Latest news with #STATE
Scottish Sun
12-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
State pensioners warned to make urgent check to see if they can slash their broadband and mobile bills by £100s
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STATE pensioners are being urged to check if they can slash their broadband and mobile bills by hundreds of pounds a year. Older households can save money on internet and phone deals by signing up for social tariffs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Households can save money on their broadband and mobile phones with social tariffs Credit: Alamy Social tariffs are offered to those on government benefits like Universal Credit. And they can save you hundreds of pounds a year compared to standard deals. Not only that, but they often come with no exit fees, although you should always check the terms and conditions carefully. Virgin Media O2 is urging older households to sign up to its broadband and mobile phone social tariffs to save money. It comes after a survey by the telecoms firm found almost half were unaware of the cheaper tariffs. Households on Pension Credit, a benefit paid to state pensioners on low incomes, are eligible to apply for the provider's social tariffs. Customers can sign up for its Essential broadband package which costs £12.50 a month and comes with 15Mbits speed. There is also an Essential broadband package which costs £20 and comes with 54Mbits speed. O2 customers can also sign up for an Essential Plan mobile phone tariff with 10GB of data, unlimited texts and minutes for £10. All three of the tariffs come on 30-day rolling contracts meaning you can cancel at the end of each month. CHECK YOUR SPEED: Broadband How to get the best deal Of course, as is the case with any major buy like this, it pays to shop around to make sure you're getting the best package and price. The regulator Ofcom has a list on its website of all the firms offering social broadband and mobile phone tariffs. The list can be found here - It's worth scanning the list to find the package that best suits your needs. It's also worth comparing deals via comparison sites like Uswitch. For example, Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 50 offers a 50Mbits speed social broadband tariff for £15 a month, which is £2.50 more expensive than Virgin Media O2's Essential broadband deal but offers a quicker internet speed. Meanwhile, 4th Utility's social broadband tariff costs £13.99 a month and comes with 30Mbit speed. When applying for a social tariff, you will most likely qualify if you're on Universal Credit. Some other benefits qualify you too, but not always, including Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker's Allowance. Check out each provider's website where eligibility criteria will be listed. How to save on broadband and TV bills HERE'S how to save money on your broadband and TV bills: Audit your subscriptions If you've got multiple subscriptions to various on-demand services, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Sky consider whether you need them all. Could you even just get by with Freeview, which couldn't cost you anything extra each month for TV. Also make sure you're not paying for Netflix twice via Sky and directly. Haggle for a discount If you want to stay with your provider, check prices elsewhere to set a benchmark and then call its customer services and threaten to leave unless it price matches or lowers your bill. Switch and save If you don't want to stay with your current provider check if you can cancel your contract penalty free and switch to a cheaper provider. A comparison site, such as BroadbandChoices or Uswitch, will help you find the best deal for free. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Journal
22-05-2025
- The Journal
State won't oppose quashing public order conviction against Jemima Burke, sister of teacher Enoch
THE STATE WILL not oppose the quashing of a public order conviction against Jemima Burke, a sister of teacher Enoch Burke, who today told the High Court her trial was like 'something you would hear in the Middle Ages'. The State argued, however, that the matter should still be sent back to the original court for a new hearing. In November, the High Court permitted Jemima Burke to seek a review of her case after she alleged that her Constitutional rights were breached when she was arrested, charged, and convicted of a public order offence within a matter of hours. Ms Burke also argued that to send her case back to the District Court would be a breach of her Constitutional rights. Judge Vincent Deane at Ballina District Court, Co Mayo, convicted Ms Burke of a public order offence on June 20 last. Ms Burke (30), a management consultant in professional services and a UCG graduate in journalism, said she attended an inquest in Swinford, Co Mayo, on June 20, concerning the death of a sepsis patient at Mayo University Hospital (MUH). She said the man spent 42 hours on a trolley, then went missing while in hospital care, and was later found dead in a river in Castlebar. She said during the inquest lunch break, while outside on the public street, she used her phone to film the coroner and several MUH staff. A Garda arrested her, confiscated her phone and brought her to Ballina Garda Station, where she was detained in a cell for more than two hours. She was then charged with two public order offences relating to a breach of the peace. She said that when she appeared before Judge Deane, she refused to sign a bail bond. Judge Deane, she said, told her it would be unjust to adjourn the matter if she was not going to sign the bond, that there was little chance of her going to prison and that he had 'to protect your interests at some level, too'. Advertisement Ms Burke said a Garda then made a number of allegations in the trial that immediately followed, including that she had obstructed the paths of individuals and shoved her phone into their faces, stating particular words. She said the phone footage would have clearly had probative value but it was in the possession of the gardai at that stage. Judge Deane convicted her of one of the public order offences, under Section 6 of the Public Order Act, with the other taken into consideration, and fined her €350. At the High Court today, Ms Burke argued that she had been the victim of a 'serious' miscarriage of justice in that there was 'excessive haste' in hearing the original case. Ms Burke argued that she received no disclosure and had no legal representation at her trial. She said she had been detained in a cell for two hours and that 55 minutes after leaving the cell, she was on trial in the court. Ms Burke claims she was 'railroaded' into a trial. Kieran Kelly BL, for the DPP, said that it was still in the hands of the hearing judge, Ms Justice Sara Phelan, to exercise her power of discretion in remitting the matter to the District Court for a different judge to hear. Mr Kelly said Ms Burke has complained about a lack of a fair trial. A return to the District Court would remedy matters for Ms Burke and give her the time required to prepare a case, he said. Mr Kelly said the DPP was not opposing the quashing of the original conviction. Ms Burke said that there was no custody record relating to her, no Garda statement made available to her, and she had no access to the 'probative' evidence on her phone. The prosecution, she said, had failed to guarantee a fair trial. 'It's like something you would hear in the Middle Ages,' said Ms Burke. Ms Justice Phelan reserved judgment in the matter. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Hypebeast
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Nadya Tolokonnivo to Stage 10-Day Performance from Inside Prison Cell
Summary In 2012, punk rock bandPussy Riottook to Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour for a sub-minute performance of their song 'Punk Prayer.' While the piece has since beenheraldedas one of the best artworks of the 21st century, the event landedNadya Tolokonnikova, the group's co-founder, in a Russian prison for two years on the grounds of 'hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.' Now, over a decade later, Tolokonnikova is going back behind bars, but this time, it's on her own terms. For 10 days, the Russian conceptual artist will confine herself to a steel replica of a Russian jail cell as part ofPOLICE STATE, her debut durational performance at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles. The installation, which takes part in MOCA's Wonmi WAREHOUSE Program, will transform the space into a stark, immersive panopticon, where viewers will be able to watch her via security camera feed and peepholes throughout the museum. Inside the cell, Tolokonnikova will perform a range of audio works, from haunting lullabies to abrasive soundscapes. Drawing from her own time in the penal system, the piece merges personal history with larger themes of control, surveillance and psychological endurance. 'The cell becomes a paradox: a site of confinement and liberation, despair and creativity,' the museum described. 'Through this interplay, Tolokonnikova invites the audience to grapple with the mechanisms of oppression while seeking the sparks of hope that resist it.' The performance confronts the brutal realities of confinement, and in true Pussy Riot fashion, examines the relationship between structures of authority and their impacts on the human capacity for STATEwill be on view from June 4 through Jun 15 at MOCA. Head to the museum'swebsitefor more information. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles250 S Grand Ave,Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Hill
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
The Hill's Headlines - April 30, 2025
ADMINISTRATION: POLL: Voters sour on President Trump's job performance at 100-day mark BUSINESS: The US economy backtracked in the first quarter as President Trump's tariffs loomed INTERNATIONAL: Ho Chi Minh city celebrates the Fall of Saigon; the 50th anniversary of the end of the war IN THE NEWS: Andy Bey, jazz singer renowned for his vocal range, dies at 85 STATE WATCH: Barefoot man wrangles large alligator on busy Florida freeway
