The concerns come after a series of Freedom of Information requests submitted by Belfast Live.

Questions continue to be raised over how the homeless in Belfast will be supported during this summer’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann after Belfast City Council confirmed it has not commissioned any additional emergency accommodation for the event.

The issue has been highlighted by independent councillor Paul McCusker, who has called for assurances that vulnerable people will not be “disadvantaged or left without access to the assistance they need” when thousands of visitors descend on the city next month.

The concerns also come after a series of Freedom of Information requests submitted by Belfast Live.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive said it did not hold information relating to planning for homelessness during the Fleadh and advised that enquiries should instead be directed to Belfast City Council.

In response to a separate FOI request, Belfast City Council initially extended the deadline for responding, stating that it was considering whether to withhold information under commercial interests exemptions.

However, in its final response, the council instead relied on an exemption relating to information provided in confidence to withhold minutes from meetings discussing the event.

The council’s handling of the request was challenged through an internal review, arguing the change in exemptions was procedurally flawed and that the public interest favoured releasing the minutes, at least in a redacted form.

The review ultimately upheld the council’s decision to withhold the meeting records, with the City Solicitor concluding the information had been provided by partner organisations and concerned commercially sensitive planning for the Fleadh.

However, the council accepted that it should have provided further explanation in relation to other parts of the request.

It confirmed there will be no specific Fleadh strategy for Safer Neighbourhood Officers, saying officers will instead extend their working hours from 8 am until 10 pm throughout the festival while continuing their normal duties.

The council also said there are no specific standard operating procedures or strategy documents for its Complex Lives Team for the event. Instead, a meeting was held in May to inform homelessness and support services about road closures and access arrangements so they could plan accordingly.

On emergency accommodation, the council said: “There has been no funding applied for or additional bed space commissioned by Belfast City Council.”

It added that it had informed the Housing Executive about the Fleadh and its potential impact and would continue liaising with the organisation “to ensure we have safe, inclusive and compassionate Fleadh 2026”.

The council also said it held no correspondence or briefing notes regarding the “clearing” or relocation of rough sleepers from areas being used for performances or pedestrianised event spaces.

Independent councillor Paul McCusker, who works within the homelessness sector, has written to the chief executives of both Belfast City Council and the Housing Executive seeking further clarification.

He said: “The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Belfast, celebrate Irish culture and bring visitors into our city. However, it is vital that we also consider how the event will impact those who are vulnerable or experiencing homelessness.

“With restrictions and operational changes expected across the city centre, we need to ensure that people who depend on support services are not disadvantaged or left without access to the assistance they need.

“I have asked for clarification on whether additional emergency accommodation or bed spaces will be made available during the festival and what measures are being put in place to support vulnerable people throughout the event.

“As we welcome thousands of visitors to Belfast, we must also ensure that those who are most in need are treated with dignity and supported appropriately.”

Paul McCusker said that following a briefing on the event, there remained “no clarity” on how homelessness services would operate during the Fleadh or whether additional emergency accommodation would be available.

He added: “The lack of planning will displace our most vulnerable, and this is unacceptable.”

The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Belfast between 2nd and 9th August, making it one of the largest cultural events ever hosted by the city.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Kerry Nwachukwu, 44, has described the terrifying time behind bars in a Dubai prison where she begged for a mattress to sleep on and lived in constant fear of getting attacked

A British mum is stuck in Dubai after spending a month in prison for failing to pay £19,000 of rent.

Kerry Nwachukwu, 44, has been caught in a legal and financial crisis in Dubai tied to two separate Rental Dispute Centre (RDC) cases in late 2024 and 2025. Despite having a British passport, the marketing consultant from London is still stuck in the UAE under two travel bans and needs to pay her debts to two landlords, avoid returning to prison – and eventually come home to the UK.

The founder of a marketing agency fell into £19,000 of rent arrears with two landlords after more than £10,000 in client contracts went unpaid by November last year, leaving her unable to cover her rent.

She has also been unable to renew her UAE business licence since January due to the legal proceedings, with her financial situation significantly worsened due to the war in the middle east. Kerry paid £3,000 to be released from prison under a 15-month repayment plan, only for the same judge to reverse the decision three weeks later and give her 15 days to repay instead.

Now that 15 day period is up, she claims the only thing stopping her from being arrested right now is “actively going outside”.

Kerry, who used to work as a marketing director at Sotheby’s, grew up in London and moved to Dubai to set up her own marketing agency in August 2022 with her 25-year-old son, John Nwachukwu.

Kerry, who shared her story via Talk to the Press, wants others to be aware of how “unpredictable” the law is in the UAE.

“It’s a criminal offense when I don’t pay rent, but when businesses don’t pay people, there is no legal consequence at all,” Kerry says. She says there is a “dark side” to the “glitz and glamour” of living in Dubai.

Kerry spent the earlier months of this year going back and forth to the rental court to set up instalments but says she “didn’t realise they had already issued a judgement or an arrest warrant to detain me”.

On April 22, she was walking through a mall on her way back from speaking to a rental clerk when she was stopped by a CID law enforcement officer and transferred to Bur Dubai police station.

She stayed in a cell in Bur Dubai for two weeks before being transferred to Al Awir Central Jail where she says there were “so many dangerous characters, that you can’t show emotion”.

Kerry said: “I was put inside with people who’ve murdered people, I was in one cell with people who were selling drugs. How is that even possible? Just for not paying your rent, you are thrown into a horrible, horrible jail.

“You have to be mentally strong and I feel like part of what I’ve learned about myself is how strong I am. I was the sort of person who would go into the shower and cry.”

She adds that she “nearly got into a fight a couple of times just to mark my territory. I became a person that I don’t want to be – it’s terrifying I could not sleep every night, I was feeling somebody’s going to jump at me.”

She says that women used to wee on the floor of the loo and for the first couple of days she didn’t have a mattress.

“I had to beg some girls to share. I was cold. They take away your shoes, so I was barefoot,” she added.

Kerry claims she barely had any cash but had to use what she had to buy a pair of slippers for £3. She was released on May 15 after her son requested nine times for her to be set free.

But three weeks later, she received a text with a new arrest warrant that had been changed from 15 months to 15 days. She says her lawyer has advised her not to “argue” with the judge.

“It makes the situation worse. Either I pay off another significant amount and the judge may give me more time but at the moment, as we stand, there’s nothing to do except avoid being arrested,” she said.

Her lawyer told her that if she coughs up another £4,000, it may convince the judge to cancel the current arrest warrant – but this is still not definite.

Kerry’s ultimate aim is to return home to the UK. She said: “If I had any means to literally pay the courts today, I’ll be on a plane straight out of here. I would not even look back. All my stuff is in storage, I’ll get a courier to bring it to the UK. I’ll literally just run out with my two suitcases and I won’t even look back.”

Her friends and family in the UK have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover day-to-day living costs and rent while repaying the two separate rental instalment plans – which are both tied to their own travel ban.

Before all of this, she started writing a book about building her business – but she now wants to base it about her detention story.

“People need to know the story of a businesswoman by herself, trying to build somewhere where actually the law can be very dangerous and people don’t forgive you,” she says.

You can donate to the GoFundMe by clicking here.

A young man was filmed allegedly taking a food order from a delivery bike on South Bridge as shocked diners watched on.

A brazen thief has allegedly been caught on camera stealing a food delivery from an Uber Eats bike in the middle of an Edinburgh street.

The incident happened on South Bridge, near Pepe’s Piri Piri, at around 9.35pm on Sunday and was filmed by a shocked diner.

Footage appears to show a young male dressed in black climbing onto the parked bike and fooling around before opening the delivery box and taking what appears to be a takeaway order.

The individual is then seen walking away with the item as a group of friends watch on.

It has not been confirmed whether the incident was reported to Police Scotland.

The alleged theft comes after concerns were previously raised over the safety of delivery riders working across Edinburgh.

Data gathered by a workers’ rights group and reported by the Daily Record in March found dozens of riders claimed they had faced violence, accidents and theft while carrying out deliveries in the capital.

Around 30 workers said they had been assaulted while on the job, while a similar number reported being involved in accidents. More than 20 said they had been victims of theft, with many having their bikes stolen.

Chief Superintendent David Robertson previously said: “We do see far too many instances of gig workers being the victim of criminality when they’re out and about working hard.”

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Temporary traffic restrictions will be in place and drivers are urged to note the parking suspension signs.

In a statement Bolton Council said: “Please be advised that parking in Bolton Civic Centre / Le Mans Crescent may be disrupted due to events and filming activities and temporary traffic restrictions over the coming weeks, in particular:

Tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd July,

Tuesday 28th – 30th July

“We ask all motorists to follow temporary signage and any instructions from authorised personnel. Please look out for parking suspension signs on lamp posts that may affect your visit.

“Please allow extra time for travel; alternative parking can be found at the Octagon NCP, Topp Way NCP, Market Place, and other nearby town centre parking lots.

“We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience and cooperation.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Le Mans Crescent has become a go to location for some of the biggest television productions. Most recently filming for the latest Harlan Coben Netflix series, The Woods, has been filming there.

The series stars Michelle Keegan, who has previously filmed in Bolton.

NEW YORK (AP) — A fifth person has died in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City, health officials said Tuesday night.

The New York City Health Department said it has confirmed the presence of the bacteria in 34 cooling towers in 33 buildings, all of which are being cleaned. Officials still haven’t identified the source of the bacteria that has sickened more than six dozen people in the last month.

No new patients have come forward with symptoms in the last 10 days, the department said in a news release.

Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia, is treatable but kills about 10% of patients, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s caused by Legionella bacteria, which grow in warm water and can spread in such places as hot tubs and building cooling equipment. People may contract the disease by inhaling contaminated water droplets, but it doesn’t spread person-to-person.

Eight people are still hospitalized and 56 others have spent time in but been discharged from hospitals in the Upper East Side outbreak, officials said.

The city is cleaning and disinfecting a total of 82 cooling towers in 80 buildings, they said.

Inspections have shown that some of the tony neighborhood’s fancy apartment buildings, private schools and renowned museums had traces of Legionella bacteria in their air-cooling equipment — despite new regulations that upped testing requirements just this spring, and despite a budget boost to hire more inspectors.

Some owners of buildings that tested positive have said they have worked to stay on top of any Legionella threat. The Guggenheim Museum, for instance, said in a statement that an outside company tests and treats the institution’s cooling tower every month.

The situation is avoidable and frustrating, said Jory Lange, a Texas attorney who represents over 50 people who were affected by an outbreak last year that killed seven people and sickened over 100 in New York’s Harlem neighborhood. He’s representing at least three patients who are recovering in the Upper East Side outbreak.

“There’s no excuse for this to keep happening,” Lange said. “New York already has the best and strongest regulations … and yet this still keeps happening.”

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said in a statement that the department’s quick action after the first two confirmed cases “saved lives.” Martin said the department will learn what happened from the ongoing investigation and update policies and procedures with the goal of preventing future outbreaks.

Police have charged a 16-year-old boy with murder after finding his mother dead in an alleged stabbing on Tuesday morning in after CCTV captured his sister, 12, running for her life

The horrifying moment a 12-year-old girl ran for her life after her brother allegedly killed her mother has been captured on camera.

The girl was seen dashing through the streets of Perth, Western Australia (WA), early on Tuesday morning (July 21). CCTV footage from neighbours shows the child, wearing her pyjamas and dressing gown, running at speed just a minute after emergency services were called to her family home close by.

Detectives have since confirmed her mother has died in an alleged stabbing. Australian cops have charged the girl’s 16-year-old brother with murder.

Det Act Insp Jessica Securo recounted details of the incident to reporters on Tuesday: “Today, I’m here to inform the community of a tragic event that occurred in Bentley this morning.

“At approximately 6:15am today, Tuesday, the 21st of July, 2026, WA police received reports of a serious incident at a residence in Mills Street in Bentley.

“Police attended the location where they located a 35-year-old female, deceased. A short time later, a 12-year-old girl was located with serious injuries at a nearby location.

“A 16 year old male, who is the son of the deceased female, and the brother of the injured girl, has been taken into police custody. I can confirm there is no ongoing risk to the wider community.”

The girl was found around 600m away from her family home, having run along the Albany Highway to flee the terror, reports the Daily Mail.

Police added she is now in hospital. Det Act Insp Securo continued: “This incident will have a significant impact on the family, friends, and loved ones of all those involved, as well as the broader community.

“Our thoughts are with them all, particularly the 12 year old girl, who remains in hospital receiving treatment. We ask that her privacy be respected during this investigation.”

On Wednesday (July 22), the 16-year-old boy appeared before Perth Children’s Court. He was charged with two crimes overnight, a WA police spokesperson said: “The 16-year-old Bentley male has been charged with 1x murder [and] 1x Attempted Unlawfully to Kill.

“He is due to appear before the Perth Children’s Court today, July 22, 2026.”

In Wednesday’s update, police added the 12-year-old girl remains in hospital. They continued: “About 6.15am Tuesday, police were called to a residence on Mills Street where they located the deceased woman.

“A short time later, a 12-year-old girl was located with serious injuries at a nearby location on Albany Highway in Cannington. She was provided emergency first aid and conveyed to hospital where she is currently receiving medical treatment and support.”

The investigation is ongoing and detectives urge anyone with any information relating to this incident, to contact Crime Stoppers online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Stephen Curry is headed to the Hall of Fame, making more basketball history with a first-of-its-kind exhibit for an active player.

Stephen Curry: Beyond the Arc is set to open Friday, celebrating the career of a two-time MVP and the NBA’s career leader in 3-pointers.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the exhibit Tuesday, saying it was the first time in the museum’s nearly 75-year history that an active player would have a dedicated feature experience.

“When I think about my journey, I think about the people who believed in me, the work that happened when nobody was watching and the moments that shaped me on and off the court. To have that story told while I’m still playing is something I don’t take lightly,” Curry said in a statement. “My hope is that fans walk through this experience and feel the joy, the purpose and the gratitude that basketball has given me, and maybe see a little bit of their own journey in it too.”

Developed in partnership with Curry’s Thirty Ink business team, the exhibit will feature video footage of Curry’s career, memorabilia and audio and video components that tell the story of a player who was overlooked going into college and has gone on to become a 12-time All-Star who led Golden State to four NBA championships.

“For him to become the first active player to have an exhibit in the Basketball Hall of Fame is a testament to what he represents to the game, to the Warriors, to the NBA and to his millions of fans around the world,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said. “Obviously, this is only a prelude to his eventual induction in Springfield, but a fitting tribute to an iconic player and an amazing human being who has single-handedly changed the game.”

The Hall of Fame expects Curry’s to be a limited time exhibit, likely to last through the summer of 2027 before closing.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

1) The cost of living

2) Intergenerational problems

3) The ‘helped and helped-nots’

“This evening was an exception a very rude man reducing staff to tears being extremely rude and not thinking they’d done anything wrong”

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A Peak District pub landlady has hit out about ‘extremely rude customers’ after a man reportedly reduced staff to tears.

The Winking Man is a country pub sitting on the busy A53 between Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands and Buxton in Derbyshire.

In a post on the pub’s Facebook page on Tuesday night, landlady Julie Harvey wrote: “In the last 24 years of being a landlady I have never had to refuse food service to extremely rude customers thinking its okay to abuse our staff and still get food.

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“I was taught as a child not to bite the hand that feeds you be polite and courteous to others and you will be respected.

“This evening was an exception a very rude man reducing staff to tears being extremely rude and not thinking they’d done anything wrong.

“What has gone wrong with society no social skills or respect for people .please be kind and courteous to shop workers, bar staff, waitresses and waiters because someday you will need feeding.