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Award-winning breastfeeding festival marking 10th anniversary with Belfast celebration

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Belfast Live

“The positivity and hearing little stories of how we made a difference to women is what keeps us going”

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Breastival, Northern Ireland’s award-winning festival celebrating breastfeeding, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, a free event will take place at Drumglass Park in South Belfast on Saturday, August 1 during World Breastfeeding Week.

The festival began in 2016 when Dr Jennifer Hanratty gathered 37 breastfeeding mothers, babies, fathers and supporters to the lawns of Belfast City Hall to take part in the Global Latch On.

In the months that followed, Hanratty developed the idea into Breastival alongside co-founder Jennie Wallace, creating a positive space for breastfeeding families to connect, learn and be supported.

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In 2017, at the first official Breastival, organisers expected a few more people to take part, and were totally surprised, in the best way possible, when more than 500 people registered, maxing out the space that had been hired in the MAC.

This made it the largest gathering of breastfeeding women in Northern Ireland, growing every year since.

This year’s event runs from 12pm to 4pm and includes a Big Latch On at 12.30pm, alongside a mums market, a baby disco, circus performers, messy play, baby reflexology and a community tent hosting NHS specialists, voluntary support groups, local charities, and the milk bank.

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Breastival founder Dr Jennifer Hanratty said: “Breastival started with my own experience of finding support, friendship and plenty of craic from other mothers when I became a parent.

“Their kindness inspired us to create something that would help other families feel equally welcomed and supported. Ten years on, Breastival is still powered by that same spirit of community. Its success belongs to the countless volunteers, supporters, healthcare professionals and advocates who help women every day to achieve their goals.

“We’ve persevered through challenges, pivoted to online festivities, hybrid events and now returning to the all-important real-life festival. Seeing families gathering together, feeling supported and more confident – it is just magic to be able to bring that to life every year. The positivity and hearing little stories of how we made a difference to women is what keeps us going.”

“Most women in Northern Ireland want to breastfeed and many more are now feeling supported and confident to continue breastfeeding for as long as they choose. Rates of breastfeeding at six and 12 months have more than doubled in the past ten years. We are so proud to have played a part in that positive change by making breastfeeding visible and celebrated as part of everyday life in Northern Ireland”

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Breastival’s 10-year anniversary is being supported by TV presenter and mum-of-two Holly Hamilton.

She sadi: “Breastfeeding my two children is something that has always been really important to me. I know it’s a journey that not everyone can go on and it’s not always a choice, but for me it’s something I’ve really enjoyed.

“My best piece of advice is to find someone else who has been through it, because it can be lonely. The start of the journey is often just you at two or three o’clock in the morning, and those first few days are the hardest.

“That’s why the work being done by Breastival is so important. Looking around and knowing there are other women who feel the same way, who’ve gone through it or are currently going through it, makes such a difference. Having that support is invaluable.”

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Breastival was created to help improve women’s experiences of breastfeeding by making breastfeeding visible, valued and supported as part of everyday family life.

Breastival has welcomed over 10,000 people to the festival over its first nine years, and organisers are aiming for their biggest turnout yet at this year’s tenth anniversary event.

Dr Jennifer Hanratty added: “While much has changed over the last decade, our vision remains the same: a society where every woman who wants to breastfeed feels supported, valued and confident in her choice, where communities champion breastfeeding and policies make it easier for families to achieve their goals.”

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Free tickets to the event are available at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/breastival-2026-tickets-1989689944184

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter here

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Cancer-stricken Real Housewives star Jeana Keough’s REAL finances revealed amid backlash for using GoFundMe for personal expenses

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Real Housewives of Orange County star Jeana Keough is receiving backlash online for using GoFundMe to pay for her personal expenses while battling tongue cancer

Real Housewives of Orange County‘s Vicki Gunvalson has defended her former castmate Jeana Keough after Keough started a GoFundMe page to help pay for personal expenses while battling cancer.

Keough’s daughter Kara Bosworth launched the GoFundMe on July 19 after her realtor mom, 70, started treatment for tongue cancer.

While the GoFundMe has already reached over $70,000, many fans of the Real Housewives franchise – which follows the lives of affluent women in exclusive social circles – have criticized the fundraising move due to Keough’s apparent wealth. 

Defending her co-star and friend on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live last week, Gunvalson insisted that Keough isn’t as rich as some people think she is.

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‘Jeana owns two houses in Florida,’ Gunvalson explained.

‘When she sold the house next to me she bought two houses, rental property. It doesn’t have a lot of equity, the real estate in Florida has gone down,’ she continued.

Real Housewives of Orange County star Jeana Keough is receiving backlash online for using GoFundMe to pay for her personal expenses while battling tongue cancer

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Keough shot to fame as an original cast member on Bravo's Real Housewives franchise, which follows affluent groups of women in exclusive social circles

Keough shot to fame as an original cast member on Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise, which follows affluent groups of women in exclusive social circles

‘She is getting a small pension from [ex-husband] Matt [Keough], she’s getting her social security. It’s not enough to support her rent in Coto de Caza, she rents a house there, and her life.’

Both Gunvalson and Keough currently live ‘two doors down’ from each other in Coto de Caza, an exclusive, gated community where the Real Housewives of Orange County was originally filmed.  

Gunvalson also pointed out that Keough is a commission-based realtor and has been unable to work during treatment, so her ‘income stopped’.

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She clarified that Keough’s ‘medical care is covered’, and that the GoFundMe is to help with other expenses. 

On the official GoFundMe page, Keough’s eldest daughter states, ‘Any funds raised will go directly toward expenses, everyday living costs, nutrition, and the additional support she needs while undergoing treatment.’

The fundraising goal was originally set at $50,000, but it has since been raised to $90,000 following a flood of generous donations from both fans and Bravo stars alike.

The top donor to the GoFundMe is currently ‘Andrew Cohen’, who contributed $5,000.

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Real Housewives of Orange County newcomer Carmella Garcia is also listed as having donated $1,000.

Daily Mail has contacted both Keough and her daughter Kara Bosworth for comment. 

Defending her friend and fellow Housewife on SiriusXM's Jeff Lewis Live last week, RHOC star Vicki Gunvalson insisted that Keough isn't as rich as some people think she is

Defending her friend and fellow Housewife on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live last week, RHOC star Vicki Gunvalson insisted that Keough isn’t as rich as some people think she is

Keough's GoFundMe was started by her daughter Kara Bosworth and has so far raised over $70,000

Keough’s GoFundMe was started by her daughter Kara Bosworth and has so far raised over $70,000

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Keough family’s full statement 

Keough’s daughter Kara Bosworth, who launched the GoFundMe, issued a statement to Daily Mail about the online backlash.  

‘Some folks have been pretty aggressive and hateful regarding Jeana’s financial struggles, and even about her getting cancer in general, but it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. I unfortunately have seen it firsthand – there were people who found ways to be hateful after my newborn son died, so it doesn’t come as a shock that they’d do the same in this situation,’ she said.

‘I warned my mom when she asked me to start the GoFundMe that she would have to reveal that, despite her best efforts to put up a happy facade, she would have to admit publicly that she is struggling,’ she continued.

‘Some were outraged that I was “asking people less fortunate” than me for help, but I can sleep at night knowing the truth: that I reached out via my personal Instagram to my village —people that were asking me how they could help support Jeana— and they responded with their own free will. 

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‘I found it to be the best way to reach people that love my mom, and want to help. A wider population found out about her cancer journey via the media, and for the most part their responses have been beautiful.

‘Unfortunately, there are also haters. In general, most people are being supportive, kind, and helpful — sending advice, encouragement, and prayers.

‘My mom has always been great at focusing on the good in any situation, and she’s doing that now – joyfully ignoring the haters and basking in the love and support from those that actually know her situation and her spirit.’

She added, ‘Here’s to hoping I can do the same someday! In the meantime, lots of blocking and deleting.

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Keough originally lived in a large mansion in Coto de Caza, but she sold it in 2016 for $3.4 million to downsize to a smaller home in the area and to buy property in Florida.

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The former 1980 Playboy Playmate of the Month was one of the founding cast members on The Real Housewives of Orange County, lasting on the reality series for its first five seasons before stepping back and making sporadic guest appearances in the following years.

She returned to the franchise this year for RHOC’s landmark 20th season for a cameo at a party featuring various past cast members, which will be shown on an upcoming episode.

Keough, a staunch conservative, occasionally shared her political viewpoints in early seasons of the series.

Earlier this week, Bosworth took to Instagram with an update on how her mother is dealing with her tongue cancer treatment and confirmed that she currently cannot speak.

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‘Right now, Jeana isn’t talking,’ Bosworth said. ‘The tongue and throat pain, paired with the mucus from radiation on the area, is just brutal. Poor mama has to spit into tissues all day.’

Bosworth thanked the company Blow Tissues for sending tissues for Keough to use, adding, ‘She’s never needed a delivery more.’

Keough, 70, is unable to speak as she undergoes treatment for tongue cancer

Keough, 70, is unable to speak as she undergoes treatment for tongue cancer

Keough recently filmed a cameo on the Real Housewives of Orange County's 20th season, which is airing now

Keough recently filmed a cameo on the Real Housewives of Orange County’s 20th season, which is airing now 

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Keough, a regular on the first five seasons of the Real Housewives of Orange County, is also mother to sons Shane, 39, and Colton, 34, with late ex-husband Matt Keough. 

Bosworth on July 19 detailed her mother’s health woes in a statement on GoFundMe, saying that Keough had complained about ‘a painful spot on her tongue’ for almost a year’s time.

‘A biopsy confirmed our worst fear: squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue,’ Bosworth said, adding that she underwent a pair of surgeries to remove the cancer and then her lymph nodes.

She said her mother has continued with a ‘relentless’ regimen of ‘chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy’ which has left her ‘exhausted’ and ‘malnourished’ due to related pain.

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Bosworth said that each day ‘is a battle just to get enough nutrition and hydration to continue treatment.’

She noted that the ailment had left her mother ‘unable to work,’ as ‘the loss of income has created an enormous financial burden at the very time she needs to focus all of her energy on healing.’

Keough first shot to fame as a Playboy model and was named the Playmate of the Month for the November, 1980 issue of the magazine

Keough first shot to fame as a Playboy model and was named the Playmate of the Month for the November, 1980 issue of the magazine

A young Keough is pictured on an episode of the '80s variety show Pink Lady

A young Keough is pictured on an episode of the ’80s variety show Pink Lady

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In subsequent updates to the fundraising page, Bosworth said July 21 that her mother had experienced more complications, as she had been slated to be set up with a feeding tube known as a G-tube to help with nutrition as she had been unable to eat for two weeks.

Doctors had to pause their plans due to the discovery of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) blood clot in her leg which presented further danger, Bosworth said.

In a pair of updates last week, Bosworth said that her mother was cleared for surgery to receive a ‘PEG feeding tube placed so she can receive the nutrition her body desperately needs. 

‘This will allow us to bypass the painful swallowing and choking that happen every time she tries to eat or drink.’

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Keough was a fulltime cast member on the first five seasons of the Real Housewives of Orange County

Keough was a fulltime cast member on the first five seasons of the Real Housewives of Orange County

She still keeps in touch with her fellow RHOC stars and is pictured enjoying a lavish lunch with Jo De La Rosa and Alexis Bellino in 2024

She still keeps in touch with her fellow RHOC stars and is pictured enjoying a lavish lunch with Jo De La Rosa and Alexis Bellino in 2024

Following the procedure, Bosworth said that her mother had been ‘recovering’ and ‘able to stay on track with her treatment despite the setbacks from the blood clot and infection.’

Bosworth said in a Friday update that her mother had been ‘finally feeling a little more like herself’ after she ‘gave her the full “spa treatment” at the hospital’ consisting of washing her hair with a shampoo cap and shaving her legs.

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‘She’s still very weak, and her mobility is limited, but we’re hopeful that now that she’s finally able to get the nutrition her body desperately needs, she’ll begin to regain her strength,’ Bosworth said.

Bosworth thanked the people who have ‘checked in, prayed, donated, shared your own experiences as patients or caregivers, and lifted our family up.’

She added, ‘Every message, every prayer, and every act of kindness has meant more than you know. Your positivity is healing.’

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The One Show’s Alex Jones teary as she admits she’s ’emotional’ after moving episode

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The One Show hosts Alex Jones and Clara Amfo were left visibly moved in the BBC One studio

The One Show was full of emotional moments on Thursday’s episode.

During Thursday’s programme, presenters Alex Jones and Clara Amfo disclosed they had recruited Spider-Man: Brand New Day stars Zendaya, Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon to surprise nine-year-old youngster Oliver.

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Oliver, nine, from Barnsley has been raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity by running the equivalent of nine marathons in four months.

Inspired by his own family’s journey after his dad Tom was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged just 39, Oliver set himself an incredible challenge: to run nine marathons, one for every year of his life, in support of the Brain Tumour Charity that had been there for his family when they needed it most.

Oliver has raised more than £16,500 to help ensure other families facing a brain tumour diagnosis receive the same vital support and hope.

His inspiring achievement earned him a very special One Big Thank You on The One Show, where the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day surprised Oliver in London before inviting him to the London movie premiere, leaving the youngster in tears.

Back in the studio, The One Show hosts Alex Jones and Clara Amfo were left visibly moved. Alex, 49, was seen fighting back tears as she said: “Thank you so much to Tom and Zendaya and Jacob.

“And true to their word, last night Oliver went along to the premiere with his family to see the film and you can watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day in cinemas now” before emotionally sighing and composing herself.

Co-host Clara, 42, then added: “Oh, such a beautiful gang and if you know someone… we’ll try not to cry” with Alex admitting: “Well, emotional!”

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Clara then continued: “If you know someone who you think is a hero, who deserves one big thank you, please please do get in touch.”

Taking to Twitter, now X, over the emotional show moment one person said: “Oh that #OneBigThankYou for the boy Oliver raising money for the Brain Tumour Trust was so good. What good eggs Tom, Zendaya and Jacob are #Spiderman #TheOneShow.”

To which a different viewer added: “Best one big thank you ever!! So emotional and the stars were so lovely to Oliver” with a heart emoji.

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The One Show continues on weeknights at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

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Haiti starts to register voters in violent capital and beyond in push for general elections

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Haiti starts to register voters in violent capital and beyond in push for general elections

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Voter registration began Thursday in Haiti’s capital and beyond, marking a critical milestone in the push for general elections even as concerns over widespread gang violence persist.

The government opened 10 registration centers across Port-au-Prince in neighborhoods considered generally safe as dozens of hopeful Haitians trickled through.

“This may be the first time that I’m going to vote,” said 34-year-old construction worker Vadley Bernadel.

Haiti hasn’t held general elections in more than a decade, and the country hasn’t had a president since President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021.

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Gang violence has only surged since then, but Haiti’s unelected prime minister is under pressure to hold elections, with Dec. 13 marking the first round.

“Haiti needs someone with a vision, someone who can lead the country in a better direction,” said Bernadel, who decried his country’s multiple crises.

Armed men still control swaths of land

Gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people, with armed men controlling an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and the main roads that lead to the country’s Central and Artibonite provinces, which also are under fire.

More than 50% of Haiti’s electorate live in those three regions, and it’s unclear whether all those seeking to vote will be able to register, let alone vote, given the violence.

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“The country can hold elections in three months if it chooses to. The question is, what kind of elections?” said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.

If the government insists on holding elections on Dec. 13, “a large part of the electorate will be left out,” he warned.

Da Rin noted that police and a U.N.-backed mission have seized back areas near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and made other inroads, but powerful gangs still control vast amounts of territory.

“There has been no significant progress,” he said. “The government will not be able to organize elections in territories controlled by gangs.”

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Jacques Desrosiers, president of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council, said he plans to open more voter registration centers in upcoming weeks, including 20 in Pétion-Ville, considered one of the safest areas.

As for the possibility of opening centers in other communities, he said that lies in the hands of the Haitian government.

Haitians fear being killed as country prepares for elections

Lawyer Francky Cavetan said he does not plan to vote because it’s too risky, but he did visit one registration center out of curiosity.

“Elections are not going to happen because the government and electoral council are lying to the population,” he asserted. “They are making people believe that elections will bring security, but they have to have security before elections.”

More than 5,900 people were killed last year across Haiti, and more than 1,600 others from January to March of this year, according to the United Nations. In addition, 5,500 gender-based violent incidents were reported in the first half of the year, with 70% of cases involving rape, many of them gang rapes, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General, recently said.

Cavetan questioned how candidates would even campaign. He was also upset because he believes a large number of Haitians are not aware that they will also be asked to participate in a referendum the same day as the elections as the government pushes to change the country’s Constitution.

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“They’re not even explaining to people what they’re planning to change in the Constitution,” Cavetan said.

Da Rin echoed that sentiment, noting that the public still doesn’t know what changes the government is seeking.

His biggest concern surrounding the elections is safety, though.

“The challenge for the authorities right now is to organize elections without having defeated the gangs and to minimize their influence on the elections as much as possible,” he said.

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Da Rin noted that longtime links between gangs and certain powerful elites in Haiti are still active.

Gangs have long been used to intimidate voters or convince them to select certain candidates, as well as to destroy ballot boxes when some members of Haiti’s elite believed that their candidates might not win, Da Rin said.

“Gangs have been a very important tool for elites to help their candidates win elections,” he said.

At a registration center in the community of Laboule, only three people had signed up an hour after doors opened.

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Victor Valensky, a 38-year-old driver of a colorful bus known as a tap-tap, was one of them.

He said he was angry at his country’s situation but also feared gang violence.

“I want to take part in the elections, but I have to make sure I’m safe,” he said. “If I die now, my wife probably won’t be able to support my two kids by herself. … I’m going to be very careful before I step out on election day.”

___

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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Mayor Kim McGuiness responds to Labour taxes plan for mayors

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Mayor Kim McGuiness responds to Labour taxes plan for mayors

The Prime Minister said by letting mayors keep a slice of income tax and business rates, he will “make good” on his pledge to “take power out of Westminster and carry it into every postcode in the country”.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness welcomed the policy, saying “this is what taking back control really looks like”. Meanwhile The Times newspaper report that Tees Valley Mayor Lord Houchen was thought to be considering using the power to roll our tax reliefs.

Andy Burnham said the policy would be designed so that “every local leader will have the power and resources to improve public transport, build homes and create jobs.”

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He said: “I said we’d take power out of Westminster and carry it into every postcode in the country.

“Today, we make good on that promise.

“Under our plans, more of the taxes raised in a community will stay in that community.”

Details of the reforms are expected to be announced in a white paper, published when Chancellor John Healey presents his first budget in the autumn.

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Ms McGuinness responded: “This is what taking back control really looks like, this is what we’ve been fighting for, for the people of the North East.

“For decades, whenever the North wanted something, it had to go to London each time, cap in hand, to beg a civil servant or a government minister to back us.

“We’re changing the North East for good, and much greater financial freedom is the first step.

“This means we can do more to support hard-pressed families through things like cheaper Mayor’s Fares and childcare grants; it means we can grow the Metro and rail network, build more council homes and open youth clubs to give young people the opportunities they deserve regardless of their background.

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“Now we can step up and market the North East to the world as a visitor destination and a place to invest, creating new jobs as we do so by helping our people and businesses thrive and grow.

“The days of asking Whitehall’s permission are over. We can now just get on with the job and improve the lives of people here in the North East, now and for generations to come.”

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, added: “Allowing regions to retain a share of income tax revenues will go one step further.

“Under the proposals, individual workers and employers would not pay more income tax or National Insurance, unlike under the Scottish system, but mayors would still be able to borrow against or commit future revenues to help finance privately built and delivered infrastructure.”

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The rate of income tax which bill-payers face will not change as a direct result of the reforms, according to the Government.

Ministers will retain an equalisation system, so areas where less tax is collected continue to receive financial support.

Chancellor John Healey said: “The people who best understand what skills employers want, what transport an area needs and where investment can make the biggest difference are those who live there.

“For the first time we’re giving mayors a share of income tax, so communities directly benefit when their economy grows – passing power out of Westminster and driving growth in every postcode.

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“This is the way we start to build new hope and advance the working people of this country.”

Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner said the announcement would put “an end to the begging-bowl culture of the past”, instead giving locally elected leaders “the tools they need to drive the change that communities have been crying out for.”

Some mayors are thought to be considering using their powers to roll out tax reliefs, including Conservative Tees Valley mayor Lord Houchen of High Leven and Reform UK’s Greater Lincolnshire mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns, according to reports in The Times newspaper.

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Serial sex offender on trial for murder had link to ‘rape’ website on his computer

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Jurors have been told Levy has 13 previous convictions for sexual assault, six of which occurred in the same period he is alleged to have committed the rape and murders

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A ‘serial predator’ accused of murdering two sex workers and attacking another had a link on his computer to a ‘rape’ website, a court has heard.

Simon Levy allegedly killed Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, and Sheryl Wilkins, 39, and left a third woman for dead after attacking her.

Prosecutor Tom Little KC today told jurors that a document entitled ‘sex’ was found on Levy’s computer.

It contained a web address to a site with ‘rape’ in the title, and with the search terms ‘gang’ and ‘rape’ also in the URL.

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This link, the court was told, takes users to a section of the website labelled ‘forced porn videos’.

There was no record of Levy accessing the website using the computer or any of the devices seized from him – just that the link was saved.

It comes after the surviving woman, 35, who cannot be named, last week told the Old Bailey she thought she was ‘going to die’ after Levy broke her collarbone, smothered and raped her at a car park in Tottenham, north London, last January.

Two months later Ms Valencia-Trujillo’s body was found in a block of disused flats in Southwark, south-east London. 

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Jurors have been told Levy has 13 previous convictions for sexual assault, six of which occurred in the same period he is alleged to have committed the rape and murders

Levy, 40, was arrested on April 1, and police then discovered the ‘sex document’ – along with others including ‘my sex record’, which contained a list of women he claimed to have sex with.

Most were not referred to by name, but instead by the likes of ‘witch’, ‘Irish traveller’ and ‘Somalian lady’.

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Delivering his closing speech today, Mr Little told the Old Bailey the list was created in May 2024, and was last modified on the evening of Ms Valencia-Trujillo’s death, on March 16 last year.

The last entry, number 19, allegedly read: ‘Average build middle age Latina – J-Lo booty – crazier chick’.

Five months after Ms Valencia-Trujillo’s death – which Levy was on bail for – he allegedly killed Sheryl Wilkins, 39, leaving her body in the same car park where the rape took place.

Jurors have been told Levy has 13 previous convictions for sexual assault, six of which occurred in the same period he is alleged to have committed the rape and murders.

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On Monday, Levy’s barrister Siobhan Grey KC told the court that he had declined to give evidence in his trial.

He denies two murders, two charges of rape, grievous bodily harm with intent, and non-fatal suffocation. The trial continues.

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Dozens of Yorkies and huskies push SoCal animal shelter to record levels

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Dozens of Yorkies and huskies push SoCal animal shelter to record levels

The San Diego Humane Society is facing an unprecedented challenge, with its dog population reaching record levels after two large-scale surrenders of Yorkies and huskies.

The organization’s Humane Law Enforcement team is currently assisting two overwhelmed owners, each with around 25 dogs. One group consists of Yorkies, the other of Huskies.

Eight Yorkies arrived at the Escondido campus on Tuesday, where they are being vaccinated and treated for severe flea infestations, with grooming and full veterinary exams still pending.

On the same day, ten huskies were taken to the San Diego Campus and three to the El Cajon Campus. Many are fearful and will require significant support from the Humane Society’s Behavior & Training team.

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SDHS' Humane Law Enforcement team is in the process of assisting two overwhelmed dog owners, one with around 25 Yorkies and another with the same number of huskies
SDHS’ Humane Law Enforcement team is in the process of assisting two overwhelmed dog owners, one with around 25 Yorkies and another with the same number of huskies (San Diego Humane Society)

“San Diego Humane Society recognizes that animal hoarding is a complex issue that can stem from a variety of circumstances, including financial hardship, housing inability, isolation and a desire to help animals,” the statement read. “The organization works to support pet owners while prioritizing animal welfare and community safety.”

July is on track to be the 11th consecutive month to set a record for average adult dogs in care.
July is on track to be the 11th consecutive month to set a record for average adult dogs in care. (San Diego Humane Society)

Resources and information are available at sdhumane.org/hoarding.

While the organization’s leaders are happy to help dogs in a precarious position, the shelters themselves are overflowing. July is on track to be the 11th consecutive month to set a record for average adult dogs in care.

According to SDHS, through July 27, the organization averaged 663 adult dogs in care each day — more than 50 dogs above the previous July record of 612 set in 2024. At the same time, adoptions have declined. Adding puppies, the organization currently has 792 canines in care.

The organization currently has 1,950 animals in its care
The organization currently has 1,950 animals in its care (San Diego Humane Society)

The organization currently has 1,950 animals in its care. Of those, 874 are available for adoption, including 374 adult dogs, 27 puppies, 160 adult cats, 132 kittens, 18 rabbits, 72 guinea pigs and 33 farm animals.

“Whether you are looking for a loyal dog to join you on walks, a cuddly cat to keep you company, or a playful small pet like a rabbit or guinea pig, August is the perfect time to find your new best friend,” said Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society. “By adopting, you are gaining a family member while also creating a space for another animal in need to receive care.”

Adoption fees for all pets will be 50% off throughout August as part of the national Clear the Shelters campaign
Adoption fees for all pets will be 50% off throughout August as part of the national Clear the Shelters campaign (San Diego Humane Society)

Adoption fees for all pets (except horses) will be 50% off throughout August as part of the national Clear the Shelters campaign. The event ends with a fee-waived adoption day on Saturday, Aug. 29 for all animals (except horses).

SDHS is open for walk-in adoptions Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at campuses in El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside and San Diego. Prospective adopters can view all available animals at sdhumane.org/adopt.

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People in Welsh village thought they’d heard a small earthquake but it was much worse

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‘I grabbed hold of my gate and I held on tight, preparing for the force. Then the force of the water hit me.’

Man shows us his home after his village was flooded

A man has described the moment he heard an explosion reminiscent of an earthquake, before a “wall of water” came gushing through his home, taking him along with it and ripping his back door off its hinges.

Steve Mordecai and his wife are one of several families who were evacuated from their homes on Thursday afternoon after a quarry explosion led to flooding in the village of Gwaelod-y-Garth on the edge of Cardiff.

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According to residents, water came gushing through the village at Heol Berry and Heol y Nant minutes after an explosion was heard at the nearby Breedon Group quarry.

The owners of the quarry have said they are aware of the incident but are unable to comment further as of Thursday afternoon.

Residents have described the explosion, which happened at around 2pm, as being like an “earthquake”. Moments after the explosion the quiet streets in the village were flooded with water.

Steve told WalesOnline: “I heard the bang and the house shook, so I went out into the garden to make sure that everything was okay. As I walked towards the field, towards my gate, I looked up and I saw this wall of water – brown dirty water – with wood in it and leaves and everything.

“I was shocked. I have seen some things in my life but this shocked me – in a drought area too.”

Recalling the shocking moment the water rushed towards him, Steve said: “All of a sudden I just grabbed hold of my gate and I held on tight, preparing for the force. Then the force of the water hit me and pushed me backwards from the gate. I was floating.

“I could feel the pebbles and the stones and the leaves and sticks going past me and within less than a minute it was about three feet high.

“The gush of the water ripped my back door off its hinges. The water was all into our utility area and in the kitchen. It went straight through into the living room and right out through the front door.

“We have had electrics turned off. We had the police come over to see if we want to move for a couple of days. But no, we want to stay here because upstairs is still okay.”

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Explaining what his plans are, Steve continued: “What we will do now is take the carpets up, move everything out and squeegee the floor. I have a few gas heaters I can turn on to try and dry the place out.”

In footage taken by WalesOnline walking through Steve’s house, you can see the dregs of the water, which was above knee height, stained onto his walls. The water level inside his utility room remains above ankle height.

Steve said the force of the water was so powerful it pushed over his fridge freezer and ripped his back door off its hinges.

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The floors on the ground floor of his home are laced in thick brown mud, with all indoor and outdoor furniture ruined. The damage caused is estimated to be thousands of pounds. The vegetables and flowers Steve had been growing have also been destroyed.

He said: “Obviously my garden is ruined. All my vegetables, all my flowers. It’s all gone. In the greenhouse, everything’s gone. My tomatoes, courgettes, everything.”

There are several other families affected in similar ways – either sorting through the wreckage or being placed into emergency accommodation.

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Gareth Spencer, a resident of Heol Berry, has described feeling “devastated” at the wreckage he and his neighbours are faced with.

“It was a massive blast, it shook all the windows, [it was] really, really loud – probably louder than normal I’d say, for this area, even though we get blasts from time to time.

“There was no warning, no prior warning. Sometimes there is a siren that goes off – didn’t hear that.

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“I came out about five to 10 minutes later to a massive gush of water and mud coming down the road. There was so much of it, it was terrible actually.

“When I came out to see the other residents’ houses it was a hard watch I have to say. It shouldn’t be allowed to happen.

“There are young families on this street who have gone on holiday, as it’s the school holidays. They’ve gone away and now they are going to have to come back and deal with this. I mean, it’s really sad, seeing all the water gushing out of their houses.”

Police and the fire service remain at the scene on Thursday evening. A South Wales Police spokesperson said: “Officers are currently in attendance to the area of Gwaelod-y-Garth, Taff’s Well, following flooding.

“A road closure is in place at the junction of Heol Goch and Main Road. Please avoid the area to allow the emergency services to deal with the incident.

“Discoloration of the water may appear in multiple streams and rivers downstream of the flooding, we urge people to stay away from the water whilst this incident is ongoing.”

A spokesperson for Breedon Group said: “We are aware of an incident that took place at our Taff’s Well Quarry this afternoon. Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities while engaging with the local community as we respond to the situation.

“Our priority is supporting the response and we are not in a position to provide any further comment at this time.”

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Andy Burnham to give regional mayors share of income tax

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West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin takes a selfie with Labour Party deputy leader Lucy Powell, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotherham, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, and York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith on the day Andy Burnham, British member of parliament (MP) for Makerfield, delivers a speech at the People's History Museum in Manchester, Britain, June 29, 2026.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will give all mayors of city regions in England a share of income tax revenue for the first time, as part of his drive to transfer power from Westminster to local leaders.

Burnham will also allow mayors of English strategic authorities to keep some cash from business rates collected in their areas, and gain greater control over services such as housing, transport, skills.

The government has not yet decided the exact portion of taxes mayors will be given, with more details to be announced when Chancellor John Healey delivers his first budget in the autumn.

Critics said the plans lacked detail and could lead to areas with weaker economies losing out on funding.

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But Burnham said the move would “make good” on his pledge to “bring power home” to “every postcode in the country”.

“Under our plans, more of the taxes raised in a community will stay in that community,” the prime minister added.

The power to raise and control tax revenues is highly centralised in the UK, making the country an outlier by international standards.

The share of national taxes collected at a local level in the UK is 5.8%, the lowest in the G7, according to the OECD, external, a global policy forum.

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That share is far below that of other countries with large economies such as France (20.4%), Japan (36%), and the US (45.7%).

As it stands, mayors of strategic authorities in England receive most of their funding from central government grants.

During his time as Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham pushed for greater control over tax revenue, rather than having to rely on government grants.

The UK government had already been exploring whether a share of revenue from national taxes could be distributed to metro mayors, before Burnham became prime minister earlier this month.

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But in a major speech on devolution in June, Burnham said he would “oversee the biggest rebalancing of power our country has ever seen” if he became prime minister.

Burnham has put devolution at the heart of his plan for government, arguing that metro mayors are best placed to boost economic growth across the country.

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Harlan Coben Says Myron Bolitar May Last Multiple Seasons

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Harlan Coben Says Myron Bolitar May Last Multiple Seasons

Some matches, like strawberries and cream, are made for each other. Netflix and author Harlan Coben seem to be another such example.

So perhaps it’s no wonder the author is yet again working with the service.

This week, Netflix began production on Myron Bolitar in New York.

Coben told the Hollywood Reporter (THR), “It’s been really heady and really interesting” to see the show come together.”

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And, the author said, this new title might have a crucial difference.

“The other series that I’ve done are all designed to be limited series – and I don’t want season twos out of them, even if sometimes we think about them. My rule on that is that unless we can come up with a better story, I don’t see a season two,” he said.

“With I Will Find You, what, would we have another kid go missing?… [But] The Myron Bolitar series is created, like the books themselves, [so] that we can run more than one season if we’re so blessed.”

That’d spell good news for fans, who have previously been left with relatively short series.

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Harlan Coben, left, Sam Worthington and Britt Lower

Netflix’s Tudum said that the series follows the character who first appeared in 1995’s Deal Breaker, and went on “to appear in 12 of Coben’s novels, where he’s found himself investigating blackmail attempts, murder, and more.”

The show’s synopsis reads, “After an injury ends his NBA dreams, Myron Bolitar reinvents himself as a sports agent – using charm, smarts, and a ruthless partner to navigate the high-stakes and dirty world of sports, where saving his clients often means risking himself.”

As for who’ll star in the show, Coben told THR, “It took a long time to figure out this cast – this one’s harder for me. If you don’t like David Burroughs in I Will Find You, well, that’s only one book. But [titular character] Myron has lived with me for a long time.”

But they’ve settled on some names, including:

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  • Colin Woodell as Myron Bolitar (“I think he’s just an incredible talent, and it took a long time to find him. And now I even see him as Myron,” Coben told THR),
  • KJ Apa as Win Lockwood, “the one Myron turns to when clients find themselves in trouble”,
  • Diane Guerrero as Esperanza Diaz, a wrestler,
  • Jabari Banks as Dwayne Richmond, a “charismatic tennis prodigy”,
  • Chloe Fineman as Parker Quinn, a sports reporter,
  • Jamie McShane as homocide detective Detective Ray Dimonte, and
  • Ra’Mya Latiah Aikens as Wanda Green, Dwayne Richmond’s “charming and smart fiancée”,

We don’t have a release date for Myron Bolitar yet – but keep your eyes peeled.

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Parents of toddler found ALIVE in hospital morgue are cleared… as chilling records reveal cops repeatedly warned doctor he was still breathing

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Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was found floating face down in his family's backyard pool on February 8 while his family watched Super Bowl LX inside, police said

The parents of the toddler who was found alive in a hospital morgue after drowning in an Arizona pool won’t be charged over the incident, it has been revealed. 

Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was found floating face down in the pool in Gilbert around 5.30pm on February 8 while his family watched Super Bowl LX inside, a police report reviewed by the Daily Mail previously detailed. 

The 18-month-old was pulled out of the pool by his mother and father, Alexus and Angelo Fiordilino, before being rushed to Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. 

He was pronounced dead by Dr. Aryan Toosi about an hour later, but around 11pm, the little boy was found alive inside the hospital’s morgue by a medical professional, police said.

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The Gilbert Police Department recommended that Alexus and Angelo face negligence charges, but Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell determined a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt is unlikely, the Associated Press reported. 

‘The family had multiple childproof locks and safety measures in place, and multiple adults were present in the home, all of whom believed someone was watching the child,’ Mitchell said Wednesday.

‘Additionally, the investigation found no evidence that the parents exhibited any obvious signs of impairment.’ 

The news comes just weeks after the Daily Mail revealed disturbing details from the incident, including that police officers repeatedly warned the doctor that the child was still breathing. 

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Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was found floating face down in his family’s backyard pool on February 8 while his family watched Super Bowl LX inside, police said

Vincent’s parents had realized their baby son was missing after the couple went into the garage ‘to talk’ before heading to the backyard couch to watch television, investigators detailed.

Alexus, 29, soon realized they had not seen their son for a while before they searched and found him in the water. 

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His mom pulled him out and started to perform CPR while someone else called 911, the report stated. 

After first responders arrived, they transported him to the hospital. Dr Toosi soon declared the toddler dead, despite police repeatedly warning him that he was breathing. 

An officer recalled hearing a nurse say ‘I have a pulse’ before other hospital staffers helped her ‘in attempting to revive Vincent’, the report stated.

That cop then walked into the room where Dr. Toosi was talking with the boy’s parents, and informed him of what he overheard, investigators said.

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The officer claims the physician then responded sharply. 

‘Toosi arrogantly told me he was the doctor, he has a medical degree, he went to medical school for a reason, and to let him do his thing,’ he stated in the report. 

The news comes just weeks after the Daily Mail revealed disturbing details from the incident, including that his parents allegedly smoked weed in the garage of their $750,000 home when he wandered into the pool

The news comes just weeks after the Daily Mail revealed disturbing details from the incident, including that his parents allegedly smoked weed in the garage of their $750,000 home when he wandered into the pool

Alexus and Angelo were then told to say their final goodbyes to their child, but within hours, they were told he was actually alive, officials documented. 

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Vincent was then airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for treatment.

An MRI confirmed that he suffered extensive brain damage and will need lifelong care.

A hospital spokesperson previously told the Daily Mail: ‘This is a heartbreaking situation. We immediately conducted a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.

‘Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot discuss details. We continue to work with the family and their representative. Patient safety and exceptional care is our highest priority.

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An MRI confirmed that he suffered extensive brain damage and will need lifelong care

An MRI confirmed that he suffered extensive brain damage and will need lifelong care

The family plans to take legal action against Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, their attorney said earlier this month, AZ Family reported. 

Dr Toosi has held an osteopathic physician license since 2023, according to state board records. 

He previously completed his emergency medicine residency at Michigan’s Sparrow Hospital in 2022.

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Toosi’s attorney, Scott Holden, previously told the Daily Mail his client had no comment about the incident. On Thursday, Holden said: ‘We continue to have no comment.’ 

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