Latest news with #AA
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Mang0 says he's three weeks sober after Smash ban and Twitch fallout
Legendary Super Smash Bros. Melee player Joseph 'Mang0' Marquez has announced that he is three weeks sober, following a public fall from grace involving alcohol abuse. The update comes a month after Mang0 was dropped by esports organization Cloud9 and briefly banned on Twitch due to his behavior at Ludwig's Beerio Kart event on June 21, 2025. The tournament, which required players to drink alcohol during Mario Kart races, saw Mang0 allegedly harassing fellow streamers including ExtraEmily. The incident led to widespread criticism, with some fans also blaming Ludwig for encouraging Mang0's drinking. Despite this, Mang0 took full responsibility and revealed he's now banned from Melee tournaments for a year. 'I think it's fine,' Mang0 told fans during a July 21 Twitch stream. 'If you're a Mang0 fan, I'd appreciate it if no one harassed the TOs.' Marquez confessed that a few days after the incident, he drank a full bottle of gin alone and broke down emotionally. He also shared that rehab was financially out of reach after losing 80% of his income, but he's been getting support from professionals and plans to begin therapy once his insurance is reinstated. While he hasn't found AA meetings helpful, Mang0 is researching and using online resources to stay on track. 'I'm proud to say… I am three weeks sober today,' he said. 'I don't really have the urge to drink.' With a one-year ban in place, fans remain hopeful that Mang0 will return to competitive Smash stronger than ever.
South Wales Guardian
11 hours ago
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
48 medical conditions eligible for Attendance Allowance
Pensioners living with these 48 common health conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, or dementia could be missing out on thousands of pounds in financial support each year, experts have warned. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently revealed that nearly 1.7 million people over State Pension age are claiming Attendance Allowance, a tax-free benefit designed to help cover the extra costs of living with a long-term illness or disability. In Scotland, it's also called Pension Age Disability Payment. Despite the significant financial help on offer — up to £110.40 per week or £441.60 every four weeks — pension specialists say many people still don't realise they qualify. Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has been campaigning to get more people to see if they are eligible. Important. Do you know (or are you) an ill or disabled person of state pension age? Up to 1.1m people are missing out on a NON-MEANS tested min £3,500 a year Attendance Allowance. Pls watch & spread word. Courtesy of @itvMLshow "For many older people who are ill or start to face mental or physical disability, life doesn't just get tougher, it gets costlier too," he says. "Add to that the fact people's conditions can make it more difficult to spend the time and energy needed to research possible help. That's why 18 months ago we launched our Attendance Allowance (AA) guide and awareness campaign, and successes have flooded in since. Yet it still remains massively underclaimed, with potentially a million eligible pensioners missing out (source: Policy in Practice). "So whether it's you or someone close to you who may qualify, take 2mins to read what the team and I have put below, starting with some inspiration on the domino effect Attendance Allowance can have (in this case for lower-income pensioners)." The list of conditions that qualify for Attendance Allowance includes 48 common illnesses and disorders. These range from arthritis, back pain and frailty to serious neurological conditions like Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis. Mental health conditions, visual and hearing impairments, and cognitive disorders such as dementia are also included. Spencer Churchill Claims Advice deals with this issue. Their spokesperson says: 'Conditions like arthritis, heart disease, dementia, and Parkinson's are among the most commonly supported under Attendance Allowance — yet too many older people assume they won't qualify or worry that having savings will disqualify them. That's simply not the case. 'We regularly speak with pensioners who've struggled in silence for years, not realising they were missing out on thousands of pounds annually. 'A successful claim for Attendance Allowance can be life-changing — easing financial pressure and helping people maintain independence in their own homes.' The list of conditions, according to Spencer Churchill Claims, includes: You can apply for Attendance Allowance online here at or by post. Or, if you're in Scotland apply here. To apply, you'll need: Recommended reading: Unlike many other benefits, Attendance Allowance is not means-tested, meaning it is available regardless of a person's income, savings, or assets. It also doesn't affect a person's State Pension, and claiming it may boost entitlement to other financial help, including Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, and Council Tax Reduction. This is a non-means-tested, tax-free benefit that can make a real difference to someone's quality of life. Whether you need help during the day, at night, or both — if your condition affects your ability to care for yourself, it's worth checking your eligibility. Many eligible people either don't apply or are put off by the lengthy claim form — but support is available through organisations like Citizens Advice, and the potential rewards are considerable.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
East Lothian children's worker mocked child and said another 'reeks of cat pee'
An East Lothian children's practitioner mocked a child and told a colleague another youngster 'smelt like cat pee'. Avril Davidson was given a 12-month warning on her registration last week following a hearing with the Scottish Social Services Council in which several comments she about children in her care were referenced. While working as a practitioner in Musselburgh, Davidson said to a colleague: "look he's going to cry," referring to a child. Several months later, in February 2024, she refused to let a colleague help paint the kitchen, claiming she was a "liability." READ MORE: Edinburgh couple victorious in years-long battle with neighbours over hedge READ MORE: Edinburgh couple say 'this isn't the end' after decision in hedge dispute Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. The comment reportedly made the member of staff feel upset. On or around February 22, Davidson stated to a colleague that a child "reeks of cat p**h and has all week" in the presence of other children. The regulator noted how the comments made regarding the first child took place at an after-school club and all three incidents placed colleagues and children at risk of emotional harm. The council also told how Davidson has not cooperated with their investigation or shown any remorse or apologised for the pattern of behaviour. They wrote: "While in the after-school club you said to your colleague ZZ about child AA 'look he's going to cry', or words to that effect to mock AA. You later spoke to your colleague YY stating that she could not help paint the kitchen as she was a 'liability' or words to that effect, causing her to feel upset. "At a later date you said to your colleague XX that child BB 'reeks of cats p**h' or words to that effect which was said in the presence of other children. The misconduct placed both the children and your colleague at the risk of emotional harm. "Although it is not at the most serious end of the scale, we have concluded there is a risk of repetition as you have not engaged with the SSSC or shown any remorse or insight. You have not given us any reassurances that you have reflected and learned from the misconduct and that it is unlikely to happen again."
Barnama
a day ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Pope Leo Calls For Urgent Aid To Gaza, Protection Of Civilians In Call With Abbas
GENEVA, July 21 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Pope Leo XIV held a telephone conversation on Monday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza and escalating violence in the West Bank, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported, citing the Holy See Press Office. During the conversation, the Vatican released a statement in which the Pope reiterated his firm call for the protection of civilians and compliance with international humanitarian law. 'The Holy Father repeated his appeal for international humanitarian law to be fully respected, emphasising in particular the obligation to protect civilians and sacred places, the prohibition of the indiscriminate use of force and the forced transfer of the population," the press release said.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Opinion: Labour's EV grant is an expensive mess
As chief executive of dedicated electric car website and a long-time advocate of electric vehicles, you'd be forgiven for thinking I've been celebrating this week's news that Labour is bringing back grants for EVs. The government press release that landed in my inbox on Monday proudly trumpeted discounts of up to £3,750 on electric cars - saying it was set to slash costs for thousands of UK drivers with an impressive £650million fund. It boasted that the scheme would be up and running within days, with manufacturers handling the paperwork. Taking the news at face value, I initially welcomed such a bold move. But having delved into the detail, this is nothing short of an ill-conceived policy that raises more questions than answers. Instead of encouraging electric car uptake, it will instead restrict consumer choice. Labour really needs to go back to the drawing board on this one... Despite a new EV being registered every 60 seconds in June, private buyer sales have stalled. They now make up just under 20 per cent of registrations, with the bulk going to company car drivers who enjoy generous tax breaks if they go electric. In our November 2024 survey with the AA - responded to by over 11,000 UK drivers - 76 per cent told us that the upfront cost was the biggest barrier to switching. I believed fresh incentives would reignite momentum and give more drivers the confidence to switch. My calculations suggested almost half of all new electric models on sale would fall below the £37,000 price cap. Crucially, this support appeared to be aimed where it was needed most: from school-run staples to budget-friendly runarounds. How wrong I was. As they say, the devil is in the details - and as the week has unfolded, the details behind those upbeat headlines have painted a very different picture. Instead of a straightforward grant on all EVs under £37,000 - designed to help hard-working people make a sustainable choice - the rigid rules and baffling conditions surrounding which cars qualify (and by how much) have left even the carmakers scratching their heads. At the heart of this complexity is something called a Science Based Target (SBT), which requires manufacturers to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5C or below 2C, as set out in the Paris Agreement on climate change. You'd assume the government would have a simple list of eligible manufacturers. Apparently not. Instead, car makers - with customers in dealerships already asking about discounts - are left wading through bureaucracy to figure it all out. Even if a company has signed up to an SBT - like Renault or Ford - the scheme may still reject cars assembled in countries with poor overall sustainability records or high emissions. And, surprise surprise, even that isn't as simple as it sounds. The emissions calculations are split between where the battery is made and where the car itself is built. This means a car assembled in the UK or Europe may score well for manufacturing and earn the minimum £1,500 grant, but fail to reach the additional 70 per cent score needed for the full £3,750 if its battery is sourced from a country with a lower environmental score. Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday: 'We don't expect any cars that are assembled in China to be eligible for this scheme.' This rules out cars like the Volvo EX30, the Mini electric (which incidentally, is built in factories powered by renewable energy), the MG4 and the Dacia Spring - family favourites which it seems won't qualify for a penny. Making matters worse, many manufacturers striving to make EVs cheaper have switched to LFP batteries, which are predominantly made in China. So much for my celebrations that the grant was focused on more affordable models. The reality is that car making is a global business. Even if your car doesn't bear a Chinese badge, the chances are part of it was manufactured there. And it's not just Chinese-made cars at risk of ending up with nothing - brands from other nations like Korea which make some of the UK's most popular cars could also end up with many models being excluded. The government is effectively limiting consumer choice at the very moment they should be encouraging it. Far from being the shot in the arm that private buyers need, this ill-conceived grant scheme has only created questions and confusion. I'm now telling anyone in the market for a new EV to pause before making a decision - especially since, bizarrely, it appears that if the entry-level model of a car costs under £37,000, the more expensive versions and trims in the same range might still be eligible for discounts. This scheme encapsulates everything that's wrong with government policymaking: good intentions, badly thought through and buried under layers of bureaucracy. It simply seems half-baked, with an announcement which was made too early. If Labour truly wants to accelerate EV adoption, they need to go back to the drawing board and design something that actually works for the people it's supposed to help and gives everyone some clarity. My advice? Start with the used market.
