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NewsBeat

‘Thousands of hospitality jobs lost and industry on brink because of Starmer and Reeves’

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Daily Record

Donald Macleod MBE, the owner of Glasgow’s legendary Garage and Cathouse night clubs, warned firms are being ‘pushed towards extinction’.

One of Scotland’s most successful hospitality bosses has warned thousands of jobs are being lost because firms being “pushed towards extinction” by government policy.

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Donald Macleod MBE, the owner of Glasgow’s legendary Garage and Cathouse night clubs, has spoken out as new figures show UK unemployment rising to 5per cent.

He accused Labour of “hammering” the high street with extra taxes resulting in young people being thrown on the dole queue.

He said: “Starmer and Reeves promised stability, competence, and a pro-growth agenda that would restore confidence in business and public services.

“Instead, they delivered betrayal, hammering the High Street with one of the most anti-hospitality budgets this country has ever seen.

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“The High Street and hospitality industry are not just dying—they’re being pushed towards extinction.

“Rising operating and supply costs, higher taxation, and persistent uncertainty over policy direction have left many firms teetering on the edge of the abyss, while pushing countless others over it.

“Footfall has declined, margins have eroded, employer National Insurance increases and minimum wage rises have tightened hiring conditions, opening hours and shifts are being reduced, and investment has flatlined.

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“In Scotland alone, an estimated 8,000 hospitality jobs have been lost, with more than 130,000 across the UK disappearing altogether.

“This week, we learned unemployment has risen to 5per cent, while unemployment among 16–24-year-olds has soared above 240,000.

“More than 100,000 of those jobs were lost in April alone, which is shocking. This is no short-term downturn, the figures are depressingly moving in only one direction.”

Writing on his Substack column The Glasgow Splash, the businessman called Labour’s leadership battle “amateur dramatics” rather than a psychodrama, and called for a general election.

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He said: “Sir Keir Starmer has undoubtedly become a liability to the Labour movement. Whole swathes of the working-class electorate—including many within his own party—have railed against what they see as an autocratic automaton – a man devoid of personality, conviction, and, more importantly, vision.

“It is not just Keir who should go. Senior figures such as Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner, David Lammy, Ed Miliband, and Yvette Cooper must also shoulder responsibility for Labour’s catastrophic fall from grace.

“They call it a psychodrama, but it feels more like an amateur dramatics society.

“That problem is trust. Once political trust begins to erode on a national scale, it becomes exceptionally difficult to restore.

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“Which is why the country now requires something beyond Westminster manoeuvring and internal party games. It requires a democratic reset. A General Election must be called.

“We have already had four unelected Prime Ministers in the past 10 years; let there not be a fifth.”

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Avid’s Angels cat rescue wins two major 2026 awards

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Avid's Angels cat rescue wins two major 2026 awards

Avid’s Angels Cat Rescue, based in Tonge Moor, was named Best Cat Rescue Charity 2026 – Greater Manchester, and also received the Feline Rescue & Rehoming Excellence Award 2026.

The charity, founded by Jenny Rimmer, rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes cats and kittens in need across the region.

Ms Rimmer said: “It’s great, we are very proud to accept the award.

“It has been a giant effort by all my volunteers and me. We could never have done it if it weren’t for all the joint effort.”

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The rescue said the recognition reflected years of work caring for abandoned and vulnerable cats, including late-night rescues, bottle feeding kittens and fundraising for veterinary treatment.

The charity also thanked supporters, adopters, fosterers and volunteers for helping it continue its work.

Ms Rimmer added: “To be truly honest, it has taken me by surprise.

(Image: Avids’ Angels)

“We plod on because we are that busy. If it wasn’t for all of us as a team, we wouldn’t have won the award.”

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Avid’s Angels Cat Rescue was recognised in the LUXlife Pet Products & Services Awards 2026.

The charity operates from Bolton and recently expanded its cattery facilities to help meet growing demand for rescue spaces.

Ms Rimmer said the team remained focused on helping cats in need despite the recognition.

She added: “We don’t think we have anything planned because we’re too busy.”

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Langburn’s Bank near Castleton closed after crash – police

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Langburn’s Bank near Castleton closed after crash - police

North Yorkshire Police is on the scene of the crash at Langburn’s Bank, near Castleton, on Sunday morning (May 24).

The force said the road is closed due to the crash.

“We are currently dealing with a road traffic collision on Langburn’s Bank,” a police spokesperson said.

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“The road remains closed at this time.”

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Russia pounds Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight

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Russia pounds Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday Russia used the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday which killed at least two people, marking the third time the weapon has been used in the four-year war.

The intense aerial assault damaged buildings across the Ukrainian capital, including near government offices, residential buildings and schools.

The Oreshnik, which is capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, struck the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram. The target was not immediately clear.

Russia first used the multiple-warhead Oreshnik on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024. It was used a second time in January in the western Lviv region.

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The combined attack included 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea and ground-launched missiles, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses destroyed and jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles. Around 19 missiles failed to reach targets, the Air Force said.

Earlier, Zelenskyy warned that Russia was planning to use the Oreshnik, citing intelligence from the U.S. and Western partners.

President Vladimir Putin said the Oreshnik, which means “hazelnut tree” in Russian, streaks at 10 times the speed of sound, or Mach 10, and is capable of destroying underground bunkers “three, four or more floors down.”

The weapon travels “like a meteorite” and is immune to any missile defense system, Putin said, adding that several such missiles, even fitted with conventional warheads, could be as devastating as a nuclear strike.

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Air raid sirens blared through the night as smoke billowed across the city from strikes. Associated Press reporters heard powerful explosions near the city center and close to government buildings.

The attack was ongoing at sunrise Sunday, with more missiles and drones expected to reach Kyiv.

Damage was recorded in 40 locations across several districts of the capital, including residential buildings, Kyiv military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said in a Telegram post.

“It was a terrible night, and there had never been anything like it in the entire war,” said Kyiv resident Svitlana Onofryichuk, 55, who has worked in the market that was damaged for 22 years.

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“I am very sorry that I have to say goodbye to Kyiv now, I am not staying there anymore, there is no possibility,” she added. “My job is gone, everything is gone, everything has burned down.”

Yevhen Zosin, 74, a Kyiv resident who witnessed the attack, said the moment he heard the explosion he rushed to grab his dog.

“Then there was another explosion and she and I were thrown back like a pin by the shock wave. We both survived, she and I. My apartment was blown to pieces,” he said.

In Kyiv’s Shevchenko district, a five-story residential building was hit, which caused a fire, and one person was killed, Ukraine’s state emergency service reported.

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A school building was damaged by an attack while people sheltered inside, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. Local authorities reported supermarkets and warehouses across the city also were damaged.

Multiple communities recorded damage throughout the Kyiv region, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, the regional governor.

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Nine-story building under construction collapses in the Philippines, 21 missing

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Nine-story building under construction collapses in the Philippines, 21 missing

ANGELES, Philippines (AP) — A nine-story building under construction in a city north of the Philippine capital of Manila collapsed before dawn and at least 21 people were missing Sunday morning, authorities said.

Rescuers were “hearing voices” in the rubble, while 24 workers managed to dash to safety or were rescued, police and other officials said.

The building collapsed after a fierce thunderstorm in Angeles City in Pampanga province. More than 100 police and other government personnel were scrambling to rescue those believed to be trapped in the rubble, police Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez said.

Mendez and other officials at the scene said there were no immediate reports of deaths but some of those who got out safely sustained injuries.

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Among the 21 people who remained unaccounted for, most were believed to be workers at the building, according to Francis Pangilinan, who heads Angeles City’s disaster mitigation office and was at the scene.

Two other people, including a Malaysian tourist, were injured when their lodgings were hit by debris from the collapsed building, officials said.

Rescuers including firefighters, police and disaster-response teams used their hands and sniffer dogs in a dangerous scramble to search for the trapped survivors, Public Works Secretary Vinzon Dizon told reporters near the rubble of concrete slabs, twisted iron bars and other debris.

“There are some signs of life … There are voices that are being heard,” Dizon said, adding that rescuers were moving with extreme caution. “It’s a very very unstable site and the priority is to get the people out.”

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Angeles City hosted one of the largest U.S. Air Force bases outside of the American mainland until it closed in the early 1990s, helping develop Angeles and outlying cities and towns into entertainment and commercial hubs in the main northern Philippine region of Luzon.

The former air base, now called the Clark Freeport Zone, is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Metro Manila.

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Teen arrested after suspected stabbing in Wigan Road, Bolton

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Teen arrested after suspected stabbing in Wigan Road, Bolton

Officers were called to Wigan Road around 6.10pm on Saturday due to reports of an assault.

Officers attended the scene and found a man in his 40s with an injury to his back, which police have described as a ‘knife-related injury’.

(Image: Phil Taylor)

A 17-year-old was then arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “At around 6.10pm yesterday (Saturday, May 23), we were called to reports of an assault on Wigan Road in Bolton.

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(Image: Phil Taylor)

“Officers attended the scene and located a man in his 40s with an injury to his back.

“He was taken to hospital with the injury being described as non-life-threatening or life-changing.

“A 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault and remains in police custody for questioning.

“Investigations are ongoing.”

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(Image: Phil Taylor)

Several police vans and ambulances attended the scene, as well as the Criminal Investigation Department and CSI.

A cordon was set up where the incident took place, on the junction between Wigan Road and Carley Fold.

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‘Our friend saved two lives when he died suddenly aged 18, now we want to save more’

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Belfast Live

“Fionntán donating his organs hasn’t just helped the people that got them but also impacted their family and friends’ lives”

We Are Donors – Fionntán branch

When Belfast footballer Fionntán McGarvey tragically died at just 18-years-old, his parents said they would take great comfort knowing he gave others the gift of life through organ donation.

The engineering student at Queen’s University Belfast was involved in an assault outside a bar on Finaghy Road North in the early hours of December 27, 2021 and later died in hospital in January 2022.

A simple conversation with his father while filling out his driving licence forms meant that he was able to save two people’s lives through the donation of his kidneys.

READ MORE: ‘I donated stem cells and offered a total stranger a second chance at life’READ MORE: Donate4Dáithí: Campaign gives update on young boy as he moves to urgent list

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Fionntán’s family and friends decided that they wanted to do something in the talented sportsman’s memory that would make an impact and encourage more people to have these important conversations.

At the end of 2022, they decided to set up a Belfast branch of the UK-wide student-led charity We Are Donors – a network of groups aiming to increase the number of organ and blood donors across the UK through education at schools and universities.

They decided to name it ‘We Are Donors Fionntán’ and it is led by a group of his friends, set up through Queen’s University where he was studying before his death.

Fionntán’s friend Oliver Marken, local lead for the Belfast branch of the charity, spoke to Belfast Live as the charity launched a powerful video campaign featuring Fionntán’s parents, organ donation campaigners Máirtín and Dáithí Mac Gabhann, and transplant recipient Megan.

In over three years, We Are Donors Fionntán have spoken to hundreds of students across Northern Ireland about the power of organ donation with the hopes of solving the waiting list crisis across the UK.

Oliver told Belfast Live: “We are Donors was initially started up in 2016 over in Newcastle University – initially, the aim of the charity was to promote organ and blood donation to young adults.

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“The Fionntán branch started up in late 2022, early 2023. His family had the idea of doing something positive for him becuase its especially tragic whenever someone dies at 18 years old.

“They found out about We Are Donors and got in touch with them and from that, fundraising was done for them in Fionntán’s memory at the 2022 Belfast Marathon, where they raised over £100,000.

“From then, we were able to establish the Fionntán branch of We Are Donors which was actually the first branch in Northern Ireland.”

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Oliver, Lorcan, who also feature in the video, and a number of Fionntán’s other friends have visited around 15 schools so far and have carried out up to ten talks a year – answering any questions or myths that young people may have about organ donation so they can make informed decisions about what is right for them.

“A lot of the ones who have been carrying out the talks were initially all Fionntán’s friends,” Oliver explained.

“But we also have people who just wanted to get involved and have a passion for organ and blood donation who didn’t even know him.

“Fionntán was quite well known too through school, university and sport so there has been quite a great backing for it and lots of people wanting to get involved.

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“As his friends, we just want to help carry on his legacy and try and make some kind of positive from such a young and tragic death.”

When the main We Are Donors branch in the UK was given the opportunity to make a short film about the impact of organ and blood donation, they selected the Belfast group due to the strong personal story behind the Fionntán branch.

Following three different perspectives, parents whose child gave the gift of life, a family desperately waiting on a donor and a recipient whose life was transformed through donation, Oliver said he hopes the video brings around important conversations.

We Are Donors – Fionntán branch

“Whenever we die, there is no coming back from that but if we are able to donate, then we are able to save someone’s life and we can give so many people more time.”

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Oliver continued: “We live to emphasise in the talks that it isn’t a particularly nice topic but it’s the unpredictability of life – for many people, this might never be relevant to them as only around 1% of deaths actually get the chance to donate their organs.

“It really is such a gift and through the charity, we’ve met people whose lives have been changed through donation and you don’t even appreciate the ripple effect it has on not only them but the people around them.

“We just try to emphasise that to the kids we speak to – Fionntán donating his organs hasn’t just helped the people that got them but also impacted their family and friends’ lives.”

Fionntán’s friends and the other We Are Donors volunteers hope that young people come away from their talks less shy about the topic of organ and blood donation and understand it is a decision entirely down to them but something to really consider.

“We summarise the talks by asking them to go home and if they’re at the dinner table, just have that conversation and bring it up.

“We’re not forcing anyone to be an organ donor but we want people to know that even with Dáithí’s Law, your family says no if they don’t know your wishes.

“So talk about, make your decision known – Fionntán first discussed it with his family through applying for his provisional.

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“If you are ticking that box, even a 5 or 10-minute conversation about it just to make it known could save a life.”

To find out more or donate to We Are Donors, see here

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here

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Strictly: Josh Widdicombe nearly turned down chance to audition for presenter role

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Strictly: Josh Widdicombe nearly turned down chance to audition for presenter role

Josh Widdicombe is waltzing into the Strictly spotlight as one of three new hosts – but he almost decided to turn down the opportunity.

The comedian will present the show alongside Emma Willis and former professional Johannes Radebe, two years after appearing as a contestant on the Christmas special.

However, he wasn’t initially sure he wanted to step into Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s shoes after being offered a chance to audition for the role due to the high-profile nature of the gig.

Josh Widdicombe had reservations about auditioning for ‘Strictly’ role
Josh Widdicombe had reservations about auditioning for ‘Strictly’ role (BBC/So Television)

“When the call came initially just for the meeting, I thought, ‘I really like my life, would I want to throw it into flux?’ Because it’s a big thing, it’s a defining thing that you’re suddenly doing it. But I just thought, ‘What an incredible thing to experience’.”

Widdicombe said he was more shocked than anyone to get the job, stating on his Parenting Hell podcast: “When I started out in stand-up, no one foresaw this. It’s wild. It’s one of the biggest shows in the 21st century, alongside I’m a Celeb.

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He said he’s glad the news is out there as he’s been having to lie to people, including his kids as he couldn’t trust them.

“I’m incredibly excited — there is a real fun vibe to the three of us, there is something for everyone, it’s the ultimate modern family. It feels weird now, as it’s four months away.”

Rumours had been swirling ever since Daly and Winkleman announced they were stepping away from the BBC competition, and Willis emerged as a frontrunner in recent weeks.

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However tough the task, producers are hoping to recapture Daly and Winkleman’s dynamic styles, with the former’s sleek professionalism in the main studio and Traitors presenter Winkleman’s mastery of controlled chaos in the “Clauditorium”.

Willis and Widdicombe are expected to be the main hosts, with Radebe rumoured to be taking on a “roving reporter” role.

Johannes Radebe, Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis who have been announced by the BBC as the new hosts of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’
Johannes Radebe, Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis who have been announced by the BBC as the new hosts of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ (BBC)

He said of his promotion to host: “This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward. To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready – sequins, nerves, and all, please bear with me.”

Meanwhile, former Big Brother host Willis said that she’s a “huge fan” of Strictly and “can’t quite comprehend” becoming a presenter on the show. “It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind – two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long.

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“I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter. I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!”

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Katie Price’s ‘missing’ husband Lee Andrews in Dubai prison, claims his father

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Katie Price’s ‘missing’ husband Lee Andrews in Dubai prison, claims his father

The father of Katie Price’s “missing” husband, Lee Andrews, has claimed his son has been imprisoned in Dubai.

The reality star made headlines last weekend when she revealed that she hadn’t heard from her husband of four months in days – and feared that he may have been “kidnapped”.

But according to Andrews’s dad Peter, his son has been detained by UAE authorities on an unknown charge, and is expected to contact him later today.

Katie Price claims husband Lee Andrews is ‘missing’
Katie Price claims husband Lee Andrews is ‘missing’ (Instagram/@katieprice)

“Lee is OK. He has not been kidnapped, but he is under arrest. I don’t know on what charge,” he told DailyMail.co.uk.

“I’m not sure where he is being held. But he will call me later today.”

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Price, 47, married Dubai-based businessman Lee Andrews in January just days after meeting him for the first time. It has not been a drama-free honeymoon period for the pair who are navigating a long-distance relationship, with the University of Cambridge disputing Andrews’s claims that he earned a PhD from the institution.

Price claimed that Andrews had disappeared after he was due to fly from Dubai to the UK for an appearance on Good Morning Britain.

According to Price, the Criminal Investigation Department in Dubai is looking for Andrews, but “no one can find anywhere in the country that Lee has been detained”.

“We are now wondering, as far-fetched as it is, that he’s a missing person now, I don’t know if he’s been kidnapped,” she added. “No one can find him in any prison, any police station; the police can’t find any record of him.” The Independent has contacted the Dubai police for comment.

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Price raised the alarm over Andrews’ whereabouts for the first time publicly on 16 May in a YouTube video. “I don’t really know where to begin but I know there’s all this speculation about Lee from when I met him,” she said. “Something really, really serious has happened.”

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Katie Price has not heard from husband Lee Andrews in 11 days
Katie Price has not heard from husband Lee Andrews in 11 days (YouTube/Katie Price)

She added that while she had posted to Instagram that Andrews was “taking time out of socials” due to recent trolling, the truth was that he had been missing “for three days”.

“The last time I heard from Lee was Wednesday night at 10pm, he was trying to go through the border in Dubai to get on a flight to me,” she said. “We are wondering if he’s been kidnapped; he’s definitely a missing person now.”

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She also claimed that Andrews’ hands were tied when she last spoke to him. “He had ties around his hand, not handcuffs, and a hood, and he said, ‘Look, they’re coming back for me,’ that is the last FaceTime call I had,” she said.

“He was in a van, but the windows were white with a mesh. It looked like an old, dirty van.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told The Independent: “We are supporting the family of a British man and are in contact with the local authorities.”

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Rape victim says decision to spare her attackers from jail was like ‘rock in my face’

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Rape victim says decision to spare her attackers from jail was like ‘rock in my face’

A judge’s decision not to jail two teenage boys who raped two girls has been described by one of the victims as a “rock straight in my face”.

The trial at Southampton Crown Court heard the girls were raped in two separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, the first attack on November 26, 2024 and the second on January 17, 2025.

The boys, both aged 15, were given youth rehabilitation orders (YRO) and made subject to intensive supervision and surveillance (ISS).

In an interview with the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, one of the victims – who was 15 at the time of the incident – asked: “What was the point in putting me through that?”

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Speaking anonymously alongside her family, the now-16-year-old said the judge’s decision “almost made it seem as if what the boys did was not OK, but it was OK in the eyes of the law because they were still children”.

Jodie Mittel KC, prosecuting, told the trial the girl had visited one of the defendants in November 2024 after meeting him on Snapchat.

The prosecutor said that after performing sex acts on the boy, who was then 14, she became “scared and anxious” when the second defendant arrived, and the pair raped her while the incident was filmed.

The trial was being held at Southampton Crown Court (Chris Ison/PA)
The trial was being held at Southampton Crown Court (Chris Ison/PA) (PA Archive)

Ms Mittel said that afterwards, videos of the incident had been sent around and other people made jokes about her, and she received messages calling her a “slag”.

The complainant in the January incident, who was 14 at the time, was raped in a field near to Fordingbridge recreation ground while the incident was also filmed.

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In the sentencing hearing on Thursday, a 15-year-old boy was handed a three-year YRO with 180 days of ISS for the rape of each of the two girls and two indecent images charges.

The court heard he had been diagnosed with ADHD as well as “long-standing anxiety”.

A second 15-year-old was given the same sentence for three charges of rape against each of the two victims and four counts of taking indecent images in relation to filming of the incidents.

The court was told he had an IQ of the “bottom 1 per cent of his contemporaries” and had been diagnosed with ADHD.

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A third boy, 14, was given a YRO for 18 months for two charges of rape in the January incident by encouraging the second defendant and an offence of indecent images.

He was described as having “mild cognitive impairment”.

Judge Nicholas Rowland told the defendants: “I have to remember that you are not small adults. I have to think how likely you are to do serious things again and I need to make sure you do not do serious things again in the future.”

Explaining his sentence, he said: “I should avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily and understand the effects of their behaviour and support their reintegration into society.”

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He added that “peer pressure played a large part in what went on”.

During the BBC interview, the girl’s mother issued an appeal to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, asking: “If it was your daughter, your niece, your son, your nephew, your family member, would you be happy?

“Because we’re not happy and I don’t think any other member of the public will be happy too. So you’re in a position of power to help, so please help.”

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Sunday, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “What is really alarming is the judge’s comments praising these three young males for their good conduct from the charge up to the point of their sentence.

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Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire Donna Jones (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire Donna Jones (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA)

“But let’s not forget, these were not guilty pleas that were entered. This is three males who put their victims through the trial and the ordeal of having to re-live all of that. That has really added to the burden for those two survivors.”

Ms Jones said she agrees that rehabilitation is “important”, but added: “These are not low-level offences. They are some of the worst offences you can do to another human being.

“The police often refer to rape as the worst offence you can survive… and the victims will have to live with the consequences of this for the rest of their lives.

“That’s why (a custodial sentence) is appropriate, for the protection of others and so (the culprits) can get that support in prison. They should be sent to youth offending.”

A Government spokesman said the attorney general’s office had received “multiple” requests for the sentences to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Scheme.

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He said: “We share the public’s shock at the details of this horrific case, and our thoughts are with the young victims during this distressing time.

“The law officers are urgently reviewing the case with the utmost care and attention.”

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Suspect shot dead near White House after firing at security checkpoint

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President Donald Trump – in the White House at the time – thanked the US Secret Service for “swift and professional action” and said the suspect had a “violent history”.

A person who approached a White House security checkpoint and began firing at officers has died after being shot, according to federal officials. The US Secret Service said in a statement late on Saturday that, according to a preliminary investigation, the person approached a checkpoint shortly after 6pm local time “pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers”.

Officers returned fire and hit the suspect – named as Nasire Best, 21, by a law enforcement official – who was transported to an area hospital where he later died, according to the Secret Service. A bystander was struck and was in a critical condition, but a law enforcement official said it was not clear whether that person was struck by the suspects initial bullets or those fired subsequently by officers.

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Secret Service said none of its officers were injured and President Donald Trump – who was at the White House at the time – was not “impacted”. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement officers for their “swift and professional action” and said the suspect had a “violent history”.

Journalists working at the White House on Saturday reported hearing a series of gun shots and were told to seek shelter inside the press briefing room. In a post shared on X, the senior White House correspondent for ABC News Selina Wang shared dramatic video of the moment she said she heard what “sounded like dozens of gunshots” and ducked for cover.

Writing that she had been performing a task that reporters at the White House do day in and day out – filming themselves on a cellphone, for a social media post – the video shows her speaking for a few seconds about Mr Trump’s statements earlier on Saturday about a potential Iran deal. As the sounds of gunfire are heard in the background, her eyes grow wider, and she ducks down in the media tent, which is among those situated in a line along the White House driveway where broadcasters film their reports.

The Metropolitan Police Department said on X the Secret Service was working the scene and cautioned people to avoid the area. The scene is near where a gunman ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard last November.

US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her wounds. Andrew Wolfe, then 24, was critically wounded. Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been charged in that incident. The gunfire on Saturday comes nearly a month after what law enforcement authorities said was an attempted assassination of the president on April 25 as he attended the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at a Washington hotel.

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Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, pleaded not guilty to charges that he attempted to kill Mr Trump and remains in federal custody. Following that scare, Secret Service officers shot a suspect they said had fired at officers near the Washington Monument, also near the White House.

Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas, was charged in a complaint filed in US District Court in connection with the May 4 shooting. A teenage bystander was wounded in that incident.

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