Christopher Scott had slashed his victim on the face and body with a piece of broken glass, the town’s sheriff court was told.

Police officers found a man “covered in blood” after an attack outside a shop in Hamilton.

Christopher Scott had slashed his victim on the face and body with a piece of broken glass, the town’s sheriff court was told.

Scott, 29, admitted assaulting the victim to his severe injury in Red Road, Burnbank, on March 10 this year while on bail orders for three other matters.

It was accepted that he acted under provocation.

Daisy Bentley, prosecuting, said the victim left a shop about 9.15pm and saw Scott in the street.

She told the court: “He walked towards the accused and punched him on the face, causing Scott to fall.

“The two men then had a stand-up fight as they punched and kicked each other.

“During this the accused’s backpack fell and a bottle smashed on the ground.

“The victim walked away from the accused who was lying on the ground.

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“The accused got up, collected a piece of the broken glass, went towards the victim and lunged at him, striking him repeatedly with the glass.

“The police were contacted and officers arrived to find the victim at the shop entrance covered in blood.”

He was taken to hospital where wounds to his chin and hand were stitched.

Ms Bentley added: “Police officers traced Scott at an address in Hamilton.

“They noted he had minor cuts to his hand and forehead. He also had a black eye.”

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The court heard Scott has previous convictions for assault and possession of weapons.

He was the subject of a court supervision order at the time of the latest attack.

Sheriff Kevin McCallum deferred sentence until next month for background reports and Scott was remanded in custody.

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Ali is showcasing the people of Belfast through a different lens

A Portadown taxi driver is spreading positivity across Belfast by stopping strangers in the street to photograph them and “capture life’s unscripted beauty.”

Ali Syed, 39, regularly approaches members of the public to ask if he can take their portrait, usually choosing people who are not rushing off somewhere or listening to music.

One candid interaction with a police officer on St Patrick’s Day last year brought him online fame, with a video of the encounter now viewed millions of times on social media. Despite his growing popularity online, Ali still admits approaching strangers still pushes him outside his comfort zone..

Originally from Pakistan, he moved to Northern Ireland over a decade ago and struggled with English when he first arrived. He has been working in photography for more than ten years after first specialising in weddings, but became inspired to try street portraits after watching photographers online in other countries.

Ali said: “I thought why not do it in Belfast?

“But starting it, to be honest, was not easy. I’m not from here, I am not from here, and my English wasn’t very good when I first arrived. I always been shy talking to people as well.

“After a few attempts though, I became more confident and I started my social media pages around two years ago. Since then, I’ve had lots of messages from people all over the world and some really positive feedback. I think every person has a story to tell and photography is a great way to showcase these tales.”

Ali said the experience has helped him build confidence and connect with people in ways he never expected.

“If I approach ten people in a day, I probably get eight yeses,” he said.

“I have made friendships with people from all over the world. I’ve had offers from people in America saying I could stay in their homes while I photograph in their cities. I’ve also met photographers from other countries, including one in Prague that I am hoping to visit soon. The experiences of me doing street photography seem to stay with people as much as they stay with me.”

However, one recent message had a lasting impact on him.

“A few days ago, I received a message from the family of a man I photographed last summer who has passed away,” he said.

“I want my photography to make people happy and give them memories through my lens. That news made me very sad.”

Belfast Live spent several hours walking around the city centre with Ali as he approached people from all walks of life, always respecting those who declined to take part.

Watching him work, it quickly became clear how easily he puts people at ease. Several people said being stopped for a portrait had brightened their day, while others beamed as he showed them the finished photographs on his camera.

Ali said Belfast had become one of his favourite cities in the world because of the warmth of its people.

“The people here are amazing,” he said.

“Everyone says hello. Belfast is the best place I’ve been for street photography because people are so welcoming, Northern Ireland feels like home to me now.”

Through his social media pages, Ali often asks the people he photographs about their lives and outlook on the world, using photography as a way to connect with strangers and learn their stories.

He encourages others to pursue their passions, even if it means stepping outside their comfort zone.

“If I could go up to complete strangers and take photographs with very little English when I first came here, then I am sure other people can follow their dreams too,” he said.

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Inspectors praised a primary school for its “thoughtfully designed curriculum” which helps pupils develop into “well-rounded, confident citizens”

A Cambridgeshire primary school where children achieve “significantly above national averages” has been praised by Ofsted. Bewick Bridge Community Primary School in Cambridge has been rated ‘strong standard’ in all areas assessed in its latest report published on Monday, May 18.

The primary school in Cherry Hinton was described as “nurturing and ambitious”. The report said it offers a “a strong commitment to pursue academic, physical, social and emotional excellence at every stage” of children’s development journey.

Inspectors found that Bewick Bridge Community Primary School is a “happy school” where pupils “want to attend”. “Warm relationships run throughout this inclusive school” and pupils and staff form “kind, caring connections,” the report said.

Leaders were praised by Ofsted for being “ambitious and determined to make the school the very best it can be” and for making decisions in the “very best interest of pupils”.

Children were found to achieve “highly at this school”. The report added: “Pupils thrive academically and achieve well, including pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Published assessment outcomes, which sit significantly above national averages, reflect this success.”

The chair of governors for Bewick Bridge Community Primary School said that the inspection demonstrates that “with the right mindset, and a clear vision of high expectations for all, remarkable outcomes may be achieved”.

A spokesperson added: “All members of staff at Bewick Bridge Community Primary School are to be congratulated on their excellent work in providing the pupils with the opportunity of a first-rate education.

“This report is a tremendous outcome for the school and commends the vast amount of work by staff and pupils over a number of years of steadily rising achievement. Governors are immensely proud of the school and its commitment to holding pupils at the centre of all it does.”

The school was also praised for enriching the curriculum further by offering opportunities such as rowing and cycling, giving pupils an authentic ‘Cambridge’ experience. “This broad and thoughtfully designed curriculum helps pupils develop into well-rounded, confident citizens,” inspectors said.

Additionally, the school was found to take “great pride in celebrating its diverse and multicultural community”. According to the recently published report, leaders describe this diversity as a ‘superpower’ and actively harness the strengths of their context.

In its next steps, inspectors asked leaders at the school to continue to provide bespoke and focused support for teachers at the earlier stages of their careers and continue to support pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve even more highly.

The Headteacher at Bewick Bridge Community Primary School said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the inspection. The outcome is a result of the work of our talented staff team, our amazing children, our supportive parents/carers, and our effective governing board.

“We feel that the report is a very accurate description of everyday life at Bewick Bridge and we are looking forward to continuing the school’s journey.”

Barbra Streisand has found a way to show her appreciation for the Cannes Film Festival after a knee injury forced her to miss the 2026 film festival.

Days after the iconic singer, 84, announced that she would not be at the festival’s closing ceremony to receive her honorary Palme d’Or, Isabelle Huppert took the stage Saturday with the statuette. Then, Streisand herself appeared on the big screen with a video message thanking the festival for the honor and speaking about her love for foreign films.

“I was mesmerized by those images on the screen,” Streisand said about watching movies as an adolescent. “They were so powerful that they’re still in my head. I wanted to be an actress and live in those other more interesting worlds.”

She went on to say that movies taught her how to think critically about stories and ask the right questions.

“I didn’t realize at the time, but I was thinking like a director,” Streisand said. “Trying to figure out how to tell the story. And I had stories I wanted to tell.”

Speaking about her directorial debut with the 1981 film Yentl, the film legend said: “I was a woman, which was an obstacle to people. Even worse, was an actress who wanted to direct. So every studio turned me down. And for 15 years the project was on the verge of collapsing. But I had to make this movie.”

She concluded: “In this crazy volatile world that seems more fractured every day, it’s reassuring to see the compelling movies at this festival, by artists from many countries. Film has that magical ability to unite us, opening our hearts and mind. I’m so proud to be part of this community, so merci beaucoup and vive la cinema!”

The message came a week after Streisand shared a statement revealing that she would not be able to attend the festival.

“On the advice of my doctors, as I continue recovering from a knee injury, I am sadly unable to attend the Festival de Cannes this year,” she said, according to Variety. “I was also very much looking forward to spending time with colleagues whom I so admire — and, of course, returning to France, a place I have always loved.”

She continued: “While I regret that I can’t be there in person, I want to extend my warmest congratulations to all of the filmmakers from around the world whose extraordinary talent and creative vision are being celebrated this year.”

The Canadian Grand Prix was the race in which the Formula 1 title battle finally came alive this year.

It was also, however, the race in which it took a potentially decisive turn, putting a huge dent in George Russell’s hopes of beating his 19-year-old Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli to the championship.

Russell’s retirement from the race came after 30 laps of frenetic battling between the pair which lit up the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on a damp, gloomy day so cold it tempted world champions McLaren into a seemingly inexplicable decision to start the race on a dry track on wet-weather tyres.

Russell’s retirement handed the win to Antonelli, his fourth in a row, and the Italian now has a massive 43-point lead.

Doubtless there are many twists and turns to come in the remaining 17 races. Even so, that will take some recovering.

Afterwards, Russell was stoic but understandably downbeat.

“Right now it’s his to lose,” he said. “He is so many points ahead. It feels like the gods don’t want me to be in this fight, when I look at the safety-car timing in Japan, breaking down in China Q3, fighting for pole, breaking down from the lead here today.

“But, you know, the pressure’s off. Go out, enjoy every single race. Try to win every single race. And I’ve got nothing to lose.

“I don’t want to be stood here talking like that. It is, of course, frustrating, but I want to be in that fight. Hopefully, the luck will turn.”