Latest news with #Cutts
Egypt Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Gaza airdrops a 'distraction' from Israel's aid blockade, charity boss says
We've been reporting Saturday on the UK's vow to support aid airdrop efforts in Gaza. Israel's decision to let foreign countries drop supplies into the besieged Palestinian territory is also facing mounting criticism – the process has previously been seen as costly and unsafe. These airdrops are expected to take place 'in the coming days' according to an Israeli security official. 'Airdrops are not a solution to starvation in Gaza; they're a distraction,' Steve Cutts, interim CEO of UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians said in a statement Friday. 'Palestinians in Gaza are starving not because of a lack of available food, but because Israel is deliberately blocking it,' Cutts said. 'Dropping aid from the sky cannot meet the colossal needs of 2.3 million people or replace the safe, coordinated aid delivery that only open land crossings can provide.' Juliette Touma, the director of communications for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), says airdropping aid into Gaza is both costly and dangerous. Israel has banned UNRWA from operating in Gaza after accusing it of having staff involved in the October 7 attack. 'In general, in humanitarian settings, airdrops are used as a last resort. They are very, very expensive and can be quite dangerous,' Touma previously told CNN, adding that 'in the context of Gaza, we know that airdrops were not very helpful and in some cases there were fatalities.' The last airdrops into Gaza took place in October 2024 and were condemned at the time for being dangerous and not meeting Gazans' needs. In March 2024, CNN reported at least five people were killed when airdropped aid packages fell on them.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Need a burger after this': Plymouth man training to repeat win in international lifting competition
A Plymouth man is going for the gold again. Robert Cutts spent more than 30 years in law enforcement, and later this month, the weightlifter will again be competing in the World Police and Fire Games. He won the top spot in 2015 in powerlifting. Advertisement When it comes to weights, more is better for Cutts. As he warmed up at a Plymouth gym, he quickly jumped from 225 pounds to 315 pounds as he loosened up. 'I like challenging myself. I've worked 31 years doing this and God's given me a gift, and I'm going to continue using it so they're going to have to drag me off the platform.' That platform will be in Birmingham, Alabama, where the World Police and Fire Games will be held. 'It's an Olympic-style competition, and even some of these first responders are actually Olympians, so it's very competitive. Cutts will be one of eight thousand first responders competing in 62 different sports. 65 countries will be represented. Advertisement Power weightlifting didn't become a passion for Cutts until he was in his 30s. When he first started, Cutts weighed 234 pounds. He says his coach took him to the buffet at the Golden Corral twice a day, and his weight jumped to 400 pounds in about 2 years. His personal best came in 2000 when he lifted 573 pounds in a competition held in Brockton. Cutts grew up in Harwich and still has roots on Cape Cod. When he won his gold medal in 2015, he didn't keep it. He donated it to the weight room at the Yarmouth Police Department in honor of fallen Sergeant Sean Gannon. 'It was just in the spirit of being a first responder and knowing that this man put his life on the line. The medal means really nothing, but it was just a gesture to say, you know, yeah, when I'm on that platform, I think of the lost first responders.' Advertisement At 65, Cutts has no plans to lighten his load. He donates his time at local schools, trying to get young people interested in lifting. 'On some team sports, some kids get very frustrated that they don't play, but in power lifting, it doesn't matter if your kid lifts 50 or 1000. As a parent, you're going to see them lift, and people come to see you lift. They don't see you miss the shot. It's very encouraging.' He feels the sport has changed his life and hopes it can have the same effect on the next generation. For now, after a good workout, Cutts is ready to move on to phase II of his training. 'I'm going to need a burger after this, maybe some Popeyes,' he says with a chuckle. Advertisement Participants at these games will compete in traditional sports like basketball, cycling, softball, and golf. They also have the option to test their skills as first responders. There's a police pistol competition as well as a battle to be named the ultimate firefighter. The games kick off on June 27. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bus tour highlights downtown Albany revitalization efforts
ALBANY – A busload of sightseers donned hard hats and vests on Friday to take part in a tour of what's happening in Albany's downtown, a journey that took in a large area and a number of diverse projects. The group saw renovations in progress at the historic St. Nicholas Hotel and the transformation of a former bank building into a health and wellness clinic. The tour, hosted by Downtown Albany, included stops in the heart of downtown like Front Street and Pine Avenue, as well as the city's Harlem and Sandy Bottom districts. 'We're really excited we were included in this,' Core Group President Latoya Cutts told a Herald reporter. 'It validates the fact this was part of downtown. This is an opportunity for people to just know about us. This is an opportunity to build excitement about it.' The Harlem area was once a thriving center of black-owned businesses and the historic Ritz Theater. The Harlem Renaissance Project being spearheaded by the Mt. Zion Community Investment Corp., will invest some $20 million in the area, with the first phase, a health and wellness center, well underway. The center, the former Renasant Bank location on Oglethorpe Boulevard, will be anchored by the Samaritan Clinic and a dental office, and will include a physical therapist's office, mental health provider and more. A pharmacy with extended hours is part of the mix as well, a development that will be a convenience for shoppers who need to shop after other pharmacies are closed, Cutts told the tour group. The Samaritan Clinic has been in operation, serving the under- and uninsured, but will expand to accept patients who have health insurance. 'The pharmacy will have after-hours, even after the 9 p.m. hours,' Cutts said. 'You're going to have a full-service health and wellness center here.' Phase 2 of the project will include residential, retail and an event space, and Phase 3 will be a townhouse development. The first stop on the downtown tour was at the future site of the 4C on Front Street project, which will bring students from the Commodore Conyers College & Career Academy downtown. The project will transform two old office buildings at 215 and 221 Front Street into a space where students can sell fresh vegetables grown in the school's greenhouse facility. But it will be a lot more than that. 'We want to support downtown Albany, our community and bring traffic of all ages to Albany,' 4C CEO Chris Hatcher said. 'That's what this space is all about.' Participants in the Georgia FLEX entrepreneurial program will have a space to sell their products, and 4C plans to expand FLEX to all county high schools.' 'They're making incredible stuff,' Hatcher said. 'The problem is they don't have a place to sell their stuff. This will be a retail space to sell their products on consignment. It's going to look nice and be professional. We want it to be just a great vibe. 'I think with our young folks, we're at the point we have some really talented young people.' The entrepreneurial focus won't be just for youngsters, however. Part of the facility will be used as an incubator center for the state's Advanced Technology Development Center. The ATDC will assist budding entrepreneurs from the idea stage to developing a plan to make that idea a reality, Bishop Clean Care owner Jud Savelle, who will serve as startup catalyst, said. 'We're going to bring in innovation at the earliest stages of the process,' he said. 'We want to help through the process.' Inside the former Belk building participants got a glimpse of the future home of the Albany Museum of Art, a projected $28 million project that will include greatly expanded display space, room for children's activities and a statue garden outside. It will also include a family room and space for college students to hang out during the day. 'Long-term, we've been talking about being part of downtown,' AMA Executive Director Andrew Wulf said. 'We believe in the revitalization of our downtown. We really see the museum as a regional asset. We really want to be that cultural center, not just for Albany, bur for southwest Georgia.' Other stops on the tour included: the Davis Exchange Building, Silvers-Churchwell Buildings on North Washington Street, the St. Nicholas Hotel, Ritz Cultural Center (former Ritz Theater), the former Rosenberg/Albany Herald building and a presentation updating the city's downtown streetscape and sidewalk project.
The Independent
17-03-2025
- The Independent
Teenage terror suspect in ‘good mood' day before death, inquest told
An autistic girl who became a terror suspect and was investigated by MI5 after she was groomed by a far-right extremist was in a 'good mood' and spoke about her future the day before her suspected suicide, an inquest has heard. Rhianan Rudd, aged 16, was found with a ligature around her neck at Bluebell House Residential Home in Nottinghamshire on May 19 2022, five months after her terror charges were dropped and she was considered a victim of exploitation. The inquest heard the teenager self-harmed six times between April and August 2021 while living at the home, which she had been moved to after she was charged for downloading a bomb-making manual and saying she wanted to blow up a synagogue. On Monday, Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard evidence from Leigh Cutts, the manager of Bluebell House, who said there was 'nothing' to indicate that Rhianan would take her own life. Edward Pleeth, counsel to the inquest, told the court that Rhianan had sat an English GCSE exam the day before her death and it was recorded she came downstairs to make breakfast in a 'positive mood' that morning before she was given a pep talk by the children's home staff. The inquest heard that throughout that day Rhianan's mood was recorded as 'good' and she spoke about 'career paths she wanted to do and her upcoming GCSE exams' while on a walk with a staff member. At 11pm that evening, it was recorded that Rhianan was in her bedroom and there were 'no concerns' about her, the inquest was told. Ms Cutts said that when she came into work the next morning there was an issue with the water pressure at the home so she contacted maintenance and looked around for a burst pipe before checking Rhianan's room. She said she could hear running water coming from the teenager's en-suite and went into her room before performing CPR until paramedics arrived. Mr Pleeth said: 'Rhianan seemed positive in the lead up to the 18th and 19th of May. She had secured her apprenticeship in horse care, spoke of her future plans, she had spoken about visiting Japan and…becoming a jockey.' Ms Cutts said there was 'never' anything to raise concerns Rhianan might use a ligature and that ligature cutters were available to the staff at the home. The inquest heard that leading up to her death, Rhianan had been allowed more unsupervised access to her mobile phone. In April 2022, the month before she died, Ms Cutts raised concerns that Rhianan said someone commented a 'bin emoji' on her Instagram post about her furry costume which she found 'triggering', and afterwards had worn a camouflage outfit with a German flag on her arm. Ms Cutts said: 'I think she was feeling quite confused and conflicted off the back of the Instagram posts, that's why she put the camouflage on. 'It was really important to break down why she was feeling like that. We found out it was because she was worried about her old Telegram account she wanted to close down.' The inquest was told that Rhianan was worried the Telegram account had content that would 'incriminate' her but she was reassured that Counter Terrorism Policing would not reopen the investigation. Rhianan had been expected to go on trial in March 2022 before the charges were dropped in December the year before. Ms Cutts told the inquest that Rhianan was 'quite withdrawn' and 'very quiet' when she first arrived at the home and added: 'She became quite upset in her bedroom initially.' The inquest heard Rhianan had been 'hesitant and apprehensive about living in such a diverse home' but later 'expressed a desire to live here until she is 18'. The court heard that during a visit by Derbyshire County Council, which Rhianan was in the care of as a looked-after child before her death, it was recorded that she was 'making excellent progress' and 'said she is happy and feels safe' at the home. Mr Pleeth told the inquest Ms Cutts was aware that Rhianan was 'vulnerable to radicalisation and potentially subject to sexual abuse from a very young age'. Rhianan was under one-to-one supervision in the home and every hour it was recorded what she was doing and whether there were any concerns about her, the inquest heard. In July 2021, three months after Rhianan moved to Bluebell House, it was noted that she was 'becoming a better person every day'. The inquest continues.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Teenage terror suspect in ‘good mood' day before death, inquest told
An autistic girl who became a terror suspect and was investigated by MI5 after she was groomed by a far-right extremist was in a 'good mood' and spoke about her future the day before her suspected suicide, an inquest has heard. Rhianan Rudd, aged 16, was found with a ligature around her neck at Bluebell House Residential Home in Nottinghamshire on May 19 2022, five months after her terror charges were dropped and she was considered a victim of exploitation. The inquest heard the teenager self-harmed six times between April and August 2021 while living at the home, which she had been moved to after she was charged for downloading a bomb-making manual and saying she wanted to blow up a synagogue. On Monday, Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard evidence from Leigh Cutts, the manager of Bluebell House, who said there was 'nothing' to indicate that Rhianan would take her own life. Edward Pleeth, counsel to the inquest, told the court that Rhianan had sat an English GCSE exam the day before her death and it was recorded she came downstairs to make breakfast in a 'positive mood' that morning before she was given a pep talk by the children's home staff. The inquest heard that throughout that day Rhianan's mood was recorded as 'good' and she spoke about 'career paths she wanted to do and her upcoming GCSE exams' while on a walk with a staff member. At 11pm that evening, it was recorded that Rhianan was in her bedroom and there were 'no concerns' about her, the inquest was told. Ms Cutts said that when she came into work the next morning there was an issue with the water pressure at the home so she contacted maintenance and looked around for a burst pipe before checking Rhianan's room. She said she could hear running water coming from the teenager's en-suite and went into her room before performing CPR until paramedics arrived. Mr Pleeth said: 'Rhianan seemed positive in the lead up to the 18th and 19th of May. She had secured her apprenticeship in horse care, spoke of her future plans, she had spoken about visiting Japan and…becoming a jockey.' Ms Cutts said there was 'never' anything to raise concerns Rhianan might use a ligature and that ligature cutters were available to the staff at the home. The inquest heard that leading up to her death, Rhianan had been allowed more unsupervised access to her mobile phone. In April 2022, the month before she died, Ms Cutts raised concerns that Rhianan said someone commented a 'bin emoji' on her Instagram post about her furry costume which she found 'triggering', and afterwards had worn a camouflage outfit with a German flag on her arm. Ms Cutts said: 'I think she was feeling quite confused and conflicted off the back of the Instagram posts, that's why she put the camouflage on. 'It was really important to break down why she was feeling like that. We found out it was because she was worried about her old Telegram account she wanted to close down.' The inquest was told that Rhianan was worried the Telegram account had content that would 'incriminate' her but she was reassured that Counter Terrorism Policing would not reopen the investigation. Rhianan had been expected to go on trial in March 2022 before the charges were dropped in December the year before. Ms Cutts told the inquest that Rhianan was 'quite withdrawn' and 'very quiet' when she first arrived at the home and added: 'She became quite upset in her bedroom initially.' The inquest heard Rhianan had been 'hesitant and apprehensive about living in such a diverse home' but later 'expressed a desire to live here until she is 18'. The court heard that during a visit by Derbyshire County Council, which Rhianan was in the care of as a looked-after child before her death, it was recorded that she was 'making excellent progress' and 'said she is happy and feels safe' at the home. Mr Pleeth told the inquest Ms Cutts was aware that Rhianan was 'vulnerable to radicalisation and potentially subject to sexual abuse from a very young age'. Rhianan was under one-to-one supervision in the home and every hour it was recorded what she was doing and whether there were any concerns about her, the inquest heard. In July 2021, three months after Rhianan moved to Bluebell House, it was noted that she was 'becoming a better person every day'. The inquest continues.
