Jewish leaders are calling on the US tech company to apologise

The Google description of Holocaust survivor Ike Alterman as a ‘fictional character’ has now been changed after being reported by the Manchester Evening News.

Jewish leaders in Greater Manchester reacted with anger at the ‘absolutely disgraceful’ online mischaracterisation of Itzik Alterman. They called on the US tech company to change it immediately – and apologise to his family and friends.

Known as Ike, Mr Alterman, a much-loved father and grandfather, passed away at the age of 97 in December last year – leaving behind an unparalleled legacy of education and admiration.

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He survived four Nazi concentration and death camps and was awarded a British Empire Medal in 2023 for his services to Holocaust education and remembrance.

Born in southern Poland, Mr Alterman lost most of his family during the Holocaust.

He was spared as a teenager, but suffered unimaginable cruelty after being sent to the Blyzin concentration camp, where he worked in the kitchen. In 1944, he was transported to Auschwitz and went on to be marched, in the dead of night, to Birkenau – around 3km away.

Mr Alterman, with others, was liberated from a Nazi camp in the Czech Republic by the Russian Army and eventually flown to the UK, settling in the Lake District with dozens of other young children as a ‘Windermere Boy’. He went on to move to Bury and became a successful businessman.

Mr Alterman bore a death camp tattoo on his arm. He long campaigned to educate the young about Nazi atrocities.

Previously, if you searched his name on Google, he was described on the search engine as a ‘fictional character’, below images of him and news stories about his life by the Manchester Evening News and other news outlets.

However, in an update on Saturday evening, Raphi Bloom, who was a close friend of Mr Alterman, confirmed that after sharing the MEN’s previous article on the story on LinkedIn, the description has been removed.

He added that the family of Mr Alterman were ‘really appreciative’. The Manchester Evening News has reached out to Google for comment.

Mr Bloom previously described the misrepresentation as ‘absolutely disgraceful’ – and said tech giants were not doing enough to combat ‘anti-Jewish racism’.

Mr Bloom said: “I knew Ike Alterman in two capacities. First, he was someone like a second father to me, with whom I travelled widely to share his story with thousands of people of all ages across the north west.

“Second, I knew him as the director of The Fed’s My Voice Project, through which we published his whole life storybook, with a foreword written by Andy Burnham. It is deposited in many prestigious libraries across the world.

“The fact that Google can misrepresent Ike Alterman as a fictional person is absolutely disgraceful. Ike survived four Nazi concentration and death camps, as well as a death march. He bore a death camp number tattooed on his arm, and there is extensive Nazi documentation that proves unequivocally he was a Holocaust survivor.

“In an era where Holocaust inversion and distortion are increasingly used to deny Jewish suffering, this kind of mischaracterisation only reinforces what many Jewish people already feel – that tech giants are failing to do enough to combat anti-Jewish racism.”

Forecasters believe this weekend will break the hottest May temperature record

It felt like summer had truly arrived across Wales today as temperatures climbed to their highest levels of the year so far, with forecasters warning that even hotter weather could be on the way in the coming days.

The Met Office confirmed that Cardiff was the hottest place in Wales on Saturday (May 23), recording a temperature of 23.2C. Elsewhere, Usk reached 22.9C. But it wasn’t as hot everywhere with the west coast seeing cloudy weather and lower highs of just 14.8C at Aberporth and 15.4C in Porthmadog.

Across the UK, the hottest temperature of the day was recorded at Frittenden in Kent, where the mercury hit 30.5C. That surpassed Friday’s previous high of 28.4C, which had been jointly recorded at Heathrow in London, Cranwell in Lincolnshire and Cambridge.

However the current spell of warm weather is expected to intensify further into the weekend, raising the possibility of some of the highest May temperatures seen in the UK for more than a decade.

According to a study conducted by the Met Office last summer, scientists warned that climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are making extreme May temperatures increasingly likely. Researchers concluded that the long-standing UK May temperature record of 32.8C, set in 1944, could soon be broken.

On top of this, a it appears as though a heatwave will be officially declared tomorrow. This is defined as three consecutive days where temperatures meet or exceed a specific threshold. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Greg Wolverson said it is likely that parts of the UK will meet those criteria from Sunday onwards, with areas including London, the south-east of England and Cardiff expected to record their third consecutive day above heatwave thresholds.

Weather maps suggest Sunday could bring exceptionally warm conditions across much of Wales. Newport, Monmouth, Brecon and Llandovery are all forecast to reach highs of around 26C.

Cardiff, Maesteg, Newtown and Welshpool are also expected to enjoy temperatures close to 25C, making for another notably warm day across the country. It appears that temperatures will be reaching their peak at around 4pm.

The coolest conditions are likely to remain along the coast, with Cardigan, Aberystwyth and areas towards Caernarfon forecast to stay in the high teens, around 18C to 19C.

Forecasters say the sunny and dry conditions are expected to continue into next week, with many people set to enjoy an early taste of summer and Monday forecast to be hotter again than Sunday.

Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were recovered from the water off Brighton beach earlier this month.

Three sisters who died in a seaside tragedy had reportedly never recovered from the devastating loss of their mother, who died in similar circumstances years earlier.

The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were recovered from the water off Brighton beach earlier this month, reports the Mirror.

The sisters, from Uxbridge in North West London, are believed to have travelled to Brighton in the early hours of the morning. Relatives have said they were not aware of their plans that day, but have since reflected on whether the trip may have been linked to the memory of their mother, who also died by drowning in Birmingham aged 43.

The tragedy has left a fourth sister, 25-year-old Lilly, understood to be devastated and struggling to come to terms with the loss.

Family members are expected to be involved in planning the sisters’ funerals, with suggestions that Lilly, who lives in the United States, may take a leading role in arrangements alongside other relatives. Step-mum Genevieve Barnaby-Adetoro said she believed it was important for Lilly to be included.

She said Lilly had spoken about wanting to honour her sisters in a meaningful way, including plans for white caskets, white roses, and a carriage procession to reflect their memory.

However, questions remain over what led the three women into the water. While one family member suggested they may not have been strong swimmers, another relative said they were confident the sisters could swim, recalling childhood memories of them in the water.

Police have confirmed there is currently no evidence of criminality or third-party involvement. Specialist officers continue to investigate the circumstances, reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV and carrying out enquiries in the area around Madeira Drive.

Emergency services were called at around 5.45am on May 13 following concerns for a person’s welfare. The bodies were later recovered from the sea.

All three women were from the Uxbridge area.

Their father, Joseph, paid tribute to his daughters, describing them as the “joy, strength and light” of his life. He said there were days when grief felt “unbearable,” but that he held onto their memories and the bond they shared.

He added: “Each of you was unique and precious in your own special way. Your smiles brightened dark days, your laughter brought comfort, and your presence made life more meaningful. Though your time on earth was short, the impact you made will remain in our hearts forever.”

Family members described the moment they learned of the tragedy, saying they had been watching news reports without realising the victims were their own loved ones until police confirmed it in person.

One relative said they were asked to go and formally identify the sisters one by one.

The case has also reopened painful memories of the family’s earlier loss, after their mother, Janice Adetoro, died following a disappearance linked to mental health struggles years earlier. Reports suggest she went missing from Erdington, Birmingham, in the early hours of the morning, with differing accounts of whether the incident took place in 2010 or 2012.

At the time, she was reported to have been living with two daughters aged 15 and 20, while another daughter lived with her father in Bedfordshire.

Police have urged anyone with information about the Brighton incident to come forward, particularly anyone who may have seen the sisters in the Madeira Drive area between the evening of May 12 and the early hours of May 13.

Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said officers were committed to “leaving no stone unturned” as they work to understand the events leading up to the tragedy.

An inquest into the sisters’ deaths is due to open at Brighton Coroner’s Court on May 29.

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Six Nations. Champions Cup. Challenge Cup.

Bordeaux Begles’ demolition job over Leinster completed the European clean sweep for French men’s rugby teams.

Leinster, a side full to the brim of Irish internationals, did not have an answer as Bordeaux romped to a 41-19 victory in Bilbao to become only the sixth side to retain their European crown.

That came less than 24 hours after Montpellier put in a similar showing against Ulster in the Challenge Cup final as they won the competition for the third time.

Earlier in the year, after a dramatic conclusion to a thrilling tournament, France also retained their Six Nations title at the expense of Ireland.

For Bordeaux, according to their Irish attack coach Noel McNamara, their inspiration came from Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters for the second time in April as he backed up his historic wait for the Green Jacket.

The irony of a player from Northern Ireland being used as motivation will not be lost.

“We spoke about Rory McIlroy in the lead-up to the quarter-final against Toulouse,” McNamara told the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

“There’s a beautiful ad that said good players want one Green Jacket and really good players want two, and we’ve got fantastic players.

“That’s what makes the game of rugby wonderful. They made a decision that one isn’t enough. The challenge for us now is we’re a young club, we’re a new club and it’s continuing to set that standard.”

The Justice Department has confirmed that it removed news releases from its website that documented criminal cases related to January 6, 2021, when MAGA supporters fought police and stormed the U.S. Capitol, calling the material “partisan propaganda.”

The deleted pages included press releases that detailed charges, convictions and sentencing outcomes for defendants involved in the riot, when Trump supporters breached the Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of the 2020 election results after his loss to Joe Biden.

The changes drew attention after Washington Post reporter Meryl Kornfield posted before-and-after screenshots of the DOJ website on X on Friday, alleging the department was “quietly deleting info” as it prepares to distribute funds to people convicted in connection with the riot.

“Nothing ‘quiet’ about it,” the official DOJ Rapid Response account responded to Kornfield’s post. “We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes. This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”

Among the deleted materials were high-profile case summaries involving members of far-right groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who were previously convicted on charges including seditious conspiracy, Politico reports. Some of those convictions have since been vacated or dropped following recent Justice Department actions and court rulings.

This is the latest step in the Trump administration’s effort to reshape the narrative around January 6.

On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump issued sweeping clemency measures tied to the Capitol attack, pardoning, commuting sentences or directing the dismissal of cases involving more than 1,500 defendants. The actions covered a range of cases, including people convicted of serious assaults on police officers during the riot. Some of those convictions involved attackers who used improvised weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and a crutch during the breach of the Capitol.

The Trump administration is also advancing a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to compensate people it says were unfairly targeted by federal investigations, with eligibility potentially extending to some January 6 defendants, including those convicted of violence. The proposal has drawn bipartisan criticism over concerns that it could benefit people involved in the Capitol attack.

Hundreds of riot defendants are now seeking multi-million-dollar payouts, as critics describe the program as a “slush fund” that could reward Trump allies and those charged in the assault.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out payments to individuals who attacked police officers, while two officers injured during the riot have already filed lawsuits challenging the fund.

Trump told reporters Wednesday that people he described as victims of “weaponization” under the Obama and Biden administrations — referring to allies investigated in connection with his 2016 and 2020 campaigns and January 6, were “destroyed,” saying they went to jail, had their families ruined, and some “committed suicide.”

“We’re reimbursing those people for their legal fees and for their costs, and for anybody involved,” he said. “It was the most violent thing I’ve ever seen in politics.”

A Jet2 flight heading from Tenerife to the UK was forced to make an emergency landing in Porto with staff ‘in tears’

Passengers aboard a Jet2 flight were left stunned after their aircraft was forced into an emergency diversion following fears the pilot had suffered a suspected heart attack.

Flight LS1266 had been en route from Tenerife to Birmingham when travellers began witnessing distressing scenes unfold. Cabin crew were spotted dashing through the aisle, visibly distressed, urgently appealing for anyone with medical expertise amongst the 220 people on board.

The aircraft also experienced a rapid descent as it diverted to an unplanned stop in Porto, with the first officer taking command of the controls.

“We were awoken by chaos,” one witness told The Sun, explaining both they and their partner had been asleep when the incident began.

“Lights began flashing and hostesses who were visibly upset, seeking a doctor.

“Our two-year-old began crying like many other children onboard because the aircraft was dropping so quickly for an emergency landing.”

Video footage captured the moment the plane touched down safely in Porto at 2.11am on Friday, with emergency crews swiftly boarding to provide assistance to the pilot.

“We were stranded in Portugal for over 13 hours without accommodation,” one passenger revealed. “They wouldn’t let us off the plane itself for over an hour. Then we were just left to wander around.

“There was nowhere to stay. They said accommodation was too expensive.”

The passenger stressed they had “full sympathy” for the pilot. A pilot was dispatched by Jet2 from Manchester to Porto to assist in getting them back home. Travellers were informed they could take advantage of a complimentary switch to a Jet2 service heading to any of 14 UK destinations within the following week.

Jet2 is understood to have stated: “Flight LS1266 from Tenerife to Birmingham diverted to Porto on Thursday (21st May), due to one of the pilots feeling unwell.

“At no point was safety compromised, and customers subsequently continued their journey. We would like to apologise to customers for this unforeseen delay.”

The Mirror contacted Jet2 for additional comment.

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) must be told if you plan to travel abroad for more than four weeks, or your PIP payments could be suspended

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There are numerous changes in circumstances that individuals claiming Personal Independence Payments (PIP) must inform the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about.

If they don’t, they risk having their benefit entitlement withdrawn and regular payments suspended or terminated.

Updating your name, GP, healthcare provider, or address does not require notification to the DWP and will not affect your payments.

However, it remains sensible to ensure the information the DWP holds for you is current.

Nevertheless, departing the country or intending to leave for longer than four weeks – even for a holiday – could impact your entitlement.

Guidance on GOV.UK for those planning to be abroad for more than four weeks, states: “This change may affect the claimant’s entitlement to PIP.

“We will need to know the date the claimant is leaving the country, how long they are planning to be out of the country, which country they are going to and why they are going abroad.”

If you’re planning overseas travel this year, or are currently arranging a holiday exceeding four weeks, ensure you notify the DWP with the requested information at the earliest opportunity, reports the Daily Record.

Rachael Maskell backed the Greater Manchester mayor to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader after the party’s disastrous election results in England, Scotland and Wales.

It comes after the Labour MP said Sir Keir “cannot continue” as prime minister.

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, speaks during the pro-Palestinian rally in York on Saturday (May 23) (Image: Dylan Connell)

Speaking at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in St Helen’s Square on Saturday (My 23) where Ms Maskell called for unity, the York Central told The Press she believed Mr Burnham is a “politician who is unique in our age”.

“And I believe he really can bring this hope,” she said. “When I’ve been talking to people on the streets of York, they also want Andy to be in Number 10.

“So, I’ll be going over and supporting him and ensuring that we do everything we can to make that happen.”

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Ms Maskell said she would be pressing Mr Burnham to ensure he supports York if he returns to Parliament after the Makerfield by-election, which would pave the way for his leadership bid.

She said she would tell Mr Burnham that “as a city, often we’re [York] very overlooked – people see us having a lot of privilege, but there’s a lot of depravation too. I want to ensure that we can address the inequalities that we face.”

“We can really show what unity is like – as a human rights city, as a city which really does advocate for high standards of peace and unity, I think we can demonstrate the kind of society we all want to live in,” the MP added.

Mr Burnham launched his Makerfield campaign on Friday, saying “a vote for me in this by-election is a vote to change Labour”.

Former health secretary Wes Streeting also set out policies in his leadership bid including a wealth tax to bring back the New Labour-era Sure Start programme and planning reforms to fund council homes to prevent children growing up in temporary accommodation.

The prime minister, who has insisted he will not walk away from No 10 if Mr Burnham wins the June 18 by-election and triggers a leadership contest, has sought to highlight his own record.

“We now have the fastest-growing economy in the G7, net migration has fallen and NHS waiting lists are at their lowest level in three-and-a-half years,” Sir Keir said.

“Our plan is working. And as summer begins, we are going further to bring down the cost of living and make life easier for families, so they have more room to enjoy it.

“This government will keep pushing forward to deliver the change the country voted for.”

The Bolton Ukrainian Cultural Centre hosted an event in celebration, with many very fine examples of traditional Ukrainian costume on display.

The Bolton centre is a branch of the larger AUGB – the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain – dedicated to promoting and supporting the interests and welfare of the UK’s Ukrainian population.

(Image: HENRY LISOWSKI)

Yaroslaw Tymchyshyn of the Bolton Ukrainian Cultural Centre: “To Ukrainians all over the world, including the UK, this day is highly significant, because it’s about our heritage, culture, and nationality.

“These are the things that Putin is trying to destroy, so that is why it is so important for us.

“The day started around 20 years ago in Chernivtsi and has since expanded, not only in Ukraine but across the world.

“I’ve seen people celebrating Vyshyvanka day in Canada, Australia, America, New Zealand, and all over Europe.

(Image: HENRY LISOWSKI)

“I’ve seen members of foreign delegations wearing Vyshyvankas, I’ve seen people in embassies wearing them.

“It’s just so symbolic for us – Ukrainians in the past have died for wearing them. People used to get thrown in gulags for it.

“That’s why we hold it in such esteem.

“There is an old song in Ukraine about a young man who was thrown in prison. His mother sent him a Vyshyvanka to wear, in the colours red and black.

(Image: HENRY LISOWSKI)

“Red stands for love, black for grief – that just sums it up, really.”

‘Vyshyvanka’ is the casual name for a specific type of embroidered shirt worn in Ukraine and Belarus.

Popular with both sexes, the shirts feature patterns made using a very specific type of traditional Ukrainian embroidery techniques.

(Image: HENRY LISOWSKI)

The shirts feature maze-like patterns in rings around the arms and neck, with black, red, and white being the basic colours and yellow, blue, and green used as supplements.

The Vyshyvanka has also become a symbol of resistance in the years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Vyshyvanka Day began in 2006, the creation of a student at Chernivtsi University in Western Ukraine.

(Image: HENRY LISOWSKI)

One day, she suggested to her friends that they all spend a day wearing Vyshyvanka shirts together, with several students and staff members taking part.

Soon, the day spread all over Ukraine, and then the world, attracting the attention of the global Ukrainian diaspora.

The fifth anniversary of Vyshyvanka Day in 2011 saw a new Guinness World Record set for the largest number of people wearing Vyshyvankas in one place.

(Image: HENRY LISOWSKI)

More than 4,000 people in Vyshyvankas gathered in Chernivtsi’s main square for the event.

That same year, a huge, four-by-ten metre Vyshyvanka shirt was gifted to the university for display in its central building.

Volodymyr Zelensky regularly sports a Vyshyvanka in public appearances, a green one with black detailing around the neckline.

It’s been 35 years exactly since NBC took a gamble with one of its riskiest episodes – one which almost drove Seinfeld’s Larry David to exit the show.

The hit 90s sitcom – co-created by the titular Jerry Seinfeld and Larry – followed the hijinks of a fictionalised version of the stand-up comic and his three best friends: George Costanza (Jason Alexander), ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and neighbour Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards).

The comedy has remained one of the most influential in TV history, forging iconic quotes and – much like Buffy – pushing the boundaries of how we create and tell small screen stories.

Nowhere was this showcased more than in the renowned season two episode 11, The Chinese Restaurant, which came out on May 23, 1991 – just about.

At the time of its production, it was one of the most controversial scripts Jerry and Larry had ever presented to the studio, which did everything they could to shut it down.

Let us take you back. The episode follows our usual gaggle of friends (aside from Kramer) who are waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant. The longer they are forced to sit around, the hungrier they get, and they have various little problems they are agonising over.

The whole time, the maître d’ was teasing them with the promise of a table any moment.

A simple but delicious premise, based on Larry and Jerry’s own experience of…. waiting in line at a restaurant.

Set entirely in the Chinese restaurant, it’s shot in real time with no cuts – the format is known as a ‘bottle episode’. But executives thought audiences would lose interest given the lack of a concise plot, planning to pull the plug on the whole episode.

Jerry revealed that NBC’s Warren Littlefield even thought pages were missing when he first read it.

‘The Chinese Restaurant was the point where the network said: “You know, we really don’t understand what you’re trying to do with this show, and we think it’s wrong.”‘ He recalled, according to Vulture.

Given its lack of any discernible storyline, they almost axed it, until the Curb Your Enthusiasm creator threatened to walk out if they didn’t release it.

As Jerry added about their U-turn: ‘[NBC said]: “We’re going to air it anyway.” I was thrilled that NBC took that attitude. We had done enough good things at that point that they were willing to trust us.’

The only alteration they made in the end was deciding to run it at the end of the season in case it turned audiences off the show for good.

But all that worry was for nothing because it has now gone down in the hall of fame when it comes to the show’s episodes, joining other classics such as: The Soup Nazi, The Parking Garage and The Puffy Shirt.

The Chinese Restaurant is not the only time Larry is known to have tried to quit the show. As he once told the Bill Simmons podcast: ‘It’s tough to take orders and notes from people.

‘I can’t have a boss. I’m always the happiest when I’m in charge of my own stuff.’

Seinfeld is available to stream on Netflix now.

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