Latest news with #NewYear
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Abandoned UK village dating back to Domesday Book is reopening next month – but visitors must beware of hidden danger
AN ABANDONED village is set to reopen next month, as visitors are warned about historic dangers. Imber Village in Salisbury Plain, Advertisement 8 Imberbus Day will take place on August 16, with the village reopening the following weekend Credit: PA:Press Association 8 A number of signs warn visitors not to enter the abandoned pub Credit: PA:Press Association 8 Visitors are also reminded about the risk of 'unexploded military debris' Credit: Alamy Live News 8 The site has been owned by the Ministry of Defence since 1932 Credit: Alamy Visiting the village Next month, from August 23 to 25, the site will be reopening to the public, providing a unique opportunity to explore its empty buildings and abandoned military vehicles. However, a number of signs around the site warn visitors about a The signs read: "Danger Behind the sign, pictures show a disused military tank, as well as a set of tank tracks next to a grassy mound. Advertisement Read more News Getting to the village The annual bus service, It includes up to 30 Routemaster buses, as well as other vehicles, that will run from Warminster to Imber, in addition to other villages in Salisbury Plain. Buses will operate for one day only on a regular service between 10am and 6pm. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £2 for children and can be used an unlimited amount on the day. Advertisement Most read in The Sun This gives visitors the opportunity to explore other villages in the area. The following week Imber village will reopen to the public. Abandoned golf course where Justin Rose won his first tournament goes up for sale for £3.75m after closing down History While A pub called The Bell Inn still stands. Advertisement Other buildings still standing include the manor house, Imber Court, a farmhouse, farm cottages, a small schoolhouse, and four housing blocks built in 1938. The nearby St Giles' Church dates back to the 13th century and became a Grade I listed building in 1987. A record of the Wiltshire village in the Domesday Book of 1086 shows it was an isolated community that relied heavily on agriculture. Having been owned by the Ministry of Defence since 1932, visitors are only welcome at the site for a few days each year. Advertisement The opening times usually fall once in the spring, summer, and over the Christmas and New Year period. In 1943, its population of around 150 was evicted to provide a training ground for American troops during WW2. The site is still controlled by the Ministry of Defence, despite attempts from some locals to return. It was last open to the public at Easter, with photos showing the eerie village streets. Advertisement 8 Around 150 locals were evicted during World War II as the site was used to train American troops Credit: Alamy 8 Bus routes run across the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire Credit: Alamy 8 A number of flat blocks built in 1938 can be seen Credit: Alamy 8 The village also boasts a 13th century, grade I listed church Credit: Alamy Advertisement
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
National Assembly agrees to revive motion to investigate statutory rape
Political parties united in Parliament to address the statutory rape crisis, citing rising teen pregnancies and weak law enforcement as urgent concerns. Parliament has backed a revived motion to investigate statutory rape, with all parties united in their sense of urgency over rising abuse and teenage pregnancy rates. The National Assembly (NA) hosted a sitting on Tuesday, where lawmakers considered a motion to revive the investigation into the issue of statutory rape in South Africa and possibly change the law around it. Each party either declared its support for the motion or confirmed its backing without formal declarations. Statutory rape, harshest abuses on children ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli said the ANC supported the motion, citing the high rate of teenage pregnancies and the need for comprehensive sexual education. 'Statutory rape is one of the harshest abuses to our children. It strips them of their right to be children,' Ntuli said. The chief whip said the provisions of South African law and the statistics of statutory rape allude to a disjuncture. ALSO READ: Child rape in South Africa deserves real justice The ANC called for a collective effort to address teenage pregnancies. DA chief whip George Michalakis confirmed his party's support and stressed the need for decisive action to combat statutory rape. 'It does cut across various departments, and I think that statutory rape, especially of young girls in this country, has become a crisis that needs to be dealt with decisively by this Parliament,' Michalakis said. National emergency MK party MP Hazel Mbele said Parliament shouldn't even be debating the motion, arguing that statutory rape demands a national emergency. She highlighted the growing crisis in townships, rural villages, and schools. 'Let's be clear, statutory rape is not a scandal. It is a crisis. It is a kind of power, of manipulation, of betrayal, and it is happening on our watch,' she said. Mbele said South Africa's laws are not weak, but the implementation of them is weak. She also expressed concerns regarding the police's ineffectiveness in dealing with cases of statutory rape. ALSO READ: Statutory rape in South Africa: How many offenders were found guilty in last 10 months? 'This is traumatisation. We need to stop thinking that statutory rape is a mistake or a relationship gone. This is not Romeo and Juliet; this is a child being manipulated, violated and often impregnated by someone who should know better,' she said. Mbele said the motion must pass, not because it is politically convenient, but because South African children are not safe. Urgent need for comprehensive interventions EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi reminded the House of a previous motion the party tabled on statutory rape. She also cited the numerous teenage pregnancy cases reported on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve to stress the urgent need for comprehensive interventions. 'A critical area of focus is the enforcement of mandatory reporting by teachers and nurses, which is essential in bridging the gap in current protective measures,' Mkhaliphi said. She said the party supports the revival of the motion to ensure justice for victims and called for stronger interdepartmental coordination. ALSO READ: DNA test reveals Limpopo man did not impregnate 13-year-old girl The IFP, Patriotic Alliance, ACDP, UDM, Bosa, ATM, and ActionSA expressed their support for the motion, advocating for a more comprehensive and broader approach to the issue at hand. Parties unanimously agreed to revive motion Following declarations from all the parties, there were no objections, and all parties unanimously agreed to revive the motion. The National Assembly tasked the portfolio committee on women and children to lead the investigation. The committee must collaborate with the committees on basic education, social development, police, health, and justice. The House has extended the deadline for the committee to report back to 30 November.
India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Kriti Sanon enjoys dreamy cruise vacation - with Kabir Bahia?
Actor Kriti Sanon is currently enjoying a much-needed holiday in France, but fans believe she may not be alone. The actor, who is rumoured to be dating entrepreneur Kabir Bahia, recently shared glimpses of her dreamy cruise vacation, reportedly along the scenic French Sunday, Kriti posted a series of photos on Instagram from her getaway, including snapshots of crystal-clear waters, tempting meals, and her colourful bikini look. She captioned the post, 'Salty hair. Rainbow on my heart. Flowing with the waves. Sunsets like in a Postcard.' Her poetic caption perfectly matched the serene setting. advertisementInterestingly, Kabir Bahia also posted photos on his Instagram stories from the same cruise, though neither appeared in each other's photos. However, the strikingly similar backdrops and timing didn't go unnoticed by fans, further fuelling relationship rumours. This isn't the first time the duo has grabbed attention. Just days ago, Kriti and Kabir were seen watching the India vs England Test match at Lord's in London. Kriti was in a stylish sleeveless cropped utility jacket, while Kabir opted for a casual tan hoodie over a white tee. Earlier this year, the rumoured couple also attended a friend's wedding in Bengaluru, where they twinned in black and were seen sharing a cosy moment. Their reported New Year trip together had already set the rumour mills in neither Kriti nor Kabir has officially confirmed their relationship, their frequent outings and now this seemingly shared European holiday are keeping fans guessing.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Is Kriti Sanon is on a holiday cruise with rumoured beau Kabir Bahia? Vacation photos fuel dating rumours
Kriti Sanon's French coast cruise has ignited dating rumors with entrepreneur Kabir Bahia, fueled by matching Instagram posts. Their shared vacation backdrops and recent appearances, including a London cricket match and a Bengaluru wedding, have intensified speculation. While neither has confirmed the relationship, their public interactions suggest a blossoming romance. Kriti Sanon 's serene vacation has taken a romantic turn—at least in the eyes of fans. The actress, currently enjoying a luxurious cruise along the French coast, is once again at the centre of dating rumours, thanks to social media clues linking her to entrepreneur Kabir Bahia. While the duo hasn't officially confirmed anything, their matching vacation backdrops and growing list of public appearances are keeping the rumour mill buzzing. Inside Kriti's Dreamy Coastal Vacation On Sunday, Kriti Sanon treated her Instagram followers to a glimpse of her dreamy coastal getaway. Her vacation photo dump featured snapshots of sparkling blue waters, a look at the delicious onboard cuisine, and her vibrant multicoloured bikini—perfectly capturing the sun-soaked, serene mood of the cruise. Check out the post here: The Mimi star captioned the post, 'Salty hair. Rainbow on my heart. Flowing with the waves. Sunsets like in a Postcard.' Her poetic words reflected the tranquil joy of seaside life, capturing the mood of the escape perfectly. Kabir Bahia's Parallel Posts Add to Speculation Kabir also shared similar cruise snaps on Instagram, hinting he's on the same holiday as Kriti Sanon. Though they didn't appear in each other's posts, the matching locations sparked fresh dating rumours. Check out the posts here: From Lord's Cricket Ground to the French Coast This isn't the first time Kriti and Kabir have sparked dating rumours. Just days ago, they were seen together at the India vs England Test match at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. Their candid moments — marked by shared smiles, casual banter, and visible comfort — caught the attention of onlookers and quickly went viral online. Kriti stood out in a sleeveless cropped utility jacket with bold epaulettes and buttoned pockets, while Kabir opted for a relaxed look in a tan hoodie layered over a white tee. The duo was also spotted earlier this year at a friend's wedding in Bengaluru, twinning in black and sharing a cosy moment that was captured on camera. Their reported New Year getaway further fuelled the growing speculation about their relationship.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
My brother was knifed to death at home by his pal…court ‘loophole' meant we never got justice & killer struck AGAIN
WAYNE Keenan's body was draped over a breakfast bar in his Blackpool flat, where he'd been stabbed multiple times. His pal Mark Oldfield had fled the scene, just yards from a police station, but two days later would hand himself in before being charged with murder. 8 Beverley Keenan's younger brother Wayne 'Joey Evans' was killed by his friend Credit: Dave Nelson 8 Joey was stabbed to death at his flat in Blackpool Credit: Dave Nelson 8 A Blackpool Gazette report from December 2000 But in the middle of his trial the judge gave the jury the option to try him for the now defunct charge of manslaughter by provocation instead. They took up the offer and Oldfield, from Leeds, was sentenced to just seven years in prison, and after early release would go on to viciously attack his next door neighbour with a pizza cutter - as well as at least one other offence with a bladed article. Heartbroken sister Beverley Keenan told The Sun: 'I've spent more than two decades fighting this, trying to understand why it suddenly wasn't considered murder. He'd been stabbed in the back. 'There was no justice for my brother. I want an apology from the government, because it was their laws that failed to protect him and others in a similar boat.' Read more news She added: 'As soon as Mark was released he attacked again.' Beverley says she's never had a clear answer as to what led to her brother's death - and the weapon used was never found. Dad-of-three Wayne - known to friends and family as Joey Evans, having adopted his stepdad's surname and his own middle name - had been allowing Oldfield to stay in his flat on and off when the deadly row erupted on June 4 2000. Joey, 34, had, on a whim, moved to the Lancashire city from Leeds months earlier, after his mum Alison Evans and sisters Beverley and Julie had done the same. Most read in The Sun His relationship with the mother of his youngest son had broken down and he wanted a fresh start. Beverley explained: 'He turned up on New Years Eve 1999 and it was a right shock, because we weren't expecting to see him. Man who stabbed woman to death as she slept confesses to her murder 'I'd just moved into a new house, and he came and stayed with us all over New Year. 'We had a lovely time, it was the first time that all the family had been together since we were kids. 'He was gutted because he had three kids in Leeds but needed a fresh start. He planned to move to Blackpool permanently and fight for custody of his youngest, and we were going to help.' Joey signed up to a local job agency and soon found regular work in factories, often working two jobs at once, days and nights. 'He was earning good money and then his mate from Leeds turned up,' explained Beverley. Joey and Oldfield, then 36, stayed at Alison's home in Central Drive before her son found himself a flat on Chapel Street just half a mile away. But by June, Joey and Oldfield's relationship appeared to have soured somewhat, and Beverley believes her brother had not seen his eventual killer much for some time when he arrived suddenly at his flat in the early hours of Sunday, June 4 2000. 'He turned up early Sunday morning, and stabbed Joey at nine o'clock on Sunday night,' she said. 8 Tragic Joey with his son Danny Credit: Dave Nelson 8 The proud dad with his daughter Toni Credit: Dave Nelson 8 Joey had relocated to Blackpool from Leeds months before he died Credit: Dave Nelson 'Joey had had a bath that night, he'd ironed his clothes ready to go to work the next day, before being killed.' Beverley recalls how half an hour after stabbing her brother, Oldfield 'casually' walked past her and sister Julie as they drove back to their mum's home after bingo. 'He was stood looking at me in the car, and because of my arthritis I couldn't wind the window down to ask him where Joey was. 'He was with a girl. We drove round to the back of my mum's old house, and we suddenly couldn't see him anywhere.' What exactly happened during the tragedy is unclear. In her campaign to have the conviction upgraded, Beverley says she was told the court transcripts were destroyed after five years. Reports in the Blackpool Gazette from December 2000, during the trial, say Oldfield alleged his victim had first gone for him with a knife. He claimed Joey had also punched one of several women who were also in the flat at the time and had stepped in. However, Julie Taylor, described as Joey's girlfriend, is reported to have told the court she saw Oldfield raise an arm and stab his victim four times. While giving evidence, Oldfield had told the court how he and Joey had spent the day drinking and watching Formula One on the TV. One article adds the defendant said he must have later fallen asleep and that on waking he heard screaming and crying. 8 Joey had been working at different factories and was looking towards a new chapter in his life when he was killed Credit: Dave Nelson 8 Beverley wants an apology off the Government Credit: Dave Nelson It says: 'Oldfield told the court he saw Joey punching someone called Mandy. The defendant said he took hold of him and dragged him into the hallway.' However, Joey allegedly broke loose and headed back to the living room. Oldfield said: 'Joey came back into the room. I saw a knife in the right hand. I thought he had run on to the knife [sic]. 'From listening to the forensic pathologist I now believe I must have lunged at him and stabbed him in the chest, thinking he was going to stab me.' In another article, the court is reported to have heard Oldfield claimed he was acting in self defence and had actually grabbed a knife from the coffee table after fearing Joey was going to arm himself, and used it to kill his friend. In an article from December 23 2000, the day after Oldfield was sentenced for manslaughter by provocation, Beverley was reported as saying: 'Oldfield was known as Rampton in Leeds and butchered my brother. 'I am considering appealing to the Home Secretary about the leniency of the sentence.' Mum Alison - who passed away in 2010 - had said: 'How in God's name could the judge sentence him to only seven years? 'He could be out walking the streets again in three years.' Referring to the police, she added: 'We feel so let down by them.' Early prison release and subsequent attack Oldfield was released early from prison and in May 2009 was sentenced to eight years in custody for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, having attacked his neighbour with a pizza cutter. Then in May 2011, while still on licence, Oldfield reportedly committed another offence with a bladed article and was given a 10-month prison term. Beverley said: 'How many more times will he escape justice? Does he really have to take another life before someone listens?' She has been campaigning ever since Oldfield was jailed for her brother's killing, for a tougher sentence. 'I started more or less immediately,' she explained. She said she was protesting outside Parliament and several Labour ministers at the time 'all walked past', and she appeared on TV. 'I wrote to everyone in Parliament and got a lot of letters back from a lot of MPs that agreed with me but they said you've got to go through your own. 'My MP tried his best but it's proving it. No solicitor would ever touch it because there'd been a trial. Even though the trial's gone wrong.' The partial defence of provocation in English law, which could reduce a murder charge to manslaughter, was abolished in October 2010. In April 2005 the double jeopardy rule came into effect in the UK, allowing for retrials in cases of very serious offences where new and compelling evidence had emerged after an acquittal or conviction. Beverley said it wasn't until the new law came in that police came to see her, in part because she'd been collecting paperwork from the case, and asked for the court transcripts, which she didn't have. What is manslaughter by provocation and double jeopardy? The partial defence of manslaughter by provocation in English law, which could reduce a murder charge to manslaughter, was abolished in October 2010. In April 2005 the double jeopardy rule came into effect in the UK, allowing for retrials in cases of very serious offences where new and compelling evidence had emerged after an acquittal or conviction. 'They said 'we're going to try him on double jeopardy'. Beverley continued: 'They knew he'd murdered Joey, they knew it. I tried to get the transcripts but they said we've destroyed them after five years. 'You can find transcripts online from decades ago but Joey's have been destroyed after five years.' Despite being on benefits at the time, she managed to save up the £5,000 needed to receive the transcripts before finding out they'd been destroyed. She said police said, in the end, the potential for a new trial fell through on the basis of this. 'Really you'd think they'd do a new inquiry again,' she continued. 'The police said they were underfunded and couldn't keep going back and forth to Leeds. And that was that.' She went on to say: 'I seem to have missed out every which way but loose. Every which way I go I hit a brick wall.' She added: 'At the end of the day, it's us who are the victims, us who serve the life sentence, not them who do it.' Having suffered a number of health setbacks, Beverley said her campaign has now been reinvigorated. I seem to have missed out every which way but loose. Every which way I go I hit a brick wall. At the end of the day, it's us who are the victims, us who serve the life sentence, not them who do it. Beverley Keenan sister of tragic Joey Evans Mum Alison died from brain cancer in 2010, while Beverley herself has struggled with rheumatoid arthritis since she was a baby. 'In the last 10 years I've had my two new hips and two new knees, I've had a lot going on in my life,' she explained. 'But the other day I just thought I should really get an apology off the government. 'That manslaughter with provocation was a mess, they knew it was a mess, they've admitted it was a mess, and that's the reason they abolished it because they knew murderers were getting away with murder.' She added: 'I would like other victims in this situation to come forward. 'I'd love to get a group of us together like the Post Office crew, because someone needs holding accountable for this farce. It should never have happened.' Attorney General In an email from MP Chris Webb to Beverley in January, seen by The Sun, he told her: 'Provocation law, as it stood, was widely criticised for being outdated and susceptible to misuse. 'While its intent was to address specific circumstances, its application in other cases, including the ones you've described, led to unjust outcomes that failed to reflect the gravity of the crimes committed. 'I agree that the government must not acknowledge the failures of the past without fully examining their consequences and offering both accountability and redress.' As a result, he wrote to the Attorney General on her behalf to 'highlight the importance of this issue'. In April, Mr Webb then forwarded his response from Sarah Sackman KC, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, who said the correspondence had been transferred to the Ministry of Justice. She said: 'You and your constituents may be interested to learn about the 'Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) Scheme' where the Attorney General can refer certain serious offences sentenced in the Crown Court to the Court of Appeal if they believe they might be unduly lenient. 'The Court of Appeal will then review the sentence and may decide to dismiss and replace it with a sentence that it considers more appropriate.' However, she warned: 'The bar to increasing a sentence is a very high one. 'The Court of Appeal will only grant permission to refer a sentence in exceptional circumstances: for example, if the judge has made some gross error, or has passed a sentence that falls outside the range of available and reasonably appropriate sentences.' She added the independent Law Commission are also 'undertaking a review of criminal appeals' and in June launched a public consultation in relation to reforms to the ULS. Lancashire Police declined to comment when approached by The Sun. Do you know more? Email
