Bobby takes to the stage with dance partner Dianne Buswell tonight.

EastEnders star Bobby will be battling it all out for the Glitterball trophy against Layton Williams and Nikita Kumzin and Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola.

Jade Goody and ex-husband Jack Tweed (pictured, in 2008) were married until her death from cancer aged 27 in 2009

EastEnders star Bobby Brazier declared his love for his dancing partner Dianne Buswell after the pair landed in the dreaded dance off on Sunday

Jade’s mother Jackiey Budden appeared heartbroken as she visited the late star’s grave in Epping Forest, Essex on Wednesday

Bobby was the bookies’ favourite to win Strictly but has since dropped behind Coronation Street star Ellie.

Jack, 36, who helped bring up Bobby with mum Jade before she died of cancer aged just 27, has now called for Jackiey to be allowed to watch.

He told MailOnline: ‘I think it’s only right Jackiey can go to the final. She has played a big part in Bobby’s childhood.

‘I know it’s what Jade would want. She would want peace and everybody to get along.

‘I know Jackiey can be outspoken. She speaks before she thinks and Jade was exactly the same.

‘That will never change and it never has. She is who she is and we all know that.

‘But she has an absolute right to be there. It’d be very sad if she isn’t.

‘She is Bobby’s nan at the end of the day. Jackiey would not claim and has never claimed to be perfect.’

Jack urged Bobby to let her watch.

He added: ‘I think it’s the right thing.

‘I think there’s a good chance he will win on Saturday night and it would be very special if she could be there.’

Jackiey refused to comment when approached on Friday.

But was pictured looking heartbroken as she visited Jade’s grave at  a cemetery in Epping Forest, Essex earlier this week.

Jackiey sobbed as she polished the headstone and lay images of the reality star with Bobby and his younger brother, Freddie, 19.

One of the images she placed on the grave showed Bobby and dance partner Diane, 34, dancing on Strictly with the words: ‘Doing Jade proud’ laid on top, while she also left childhood shots of the boys.

Because of her falling-out with TV presenter Jeff, maternal grandmother Jackiey has watched him from her home in Bermondsey, south London.

Tensions flared after Jackiey has repeatedly slammed Jeff calling him a ‘c***’ when watching Bobby pick up a gong at the NTA’s and later in an exclusive chat with MailOnline.

Speaking outside her flat earlier this month, Jackiey fumed: ‘When I came out for the NTA Awards, I’m loud and it’s the drink and someone went ‘oh I bet you’re really proud’ and ‘how do you get on with Jeff Brazier’ and I said ‘he’s a c**k’.

Strictly and EastEnders star Bobby with dad Jeff after he won an award at the NTA ceremony 

Bobby was the bookies’ favourite to win Strictly but has dropped behind Coronation Street star Ellie Leach and her dance partner Vito Coppola

Jackiey at Jade’s home in Essex with her grandchildren Freddie and Bobby in 2009

Jackiey was weeping while speaking to her late daughter at the grave this week

‘Next minute I’m on the internet and all over the papers. As I came out of the O2, someone overheard me say it, so they sold the story.’

When asked if she said it and why, Jackiey fumed: ‘Of course I said it. I haven’t got a problem with (calling him that).

‘He’s been a c**k for f****** nine years.

‘Bobby doesn’t need that stress on his head. He’s my grandson.’

But Jack, who was married to Big Brother star Jade when she died, said his ex-wife would have been horrified by the comments.

He said: ‘Jade would not want that. She would just want peace for everybody. That is what is important.’

Unlike Jackiey, Jack, who now shies away from the limelight and works as an electrician with his dad, enjoys a good relationship with Jeff.

He said: ‘I get on with Jeff. We’re not close mates and we don’t speak all the time but it’s all very civil and that is the main thing.’

Jack is still in touch with Bobby and Freddie who he spent time with as children before their mother Jade passed away in March 2009.

He gushed: ‘Bobby is absolutely amazing. I see a lot of Jade in him. He has fantastic stage presence and lights up the room and the television when he is on.

Bobby’s grandmother Jackiey has been banned from Strictly after a fierce row with his dad Jeff Brazier (pictured, Jeff with Jade in 2002) 

Jade and Jack  outside her home in Waltham Abbey, Essex on February 2009

Jade and mum Jackiey when they appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2007

‘He has that unique and cheeky personality that Jade had. He’s smashing it and I am very proud of him.

‘It’s the first time I have ever watched Strictly. Jade would be over the moon to see him do so well and would be at every show I am sure.

‘It’s great to see. She would be immensely proud. In the house when he was very young, the music was always on, Jade was always dancing and I am sure he picked up some of it from that.

‘He’s a very confident lad and always has been and I can see Jade in him a lot.

‘He looks like her and carries himself like she does in a cheeky and loveable way.

‘He lights up the room you can tell.’

But Jack has issued a warning to Bobby about life in the limelight after drawing on his own experience and those of Jade.

The pair entered Celebrity Big Brother in 2007 and Jack said ‘snakes’ tried to get close to Jade.

He described show business as a ‘rough game’.

He added: ‘I would say to Bobby to be careful, especially the more successful he gets.

‘I know he has good people around him and he has a good head on his shoulders and his dad Jeff is looking after him.

‘It’s very hard to trust people in that industry. I found people constantly trying to turn you over and out to get you for their own benefit.

‘It’s the nature of the beast. A lot of people were going behind Jade’s back to make money from her.

‘It’s about greed. That world is full of snakes. Bobby I am sure will be careful of that. It is a rough game and I have told him that.

‘Jade had a lot of fake people around her. They were trying to be her mates but did not have her best interests at heart at all.

‘Bobby needs to be careful of that. But he has good people around him and that is what is important.

‘He has the world at his feet.’

Source: Read Full Article

The post Jade Goody's ex urges Strictly star Bobby Brazier to lift ban on nan appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• EXCLUSIVE: Sir Nick Clegg’s £8m home revamp is almost stumped by rogue tree 

Sir Nick Clegg was nearly left stumped after he submitted plans for a Grand Designs-style makeover at the £8million London home he bought from Hollywood star Colin Firth.

The former deputy prime minister discovered the roots of a 30ft-tall magnolia tree were threatening the foundations of the six bedroom Queen Anne-style house in one of the capital’s most sought after suburbs.

A survey by structural engineers discovered the spreading roots of the troublesome tree had already created ‘a considerable trip hazard’ after damaging paving at the spot where Sir Nick, 56, wants to build a 300ft square foot grand garden room at the side of the Victorian mansion.

Now the tree is set to be axed to make way for the extension and prevent further damage to the Grade II listed house which was built in 1878 by renowned British architect Richard Norman Shaw.

The bespoke glass-roofed garden room is part of a series of alterations Sir Nick wants to introduce to transform the property into his perfect family home.

Last year Sir Nick announced that he, his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez (left) and their three sons were moving back to London (both pictured in 2015)

Sir Nick Clegg was nearly left stumped after he submitted plans for a Grand Designs-style makeover at the £8million London home he bought from Hollywood star Colin Firth (pictured)

Pictured is Sir Nick’s home in London 

The garden of Sir Nick’s home is pictured. The former politician has ambitious plans to overhaul it 

Pictured is the magnolia tree that was causing concern with the planning application 

They include demolishing a wall to get rid of a pantry and create a 320 square foot kitchen which will open up onto the back garden of the 1.5 acre property which is set in a conservation area in leafy Chiswick, west London.

The kitchen will also have doors leading to the garden room as will a large new 440 square foot dining and living area proposed under plans submitted to Hounslow Council.

As part of the transformation Sir Nick – who now works as Mark Zuckerberg’s right-hand man at tech giant Meta, which runs Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – wants to dig down to reinstate the original cellar at the property.

On the ground floor, which also features a study, library and drawing room, Sir Nick wants to remove a modern ‘alien’ staircase and replace it with a more traditional one.

Under the plans, Sir Nick wants to make changes which will see a 215 square foot master bedroom open through to a separate large dressing room which spans 180 square foot.

The dressing room will lead to an ensuite bathroom complete with a shower, bath and bidet.

The second floor, which has four more large bedrooms and a bathroom, will have access to the garden roof terrace which will be finished with timber decking.

View of a mimosa tree in the rear garden where Sir Nick plans to make improvements 

A rear view of the property which will reserve an overhaul 

This is a view of some of the new small buildings Sir Nick plans to build in his garden 

Meanwhile outside the property, the former politician wants to tear down an old pergola and build a brand new office space at the bottom of his garden.

In all nine trees will have to be chopped down under the plans to make way for the extension and ensure the property does not suffer further damage.

Explaining the problem, structural engineers said in their report: ‘The magnolia tree is particularly close to the building and there is clear evidence of its roots having damaged the terrace paving by making the floor very uneven and currently a considerable trip hazard.

‘There is also a manhole adjacent to the magnolia, collecting water from the gullies and rainwater pipes in this area.

‘The CCTV also shows that at least two pipes connected to this manhole have suffered severe root infiltration which prevented the camera survey to proceed beyond.

‘As structural engineers, we are also particularly concerned about the magnolia tree, given its proximity with the listed fabric of the building.

‘This tree has already damaged the paving and the drainage, and if allowed to grow will inevitably cause damage to the foundations of the listed building.

‘Based on these aspects, we would recommend that the magnolia is removed in any case, to halt any further harm to the building and services.’

They recommended the garden room be built with a special base to ‘minimise the impact’ of surviving roots.

The plans include internal alterations and layout changes to all three floors and two new dormer windows.

Plans show what the first floor of the property could look like 

Sir Nick now works as Mark Zuckerberg ‘s right-hand man at tech giant Meta , which runs Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

When plans were initially submitted they included proposed rooflights but officials said they should be removed while external openings would ‘change the character for no justifiable reason’.

Sir Nick submitted revised plans and a decision is expected later this month. There have so far been no objections from neighbours.

As part of the application Sir Nick’s heritage consultant Dr Jonathan Edis said: ‘The proposals will preserve the significance of the Grade II listed building unharmed and they will greatly improve the amenity, making it a more attractive place in which to live.’

The consultants added: ‘The external alterations are sensitively designed and will not harm the residential amenities of the adjacent neighbours.’

Last year Sir Nick announced that he, his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez and their three sons were moving back to London for personal reasons, being closer to his elderly parents.

He sold his five-bedroom mansion in California’s Silicon Valley for £10.3million.

Land Registry records show that the London property was sold for £8.2million in January to Three Tiger Holdings, of which Sir Nick and his wife are the only two directors.

Oscar winning actor Colin made a tidy profit on the property after snapping it up in 2005 for £2.5million.

The area, which has been billed as the ‘new Notting Hill’, boasts a list of celebrity residents including actor TV presenters Declan Donnelly and Stephen Mulhern, actor David Tennant, and radio presenters Jamie Theakston and Jeremy Vine.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Nick Clegg's £8m London home makeover almost stumped by rogue tree appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• He suggested a joint present from the whole class as a better idea

Martin Lewis has warned against an unnecessary obligation to buy teachers Christmas presents this year while hard-up families are battling the cost of living crisis. 

The financial journalist has emphasised Christmas is just one day, and should be spent with family rather than creating a ‘financial hangover’ for yourself in the new year by overspending on gifts.

‘Many people will know I’ve been campaigning for years on banning unnecessary presents, that’s not the presents under the tree or your spouse, that’s that ever growing list of family, friends, teachers that we feel obligated to buy for,’ he said in a Times Radio interview.

He added: ‘Teachers do an amazing job but perhaps they need a collective present from everybody in the class together.’ 

Mr Lewis has since filmed a video on X where he clarifies it is not his view that there should be ‘some sort of legislative ban on giving teachers presents,’ but said we have to be careful that we don’t ‘make it a matter of course’. 

‘Many people will know I’ve been campaigning for years on banning unnecessary presents,’ Mr Lewis said (stock image)

Martin Lewis has warned against an unnecessary obligation to buy teachers Christmas presents this year

He recognised the amazing job teachers do and that people are grateful. 

‘But I do have slight worries that when you’re talking about individuals giving teachers gifts out of their own pockets, then those with the biggest pockets are able to make teachers more grateful,’ he said.

‘I’m sure most teachers don’t behave in that way but I do think that sets a moral hazard. 

‘I also think we have to be very careful amidst the cost of living crisis that we don’t make it a matter of course that people buy gifts for teachers and therefore put unnecessary, unaffordable pressure on every parent who’s got a kid at school to buy their teacher a gift. I don’t think any of this is coming from teachers by the way.’

Mr Lewis said his solution for those thinking of buying teachers gifts would be to do a class collection. 

Those who can afford it can then donate money, but the gift would come from the whole class. 

Mr Lewis has since filmed a video on X where he clarifies it is not his view that there should be ‘some sort of legislative ban on giving teachers presents,’ but said we have to be careful that we don’t ‘make it a matter of course’

His comments came after a savvy mother revealed how she manages to spend little over £300 during the Christmas period, and encouraged people on a budget to follow her lead. 

Read more: I’m a mother-of-two and I manage to keep Christmas costs down to £300 – here are my top tips for saving money during the festive season

Stacey Victoria, 36, from West Yorkshire, runs the Instagram page @home_with_stacey where she gives other parents budgeting tips in case they might be struggling.

Speaking to The Mirror, the mother-of-two said the cost of living crisis has affected her ‘massively’, however she is not letting that spoil her Christmas. 

She said: ‘I think we need to do all we can to put things in place to try and ease the pressure off ourselves – and going for less materialistic gifts is the way forward.’

Stacey, who is mother to Emily, nine, and Isabella, six, revealed she used to spend just short of £900 on the festive season every year but this year she has managed to save £500 on festivities.

Stacey said she often creates her own coupons for days out with the children as gifts, saying kids don’t need expensive toys to be happy.

She relies on the four-gift rule, which is something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.

She added it’s a good idea to make a budget for each person and stick to it when buying gifts.

The mum also suggested making gifts for other people to save some money, including jams, chutneys, and face masks.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Martin Lewis explains why teachers shouldn't get Xmas gifts this year appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Defense attorney dismisses photos of Grace Jabbari’s injuries accusing her of ‘white lies’, ‘big lies, and ‘pretty little lies’
• ‘Jonathan Majors is innocent and Grace is a liar,’ she tells the Marvel star’s trial 
• Closing statements are underway in the trial which sees Major’s career on the line as he stands accused of assault and aggravated harassment  

Grace Jabbari tells ‘white lies’ and invented claims she was injured by then boyfriend Jonathan Majors, a lawyer for the Marvel star told court as the defense summed up its case today.

Attorney Priya Chaudhry tore into Major’s accuser a day after the court released graphic photo evidence of her injuries and security footage of the alleged attack.

Majors, who plays Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel series, is accused of breaking her finger and cutting her head after she saw a text message from another woman on his phone while they were driving through LA in March this year.

But Chaudhry claimed that Jabbari ‘had a ball’ in a nightclub immediately after the alleged attack and demanded prosecutors explain why Majors had called 911 if he had caused the injuries.

‘Jonathan Majors is innocent and Grace is a liar,’ she told the court in New York.

‘They bought her white lies. They bought her big lies. These prosecutors brought prosecutors white lies. Her big lies. And all her pretty little lies.

Jonathan Majors arrived at Manhattan Criminal Court with girlfriend Meagan Goode today to hear his attorneys sum up the case for the defense

Jonathan Majors is seen in police bodycam as he was arrested in March. The clip is part of the trove of evidence that has been released during his assault trial

Majors found Jabbari slumped in the closet the next day, called the police who came round and arrested him after speaking to Jabbari. Among the evidence released by the court were photographs of Majors and Jabbari and their injuries

‘Grace Jabbari was not hurt when she got out of the car on Centre and Canal.

‘She was revenge partying and charging champagne to the man she was angry with.

‘The strangers she went clubbing with told you. The videos showed you. She had a ball.’

Chaudhry delivered her closing statement after the court unsealed a tranche of evidence including texts, audio recordings and security camera footage of Majors repeatedly shoving and scuffling Jabbari back into their SUV.

The jury has heard that while driving back to their apartment in Manhattan, a message popped up on Majors phone which was from another woman called ‘Cleopatra’ saying: ‘Wish I was kissing you’.

While there is no footage from inside the car, there is security camera footage of the SUV stopped in the street as Majors repeatedly pushes Jabbari back inside.

He then can be seen leading her to the sidewalk by the hands and then running off – with Jabbari in pursuit.

In her testimony, Jabbari said that she felt ‘excruciating’ pain as Majors twisted her fingers to grab his phone back after she took it from him.

She said that he then hit her on the side of the head to get her to release the device.

‘He puts her back in the car because they’re in the middle of moving traffic,’ Chaudhry said today.

‘She keeps grabbing him. He tells her to leave him alone, he helps her out of the car.

‘He walks her safely to the sidewalk.’

The court has heard that Jabbari met up with some strangers on the street who offered to take her for a drink to console her, so she went to a nightclub with them and went home and passed out.

Majors found her slumped in the closet the next day, called the police who came round and arrested him after speaking to Jabbari.

The Marvel star arrived a day after the court ordered the release of a tranche of videos, audio recordings, text messages and photographs

It is the ninth day of his trial on charges of assault with intent to cause physical injury, assault recklessly causing physical injury, aggravated harassment and harassment

The court has been shown evidence of the fight, including pictures of the swelling on Grace Jabbari’s fingers

Pictured: A cut behind Jabbari’s ear.  While the charges against Majors are only misdemeanors, the stakes for him could not be higher – and he is fighting for his reputation and his career

The video, shown to court, shows Jabbari and Majors scuffling on the street after a fight

While there is no footage from inside the car, there is security camera footage of the SUV stopped in the street as Majors repeatedly pushes Jabbari back inside. He then can be seen leading her to the sidewalk by the hands and then running off – with Jabbari in pursuit

Majors is seen repeatedly shoving Jabbari back into the SUV in March 2023, footage shows

Evidence shown to court reveals Jabbari’s swollen finger and marks to her neck

In her testimony, Jabbari said that she felt ‘excruciating’ pain as Majors twisted her fingers to grab his phone back after she took it from him

‘If you believe Grace, then despite Jonathan Majors telling her how dangerous it is for a Black man to call the police in America, despite that, he beat her badly in a car that was both in his own name and then he called 911 himself,’ Chaudhry said.

‘If you believe Grace, then Jonathan caused these injuries and then he told the 911 operator about her injuries, and then he told the cops who showed up at his apartment that they had an argument the night before.’

Among the evidence is an audio recording of Majors berating Jabbari during an argument for not living up to the standards of Michelle Obama and Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King.

Text messages sent by Majors after a fight are also included in the evidence – and prosecutors say they were part of a ‘cruel and manipulative pattern of abuse’ and appeared to admit hitting her.

The messages also show Majors urging Jabbari not to seek help because it might spark an ‘investigation’.

Defense attorney Priya Chaudhry said Jabbari told ‘white lies’, ‘big lies, and ‘pretty little lies’

There is also a photo of a dent in the wall that Jabbari claimed was caused when Majors threw a candle at her during another fight in Los Angeles.

While the charges against Majors are only misdemeanors, the stakes for him could not be higher – and he is fighting for his reputation and his career.

Since his arrest in March after the incident, his career has been put on hold and ‘Magazine Dreams’, his film about a troubled bodybuilder which was tipped for an Oscar, has been shelved.

Majors was being lined up as the linchpin of the next chapter in the superhero universe, but that now hinges on the outcome of the trial.

The 34-year-old has denied assault with intent to cause physical injury, assault recklessly causing physical injury, aggravated harassment and harassment.

Even if he is cleared, the evidence that has now been released could hamper his comeback with Disney, which owns Marvel and was due to release ‘Magazine Dreams’.

Majors began dating the 30-year-old British-born choreographer and dancer, in the summer of 2021 while she was working as the movement director for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’. which was being shot at Pinewood Studios in the UK.

But prosecutors said that within a few months Majors began to show his true colours, which were violent and abusive.

Among the incidents Jabbari testified to was a fight in July 2022 in Los Angeles where he threw a candle at her, leaving a dent in the wall – a photo of the damage is among the exhibits.

Recounting the incident to the jury, she said: ‘It started in the bathroom and as I tried to get away to the bedroom it stayed in that area. Once he was in that rage, that was mainly in the bedroom area.

Text messages between Jonathan Majors (black bubble) and Grace Jabbari (blue bubble) from September 22, 2022

Jabbari is seen showing a police officer her cuts the morning after the alleged fight

A picture taken after one of the couple’s fights in LA when he allegedly threw a candle at Jabbari, July 9, 2022

Majors is accused of grabbing Jabbari (pictured right) and twisting her arm on the way home from a night out after she spotted a flirty text from another woman. He denies the allegations

‘(He was throwing) anything in his reaching distance, candles and bedroom objects.

‘I walked around (hiding) so he wouldn’t come for me. He was really, really shouting and really angry.

‘(I was) scared and knowing I needed to calm him down because I wanted it to stop’.

The evidence also includes an audio recording of Majors berating Jabbari following another fight in London in September 2022.

She had angered him by bringing a friend back to their house and told the court that that following day he tore her headphones off her head and called her ‘stupid’ for not knowing why he was angry.

Jabbari said that Majors then grabbed all of her items from the house, stuffed them into trash bags then put them into the garbage bins.

In the audio, which was released for the first time, Majors could be heard saying ‘how dare you’ and telling her to be more like Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King, and Michelle Obama.

Majors can be heard saying: ‘I am a great man. A great man. I am doing great things not just for me but for my culture…for the world’.

He said he needed a ‘woman that supports me’, a ‘great woman’ who would ‘make sacrifices’.

Majors can be heard saying that Jabbarii ‘took away from the plan and the plan is everything’.

The court also released dozens of texts between Jabbari and Majors sent after a fight in September 2022.

Majors wrote: ‘It’s just fake. And you have, I fear, no perspective of what could happen if you go to the hospital. They will ask you questions and, as I don’t think you can actually protect us, it could lead to an investigation, even if you do lie and they suspect something’.

Jabbari responded that she would tell the doctor that she ‘bumped my head’

After a fight in September 2022 – it is not clear if it was the same one, Majors threatened to kill himself in text messages if Jabbari went to get treatment.

A domestic violence expert for the prosecution has told the court that threats like this can be a way for an abuser to maintain control over their victims.

Majors said: ‘Last night I considered killing myself versus coming home.

‘I need love too. Or maybe I’m such a monster and horrible man, I don’t deserve it. And I should just kill myself. In this way, my existence is miserable, I want to die’.

Jabbari replied: ‘I will not go to the doctor if you don’t feel safe with me doing so, or don’t trust me to. I promise you I would never mention you but understand your fear’.

Majors responded: ‘I’m a monster, a horrible man, not capable of love. I’m killing myself soon’

Majors has been supported in court every day by his girlfriend Meagan Good, the model and actress.

The actor, 34, warned Jabbari she had ‘no perspective of what could happen’ if the truth about a head injury got out, according to text messages read during Majors’ criminal trial

Jonathan Majors arrives at court on December 13

He has at times appeared incredulous at Jabbari’s testimony and has sat in court reading the Bible which he has brought with him to court every day.

‘You probably have your own list of the greatest lies that Grace has ever told you,’ Chaudhry said.

‘But I want to end this nightmare for Jonathan now, immediately, and as quickly as possible. It’s just fake.

‘Nothing she says makes sense. Nothing she says is medically possible.’

Source: Read Full Article

The post Jonathan Majors' lawyer calls ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari a 'LIAR' appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.

Copenhagen/Berlin: Seven people, including four suspected Hamas members, have been arrested in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, authorities in the three countries say.

The arrests were made as Israel pressed on with its operation to destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a war that was touched off by a cross-border October 7 assault on Israeli towns by militants of the Palestinian Islamist movement.

Senior police inspector and head of emergency services in Copenhagen Police Peter Dahl speaks to the media on the arrests.Credit: AP

Three of the suspects were detained in Berlin and another was detained in the Netherlands, all four longstanding members of Hamas with close links to the leadership of Hamas’ military branch, German prosecutors said in a statement.

A Hamas official denied those held were connected to the group.

Three people arrested in Denmark would be charged under the terrorism clause of the criminal code and put in front of a judge for preliminary questioning, police said. It was not clear if there was a link between the arrests in Denmark and those in Germany and the Netherlands.

Dutch national Nazih R was arrested by police in Rotterdam, while Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A and Ibrahim El-R, as well as Egyptian national Mohamed B, were arrested in the German capital, German prosecutors said.

Abdelhamid Al A had been assigned by Hamas leaders in Lebanon with finding sources for weapons, prosecutors said. The weapons were due to be taken to Berlin and kept ready for potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions, prosecutors said.

“Following the terrible attacks by Hamas on the Israeli population, attacks on Jews in Jewish institutions have also increased in our country in recent weeks,” German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement on the detentions.

“We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again.”

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters: “We deny there are members of Hamas detained in Denmark, Germany, or any other European country. Publishing these allegations aims to influence the mass rallies that are supportive of Palestine in Europe.”

Dutch police said they had arrested a 57-year-old man in Rotterdam at the request of German authorities in a Danish-German investigation.

Israel’s Mossad spy agency said Denmark had exposed “Hamas infrastructure on European soil,” a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

The Danish police and intelligence service were not immediately available for comment on the Israeli statement. The justice ministry declined to comment.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was quoted by Ritzau news agency as saying: “It is of course – in relation to Israel and Gaza – completely unacceptable for someone to bring a conflict elsewhere in the world into Danish society.”

Danish police said Thursday’s raids followed investigations made in close cooperation with partners abroad, which had revealed a network of people preparing a terrorist attack.

Police said they would increase their public presence in coming days, in particular in Copenhagen and around Jewish localities. The Jewish Community in Denmark said it had been briefed about the raids but did not have any knowledge about actual threats to Jewish targets.

Reuters

Most Viewed in World

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article

The post Suspected Hamas members arrested in Germany over alleged Europe terror plot appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• The woman was driving her £6,000 Ford Fiesta through Buttsbury Wash, Essex
• The 2017 car sank in three feet of water after trying to cross the River Wid 

A woman has been dramatically rescued after attempting to ford a river in her Ford Fiesta which got flooded. 

The woman was attempting to cross the River Wid near Ingatestone in Essex this morning when the rear of her car started to float. 

A witness who spoke to MailOnline said the woman drove into the river using the Buttsbury Wash ford, but ignored a sign showing the water was around 3ft deep. 

Moments after entering the water the woman’s car stopped as the front of the car flooded, stopping the engine and killing the electrics. 

Then the rear of the car floated before it eventually filled with water. 

Essex Fire and Rescue were on the scene within 15 minutes. 

Cars and vans have regularly been destroyed on the river crossing. 

On December 5, a white BMW 3-series touring was caught out while crossing through two-feet of water. 

Fortunately, the woman in this morning’s incident was rescued by specialist firefighters who entered the freezing water and brought her to safety using a bespoke floating sledge. 

One witness said: ‘She may have misjudged the depth of the water. It was about 3ft deep. 

The fire service did a good job. She must have been cold by the time she was rescued. She didn’t look very happy. Her car has probably been written off.

The woman drove into Buttsbury Wash near Ingatestone, Essex around 8.30am today

The woman’s car was swamped by almost three feet of water – less than 18 inches of water is enough to raise a car’s rear wheels from the road

It is likely that the woman’s £6,000 2017 81,000-mile Ford Fiesta will have been written off after being driven into the flood water

Your browser does not support iframes.

‘This happens regularly around here. People who are not from the area misjudge the water level and think they can safely pass through. One of the signs is missing showing the depth, but there was one showing the water was 3ft at the time. That’s far too much for a car like a Fiesta.’  

Commenting at the time of the earlier incident involving the white BMW, Brentwood watch manager Andy Haswell told the BBC: ‘It is often deeper than you think and it really doesn’t take much water for your car to be severely damaged or for your car to float out of control.’

However, weather forecasters have predicted a few calm days, staying mostly dry until Saturday and Sunday when wet conditions will hit Scotland. 

On tonight’s weather conditions a spokesperson for Meteogroup said: ‘Patchy cloud coverage through the course of the night with a few showers across north-western coastal areas. Elsewhere conditions will be staying mostly dry and there may be the odd clear spell at times. There will be gentle to moderate south-westerly winds.’

Essex Fire and Rescue had to use specialist equipment to rescue the woman this morning, including the yellow floating sledge with an open back allowing victims to be moved on board without having to lift them over the side

As for tomorrow, the spokesperson predicted: ‘Conditions will be staying mostly dry tomorrow, with heavy cloud building throughout the day. This cloud will be lighter during the morning, clearing at times to allow for some early spells of sunshine. Showers emerging over Scotland in the evening. Gentle to moderate south-westerly winds alongside.’ 

Ahead to Saturday and Sunday, the forecasters believe conditions may change: ‘Saturday will see wet conditions for Scotland and coastal showers over northern England and Wales. Mostly overcast with a clearer evening in the South. There will be patchy cloud on Sunday alongside a wet morning for most areas, clearing through the afternoon. Winds will be gentle to moderate.’ 

The environment agency has published a list of areas which are subjected to flood warnings

The Met Office has released this map showing the area of Scotland facing heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday

Source: Read Full Article

The post Woman rescued from Buttsbury Wash in Essex appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Amanda Blanc: ‘No non-diverse hire at Aviva without it being signed off by me’
• Chief executive revealed policy to MPs on Treasury select committee yesterday

The boss of Aviva has revealed senior white male recruits have to get a final sign-off from her and the chief people officer as part of the firm’s drive to improve diversity.

Amanda Blanc, who became the insurer’s first female chief executive in 2020, said the policy formed part of its efforts to end sexism in the financial services industry.

The 56-year-old told MPs on the Treasury select committee that ‘there is no non-diverse hire at Aviva without it being signed off by me and the chief people officer’.

Speaking at the Sexism in the City inquiry yesterday, she continued: ‘Not because I don’t trust my team but because I want to make sure that the process followed for that recruitment has been diverse, has been properly done and is not just a phone call to a mate to say, ‘would you like a job, pop up and we’ll fix it up for you’.’

Mrs Blanc’s comments are understood to only relate to senior hires at the London-based firm which has 22,000 staff, reported the Daily Telegraph. MailOnline asked Aviva today whether it can provide any further information and awaits a response.

Amanda Blanc became the first female chief executive of the insurer Aviva in 2020

During the hearing yesterday Mrs Blanc, who also sits on BP’s board, warned that sexism in the financial services sector is worse than in wider society.

Amanda Blanc: Mother-of-two chief executive who drives a Tesla 

Lives: Hampshire and London

Family: Husband Ken, and daughters Caitlin and Rhiannon

Drives: Tesla Model Y

Hobbies: Works out on Peloton Bike and Zwift Indoor Racing. Enjoys Welsh Rugby and playing the piano

Education: Treorchy Comprehensive in Wales, University of Liverpool (History), University of Leeds (MBA) and Chartered Insurer (ACII)

Career: 33 years in Financial Services. Graduate trainee at Commercial Union, Ernst & Young, Groupama, Towergate. Group chief executive AXA UK & PPP and chief executive Zurich EMEA before rejoining Aviva as Group chief executive.

She told MPs that while she had some ‘very positive experiences’ in the industry, ‘many women do not’.

Mrs Blanc, who lives in Hampshire with her husband Ken and has two daughters aged 21 and 17, added: ‘We are dealing with a societal issue that is definitely amplified in financial services.’

She was speaking to the Treasury committee as part of the third public hearing of its sexism inquiry, which was launched after a flurry of harassment allegations rocked the business world.

Mrs Blanc revealed that women from across the industry had been writing to her in recent days as she prepared for the hearing, sharing ‘absolutely appalling’ accounts of harassment, including unwanted sexual advances, being followed into hotel rooms, or being told their pregnancies were ‘inconvenient’ for the firm.

The testimonies also included evidence of women being excluded from key meetings and overlooked for promotions.

The City is under fresh scrutiny after a string of controversies this year, including scandals at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and a flurry of claims brought against hedge fund manager Crispin Odey.

Her comments also came on the same day that former BP boss Bernard Looney was forced to forfeit £32.4million after he committed ‘serious misconduct’ over relationships with colleagues.

Mrs Blanc said Aviva had acted to sack male employees for inappropriate behaviour.

Mrs Blanc spoke to the Treasury select committee for the Sexism in the City inquiry yesterday

She told MPs: ‘Every individual firm has to be accountable for any allegations such as this, and the women in the firm have to know that there is a process for speaking up; that that process will be acted on; that everything will be investigated; and that the person who did the bad leaves the organisation, not the women.

READ MORE British-Indian actress suing Bafta for £200,000 saying she suffered racial slurs on diversity scheme has her High Court claim struck out

‘And we have had experiences like that at Aviva, where the woman has stayed and man has gone.’

Politicians said they had been ‘extremely shocked’ by private testimony they had also heard from women working in finance about sexual assault, harassment, bullying and a culture that allows perpetrators impunity.

Labour MP Angela Eagle said ‘a series of well-known bad apples that nobody ever does anything about’ continued to operate in the industry. She did not name names.

Mrs Blanc is known for being a pioneer in male-dominated sectors, holding a string of senior roles in insurance and chairing the Professional Rugby Board for Wales until she stepped down in 2021.

She also spoke about Aviva’s infamous annual general meeting last year when one investor complained that she was not ‘the man for the job’. She reiterated that the comments were ‘unacceptable’.

Mrs Blanc added that physical and verbal harassment of women in financial services eclipsed other industries and that she had heard ‘absolutely appalling’ stories.

She said she had posted a message on LinkedIn before appearing before MPs and had been ‘inundated’ by private messages from women about ‘predominantly poor experiences’.

Amanda Blanc laughs with Kate Middleton at a Business Taskforce for Early Childhood meeting in London on March 21

‘I have been in the situation where I have had a pregnancy test in one hand and a job offer in the other, and a boss who says: ‘You still join’,’ she said.

‘However, many women do not … The women in a firm need to know there is a process for speaking up, that that process will be acted on, that everything will be investigated and that the actual person who did the (wrong) will leave the organisation, not the woman.’

Mrs Blanc is the champion of a government Women in Finance Charter initiative that is pushing for equal gender representation.

She said that the scale of verbal and physical abuse in finance firms surveyed last year was 10 percentage points higher than in other industries, at 43 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

Perpetrators of predatory behaviour needed to leave the business, she said.

Mrs Blanc revealed that women from across the industry had been writing to her in recent days

Mrs Blanc added that the more subtle misconduct of excluding women from promotion or meetings, and snide comments that prevented them from speaking up, was often about management.

‘The scope of the charter is to get more women into senior management roles,’ she said. ‘My belief is if you have more women in senior management roles, this behaviour will go away.’

The Treasury select committee’s inquiry has also heard evidence of ongoing discrimination and harassment in the industry, as well as a persistently high pay gap.

Fund management grandee Baroness Morrissey told the committee in October that sexism was ‘endemic’ across financial services and is still run by an ‘old boys’ network’.

She called for independent reviews into how firms deal with complaints of sexual harassment, adding that watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, could better use its powers to tackle the problem – including penalising firms for failing to act.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Aviva chief gives final sign-off on senior white male recruits appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Joanne Bower, from Houghton, Sunderland, was jailed for 30 months

A 40-year-old granny who sold crack cocaine and heroin after sending out daily ‘advertisements’ to potential customers is spending Christmas behind bars.

Joanne Bower texted ‘flare’ messages to 73 drug users’ phones every day to let them know what she had for sale.

Bower would then deliver orders to customers herself or send the person she had working for her, who had a weekly sales target of £400.

At Newcastle Crown Court last week mother-of-five Bower, of Houghton, Sunderland, who has no other convictions, was jailed for 30 months.

Mr Recorder David Gordon said: ‘Dealing in Class A drugs is always going to be dealt with seriously by the courts.

Joanne Bower texted ‘flare’ messages to 73 drug users’ phones every day to let them know what she had for sale 

‘Class A drugs cause misery, they give rise to crime, they cause humiliation, degradation, we see that every day in these courts.

‘Class A drugs are poisons and that is what you were dealing on the streets of this country.’

Recorder Gordon said the flare messages were ‘effectively sending out advertisements to known customers’.

Prosecutor Joe Hedworth told the court Bower had been pulled over by police in an unmarked car in Newcastle, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, last February.

She initially admitted she was carrying some drugs for personal use but later confessed she had been dealing.

Officers seized a total of £550 worth of crack cocaine, £650 of heroin and a small amount of a class B drug, known as monkey dust, from her and her home, which was in Stoke at the time.

Mr Hedworth told the court Bower said in police interview she had got ‘caught up’ in dealing through a couple she met in a bar and was given a list of contacts by them to send messages to.

Bower said she had been dealing for around three weeks and had made £600 from it.

At Newcastle Crown Court last week mum-of-five Bower, of Houghton, Sunderland, who has no other convictions, was jailed for 30 months (File Photo)

Mr Hedworth told the court: ‘Telephone evidence showed she sent daily flare messages to 73 drug users.

‘She was delivering the drugs herself and in addition there was someone working for her, under her direction, delivering drugs. He or she had been set a weekly target of £400.’

Bower pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

She admitted possession of the class B drug.

Christopher Knox, defending, said there was an element of ‘naivety, immaturity and exploitation’ involved in Bower’s offending.

Mr Knox said Bower has a ‘tragic’ background and a ‘very, very sad life story’ and added: ‘She has taken steps to remove herself from the circumstances which she fell into difficulty.’

He said that the courts have been urged not to send people to prison unless necessary.

Source: Read Full Article

The post 40-year-old grandmother who messaged 73 drug users daily is jailed appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• For help, call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org 

A mother has today completed her 157 walk with a life-sized horse statue in memory of her equestrian teenage daughter who took her own life having raised nearly £50,000.

Emma Webb crossed the finish line at the International Horse Show at the ExCel London this afternoon on the eighteenth day of her colossal trek from Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales.

Ms Webb, who lost her daughter Brodie – a promising equestrian – at age 16 to suicide in March 2020, wants to raise awareness around mental health in young people. Her JustGiving campaign has already received £48,000 in donations for suicide prevention charities.  

This comes after the heart-warming moment she was surprised by Prince William on day 13 of her fundraising walk.

Pictures show the triumphant mother crossing the red tape at the exhibition centre in east London as she is cheered by followers including members of the armed forces in uniform. 

Emma Webb arrives at the London International Horse Show at ExCel London at the end of her 157 mile walk in memory of her late daughter

Ms Webb crossed the finish line at the International Horse Show at the ExCel London this afternoon on the eighteenth day of her colossal trek from Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales

Brodie Webb (pictured) took her own life at age 16 following a riding session in March 2020

Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning as she set off to complete the final leg of her journey Ms Webb said: ‘I cannot believe it’s the last day, it’s gone so quickly.’

Ms Webb said she wanted to ‘raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention’.

She was accompanied at the front of the convoy by her mother, Brodie’s grandmother, Pam, whose voice trembled with emotion when she said she was ‘very proud’ of her daughter.

Ms Webb’s JustGiving page for Riders Minds and PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide has already raised more than £48,000, an extra 60 per cent on top of the original £30,000 target.

While the challenge is now over, donations are still coming in, with more than 2,200 people having sent something as of around 5pm this evening.

Emma was oblivious when the Prince of Wales greeted her last week as she pulled the resin horse through the streets of Slough. A video showed the moment he casually strolls towards her and shouts ‘boo’ before embracing her in a warm hug. 

 Ms Webb’s JustGiving page for Riders Minds and PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide has already raised more than £47,000, nearly an extra 60 per cent on top of the original £30,000 target

Brodie, 16, was a promising equestrian with all A-star predictions for her GCSEs

Ms Webb smiled happily as she arrived in London today as more than 2,200 people have donated to her fundraising campaign for suicide prevention charities

She told MailOnline: ‘He put his arms out and I thought “right, I’m going to have a nice hug” so he gave me a nice hug, or a Welsh cwtch!’

The campaigner, who was walking with two other mothers bereaved by suicide, said at the time that it meant ‘everything’ that Prince William, a well-known champion of mental health, had come to support her – and he even leant a hand pushing Miles along for the 20 minutes he was there.

Emma said: ‘I was aware that he’d seen what I was doing on the news, but I wasn’t aware that he was going to turn up on the streets of Slough and walk with me, so it was amazing! He appeared from behind the horse and shouted “Boo” at me!

‘I turned around and I was just gobsmacked that he was stood there. Me, a little old Welsh lady from Newport with a plastic horse and the Prince of Wales is just stood in front of me! 

‘I didn’t really know what to do when I saw him. He put his arms out and I thought “right, I’m going to have a nice hug” so he gave me a nice hug, or a Welsh cwtch!’ 

This is the heartwarming moment Prince William surprised a woman near Slough during a charity walk. Emma set out on the trek to raise awareness of suicide (Pictured: Emma Webb in shock, a few of her pals and Prince William)

After surprising a stunned Emma, the prince reached out for a hug

‘To have a hug from the future King, it’s just unthinkable, it was like an out of body experience.’ 

Emma said she and the other mother chatted to the prince for around 20 minutes about mental health, suicide prevention and their loved ones.

She also told the prince about the ‘mishaps’ she has had on her trek, including walking through mud, ice and along narrow towpaths – resulting in bits of Miles breaking – but how kind strangers have always been ready to help her.

Emma added of the prince’s visit: ‘For Prince William to come out and recognise what we’re trying to do…it’s just amazing. 

‘You can’t get a more supportive backer than the Prince of Wales, so it really means everything to me that he came out.’ 

• To donate to Ms Webb’s ‘Leg on to London’ fundraiser, click here.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Mother who walked 157 miles with a horse appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Report assessed that Moscow’s losses in personnel and armoured vehicles to Ukraine’s military have set back Russia’s military modernization by 18 years

Putin has lost nearly 90 per cent of his pre-invasion army, with 315,000 personnel either killed or injured since war began, according to US intelligence. 

The declassified U.S. intelligence report assessed that Moscow’s losses in personnel and armoured vehicles to Ukraine’s military have set back Russia’s military modernization by 18 years, a source familiar with the intelligence said on Tuesday.

Russia also has lost almost two-thirds of its tank force, or 2,200 out of its 3,500 pre-invasion stock, the congressional source said. 

While it is widely known that Putin’s forces have been subject to huge losses in Ukraine, the assessment sheds new light on the extent of those setbacks. 

The Russian embassy referred a request for comment to the Russian defense ministry in Moscow. The ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

The declassified U.S. intelligence report assessed that Moscow ‘s losses in personnel and armoured vehicles to Ukraine’s military have set back Russia ‘s military modernization by 18 years, a source familiar with the intelligence said (File Photo)

In this handout videograb of footage taken and released by the Russian Ministry of Defence on September 25, 2023, Russian troops prepare to shell Ukrainian positions around the area of Kupiansk in eastern Ukraine

Fighters of the Russian Volunteer Corps stand next to a seized armoured personnel carrier during a presentation for the media in northern Ukraine, not far from the Russian border, on May 24, 2023, amid Russian military invasion on Ukraine

Russian officials have said Western estimates of Russian death tolls in the war are vastly exaggerated and almost always underestimate Ukrainian losses, which Russian officials say are vast.

The source said the recently declassified U.S. intelligence report assessed that Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 with 360,000 personnel.

Since then, the report found, 315,000 Russian troops, or about 87 per cent of the total with which it started the war, have been killed or injured, the source said.

Those losses are the reason Russia has loosened recruitment standards for deployment in Ukraine, the source added.

‘The scale of losses has forced Russia to take extraordinary measures to sustain its ability to fight. Russia declared a partial mobilization of 300,000 personnel in late 2022, and has relaxed standards to allow recruitment of convicts and older civilians,’ the assessment said, according to the source.

The Russian army began the war with 3,100 tanks, lost 2,200 of them and has had to ‘backfill’ that force with T62 tanks produced in the 1970s, leaving it only 1,300 tanks on the battlefield, the source quoted the report as saying.

Kyiv treats its losses as a state secret and officials say disclosing the figure could harm its war effort. A New York Times report in August cited U.S. officials as putting the Ukrainian death toll at close to 70,000.

Writing in the Ukrainian journal Tyzhden, historian Yaroslav Tynchenko and volunteer Herman Shapovalenko last month said Shapovalenko’s Book of Memory project had confirmed 24,500 Ukrainian combat and non-combat deaths using open sources.

The real figure was likely higher, they said.

Rescuers respond at the site of a missile explosion in the yard of a high-rise residential building in Dniprovskyi district on December 13, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. For the second night in a row, Russia is attacking Kyiv with ballistic missiles

The source spoke as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a last-ditch plea for more military aid to U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill, where he faced a skeptical reception from key Republicans.

At a news conference later in the day, U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed continued support to Zelensky, and warned lawmakers they risked handing a victory to Russia.

Zelensky today urged allies in Europe and the US to continue to back Kyiv, as disputes in Brussels and Washington hold up new aid packages.

He was speaking ahead of a meeting with the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, in which he will seek financial support for more weapons production.

‘You can’t win without help,’ Zelensky told reporters after talks with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

‘But you can’t lose, because (all) you have (is) your country.’

On Wednesday, a barrage of Russian missiles targeted Kyiv, wounding at least 53 people, officials said.

Loud explosions rocked Kyiv at 3 a.m. as the city’s air defenses were activated for the second time this week. 

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 10 ballistic missiles toward the capital and all were intercepted by air defenses, but their debris struck homes and a children’s hospital.

The attack underscored the continuing threat to Ukraine from the Kremlin’s missile arsenal in the 21-month war. 

Russia has been stockpiling its air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet, according to a recent assessment by the Ministry of Defence.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Putin has lost 'nearly 90 per cent of his pre-invasion army' appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Ryanair flight FR129 was forced to divert and land in Portugal’s Algarve region

A Ryanair plane was forced to make an emergency landing this morning after being forced to divert to the Portuguese Algarve following suspected ‘engine malfunction’.

A ‘Code Red’ alert was triggered at Faro Airport when Ryanair flight FR 1249, which was travelling from Manchester to Tenerife South, reported problems and the pilot had to abandon course.

The alert was sounded around 9.20am when the plane was already south-west of Faro and heading towards the Canary Islands.

It had to turn back and head north for the landing after experiencing a malfunction, a source from the Algarve Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command told local media. 

More than 70 responders including police, firefighters and Civil Protection workers were mobilised along with around 30 emergency vehicles. All roads to the airport were blocked for 15 minutes.

But despite concerns, the plane landed safely just before 10am local time.

A Ryanair plane was forced to make an emergency landing this morning after being forced to divert to the Portuguese Algarve following suspected ‘engine malfunction’

Moment Ryanair passengers evacuate from plane using emergency slide after cabin ‘fills up with smoke’

Some 164 passengers were believed to be on board, none of whom sustained injuries, and as of late Tuesday morning were awaiting a backup aircraft to continue their journey.

A statement from Ryanair said: ‘This flight from Manchester to Tenerife diverted to Faro due to a technical issue with the aircraft. 

‘The aircraft landed normally, and the passengers disembarked. Engineers are checking this aircraft and a spare has been routed to operate this flight to Tenerife, which departed at 10:56 local time. 

‘We apologise sincerely to affected passengers for this tech diversion, which was beyond Ryanair’s control.’

A Ryanair plane had to make an emergency landing at the same airport a week ago after the pilot fell ill.

The aircraft was heading from London Stansted to Morocco.

Portuguese daily Correio da Manha said the pilot had told passengers before landing that he wasn’t feeling well and the diversion also triggered a ‘red alert’ at the airport.

Albufeira, in the Algarve, is pictured

A spokesman for Ryanair said at the time: ‘This flight from Stansted to Morocco diverted to Faro when one of the pilots became ill.

‘The aircraft landed normally, and passengers were transferred to an alternative aircraft operated by another crew before continuing to Morocco.’

In April a packed easyJet plane heading to Agadir in Morocco from London Gatwick also had to divert to Faro.

Local reports at the time said the flight diversion was the result of the pilot suffering an ‘indisposition’, and led to an identical red alert being activated before the Airbus A320 was landed safely.

EasyJet said in a comment at the time: ‘easyJet can confirm that flight EZY6469 from London Gatwick to Agadir on 21 April diverted to Faro due to the First Officer requiring medical assistance.

‘The Captain performed a routine landing in accordance with standard operating procedures and the aircraft was met by medical services on arrival in Faro.

‘A replacement crew was arranged and passengers have since continued their journey to Agadir. We apologise for any inconvenience experienced due to the diversion and resulting delay.’

‘The safety and well-being of its passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.’

Source: Read Full Article

The post Ryanair flight to Tenerife forced to divert amid malfunction appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Hasbro is cutting jobs again – after making redundancies to save $300m by 2025

Toymaker Hasbro is cutting 20 per cent of its workforce, affecting 1,100 jobs as the malaise in the toy business extends through another holiday shopping season.

The Rhode-island based firm behind Monopoly, Play-Doh and My Little Pony disclosed the layoffs in a memo published in a regulatory filing on Monday.

The company said the reductions were on top of the 800 cuts that have already been made this year as part of a move to save $300m annually by 2025.

At the end of last year, the company – founded 100 years ago this month – said it had 6,490 employees left.

Hasbro is struggling with a slowdown in sales following a surge during the Covid lockdowns when parents were splurging on toys to keep their children busy. 

Last Christmas, many toy companies had to cut their prices to get merchandise off shelves as demand dried up. 

‘The market headwinds we anticipated have proven to be stronger and more persistent than planned,’ Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks wrote in the memo. 

‘While we have made some important progress across our organization, the headwinds we saw through the first nine months of the year have continued into holiday and are likely to persist into 2024.’ 

Chris Cocks, CEO of Hasbro (L) and James B. Laster (R) attend the 91st anniversary of the Hollywood Christmas Parade, supporting Marine Toys For Tots on November 26, 2023

File photo shows a statue of Mr Potato Head at the corporate HQ of Hasbro in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, April 23, 2004

The announcement came just two weeks before Christmas, traditionally the time toymakers bring in about half of their yearly revenues.

Cocks cited ongoing challenges despite ‘historic, pandemic-driven highs’ through 2020 and 2021.

Overall, the industry has struggled to regain ground in the US, with toy sales falling 10 per cent year-on-year in November alone, according to Circana, a research firm.

In October, on the back of four consecutive quarterly losses, Hasbro predicted its expected sales would fall 15 per cent this year, having previously forecast a much smaller three to five per cent decline. 

Cocks had said the toymaker will ‘focus on fewer, bigger brands; gaming; digital; and our rapidly growing direct to consumer and licensing businesses.’

Shares in Hasbro Inc. fell almost 6 per cent in after-market trading Monday. 

The company expects the 1,100 additional cuts will be made in the next 18 to 24 months, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Hasbro said the layoffs were expected to save $100m in costs annually, accounting for some $40m spent in severance packages. 

Toymakers elsewhere expect sales may fall after months of parents weathering the rising cost of living.

‘The most important thing for people this holiday is to have food on the table for their families,’ Isaac Larian, CEO of Bratz doll maker MGA Entertainment, said in an interview.

Larian is expecting holiday sales at his company, which also makes Little Tikes toys and sells products across Europe and the United States, to decline by 10-12% worldwide versus last year. 

Revenues usually peak around Christmas – but have struggled over the last two years

Monopoly, a popular game published first in the UK in 1935 and owner by Hasbro since 1991

Applejack in My Little Pony, a much loved franchise owned by Hasbro since 1981

Play-Doh, a modelling clay aimed at young children and owned by Hasbro since 1991

Even Mattel – owner of Barbie, which broke records on the big screen this year, pulling in $1.4bn and even leading to a global shortage of pink paint – is forecasting difficulty shifting dolls.

Apparently anticipating the lower demand, Mattel’s inventory levels at the end of the third quarter declined by double-digit percentage versus the prior year, with weeks of supply down high single digits, it said in October – ahead of Black Friday.

Sales of the toys surged in Q3 after the movie hit the silver screen, Box Office Mojo reported. 

Source: Read Full Article

The post Toymaker Hasbro cuts 20% of workforce amid sales slump appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.

Gaza Strip: He sits, unexpectedly, in front of an Israeli flag, his white hair and closely cropped beard set off by an equally unexpected half-smile.

“I am Yousef Mahmoud Hamad al-Mansi,” he says into the camera, adding that he’s a former minister of communication and housing for Hamas.

“They destroyed the Gaza Strip,” he says of current Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and his lieutenants, the ones who launched the October 7 attack in which 1200 Israelis were killed, 240 were kidnapped and Israel was driven to carry out its deadly war in Gaza.

Relatives and friends attend the funeral of Muhammad Abdullah Hasaballah, 22, killed by air strikes in Khan Yunis, Gaza.Credit: Getty

“People in Gaza say that Sinwar and his group destroyed us – we must get rid of them.”

The 14-minute video, part of an Israeli-led propaganda campaign to discourage its enemy and boost its own people, was posted this week without elaboration by Israel’s Shin Bet security agency. Officials at that organisation say Mansi was arrested in Gaza on December 5.

While Mansi’s statements may have been coerced, there is reason to believe that Gazans are growing more disillusioned with Hamas – or more emboldened to criticise it – as Israel’s punishing war grinds through its tenth week. Such a shift in mood might not have an immediate impact, but if Israel’s military campaign were to end without a clear victory, civilians could feel empowered to rise against the Islamic group.

Since the war, life in Gaza – which was never easy – has become unbearable. And while most Palestinians are furious at Israel, some are also expressing anger at Hamas, which has ruled the strip since 2007, when it threw out the Palestinian Authority through a brief and violent civil war.

“Hand over the hostages and stop the war,” Rahaf Hneideq, a Gaza-based professor of Islamic studies, wrote to Hamas on Facebook. “Enough death, enough destruction. Stop the displacement. Don’t your people deserve that?”

The vast majority of the strip’s 2.2 million inhabitants have been displaced at least once since Israel’s invasion. More than 18,000 people, most of whom are women and children, have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble in the Israeli attacks.

Humanitarian aid is also scarce and increasingly fought over. Many complaints about Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organisation by Australia, the US and European Union, have to do with its diverting or hoarding aid from the public.

“I saw Hamas police pushing people away, shooting in the air and then loading a lot of the aid into their own vehicles,” said Ali Abu Ouda, who fled with his family from the northern Gazan town of Beit Hanoun on three occasions before settling in the southern city of Rafah.

“We see trucks every day, some from Egypt, some from Qatar, some from Saudi Arabia, but we don’t see enough food distributed,” he said. “The government must stop this practice and needs to ensure fair distribution of aid to people who have been forced out of their homes into the unknown.”

While sheltering in a half-built shop in Rafah with her mother and three children, Khouloud Abu Baraka described her fear and frustration of ensuring that her family had enough to eat. “We were told this is our ration for a week,” she said by phone, describing a package that contained two cans of fava beans, a bottle of water and some bell peppers.

Baraka and others said that a black market for food and medicine has emerged, with prices soaring to rates five to ten times higher than normal. Meanwhile, these people said, Hamas authorities seem indifferent to the plight of the displaced. While abandoned homes are looted and Gazans subjected to relentless Israeli attacks, Sinwar and Hamas leaders remain hidden, perhaps deep in their network of tunnels.

Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, centre.Credit: AP

In phone interviews, other Gazans said that while they were horrified by the level of destruction and what they consider the indiscriminate nature of the violence caused by the Israeli offensive, they are also quietly hoping it will destroy Hamas. In social media posts, some avoid mentioning the group by name, instead citing a Muslim prayer and then making a general call to stop the war or hand over the hostages.

Hamas had plenty of critics before the war, but they expressed themselves in whispers or by boarding rickety boats bound for Egypt or Turkey. Upset that the strip’s leadership looked after its followers far better than the rest of the population, Gazans in opinion polls showed growing disaffection with the group.

Now, however, that silence has been lifted and online forums are rife with videos of angry Palestinians lashing out at Hamas.

A woman who gave her name only as Sulaf Abu said that she had left her home in east Khan Younis and is now sheltering at a United Nations-run school. “May God avenge those who brought us to this situation,” she said. Asked whom she meant, she said, “All of them — Israel, Hamas, Sinwar, Arabs.”

Mohammad, who also declined to give his family name, was more philosophical. “The only solace we find is that this war may end Hamas’s rule,” he said. “If it ends, we will forget our pain during the war, but if the war ends and Hamas remains in power, this means more siege and more wars.”

Bloomberg

Most Viewed in World

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article

The post Beyond Israel’s propaganda, some signs Gazans are questioning Hamas appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• Is there a question to which you want to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question here? 
• Write to: Charles Legge, Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email [email protected] 

QUESTION Which ‘rotten borough’ had the smallest number of constituents?

Rotten boroughs were parliamentary constituencies that had very few voters yet still had the right to elect two MPs to the House of Commons. The most famous was Old Sarum in Wiltshire.

In 1728 it had just three voters and did not have more than 11 until the system was reformed in 1832. The Pitts of Boconnoc owned the constituency during the 18th century, effectively controlling who sat in the seat, and a member of the Pitt family had been returned to Parliament for Old Sarum since 1689.

Another famous example was Dunwich in Suffolk, which maintained two MPs despite most of the town having fallen into the sea. In 1831 it had a population of 232, only 44 houses ‘and half a church’.

Another egregious example was the borough of Gatton in Surrey.

By 1831, Gatton’s voter roll had sunk to seven. Gatton’s notoriety came from its estate being bought and sold for huge sums of money, mainly to secure its parliamentary rights.

1832 Reform Act – Contemporary cartoon entitled ‘The Reformers’ Attack on the Old Rotten Tree’ to get rid of Rotten Boroughs

In stark contrast, the new population centres of Birmingham and Manchester that had swelled during the Industrial Revolution had no separate representation other than within the old shire counties to which they belonged.

Thomas Paine explained the problem in his treatise Rights Of Man (1791): ‘The county of York, which contains nearly a million of souls, sends two county members; and so does the county of Rutland, which contains not an hundredth part of that number.

TOMORROW’S QUESTIONS… 

Q: Was the song Fairytale Of New York written in a pub in Stoke-on-Trent?

J. P. Allen, Newcastle, Staffs.

Q: Where did Charles Dickens obtain the figurines of the two duelling toads which stood upon his writing desk, and what became of them?

David Perry, Broadstairs, Kent.

Q: Why do the Italians call Munich ‘Monaco’?

Alan Peters, Stafford.

‘The old town of Sarum, which contains not three houses, sends two members; and the town of Manchester, which contains upward of 60,000 souls, is not admitted to send any. Is there any principle in these things?’

The situation was a historical anomaly. The right to send MPs to Parliament was conferred on boroughs and counties by Royal Charter from the 13th century. These did not alter for centuries, despite large fluctuations in populations.

The Great Reform Act of 1832 granted seats in the House of Commons to large cities that had sprung up during the Industrial Revolution, and removed seats from the ‘rotten boroughs’.

David Whiteman, Manchester.

QUESTION Do viruses infect bacteria?

Viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria are called bacteriophages. They are the most numerous organisms on Earth, but so small that they were not discovered until the 20th century.

Bacteriophages were discovered independently by Frederick W. Twort in Great Britain (1915) and Felix d’Herelle in France (1917). D’Herelle coined the term bacteriophage, meaning ‘bacteria eater’.

Bacteriophages are abundant in various environments, particularly in aquatic ecosystems and the human body. Estimates suggest there are around ten to the power of 31 bacteriophages on Earth, roughly ten times greater than the number of bacteria, yet they are roughly 100 times smaller than bacteria.

Bacteriophages can use the bacteria as hosts to replicate (stock image)

Bacteriophages are highly specific to their host bacteria and do not infect human or animal cells. They can use the bacteria as hosts to replicate. The specificity of bacteriophage attack has important implications for medicine. Phage therapy involves isolating and purifying specific phages that can target and destroy particular bacteria.

The discovery of bacteriophages and the way target bacteria chemically modify their own DNA to combat them led directly to a process called gene splicing. This is the technological basis of genetic engineering and the biotech industry.

Dr K. Singh, Luton, Beds.

QUESTION What area of land, or city, has changed hands between countries more than any other?

A candidate is Palestine. In the Bronze Age, the Canaanites established independent city-states there. In Biblical times it was Israel and Judah, before being conquered by the Egyptian Empire. Later on, the region was ruled by the Neo-Assyrians, Babylonians and the First Persian Empire.

Palestine was conquered by Alexander the Great. His empire fractured after his death and the area fell under the control of one of his generals, Ptolemy. The Romans subsequently conquered the region.

Palestinian archaeologists are seen walking around Saint Hilarion monastery, built during the byzantine period, in the central Gaza strip in 2021

After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, groups of Turks and Islamic caliphates fought over the region; the Rashiduns; the Umayyads, Seljuks, Abbasids, Tulunids and the Ikhshidid Fatimids all owned Palestine for a short time.

In 1099, the Crusaders established the Kingdom of Jerusalem in Palestine, which the Ayyubid Sultanate reconquered in 1187. Following the invasion of the Mongol Empire, the Egyptian Mamluks reunified Palestine under its control before the Ottoman Empire conquered the region in 1516 and ruled it as Ottoman Syria. Modern Israel and Jordan were established in the 20th century.

Andy French, London SE11.

Is there a question to which you want to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question here? Write to: Charles Legge, Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY; or email [email protected]. A selection is published, but we’re unable to enter into individual correspondence. 

Source: Read Full Article

The post Which 'rotten borough' had the smallest number of constituents? appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

The top Home Office mandarin today scrambled to defend Whitehall ‘secrecy’ over the soaring cost of the Rwanda migration plan.

Sir Matthew Rycroft, the department’s permanent secretary, was hauled before MPs after it was revealed the cost of the scheme has ballooned by an extra £150million.

It means a total of £290million has already been committed to the African country, despite not a single asylum seeker having been sent there.

In a tense grilling by senior MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Home Affairs Committee (HAC), Sir Matthew was quizzed about the rising cost.

But he refused to say by how much more the total bill could increase by in the coming years, as he pointed to ‘commercial’ considerations.

Sir Matthew Rycroft, the Home Office permanent secretary, was hauled before MPs after it was revealed the cost of the Rwanda scheme has ballooned by an extra £150million

A total of £290million has so far been committed to the African country since the migration scheme was agreed by then-home secretary Priti Patel in April last year

Sir Matthew faced anger after he failed to answer questions about the amount of cash being sent to Kigali during appearances before both committees in the past fortnight.

MPs were then left furious when Sir Matthew last week penned a late-night letter, which was published on the Home Office website, that revealed the extra £150million.

Dame Meg Hillier, the chair of the PAC, asked him this aftenoon: ‘Why the secrecy around this figure on a Government flagship programme?’ 

But Sir Matthew pointed to the cost of the Rwanda scheme being ‘commercially sensitive information’.

He revealed he only penned a letter to Dame Meg and Dame Diana Johnson, the chair of the HAC, when an extra £100million payment from Britain to Rwanda was spotted in an International Monetary Fund document.

‘We heard that someone in Rwanda had informed the IMF of the £100 million payment from April, and that had found its way into footnotes of an IMF board paper, which had been sent round all IMF delegations,’ he said.

‘At that point it was clear to me that information was in the public domain.’

He added: ‘What was commercially sensitive until the moment it entered into the public domain was the size of the figure, bearing in mind the UK could be negotiating similar agreements with other countries and so could Rwanda.’

In his letter, Sir Matthew revealed an extra £100million was paid to Rwanda in April this year.

This is on top of the £120million initially agreed when the migration deal was first struck in April last year, and a separate payment of £20million for initial set up costs.

Sir Matthew also said the Home Office expected to hand over a further £50million in 2024-25.

All the payments to Kigali so far have been made under what is known as a ‘ministerial direction’.

This tells departments to proceed with a spending proposal despite it not being sure whether it represents value for money.

In a letter to Dame Meg Hillier, the chair of the PAC, and Dame Diana Johnson, the chair of the HAC, Sir Matthew revealed an extra £100million was paid to Rwanda in April this year

Sir Matthew told MPs this afternoon that more money was likely to be paid to Rwanda in the fourth and fifth year of the five-year deal with Kigali – but he refused to say how much this would be.

‘There is a fourth year and a fifth year cost that I am not at liberty to disclose, but when the time comes that will be disclosed as well,’ he told MPs.

No asylum seekers have so far been sent to Rwanda from Britain after the migrant scheme got bogged down in legal challenges.

Sir Matthew noted how, if people are ever deported to the African country, Britain would then be liable for a ‘per person’ cost for their accommodation in Rwanda. 

He outlined how both Rwanda and Britain could exit the migrant deal through a pre-agreed ‘break clause’.

Yet this could still allow Kigali to hold on to cash it has already received, he admitted to MPs.

If Rwanda activates the break clause, Sir Matthew said Kigali would have to pay money back ‘proportionately depending on where we are in the financial year’.

Pressed on whether Rwanda could keep the money without ever receiving a single asylum seeker, he replied: ‘It would depend on the circumstances.’

He added that, ‘broadly speaking’, if Britain activated the break clause then Rwanda would keep the money.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Top Home Office mandarin defends 'secrecy' over extra £150m to Rwanda appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

He was left screaming for help as the beast latched onto his arm in front horrified onlookers on Sunday afternoon.

The victim, wearing a black puffa jacket, tries to bring the mutt under control by a lead before it slips its collar and pounces.

A woman – holding another dog back – screams manically as the beast rips apart the mans coat sending feathers into the air.

Did YOU see the attack? Ring The Sun on: 020 7782 4100 OR email: [email protected]

He was lucky not to fall into the path of a train as the dog knocked him to the ground in Stratford, East London, and lunged for his neck.

Read More dog attack stories

MAULED BY MONSTER

Mum fined £500 after partner's XL Bully mauled girl, 7, in horror attack

BRUTE FORCE

Shock video reveals how cops trap XL Bullys with lasso sticks & RIOT SHIELDS

By some miracle the man escapes as the woman restrains the white and brown dog following the 4.30pm attack

The footage, posted online, left viewers furious, with some calling for the hounds to be muzzled and owners to take control of their mutts.

One said: "If you can't control your dogs, don't take them out."

Another said: "Shouldn’t be allowed to own dogs if you can’t even control one."

Most read in The Sun

touch and go

I’m A Celeb fans cringe at Nigel Farage’s awkward reunion with his girlfriend

camp intruder

I’m A Celeb in on-air blunder as producer appears in camp as Nigel is axed

WICK-ED TIME

I’m A Celebrity’s Danielle Harold grows close to Pete Wicks during boozy party

COP CHIEF TRAGEDY 

Lancashire police chief who led Nicola Bulley search dies suddenly at 50

And a third added: "This I why dog licences need to be brought back."

XL bully dogs will be banned in Britain from December 31 this year, ministers confirmed today.

New laws prohibiting the killer breed were formally laid in Parliament today under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

From February 1 2024 it will also become illegal to own an XL Bully dog unless it is on the Index of Exempted Dogs.

If you want to keep your Bully after the ban, you must apply for a Certificate of Exemption.

Owners have until 31 January 2024 to do so.

Anyone who defies the ban faces up to 14 years in prison.

British Transport Police said: "Officers attended and two dogs have been taken to a secure kennels whilst our enquiries are ongoing."

Anyone with information is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 422 of 10/12/23.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Terrifying moment ‘XL Bully’ dog attacks man on train station platform after ‘offering to help woman control pets’ – The Sun | The Sun appeared first on WSBuzz.com.

• The Satanic Temple has set up a display inside the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol with a mirror-covered ram’s head, altar with candles and banner
• The display will be up for 14 days as an expression of ‘religious freedom’ and is protected under the First Amendment
• But not everyone is a fan, with one local woman organizing a prayer protest nearby 

The Satanic Temple has set up a display of a sparkling demonic ram’s head in the Iowa Statehouse as an expression of ‘religious freedom’. 

Alongside more traditional menorahs and Christmas trees, the group have erected an altar topped with candles, a large banner and a ram figure with a skull covered in mirrors, a red cloak and wreath. 

The Temple reportedly went through all of the correct administrative channels for the display, and only had their original request to use a real goat’s skull denied.

Founder of the Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves, told KCCI: ‘We’re going to really relish the opportunity to be represented in a public forum. We don’t have a church on every street corner.’ 

The display will be up for fourteen days and is protected under the First Amendment – but not everyone is pleased with it. 

The Satanic Temple has put up the display in the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lA_3wRK-SEg%3Frel%3D0

Iowa resident Shellie Flockhart is extremely concerned and organized a group prayer near the display on Wednesday. 

She told KCCI: ‘I hope that people realize spiritual warfare is real. That there are evil Satanic forces that are trying to infiltrate our state.’

She said Christians must spiritually fight against it and added: ‘It’s a very dark, evil force, and I truly hope people know how to battle that.’

But Greaves wasn’t concerned by the push back, and said it is a symbol of their right to religious freedom.

He said: ‘My feeling is, that if people don’t like our displays in public forums they don’t have to engage with them, they don’t have to view them.’

The First Amendment protects all religious groups and the practice of all faiths, reading: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’ 

The Satanic Temple was designated a tax-exempt religion by the IRS in 2019 giving it the same legal protections that other religions have.

This includes: ‘Access to public spaces as other religious organizations; affirming its standing in court when battling religious discrimination; and enabling The Satanic Temple to apply for faith-based government grants.’

It will stay there for fourteen days as an expression of religious freedom

Co-founder of the Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves said if people don’t like it they don’t have to engage with it

Iowa House Representative, Jon Dunwell, said on X that while he as a pastor and Christian finds the display ‘objectionable’ and ‘evil’, as a State representative he is ‘guided by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.’

He said: ‘Currently, access for displays at the Capitol are open to anyone through an application process. 

‘Though there are some guidelines, they do not discriminate on the basis of religion or ideology.

‘The Satanic Temple petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification. They wanted to use an actual goat head (I’m assuming a skull) and we’re prohibited from doing so.’ 

He reminded people that ‘the display is an inanimate object that has no real power in and of itself. We have nothing to fear.’

But added: ‘I don’t want the Capitol to be overwhelmed by displays. In the future, we may need to find ways to appropriately limit the number of displays.’ 

The display features a mirror-covered ram’s head figure with a red cloak and wreath and an altar covered in candles

The Satanic Temple’s website describes the club as a way to educate without proselytization

The Satanic Temple describes itself as ‘the primary religious Satanic organization in the world with congregations internationally, and a number of high-profile public campaigns designed to preserve and advance secularism and individual liberties.’

It claims to have over 700,000 members.

It is based on seven ‘fundamental tenets’ including: ‘One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.’

And: ‘The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one’s own.

And: ‘One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.’   

Members say they don’t actually believe in a literal Satan or hell, but that they are instead a metaphor for questioning authority. 

Iowa state has put a clear sign next to the new display reading: ‘This display is not owned, maintained, promoted, supported by or associated with the State of Iowa.’

Earlier this year, members of the Satanic Temple congregated for SatanCon at Boston’s Marriott Copley Place.

Over 800 people attended the event. One speaker ripped up a Bible, while others held ‘unbaptisms’. 

Opposing Christian groups turned up in protest and staged a series of demonstrations across the city to combat the three-day event with ‘intense prayer’. 

The group made headlines again when they started ‘After School Satan Clubs’. 

The clubs sparked controversy earlier this year, with meetings held for pupils at schools in Virginia and California.

Source: Read Full Article

The post Satanic ram set up in Iowa Statehouse as show of 'religious freedom' appeared first on WSBuzz.com.