Connect with us
DAPA Banner
DAPA Coin
DAPA
COIN PAYMENT ASSET
PRIVACY · BLOCKDAG · HOMOMORPHIC ENCRYPTION · RUST
ElGamal Encrypted MINE DAPA
🚫 GENESIS SOLD OUT
DAPAPAY COMING

NewsBeat

Man who took 10 hostages in hours-long ‘bomb’ standoff at Bakersfield bank is shot dead

Published

on

Daily Mirror

The FBI stormed a building in Bakersfield, California, to end a nearly 16-hour standoff during which the suspect had tied up hostages and claimed he strapped explosives to them and himself

A man has been shot dead after taking 10 school employees hostage and claiming he had strapped explosives to himself.

Authorities stormed the building in Bakersfield, California, overnight, ending a nearly 16-hour standoff during which the suspect tied up half the hostages and also said he had put explosives on them and himself, police said.

The hostages – employees of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools – were found unharmed inside the building that also houses a Chase bank, said Bakersfield Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Blakemore.

Advertisement

“Throughout the night, their families questioned whether or not they would be seen again but we are very grateful for the outcome,” Blakemore said during a news conference Wednesday.

Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, 41, was shot and killed around 4:20am, according to Sid Patel, special agent in charge in the FBI’s Sacramento office. Authorities said he was an Army veteran who was dishonourably discharged, had a history of trouble with law enforcement and was a registered sex offender.

Searles-Harris told police he had a bomb after barricading himself within the second floor of the building, Blakemore said. Authorities were testing the devices that Searles-Harris said were explosives, but Patel said they do not appear to be a concern.

One of the hostages was able to communicate with law enforcement using her phone until her battery died, Patel said. She was diabetic and didn’t have her medicine so officials knew she was at risk, he said.

Advertisement

“I’m sure there’ll be mental scars that they’re living with, and we’ll have our victim specialist to help them,” Patel said.

While authorities declined to discuss a motive in the standoff, Blakemore said some of the demands Searles-Harris made involved asking for materials from an earlier case.

“He had concerns related to how his previous case had been handled and what the aftermath of that was, the sentencing and those kinds of things,” Blakemore said, without specifying details.

California Department of Justice and court records show Searles-Harris was on the state’s sex offender registry due to convictions in 2014 for sex crimes related to a child under 14 years of age. Those records show he was released from prison in 2018.

Advertisement

FBI officials said Searles-Harris served about a year in the Army before being dishonourably discharged in 2007 for going AWOL.

Court records in Kern County, California, show Searles-Harris filed a petition to prevent domestic violence, and was involved in divorce proceedings that began in 2009 and note a young child, as well as a fight for guardianship years later in which he was listed as an objector.

During the news conference, Blakemore said he was aware of videos Searles-Harris had apparently posted criticising the sheriff’s office and claiming he was innocent of his previous sex crimes convictions. He said the videos were being reviewed but the department had no plans to investigate the claims of innocence.

It wasn’t clear why Searles-Harris targeted the school district office. “What unfolded was undoubtedly a terribly frightening and unsettling experience, and the composure our employees demonstrated throughout the 16-hour ordeal was extraordinary, John Mendiburu, the county schools superintendent, said in a statement.

Advertisement

The standoff began early Tuesday afternoon, when officers responded to a call of a bomb threat at the Chase Bank building, a four-story office building with dark-tinted glass windows in Bakersfield, a city of about 380,000 residents about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

The police department’s crisis negotiation team talked with Searles-Harris by phone and he released two hostages Tuesday night. Buildings nearby, including City Hall and the police headquarters that are just a block away, were evacuated and some roads were closed during the hostage situation.

More than 100 FBI personnel assisted, including two SWAT teams, bomb technicians and crisis negotiation teams, Patel said. A hostage rescue team was deployed from its headquarters on the East Coast, he said.

Jacob Davidson, a livestreamer known as Dad’s Gone Live, was a block from the building when he started receiving calls about the bomb threat. He watched police enter the back of the building, and his livestream captured through a window a woman rocking back and forth before crouching below the window. Later, two hands could be seen waving.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

NewsBeat

SpaceX targets $135 IPO price with Elon Musk keeping 82.4% of company voting power

Published

on

Why Elon Musk’s SpaceX joining Wall Street could have a big impact on your 401K

SpaceX is poised to raise up to $75 billion in its initial public offering this month, a move that would mark the largest-ever stock market debut and could propel Elon Musk to become the world’s first trillionaire.

The company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., announced Wednesday it plans to sell 555.6 million shares at $135 a piece.

This offering would value SpaceX at $1.77 trillion, a market capitalization surpassed by only six S&P 500 companies, including Nvidia at $5.2 trillion.

Musk will not sell any shares, retaining 82.4% of SpaceX’s voting power. Forbes values his net worth at $825 billion, with his $542 billion SpaceX stake.

Advertisement

The estimated IPO proceeds would easily top the $26 billion raised by Saudi Aramco in 2019.

SpaceX was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, the world's richest man
SpaceX was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man (AFP/Getty)

SpaceX filed to go public last month, unveiling $13 billion worth of losses since 2023, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including a $4.3 billion loss since the start of the year.

Since its inception in 2002, SpaceX has ascended to become the globe’s largest space enterprise, primarily through the deployment of thousands of Starlink internet satellites.

Its pioneering adoption of reusable rockets has fundamentally altered the economics of space travel, compelling rivals like Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to accelerate their own advancements.

While SpaceX initially gained prominence for its rocket manufacturing and satellite launches, the majority of its $18.67 billion revenue last year stemmed from its Starlink satellite internet service.

Advertisement

Much of its projected future growth is now tied to artificial intelligence-related ventures, though its nascent xAI unit is currently operating at a loss, according to the recent filing.

Earlier this year, some of the major stock market indexes, including the Nasdaq where SpaceX will soon be available, changed their rules to allow high-value companies to join much quicker than normal after going public.

SpaceX stock is expected to be available on the Nasdaq beginning June 12, under the ticker “SPCX,” according to Reuters.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Evil Megan stages Coronation Street return and traps shocked Will | Soaps

Published

on

Evil Megan stages Coronation Street return and traps shocked Will | Soaps
Megan’s trap is sprung (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) is one of the most rotten individuals that has ever traipsed the cobbles of Coronation Street.

A deeply manipulative paedophile who grooms, isolates and deeply corrupts the children she predates upon and is utterly unrepentant in her actions, as she’s shown with Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) and his friend, former victim, Lee (Oscar Aldersley).

A cold, vicious enemy to anyone who dares cross her, she waged mental warfare against Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) when he discovered her true nature, sabotaging his academic success and relishing in turning his attempts to expose her against him.

Although he did eventually divulge what he knew, she’s damaged him so badly he’s been left with deep trauma and has become psychologically unwell.

Advertisement
Megan and Will smiling at each other in Corrie
Megan has been grooming Will for years (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Even when exposed, she was capable of ensuring that Will didn’t confirm the truth to anybody, continuing her sick grooming while attempting to plan her own escape to another country alone, despite promising that she’d take him with her and they’d be together.

It was an unlikely intervention from Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) that saw Will finally listen to reason, when Tim used his own experience of sexual abuse to open his eyes to what Megan had truly done to him.

As he attempted to flee alongside her, Tim gave him the option of either absconding with Megan and remaining under her thrall, or finally reporting her to the police, Will chose the latter.

Will speaks to Tim outside the police station in Corrie
Tim got through to Will (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Will has suffered since making the report, with the true scope of the damage Megan has done becoming evident.

An attempt at kindness from Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon), herself a former victim of grooming quickly went awry when Will mistook it for a predatory act.

Next, he encountered a deeply unwell Sam, who called him sick and wished him dead.

Advertisement
Will Driscoll and Bethany Platt sat on a bench at the precinct
Bethany’s attempt at kindness triggered Will (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Unaware of how much Sam is struggling, Will absorbs the cruel words before overhearing his dad, Ben (Aaron McCusker), worrying that Megan has destroyed him for life.

Don’t miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Soaps authors collage Fact box image only Picture: Metro
Now you can ensure you never miss a story from the Soaps team
Advertisement

Climbing some scaffolding while chugging from a bottle of vodka, the timely intervention of Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey), Hope Dobbs (Isabella Flanagan) and grandma Maggie (Pauline McLynn) ensured he was brought down to safety, before Megan re-appeared, having been released on bail.

She slipped her new number into his pocket, which he later put into his phone. Troubled as he is, though, his new friendship with Hope returns a smile to his face.

Will Driscoll and Hope Dobbs sat at a table in Roy's Rolls
Will tells Hope about Lee’s visit… (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Next week, he tells her that he’s considering giving up athletics, fearing the pursuit will always remind him of Megan, but she’s quick to reassure him that he needs to continue.

The way she sees it, quitting would only reinforce Megan’s control over his life and it’d be a massive shame to squander his abilities.

Heartened, Will agrees with Hope.

Advertisement
Will Driscoll stands across from Megan Walsh
…but he falls right into Megan’s trap (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Later in the week, he tells Hope he’s received a message from his friend, Lee, who’s visiting from Hull and wants to meet up.

As he waits for Lee, though, he’s absolutely shaken to turn around and see Megan, realising that she’s set him up.

With him at her mercy, what does Megan want? Is Will in danger?

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Why Elon Musk’s SpaceX joining Wall Street could have a big impact on your 401K

Published

on

Why Elon Musk’s SpaceX joining Wall Street could have a big impact on your 401K

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is about to become a public company – and the move could impact Americans’ retirement accounts, some experts have warned.

Last month, SpaceX unveiled plans to publicly sell its stock for the first time. The company’s initial public offering, expected June 12, is on track to be the largest in history at a projected $1.75 trillion and could put Musk on a path to becoming the world’s first trillionaire.

Earlier this year, some of the major stock market indexes, including the Nasdaq where SpaceX will soon be available, changed their rules to allow high-value companies to join much quicker than normal after going public.

That’s where Americans’ retirement accounts come in. Retirement account managers typically will invest in so-called index funds. Basically, those funds spread out money across a market such as the Nasdaq, so individual investors will have small amounts in lots of companies and not need to worry about trading stocks day-to-day. That means that millions of Americans could see portions of their 401Ks or other retirement accounts invested in the aerospace company founded by the world’s richest person.

Advertisement

In light of the SpaceX IPO’s accelerated timeline, that causes concern among some tech and finance experts.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is joining Wall Street — and could soon impact Americans' retirement accounts
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is joining Wall Street — and could soon impact Americans’ retirement accounts (Getty Images)

SpaceX, which is currently valued at $1.25 trillion, lost about $4.9 billion in 2025, and another $4.3 billion in the first three months of 2026, according to The New York Times. Typically, when companies aren’t earning money it’s a bad sign for Wall Street and the stock will sell causing its price to go down.

A company’s stock prices also tend to be volatile immediately after a company goes public. The previous waiting periods, which were put in after the dot-com crash, helped protect investors against wild swings in a company or prove its profitability before being included in a small market such as the Nasdaq.

That could mean retirement account holders seeing losses if SpaceX faces either of these factors. While most individual investors would likely only have a small portion of their index fund invested in SpaceX, any loss would hurt their bottom line.

Corey McLaughlin, the editor of the Stansberry Digest, a daily investment research newsletter by the publishing firm Stansberry Research, warned that the effects will be felt widely.

Advertisement

“If you’re like us, you’re not planning to buy SpaceX shares in the [initial public offering]. But odds are, you’ll end up owning SpaceX anyway… if you own any index funds. And even if you don’t, you’ll have indirect exposure because of all the other people who do. Their behavior will move the entire stock market,” McLaughlin wrote in the company’s newsletter last week.

SpaceX, founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, is set to become a publicly traded company later this month
SpaceX, founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, is set to become a publicly traded company later this month (AFP via Getty Images)

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, also wrote to the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, expressing concern about SpaceX’s “unsustainable valuation” and the potential impact on union members’ pensions and investments. The union represents 1.8 million workers and is among the largest in the country.

“That is why we are going to the SEC—there is nowhere else to turn. This is not just another [initial public offering]—it’s the largest in U.S. history, and it’s being rushed to market with a valuation that defies financial logic,” Weingarten said in a statement last month.

However other financial experts have said average Americans don’t need to be particularly concerned. Scott Richie, an investing expert at Stoculator, told Newsweek this SpaceX development is “neither a big positive nor a big danger” for most retirement account holders.

“You’ll own a little SpaceX the same way you already own a little of hundreds of companies you’ve never thought about,” Richie said.

Advertisement

“A small slice of any single company, up or down, won’t make or break your retirement,” he added.

SpaceX stock is expected to be available on the Nasdaq beginning June 12, under the ticker “SPCX,” according to Reuters. The company, which was founded in 2002 by Musk, designs, builds and launches rockets and spacecraft. In 2020, it became the first private company to take humans to the International Space Station.

The Independent has contacted SpaceX for comment.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Starmer urged to ‘stop delays’ and remove Mandelson’s peerage and payout

Published

on

Starmer urged to ‘stop delays’ and remove Mandelson’s peerage and payout

Mr Doogan continued: “Keir Starmer appointed Peter Mandelson despite it being a matter of public record that he had maintained his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the world’s most notorious paedophile, and despite knowing that Mandelson had previously been forced to resign from government multiple times due to his role in numerous scandals.

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

What to know as fury over Ivanka Trump’s $1.4 billion private island in Albania explodes

Published

on

What to know as fury over Ivanka Trump’s $1.4 billion private island in Albania explodes

A significant coastal development project in Albania, associated with Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, is encountering increasing opposition.

Albania’s government champions the Adriatic coast development as a transformative venture for the nation, aiming to boost its high-end tourism sector and support its bid for European Union membership.

However, the project, which encompasses an abandoned island and a stretch of seafront on Albania’s southern coast, has sparked criticism from environmental groups and detractors of the long-serving Socialist Prime Minister, Edi Rama.

Kushner and Ivanka Trump found the site on a barefoot hike

Advertisement

The luxury project has two components: a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, a communist-era military base.

The planned development of hotels, apartments, villas and a marina is linked to Kushner and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.

Protestors take part in a demonstration in front of the prime minister's office, against the construction of a luxury resort near a protected natural area, in Tirana on June 3, 2026
Protestors take part in a demonstration in front of the prime minister’s office, against the construction of a luxury resort near a protected natural area, in Tirana on June 3, 2026 (AFP via Getty Images)

In an interview this week with U.S. podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump said they discovered the site by accident.

“We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it,” she said. “We swam to the island. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated.”

An investment firm linked to Kushner has been granted special investor status by Albanian authorities.

Advertisement

Harsh rule, pristine beaches

Albania has 450 kilometers (280 miles) of coast that remained largely underdeveloped during decades of harsh communist rule.

Protest groups fear the sections of that pristine coastline could be snapped up by powerful investors. And public anger grew after video showed an activist being dragged by a private security guard while demonstrating at the site.

The development is planned within a nature reserve and one of Albania’s most valuable biodiversity areas, a key stopover for migratory birds along the Adriatic coast.

Advertisement

Protesters have carried cardboard cut-outs of pink flamingos, one of the protected migratory bird species, at rallies in the capital Tirana.

Several thousand citizens demonstrated in Tirana for the second consecutive night to demand transparency around the tourist complex project
Several thousand citizens demonstrated in Tirana for the second consecutive night to demand transparency around the tourist complex project (AFP via Getty Images)

Since late May, excavators and other heavy machinery have entered the area, opening access routes, digging into the sand, clearing land among pine trees and installing fencing.

Environmental groups from Albania and elsewhere in Europe condemned the work, with one prominent local group charging that long-protected habitats are being “irreversibly destroyed.”

A multi-billion dollar bonanza?

Albania’s state anti-corruption agency has confirmed it opened an investigation related to the project but has not disclosed details.

Advertisement

The government says the land earmarked for the project is privately owned. But competing claims have emerged questioning the privatization — a common type of legal dispute.

Rama has committed to the venture, saying it would align with Albania’s ambition to become a major global tourism destination.

“Albania should not be a country that fears an extraordinary project like this one, where exceptional partners have come together to invest 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion),” Rama said.

He added: “There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here.”

Advertisement
In an interview this week with U.S. podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump said they discovered the site by accident
In an interview this week with U.S. podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump said they discovered the site by accident (AFP via Getty Images)

However, the demise of a similar project in Serbia offers a cautionary tale. In November, Serbia’s Parliament passed a special law to enable the building of a luxury complex in the capital, Belgrade, to be financed by an investment company linked to Kushner.

The following month, Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime charged four people, including a government minister, with abuse of office and falsifying of documents to help pave the way for the development.

Kushner later withdrew from the planned multi-million investment that would have replaced a sprawling bombed-out military complex, a designated heritage zone whose legal protection was lifted by the former officials now on trial.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Senate to vote on bill to fund immigration enforcement

Published

on

Senate to vote on bill to fund immigration enforcement

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Senate is moving forward with legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies after forcing the White House to drop its settlement fund for political allies and stripping a separate proposal for White House security from the bill.

The Senate voted 53-46 on Wednesday to begin debate on the roughly $70 billion bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. The legislation was delayed for weeks as Republican senators navigated the various obstacles to passage created by President Donald Trump and the White House, but they are now moving quickly to pass it after paring it back to its original form.

“Right now, the goal is to get the base bill across the finish line,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Still, Republicans will need to find enough votes to beat back multiple amendments that Democrats — and potentially some Republicans — say they will offer. Republicans are using a process called budget reconciliation that enables them to pass the legislation without any Democratic votes, but they must first wade through a long series of amendment votes that could pose problems for the bill. That process could start as soon as Wednesday evening.

Advertisement

Democratic amendments will test GOP unity

The primary threat during amendment votes is a series of expected Democratic proposals to permanently ban Trump’s $1.776 billion settlement fund, which his administration scrapped on Tuesday after fierce Republican pushback. While acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress that “we are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Democrats say they want it written into the law.

“It is only a matter of time before Blanche and Trump go back on their word,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Thune said Blanche’s comments were “extremely helpful” and he thinks most GOP senators were satisfied by the decision. “We’ll find out,” he added.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said he was assured by Blanche’s promises.

Advertisement

“I think that particular issue is dead,” he said.

Some Republicans still have concerns about settlement

Not everyone is satisfied. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he will offer an amendment to block any attempt at resurrecting the fund, which was part of a settlement resolving Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.

Tillis said he has plans to offer an amendment to put Blanche’s promise into law.

“We’ve got a sufficient number of Republicans who have been very clear they’ve got concerns there,” said Tillis.

Advertisement

Thune said he is working with Tillis and others who have discussed amendments as he tries to ensure he has enough votes for a simple majority in the 53-47 Senate.

“Keep in mind, we’ve got to keep them all together, make sure we’ve got 50 votes for it,” Thune said.

Money dropped for Trump’s ballroom

The legislation was also delayed by the opposition to $1 billion in security funding for the White House, including for Trump’s new ballroom, that was added to the original bill.

Democrats and some Republicans questioned using taxpayer money for the massive project in a time of economic hardship for many voters. Democrats had planned amendments to strip that language, as well.

Advertisement

As various side issues temporarily derailed the legislation, Republicans have said their top priority is passing the ICE and Border Patrol funding that Democrats have blocked for months in protest of the administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.

But success requires GOP unity in the Senate and the House before it can reach Trump.

Republican House leaders said Wednesday they would like to pass the bill before the end of the week, if the Senate can finish it. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said they are having internal conversations now to make sure they have enough support.

“We just need to make sure everybody’s there,” Scalise said.

Advertisement

___

Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Cardiff drivers warned of disruption as major tram works begin

Published

on

Wales Online

Signs warning people about the possible disruption to a major city road have been put up across Cardiff

Drivers are being warned of disruption and told to allow extra time for their journeys in Cardiff city centre as major works to build a new tram system begin.

Advertisement

Cardiff Crossrail is a tram system which it is said will eventually run from Plasdwr in the north-west of the city, with the proposed new work on Parkway railway station in the east to start on Monday, June 15.

Work on the first phase, a tram-train route set to be built between Cardiff Central railway station and Cardiff Bay, will begin on June 15.

Although there will be no road closures during the first phase of the “very complex” works, there will be a reduction in traffic lanes on Callaghan Square so the site can be cleared and the contractor can begin diverting utilities beneath the carriageway.

There will be five stages of work, with different impacts on drivers each time. The first phase, until mid-July, will mean on Tresilian Way eastbound and westbound two of the three lanes will close. On Callaghan Square eastbound and westbound one of the three lanes will close.

Advertisement

Signs have already been put up in the city, with additional on-street signage being installed on roads approaching Callaghan Square later this week.

Motorists are advised to consider alternative routes while these works are underway:

  • From the north, motorists are advised to use North Road, Boulevard de Nantes and Fitzalan Place
  • From the east, motorists are advised to use Newport Road and Glossop Road
  • From the south and west, motorists are advised to use the A4232 (Link Road) and Central Link

The first phase of the project is intended to link the city with the Bay and to provide a link for the new Cardiff arena currently under construction off Lloyd George Avenue.

Phase 1a of the scheme will deliver:

Advertisement
  • A new tram-train connection between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay via the new Loudoun Square railway station which is currently under construction
  • New tram platforms at Cardiff Central railway station and an additional platform at Cardiff Bay railway station
  • A new twin-track tramway through Callaghan Square
  • A simpler road layout
  • New pedestrian spaces, landscaping and sustainable drainage
  • Fully segregated cycle routes and improved pedestrian crossings

Cardiff council cabinet member Dan De’Ath said: “This is a long-term investment in Cardiff’s public transport infrastructure and will play a key role in supporting major developments across the city, including the redevelopment of Cardiff Central railway station, the regeneration of Callaghan Square, the new indoor arena and the Atlantic Wharf redevelopment in Cardiff Bay.

“The vision for Cardiff Crossrail is clearly set out in the city’s 10-year transport vision. This is about building a greener, more sustainable and affordable transport system for the city.

“We would like to thank the public for their patience while we deliver these vital works. As the first phase of the Cardiff Crossrail will run through Callaghan Square, the work involved is very complex as significant work must take place to divert key utilities beneath the carriageway that serve businesses and residents in the city centre and beyond.”

Chief infrastructure officer from Transport for Wales Dan Tipper said this was an “important milestone” in the project. “We’re focused on creating modern, reliable and more sustainable ways for people to travel across the city,” he said.

Advertisement

“Crossrail is a key part of our vision for a South Wales Metro that will support Cardiff’s continued growth, improve connectivity and provide greater choice for residents, businesses and visitors.”

Andrew Henry, from contractors GRAHAM, said: “Work starting on site is a crucial moment for the Cardiff Crossrail project which will fundamentally change how people move around the city.

“Callaghan Square is a busy working environment with significant utility diversions required beneath the carriageway before trackwork can begin.

“Our team has planned this carefully to keep disruption to a minimum, and we would ask road users to follow the signage in place and allow a little extra time for their journeys.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Drivers warned of overnight repairs to road in Hamilton

Published

on

Daily Record

The overnight closures will mean daytime access remains unaffected.

Overnight repairs to a road in Hamilton are to take place from next week.

Advertisement

Carriageway resurfacing works will take place from 8pm until 6am on Almada Street, from Douglas Street to Peacock Cross, from Monday, June 8.

The works are expected to last four consecutive nights and be completed by 6am on Thursday, June 11.

The overnight closures will mean daytime access remains unaffected.

During the overnight works, a diversion route will be in place.

Advertisement

For eastbound traffic the alternative route will be Burnbank Road, Clydesdale Street, Douglas Street, Caird Street, Bothwell Road and Almada Street.

For westbound traffic the alternative route will be Muir Street, Palace Grounds Road, Blackswell Lane, Low Patrick Street, Duke Street, Brandon Street and Union Street.

South Lanarkshire Council’s head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services, Colin Park, said: “We have scheduled these works to take place overnight in a bid to minimise disruption, but we also apologise for any inconvenience that may occur during these essential road improvement works.

“We would request that all road users allow additional time for all journeys which involve the use of Almada Street during the times indicated and that they plan their journey accordingly.

Advertisement

“We are sure everyone will appreciate the improved condition of the road when the works are complete.”

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Actress Zawe Ashton compares filming sex scenes to ‘prostitution’

Published

on

Daily Mirror

Actress Zawe Ashton has urged young female stars to speak up if they’re uncomfortable filming sex scenes for TV or movies, comparing it to a form of ‘prostitution’

Advertisement

Fresh Meat star Zawe Ashton has said actresses can feel pressured into filming sex scenes or risk being labelled “prudish” in their bid to get ahead in the industry. The 41-year-old actress, who is engaged to Tom Hiddleston, compared some intimate on-screen scenes to a form of “prostitution” and urged younger actresses to say “no” if they feel uncomfortable.

In a candid discussion on a topic rarely spoken about publicly, Ashton also revealed she was once given alcohol for “Dutch courage” before filming an intimate scene. Reflecting on her experiences, she said: “I’ve been in not nice situations on sets with sexual scenes, where you go, ‘Do you know what, I feel like a strong person and I can get myself over the threshold of this behaviour.’ There’s an element of survival there.”

“But sometimes younger actresses are made to feel as though they have to do these things. You’re in contractual conversations where you’re made to feel that if you don’t do it, you’re prudish, you’re not open, you’re not going to become the actress or have the career you really want.

“If you’re not comfortable, just say no. In life and art, no scene is worth taking over your mental health.” Ashton, who is also known for her role in The Marvels film franchise, said actors are often forced to compromise their own comfort in order to make sex scenes appear realistic on screen, revealing she had worn stick-on prosthetics while filming.

Advertisement

She said: “If you’re asking me what it’s been like to make sex look real on screen, I will tell you it is a little bit like prostitution, not that I know what that’s like.

“You’d like to have a bonus for the scene. Often you’re covered in glycerin because it’s a sustainable way of creating sweat. Often you are at a pretty good level of nakedness. In my experience, I’ve had everything from a nude thong to a stick-on pair of jelly boobs, which is pretty exposing.”

The TV and film actress also recalled being so nervous before filming intimate scenes with Jake Gyllenhaal in the 2019 film Velvet Buzzsaw that she drank prosecco beforehand to calm her nerves.

Advertisement

Speaking on the Miss Me podcast with Miquita Oliver last month, she said: “I was so nervous before this scene and some very kindly people on the production gave me a couple of mini bottles of prosecco in my trailer.

“It was a night shoot and I was feeling quite tipsy. But the prosecco is not just about the Dutch courage, it’s to quiet the noise when you walk away from the scene -a bit like when you walk away from a hook-up and think, ‘What just happened there?’”

Ashton met Hiddleston while starring together in the West End production of Betrayal, which later transferred to Broadway. The pair became romantically linked soon afterwards.

In 2022, it was revealed the couple were engaged after Ashton was seen wearing a large diamond ring shortly after the birth of their first child in October that year. In January 2025, they welcomed their second child.

Advertisement

They recently appeared together on the red carpet at the Laurence Olivier Awards in London.

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Britain’s reading revival may be failing to reach those most disconnected from books

Published

on

Britain’s reading revival may be failing to reach those most disconnected from books

Plenty of adults think of themselves as readers. They remember the books they loved as children, the novels they stayed up late to finish, and the periods of life when reading felt natural and routine. Yet many have not finished a book in months, or even years.

The National Year of Reading 2026 has placed reading firmly back in the public conversation. Across the UK, libraries, literacy organisations, publishers and cultural institutions are working to encourage reading for pleasure and rebuild reading habits.

This renewed focus matters. At a time when concerns about declining reading are widespread, celebrating reading as joy, immersion and connection remains important.

Yet these conversations often make me think less about books themselves than about the type of reader they focus on. Much discussion around reading for pleasure begins with people who already possess a relationship with books: their favourite novels, formative reading experiences and longstanding habits. This presumes they already have the confidence to see themselves as readers.

Advertisement

Less visible are those for whom reading stopped feeling natural much earlier. This matters because much of the current conversation around reading decline still treats the problem primarily as one of enthusiasm: how to persuade people that books are pleasurable, enriching or culturally valuable. But for some adults, the problem is rebuilding a relationship with reading that stalled years earlier.

Research suggests many adults are not resisting reading because they dislike books. They are struggling because reading no longer feels manageable within the conditions of their lives.

Reading in prisons

My colleague Josephine Metcalf and I research adult reading re-engagement through a digitally delivered book club for readers and writers across more than 90 prisons in England and Wales.

While prisons may seem an unusual place to explore reading habits, they offer important insights into the factors that encourage or discourage reading engagement, including confidence, autonomy and previous experiences of education.

Advertisement

One finding appears repeatedly: struggling to engage with reading often precedes finding pleasure in reading. Before enjoyment comes interrupted concentration, prolonged effort, embarrassment, and memories of reading associated with judgment or failure.

Research from prison-based reading groups similarly suggests that disengagement is frequently linked not to disinterest in books themselves, but to earlier experiences of reading as performance, exposure or inadequacy.

This may help explain why reading initiatives often reach people who already possess some relationship with books, while adults whose reading habits fractured years earlier remain harder to engage. The barriers are frequently more practical and behavioural than ideological.

Advertisement

Recent census data published by The Bookseller reinforces this point. While attitudes towards reading remain broadly positive, many adults who identify as readers rarely read regularly. The obstacles are familiar: distraction, exhaustion, reduced concentration and competition from digital entertainment.

Creating the conditions for reading

Our own work suggests that adults return to reading under very particular conditions: privacy, autonomy, short forms, strong narrative momentum, self-paced engagement and the removal of performative pressure. Reading habits are often rebuilt gradually through repetition, accessibility and emotional safety before reading confidence fully returns.

This has implications far beyond prisons. If the National Year of Reading aims to produce lasting change, the challenge may not simply be encouraging people to value books more highly. It may involve paying greater attention to the conditions that allow reading habits to recover after long periods of disruption.

Reading campaigns, book recommendations and public celebrations of reading remain important, but they are unlikely to reach everyone equally. Re-engagement often depends upon quieter forms of infrastructure: accessible pathways back into reading, opportunities for private participation, and environments where reading can develop without judgement.

Advertisement

Prisons make this visible in concentrated form. When autonomy, privacy and appropriate structure are present, adults who disengaged from reading long ago often begin reading again.

The shift rarely happens because literature’s cultural importance has suddenly become persuasive. More often, it happens because the surrounding conditions have changed sufficiently for reading to feel possible.

Research into prison reading groups has shown that reading can support confidence, reflection and discussion. More recent work has highlighted the value of combining reading with creative writing activities that encourage readers to engage actively with texts.

Advertisement

Many adults who no longer read regularly do not need to be convinced that books matter. They already know that. The larger challenge is ensuring that conversations about reading also reach those who no longer feel reading belongs to them.

If we want to understand the future of reading, we may need to spend less time asking why people have stopped reading, and more time creating the conditions that help them start again.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025