Latest news with #LatymerUpperSchool
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
What happened to the Bayesian superyacht? New report to reveal sinking findings
A highly anticipated report is expected to lay out the causes behind the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht that resulted in the deaths of seven people. The 56-metre British-flagged vessel sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm in August last year. Among those who died were British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah. The tragedy, which unfolded near the fishing village of Porticello, has raised questions about the yacht's rapid sinking and the factors that led to its sinking. The upcoming report is expected to shed light on the causes of the disaster, offering potential answers to the families of victims – as well as perhaps offering lessons into how such a tragedy might be avoided in the future. The Bayesian was anchored approximately metres off Porticello, Sicily, when it was struck by a powerful storm, described as a waterspout or downburst, in the early hours of 19 August last year. The yacht, renowned for its 75-metre aluminium mast – one of the tallest in the world – capsized and sank in just 16 minutes, lying 49 metres below the surface. Eyewitnesses, including Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby vessel, reported the yacht's mast bending and snapping under the storm's ferocity, with the vessel disappearing in just 16 minutes. Rescue efforts began immediately, with 15 of the 22 passengers and crew escaping on an inflatable life raft, aided by Borner's crew and other nearby vessels. Divers from Italy's fire and rescue service faced significant challenges, navigating a wreckage clogged with debris at a depth that limited their time underwater to eight minutes per dive. By 23 August, four days after the yacht sunk, all seven bodies of the victims were recovered, with four found to have died of asphyxiation in air pockets within the yacht, suggesting they survived the initial sinking but died later. Italian prosecutors are investigating the yacht's captain, James Cutfield, and two crew members – engineer Tim Parker Eaton and sailor Matthew Griffith – for potential charges of manslaughter and culpable shipwreck. Speculation has centred on whether the crew ignored weather warnings or failed to secure hatches and doors, allowing water to flood the vessel. The sinking claimed seven lives. Among them was Mike Lynch, a British tech entrepreneur once described as 'Britain's Bill Gates' and known for founding software giant Autonomy in 1996. He sold Autonomy to US company Hewlett Packard for £8.6bn in 2011 and went on trial last year in San Francisco over a fraud charges related to the sale, but was found not guilty on all counts. His 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, also died in the sinking. She was a former pupil of Latymer Upper School and had been offered a place at the Oxford University. The five other victims were: Jonathan Bloomer, 70, chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank International and of the Hiscox international insurance group. Judy Bloomer, 71, Mr Bloomer's wife, who was called a "brilliant champion for women's health" by gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal, where she has been a trustee for more than 20 years. Chris Morvillo, 59, a US lawyer with Clifford Chance, who had represented Mike Lynch in a recent trial. Neda Morvillo, a US jewellery designer and Mr Morvillo's wife. Recaldo Thomas, the yacht's Canadian-Antiguan chef, whose body was found floating near the wreck shortly after the Experts start complex recovery of Mike Lynch superyacht that sank off Italy
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Teenager honoured for hygiene kit for the homeless
A teenager who turned the family living room into a makeshift centre to process hygiene kits for the homeless has been recognised for his efforts. Rohan Mehta, from Kensington in west London, founded his In The Bag project two years ago. So far, the 17-year-old has donated 130 bags containing toiletries, toothbrushes and other items to homeless Londoners. Rohan, who is studying for his A-level exams at Latymer Upper School, was given the Young Achiever award by Kensington and Chelsea Council and recognised with a civic honour by Hammersmith and Fulham Council. The philanthropic teen said homelessness had always been an issue that really affected him. Rohan said when he was small and would spot someone on the street, he would ask his parents if they could provide that person with money or food. "I always knew I wanted to do something to be part of the solution so when I got a little bit older, I thought, what tangible stuff could I do? "I wanted to create something practical that could really help people, not just raise awareness, but give them something that could make them feel a little bit better, give them back some of their dignity. That's why I wanted to start In The Bag." Rohan was only 15 when he began developing the idea. His family's living room quickly filled with shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste. He said: "I wanted to focus on something with daily hygiene. When you're homeless, you don't have access to a lot of these things and when you're able to stay in a shelter overnight, for example, if you're able to clean yourself up properly, it makes you feel a lot better. "When I started studying economics, I started getting this idea of a job-seeking element to this and the whole cycle of poverty and I realised how incredibly difficult it was to break that. "You really cannot have a job interview if you do not look presentable and clean... so I wanted to do my part in sort of breaking that barrier because it's really, really difficult." His efforts have been recognised by two London councils. In March, he was handed the Young Achiever's Award by the mayor of Kensington and Chelsea. In April, he was given a civic honour by Hammersmith and Fulham Council for his contributions to building a stronger, safer, kinder borough. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Councils fear bankruptcy amid homelessness crisis People living on London's streets rises by 26% 'No time is a good time to be homeless' In The Bag
BBC News
05-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Kensington teenager honoured for hygiene kits for the homeless
A teenager who turned the family living room into a makeshift centre to process hygiene kits for the homeless has been recognised for his Mehta, from Kensington in west London, founded his In The Bag project two years far, the 17-year-old has donated 130 bags containing toiletries, toothbrushes and other items to homeless who is studying for his A-level exams at Latymer Upper School, was given the Young Achiever award by Kensington and Chelsea Council and recognised with a civic honour by Hammersmith and Fulham Council. The philanthropic teen said homelessness had always been an issue that really affected said when he was small and would spot someone on the street, he would ask his parents if they could provide that person with money or food. "I always knew I wanted to do something to be part of the solution so when I got a little bit older, I thought, what tangible stuff could I do?"I wanted to create something practical that could really help people, not just raise awareness, but give them something that could make them feel a little bit better, give them back some of their dignity. That's why I wanted to start In The Bag."Rohan was only 15 when he began developing the idea. His family's living room quickly filled with shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes and said: "I wanted to focus on something with daily hygiene. When you're homeless, you don't have access to a lot of these things and when you're able to stay in a shelter overnight, for example, if you're able to clean yourself up properly, it makes you feel a lot better."When I started studying economics, I started getting this idea of a job-seeking element to this and the whole cycle of poverty and I realised how incredibly difficult it was to break that."You really cannot have a job interview if you do not look presentable and clean... so I wanted to do my part in sort of breaking that barrier because it's really, really difficult." His efforts have been recognised by two London councils. In March, he was handed the Young Achiever's Award by the mayor of Kensington and Chelsea. In April, he was given a civic honour by Hammersmith and Fulham Council for his contributions to building a stronger, safer, kinder borough.
Telegraph
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Labour council's LTN risks endangering people, engineers warned
Britain's smallest low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) risks putting cyclists and pedestrians in danger, engineers warned. The London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham controversially banned out-of-town motorists from a popular cut-through, between the A4 and west London, to 'improve road safety'. But a safety audit report commissioned by the Labour-led local authority shows that independent engineers were concerned that the closure of Rivercourt Road could end with pedestrians 'hit by vehicles' and cars 'colliding with cyclists'. Last year, the council was criticised for creating a 'cash cow' by closing the 350ft-long road and imposing £130 fines for infractions. It was predicted that 3,200 motorists would be barred from the route each day as a result. The safety audit – published in October, one month before the LTN turned the one-way road two-way – listed a series of concerns, some because the street was sandwiched between the busy A4 and Hammersmith's King Street and its cycle lane. It said: 'Drivers on King Street may not see cyclists on the cycle track and [might] collide with them as they turn into the road.' It warned that cyclists might be 'completely within drivers' blind spots', with motorists having to 'look over their shoulders' to try to spot bikes. It added: 'Drivers turning through the cycle-track may therefore fail to give way to cyclists resulting in vehicle collisions with cycles.' The audit claimed new 'quite sharp' angles at Rivercourt Road in the otherwise straight cycle lane might 'result in conflict between cyclists travelling in opposite directions' with bike riders 'coming close to one another'. The council responded that the 'accentuated deflection and cycle lane narrowing' was intentional because it 'forced cyclists to slow down'. Analysis of Transport for London (TfL) crash data has previously shown that the creation of the bi-directional cycle lane on King Street, a one-way street for cars, saw a marked increase in serious and slight injuries to cyclists. The audit warned that making the road two-way could take pedestrians unawares. It said: 'Pedestrians walking along King Street may not realise they need to check for vehicles in both directions as they cross and may be hit by vehicles turning into Rivercourt Road.' The council responded by claiming familiarity with the change would be 'acquired upon first use', adding that the 'absence of no entry signs' for motorists would help pedestrians realise the road was now two-way. It said that 'intentional friction' would also 'force' motorists to drive more slowly. The audit also warned that the road would be blighted with a 'cacophony of road signs'. Last year, Latymer Upper School, the £8,000-a-term private school with a campus on one side of Rivercourt Road, warned the council that the LTN could 'pose risks' to students. The school – alumni of which include Hugh Grant, the actor – wrote to parents to say it had 'outlined their strong opposition' and had provided 'additional supervision' for pupils, after the street became two-way 'overnight'. The audit warned that vehicles 'travelling at relatively high speeds and in close proximity' on the A4 were at risk of 'rear end shunts, or loss-of-control collisions' as their drivers swerve around cars turning into Rivercourt Road. The reports shows that the council 'partially accepted' six and rejected three of the engineers' recommendations to make the design safer. A council spokesman said: 'Residents in Rivercourt Road were faced with 4,000 cars a day needlessly cutting through and gridlocking their small street. 'They asked us to take action to reduce the congestion and increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists. 'We are really pleased to report that the neighbourhood improvement scheme has done just that. The street is significantly less congested. Residents tell us it is a quieter, safer and nicer place to live.'
