News – Metro https://metro.co.uk Metro.co.uk: News, Sport, Showbiz, Celebrities from Metro Sat, 14 Oct 2023 02:03:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/cropped-m-icon-black-9693.png?w=32 News – Metro https://metro.co.uk 32 32 My dad only wanted to help kids in Rwanda, but now I see he was being a white saviour https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/14/my-dad-wanted-to-help-kids-in-rwanda-but-he-was-also-a-white-saviour-19632217/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/14/my-dad-wanted-to-help-kids-in-rwanda-but-he-was-also-a-white-saviour-19632217/#respond Sat, 14 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19632217
Mike Ullmann in Gisenyi, Rwanda
My dad, a secondary school teacher in England, spent a few years managing a fundraising and sponsorship scheme in Gisenyi, Rwanda (Picture: Mike Ullmann)

It’s been 14 years since I last saw Charles in person.

We are having lunch in a busy cafe on a hot March day in Kigali, Rwanda. With a decade to catch up on, even though we aren’t related by blood, we still refer to each other as brothers, my family as his family.

Then Charles’ voice saddens – which it often does when he talks about my dad in the past tense. He asks me: “Daddy called me his ‘third child’ in our emails. Do you think that will help with the visa application process if I want to come work in England?” 

There’s a silence as I understand, for perhaps the first time, the reality of my dad’s complicated legacy. The reality of the impact caused by his sponsorship of Charles 15 years ago.

I knew as we sat there, that I hadn’t prepared myself well enough. I hadn’t let myself consider how far that impact could have gone, and that I didn’t have the right answer to give. 

When discussing my dad’s white saviour complex with people, many often get defensive for me, as if acknowledging his well-intentioned but problematic attitudes hurts me and I need their support and reassurance. 

Other times, it feels like a type of white guilt, keen to defend someone they can relate to with a ‘back then how could he have known?’

My dad – a secondary school teacher who grew up in Leeds and brought up a devout Christian – was a product of his society and his religion. He was also a kind man, who cared about fighting injustice. All those things led him to set up partnerships between his school and schools in Romania, India and Rwanda, running fundraising campaigns to support them for many years. 

The Rwanda partnership was closest to his heart, as he had initially tried to move to Cameroon in the 1960s for missionary work but was refused on health grounds. In Rwanda, he set up a sponsorship programme for people from our school in England to fund the tuition of students in Gisenyi, a city in the northwest of Rwanda.

These fundraising and child sponsorship schemes that support children in Africa are still common today, and though they are well-intentioned, many who take part in them are rarely aware of what damage they can potentially cause. How they reinforce ideas of racial roles – whiteness understood as wealth, knowledge and a reliable source of support, whereas blackness is seen as the opposite, of poverty and ignorance.

I, like many from our school who took part in this partnership, and like my dad, thought the partnership was doing some good. Today looking back, I know all we did was reinforce those roles.

Portrait of Jeremy Ullmann and Charles in Rwanda
Charles and I, meeting for the first time in 2008 (Picture: Jeremy Ullmann)

My dad died from cancer in May 2010, a few months after his last trip to Rwanda. Before he passed away, he asked our family to continue funding the university fees for Charles, who he had been sponsoring and was in regular contact with for many years.

I was 18, and despite once meeting Charles during a school trip, our relationship mostly consisted of a few letter exchanges, encouraged by my dad.  

We paid the fees until Charles graduated, but then, as the years passed and we processed our grief, my dad’s work in Rwanda became a distant footnote in our memory of him, just another chapter. Our communication with Charles dwindled until our Facebook Messenger chat became a long list of unanswered questions, while his profile picture remained, for a decade after we had met, a photo of him and me. 

Last year, after receiving a wedding invite from another student from the Gisenyi sponsorship programme, I decided that I should visit. I had processed my dad’s death, but had begun to ask myself questions about the Rwanda chapter in his life and felt a responsibility to see what the impact of it was.

It had been well over a year since I’d last responded to Charles, so it was with some shame that I contacted him to see if we could meet up during my visit. I reached out to the former school in Gisenyi too, and, with a mix of curiosity and trepidation, booked a flight. 

I met Charles on my second day in Kigali. His parents had been killed during the Rwandan Genocide when he was six, and he’d spent most of his childhood being moved from foster home to foster home, to relatives who didn’t want to support him and his siblings. 

Mike Ullmann in the Gisenyi school in Rwanda
My dad on his last trip to Gisenyi in 2009, a few months before he died (Picture: Mike Ullmann)

He said the first time he had a sense of family was when my dad began writing him emails and supporting his studies. Those emails, which he showed me after I asked to see, were often signed off ton Papa Anglais (your English daddy) and were filled with religious affection. 

In Charles’ house, there are no photos of his parents because he has none. Instead, he has photos of us, my dad, my mum, my sister and me. He said: “I felt lonely for so many years without a family. Then with Daddy I didn’t feel loneliness anymore.”

After my dad died, Charles shut himself out of school for a week. He had lost both parents he said, then gained one, then lost him again.

A photo of Mike Ullmann and Charles
A framed photo in Charles’ home of him and my dad (Picture: Jeremy Ullmann)

In Gisenyi, as I was proudly shown around the school by a former teacher and close friend of my dad’s, teachers and staff approached me and spoke of him in glowing terms. I was used to this after his death from people in the UK, but here was an added layer, something which reflected how his role in this place had been unusual and unexpected. 

There was gratitude as I was shown books sent by my school, from the coach who praised the courts that we had fundraised to build. They spoke of the sadness they felt after his death, how they had lost a dear friend. I felt his memory being carried along through the people, the buildings and books, and that he was more alive there than he had felt to me for 12 years.

A view of the Gisenyi schoo
A view of the Gisenyi school (Picture: Jeremy Ullmann)

I also felt uneasy, because it seemed that within the gratitude lay some resentment. Frustrations about how the programme my dad set up, with its funding which had been central to their development – suddenly stopped after his death. ‘One day people just stopped answering emails,’ I was told.

Projects were left unfinished, others over the years fell into unmaintained disrepair. Some students’ sponsorships continued while others faded away. Classrooms shared by those whose lives would be forever altered by English money, and others forced to process the loss of expectation. The details and dynamics of human lives that sponsors rarely consider. Africa as a project, not a people. 

The impact that the partnership had on the Gisenyi school was transformative, often good, but problematic because it was short-term, unsustainable and reinforced ideas that white Europeans could come in and solve many issues.

During the one time our school funded a group of the Gisenyi students to visit England, six ran away before boarding the flight home making national news.

15 years later, in a muted tone filled with disappointment for the community, a couple of Gisenyi’s staff recollected the incident to me. 

There is still a hurt and sadness in Gisenyi about a partnership that ended so abruptly. Whereas in the collective memory of our English school, it was all too easy to move on.

A poster made by students in 2008 to celebrate the Gisenyi - England school partnership
A poster made by students in 2008 to celebrate the Gisenyi – England school partnership (Picture: Ben Ellen)

My dad had so much compassion. He cared and wanted to help, and through a very simplistic and convenient lens, he did. Students got access to university and many school buildings and facilities were repaired or rebuilt. He ensured that the visiting English students were educated about Rwandan culture (something which, to his credit, was uncommon in the voluntourism of the 2000s), and he was committed to supporting Charles indefinitely. People are grateful, they’ve told me just how grateful.

But he also forced change without a clear understanding of its long-term impact. My dad’s influence changed the trajectory of people’s lives, normalising a belief that we knew what was best for them. His ambitions were heavily influenced by his religion, and just as he ended his childhood wanting to be a missionary on the continent, it was well known that when he planned to retire he would move to Rwanda and live out his life there. 

He extended our family to Charles, which promised affection we would always struggle to maintain without him. He made money central to that relationship and passed that responsibility onto me. And I failed, perhaps right until we met in Kigali 15 years after my family came into his life, to see the relationship as anything more than a transaction.

As I sat down on the beach of Lake Kivu (which connects Gisenyi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) exactly where I stood with my dad 14 years before, I opened the pot which contained his last remaining ashes that I had, and emptied it over the sand.

I thought about how much he had loved this country, about his wish to retire here, and as I watched the grey and yellow start to blend together in the wind, I thought, yes, this is what he would’ve wanted. To be at one with Rwanda.

I wish he had felt differently. I wish he had lived longer to have realised how problematic that love was, the hurt that was caused by his actions. I wish for him that he could’ve had the opportunity to be educated, to find a healthier way to help.

Rubavu Public Beach, Lake Kivu, Rwanda
Rubavu Public Beach, Lake Kivu, Rwanda (Picture: Jeremy Ullmann)

But in the end, some people will always have that automatic urge to justify his actions, to talk about that time and place, about good intentions. I feel it too, the need to justify my own actions of letting my relationship with Charles fade for a decade, the need to not pass too harsh a judgement on someone who isn’t here to defend themselves, who could’ve changed if he was still alive.

The present doesn’t pause to contextualise those who are stuck in the past forever, but the impact of their actions and ours today are real and they are happening now. Acknowledging that uncomfortable truth and learning from it is crucial if we are to help ourselves become better anti-racists.

I have decided to respect the relationship with Charles, not by continuing my dad’s legacy, but committing to communicate, to love and respect a connection with a brother 4,000 miles away. I am not sure if this is entirely unproblematic, but it feels necessary and I am glad to do it. We both lost someone we saw as a father after all, and, though neither of us had a choice in the matter, we share this.

My dad was a caring man who wanted to help people. I loved him. He was also influenced by religiously motivated white saviourism. His actions both positively and negatively impacted individuals. Two things can be true, and it’s possible that a simple and entirely right answer might not exist.

And while his ashes are scattered around the world now, most of him will always reside in Rwanda, where his presence will be felt for a long time to come for better or for worse, by those who knew him, and many who never will.

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MORE : I found out about the Home Office’s Rwanda plan the day before I crossed the English Channel by boat

MORE : Ministers ‘could send migrants to Ascension Island’ if Rwanda policy fails

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Friends pay tribute to ‘kind’ singer killed in Hamas attack on beach https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/14/friends-pays-tribute-to-kind-singer-killed-in-hamas-attack-on-beach-19659303/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/14/friends-pays-tribute-to-kind-singer-killed-in-hamas-attack-on-beach-19659303/#respond Sat, 14 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19659303
Caption: FOR FRIDAY: Friends' tribute and vow of vegeance for 'kind' songwriter killed in Hamas attack on beach party
Credit Ariel Ein-Gal
Mor Gabay did not make it home from the party where she had gathered with friends from her home city of Be’er Sheva (Picture: Ariel Ein-Gal)

Two friends of a singer-songwriter who was killed in the Hamas attack have paid tribute to a ‘pure heart’ who played a motherly role.

Mor Gabay, 30, died after the terrorists infiltrated the Zikim beach area where she and friends from a bar she worked at had gathered for a party.  

The group of around 20 young people had camped out overnight on the sands, around three kilometres north of the Gaza Strip on the Israeli coast.

Mor left around 10 minutes before the rest of the party heard explosions in the first moments of the Hamas-led mass incursion early on Saturday.  

Ariel Ein-Gal and another of her friends, Ahiad Ben-Yitzchak, wrote a tribute remembering her kindness and vowing to avenge her death.  

Mor Gabbay is remembered as a kind spirit who was always there for her friends
Mor Gabay is remembered by her friends as a kind spirit who was always there for her friends (Picture: Ariel Ein-Gal)

They said: ‘Mor was a kind person. She was everyone’s mother; from making food in our pub for every customer and worker to food for her students and neighbours after finishing nine-hour shifts.

‘She was an artist, she wrote songs and poems and dreamt of publishing a poetry book. She had about 10 dogs in her house, each one was loved by her equally and she still had so much love inside her for everyone else.

‘She was our dearest friend, you could tell her anything and she always listened and replied with kindness, not judgment.’ 

 (Picture: Ariel Ein-Gal)
Mori Gabay loved to cook and was known for her generosity even after working long shifts at a bar (Picture: Ariel Ein-Gal)

Mor had spent the night with fellow workers from the Mileva pub, which is located in her home city of Be’er Sheva, around a 76km drive south-east of Zikim beach. The cook is thought to have left the end-of-season and Jewish New Year party early to return to her parents’ home in the city.  

Her friends found her empty, bullet-riddled car in the middle of a nearby road and were later told that a policeman who was first on scene had removed her body. Her funeral was held on Tuesday.

Mor Gabbay is remembered as a kind spirit who was always there for her friends
Mori Gabay has been remembered by friends who were with her on what turned out to be the last night of her life (Picture: Ariel Ein-Gal)

Ariel, 26 and Ahiad, 29, who are also from Be’er Sheva, managed to escape in a group who broke out of the resort area in three cars while under heavy fire from Hamas gunmen. The militants, who are thought to have landed on the beach despite its sea defences designed to prevent such incursions, had apparently murdered policemen and used their patrol cars for the ambush.

The friends also vowed to avenge Mor’s death.

They said: ‘Our friend was a cancer survivor who was optimistic beyond belief. Mori, we’re missing you dearly.

‘We can’t believe we’re talking about you in past tense.

‘As the Lord is our witness, we promise we will avenge your untimely death.

‘Love you always.’ 

Ariel and Ahiad told this week how they were woken by explosions before taking shelter between two containers on the beach, where they saw gunmen in three rubber dinghies approaching the coast. 

They fled as bullets raked the sand and hid in the perimeter of a nearby military base before making a break in an advance party travelling in three vehicles as the sound of gun and rocket fire grew closer.

Ahiad suffered a gunshot wound to his left leg as the terrorists opened fire before the two cars and an SUV reached Israeli military and medical personnel further inland.  

Ahiad added: ‘Mor had a pure heart and I will never forget the first thing she told me when I met her on a shift: “Wow man you have such beautiful eyes, my name is Mor, how are you?”

‘She had the nicest smile and always had the nicest things to say to people.

‘She made you feel special and wanted.’ 

 (Picture: Ariel Ein-Gal)
Mor Gabay had been among friends who travelled to ZIkim beach for an end-of-season party (Picture: Ariel Ein-Gal)

Israeli singer Ziv Na’aman has paid tribute to Mor, whose Instagram page shows pictures of her singing, by covering a song she wrote.

The song includes the words: ‘I didn’t choose the way, I didn’t know the roads, yet, I always knew, if we fall we will stand again.’

The Israeli military said yesterday that more than 1,300 people have been killed in the country, with more than 3,000 people wounded. The Gaza Ministry of Health said that more than 1,500 people have been killed in Jerusalem’s retaliatory strikes, with more than 6,600 others wounded.

Israel has imposed a blockade of food, fuel and electricity into the Palestinian territory ahead of an expected ground offensive. 

MORE : Bar workers tell of dramatic escape after Hamas gunmen attack party on Israeli beach

Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk

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Teen arrested after mass shooting at historically black university https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/teen-arrested-after-mass-shooting-at-historically-black-university-19661784/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/teen-arrested-after-mass-shooting-at-historically-black-university-19661784/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 20:45:25 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19661784
Morgan State University Police Chief Lance Hatcher speaks at a news conference after a shooting on campus, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, in Baltimore. Multiple people were wounded, none critically, in a shooting that interrupted a homecoming week celebration at the university in Baltimore on Tuesday and prompted an hourslong lockdown of the historically Black college. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Police have arrested a 17-year-old suspected of shooting into a crowd at Morgan State University in Baltimore (Picture: AP)

Police have arrested one suspect in connection with a mass shooting at Morgan State University, while a second remains at large.

The traumatic shooting took place at a homecoming celebration on October 3 at the historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland.

According to police, multiple gunmen opened fire into a near-capacity crowd leaving the Mister and Miss Morgan State pageant that evening.

Five people were injured in the shooting, four of whom were students at the Morgan State. The rest of the homecoming festivities at the college were cancelled.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 04: A sign reading
The Morgan State University sign reads ‘Morgan Strong’ after the shooting (Picture: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Morgan State President David Wilson called the shooting a ‘heinous and very deliberate act of violence.’

The suspect arrested on Friday was only identified as a 17-year-old juvenile. Morgan State said he is not affiliated with the university in any way.

He was taken into custody without incident and is facing multiple counts of attempted murder.

‘While this arrest cannot undo the damage and trauma caused that day, it is my hope that it can bring some peace and justice to the victims, the Morgan community and our city,’ said Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley.

Teen arrested after mass shooting at historically black university
Another suspect, Javon Williams, is still at large (Picture: Baltimore Police)
This image provided by the Baltimore Police Department shows two people of interest in the shooting at Morgan State University that left five people injured, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (Courtesy of Baltimore Police Department via AP)
An image released by Baltimore Police shows two of the suspected shooters (Picture: AP)

Another shooting suspect, 18-year-old Javon Williams, remains at large. He is considered armed and dangerous.

Williams is also under federal indictment for his involvement with the Kennedy Street Crew, a gang based in northwest Washington DC. He has an open warrant out for his arrest for gun and drug charges.

‘The Morgan Community can take solace today in knowing that an arrest has been made and we are one step closer to bringing all of the alleged culprits responsible for the incident that occurred on our campus to justice,’ President Wilson said on Friday.

He continued: ‘We look forward to the day when all the individuals involved in the shooting are made to be held accountable for what took place.’

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‘Eunuch Maker’ admits removing man’s penis and clamping another’s testicles https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/eunuch-maker-admits-removing-mans-penis-and-clamping-anothers-testicles-19661636/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 19:41:12 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19661636
'Eunuch Maker' admits removing man's penis and clamping another's testicles
Marius Gustavson admitted two charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at the Old Bailey (Pictures: Central News/Rex)

A Norwegian man known as the ‘Eunuch Maker’ has admitted removing a man’s penis and clamping the testicles of another victim. 

Marius Gustavson, 45, who is said to have made up to £200,000 live streaming ‘body modifications’, admitted two charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at the Old Bailey. 

Gustavson, who lives in Tottenham, north London, has had his own penis and nipple removed. 

The operations were uploaded to Gustavson’s ‘Eunuch Maker’ website which subscribers would pay to watch. 

The practice is linked to a subculture where men become ‘nullos’ – short for genital nullification – by having their penis and testicles removed. 

The conspiracy is said to have involved up to 29 extreme body modifications, the removal of body parts and the trade in body parts with eight other men. 

On Friday, Gustavson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm and one count of possessing criminal property, namely money. 

He pleaded not guilty to three further counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. 

Marius Gustavson https://www.facebook.com/marius.gustavson
Marius Gustavson is said to have made up to £200,000 live streaming ‘body modifications’ (Picture: Facebook)

The GBH charges relate to five alleged victims, including the removal of a man’s penis and the clamping of another’s testicles. 

He admitted making and distributing two indecent videos of a child between January 2017 and January 2020. 

His alleged ‘right-hand man’ surgeon Peter Wates, 66, has admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. 

He was said to have a major role as surgeon in a large number of procedures. 

Romanian Ion Ciucur, 28, who works in a hotel in Gretna Green, Scotland, denies conspiracy to cause GBH with intent in relation to two modifications. 

Ashley Williams, 31, has admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to 37-year-old Janus Atkin at his home in Newport, south Wales, on November 7, 2017. 

David Carruthers, 60, and Atkin, 37, deny conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. 

Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 22, of Epsom, Surrey, previously admitted causing GBH with intent by freezing Gustavson’s leg causing it to require amputation. 

Ashley Williams, A surgeon today (weds) admitted performing castrations which were livestreamed on a 'Eunuch maker' website. Peter Wates, 66, was described as the 'key player' and righthand man to the alleged ringleader Norwegian Marius Gustavson. Wates, of Purley, admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2022 when he appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link from HMP Wandsworth. Central News
Ashley Williams pictured leaving court (Picture: Central News)
Janus Atkin, A surgeon today (weds) admitted performing castrations which were livestreamed on a 'Eunuch maker' website. Peter Wates, 66, was described as the 'key player' and righthand man to the alleged ringleader Norwegian Marius Gustavson. Wates, of Purley, admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2022 when he appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link from HMP Wandsworth. David Carruthers, 60, Janus Atkin, 37, and Ashley Williams, 31, all from Newport, south Wales, also appeared in court charged with involvement in the body modification plot. Central News
Janus Atkin (Picture: Central News)

Former nurse Nathan Arnold, 48, of South Kensington, and Damien Byrnes, 35, of Tottenham, has admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Gustavson. 

Brynes removed Gustavson’s penis on or around February 18, 2017, while Arnold was involved in the partial removal of his nipple. 

Arnold also admitted stealing Lidocaine while working as nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital between January 2016 and January 2022, and possession of extreme pornographic images. 

The charges relate to 13 alleged victims who are being safeguarded by specialist detectives. 

Gustavson, Ciucur and Byrnes are remanded in custody with the others are on conditional bail, including curfew and residence. 

The defendants who deny offences will next appear at a case management hearing on September 8. 

A provisional trial date is set for March 4, 2024. 

All defendants will appear in person at the Old Bailey for the next hearing on November 3. 

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Dog found lump of ‘whale vomit’ on beach which could be worth thousands https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/dog-found-whale-vomit-on-beach-which-could-be-worth-thousands-19659984/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/dog-found-whale-vomit-on-beach-which-could-be-worth-thousands-19659984/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 18:34:27 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19659984
The dog came across a lump of valuable ambergris, which comes from a sperm whale’s intestine
The dog came across a lump of valuable ambergris, which comes from a sperm whale’s intestine

A fisherman’s dog found a rare lump of ‘whale vomit’ on a beach in Scotland that could be worth thousands.

Patrick Williamson was walking his pet on Irvine Beach in Ayrshire when it sprinted towards a mysterious rock on the shore.

The rock, it turned out, was a 5oz clump of ambergris – which is secretion produced in the intestines of sperm whales.

The substance is highly valuable as it can be used to make perfume and is very hard to come by.

Patrick said: ‘I work on a fishing boat, so I knew what ambergris was. I’ve never seen it before, but I’ve heard stories about it.’

Sperm whales can usually regurgitate food they’re unable to digest but when they can’t, they produce ambergris – a waxy secretion – to protect their intestinal tract from being damaged.

The secretion is then expelled. For many years it was thought it left via the whale’s mouth, hence it’s known as vomit, but scientists now believe it probably goes out the other end.

It will then float in the sea – sometimes for years – before eventually washing up on shore.

Patrick said he was walking along the beach when he ‘clocked something on the seaweed, and the dog ran over to it and dropped her ball’.

He added: ‘She doesn’t usually drop her ball, so I knew there was something there.’

When he got closer, Patrick saw it was a pale grey rock with brown and amber streaks and suspected it could be ambergris.

The super-rare lump of?whale vomit found on Irvine beach in Ayrshirer Scotland. Photo released October 13 2023. See SWNS story SWLNambergis. A dog found a super-rare lump of?whale vomit on a beach - which could be worth thousands. Patrick Williamson, 37, was stunned when his pup dropped her ball and sprinted over to a mysterious rock on the shore. Fisherman Paul knew it was ambergris - a valuable chunk of secretion produced in the intestines of sperm whales. Whales are usually able to regurgitate problem foods but if they can't they produce a waxy substance to protect its intestinal tract.
The 5oz lump of ambergris discovered by Patrick’s dog (Picture: Patrick Williamson/SWNS)

Ambergris – also known as ‘floating gold’ is sold by weight, with one chunk found in the Canary Islands this year weighing 21 pounds – and valued at £394,000.

To help determine whether a substance really is ambergris, you can heat a needle and lay it on the surface of the lump. If it melts into a waxy, black or brown liquid very quickly it could well be the real deal.

Patrick said: ‘We’ve tested it with a hot needle, and it was doing the exact same thing that ambergris would.

‘People have been saying that I can take it to Glasgow University, and they’ll test it – so I’ll be doing that on my next day off.’

He also weighed the lump: ‘It was about five and a half ounces. That’s not really that big compared to some other bits that have been found,’ he said.

IRVINE, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Members of the public exercise dogs on Irvine beach ahead of Storm Ali on September 18, 2018 in Irvine, Scotland. Many areas of of Scotland are due to be affected by high winds and heavy rain as the first named storm of the season sweeps in. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
The lump had washed up on Irvine beach in Scotland (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Sperm whales are protected by law in the UK, however it is legal to sell ambergris discovered on the shoreline.

Patrick said people he knows are very excited about the rare find.

‘Everybody’s been messaging me – one of my pals even contacted someone at the local paper.

‘I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it!

‘I’m on the beaches all the time. I take my dog with me wherever I go, so we’ll be looking every time we land now.’

In 2015 a dog walker in Wales came across a 2.6lb piece of ambergris which was valued at £7,000 and sold at auction.

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Gunman who killed Ashley Dale banked £1,000 cash two days later https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/gunman-who-killed-ashley-dale-banked-1000-cash-two-days-later-19660599/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 18:31:32 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19660599
James Whitham admits manslaughter of Ashley Dale but denies murdering her (Picture: PA)
James Whitham admits manslaughter of Ashley Dale but denies murdering her (Picture: PA)

The gunman who killed council worker Ashley Dale in her home deposited £1,000 cash into his bank account two days later, a court was told.

Ms Dale, a 28-year-old environmental health worker, was shot with a Skorpion machine gun at her home in Old Swan, Liverpool in the early hours of August 21 last year.

The person who pulled the trigger was James Witham, 41. He admits manslaughter but denies her murder.

Four other defendants, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29 – also deny her murder.

It’s alleged Ms Dale died following a feud with her partner Lee Harrison.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today that Peers booked a two-night stay in a twin room at the Mercure Hotel in St Helens, Merseyside just after 7pm on the day she was killed.

CCTV caught Peers and Witham checking into a hotel at around 8.30pm and paying for the room with cash.

Undated family handout photo issued by Merseyside Police of Ashley Dale, 28, who was found with a gunshot wound in the back garden of her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, on August 21 last year. In a tribute, her mother Julie Dale said:
Ms Dale was an environmental health worker (Picture: PA)
BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Handout photo issued by Merseyside Police of James Witham, after being stopped, along with Niall Barry, by officers from Avon and Somerset Constabulary on their way to Glastonbury on June 25 last year. Issue date: Tuesday October 10, 2023. PA Photo. A man accused of the murder of a council worker said he would shoot her boyfriend, according to messages she sent to friends in the weeks before her death. Environmental health worker Ashley Dale, 28, was hit in the abdomen by a bullet when gunman James Witham, 41, kicked down the door of her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, on August 21 last year, his trial at Liverpool Crown Court has heard. Witham has admitted her manslaughter but he and four other men, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, Joseph Peers, 29, deny her murder. See PA story COURTS Liverpool. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Witham after being stopped by police (Picture: PA)

They then checked out around 11am on August 23, jurors were told.

Witham was then spotted on CCTV at Liverpool One shopping centre, where, the court heard, he spent £245 in cash at Footasylum on trainers and socks, and £129 on his card in the Everton store.

At 2.55pm he deposited £1,000 into his bank account.

According to detective sergeant Graeme Sutton, phone evidence showed Witham and Peers travelled to Scotland later that day.

Undated handout photo issued by Merseyside Police of the damage caused to the tyres of Ms Dale's car, which were allegedly slashed at 11.40pm on August 20 in an attempt to lure the occupants of her home on Leinster Road outside. Issue date: Tuesday October 10, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Liverpool. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Damage caused to the tyres of Ms Dale’s car, which were allegedly slashed at 11.40pm on August 20 to lure the occupants of her home outside (Picture: PA)
Undated handout photo issued by Merseyside Police of the front door to Ashley Dale's house on Leinster Road in Old Swan, Liverpool, which was kicked in before she was shot. Environmental health worker Ashley Dale was killed in her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of August 21 last year after gunman James Witham, who admits manslaughter, kicked down her front door. Issue date: Wednesday October 11, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Liverpool. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
The front door to Ms Dale’s door, which was kicked in before she was shot (Picture: PA)

At 10.22am on August 23, Fitzgibbon flew from Birmingham Airport to Dubai with his sister Claudia, the court was told.

CCTV showed Barry and his girlfriend Lucy Worley arriving at the Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa on August 24.

A later clip showed eight armed officers from Merseyside Police entering the hotel, where they located Barry.

Handout CCTV issued by Merseyside Police of James Witham buys On Cloudflyer trainers from Taskers Sports in Aintree on August 20. Police found a footprint at the scene of Ashley Dale's shooting which matched the shoes. The 23-year-old environmental health worker was killed in her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of August 21 last year after gunman James Witham, who admits manslaughter, kicked down her front door. Witham, 41, and four other defendants - Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29 - deny her murder during a trial at Liverpool Crown Court , which is alleged to have happened following a feud with her partner Lee Harrison. Issue date: Wednesday October 11, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Liverpool. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
CCTV of Witham buying trainers from Taskers Sports in Aintree on August 20. Police found a footprint at the scene of Ms Dale’s shooting which matched the shoes (Picture: PA)

The court heard Barry had been messaging a man called Gus, who the prosecution describe as ‘a fixer’ who enabled people to flee the country.

Witham, of Huyton; Fitzgibbon, of St Helens; Zeisz of Huyton; Barry, of Tuebrook; and Peers, of Roby – all Merseyside – deny conspiracy to murder Mr Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and ammunition, as well as the murder of Miss Dale.

Kallum Radford, 26, of no fixed address, denies assisting an offender.

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Remains of woman who went missing six years ago found under home https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/remains-of-woman-who-went-missing-six-years-ago-found-under-home-19660185/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/remains-of-woman-who-went-missing-six-years-ago-found-under-home-19660185/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 18:28:18 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19660185
Tina Satchwell and photos of police operation
A murder investigation has been launched after human remains were found under a house in Ireland (Picture: PA)

Skeletal remains of a woman have been found buried in Ireland, solving a six-year-long mystery.

Irish police investigating the disappearance of Ms Satchwell found skeletal remains at the home in Youghal, Co Cork earlier this week.

A man in his 50s was arrested following the discovery.

Ms Satchwell, originally from Fermoy, was 45 when last seen alive, and has been missing from her home in Youghal since March 2017.

Police launched a major search operation at a house and surrounding grounds on Tuesday.

And it was late on Wednesday that the human remains were discovered, the Irish police service, An Garda Siochana has said.

Superintendent Adrian Gamble speaking to the media outside Midleton Garda Station about the case of missing Co Cork woman Tina Satchwell. Gardai investigating her disappearance have found skeletal remains at a property. Picture date: Thursday October 12, 2023. PA Photo. It is understood a man has been arrested following the discovery on Wednesday. See PA story IRISH Satchwell. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Police in Ireland are investigating the case of missing Tina Satchwell after human remains were found (Picture: PA)

The remains were removed on Thursday and transported to Cork University Hospital for further examination, including a DNA analysis.

A man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday and released without charge on Wednesday.

Gardai then said a man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of murder on Thursday after the discovery of human remains.

He is currently being held at County Cork Garda station.

Flowers near a property in Youghal, which is being searched in the case of missing Co Cork woman Tina Satchwell. Gardai investigating her disappearance have found skeletal remains at the property. Picture date: Thursday October 12, 2023. PA Photo. It is understood a man has been arrested following the discovery on Wednesday. See PA story IRISH Satchwell. Photo credit should read: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire
People have left flowers outside the house where human remains were found believed to be the body of Tina Satchwell (Picture: PA)

Alongside the search at the home in Youghal, gardai confirmed a second search was carried out at a location between Youghal and Killeagh in County Cork.

The search involved using heavy machinery, including a digger.

A large screen has now been put up around the property and grounds where the human remains were found.

People have stopped to lay flowers in memory of Ms Satchwell.

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Man pleads guilty to stealing Judy Garland’s red slippers from Wizard of Oz https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/man-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-judy-garlands-red-slippers-from-wizard-of-oz-19661344/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/man-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-judy-garlands-red-slippers-from-wizard-of-oz-19661344/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 18:08:45 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19661344
Man pleads guilty to stealing Judy Garland's red slippers from Wizard of Oz
Terry Martin (left) pleaded guilty to stealing Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz, the famous shoes worn by Judy Garland (Picture: AP / X)

A man in Minnesota has pleaded guilty to stealing the red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz.

Terry Jon Martin, 76, changed his plea to guilty for theft of a major artwork after the famous ruby sequined shoes were brazenly stolen from a museum in 2005.

The slippers were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum, which is located in the actor’s childhood home in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

The iconic slippers were one of four pairs worn by the actor during the filming of The Wizard of Oz, and were insured for $1million. Their current market value is closer to $3.5million, according to investigators.

Investigators finally got a break in the case in 2017 after a person contacted the museum’s insurer claiming to know how to get the shoes returned.

The insurer went to the FBI ‘when it became apparent that those involved were in reality attempting to extort the owners of the slippers,’ FBI Special Agent Christopher Dudley said.

The slippers were finally recovered by the FBI in 2018, over 13 years after the original heist. However, no arrests were made and a mystery still surrounded the theft of the cherished piece of American film history.

‘Our top priority was the safe recovery of the slippers,’ Special Agent Dudley said at the time.

In May 2023, five years after the slippers were recovered, a Minnesota grand jury indicted Martin – a 76-year-old man who lives just 12 miles south of the Judy Garland Museum.

Martin initially entered a not guilty plea when he was arraigned in May. His attorney, Dane DeKrey, said he is in poor health and looking to come clean.

‘I think Terry is facing his own mortality, and I think when people are reaching that point in their life, they cut through the pleasantries and talk turkey,’ DeKrey said.

Martin was seen being taken into court on Friday in a wheelchair and clutching an oxygen tank.

Martin confessed to snatching the slippers while visiting the museum, thinking they contained real rubies. He eventually brought them to a jewelry fence after he realized the red gems were just glass.

He was not taken into custody after the hearing.

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Couple win court case against ‘devious little sod’ nephew over £4,000,000 house https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/couple-win-court-case-against-devious-little-sod-nephew-19661412/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/couple-win-court-case-against-devious-little-sod-nephew-19661412/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:56:12 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19661412
Couple win court case against 'devious little sod' nephew over £4,000,000 house
Self-made millionaire Michael Lee, 79, and wife King-Su Huang, 73, sued Cheng-Jen Ku (Picture: Champion News)

A wealthy couple who accused their ‘devious little sod’ nephew of stealing their £4 million house have left him staring at a £150,000 court bill. 

Self-made millionaire Michael Lee, 79, and wife King-Su Huang, 73, sued Cheng-Jen Ku, 40, after he claimed to own the swanky property in Kensington’s Queen’s Gate Place Mews. 

The couple purchased it in Mr Ku’s name back in 2004 for ‘privacy reasons’ as they did not want the extent of their wealth to become public knowledge, Central London County Court heard. 

Mr Ku had initially lived there and later claimed he was the true owner of the house and that it had been ‘gifted’ to him in line with Taiwanese tradition by his rich auntie. 

But he told Judge Alan Johns that he had later moved out of the multimillion-pound house ‘because his auntie and uncle were too strict’. 

The judge, Alan Johns, said Mr Ku’s behaviour ‘didn’t look like the actions of an owner’ before ruling the true beneficial owner of the house is his aunt. 

He added that Mr Ku is liable to pay his auntie and uncle’s lawyers’ bill of around £115,000. He will also have to pay his own legal fees, which were estimated before the trial at £35,000. 

The exclusive cobbled mews was once the epicentre of the world’s classic car trade and the site from which motor racing legend Alain De Cadenet ran his Le Mans team. 

Champion News Service Ltd news@championnews.co.uk Tel: 07948286566 / 07914583378 Michael Lee outside Central London County Court after hearing in row over house in Queens Gates Mews, Knightsbridge.
Mr Lee told the judge that his wife handed their nephew £1.57 million to buy the house in his name (Picture: Champion News)
Champion News Service Ltd news@championnews.co.uk Tel: 07948286566 / 07914583378 King-Su Huang outside Central London County Court after hearing in row over house in Queens Gates Mews, Knightsbridge.
The judge ruled the true beneficial owner of the house is King-Su Huang (Picture: Champion News)
Cheng-Jen Ku outside Central London County Court. Champion News Service Ltd news@championnews.co.uk Tel: 07948286566 / 07914583378
Cheng-Jen Ku outside Central London County Court (Picture: Champion News)

Businessman Mr Lee, who made his fortune through a £13m Essex electronics company, met his wife while working in Taiwan and later channeled his cash into a property portfolio. 

And when he and his wife found the property in Queen’s Gate Place Mews, just a short walk from the Royal Albert Hall and Natural History Museum, they decided to snap it up. 

The Victorian mews was built between 1866 and 1869 to provide stables for the grand houses on nearby Queen’s Gate and is accessed through a Grade-II Listed archway. 

Mr Ku, a ‘close’ nephew whom Mr Lee had been fond of as a ‘cute little kid’, had lived with the couple in their £1 million-plus Essex former home after moving to the UK from Taiwan. 

Mr Lee told the judge that his wife handed their nephew £1.57 million to buy the house in his name, explaining that for ‘privacy’ reasons and to prevent the property being called on as collateral for business loans they wanted to put it in Mr Ku’s name. 

It is now worth more than twice the price that was paid, with lawyers valuing it at up to £4 million. 

Mr Ku became its registered owner, initially living there, though his aunt and uncle also had keys and a room in the house. 

But he later went on to claim the house was his because it was ‘gifted’ to him by his aunt, a claim blasted as ‘piffle’ by Mr Lee in evidence during the trial. 

Mrs Huang sued her nephew – backed by her husband Mr Lee as a key witness – for a ruling that, despite being in his name, she was always the rightful owner. 

Mr Lee told the judge that his nephew had gone from being ‘a cute little kid’ nicknamed ‘Trouble’ to become ‘mean and nasty’ in adulthood. 

‘He is trying to steal our house because he has turned out to be a devious little sod and that’s why we’re in court,’ he said from the witness box. 

Mrs Huang’s barrister Rupert Cohen told the judge there had been a clear understanding that, despite being in their nephew’s name, she was the true owner, with her nephew holding it on trust for her. 

She and her husband paid all the bills owing for the house and claimed her nephew only ever used the property ‘with her consent’. 

However, Mr Ku’s barrister, Scott Redpath, claimed the clear intention was to ‘give this property to him’. 

In his ruling, the judge said: ‘I’ve reached a clear conclusion that the intention in this case was for the mews house to be owned by Mrs Huang. Indeed, there was an express agreement to that effect. 

‘There was an express discussion over the telephone before the house was purchased in which she said she wanted to buy a property but use Mr Ku’s name. He agreed. 

‘As understood by the parties, it was an arrangement not that the mews house was to be Mr Ku’s but was to be Mrs Huang’s and just to be held in Mr Ku’s name.’ 

He added: ‘I make a declaration that the mews house is held in trust by Mr Ku for Mrs Huang.’

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SNP councillor accused of racism after calling opponent a ‘New Scot’ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/scotland-snp-councillor-steps-down-over-new-scot-comments-19658417/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/scotland-snp-councillor-steps-down-over-new-scot-comments-19658417/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:01:12 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19658417
SNP race row as councillor labled opponent from Sri Lanka a 'New Scot' and may not understand English
Deena Tissera (left) said she did not appreciate the comments made during a meeting (Picture:Aberdeen City Council)

An SNP councillor has resigned from the party and will be investigated after calling a Labour colleague from Sri Lanka a ‘New Scot’.

The remarks were made by Aberdeen City councillor Kairin van Sweeden to Deena Tissera during a debate on austerity on Wednesday afternoon.

She has now referred herself to the Standards Commission and said on Wednesday: ‘I realise, as a new Scot, Councillor Tissera maybe doesn’t know about the mitigation that the SNP government has had to put in over the years they have been in power.’

Ms Tissera hit back and said: ‘I do not appreciate those comments. I have taken the Life in the UK test to become a citizen. I probably know more than you do.’

Ms van Sweeden later apologised and said: ‘I unreservedly apologise for the clumsy language I used in the chamber and the offence it caused.

‘It could not be further from the values I hold.’

A spokesperson for the SNP said: ‘Councillor van Sweeden has taken the decision to refer herself to the Standards Commission and requested the SNP national secretary investigate comments she made during yesterday’s council meeting, which she immediately and unreservedly apologised for.

‘Whilst those processes are under way, she has stepped back from her SNP party membership.’

Deena Tissera @deenatissera Politician Humanitarian Entrepreneur Public Health Councillor @ScottishLabour SEC#JoCoxLeadership l Advisor @scottish_future
Deena complained to Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf

Ms Tissera wrote to Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf and said: ‘The innuendo of her comments were that I had just come off the boat as a new Scot – her words not mine – I am not as Scottish as others and I did not understand Scotland like her and the SNP group, this being despite the SNP council leader being of French descent and myself holding a United Kingdom passport.

‘All leaders must stand up against racism and words are easy but it is actions that are required.’

She added: ‘First Minister, it is incumbent on us to stand together against racism and, as such, I call on you to act in this matter and act by suspending councillor van Sweeden.’

Mr Yousaf said: ‘It was unacceptable. I saw the comment this morning. It’s unacceptable and the councillor is right to apologise.

‘In fact, I also want to apologise to Councillor Tissera who was on the receiving end of that comment.

‘There will now be a process around a potential disciplinary. I’ll not interfere in that process.’

Referencing Ms van Sweeden’s apology, he said: ‘It wasn’t just clumsy. It speaks to the unconscious bias and discrimination that people hold and we all have to challenge ourselves – we all have it – but we have to challenge ourselves about it.

‘But there’s just no kind of place for that language. I saw the comments and I was thoroughly disappointed.’

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One officer convicted for death of Elijah McClain, who died in police custody in 2019 https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/one-officer-convicted-for-death-of-elijah-mcclain-who-died-in-police-custody-in-2019-19659805/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/one-officer-convicted-for-death-of-elijah-mcclain-who-died-in-police-custody-in-2019-19659805/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 15:25:54 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19659805
Randy Roedema was found guilty of negligent homicide for the death Elijah McClain
Randy Roedema (left) was found guilty of negligent homicide for the death of Elijah McClain (Picture: AP / REUTERS)

A jury convicted one of two police officers on trial for the negligent homicide of Elijah McClain, a black man who was held in a chokehold and given an overdose of a sedative.

Randy Roedema, a former police officer in Aurora, Colorado, was found guilty of negligent homicide and assault for the death of an unarmed black man in his custody.

A second indicted officer, Jason Rosenblatt, was simultaneously found not guilty for the same incident.

McClain, 23, was stopped by police while walking home from a convenience store in August 2019. The officers were responding to a call about a ‘sketchy’ person wearing a ski mask.

FILE PHOTO: Protesters gather for a rally to call for justice for Elijah McClain after Governor Jared Polis amended his executive order regarding the investigation of McClain's death, which has raised concerns that charges against the police officers involved may ultimately be watered down in Denver, Colorado, U.S., November 21, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo
Protests calling for justice for McClain’s death began during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 (Picture: REUTERS)

Although McClain was not suspected of committing a crime, Roedema and Rosenblatt pinned him to the ground, where he allegedly started vomiting.

The officers called in paramedics, who gave McClain a 500mg dosage of ketamine before attempting to transport him to the hospital.

McClain went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance, and was declared brain dead three days after the arrest.

Local prosecutors did not press charges immediately after McClain’s death, but Colorado Governor Jared Polis ordered his state’s attorney general to take a second look at the case after the death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests.

Sheneen McClain, mother of Elijah McClain, leaves the courtroom after the verdict in the 2019 death of her son after a trial in the Adams County, Colo., courthouse Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Brighton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, attends the trial of two officers involved in her son’s death (Picture: AP)

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser eventually indicted three police officers and two paramedics for McClain’s death. Roedema and Rosenblatt are the first to go to trial.

A trial for the third officer, Nathan Woodyard, is scheduled to begin on Friday.

At trial, jurors were shown body-worn camera footage from Roedema, where they analyzed the conduct of the

In the video, McClain could be heard telling the officers he couldn’t breathe at least six times. He could also be heard shouting ‘I’m an introvert and I’m different.’

FILE - Former Officer Jason Rosenblatt, left, and Aurora Police Officer Randy Roedema, right, attend an arraignment at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton, Colo., Jan. 20, 2023. The two officers face felony charges in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via AP, File)
Former Officers Jason Rosenblatt (left) and Randy Roedema (right) were both indicted for McClain’s death (Picture: AP)

Defense attorneys for the officers argued that McClain’s death was caused by the ketamine dosage. However, prosecutors successfully argued that Roedema’s restraint also contributed to his death.

They also claimed that Roedema did not inform the paramedics that McClain was having trouble breathing – a factor that would make influenced their decision to administer the sedative.

The defense also argued McClain reached for Roedema’s gun – a claim that prosecutors disputed.

Roedema was found guilty after a jury deliberated for about 16 hours. He face up to three years in prison.

Sheneen McClain, mother of Elijah McClain, raises her arm as she leaves a courtroom afterhearing the verdict in the 2019 death of her son followimg a trial in the Adams County, Colo., courthouse Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Brighton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Sheneen McClain leaves the courthouse with a raised fist after Roedema’s conviction (Picture: AP)

McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, attended the trial and expressed disappointment in the verdict.

‘I’m disappointed because despite all the evidence in front of their face, they still played the race card,’ McClain told 9News in Colorado. ‘Right is right, and wrong is wrong. And when you continue to allow the type of injustice that happened to my son, there is so much to work on.’

‘This is the divided states of America, and that’s what happens,’ the grieving mother told reporters outside the courthouse. ‘That’s it. I’m out. I’m pissed.’

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Former soldier Daniel Khalife’s trial delayed after prison escape https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/former-soldier-daniel-khalifes-trial-delayed-after-prison-escape-19660238/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 15:00:30 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19660238
Daniel Abed Khalife: Terror suspect escapes Wandsworth Prison
Daniel Khalife was due to go on trial on November 13 (Picture: Sky News)

The trial of former soldier Daniel Khalife, who is accused of spying for Iran, has been pushed back to next summer following his escape from prison. 

The 22-year-old sparked a 75-hour manhunt after slipping out of HMP Wandsworth strapped to the bottom of a food delivery van on September 6. 

He was due to go on trial on November 13 but at a hearing on Friday Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said that was ‘wholly unrealistic’ and put the case back. 

Khalife is charged under the Official Secrets Act of gathering information that might be useful to an enemy of the UK between May 1, 2019, and January 6, 2022. 

He is said to have passed sensitive material to Iranian intelligence and had more material in his possession for that purpose, which he denies. 

The charge against him says that for a ‘purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state’ he ‘obtained, circulated, recorded, published or communicated to any other person notes, documents or information’ which might be or were intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy. 

A second charge alleges Khalife elicited information about armed forces personnel on August 2, 2021. 

This allegedly relates to him ‘obtaining personal information from the MoD (Ministry of Defence) Joint Personnel Administration system of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism’. 

(FILES) An undated handout photo released by Britain's Metropolitan Police in London on September 6, 2023, shows Daniel Khalife who has escaped from HMP Wandsworth prison. UK police on Saturday, September 9, arrested a terror suspect who escaped from a London prison earlier this week, sparking a nationwide manhunt. (Photo by Metropolitan Police / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT
Khalife is charged under the Official Secrets Act (Picture: Getty)

He is also charged with perpetrating a bomb hoax on or before January 2. 

The charge says he placed ‘three canisters with wires on a desk in his accommodation’ to spark fears it was ‘likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property’. 

While on remand on those charges at Wandsworth prison in south London, it is alleged Khalife escaped on September 6 by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery lorry. 

He was arrested on a canal towpath in west London on September 9 after being pulled off a push bike by a plain-clothes counter-terrorism officer. 

Khalife has denied all the charges against him. 

Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Daniel Khalife, appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London, where he is charged with escaping while a prisoner at HMP Wandsworth while on remand pending a trial at the Old Bailey. He was arrested on Saturday following a four-day manhunt. Picture date: Monday September 11, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Army. Photo credit should read: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire
Court artist of Daniel Khalife, appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London (Picture: PA)

On Friday, he appeared at the Old Bailey by video link from Belmarsh prison wearing a blue and yellow jumpsuit. 

During the hearing, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said the planned trial date at Woolwich Crown Court in November was ‘wholly unrealistic’. 

He set a further hearing for December 21, when a new trial date at either Woolwich Crown Court or the Old Bailey will be discussed. 

Khalife, who spoke only to confirm his identity, was further remanded into custody. 

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Parents of abducted Israeli woman wish her happy birthday in hope she sees message https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/israel-parents-of-woman-abducted-by-hamas-wish-her-happy-birthday-19657768/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/israel-parents-of-woman-abducted-by-hamas-wish-her-happy-birthday-19657768/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:45:29 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19657768
Photos of abducted Noa and her mother
Noa’s parents hope that she will see their birthday message to her (Picture: Noa Argamani/Facebook)

The parents of a woman who was taken hostage by Hamas have wished their daughter a happy 26th birthday.

Sharing a message via the state of Israel’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, they said they hope the messages will ‘somehow’ reach missing Noa Argamani.

Noa was reportedly abducted during a music festival on Saturday.

The post includes a photo of Noa smiling with a beautiful backdrop of mountains behind her, as well as the hashtag #HappyBirthdayNoa.

It is urging people to share the post as widely as possible so that it might reach Noa, who is believed to be among Hamas’s hostages.

Hamas carried out an attack on Israel on Saturday, which left more than 1,200 people dead, according to an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson.

Noa Argaman,i Facebook 22 October 2022 Hamas attack on Israel. Hostage. https://www.facebook.com/noa.argamani/photos
Noa’s parents are asking for their message to be shared far and wide (Picture: Noa Argamani/ Facebook)
Noa Argamani's father Yaakov Argamani and mother Liora Argamani (Picture: X)
Noa Argamani’s father Yaakov Argamani and mother Liora Argamani said their daughter has been taken hostage by Hamas (Picture: X)

They attacked crowds early in the morning on Saturday at the Supernova music festival in Kibbutz, Re’im, about three miles from the Gaza border.

A video has been shared showing festivalgoers being marched away by Hamas.

Relatives of Noa Argamani and her partner Avinatan Or said to Israeli media that the couple had been taken hostage.

The post on X, shared yesterday, reads: ‘This beautiful woman is named Noa. She was taken hostage by Hamas during a music festival.

‘Today is her 26th birthday. Her parents ask that we all wish her a happy birthday with the hope that maybe somehow these messages will reach her. Please share. #HappyBirthdayNoa’

In this image from video obtained by the AP, Avinatan Or, second left, and his partner, Noa Argamani, not pictured, are seized by members of the Hamas militant group during an incursion into Israel on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Israeli media reported that the couple had been attending a dance music festival in the desert when militants overran the area. The writing in Arabic at left in the video posted on social media reads,
In a video is claimed that Noa and her partner are being abducted from the music festival by Hamas (Picture: AP)
Noa Argamani Facebook 1 April 2023 Tenerife Spain https://www.facebook.com/noa.argamani/photos - 12609557
Noa was at the Supernova music festival about 3 miles from the border with Gaza (Picture: Noa Argamani)
In this image from video obtained by the AP, Noa Argamani reacts as she and her partner Avinatan Or, not pictured, are seized by members of the Hamas militant group during an incursion into Israel on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Israeli media reported that the couple had been attending a dance music festival in the desert when militants overran the area. The writing in Arabic at left in the video posted on social media reads,
Hamas attacked crowds at a music festival in Israel on Saturday morning (Picture: AP)

Since the attack on Saturday, the Israeli death toll has surpassed 1,300. 

In further updates, Palestinian health officials say that at least 1,200 people have died in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

More than 338,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said.

Multiple governments have arranged repatriation flights from Tel Aviv for their citizens.

Israeli strikes overnight targeted Hamas’s Nukhba, which spearheaded Saturday’s attacks.

Hamas media said 15 Palestinians had been killed and several wounded.

No decision on a ground incursion has been made, but the Israeli military said it is ‘preparing’ for it.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Posters of children kidnapped by Hamas ripped off walls in London https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/women-rip-down-posters-of-kidnapped-israeli-children-for-palestine-19657661/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/women-rip-down-posters-of-kidnapped-israeli-children-for-palestine-19657661/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:16:59 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19657661
Caption: Outrage in London as women tear down posters of children kidnapped by Hamas
One of the women yelled ‘this is for Palestine’ when challenged

Two women have been filmed tearing down posters in London highlighting the victims of Hamas kidnappings.

The posters, which children, elderly women and other civilians believed to have been dragged from their homes in Israel amid this weekend’s surprise attack by the militants, have appeared in several locations around the capital.

Israeli authorities have confirmed the identities of 97 kidnap victims, but many more are unaccounted for.

They include a baby Ariel, her brother Kfir and their mother Shiri Silberman-Bibas, who were filmed being manhandled by Hamas fighters after the Nir Oz kibbutz was ransacked and set ablaze.

Two women have since been filmed ripping the posters from walls outside Mornington Crescent Tube station in north-west London.

An onlooker is heard challenging them, asking: ‘Why don’t you do something for Palestine?’

One of the women turns around and replies: ‘This is for Palestine!’.

A British-Israeli woman who filmed the incident said she was verbally abused and intimidated by passers-by while she and her mother put the posters up.

Uncleared grabs: Children posters
The women were said to have started tearing down the posters immediately after they were put up

Neta Fibeesh caught a last-minute flight from Tel Aviv to London on Saturday and has since witnessed renewed hatred towards Jewish people in the UK.

She told MailOnline: ‘I feel safer in the UK because it’s not a warzone, but it is still really unpleasant here. It’s just really upsetting. 

‘I know a lot of people who are scared about being Jewish now in the UK. 

‘One of my friends is more religious than me, he wears a kippah and has been walking around for several days with a hat, and my dad saw someone wearing a kippah get sworn at.’

Rishi Sunak has called on police chiefs to clamp down on incidents of antisemitism.

Two Jewish schools closed this week and will only tentatively reopen on Monday amid tensions.

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Israeli diplomat stabbed in the street in Beijing https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/israeli-diplomat-stabbed-in-the-street-in-beijing-19659703/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/israeli-diplomat-stabbed-in-the-street-in-beijing-19659703/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:43:02 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19659703

A staffer at the Israeli embassy in Beijing has been stabbed in the street.

Police arrested the 53-year-old attacker, described as a foreigner, while the Israeli government confirmed the 50-year-old victim is in a stable condition in hospital.

No motive was given for the attack, which took place close to the embassy, but it comes after Israel criticised China’s statement following the unprecedented attack by Hamas.

It also occurred against the backdrop of worldwide protests by Muslims at Israel’s intense retaliatory bombing campaign in Gaza.

An investigation into the attack is underway, the statement said.

Unverified videos on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed a blood-stained man lying on the pavement by a car, telling bystanders he was from the Israeli embassy.

In the video, a police officer can be heard identifying himself as a member of the Xinyuanli police station, located in northeastern Beijing, near the embassy district and a popular market frequented by foreigners for fresh produce.

Screen grab obtained from a social media video shows the scene of the stabbing of an Israeli embassy staff member, in Beijing, China, October 13, 2023. Video Obtained By Reuters/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
The scene of the stabbing of an Israeli embassy staff member, in Beijing, China (Picture: Reuters)
SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB. Police assist an Israeli diplomat who was stabbed, in Beijing, China, October 13, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Video Obtained By Reuters/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
Police assist an Israeli diplomat who was stabbed (Picture: Reuters)

Earlier, on Thursday, Israeli ambassador Rafi Harpaz spoke with China’s envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, to express his country’s ‘deep disappointment’ at Beijing’s response to the Hamas attack.

The foreign ministry said there was ‘no clear and unequivocal condemnation of the terrible massacre committed by the terrorist organization Hamas against innocent civilians and the abduction of dozens of them to Gaza’.

It added: ‘The Chinese announcements do not contain any element of Israel’s right to defend itself and its citizens, a fundamental right of any sovereign country that was attacked in an unprecedented manner and with cruelty that has no place in human society.’

Asked about the Israeli statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated that China opposes acts harming citizens and violating international law.

‘China will continue to work unremittingly for de-escalation of the situation and the resumption of peace talks,’ he said.

A Chinese paramilitary policeman stands guard at the entrance to the Israeli embassy in Beijing on October 13, 2023, after an embassy employee was attacked elsewhere in the city. An Israeli embassy worker in Beijing was attacked on October 13, Israel's foreign ministry said. (Photo by MICHAEL ZHANG / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL ZHANG/AFP via Getty Images)
A Chinese paramilitary policeman stands guard at the entrance to the Israeli embassy in Beijing (Picture: AFP via Getty)

In Beijing, about half-a-dozen plainclothes police were stationed outside the Israeli Embassy in addition to the normal contingent of uniformed officers.

Just over a mile away at the Palestinian Embassy in Beijing, plainclothes officers were also on hand and one was tightening wires on a fence.

Since the war broke out, anti-Semitic remarks have surged on Chinese social media.

Bombarded with hostile messages, the Israeli Embassy in Beijing is filtering comments on its Chinese social media account.

The embassy selected a comment that said, ‘Support Israel! Destroy the terrorist organization!’ — the remarks got 5,700 likes.

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Winner of the 2023 Fat Bear Contest revealed https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/grazer-is-winner-of-the-2023-fat-bear-contest-19659437/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/grazer-is-winner-of-the-2023-fat-bear-contest-19659437/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:19:06 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19659437
In this photo provided by the National Park Service is Grazeer, the winner of the 2023 Fat Bear Contest, at Katmai National Park, Alaska on Sept. 14, 2023. The park holds an annual contest in which people logging on to live webcams in park pick the fattest bear of the year. Grazer had 108,321 votes to handily beat Chunk, who has 23,134 votes, in the Oct. 10, 2023, finals. (F. Jimenez/National Park Service via AP)
Grazer won the 2023 fat bear contest (Picture: AP)

If you go down in the woods today you’re sure of a very big surprise if you encounter the aptly named Grazer.

She is a bear who has just been named as the winner of the 2023 fat bear contest.

But don’t worry if you’re thinking her BMI is a cause for concern – she needs to pack on the pounds to survive the winter in Alaska.

Grazer, also known as Bear 128 to the fans of Fat Bear Week at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, won this year’s contest, handily defeating Chunk 108,321 to 23,134 in the finals.

The annual contest, which this year drew more than 1.3 million votes from dedicated fans watching the bears live at explore.org, is way to celebrate the resiliency of the brown bears that live on the preserve on the Alaska Peninsula, which extends from the state’s southwest corner toward the Aleutian Islands.

Viewers of Alaska’s most-watched popularity contest are glued to computer screens all summer long to see which bears are stocking up the most on salmon.

They then vote in tournament style brackets over the course of a week, advancing bears to the next round until a champion is crowned. Grazer took the title Tuesday.

According to Grazer’s biography on the Katmai website, the large adult female is often one of the fattest bears to collect salmon on Brooks River inside Katmai.

Park officials call her ‘one of the best anglers’ in the park, fishing day or night from many different parts of the river, even chasing down fleeing salmon.

Grazer is one of an estimated 2,200 brown bears that call Katmai home.

A true mama bear, she’s known to attack larger bears, even adult males, to ensure her cubs are safe. She’s used her skills to successfully raise two litters of cubs.

This year’s contest was in peril just weeks ago. Had Congress not come to a last-minute deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September, Fat Bear Week would have been postponed since park employees would not have been allowed to count the votes.

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Warm Home Discount Scheme: Full list of energy suppliers giving out £150 energy bills help this winter https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/warm-home-discount-which-energy-suppliers-19658978/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/warm-home-discount-which-energy-suppliers-19658978/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:07:20 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19658978
Thermostat Control
Help is available for those struggling to pay energy bills (Picture: Getty Images)

The price of energy bills is once again set to be an issue for millions this winter as the cost of living crisis continues to have an impact.

Although the energy price cap now stands at £1,923, a fall from its level of £2,074 in July, bills are set to remain high given that this year there is no discount being given by the Government – as there was for six months in 2022 and early 2023.

Many of us will of course continue to seek help from the Government in the form of benefits, and the second cost of living payment – due to be arriving in eligible people’s accounts in the coming weeks.

But many energy companies are also offering help to customers in need this winter – in the shape of a payment known as the Warm Home Discount.

What is the discount and is your energy supplier among those taking part?

What is the Warm Home Discount?

The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a government-run plan to cut costs on energy bills by £150 over the Winter of 2022 to 2023.

The scheme does not pay money directly to an individual. It is instead operated as a one-off discount on electricity bills between October 2023 and early 2024.

The scheme is due to open again on Monday October 16.

File photo dated 32/07/2018 of a handheld smart meter in a London home. Households will pay less for their gas and electricity from Saturday amid warnings that bills will still be almost double the amount they were before the energy crisis began. Issue date: Friday June 30, 2023. PA Photo. The average household energy bill will fall by ?426 a year from July 1 after Ofgem dropped its price cap following tumbling wholesale prices. The regulator is cutting its price cap from ?3,280 to ?2,074 in a relief for consumers who have seen typical bills soar from ?1,271 a year in October 2021 due to the global gas crisis. See PA story CONSUMER Energy. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Although the price cap has fallen bills are set to remain high (Picture: PA)

Who is eligible for the Warm Home Discount?

If you live in England or Wales, Gov.UK lists two criteria to meet in order to qualify for the warm home discount:

If you live in Scotland, the above criteria also apply, but you can also qualify by meeting your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme.

The scheme is not available in Northern Ireland.

You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier gives you both and you are eligible.

You should also receive the discount if you are on a pre-pay or top-up meter – for example in the form of a voucher.

You should speak to your supplier directly in both cases.

Are you eligible for the Warm Home Discount this winter?Comment Now

Which suppliers participate in the Warm Home Discount?

If you are with one of the following you should receive the discount if you ae eligible:

  • 100Green (formerly Green Energy UK or GEUK)
  • Affect Energy
  • Atlantic
  • Boost
  • British Gas
  • Bulb Energy
  • Co-op Energy
  • E
  • Ecotricity
  • E.ON Next
  • EDF
  • Good Energy
  • London Power
  • Octopus Energy
  • Outfox the Market
  • OVO
  • Rebel Energy
  • Sainsbury’s Energy
  • Scottish Gas
  • Scottish Hydro
  • ScottishPower
  • Shell Energy Retail
  • So Energy
  • Southern Electric
  • SSE Energy Services
  • Swalec
  • Tomato Energy
  • TruEnergy
  • Utilita
  • Utility Warehouse

MORE : Labour says its got key to £200,000,000,000 to make UK a clean energy superpower

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The simple Martin Lewis tip that will save you £450 this winter https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/martin-lewis-fan-shares-change-which-helped-her-save-450-on-bills-19658307/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/martin-lewis-fan-shares-change-which-helped-her-save-450-on-bills-19658307/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:23:00 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19658307
Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock (14014581x) Martin Lewis 'Good Morning Britain' TV show, London, UK - 19 Jul 2023
A change suggested by Martin Lewis helped a fan save more than 50% on her water bills (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

A woman says she’s saving £450 on her annual household bills after making a simple change suggested by Martin Lewis.

Gloria wrote to the Money Saving Expert founder to say she took his advice about installing a water meter after her annual water bill came to an eye-watering £799.

After using the meter for six months, she received a bill and was shocked to find itwas significantly lower than before.

Writing in the letter, which was published in the latest Money Saving Expert newsletter, Gloria, said: ‘I’ve just had my half-yearly bill and, based on that estimate, our annual bill should be around the £350 mark [saving £449/year].

‘I’ve done absolutely nothing different as regards water consumption. Many thanks once again.’

With a water bill you only pay for what you use – without, the water company estimates your usage based on the size of your home.

Martin has previously said that a number of households could save money by having a water meter installed, but not everyone.

Close up of water meter with rotating digit.
With a water meter you only pay for what you use (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

His ‘rule of thumb’ is that if you have the same or more bedrooms than people in your home it could be worth having one.

So, for example, you have a four-bedroom home but there are only two or three people living there.

But before making a decision, he recommends using the Consumer for Water’s water meter calculator, which asks you about your average usage, then tells you how much this might cost when using a meter.

Questions include how many people live in your home, how many baths and showers do you take, do you use a dishwasher and how often and what do you currently pay.

Water bills rose by more than 10% in some areas of the UK in April, with the average annual cost currently £448.

Cropped shot of Asian woman sitting at dining table, handling personal finance with laptop. She is making financial plan and planning budget as she go through her financial bills, tax and expenses at home. Wealth management, banking and finance concept
Water bills rose by more than 10% in some areas of the UK in April (Picture: Getty Images)

Yesterday we shared another handy Martin Lewis tip that could see shoppers bag themselves some bonus cash ahead of Christmas.

Tesco customers have the chance to earn the extra money as part of the Clubard Christmas Saver program.

However, time is running out to claim your cash – if you don’t claim it by the middle of this month you could miss out.

This scheme offers a 6% bonus on the amount you save – which will be given to you in the form of a voucher.

MORE : Martin Lewis says letters saying HMRC owes people £10,000s isn’t a scam

MORE : Martin Lewis explains his silence over Israel-Hamas conflict as a Jewish man

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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British-Israeli man forced to hide in safe room with wife for 19 hours during Hamas attack https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/british-israeli-man-hid-in-safe-room-for-19-hours-during-hamas-attack-19657174/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:41:09 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19657174
Caption: (Picture: Getty; Mark Joffe)
Mark and Ruth Joffe are among residents who sought shelter in their safe rooms during the Hamas attack on the Kfar Aza community (Picture: Getty/Mark Joffe)

A British-Israeli man has described how he and his wife hid for 19 hours as Hamas gunmen carried out a massacre at their kibbutz close to the border with the Gaza Strip.  

Mark and Ruth Joffe took shelter in their home’s safe room as the terrorists roamed Kfar Aza in the first hours of the unprecedented mass incursion which began early on Saturday.  

The London-born resident, 71, spoke to Metro.co.uk as the full horrifying details of the attack on the community a few kilometres east of the Israel-Gaza border continue to emerge.  

The assault was eventually put down after the elite Unit 71, an experienced team of paratroopers, arrived 12 hours after the militants began the killing.

Still shaken by the ordeal, the retired teacher told how he and his wife ran to their safe room after hearing rocket fire and the kibbutz’s alarm system. 

They initially left the secure area believing the sound had been one of the sporadic missile attacks launched from Gaza before hearing long bursts of automatic weapon fire. 

Mark and Ruth Joffe were led to safety by Israeli Defence Force troops who arrived at their kibbutz in the early hours
Residents of the Kfar Aza kibbutz are evacuated to safety by the Israeli Defence Force in the darkness (Picture: Mark Joffe)

Mr Joffe, who was born in north London, said: ‘We went back in the safe room and closed the door, it must have been about seven in the morning and we were there continuously until two o’clock the following morning.

‘Fortunately, we had electricity for most of that time and WhatsApp communications, including with the local neighbourhood and a second hand goods group for the kibbutz which my son runs from Tel Aviv.

‘For six hours, the only people out in the streets were Hamas terrorists.  

‘They entered six houses in our road, it was horrendous, they blew their way in or forced their way in, and shot up the houses.

Mark and Ruth Joffe were led to safety by Israeli Defence Force troops who arrived at their kibbutz in the early hours
Mark and Ruth Joffe were led to safety by Israeli Defence Force troops who arrived at their kibbutz in the early hours (Picture: Mark Joffe)

‘They managed to force their way into two safe rooms belonging to old people in our road and murdered them.

‘Those two families sent last WhatsApp messages saying the gunmen were outside the safe room trying to get in, then they stopped sending messages. For some unknown reason they didn’t try to get into our house.’ 

Guards at the kibbutz were killed as they fought the heavily armed gunmen, according to a BBC report this week. As the atrocity unfolded, the intruders forced some of the residents from their reinforced safe rooms, which are primarily designed to protect against rocket fire.

The father-of-three, who previously worked as a biology teacher and community youth worker in the UK, was able to follow news of the mass incursion on a laptop before it became too much.

Mark and Ruth Joffe were led to safety by Israeli Defence Force troops who arrived at their kibbutz in the early hours
A still from a video purportedly showing Hamas terrorists during the attack on Kfar Aza (Picture: South First Responders/Telegram)
Mark and Ruth Joffe were led to safety by Israeli Defence Force troops who arrived at their kibbutz in the early hours
A still from a video purportedly found on a GoPro camera recovered from a dead Hamas fighter (Picture: South First Responders/Telegram)

‘We simply had to close it down because it just became too psychologically difficult to watch,’ he said. ‘We preferred simply just to listen to the news.

‘At about twelve noon the army did manage to enter the kibbutz.

‘The elite units who are trained for this type of situation were the first in but they were dealing with the same situation in many kibbutzim and were outnumbered by the Hamas terrorists. 

‘They didn’t start getting a handle on the situation until the early evening. We got messages saying if you hear people outside, even if they speak Hebrew to you, don’t open the safe room door, because it might be terrorists trying to trick you. It turned out to be true.’ 

The ordeal continued for residents even as the forward Israeli Defence Force units reached homes in areas where the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters had been killed or driven out.  

Map
The Kfar Azar kibbutz was among towns and settlements first in the militants’ sights as they broke through the border (Picture: Created with Datawrapper)

Mr Joffe, who has dual British-Israeli nationality, said: ‘At about two o’clock in the morning we got messages that the army was going house to house and we had five minutes to get organised and leave.

‘At first my wife didn’t want me to open the door, but I did, and we got what few possessions we could together and joined around 20 families on our road who were escorted by soldiers in battle formation.  

‘We stayed in another house at they gathered our neighbours from another road and then we were all escorted, surrounded by the soldiers, for about a kilometre in the dark until we got to a petrol station. There was firing going on in the kibbutz all the time.’ 

KFAR AZA, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 10: A view of a house left in ruins after an attack by Hamas militants on this kibbutz days earlier when dozens of civilians were killed near the border with Gaza, on October 10, 2023 in Kfar Gaza, Israel. Israel has sealed off Gaza and conducted airstrikes on Palestinian territory after an attack by Hamas killed hundreds and took more than 100 hostages. On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza by land, sea, and air, killing over 700 people and wounding more than 2000. Israeli soldiers and civilians have also been taken hostage by Hamas and moved into Gaza. The attack prompted a declaration of war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and ongoing retaliatory strikes by Israel on Gaza killing hundreds.(Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
A ruined house in Kfar Aza after an attack by Hamas militants during the mass incursion on October 7 (Picture: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
KFAR AZA, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 10: Israeli soldiers patrol near burned houses after an attack by Palestinian militants on this kibbutz near the borde with Gaza on October 10, 2023 in Kfar Gaza, Israel. Israel has sealed off Gaza and conducted airstrikes on Palestinian territory after Hamas attack killed hundreds and took nearly 100 hostages. On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza by land, sea, and air, killing over 700 people and wounding more than 2000. Israeli soldiers and civilians have also been taken hostage by Hamas and moved into Gaza. The attack prompted a declaration of war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and ongoing retaliatory strikes by Israel on Gaza killing hundreds. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Israeli soldiers patrol near burned houses in Kfar Aza after the attack by Palestinian militants (Picture: Amir Levy/Getty Images)

The couple and their neighbours were then driven in open army trucks to the nearby town of Netivot, where they were given mattresses on the floor and a generous amount of food, before being taken by bus to their current place of shelter at the Shefayim kibbutz near Tel Aviv.

Mr Joffe, who moved to Israel’s border area 37 years ago, is among those left trying to contemplate the horror inflicted on their community.

‘Everyone here is surrounded by donations of food, clothes and we have psychologists trying to help us understand what’s happened,’ he said.  

‘The community has been slaughtered.

‘As I understand it, we have between 45 and 50 known dead and an unknown number of people who are missing.  

‘They are only issuing the names of people whose bodies are in our hands and have been identified. It’s quite clear we are not going to be allowed anywhere near our house for weeks. Everyone has been left just trying to cope with an unimaginable situation.’  

The Israeli authorities said men, women, children and babies had been killed in the attack on the kibbutz. The Jerusalem Post said yesterday that it could confirm that reports of babies being burnt and decapitated in the assault on the kibbutz were correct and added: ‘May their memory be a blessing.’

KFAR AZA, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 10: IDF soldiers guard near a waving Israeli flag outside Kibbutz Kfar Aza where dozens of civilians were killed days earlier in an attack by Hamas militants on this near the border with Gaza, on October 10, 2023 in Kfar Aza, Israel. Israel has sealed off Gaza and conducted airstrikes on Palestinian territory after an attack by Hamas killed hundreds and took more than 100 hostages. On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza by land, sea, and air, killing over 700 people and wounding more than 2000. Israeli soldiers and civilians have also been taken hostage by Hamas and moved into Gaza. The attack prompted a declaration of war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and ongoing retaliatory strikes by Israel on Gaza killing hundreds. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Israeli Defence Force soldiers stand guard outside Kfar Aza after clearing the area of Hamas fighters (Picture: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty)

The Israeli military said that more than 1,300 people have been killed in the country, with more than 3,000 people wounded. The Gaza Ministry of Health said that more than 1,500 people have been killed in Jerusalem’s retaliatory strikes, with more than 6,600 others wounded.

Israel has imposed a blockade of food, fuel and electricity into the Palestinian territory ahead of an expected ground offensive. 

MORE : Bar workers tell of dramatic escape after Hamas gunmen attack party on Israeli beach

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Lidl worker with ‘Revenge’ manifesto guilty of plot to carry out mass killings https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/lidl-worker-obsessed-mass-shootings-serial-killers-weapons-charges-19658418/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:16:11 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19658418

A Lidl warehouse worker who has a fascination with infamous killers and mass shootings and planned a ‘hitman-style attack’ will be jailed.

Reed Wischhusen, 32, was found guilty at Bristol Crown Court of having an explosive substance and possessing ammunition with intent to kill people.

Wischusen was also found guilty of possessing a prohibited firearm without a certificate.

He listed people he believed had wronged him in the past as targets for an attack in a document called ‘Revenge’.

In the document, he wrote: ‘Yes, revenge is on my mind it’s a powerful motivator, be nice to get back at the people who caused me stress and worry over the years it’s been eating away at my brain like cancer.’

Prosecutors argued the ‘revenge’ document had outlined his murderous intentions – and said he was ‘building’ the weaponry needed to turn it into a reality.

Wischhusen previously admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing a prohibited firearm and possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate.

Video grab from police bodycam footage of the police visit to Reed Wischhusen's homen Wick St Lawrence, near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on 28 November 2022. Released October 4 2023. See SWNS story SWCCshooter.A firearms officer said he 'thought he was going to die' as he shot a man accused of assembling an arsenal of weapons for a 'revenge' killing spree at his former primary school. Reed Wischhusen, 32, who a court heard fantasised over infamous school shootings including at Columbine and Dunblane, was seen in body worn footage rushing down the stairs to confront cops with a gun.In videos, which have been shown to the jury, three shots are heard being fired as officers battle to restrain him.They later found he had drawn up a chilling 'kill-list' of former classmates, teachers and police staff he wanted to target, a jury was told.
Video grab from police bodycam footage of the police visit to Reed Wischhusen’s home on November 28 2022 (Picture: von and Somerset Police/SWNS)
Undated handout photo issued by Avon and Somerset Police of a homemade submachine gun found in Reed Wischhusen's house. Wischhusen is charged with possessing an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and two counts of possessing a firearm and two counts of possessing ammunition. Issue date: Thursday October 5, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Weapons . Photo credit should read: Avon and Somerset Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
A homemade submachine gun found in Reed Wischhusen’s house (Picture: PA)
Reed Wischhusen. Photo released October 13 2023. See SWNS story SWCCverdict.A gunman who assembled an arsenal of weapons over a decade and planned a 'Columbine-style' attack has been found guilty of all charges.Reed Wischhusen, 32, was convicted by a jury after of multiple counts including 'attempting to endanger life' by storing firearms, ammunition and explosives at his home. He had already admitted other charges of 'possession' and will be sentenced in December. The defendant had drawn up the 'kill-list' of former classmates and others he wanted to target, a jury was told.
Wischhusen will be jailed following his trial at Bristol Crown Court (Picture: Avon and Somerset Constabulary/SWNS)

The judge said: ‘In terms of where we go from here, I would not be prepared to sentence without a pre-sentence report and I will order one and it will have to look at the issue of dangerousness.

‘I think there should also be a psychiatric report because there are so many troubling features about the defendant’s conduct.’

During the one-week trial, the court heard how the Lidl worker had a fascination with mass shootings like the Oklahoma bombing in 1995, Dunblane massacre in 1996 and the Columbine shooting in 1999.

He was described as having developed a ‘macabre interest in infamous killers’ such as Thomas Hamilton, the Dunblane shooter, Raoul Moat, and American cop killer Ralph Mclean.

Wischhusen attempted to take his own life during a police search of his home in November 2022.

The jury was directed by Judge Martin Picton earlier to find Wischhusen guilty of an eighth charge of having an explosive substance.

He has been remanded in custody until his sentence on December 15 and the judge ordered pre-sentence reports.

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Neanderthals were way more more fierce – and stylish – than we thought https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/neanderthals-were-way-more-fierce-and-stylish-than-we-thought-19658445/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/neanderthals-were-way-more-fierce-and-stylish-than-we-thought-19658445/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:07:19 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19658445
Neanderthals were able to hunt and kill top predators
Neanderthals were able to hunt and kill top predators (Picture: Julio Lacerda)

Neanderthals were better hunters than previously thought – and more fashion conscious.

Evidence from a cave in Siegsdorf, Germany, suggests not only were Neanderthals able to kill top predators for food, rather than easier prey such as deer or mammoths, but that they spent considerable time fashioning their pelts into clothes.

The 48,000-year-old remains of a Eurasian cave lion, an extinct species larger than the modern lion, suggest that it was eaten by Neanderthals. Cut marks on its ribs, vertebrae and left thigh bone led researchers to believe the animal had been butchered after it died.

Now however, a team from the University of Tübingen, Germany, has found evidence to support the theory that the big cat was hunted and killed, hit by a flying spear.

A partial puncture wound on the inside of the lion’s third rib is consistent with being struck by a wooden-tipped spear. The puncture is angled, suggesting the spear entered the left side of the lion’s abdomen and went through vital organs before hitting the third rib on the right side.

The puncture resembles those found on deer remains caused by Neanderthal spears, but had previously been misidentified as a wound from another predator.

The remains of the cave lion hunted by Neanderthals
The remains of the cave lion hunted by Neanderthals (Picture: Volker Minkus)

In addition, Homo sapiens – humans – who were savvy hunters, had not yet established populations in Europe.

Put together, the evidence suggests Neanderthals were not afraid to tackle more fierce beasts when out hunting.

And after the kill, it seems our early relatives made the most of the leftovers. In recent years it has become known that Neanderthals wore animal pelts, perhaps fashioned into capes or simply draped over their shoulders.

However, the bones of three further big cats analysed by the Tübingen team suggest their paws were left attached to the pelt when making the clothes.

The bones, from the toes and lower limbs, were found alone in the cave, not as part of a skeleton. In addition, they show cut marks consistent with those created when an animal is skinned. This suggests they were left attached to the pelt, which was later abandoned in the cave and has long since disappeared. 

While it isn’t known why the Neanderthals did this, the wearing of their pelts, adorned with special features such as these, suggests big cats may have played a culturally meaningful role in Neanderthal society.

The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

MORE : The pros and cons of being a little bit Neanderthal

MORE : Oldest ever Neanderthal carvings unearthed in sealed cave

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Is it going to snow in London? Met Office latest as temperatures set to plunge across the country https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/snow-london-met-office-latest-19658005/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/snow-london-met-office-latest-19658005/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 11:22:35 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19658005
Big Ben in the snow
How long before London looks like this? (Picture: Getty Images)

The UK has had a warm start to autumn this year, with temperatures well above the average even as we’ve headed into October – but that’s all come crashing to a halt.

Because as well as heavy rain sweeping the country – with a yellow warning in place across parts of the country until midnight on Friday – the temperature is set to drop dramatically over the weekend.

Expect things to feel a whole lot colder – maybe even to the point that you’ll want to whack the heating on for the first time this season.

There’s even talk of snow in some parts – but could London see a dusting of flakes?

Here’s what you need to know…

Is it going to snow in London?

While we may be in for a cold snap, there’s no snow forecast for London in the coming days.

However, we could still be in for the first snow of the season, with wintry showers predicted to fall in some higher areas of Scotland.

The Met Office’s forecast for Scotland reads: ‘Saturday will be a bright and breezy day, with sunny spells and showers. Showers falling as snow across the hills in Scotland. Feeling colder for all.’

From Sunday to Tuesday, the Met Office predicts for the south: ‘Turning brighter, fresher, and chillier through the period, with good spells of autumn sunshine.

‘Largely settled, with the odd shower. Overnight fog and frost possible, especially in rural spots.’

BBC Weather predicts that the temperature in London could plummet by as much as 10 degrees over the weekend – to around 11C in the capital.

Are you ready for the temperature drop in London? Share your autumn plans below!Comment Now

However, slightly warmer conditions are expected into the early part of next week as the mercury rises into the mid-teens.

Of the coming days, Alex Burkill, Met Office meteorologist said: ‘Some places will be 10°C lower than they were last weekend.’

He continued: ‘Looking at the details for Saturday, it’s a bright sunny picture for many of us to start. But showers feeding in from cold northerly wind.’

But these will be, ‘scattered,’ he added, with ‘bright sunny spells.’

How cold does it need to be for snow?

For snow to fall and stick, ground temperatures need to be below 2 degrees.

In the UK, the heaviest snow falls tend to happen when the air temperature is between 0 and 2 degrees.

A car makes it way along the A939 after heavy snowfall in the Cairngorms
It has to be a lot colder for us to have conditions like this (Picture: PA)

If the air temperature is above freezing then falling snow will begin to melt.

Snow will fall as sleet in temperatures above 2 degrees, and fall as rain in temperatures over 5 degrees.

So we’re still well above optimum snow temperatures in most of the UK – but with the colder months drawing in, all that could change in the coming weeks.

MORE : UK is washed away as winds reach 80mph with more weather warnings in place

MORE : After September’s record-breaking spell of weather here’s whether we can expect another 30C heatwave in 2023

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Scientists think they have found one of the causes of autism https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/autism-treatment-breakthrough-neurodiversity-schizophrenia-19657752/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/autism-treatment-breakthrough-neurodiversity-schizophrenia-19657752/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:04:00 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19657752
Treating neurological disorders early on will have a major impact on children's lives
Treating neurological disorders early on will have a major impact on children’s lives (posed for by models) (Picture: Getty)

New ways of treating serious neurological disorders in children – including autism and schizophrenia – could be in the pipeline following a major breakthrough.

American researchers have found that brain inflammation in youngsters may cause the disorders.

The team discovered that inflammation stops some neurons from maturing in the developing brain – a breakthrough which they say could open the door to new treatments.

Severe inflammation in early childhood is a clinically known risk factor for developing autism and schizophrenia.

Now, for the first time, scientists from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have discovered that inflammation alters the development of vulnerable brain cells, and could have links to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Using single-cell genomics to study the brains of children who died from inflammatory conditions – such as bacterial or viral infections or asthma – along with those who died in a sudden accident, the research team found inflammation in early childhood prevents specific neurons in the cerebellum from maturing completely.

Professor Margaret McCarthy
Professor Margaret McCarthy (Picture: Stephen Spartana)

The cerebellum is a brain region responsible for motor control and cognitive functions used in language, social skills, and emotional regulation.

Previous research has shown that babies born with abnormalities of the cerebellum often go on to experience neurodevelopmental disorders, and animal models exposed to inflammation before birth also develop the conditions.

‘We looked at the cerebellum because it is one of the first brain regions to begin developing and one of the last to reach its maturity, but it remains understudied,’ said study co-leader Dr Seth Ament, of UMSOM.

‘With the fairly new technology of single nucleus RNA sequencing we could look at the cell level to see changes in the brains.’

Co-leader Professor Margaret McCarthy said: ‘This has never been done before in this age group and in the context of inflammation.

‘The gene expression in the cerebella of children with inflammation were remarkably consistent.’

Dr Seth Ament
Dr Seth Ament (Picture: Stephen Spartana)

The research team examined donated post-mortem brain tissues of 17 children who died when they were one to five years old, eight from conditions that involved inflammation and nine from accidents.

None of the donors had been diagnosed with a neurological disorder.

The study found that two specific, yet rare, types of neurons were most vulnerable to brain inflammation – the Golgi and Purkinje neurons.

The researchers explained that, following inflammation, these two types of neurons showed premature disruption of their maturation.

‘Although rare, Purkinje and Golgi neurons have critical functions,’ said Dr Ament.

‘During development, Purkinje neurons form synapses connecting the cerebellum to other brain regions involved in cognition or emotional control, while Golgi neurons coordinate communication between cells within the cerebellum.

‘Disruption of either of these developmental processes could explain how inflammation contributes to conditions like autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia.’

He said, as with many diseases, both genetics and the environment – in this case, inflammation – likely contribute to the risk of developing the disorders.

The new study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, is part of a collection of more than 20 papers describing the development and diversity of cell types in the human brain.

MORE : Autism could be diagnosed years earlier with simple test that would change children’s lives

MORE : Breakthrough treatment could save sick children from life of dialysis

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Horrifying ‘vampire’ wasp eats its victims from the inside out https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/horrifying-vampire-wasp-eats-its-victims-from-the-inside-out-19657620/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/horrifying-vampire-wasp-eats-its-victims-from-the-inside-out-19657620/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:28:41 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19657620
A new wasp in the Amazon is mildly terrifying
A new wasp in the Amazon is mildly terrifying (Picture: Kari Kaunisto)

Scientists have discovered a wasp in the Amazon rainforest with an enormous head that lays its eggs in unsuspecting insects – which then hatch and eat their way out.

Named Capitojoppa amazonica, it is one of more than a hundred new species identified in Peru’s National Reserve of Allpahuayo-Mishana, famously one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. 

The large wasp, which is part of an entirely new genus, measures up to 1.7cm long.

Female wasps track down potential hosts such as caterpillars, spiders and beetles, before stabbing the victim and laying an egg inside.

‘Once the host is located and mounted, the female will frantically stroke it with her antennae,’ said lead author Brandon Claridge, speaking to LiveScience. ‘If acceptable, the female will deposit a single egg inside the host by piercing it with her ovipositor [a tube-like, egg-laying organ].’

The eggs take only a few days to hatch into larvae, which then feed on the host until they are fully-formed wasps, essentially eating them from the inside out.

The wasp uses an ovipositor to pierce the host and lay her egg
The wasp uses an ovipositor to pierce the host and lay her egg (Picture: Kari Kaunisto)

Some Capitojoppa species have also been seen to feed on the hosts’ blood-like fluid – often without even laying an egg. 

The bright yellow wasp is also described as having an enlarged head, a large jaw and slightly unequal teeth.  

‘The name Capitojoppa tells scientists a great deal about the characteristics of the newly discovered wasp genus,’ said Mr Claridge, from Utah State University. 

‘The wasps of the genus have a large head, which is reflected in the capito part of the name. It also refers to the barbet bird genus Capito found in South America, which have a large and strong beak. 

‘The joppa part of the name refers to the wasp genus Joppa that the Capitojoppa resembles. The specific species name amazonica refers to the Amazon.’

The study is published in the journal ZooKeys.

Mr Claridge and the team will soon unveil many more species discovered during their work in the Amazon.

MORE : Scientists discover a new species of flying gecko and it has a great smile

MORE : Invasive alien species running rife around Earth at ‘unprecedented rate’

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New artwork appears outside Tube station and people think it could be a Banksy https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/new-banksy-mural-london-edgware-road-underground-another-world-possible-19657875/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/new-banksy-mural-london-edgware-road-underground-another-world-possible-19657875/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:23:43 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19657875

An artwork suspected to be that of the elusive graffiti artist Banksy has appeared outside an underground station in London.

It was spotted at Edgware Road Underground Station on Monday and like many of his other pieces has an important message.

The suspected Banksy piece shows three figures dragging a robot arm with the words ‘Another world is possible’.

While it is yet to be officially confirmed as a Banksy artwork, fans have already travelled to the area to see the piece.

It looks like the typical Banksy – with the classic black and white stencil work, the hand-sprayed lettering, no name tag, and commentary on pressing themes and anxieties.

The artist posts his artwork on his Instagram account and there has been no posts of his pieces since March.

Suspected new Banksy mural appears in London: ?Another World is Possible?
The suspected new Banksy mural features the words ‘Another World is Possible’ (Picture: @LDNGraffiti)
Suspected new Banksy mural appears in London: ?Another World is Possible?
The mural features three people dragging a robot arm (Picture: @LDNGraffiti)

Banksy confirmed that a mural art piece which appeared on a wall in Margate, Kent, was his in February 2023.

Located off Grosvenor Place in Margate, the piece is titled ‘Valentine’s Day mascara’.

The graffiti depicts a woman with a missing tooth and swollen eye shoving a man, presumably her partner, inside a freezer.

The artwork was eventually relocated to a theme park.

Margate’s amusement park Dreamland now houses the piece to remain ‘accessible to all those who want to come and enjoy it for the foreseeable future’.

A statement from owner Red Eight Gallery and Dreamland Margate said: ‘Banksy’s artwork Valentine’s Day Mascara has today been removed from its original location by a skilled team of professionals and taken to an art conservator in Faversham.

‘There it will be prepared for its eventual installation at Dreamland Margate where it will be on display for the public to see.

‘Julian Usher from Red Eight Gallery and Eddie Kemsley from Dreamland are delighted that they have been able to help the artwork’s current owner achieve their dreams for it and look forward to revealing it in its new home at Dreamland.’

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Knifeman ‘stabs teacher to death and wounds two others’ after storming school https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/knifeman-stabs-teacher-to-death-and-wounds-two-others-after-storming-school-19657048/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/knifeman-stabs-teacher-to-death-and-wounds-two-others-after-storming-school-19657048/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:21:24 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19657048
A man was seen confronting several adults thought to be staff members at the Lycée Gambetta in Arras, France
A man was seen confronting several adults thought to be staff members at the Lycée Gambetta-Carnot in Arras, France (Picture: AFP/Reuters)

A teacher has been stabbed to death in an attack at a school in France which also left two colleagues critically injured.

The suspected knifeman stormed the Gambetta-Carnot High School in the northern city of Arras late on Friday morning, authorities say.

According to local media, he shouted ‘God is great’ in Arabic before stabbing two teachers and a security worker, leaving one of the teachers fatally wounded.

The suspect, who has been named as 20-year-old Mohammed Mogouchkov, used to be a pupil at the school and was on a watchlist of known threats to national security, according to police sources cited in French reports.

He was described as being of Chechen origin, a majority-Muslim ethnic group concentrated in the Russian republic of Chechnya.

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, described the incident as an act of ‘barbaric Islamic terrorism’.

The national terror threat level has been raised and local authorities have been ordered to ramp up security at all schools.

French police officers from the forensic service stand in front of the Gambetta high school in Arras, northeastern France on October 13, 2023, after a teacher was killed and two other people severely wounded in a knife attack, police and regional officials said. The perpetrator has been detained by police, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X, formerly Twitter. (Photo by Denis CHARLET / AFP) (Photo by DENIS CHARLET/AFP via Getty Images)
Police officers and forensic specialists secured the scene after the attack (Picture: AFP)

Later on Friday, a 24-year-old man on the same terror watchlist, was arrested while carrying a knife just outside a high school hundreds of kilometres away in Limay.

The teacher who died in Arras, 50-year-old French language teacher Dominique Bernard, ‘came forward to protect others and without doubt saved many lives’, Macron added.

Footage shared on social media appeared to show a confrontation in a courtyard at the heart of the school, which teaches pupils aged 15 to 18.

In one clip, a man in dark clothing and white trainers is seen aggressively stalking a man near a pair of parked vehicles while another man watches from nearby.

People stand near the Lycee Gambetta-Carnot high school after a teacher was killed and several people injured in a knife attack in Arras, northern France, October 13, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
Locals were seen watching on after the school was evacuated (Picture: Reuters)

In another video, shot from a high-up window, the same man in white trainers is seen attacking two men, including one wielding a chair, who approached him along with two others.

A voice near the person filming is heard exclaiming: ‘They’re fighting! He has a chair, he has knives.

Another says: ‘He has a knife, guys, he has a knife.’

Martin Doussau, a philosophy teacher at the school who confronted the attacker, said he was wielding two-knives and believes he had a ‘political’ motive.

He told BFM TV: ‘It lasted around 10 minutes. When I saw that this person was attacking the head cook, I went towards him to ask him to stop.

‘When he turned to ask if I was a history teacher, I understood this was a political act. I don’t think he was looking for one person in particular.

Mr Doussau separately told Reuters the attack ended in a ‘relatively peaceful manner’ when police stunned the suspect with what appeared to be a taser.

Both the suspect and his brother have been arrested, according to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

Lycée Gambetta
The knifeman attacked staff at the Lycée Gambetta-Carnot Gambetta in Arras, France on Friday

No pupils are believed to have been injured in the attack, which triggered an emergency lockdown and evacuation of the premises.

The two injured were said to be in ‘extremely’ critical condition, with one havingsuffered a wound to an artery in the neck.

Mr Darmanin and France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, were scheduled to visit Arras later on Friday in solidarity with the survivors.

A number of French politicians made references to the 2020 beheading of 47-year-old teacher Samuel Paty outside his school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.

His murderer, Abdoullakh Anzorov, also a Russian immigrant of Chechen origin, had been enraged by a social media frenzy surrounding the showing of a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in one of Mr Paty’s classes.

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Woman arrested on terrorism charges after ‘showing support for Hamas at protest’ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/woman-arrested-suspicion-supporting-hamas-protest-brighton-19657716/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/woman-arrested-suspicion-supporting-hamas-protest-brighton-19657716/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:51:00 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19657716
BRIGHTON, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 08: People, holding placards and Palestinian flags, gather to support Palestinians in Brighton, United Kingdom on October 08, 2023. (Photo by Burak Bir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A woman has been arrested under the Terrorism Act has allegedly showing support for Hamas at a protest (Picture: Getty)

A 22-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of supporting proscribed organisation Hamas at a protest event.

Counter-Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said the woman was arrested on Thursday under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

It comes after an investigation was launched focusing on a speech made by a woman at the protest in Brighton on Sunday.

Superintendent Petra Lazar from Sussex Police said: ‘After reviewing footage from the protest event held in Brighton on Sunday October 8, the matter was investigated by Counter Terrorism Policing South East. We will continue to support them as they conduct their investigation.

‘We are aware that the ongoing conflict in Israel and the border with Gaza is generating public concern and is impacting communities globally and locally, and we extend our support to those affected in Sussex.

‘Sussex Police has increased visibility across parts of Sussex to provide an increased presence and reassurance to our local communities.

‘We recognise there is the potential for increased tensions and are engaging and working with communities and partners to ensure people feel safe and protected.’

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Dad whose arms were mangled in machine at work can finally play with sons again https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/dad-gets-bionic-arm-after-losing-his-hands-in-machine-at-work-19656741/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/dad-gets-bionic-arm-after-losing-his-hands-in-machine-at-work-19656741/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:12:09 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19656741
Wells Middleton.Photo released October 12 2023. See SWNS story SWSMamputation. A dad whose arms were mangled in a work accident now has prosthetic limbs - so he can play with his sons, tie their shoelaces - and hold their hands.Wells Middleton, 33, was working as a welder when a machine trapped both of his arms inside -- and he lost both hands.It crushed them and left him requiring over a month in hospital where he underwent more than ten surgeries to salvage as much of his hands as possible.After missing the birth of his son while in hospital, Wells spent the next three years dealing with the trauma of the accident and learning how to use his prosthetic limbs.
Wells Middleton has waited three years to be able to play with his sons (Picture: SWNS)

A dad whose arms were mangled in a work accident now has prosthetic limbs so he can play with his sons, tie their shoelaces – and hold their hands.

Wells Middleton, 33, was working as a welder when a machine trapped both of his arms inside — and he lost both hands.

It crushed them and left him requiring over a month in hospital where he underwent more than ten surgeries to salvage as much of his hands as possible.

After missing the birth of his son while in hospital, Wells spent the next three years dealing with the trauma of the accident and learning how to use his prosthetic limbs.

Now, a quick look at his social media posts show a loving father-of-two relearning how to interact with the world.

The Mississippi dad can be seen attending his children’s sports games, gardening with his sons, and even managing to tie his eldest son’s shoelaces.

Wells Middleton with one of his sons. Photo released October 12 2023. See SWNS story SWSMamputation. A dad whose arms were mangled in a work accident now has prosthetic limbs - so he can play with his sons, tie their shoelaces - and hold their hands.Wells Middleton, 33, was working as a welder when a machine trapped both of his arms inside -- and he lost both hands.It crushed them and left him requiring over a month in hospital where he underwent more than ten surgeries to salvage as much of his hands as possible.After missing the birth of his son while in hospital, Wells spent the next three years dealing with the trauma of the accident and learning how to use his prosthetic limbs.
His bionic arms have given him a new lease of life (Picture: SWNS)
Wells Middleton with his wife Lacey and two sons after the accident. Photo released October 12 2023. See SWNS story SWSMamputation. A dad whose arms were mangled in a work accident now has prosthetic limbs - so he can play with his sons, tie their shoelaces - and hold their hands.Wells Middleton, 33, was working as a welder when a machine trapped both of his arms inside -- and he lost both hands.It crushed them and left him requiring over a month in hospital where he underwent more than ten surgeries to salvage as much of his hands as possible.After missing the birth of his son while in hospital, Wells spent the next three years dealing with the trauma of the accident and learning how to use his prosthetic limbs.
He lost both hands when they were crushed in an industrial accident at work (Picture: SWNS)

For Wells, his wife Lacey, and their two young sons, life after the accident has been difficult – but Wells says his family have been everything to him during his recovery.

Since the accident, Wells has made massive progress in his adjustments – he has been learning how to grab objects, go on shopping trips, and has even been able to hold his children’s hands again.

‘My wife was nine months pregnant at the time, and she was at the baby doctor that day,’ said Wells.

‘I was working around the machine, and the next thing I knew, I felt it grab my left hand and start pulling me in.

‘Out of instinct, I immediately reached in with my right hand to try to pull it out.

‘That’s when it caught both hands and started pulling me in and crushing my hands at the same time – I just started screaming.

‘I had fingers missing – some fingers were just bones. The skin on my left hand to my elbow was ripped off and hanging down to my belt loops.

Wells Middleton his wife Lacey, and their youngest son while in hospital. Photo released October 12 2023. See SWNS story SWSMamputation. A dad whose arms were mangled in a work accident now has prosthetic limbs - so he can play with his sons, tie their shoelaces - and hold their hands.Wells Middleton, 33, was working as a welder when a machine trapped both of his arms inside -- and he lost both hands.It crushed them and left him requiring over a month in hospital where he underwent more than ten surgeries to salvage as much of his hands as possible.After missing the birth of his son while in hospital, Wells spent the next three years dealing with the trauma of the accident and learning how to use his prosthetic limbs.
Wells Middleton with his wife Lacey, and their youngest son while in hospital (Picture: SWNS)

‘I could see all the muscle around my forearms in my left arm. My right hand was flatter than a pancake, with fingers missing.

‘A week after the accident, my wife had the baby, and I wasn’t there to see it – we did a FaceTime call over an iPad.

‘I did really miss home – I missed my kids and my wife.

‘I was wrapped up in bandages, so I didn’t know what the extent of my injury was so but for the most part at the hospital, I was pretty positive just because I was excited to be alive.

‘I couldn’t have known that I wouldn’t be able to hold my kids’ hands anymore or throw a ball around with them or anything like that.’

Wells Middleton in hospital. Photo released October 12 2023. See SWNS story SWSMamputation. A dad whose arms were mangled in a work accident now has prosthetic limbs - so he can play with his sons, tie their shoelaces - and hold their hands.Wells Middleton, 33, was working as a welder when a machine trapped both of his arms inside -- and he lost both hands.It crushed them and left him requiring over a month in hospital where he underwent more than ten surgeries to salvage as much of his hands as possible.After missing the birth of his son while in hospital, Wells spent the next three years dealing with the trauma of the accident and learning how to use his prosthetic limbs.
Wells had to undergo multiple operations and procedures in hospital (Picture: SWNS)

Wells’ accident happened in August of 2020, and decided to fully amputate his hands at his doctor’s recommendation in January 2021.

Initially heartbroken about the thought of never holding his children again, Wells became determined to master the use of his prosthetic arms in order to make sure he can still play with his sons.

Since learning how to use prosthetics, Wells has been able to relearn how to grab and hold objects again – and most importantly, how to hold hands with his children again.

‘The main thing I’m able to do with my prosthetics is hold my kids’ hands again,’ he said.

Wells Middleton in hospital. Photo released October 12 2023. See SWNS story SWSMamputation. A dad whose arms were mangled in a work accident now has prosthetic limbs - so he can play with his sons, tie their shoelaces - and hold their hands.Wells Middleton, 33, was working as a welder when a machine trapped both of his arms inside -- and he lost both hands.It crushed them and left him requiring over a month in hospital where he underwent more than ten surgeries to salvage as much of his hands as possible.After missing the birth of his son while in hospital, Wells spent the next three years dealing with the trauma of the accident and learning how to use his prosthetic limbs.
He missed the birth of his son while in hospital then suffered three years of trauma (Picture: SWNS)

‘Although I can’t technically feel my prosthetic holding their hand, I feel it in my heart.

‘At first, when I got my prosthetics, I was extremely excited – I didn’t realise the work that was ahead of me to get proficient with them.

‘With my hands, I didn’t have to think twice how to grab something, or how tight to hold it – but with prosthetics, you don’t know.

‘When you go from one day having hands and fingers to not having anything the next day, it shakes your world.

You start to really realise just how precious a gift your hands really are. I’m still learning how to adapt without hands.’

Now, three years on from the accident, Wells is still dealing with the long-lasting mental effects of his ordeal.

Wells Middleton with his two sons. Photo released October 12 2023. See SWNS story SWSMamputation. A dad whose arms were mangled in a work accident now has prosthetic limbs - so he can play with his sons, tie their shoelaces - and hold their hands.Wells Middleton, 33, was working as a welder when a machine trapped both of his arms inside -- and he lost both hands.It crushed them and left him requiring over a month in hospital where he underwent more than ten surgeries to salvage as much of his hands as possible.After missing the birth of his son while in hospital, Wells spent the next three years dealing with the trauma of the accident and learning how to use his prosthetic limbs.
Life after the accident has been difficult, but his arms have given him hope (Picture: SWNS)

After developing post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the accident, Wells sought therapy, and has since come a long way in his mental health journey.

Wells now sees a therapist regularly and shares his story online with hopes of letting other people with similar experiences know that they’re not alone.

With the love and support of his wife and two sons, Wells is continuing to learn to adapt to his prosthetics and work on his mental health – and one day hopes to go back to work and provide for his family.

‘I sat there in my house for the first couple of months and felt really alone,’ he said.

‘There’s still points to this day where I feel alone, even though I’m not.

‘I want to get my story out there because I want people who are going through anxiety, PTSD or amputation to know that they’re not alone.

‘I’m looking forward to one day being able to return to work and provide for my family.

‘I’m looking forward to watching my kids grow up and experiencing new things and opportunities with them.

‘I hope that my kids learn to love themselves no matter what. I hope they learn patience, and that no matter how bad of a situation they’re in, they have what it takes to make it out.

‘Lastly, I hope they only judge people by their character and not by their differences.’

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Moment 250 hostages are rescued after Israeli soldiers retake military post https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/moment-250-hostages-rescued-after-israeli-troops-retake-military-post-19656871/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/moment-250-hostages-rescued-after-israeli-troops-retake-military-post-19656871/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:12:00 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19656871

Bodies can be seen on the floor of a dark room in a video clip showing the astonishing moment hostages are rescued by Israeli soldiers.

Israel’s army has shared footage showing how its soldiers took back control of a checkpoint overrun by Hamas, and set the 250 hostages free on Saturday.

It’s unknown whether the bodies seen on the floor in the video taken at the Sufa checkpoint are hostages or terrorists.

The clip comes from body cameras worn by Israeli soldiers in the Flotilla 13 elite unit and released on Thursday evening.

The naval unit, which is equivalent to the US army’s naval SEALS, specialises in counter terrorism.

The video also shows a group of people, presumably hostages, standing in a different room as soldiers enter.

12626287 Astonishing moment IDF elite force retakes military post overrun by Hamas, rescuing 250 hostages, killing 60 Hamas fighters and capturing top terror leader
Bodies can be seen on the floor in a dark room in the video (Picture: Twitter/Israel Defense Forces)
12626287 Astonishing moment IDF elite force retakes military post overrun by Hamas, rescuing 250 hostages, killing 60 Hamas fighters and capturing top terror leader
The identities of the hostages taken by Hamas have not yet been shared (Picture: Twitter/Israel Defense Forces)

One of the officers in the video can be heard shouting: ‘Shayetet, Shayetet, stay in the bunker, we’re coming.’

They are using the Hebrew name for their unit.

The nationalities and identities of the hostages released have not yet been shared. Around 20 US nationals that were abducted remain unaccounted for.

Just hours after the video of the hostage rescue was released, Israel’s army directed residents in Gaza City to evacuate ‘for their own safety and protection’.

It comes ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive.

This is after a UN spokesperson claimed the military directed the evacuation of all of northern Gaza, which is home to about 1.1 million people, within 24 hours.

Israeli troops at the Sufa checkpoint
Israeli troops took back control of the Sufa checkpoint after launching an attack on Hamas terrorists (Picture: Twitter/IDF)

It would mean evacuating nearly half of the population in the territory in one day, which the UN claimed is ‘impossible’.

In the assault on the checkpoint, which sits along the southern border with Gaza, close to the Egyptian border, soldiers can be seen moving door to door and facing a lot of resistance.

The Israeli troops are throwing grenades into rooms to get the Hamas terrorists out, and shell casings from guns can be seen flying around.

The IDF said it killed around 60 Hamas terrorists and arrested 26, including deputy commander of the Hamas southern Naval Division, Muhammad Abu A’ali.

A man, who seems to be naked, can be seen being led out and is then handcuffed. He has blood all over his back and shoulders.

12626287 Astonishing moment IDF elite force retakes military post overrun by Hamas, rescuing 250 hostages, killing 60 Hamas fighters and capturing top terror leader
President Biden said they are working to bring the US hostages home (Picture: Twitter/Israel Defense Forces)

The death toll is now 1,200 in Israel and 1,500 in Gaza.

It’s believed Hamas has taken 150 people hostage, and Americans and Brits are likely to be among them.

They are threatening to execute the hostages if Israel launches a ground invasion of Gaza.

US president Joe Biden has spoken out to call the Hamas attack on Israel the ‘deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust’ and a campaign of ‘pure cruelty’.

President Biden said: ‘We’re working on every aspect of the hostage crisis in Israel, including deploying experts to advise and assist with recovery efforts.

‘Now, the press are going to shout to me: what are you doing to bring these folks home? If I told you, I wouldn’t be able to get them home. 

‘Folks, there’s a lot we’re doing, a lot we’re doing.

‘I have not given up hope of bringing these folks home. 

‘But the idea that I’m going to stand here before you and tell you what I’m doing is bizarre. So, I hope you understand how bizarre I think it would be to try to answer that question.’

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UK travellers say they’re ‘left in limbo’ after leaving cars at Luton Airport https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/uk-travellers-left-in-limbo-after-leaving-cars-at-luton-airport-19656796/ https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/13/uk-travellers-left-in-limbo-after-leaving-cars-at-luton-airport-19656796/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:10:45 +0000 https://metro.co.uk/?p=19656796
UK travellers who say they're 'left in limbo' after leaving cars at Luton Airport
People who left their vehicles at a fire ravaged Luton Airport car park say they’ve received no information about their cars (Picture: PA/Harpenden Fire Station)

Travellers who parked their vehicles at Luton Airport say they’ve been ‘left in limbo’ after an enormous fire at a terminal car park.

The blaze broke out at a newly built multi-storey car park beside the airport’s Terminal 2 building when a car on the third level burst into flames on Tuesday evening.

There were 1,500 vehicles inside the car park, it’s been confirmed, with photos taken after the blaze showing many have been destroyed. Part of the building also collapsed.

Among those whose cars were in the car park at the time are Katie Forbes, 42, who had travelled to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands with her husband Adrian, her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend.

Having heard nothing about the state of their vehicle, the group have had to hire a car for when they return to the UK today.

Ms Forbes said: ‘I’ve had no joy with Luton. I’ve heard nothing back, I’ve been tweeting them, everything, and nothing.

‘I get it, they’re getting other people that are going to the airport, but to me there’s been no apology, not once has anybody said “we’re sorry about the situation”.

Luton airport car park fire
The fire engulfed some parts of the multi-storey car park (Picture: Harpenden Fire Station)

‘We’re kind of left in limbo.’

Ms Forbes, whose daughter had left her own car keys in the vehicle, said the whole thing had affected their holiday.

‘It’s hard to do anything, you can’t relax around the pool because you’re constantly looking at your phone to see “have they emailed, have we got an update?” There’s just been nothing.’

Thomas Willett, 29, a content manager for a real estate firm, from Essex, had left his car in the car park on Tuesday, before flying to Gran Canaria with his partner.

He said he received an email from the airport’s parking service on Wednesday telling him to email them for information about his car.

Undated handout photo of Katie Forbes, 42, with her husband Adrian, who said they had been 'left in limbo'. UK holidaymakers and travellers who left their cars at Luton Airport have been
Katie Forbes, 42, pictured with her husband Adrian, says her family has ben ‘left in limbo’ (Picture: PA)
The scene at Luton Airport after a fire ripped through level three of the airport's Terminal Car Park 2, causing it to collapse. The airport, which was closed due to the incident, has since reopened following the fire which caused disruption for tens of thousands of passengers. Picture date: Thursday October 12, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story FIRE Luton. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
Some of the damage after the blaze (Picture: PA)

‘I have since emailed them three times and contacted them on Twitter over the course of Wednesday and (Thursday) but have heard nothing,’ he said.

‘We don’t know if our car has been damaged or not, or how we will be getting home from the airport.

‘Their duty of care should be to those whose vehicles have been impacted, but they seem to be replying to everyone else with other queries instead.’

Mr Willett flies back to the UK on Sunday but explained: ‘Currently, we have no means of getting back home.’

Lucy Lynam, a 42-year-old accountant from Hertfordshire, said she is ‘none the wiser’ about the state of her car and is ‘expecting the worst’.

Undated handout photo of Lucy Lynam, a 42-year-old accountant from Hertfordshire, who said that she is 'none the wiser' about the state of her car. UK holidaymakers and travellers who left their cars at Luton Airport have been
Lucy Lynam said that she was ‘none the wiser’ about the state of her car (Picture: PA)

However, Ms Lynam, who left her vehicle at the car park on Tuesday morning before flying to Majorca to attend a conference, praised Luton Airport’s communication.

‘I can only imagine they’re operating in crisis mode behind the scenes,’ she said.

‘They’ve emailed me a couple of times with updates and whilst there’s little specific info around my individual vehicle, they’ve kept me up to date.’

Izabela, a 34-year-old beauty therapist in Willenhall, said she felt a ‘massive shock’.

Her and her husband Dawid had boarded their plane to return home from Lanzarote when the pilot announced the flight had been cancelled due to an incident at Luton Airport.

Screen grab taken with permission from video posted on Twitter by @Soriyn23 of a fire at a car park at Luton Airport. All flights at the airport have been suspended. Issue date: Tuesday October 10, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story FIRE Luton. Photo credit should read: SoRin/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
The fire caused part of the car park building to collapse (Picture: PA)

Izabela, who did not wish to share her surname, said ‘we don’t know nothing about our car’, which contained a laptop, house keys and other items.

She described the situation as a ‘nightmare’, adding: ‘Without the car, what are we supposed to do now?’

A London Luton Airport spokesperson said: ‘We understand the distress this incident has caused for our car parking customers, and we recognise many are anxious for answers.

The scene at Luton Airport after a fire ripped through level three of the airport's Terminal Car Park 2, causing it to collapse. The airport, which was closed due to the incident, has since reopened following the fire which caused disruption for tens of thousands of passengers. Picture date: Thursday October 12, 2023. PA Photo.
Some of the vehicles appear unaffected by the fire (Picture: PA)

‘We are working hard to provide those answers as quickly as possible, though this will take some time.

‘We would like to thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding.’

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue sent more than 15 crews and 100 firefighters to the blaze, which happened just before 9pm.

Five people – four fire service personnel and an airport official – were taken to Luton and Dunstable hospitals for smoke inhalation.

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