Latest news with #Benn
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jamie Benn was a brilliant Dallas Star, but he may suffer ‘the consequences'
Dallas Stars veteran forward Jamie Benn may have played his final game with the team on Thursday night. Benn, 35, will be a free agent this summer. Based on hockey alone, Jamie Benn played his final game for the Dallas Stars. He's 35, and has 1,192 regular season NHL games on his body. He's coming off a career worst season, and his numbers won't reverse. Advertisement Benn will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Stars GM Jim Nill will feel enormous internal pressure to succumb to the sentimental, and go against the hockey, to give Benn a new contract. Don't be stunned when the Stars bring Benn back to make sure he finishes his career with the only NHL team he's ever known, but this is not a great idea. After the Stars lost 6-3 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, Benn was the last Stars player off the ice as the team headed towards the tunnel. That's not a coincidence. After the game, he was asked if he thought about his future at all, and that this may have been his last game with the franchise. Advertisement 'No,' he said. Don't worry. He's lying. All players on the final years of their contract who want to play another season think about this sort of thing. They're human. When asked if he wants to come back, he simply said, 'Yes.' Never a wordsmith, Benn has been the best good soldier. The Stars are so close, but they will have to do something this summer to address a roster that obviously isn't good enough to win the Stanley Cup. That could potentially include letting Benn walk, but this is one move where sentiment will have a say. He began his career with the team in 2009, and carried the Stars through some lean years; was an All-Star multiple times; won the scoring trophy in 2014-'15; played well for Team Canada in multiple tournaments; was a big part of this team making the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, and this three-year run to the Western Conference Finals. Advertisement 'It sucks. Three years in a row to get that close and come up short,' he said. Anyone who watched this series against the Oilers saw it; he's at the end. He played 10 minutes and 24 seconds in Game 5. In this postseason, he scored one goal with two assists. Considering the type of heavy, physical game he plays, Benn squeezed more of his body than expected. He proved to be durable, a professional. To bring him back would mean he could still be the captain, and the Stars are at that point when it's time to give the 'C' to someone else. It's time for the Stars to be led by a younger player. The ideal candidate is young forward Wyatt Johnston. Advertisement To have Benn in the room, even if he agrees to wear the 'A,' surrounded by mostly the same teammates could create an awkward situation. This is a group that is used to looking at Benn, and now they wouldn't. But they would. On the ice, he's no longer a top six forward for this team. He's a third, or fourth, line winger who will merit limited minutes on most nights. Some nights, coach Pete DeBoer may juggle lines and Benn will be placed next to a Roope Hintz, or other top center. That will be the exception. The Stars gave Benn an eight-year, $76 million extension in the summer of 2016, and both parties won on the deal. That seldom happens on contracts of that length; but the Stars received a good 'price per wear.' Nill is a loyal man, and for years he served as an understudy to long time Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland, who shared similar views about certain players. Former Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman comes to mind. Advertisement Nill will want to reward a pro's pro who, while not perfect, has done everything in his power to earn another contract. He did it with veteran Joe Pavelski, and it worked. But Benn's game is different than Pavelski, who retired last summer. Benn is at that point where no amount of effort, training or work can bring his body back to 25. Or 30. Or 33. The hockey part says Nill needs to move on from the player. Don't be surprised when he doesn't, even if it's not a good idea.
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Digital collection of oldest English-language daily paper News Letter now available
From today, copies from across three centuries of the title will be accessible to the public for the first time. First published in September 1737, the News Letter will mark its 288th anniversary as the oldest continuously published English-language daily paper this year. The Northern Ireland Office has worked in partnership with the British Library and Findmypast to expand the online collection of the historic publication on the British Newspaper Archive dating to the late 18th, early 19th and 20th centuries. Announcing the launch, Secretary of State Hilary Benn visited the British Library in London to view the new additions to the online archive. The British Library provided originals of the News Letter in microfilm and newspaper format, which were digitised by the online platform Findmypast. Mr Benn said: 'It was wonderful to be able to view the newly digitised editions of the Belfast News Letter at the British Library in London using the online archive. 'Bringing Northern Ireland's newspaper heritage to a global audience will encourage research, exploration and appreciation of Northern Ireland's rich political and cultural history. 'This UK Government project has opened up a unique resource to readers and researchers in nations around the world with historic links to Northern Ireland, including the US.' The archive is available online through the British Newspaper Archive and on Findmypast and can be viewed freely at the British Library sites in London and Yorkshire, as well as at any library or by any private individual around the world with a subscription. Lee Wilkinson, managing director of DC Thomson History, which owns Findmypast and the British Newspaper Archive, said: 'Over the past 15 years, through our unique relationship with the British Library, we have been able to bring millions of these key historical records to communities across the globe so that families and researchers alike can uncover and understand their heritage.' British Library chief Rebecca Lawrence said: 'Digitising all known surviving copies of the News Letter and making them available online preserves a vital piece of heritage and opens up the archive to researchers around the world.' National World founder David Montgomery said: 'Digitising the News Letter is an important step in preserving the paper's iconic history of covering news from Northern Ireland and across the world for three centuries. By making historic copies of the paper available, we can recognise its continuing role in delivering quality journalism on stories that matter to its community.'
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Eubank Jr rival makes Conor Benn rematch prediction - "His balance has gone"
Eubank Jr's former foe has weighed in on how a potential rematch with Benn will play out amid talks of the British boxing stars clashing again later this year Boxer Liam Smith is backing Chris Eubank Jr to defeat rival Conor Benn for a second time amid talks of a potential rematch. Eubank Jr and Benn met in London last month and put on a 'Fight of the Year' contender at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After an epic back-and-forth encounter, Eubank Jr would go on to get his hand raised via unanimous decision. Both men signed contracts for a two-fight deal - and it seems likely a sequel could come sooner than expected. Eddie Hearn spoke to Sky Sports about the prospects of the next fight, revealing: "I know September 27, back at Spurs, is a date that he [Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh] has put forward and proposed. We're ready, really. We signed the contract for two fights. Conor's just desperate to run it back. He feels like he's going to improve a lot going into that fight. [It was] his first fight in 14, 15 months, at 160lbs. Look, they provided us with just a night we'll never forget in so many ways. And both fighters deserve so much credit. We'd love to run it back." Smith - the last fighter to beat Eubank Jr - has offered his verdict on how the rematch will play out. Reflecting on the first encounter, he told Seconds Out: 'The two of them showed a lot of balls. They were f***ed but still slugged it out and it ended up a good fight.' Smith insisted that Eubank was hurt by Benn's power during the fight, but also pointed out that 'The Destroyer' felt the impact too. "I think he looked hurt a few times in the fight. I think his balance looked questionable. But I think Conor was hurt a couple of times, he might tell you he wasn't, but I think he was hurt," Smith said. "They were both out on their feet at stages through tiredness. It was a gruelling fight for the two of them. A better fight to watch than I thought it was gonna be." While some are hesitant about a rematch, Smith is eager to see Eubank and Benn go head-to-head once more. "Yeah I would like to see the rematch. I think if Chris has a fight with Conor it'll end up a good fight [again.] But I think Conor's got even more of a chance next time around, cause like I said I think Chris is one or two fights from being done. His balance has gone a little bit." When pressed for a prediction, Smith leaned towards Eubank: "Probably Chris, size-wise he's too big for him, wasn't he? When he wanted to be I think he was too big for him." After suffering the first defeat of his professional career against Eubank Jr, Benn is eager to go straight into an immedoate rematch and insists he won the fight by at least a point. "I am ready to train now. I've got the heating on in the gym, I have got my sauna ready for the recovery after," he said on Good Morning Britain. "As soon as this interview is done, I am straight in the gym. I live for this, it's what I do, it's who I am There is a rematch clause. We will see. We have got plenty of options but obviously we have both agreed to the rematch... It is a bitter one to swallow this. Out of all people, losing to a Eubank. It's hard! Personally I thought I nicked the fight by a round. It could have gone either way... What a great fighter, what a great dancing partner. So credit to Chris for him and his win, but I want that revenge."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Troubles veterans won't be forced to give evidence over killings in person
British veterans will not be forced to give evidence over Troubles killings in person, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has insisted. The Government has ditched an effective amnesty for Troubles-era killings, which would have prevented the prosecution of former soldiers. Hilary Benn said Labour had to scrap parts of the Conservatives' Legacy Act after it was struck down by domestic courts for breaking human rights laws that require deaths to be investigated. The Act included a conditional amnesty for Troubles-era killers, soldiers and terrorists alike if they gave information to the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. The commission, which was set up to investigate deaths and promote reconciliation and has the power to summon witnesses, would then report back to families. Whistleblowers would be given effective immunity from later prosecution if they gave a truthful account of their involvement in the crimes. New civil cases and inquests into Troubles-era crimes were stopped on May 1 last year as part of the changes the Act brought in. Labour will 'repeal and replace' the Act, but plans to keep the commission to help victims' families get information, which means elderly veterans could be asked by it to give evidence. Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Benn said there was 'no reason' why former soldiers should be forced to leave home. 'I know that giving evidence to the commission or to any other legacy process about the events of several decades ago can be a daunting prospect, particularly for elderly veterans,' he said. 'With today's technology, there is no reason why those giving evidence in such cases should be forced to travel and stay away from home in order to give evidence.' He promised veterans welfare support and, if appropriate, legal help before they spoke to the commission. Mr Benn admitted 'the prospect of any future prosecutions is vanishingly small'. The Troubles lasted for about 30 years, from the late 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. More than 3,600 people were killed and there are more than 1,100 unsolved killings. Soldier F, a former paratrooper, is expected to go on trial in September charged with two murders and five attempted murders on Bloody Sunday in 1972. Conservatives accused the Government of introducing 'two-tier justice' in Northern Ireland with its changes to the Tories' 2023 Legacy Act. It ends protections from prosecution for veterans while putting IRA suspects interned in the Troubles, such as Gerry Adams, in line for taxpayer-funded compensation, they said. The Legacy Act was fiercely opposed by all the major parties in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein and the DUP said it would mean victims' families never get justice. The Irish government took the UK to the European Court of Human Rights in a case that remains active while Labour decides on new legislation. By Hilary Benn Our United Kingdom is today transformed from the place that, for three decades between the late 1960s and 1998, was scarred by terrorist violence. The Troubles tore Northern Ireland apart. And in the early 1970s, the IRA brought their campaign of terror to towns and cities across England. Throughout that terrible period, the professionalism, bravery and sacrifice of our Armed Forces and other security personnel helped to keep people across the United Kingdom safe and to protect life. In doing so, they ultimately helped to bring about peace. I have been honoured to meet with some of them. The Good Friday Agreement enshrined that peace. And alongside the promise of a better tomorrow, it also recognised the need to acknowledge and address the suffering of all those who had lost loved ones. And yet I have met many families who are still – decades on – seeking answers about what happened to their parent, grandparent, partner or child. I know that in many cases, their pain has been compounded by the last government's 2023 Legacy Act and the legal mess it created. That legislation was widely rejected at the time. And last year it was found – repeatedly – to be unlawful by our domestic courts. That was not least because it would have offered immunity from prosecution to terrorists, who were responsible for some 90 per cent of all Troubles-related deaths. Any incoming government would have had to repeal the immunity scheme and other unlawful provisions. It is wrong for any political party to suggest otherwise. That's why it has fallen to this Government to deal with this. We are committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act in a way that is lawful, fair and that enables all those families to find answers. We will always recognise the extreme circumstances under which our Armed Forces were operating; the split-second judgments that had to be made, and the restraint that was so often required in the face of danger. There will be no rewriting of history. That also means that on those rare occasions where the standards that we rightly expect of our Armed Forces were not upheld, we do not shy away from this. The contrast could not have been starker between the efforts of our Armed Forces who were trying to protect life, and the actions of the terrorist organisations who only ever intended to harm others and cause destruction. And that is why during the Troubles, an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 republican and loyalist paramilitaries were imprisoned for a range of offences, including murder. Sadly, all these years later, the reality is that there are still over 1,100 unsolved killings, including over 200 where service personnel were killed by paramilitaries. Each and every one of these families deserves, as soon as possible, to have a system in place that they can have confidence in. That is why we are not starting again from scratch. Instead, we will retain and significantly reform the independent commission that was established under the Legacy Act, which is already taking forward over 50 investigations, including into the Guildford pub bombing. With the passage of time, the prospect of any future prosecutions is vanishingly small. Indeed, since 2012 there have been only six convictions for Troubles-related deaths, all but one of them of terrorists. This means that for a family approaching the legacy commission, obtaining information about what happened to their loved one will be the most likely outcome. I know that giving evidence to the Commission or to any other legacy process about the events of several decades ago can be a daunting prospect, particularly for elderly veterans. That is why we need to have better protections in place and I am working with the Defence Secretary on this. For instance, with today's technology, there is no reason why those giving evidence in such cases should be forced to travel and stay away from home in order to give evidence. This Government will also continue to support our veterans involved in these processes with welfare and, where appropriate, legal support. As we prepare new legislation, I will continue to discuss this, in all its complexity, with all interested parties. We owe it to those who were affected by the Troubles across the United Kingdom, including our Armed Forces community, to get this right. Hilary Benn is the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Powys County Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
UK-EU deal is ‘very good news for Northern Ireland', Hilary Benn says
The Government's new deal with the European Union is 'very good news for Northern Ireland', Hilary Benn has insisted. The Northern Ireland Secretary said the agreement will make it 'easier' for businesses to trade between the United Kingdom and Ireland. Sir Keir Starmer said it showed 'Britain is back on the world stage'. The Government claimed the post-Brexit 'reset' will cut red tape, boosting the economy by £9 billion by 2040. Speaking in Westminster on Monday, Mr Benn said the deal had been welcomed by major supermarkets. 'It's very good news for the United Kingdom, but in particular for Northern Ireland, because when it comes into effect, it will mean for plants and food products moving from GB to Northern Ireland, all that paperwork, checks and other bureaucracy and added cost will go,' he told the PA news agency. 'That's why it's had such a warm welcome from the supermarkets, in particular Asda and M&S say it will reduce costs.' Asked if businesses might still be mired in red tape because of the remaining customs border, he said: 'We've reduced that, so from May 1, the numbers of entries that people moving goods from GB to Northern Ireland have to put in their forms has been reduced from 75 to 21. 'So we've made it quite a bit easier for people to carry on trading.' Asked about a march in support of Sean Brown's family on Friday, Mr Benn said he had the 'greatest sympathy'. The home town of the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) official, murdered almost 30 years ago, came to a standstill when thousands showed their support for his family's call for a public inquiry. Mr Brown, 61, the then chairman of the club in the Co Londonderry town, was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997. 'I've met the Brown family, and the murder of Sean Brown was deeply shocking and brutal,' he said. The UK Government is seeking to appeal to the Supreme Court over a court ruling that ordered it to hold a public inquiry into the killing. 'I want there to be a full, thorough and independent investigation into his murder. The reason that the Government is appealing is there's a wider principle at stake here,' Mr Benn continued. 'But I have the greatest sympathy for the Brown family and all of the other families in Northern Ireland for what they have been through.'
