Babak Belurs

Kamis, 11 April 2024

UK weather: Britain hotter than Croatia as mercury soars to 20C – but map reveals exact areas still hit by... - The Sun

BRITS are looking forward to some sunshine and warm conditions today as temperatures soar to 20C, but there is still rain on the cards for some.

The temperature shift comes days after the UK was battered by Storm Kathleen that left many parts of the country drenched in rain.

Families making the most of the sunny weather as they enjoy punting on the River Cam in Cambridge on Easter Sunday

But Brits in some regions will be facing rainCredit: MET Office

A packed Avon Beach at Christchurch in Dorset on the Easter weekend

Visitors enjoy the spectacle as spring weather brings out a vivid display of colours from the tulips in Victoria Embankment Gardens in London yesterdayCredit: Alamy

But there could still be rainy conditions for some like those seen in Chippenham, Wiltshire last weekCredit: Alamy

But far better weather is now on the cards for many Brits, according to the Met Office.

Forecasters show highs of 20C today in London, making it higher than balmy 17C Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia.

East Anglia, East Midlands and Greater London will experience the best of the weather, say the Met Office.

Residents in Norwich and Ipswich could be enjoying highs of 19C this afternoon.

Most read in The Sun

Conditions could turn cloudier further south, with scattered showers in places.

The Met Office outlook for today reads: " Low cloud, some fog and patchy light rain or drizzle will affect southernmost counties of England and parts of Wales today.

"Elsewhere it will be generally dry, though breezy, with some warm spells of sunshine developing.”

Looking ahead at Thursday night, it added: "Low cloud, fog and patchy rain will feed north across western and northern areas overnight.

"The far northeast should hold onto clear spells. Mostly dry, but cloudy towards the southeast."

Friday sees cloud breaking through the morning to leave plenty of sunny spells for the afternoon.

It will feel warm in the sunshine, though breezy at times, the weather service adds.

The Met Office outlook for the weekend currently reads: "Largely dry on Saturday with hazy sunshine at times.

"Sunny spells and occasional showers on Sunday.

"Showers becoming more widespread and heavier on Monday, with temperatures returning to average. Breezy."

Rabu, 10 April 2024

Baby killer Michael Davis asked for charity donations - BBC

By Caroline Lowbridge

BBC News, East Midlands

A father who murdered his baby son by breaking his neck asked for donations to a child bereavement charity while he was trying to cover his tracks.

Michael Davis, who was given a life sentence for murder on Wednesday, asked for donations for his birthday and said that the charity "means a lot to me".

Davis killed his son Ollie in Leicester in October 2017 but was not convicted until March 2024.

The investigation, described by police as "complex", took six years.

Davis and the baby's mother - who was found guilty of two criminal charges herself - were on bail while they were investigated by police.

This meant they were free to post messages on social media about the death of their son, and proclaim their love for each other.

Davis's request for donations was to Sands, a national charity supporting people affected by the death of a baby, and was posted on his Facebook page in 2021.

'Lies and deceit'

Sands' chief executive Clea Harmer said: "We are horrified at the appalling crime committed by Michael Davis, who murdered his baby son Ollie.

"We are angry and upset to learn that he then cynically appealed for donations to Sands, apparently in an attempt to paint a sympathetic picture of himself. Our investigations have confirmed that no donations were made through this channel.

"The news reports around the sentencing are deeply distressing, especially for anyone who has experienced pregnancy or baby loss, and we are here to provide comfort and support to anyone who needs this."

Ricky Driver, Ollie's maternal grandfather, said in a statement: "As a family we have been dragged through hell for nearly seven years, with all the lies and deceit.

"Ollie will be forever in our broken hearts, and his memory will forever live on."

Ollie was only a month old when he died at his home in the Beaumont Leys area of Leicester.

The prosecution's case was that he died on the night of 20-21 October 2017 from the delayed results of a broken neck inflicted several days earlier.

He had multiple other injuries, including brain injuries and 40 bone fractures.

Both of his parents were arrested by police on 27 October 2017, following a post-mortem examination which revealed Ollie's injuries.

However, they repeatedly denied knowing what had happened to Ollie.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, help and support is available via BBC Action Line

In a police interview in 2017, Davis was told about multiple injuries his son had suffered.

Police asked him: "What do you think of that?"

He replied: "I don't know. Obviously I'm not sure obviously how it's happened really."

Police also asked Driver in 2017: "Have you ever seen him [Davis] loose his temper with Ollie?"

She replied: "No."

Police then asked her: "Have you ever lost your temper with Ollie?"

She replied: "No."

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Davis and Driver both made public declarations of love following their arrests.

In December 2017, two months after Davis killed their son, Kayleigh Driver wrote on Facebook: "Happy 1 year and 4 months to my man I love u with all my heart and I wouldn't change u for the world I love you."

In the same month, she wrote: "im so in love with my man cant wait to marry him next year i love you Michael James Davis."

Davis replied to her, writing: "Awh same baby and I love you too."

In a New Year's Eve post at the end of 2017 Driver wrote about how it had been a "very happy but tought [SIC] year".

"Mine and Michael James Davis lost our baby boy as he grew his angel wings on 21st october but we will never forget him," she wrote.

In another post she was trying to make money by selling baby clothes. She wrote: "Does anyone know of anyone having a baby boy as we have draws [SIC] full of boys stuff and we wanna raise money towards Ollie's send off."

In August 2021, Davis posted a tribute to his partner, writing: "Just wanna say Happy 5th anniversary we've been through so much in the past 5 years but we're still going strong, don't think I would of got through all this without you, I love you so much and can't wait for everything to be sorted so we can then begin to build the rest of our future, don't really have many friends but I've got you and that's all that matters."

Meanwhile, police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) were building their case against the couple.

They found medical experts who provided evidence showing Ollie had suffered a succession of injuries inflicted on multiple occasions.

The CPS said one particularly significant injury was a broken rib, which was not fatal, but was inflicted only hours before Ollie died or around the same time.

The prosecution's case was that it could only have been Davis who had caused this injury.

Driver claimed she was asleep when Ollie was in Davis's care and had no knowledge of any assaults.

However, the prosecution argued it would have been impossible to be unaware of the assaults and Ollie's subsequent injury and distress.

Both parents were charged with murder, with the alternative charge of causing or allowing the death of a child.

Kayleigh Driver and Michael Davis arriving at Leicester Crown Court during their trial

Davis was found guilty of murder, while Driver was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child, and also causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical injury.

Davis was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years, while Driver was jailed for seven years.

Andrew Baxter, deputy chief crown prosecutor from the CPS, said: "Rather than face up to their actions, both parents lied repeatedly about events, and have left it to a jury to determine the horrifying way they treated Ollie.

"Ollie's death at such a young age came as a devastating shock to his extended family. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.

Related Internet Links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiPWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLWVuZ2xhbmQtbGVpY2VzdGVyc2hpcmUtNjg3ODE2ODDSAUFodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY28udWsvbmV3cy91ay1lbmdsYW5kLWxlaWNlc3RlcnNoaXJlLTY4NzgxNjgwLmFtcA?oc=5

2024-04-11 04:59:01Z
CBMiPWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLWVuZ2xhbmQtbGVpY2VzdGVyc2hpcmUtNjg3ODE2ODDSAUFodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY28udWsvbmV3cy91ay1lbmdsYW5kLWxlaWNlc3RlcnNoaXJlLTY4NzgxNjgwLmFtcA

Number of asylum seekers left homeless after Home Office eviction soars - The Guardian

There has been a 239% increase in homelessness among asylum seekers evicted from Home Office accommodation including hotels in two years, according to a report.

Data analysed by the Refugee Council found that 12,630 households in England faced homelessness after eviction from asylum accommodation in the two years to the end of September 2023.

When the Home Office has finished processing asylum seekers’ claims they are evicted from its accommodation. Many are granted refugee status.

The report, which is published on Thursday, finds that 970 newly granted refugees were facing homelessness in the last quarter of 2021, but the figure for the third quarter of 2023 had jumped to 3,290 households. Many of the households include children. The report states that the rise in homelessness among newly granted refugees is unprecedented and represents “a moment of significant crisis”.

The chief executive of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, said: “The process refugees go through when granted status is setting them up to fail from the very start. A mere 28 days to get on their feet and find a private tenancy with no income and no savings is completely unrealistic. This dysfunctional system is causing an entirely avoidable crisis of homelessness and destitution.”

The report calls for further support from government and local authorities for asylum seekers transitioning to refugee status.

The Home Office, however, said on Wednesday that it would close 50 more asylum-seeker hotels by the end of this month. It announced last month that 100 hotels had been closed with a reduction of 20,000 asylum seekers in hotel accommodation since the end of September 2023.

Despite the closures the number of asylum seekers accommodated since the end of September 2023 has not reduced, suggesting that more people are being squeezed into fewer hotels. The Home Office has previously announced a room maximisation policy in hotel accommodation requiring more people to share rooms.

The government’s use of the overseas aid budget to pay for supporting refugees in Britain is “wreaking havoc” with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s development partnerships, according to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), which oversees international aid.

It found that loading the housing costs of UK asylum seekers on to a budget set aside to alleviate poverty abroad was creating “perverse incentives” and that the FCDO had in effect “to take the financial hit” for the Home Office’s overspending.

The chief executive of Care4Calais, Steve Smith, said: “Our volunteers have seen hundreds of people who have been granted refugee status being made homeless over recent months. We know that habitable housing, embedded in communities, provides the best foundation for those granted refugee status, who only want to integrate into society and move forward with their lives.”

The director of the No Accommodation Network, Bridget Young, said: “The closing of hotels should be an opportunity to ensure that everyone awaiting a decision on their asylum claim is provided with accommodation that is safe and good quality, located within communities which are equipped to support them. Focusing solely on closing hotels and speeding up evictions just places people in the asylum system in ever worsening housing or increased risk of homelessness.”

Announcing the latest figures on asylum-seeker hotel reductions on Wednesday, the home secretary, James Cleverly, said: “We promised to end the use of asylum hotels and house asylum seekers at more appropriate, cheaper accommodation; we are doing that at a rapid pace. These closures deliver on the government’s plan to cut the use of hotels in the asylum system and we will keep going until the last hotel is closed.”

The shadow immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock, said Cleverly’s announcement was “celebrating failure”.

“So-called ‘asylum hotels’ didn’t exist before the Tories lost control of the asylum backlog, and Rishi Sunak promised to end them by the end of 2023,” he said. “Yet here we are with around 250 still in use come mid-April.”

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS91ay1uZXdzLzIwMjQvYXByLzEwL251bWJlci1vZi1hc3lsdW0tc2Vla2Vycy1sZWZ0LWhvbWVsZXNzLWFmdGVyLWhvbWUtb2ZmaWNlLWV2aWN0aW9uLXNvYXJz0gF3aHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3VrLW5ld3MvMjAyNC9hcHIvMTAvbnVtYmVyLW9mLWFzeWx1bS1zZWVrZXJzLWxlZnQtaG9tZWxlc3MtYWZ0ZXItaG9tZS1vZmZpY2UtZXZpY3Rpb24tc29hcnM?oc=5

2024-04-10 18:08:00Z
CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS91ay1uZXdzLzIwMjQvYXByLzEwL251bWJlci1vZi1hc3lsdW0tc2Vla2Vycy1sZWZ0LWhvbWVsZXNzLWFmdGVyLWhvbWUtb2ZmaWNlLWV2aWN0aW9uLXNvYXJz0gF3aHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3VrLW5ld3MvMjAyNC9hcHIvMTAvbnVtYmVyLW9mLWFzeWx1bS1zZWVrZXJzLWxlZnQtaG9tZWxlc3MtYWZ0ZXItaG9tZS1vZmZpY2UtZXZpY3Rpb24tc29hcnM

Bulgarian fraud gang convicted after stealing £54m in biggest ever benefits scam - The Independent

A Bulgarian gang stole £54m of taxpayers’ money over five years by filing thousands of false claims in the largest benefits scam seen in England and Wales.

Galina Nikolova, 38, Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, Gyunesh Ali, 33, and Patritsia Paneva, 26, used the benefits system like a “cash machine” to fund their lavish lifestyles.

Footage taken from inside a flat shows one of the fraudsters showering the floor with dozens of £20 notes – money used to buy designer clothes, holidays, designer watches and even a high-end Audi sports car.

Up to £750,000 in bank notes was found stuffed in suitcases at one of their homes alongside forged and false documents.

They made around 6,000 false benefits claims using forged GP letters and fake payslips between 2016 and 2021 through three “benefits factories”, which claimed to assist people with obtaining a national insurance number and benefits to which they are entitled.

However, it was found that after applicants made their claims for benefits through these three sources, they left them in the hands of the organised crime group.

Guilty: (clockwise from top left) Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Galina Nikolova, 38, Patritsia Paneva, 26, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, and Gyunesh Ali, 33 ( Crown Prosecution Service)

The court heard how the money gained from these fraudulent claims was then laundered. It was moved between several accounts through numerous transfers and withdrawn in cash until the criminals could use it legitimately.

Specialist CPS prosecutor Ben Reid said: “This case is the largest benefit fraud prosecution ever brought to the courts in England and Wales.

“For a number of years, these defendants conspired to commit industrial-scale fraud against the universal credit system, costing the taxpayer more than £50m.

Wads of cash were found at addresses of the criminals (Crown Prosecution Service)

“This was a sustained attack on a system that is supposed to protect the most vulnerable in our society. But instead, this gang used it as a cash machine to fund their lavish lifestyles.”

All five have pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering-related offences and will be sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on 28 May.

Mel Stride, secretary of state for the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “I am immensely proud of DWP investigators’ work, in collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, to take down this organised crime group.

“Today’s convictions underline our commitment to protecting taxpayers’ money and it is only right and fair that we bring to justice those stealing from the public purse.

“My message is simple – if you are committing benefit fraud, you are cheating the taxpayer, and we will catch you.”

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvY3JpbWUvYnVsZ2FyaWFuLWdhbmctamFpbGVkLWFmdGVyLXN0ZWFsaW5nLXBzNTRtLWluLWJlbmVmaXRzLXNjYW0tYjI1MjYzMDAuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5

2024-04-10 13:56:04Z
CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvY3JpbWUvYnVsZ2FyaWFuLWdhbmctamFpbGVkLWFmdGVyLXN0ZWFsaW5nLXBzNTRtLWluLWJlbmVmaXRzLXNjYW0tYjI1MjYzMDAuaHRtbNIBAA

Selasa, 09 April 2024

Five members of benefit fraud gang who falsely claimed £50m in Universal Credit convicted - Sky News

Five members of a benefit fraud gang who falsely claimed £50m in Universal Credit have been brought down in the largest prosecution of its type in English legal history.

The gang made thousands of false claims for Universal Credit using either real people or hijacked identities and backed them up with an array of forged documents, including counterfeit payslips and fake GP letters.

As part of the investigation, police identified three "benefit factories" in London where repeated false claims for benefits originated from.

During raids, police also found "claim packs" containing forged and false documents, as well as bundles of cash stuffed in shopping bags and suitcases, a luxury car, and designer goods including watches, jackets, and glasses.

Bulgarian nationals Galina Nikolova, 38, Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, Gyunesh Ali, 33, and Patritsia Paneva, 26, have now pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering-related offences.

Ben Reid, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, described it as a "complex and challenging case" which required "close and effective work" between UK authorities and international partners in Bulgaria and the European Union crime agency, Eurojust.

"This case is the largest benefit fraud prosecution ever brought to the courts in England and Wales," he said.

"For a number of years, these defendants conspired to commit industrial-scale fraud against the Universal Credit system, costing the taxpayer more than £50m.

"Submitting thousands of false claims, the organised criminals enriched themselves from government funds designed to protect and help the most vulnerable people in our society."

He said the CPS and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) would now launch confiscation proceedings against the defendants in an attempt to recoup the stolen money.

Mel Stride MP, Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, said: "I am immensely proud of DWP investigators' work, in collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, to take down this organised crime group.

"[These] convictions underline our commitment to protecting taxpayers' money and it is only right and fair that we bring to justice those stealing from the public purse.

"My message is simple - if you are committing benefit fraud, you are cheating the taxpayer, and we will catch you."

The gang operated over a four-and-a-half-year period, between October 2016 and May 2021 - when they were first arrested.

Following his release under investigation, one of the five defendants, Ali, fled the country to Bulgaria.

However, in February last year, following joint work with Bulgarian authorities, he was extradited back to the UK so that he could face justice.

All five defendants will appear for sentencing at Wood Green Crown Court in May.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2ZpdmUtbWVtYmVycy1vZi1iZW5lZml0LWZyYXVkLWdhbmctd2hvLWZhbHNlbHktY2xhaW1lZC01MG0taW4tdW5pdmVyc2FsLWNyZWRpdC1jb252aWN0ZWQtMTMxMTE2NTHSAYABaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2ZpdmUtbWVtYmVycy1vZi1iZW5lZml0LWZyYXVkLWdhbmctd2hvLWZhbHNlbHktY2xhaW1lZC01MG0taW4tdW5pdmVyc2FsLWNyZWRpdC1jb252aWN0ZWQtMTMxMTE2NTE?oc=5

2024-04-10 00:56:42Z
CBMifGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2ZpdmUtbWVtYmVycy1vZi1iZW5lZml0LWZyYXVkLWdhbmctd2hvLWZhbHNlbHktY2xhaW1lZC01MG0taW4tdW5pdmVyc2FsLWNyZWRpdC1jb252aWN0ZWQtMTMxMTE2NTHSAYABaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2ZpdmUtbWVtYmVycy1vZi1iZW5lZml0LWZyYXVkLWdhbmctd2hvLWZhbHNlbHktY2xhaW1lZC01MG0taW4tdW5pdmVyc2FsLWNyZWRpdC1jb252aWN0ZWQtMTMxMTE2NTE

Bradford stabbing: Man arrested on suspicion of killing Kulsuma Akter - BBC

A man suspected of fatally stabbing a woman as she pushed her baby in a pram on a Bradford street has been arrested.

Habibur Masum was detained early on Tuesday morning following the death of 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter on Saturday.

Detectives said they had arrested a 25-year-old man in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

The arrest followed a nationwide manhunt for Mr Masum, after Ms Akter's death in the city centre attack. Her baby was unharmed.

Det Ch Insp Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police, said the arrest followed a "tragic incident in which a mother has lost her life in the most horrific of circumstances".

"We understand that this has caused a considerable amount of concern in the local community," she added.

Crime scene in Bradford after Kulsuma Akter murdered

Ms Akter was attacked at about 15:20 BST on Saturday as she pushed her baby in the pram along Westgate in Bradford city centre.

Emergency services were called, but Ms Akter was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

On Monday, both Greater Manchester Police and the West Yorkshire force said they had referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as they had previous contact with the victim.

Mr Masum was bailed by magistrates in November after being charged with assaulting and threatening to kill Ms Akter, offences which he had denied.

Court documents show Mr Masum, who is from Oldham, was charged with threatening to kill Ms Akter on 24 November and assaulting her on 23 November. Both offences were alleged to have happened in Manchester.

Police said on Monday they had also arrested a 23-year-old man in Cheshire on suspicion of assisting an offender. He remained in custody, a spokesperson confirmed.

Churches and mosques across Bradford have been opened to allow people to grieve and pray, the assistant curate of Bradford Cathedral said on Monday.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk

Babak Belurs

Kamis, 11 April 2024

UK weather: Britain hotter than Croatia as mercury soars to 20C – but map reveals exact areas still hit by... - The Sun

Read More in UK News

Most read in The Sun

READ MORE SUN STORIES

Man charged with murder after mother stabbed while walking her baby in Bradford - The Independent

Rabu, 10 April 2024

Baby killer Michael Davis asked for charity donations - BBC

'Lies and deceit'

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Related Topics

Related Internet Links

Number of asylum seekers left homeless after Home Office eviction soars - The Guardian

Bulgarian fraud gang convicted after stealing £54m in biggest ever benefits scam - The Independent

Selasa, 09 April 2024

Five members of benefit fraud gang who falsely claimed £50m in Universal Credit convicted - Sky News

Bradford stabbing: Man arrested on suspicion of killing Kulsuma Akter - BBC

Related Internet Links

Kamis, 11 April 2024

Read More in UK News

Most read in The Sun

READ MORE SUN STORIES

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Rabu, 10 April 2024

'Lies and deceit'

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Related Topics

Related Internet Links

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Selasa, 09 April 2024

Related Internet Links