Latest news with #Paras
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Bungling police spark military base alert as they wrongly issue warnings of 'Lee Rigby-style' threat to British paratroopers
Thousands of Army troops and their families were alerted to a 'Lee Rigby-style' threat at their base after an administrative error by police. The elite Paras were banned from wearing uniform or any military regalia after cops warned a suspect may be planning an attack. A man's name and photograph were circulated across Colchester Garrison and soldiers were warned their partners and children could be targeted. But it emerged this afternoon that the threatening online post which prompted the alert was actually made last year. It is understood that due to an error logging the date the post was made, military officials were mistakenly informed it was a new threat. No action was taken against the man who made the post. Earlier today before the blunder was revealed, defence sources confirmed the identity and image that were being circulated. The warning to soldiers and dependents referred specifically to the fatal attack on Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013. But the alert in Colchester, where the Paras' second and third battalions are based, was stood down yesterday when it emerged the threat was a year old. Police intercepted the suspect's messages last year. But due to an administration error, police warned the Ministry of Defence this week that Paras could face a fatal attack. The suspect's recent release from prison on an unrelated charge is understood to be why his conduct a year ago came to be re-examined. Around 3,500 troops, 750 civilian staff and their dependents live in and around the Essex base. The initial message read: 'Urgent. All, please disseminate to all your people in camp. 'We have received warning that a man has made threats against members of the Para Regt and wants to carry out a 'Lee Rigby' style attack. 'The SCC [Security Control Centre] and main gate have been informed but ensure no Para Regt/military clothing is worn outside camp and remain vigilant.' The MoD had issued a statement which said: 'The safety and wellbeing of our personnel is our top priority. We are aware of an online threat, which is being investigated by the civilian police. 'Personnel are always advised to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to the Royal Military Police.' Fusilier Rigby, a father-of-one was hacked to death in broad daylight while walking near Woolwich Barracks in south London. His attackers chose to target him because he was wearing a Help for Heroes hoodie popular with troops. Colchester's military history dates back to the late 18th century when the first barracks were built in the Essex city. Today, it is the home of 16 Air Assault Brigade and troops from the Parachute Regiment's second and third battalions are based there alongside other infantry and aviation units and supporting detachments such as logistics and medical personnel. Airborne Forces are notorious for wearing regimental clothing outside working hours, particularly distinctive maroon-coloured t-shirts and fleeces, most often worn with tight jeans and desert boots, a tradition that goes back many decades. Fusilier Rigby, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, and had served in Afghanistan. At the time of his death he was working in army recruitment. He was a trained machine-gunner and a regimental drummer. He was given a military funeral at Bury Parish Church on 12th July 2013.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Two UP men held for Rs 20 lakh extortion bid on Gurgaon bizman
Gurgaon: Two men from Uttar Pradesh have been arrested for allegedly trying to extort Rs 20 lakh from a businessman by threatening to kill him. Police said one of the accused, Rajat, had previously worked as the complainant's driver and was aware of his financial condition. The FIR was registered on May 31 after the businessman approached the Farrukhnagar police station, stating he had received a threatening call on the night of May 16 from an unknown number. The caller demanded Rs 20 lakh and allegedly threatened to kill him within ten days if the amount was not paid. Acting on the complaint, police tracked down the accused — Rajat, a resident of Banabai village in Etawah, and Paras alias Shyamu, from Nangla Bari Safai — and arrested them on Sunday. "The call was allegedly made using Paras' mobile phone," a police officer said. Rajat had worked as the complainant's driver between 2022 and 2023, police said, and used this familiarity to plan the extortion. Both ere produced before the court for further legal proceedings.
The Sun
05-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Our village is split by monstrous HS2 tunnel – we've had years of constant closures… we can't wait to sell our homes
VILLAGERS say their tranquil lives have turned into a nightmare after years of disruption due to HS2 cutting the area in half. Burton Green in Warwickshire used to be one of the nicest rural places to live - but the monstrous 700 metre tunnel has left residents desperate to sell. 12 12 12 The construction has seen homes demolished, ancient woodland destroyed and residents moved out. The locals still there say they have to wash their cars every week because they're covered in dust, and their houses randomly start shaking from the ongoing works. Now, the "gift that keeps on giving" is set to disrupt the village's VE Day celebrations with yet another road closure planned for next week. Sue Spence, 75, a gemologist who has lived in the village for over 40 years, said: "I have lost count of the number of times the road has been closed. "It's always the last one, until the next one, but the timing of this one is unfortunate. "It will mean that people living on the wrong side of the tunnel will have a four-mile round trip to a village hall which is less than half-a-mile away. "We are planning a big VE Day celebration to mark the 80 years, and the lighting of a beacon. It will make life difficult for our older residents." Most disrupted place on the route HS2 has been dominating life in Burton Green since it was announced back in 2010 with the village said to be the most disrupted place on the route. Sue added: "I remember going to a meeting about it 13 years ago. Everyone was opposed and yet every MP of every shade was in favour. "They thought it was such a sexy project but the disruption has been mammoth and for what? "My husband and I use the trains. We know we need more capacity but we don't need to get places quicker. Moment neighbour 'STEALS' 1.9m of next door's garden & tears down their shed in bitter land row while they're on holiday "The destruction of the countryside has been appalling. I saw their machines at work and they were literally lifting out these old oak trees, roots and all. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The lanes are now bleak. When you think of the expense and the waste, you could weep. Think of all the things we could have had with that money – things we actually need like hospitals and prisons." Sue is taking part in a weekly indoor bowls group at the village hall, which was built by HS2. "We had a village hall built by us," she said, "but that had to go and HS2 built this one to replace it. It's well used, they said yes to everything we wanted and the car park is better." Among her playing companions is Frank Spencer, 96, a World War II veteran, whose first posting was to Palestine at the end of the war. "I did 30 years of soldiering with the Paras all over the world," he said. "I'll be at the VE celebrations of course whether the road is closed or not." 12 12 12 As for his verdict on HS2: "What a bloody waste of money," he said. His playing companion Anita Smith, 91, echoed his thoughts. "I've been in the village all my life and this disruption has been terrible," she said. "It's an absolute waste of money." The tunnel works are now such a feature of life that people struggle to remember when it all started and no-one knows when it's going to finish. I've been in the village all my life and this disruption has been terrible. It's an absolute waste of money. Frank Spencervillage resident They remember the public meetings about it over a decade ago when MPs told them what a great idea it was. They are sure the works started before Covid, but as for when trains will race through the tunnel, estimates vary from two to 10 years. Scientist Andrew Gibbs, whose beautiful, detached house is within 100 metres of the works, said: "'Back at the very start when it was announced, I could see benefits in terms of connectivity. "Back then, they were talking about it going through Heathrow and connecting up Manchester and Leeds and the northern powerhouse. 12 12 "As someone who travels abroad for work, I could see some sense in that because instead of flying from Birmingham to Frankfurt and then on, I could take the train to Heathrow. "But that was dropped because it added five minutes to the journey time to London and now all the other useful bits have been binned too. "It's bad enough having a decade or more of disruption but the end result is now so underwhelming." Like other residents, Andrew regularly finds himself blocked in by traffic waiting at the traffic lights for the temporary bridge over the tunnel works. And now his front garden has been turned into a bog due to a leak from a Severn Trent pipe. "It's clay soil so in dry weather it's rock hard and if we had guests I could park my car on it," he said. "Now it's under water all the time. "We have had so many road closures and while HS2 will inform us, they always play it down, they say it'll be the last one, they say it won't last too long and then the workers tell us they were either ignorant or lying. "We hope we are over the worst now in terms of noise and there is talk of the road being back to normal by the end of 2026." The folly of the HS2 project is well illustrated by civil servant Dr Mark Wareing, 67, who lives less than 100 metres from the tunnel and works in Piccadilly, London. "If I time everything right, I can leave the office in Piccadilly and be back home within 90 minutes," he said. "I get an underground to Euston, an hour's train to Coventry and then a 10 minute train to Tile Hill station down the road. HS2 can't improve that. "When you also factor in that working habits have changed and there is so much more working from home, God knows why they are still ploughing money into it." Homes up for sale His four-bedroom house with woodland to the rear is currently on the market for £700,000 and he is hoping that it will sell despite the current disruption. "We have had plenty of interest," he said. "When the works are complete it will be a great place to live," he said. "We have got through the worst of it. The power-driving was terrible and the roads needed repairing because of the amount of extra lorries." He is given extra hope by a new-build development less than half-a-mile away which £600,000 homes have been snapped up off the plans. Two doors away Jean Priest, 57, is also hoping to sell. "We've had it on the market since September with no joy at all," she said. "The problem we have at the moment is getting back into our drive with all the cars waiting at the temporary lights." What is HS2? HS2, which stands for High Speed 2, is a project that aims to create a high-speed rail network between London and major cities in the Midlands and Northern England. It is the biggest rail investment ever made in the North of England and is Europe's largest infrastructure project. New trains will run on HS2 lines with a top speed of 225 miles per hour - the aim is to cut journey times and make it easier to travel across England. Plans were passed by Parliament in February 2017, and work on the first phase, from London to Birmingham, was due to begin in late 2019 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. What's the route? HS2 was originally meant to connect London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Work is already underway on the first phase, linking London and the West Midlands. However, the Leeds leg was scrapped by the government in 2021 and construction work at Euston station has been on hold for two years. The government also confirmed in March 2023 that construction between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed by two years to cut costs. Speculation has grown that the already-delayed Birmingham to Manchester leg could also be cancelled or delayed further. How much is HS2 expected to cost? On September 26, 2023, rail chiefs warned that the taxpayer bill for HS2 could hit an eye-watering £180bn. Lord Berkley, a former deputy chair of the government's HS2 review told TalkTV: "We reckon it costs about £180bn now which is stupid.'' One option for those who live close enough to the works is to sell to HS2. They pay the market rate but sellers hope to complete on the open market and then pocket an extra 10 per cent of the sale price from HS2 by way of compensation. Many home owners have sold already. Pip, 35, who rents her home from HS2, said: "I find it fascinating in some ways because it's not every day you get a big government project outside your house. My partner is always out looking at it." But she admitted: "You can be sitting watching television and then all of a sudden the house will start to shake. "I have heard it will be going on for another 10 years. Sometimes it gets a bit much when you want to sit out in the garden at the weekend or have a nice lunch outside – it's drill, drill, bang. "We have to wash the cars every week because they are constantly covered by brown dust." Another person renting from HS2 is car worker Craig Krom and his partner Samantha. He said: "I sympathise with those who have been here a long time because this is a great community. "It's the sort of place where people pick up litter to keep it looking good. "The biggest impact is the road works. We get temporary roadworks to repair the roads right next to the temporary lights on the bridge and cars back right up." Another resident, lawyer Katrina Stonard added: "We knew what we were getting into when we moved here and when they were doing the digging it was very noisy. "Once it is done, it will be fine. We have seen the drawings and when it is complete it will look lovely. I think it will be another four years." 12 12
Filipino Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
Kobe Paras unfollows Kyline Alcantara amid breakup speculations; Jackie Forster shares cryptic message
Speculations about a possible breakup between Kobe Paras and Kyline Alcantara intensified after fans observed that Paras had unfollowed Alcantara on Instagram. This action followed Alcantara's earlier move to remove Paras from her following list, leading to widespread discussions among netizens. Adding to the intrigue, Paras's mother, former actress Jackie Forster, posted a cryptic message on social media. The post discussed themes of manipulation and accountability, stating, 'When someone realizes they can no longer manipulate you, they rewrite the story to protect themselves.' She concluded with the hashtag '#mamawithreceipts,' prompting further speculation about its intended target. Neither Paras nor Alcantara has publicly addressed the status of their relationship. The couple confirmed their dating status in November 2024 but have since been the subject of breakup rumors, especially after fans noticed the deletion of their shared photos on social media platforms.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Lalu discharged from AIIMS-Delhi
Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad was discharged from the AIIMS-Delhi on Monday. He was admitted to AIIMS-Delhi after his health deteriorated in Patna on April 2. After being discharged from the hospital, he directly went to his daughter and MP Misa Bharti 's house in Delhi. He is likely to return to Patna in the first week of May. According to sources, doctors from Singapore will do a routine check-up of Lalu in Delhi before he comes back to Patna. On Monday, Lalu also appointed eight national spokespersons for the party. They are Shyam Kumar, Raj Kumar Rajan, Dinesh Pal, Anuj Kumar Tarun, Rakesh Ranjan, Utpal Vallabh, Badshah Alam and Ravi Shankar Ravi, all university teachers either in Delhi or Bihar. Before his discharge from AIIMS, RJD state president Jagdanand Singh met Lalu. Former Union minister Pashupati Paras, whose RLJP severed ties with the BJP-led NDA recently, had also met the RJD chief in the hospital. Paras has indicated that he might go with the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar in July. Paras said on Monday that Lalu blessed him when he visited the RLJP chief's residence for 'chuda-dahi' feast on January 15. "We have a family relationship with Lalu," he said, and made it clear that his party would decide by the first week of July which alliance they would go with. "Morning shows the day. If you are with us in adversity, we will be with you," Paras said, indicating the path his party may choose before the assembly elections in Bihar due in Oct-Nov this year.
