Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence to 56-year-old Erik Fleming in a federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Fleming was the fourth defendant sentenced of the five who have pleaded guilty in prosecutions over the actor’s 2023 death in the jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home.

Fleming connected Perry to Jasveen Sangha, the convicted drug who dealer prosecutors called The Ketamine Queen.

She was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison.

Fleming gave up Sangha to investigators as soon as they contacted him and in August 2024 became the first defendant to plead guilty, admitting to one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.

That was before arrests in the case were even announced, and Wednesday was his first court appearance since his role became public knowledge.

Prosecutors said in a sentencing memo before the hearing that while Fleming’s exceptional cooperation should bring a lighter sentence, his role as a drug counsellor who “deliberately undertook to sell illegal street drugs to a victim who had a public, well-documented battle with drug addiction” should count against him, even if Perry was not one of his regular clients.

They had asked for two-and-a-half years in prison.

Defence lawyers had asked for a sentence of three months in prison and nine months in a residential drug treatment facility, saying in their sentencing memo that Fleming “has gone to extreme lengths to atone for his criminal conduct”.

Perry had been receiving ketamine treatments for depression — an increasingly common off-label use.

There will be four Titanic Fleadh market dates, while the new Writer’s Square market will be from June to October

A Titanic market has been approved for the Belfast Fleadh this summer, as well as a regular Sunday market on Writer’s Square.

At a Belfast City Council committee meeting this week, elected representatives gave the thumbs up for an external market at Titanic as part of the 2026 Fleadh, and a series of markets at Writers’ Square in the Cathedral Quarter.

Belfast for the first time will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. Qualifying competitors from all over the world will showcase the best of traditional music, song, dance and language in All-Ireland competitions.

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With a minimum of 700,000 visitors from across the world, it is anticipated to be the biggest cultural event ever held in Belfast. Tourism NI estimates the 2026 Fleadh will bring £60 million into the Northern Ireland economy. It was recently announced Belfast will host the Fleadh again next year.

Belfast City Council has exclusive rights to hold markets in Belfast. Anyone wishing to operate a market or car boot sale within Belfast must apply to the council for permission.

The “Titanic Quarter Night Market” will be brought by Urban Events, working on behalf of the Belfast Maritime Trust, Titanic Belfast, and Titanic Quarter Belfast. There will be 40 stalls at Hamilton Dock, located in front of the SS Nomadic, during Fleadh 2026.

A council report for the City and Growth and Regeneration Committee states: “This programme is designed to enhance the existing cultural offering within the Titanic Quarter across the Fleadh period, working alongside scheduled activity such as the Belfast Film Festival outdoor movies and walkabout entertainment. The intention is not to compete with the city centre programme, but to provide a high-quality, accessible alternative that supports the wider visitor experience.”

August 6 and 7 will see the Titanic Quarter Night Markets Evening, August 8 and 9 will see the Titanic Quarter Food Festival, a daytime food festival showcasing high-quality local producers and street food traders, celebrating the best of regional and artisan food offerings.

Elected representatives also agreed to a regular series of markets, including Sunday markets, at Writers’ Square. The dates are June 28, July 5 and 19, August 23 and 30, September 6, 13, 18, 20, 27 and October 30. All are 12pm to 5pm except September 18 and October 30 which are 5pm to 10pm.

The council report states: “The proposed Writers’ Square market is not intended to compete with or detract from St George’s Market, but instead to respond to a separate and currently unmet need within the Cathedral Quarter.

“The location, time of year (peak season), format and scale have all been designed with St George’s Market in mind, to ensure the proposal does not detract from or compete with it. The market is aimed at serving a different audience and part of the city, particularly visitors and footfall already within the Cathedral Quarter, rather than drawing from St George’s.”

It adds: “In addition to supporting tourism, hospitality, commercial and residential activity within the Cathedral Quarter and wider North Belfast, the market also plays an important role in increasing positive use of Writers’ Square. This also helps address ongoing anti-social and problematic behaviour in the area, which the Cathedral Quarter BID, DfC and PSNI have been actively working to combat.”

In March Belfast Council agreed to open Bridge Street, High Street and Royal Avenue for temporary street trading applications, excluding the sale of alcohol, within the road-closure pedestrianised area of the Fleadh from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. There will be another scheme introduced for dealing with street trading applications for the sale of alcohol.

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Advice for pensioners thinking of making a Pension Credit claim, including homeowners on a low income who may still be eligible

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Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit intended to assist older people on lower incomes by supplementing their weekly earnings and opening the door to further financial support. However, charities and welfare advisers have repeatedly cautioned that a significant number of pensioners fail to claim because they wrongly assume homeowners are ineligible.

Guidance published on GOV.UK confirms that individuals can still qualify for Pension Credit if they own their property, hold savings or receive a State Pension. An award of as little as £1 per week is sufficient to unlock assistance with housing costs, heating bills and Council Tax.

The DWP recently confirmed nearly 78 per cent of all new claims for Pension Credit are processed – from initial application to award decision letter – within the target timeframe of 50 working days (10 weeks). This means older people on a low income making a new claim this month, could receive their first payment and any arrears by August.

Married pensioners with a combined weekly income of less than £363.25 per week, or single pensioners with an income of below £238.00 could be eligible for Pension Credit, reports the Daily Record.

For 2026/27, Pension Credit tops income up to £238.00 a week for single people and £363.25 a week for couples. Some people may receive more depending on their circumstances, including disability, caring responsibilities or housing costs.

What counts as income

Your income includes:

• State Pension
• other pensions
• earnings from employment and self-employment
• most social security benefits – for example, Carer’s Allowance

What does not count as income

Not all benefits are counted as income. For example, the following are not counted:

• Adult Disability Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• DWP Christmas Bonus
• Child Benefit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Personal Independence Payment
• social fund payments like Winter Fuel Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction

Savings don’t automatically disqualify someone from claiming Pension Credit, though they can influence the amount received. Based on GOV.UK guidance, savings exceeding £10,000 are considered when determining entitlement.

For those with more than £10,000, every £500 above this threshold is treated as £1 weekly income. For instance, someone with £11,000 in savings would have this counted as £2 income per week.

Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva caught Pep Guardiola’s eye in Manchester City’s win over Crystal Palace

Pep Guardiola hailed Manchester City’s old hand and returning star after Manchester City kept alive their Premier League title hopes with a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Phil Foden shone on his first start since Nottingham Forest’s visit in March, while Bernardo Silva again earned the praise of his manager with the captain one of expected FA Cup final starters to keep his place amid six changes.

Foden, who caught the eye off the bench against Brentford at the weekend, produced his best performance in months with two assists and left the pitch to a standing ovation when replaced late on.

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Asked if that was Foden’s best showing for a while, Guardiola said: “Playing as a holding midfielder, but in the last 20-25 minutes v Brentford he was outstanding.

“It is not about laziness or not running, he is running all the time and helps Bernie and then without the ball we want [him] close to the box and he is unique close to the box.

“Bernie I like a lot, the last game v Brentford for his defensive intuition. Second ball he is there. He has something unique. Everything is replaceable in life like managers and sporting directors but there are players which are a bit more difficult.

“Bernardo is a grandfather already and Phil is still a little boy. He’s 24-25 and have a lot to improve. He has to be who he is and after the experience, step by step.”

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Pet dog Maisie, fell deep underground down near Blakey Ridge on last Friday.

Maisie had fallen around 6.5 metres down a narrow windy pit on the North York Moors on Friday.

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Gravity had carried her through several extremely tight gaps leaving her trapped deep underground.

What followed was a six hour joint effort involving Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team (SRMRT) North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, North Yorkshire Police & Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA).

A spokesperson for SRMRT said: “After the dog fell around 6.5 metres into a narrow winding pit, it quickly became clear this was far beyond a standard rescue. The underground system was extremely tight, awkward and technical, requiring specialist confined-space rescue skills.

“That’s where the cave rescue team from UWFRA came in.

“Cave rescuer Lucy carefully squeezed through incredibly tight passages deep underground to reach the dog before safely bringing her back to the surface.”It was an outstanding joint effort involving UWFRA, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, North Yorkshire Police and our own team members — all working together for one successful outcome.

“Incidents like this are a great reminder that rescue rarely happens because of one team alone. It takes different organisations, different specialisms, and people willing to go to extraordinary lengths when it matters most.

“We’re hugely grateful to everyone involved.”

“Please consider donating if you can to these amazing volunteers who that made a for a fantastic outcome. Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team

Motherwell gave Hearts renewed hope five minutes from time, though, when Liam Gordon, shortly after coming on, fired home following a series of saves from Sinisalo, which was quickly followed by Blair Spittal curling into the bottom corner to wrap up a commanding 3-0 victory over Falkirk.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-US war with Iran, further strengthening ties with a Gulf nation that normalized relations with Israel in 2020, his office said Wednesday.

Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” according to the statement.

The announcement came just a day after the U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed that Israel had sent Iron Dome air-defense weapons and personnel to operate them to the UAE. The publicly acknowledged deployment of Israel’s military to the Emirates underlined the growing relationship between the two countries.

The UAE, which has not commented on the reported visit by the Israeli leader, has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached last month. It has been trying to signal to nervous investors that it remains open for business and safe.

Last week, the United Arab Emirates state news agency WAM reported that Netanyahu was among the leaders who called the Emirati president to condemn Iranian attacks and express their solidarity with the Gulf federation.

It was rare public acknowledgment of direct talks between the two countries, which normalized relations in the 2020 Abraham Accords and have strengthened their ties during the Iran war. That agreement was criticized by Iran.

Iran in the past has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates.

Israeli leaders have made occasional visits to the UAE in recent years after normalizing relations.

Iran demands Kuwait release detainees

Iran’s foreign minister accused Kuwait of attempting to “sow discord” by detaining four Iranians that the Gulf Arab country accuses of being Revolutionary Guard operatives.

In a post Wednesday on X, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi demanded the Iranians’ immediate release and said Iran reserved the right to respond.

“This illegal act took place near an island used by the U.S. to attack Iran,” Araghchi wrote.

A day earlier, Kuwait said four men were detained and two escaped while trying to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf on May 1.

Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of a Chinese plan to build infrastructure across the world. It also came under Iranian attack during the war.

Iranian human rights lawyer released

Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been released from prison more than a month after being detained, a rights group and her daughter said Wednesday.

Sotoudeh, who is known for defending activists, opposition politicians and women prosecuted for removing their headscarves, was detained by Iranian intelligence agents at her house in Tehran in April.

Her release comes as U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in China for a long-anticipated visit that is expected to touch on the war in Iran.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which closely tracks developments in Iran, said that Sotoudeh was released on bail from Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Her daughter, Mehraveh Khandan, posted on social media that Sotoudeh was released on temporary custody. Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency also reported Sotoudeh release.

Sotoudeh has been imprisoned multiple times. Her activist husband, Reza Khandan, has been imprisoned in the same prison as his wife.

Nobel Peace laureate needs long-term care

Doctors who examined Nobel Peace laureate and activist Narges Mohammadi more than a week after she collapsed at a prison in Iran say she needs months of treatment, according to her foundation.

Mohammadi, 53, was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital in northwestern Iran on May 1 after she fell unconscious. She was released on bail nearly 10 days later and transferred to a hospital in Tehran where her specialists examined her.

The doctors said her vascular disease has worsened since she was last checked in 2024 and recommended an eight-month treatment course .

She was awarded the Nobel in 2023 while in prison and has been jailed repeatedly throughout her career. Her latest imprisonment began in December when she was arrested in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.

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Schreck reported from Dubai. Associated Press reporter John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.