Latest news with #Underworld
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Real Life: Jared Savage on how gangs, crime and drug activity in NZ are evolving
'The underworld, the drug trade gangs, cartels, Asian crime syndicates – it's showing no sign of abating. In fact, New Zealand's appetite for drugs in particular seems insatiable,' he said. 'Police and ESR scientists can test the wastewater to see how much meth or other drugs are being consumed on a weekly basis. For a long time, we were around the 15kg mark each week… but in the back end of last year, that figure more than doubled to nearly 40kg a week. 'And this is happening at the same time that the Police and Customs are doing a great job, making huge busts, seizing more drugs than ever before.' Savage said when he first started writing for the NZ Herald two decades ago, catching 1kg of meth at the border was 'a huge deal' and would make front-page news – but no longer. '[Now] the smallest dealer on the street would have 10 times that in the back of their car. We're talking 100-700kg imports now,' he told Real Life. 'Those are the ones they're catching; I wouldn't like to say that that's the biggest, because I think probably some of the biggest ones have slipped through the border.' Savage told Cowan the increase in drugs coming into New Zealand is a big issue, having a major impact on social issues, poverty, unemployment and youth suicide – 'quite heavy things which are not easy to solve'. He says one of the biggest changes in organised crime in New Zealand, detailed in Underworld, is the rise of the so-called 'Nike Bikey gangs' – a new, slicker generation of criminals that are vastly different from their counterparts in the 1980s and '90s. 'A lot of established gangs that you'd recognise on our roads or around the places where you live were sort of ragtag, scruffy, leather-wearing, greasy-haired motorbike kind of guys,' he said. 'It's sort of evolved in the past sort of five to 10 years … a lot of these guys are younger, good-looking, clean-cut. They go to the gym, they look good, they've got great clothing and beautiful girlfriends and they're putting it all over Instagram. 'It's quite a different shift, which is possibly in tune with wider society as well.' This shift – which is at least in part a result of the influx of 501 deportees from Australia arriving on our shores – has also brought an increase in execution- and assassination-style hits, says Savage. 'Don't get me wrong, New Zealand criminals and gang members have always used firearms or had them in their possession, largely for intimidation purposes or protection,' he told Real Life. 'What we've seen in the last five years is more of a penchant for using them, and that's led to retaliation, tit-for-tat stuff. I'm actually amazed that more innocent people haven't been caught in the crossfire of some of these conflicts.' Adding to the difficulty in dealing with the issue of drugs and organised crime activity, though, is that enforcement alone doesn't yield results. Savage says the war on drugs around the world has shown the need to tackle not just the supply of drugs, but the demand for it – by helping those struggling with addiction. 'We need to be tackling … the sort of environments that lead to perpetual use, because it's very hard to break out of that cycle, particularly if you're in an environment where all your friends and family are also using. There's a lot of evidence to show that. 'A lot of reports say that New Zealand does need to be investing more into rehabilitation, counselling, support – all those things that can make a big difference. Because if you stop that demand, that will have an effect on the supply as well.' Savage acknowledges the world that he reports on is often 'pretty grim', but credits his Christian faith with giving him hope. 'It's a central part of my life and who I am, and you can't sort of separate the two. You can't leave it at the door when you go to interview someone. 'I mean, I've seen some pretty horrific things in my time… [my faith] is something that keeps me level-headed and grounded.' Savage says he's hopeful his new book will help readers understand the complexity of criminal activity. 'I hope people would… understand not just the fact that there is this big problem that we've got, but also some of the reasons as to why somebody might join a gang, why someone might sort of enter that world of drug-dealing. 'Not to excuse it, but to just have a bit more understanding, a bit more nuance, to see the shades of grey.' Real Life is a weekly interview show where John Cowan speaks with prominent guests about their life, upbringing, and the way they see the world. Tune in Sundays from 7:30pm on Newstalk ZB or listen to the latest full interview here. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Coronation Street star bows out in sad scenes as fans call for U-turn
Coronation Street character Lou Michaelis (Farrel Hefarty) left the programme during Wedneday night's episode of the ITV soap in emotional scenes that played out behind bars Lou Michaelis bowed out of Coronation Street on Wednesday as she tearfully said goodbye to her children from behind bars - amid calls from fans to bring her back. The character, played by Farrel Hegarty, has only been on the ITV soap for a matter of months but has had an explosive time of it, with many viewers not wanting her to go. She arrived alongside her husband Mick Michaelis (Joe Layton), who made an enemy of various Weatherfield residents, and in May, he was jailed for the murder of PC Craig Tinker ( Colson Smith). Prior to that, a f lashback episode confirmed that after Mick had gone to prison for a crime Kit Green committed, and had become an enemy of the policeman in the process. But things were made worse when Mick discovered that Kit and Lou had conceived a baby when he was behind bars, meaning that teenager Brody (Ryan Mulvey) was not his son as he had initially thought. Shortly after the couple's debut, viewers were introduced to their daughters Joanie (Savanna Pennigton) and Shanice (Molly Kilduff), and things reached a climax when Mick broke out of prison in an attempt to take back his eldest. A rooftop tussle with Kit ended in a near-fatal stabbing for the police officer whilst Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor) tried to shield Joanie from danger before Mick went back to jail. What's more, another flashback episode had revealed that Lou had put Gary Windass (Mikey North) in a coma when she hit him over the head amid a failed blackmail attempt, and she too was put behind bars. Mick's final scenes aired last week, and on Wednesday's edition of soap, Lou had accepted the fact that she was also going to be inside for a long time after Sally refused to loan her the money she would need for top lawyers. She told the Underworld machinist: "I've come to terms with the fact that I'm gonna do a decent stretch and I don't want you bringing the kids to see me anymore. Not regularly, any road. I don't want them to get used to seeing me in here. In this place." Through tears, she insisted to Sally: "I just think it's best I say goodbye to them for now. For all our sakes." "It's gonna be all right though, in a long time. You will get through this,", Sally tried to reassure her as the pair of them shared a heartfelt parting themselves. Sally vowed to take care of the girls while Lou is behind bars, and the schoolchildren enjoyed one last hug with their mum before they said goodbye. Just after the emotional farewell, Brody also promised his mum that he would be there for his half-sisters. This is not the first time Sally has been responsible for two girls, as she and ex-husband Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) have Rosie (Helen Flanagan) and Sophie (Brooke Vincent) together. Whilst her own daughters are no longer residing in Weatherfield, some of the storylines included Sally trying to push Rosie into stage school in the years before she started up an affair with her teacher John Stape (Graeme Hawley), and learning to accept her youngest as a lesbian. Meanwhile, Sally's second husband Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) is also the father of former regular Faye Windass (Ellie Leach), and even though she was adopted by Anna Windass (Debbie Rush) as a child, he became a constant presence for her throughout her tumultuous teenage years, which saw her at the centre of a violet bullying storyline as well as a secret pregnancy. At the time of Lou's debut on Coronation Street, she and her on-screen husband were dubbed as the new versions of Les and Janice Battersby, but only a short while after playing the hairdresser, Farrel vaguely discussed the exit for the first time to The Mirror and other press. She teased what was ahead, while also confirming the fact that she did know from the start she would be leaving after a matter of months, with an exit always on the cards despite some reports. She explained of why she took on the short-term role, knowing she would only be there for a specific amount of time: "I just think she really appealed to me because she's the sort of person who's never had it easy. Get the latest drama from the Dales by joining our Emmerdale WhatsApp group As drama continues to unfold in the Yorkshire Dales, the Mirror has launched its very own Emmerdale WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest breaking news, secrets, and spoilers delivered straight to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "She's built up a lot of coping mechanisms, where she's presenting a hard and feisty character with her walls up, and all she's ever known is these fiery relationships. And probably fiery relationships with a lot of people in her life, which is what makes a character like that so interesting. "Because she's a force and irrational. I read scripts and I go, 'Oh God! What's she doing now? What's she saying now?' Because it's not a way that I would behave, and because of that, it's so much fun to play. It's that desperation to protect that inner circle and because of that, she makes a mess of things. But a character like that is so fun to play, because there's never a dull moment."
Los Angeles Times
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Kate Beckinsale mourns mother Judy Loe, British actor who died at 78: ‘Compass of my life'
Actor Kate Beckinsale is mourning the loss of her 'dearest friend,' her mother British actor Judy Loe. The 'Underworld' star announced Thursday that her mother died Tuesday evening, writing in an emotional Instagram post that Loe died 'in my arms after immeasurable suffering.' Though Beckinsale in her post did not disclose a cause of death, she announced last year that her mother had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Loe was 78. The 'Pearl Harbor' actor, 51, said she felt compelled to announce her mother's death because she had to register the 'Space Island One' actor's death certificate. She shared a carousel of photos and videos of her mother from over the years, including snaps of Loe in her youth and with granddaughter Lily Mo Sheen, whom Beckinsale shares with ex Michael Sheen. 'I am paralysed,' Beckinsale wrote in her caption. 'Jude was the compass of my life, the love of my life, my dearest friend.' Loe, born March 6, 1947, in Manchester, enjoyed a versatile career that began in the 1970s and earned her dozens of credits, mostly on British TV series. She broke out on the ITV fantasy series 'Ace of Wands' in 1970s and went on to appear in numerous other programs for the network including 'The Chief,' 'Crown Court,' 'Let There Be Love' and 'Goodnight and God Bless.' Throughout her career — her most recent credit was a minor role in the TV miniseries 'Fool Me Once' in 2024 — Loe took on a variety of roles ranging from a magician's assistant in 'Ace of Wands' to a much sought-after divorcée in 'Singles' to a spacecraft commander in 'Space Island One.' Prior to taking on screen roles, Loe pursued a career on the stage, including repertory theater in northern England's Crewe, where in 1968 she met fellow actor Richard Beckinsale, whom she would marry in 1977. Though they split after two years of marriage, they welcomed daughter Kate in 1973. Richard Beckinsale died at age 31 from a heart attack. Loe remarried in 1997 to television director Roy Battersby, who died in January 2024 after a brief illness. He was 87. In her announcement, Kate Beckinsale praised her mother for her legacy, 'huge heart' and courage in the final year of her life. Beckinsale continued: 'She has been brave in so many ways, forgiving sometimes too much, believing in the ultimate good in people and the world is so dim without her that it is nearly impossible to bear.' Loe is survived by six stepchildren in addition to her daughter, according to the Guardian.
New York Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Kate Beckinsale announces her mom's death after cancer battle: ‘Died in my arms'
Kate Beckinsale's mother, Judy Loe, has passed away at age 78. The actress, 51, revealed the news in a heartbreaking social media post on Thursday. 'I don't want to post this. I am only posting this because I have had to register my mother's death certificate and it will soon become public record,' Beckinsale began. 'She died the night of July 15th in my arms after immeasurable suffering. I have not picked all the best photos, nor the best videos, because I cannot bear to go through my camera roll yet.' 8 Judy Loe with her daughter Katie Beckinsale. Getty Images 'I deeply apologise to any of her friends who are finding out this way or through the press, but I cannot go through her phone. I am paralysed,' the 'Underworld' alum added. Beckinsale went on to praise her mother and point out the late star's best qualities. 'The vastness and huge heart of this tiny woman has touched so many people who love her dearly,' she continued. 'She has been brave in so many ways, forgiving sometimes too much, believing in the ultimate good in people and the world is so dim without her that it is nearly impossible to bear.' 8 Judy Loe in 1996. Getty Images Beckinsale concluded her post with a touching message to her mother, penning, 'Mama, I love you so much. This has been my greatest fear since finding my father dead at five and I am here. Oh my Mama.. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry.' Her father, actor Richard Beckinsale, died of a heart attack in 1979. He was 31 years old. 'I remember confusing when John Lennon died and when my dad died because people were standing in the street with the evening paper sobbing on both occasions and I can't remember which version of that is which because they were very similar,' Beckinsale told Howard Stern in 2021. 8 Kate Beckinsale poses with her mom. Kate Beckinsale/Instagram The news of Loe's death comes after the 'Much Ado About Nothing' vet revealed her mom had stage 4 cancer in July 2024. At the time, Beckinsale was responding to 'a–holes' who said that her 'ass ran away.' 'No, actually. I watched my stepfather die quite shockingly, my mother has stage 4 cancer, and I lost a lot of weight from stress and grief, quite quickly,' she replied. Beckinsale's stepfather, British TV director Roy Battersby, died in January 2024 after suffering 'a massive stroke' while battling two types of cancer, per Sky News. 8 Kate Beckinsale and her mother Judy Loe. Kate Beckinsale/Instagram She reposted a fan-made video on Instagram after Battersby's death, which showed him recalling how he celebrated Victory in Europe Day in 1945. 'I have no words yet,' she said beneath the tribute. 'I fought for you with everything I had. Oh Roy I am so sorry I lost.' In February, after a social media break, Beckinsale returned to Instagram to ask followers for prayers for her mom. 8 Judy Loe poses for a picture on a couch. Kate Beckinsale/Instagram 'I wasn't going to come back to Instagram,' she captioned the post, 'but anyone who has a spare prayer or magic or miracle or sunbeam please send it to my mama, my most extraordinary, warrior, generous, humble, loving, unique, irreplaceable Mama.' Beckinsale noted, 'Thank you 🙏🏼 -Lord, keep her safe this night, secure from all her fears, may angels guard her while she sleeps till morning light appears 🤍🤍🤍 amen.' Just a week before Loe's death, Beckinsale took to Instagram to share a video of herself singing The Everly Brothers' 1958 hit 'Bye Bye Love' by her mom's hospital bed. 8 Kate Beckinsale with her mother Judy Loe during a visit to College House Junior School. PA Images via Getty Images She belted out the tune in honor of a harmony group that Loe used to be in with her three best friends, Mary, Sylvia and Chris, at age 14. 'I am a very poor substitute not being a very good singer,' Beckinsale wrote beneath the clip. 'But I want my mum's dearest and oldest friends in her hospital room with her.' '[Sylvia] and Chris, please know I'm trying to keep the Four Teens going as best as I can from a distance and I love you both,' she shared before explaining, 'It is a mark of my mother's extraordinary capacity for love and deep respect for relationship history that her friendships with her early school friends are still so very current.' 8 Kate Beckinsale sings to her mom in the hospital. Instagram/@katebeckinsale Earlier this month, Beckinsale referenced a difficult situation while responding to fans who criticized her physical appearance. Followers commented beneath bikini pictures she had shared, writing, 'You don't look good. I think you honestly need help,' and 'Oh sweetheart, I honestly think you have a problem!!!' Beckinsale clapped back, stating, 'Yes, I do. I'm going through one of the most deeply painful times of my life. The body keeps the score.' The 'Pearl Harbor' actress was also hospitalized due to a hole in her esophagus last year. 8 Beckinsale with her award for Best Film Actress and her mother Judy Loe during the Glamour Women Of The Year Awards. WireImage In May 2024, Beckinsale revealed she has a condition called mast cell activation syndrome, which occurs when the mast cells in the body release too much of a substance that causes allergy-like symptoms. 'I actually can't. I have a condition called mast cell activation syndrome which is actually a massive daily struggle and means I react to hundreds of things badly,' she fired back at trolls who accused her of having Botox and fillers. 'Can't take the risk.'
Miami Herald
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Actress Kate Beckinsale announces mother's death: ‘I don't want to post this'
On Thursday, July 17, actress Kate Beckinsale took to Instagram to make a heartbreaking announcement. In the post featuring several pictures of herself and her beloved mom, Judy Loe, Beckinsale announced Loe's death. 'I don't want to post this,' Beckinsale, who is best known for her roles in 'Underworld,' 'Click,' and 'Serendipity,' began the caption of her post. 'I am only posting this because I have had to register my mother's death certificate and it will soon become public record.' Beckinsale revealed that her mom 'died the night of July 15th in my arms after immeasurable suffering.' Loe was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in July 2024. (Warning: The below links contain language some readers may find offensive.) Over the last year, Beckinsale has continued sharing moments with her mom on social media — from playing practical jokes on Loe to celebrating her 78th birthday in the hospital singing a song during treatments. On Mother's Day, Beckinsale told her mom that 'any journey you are on, I am on it with you, as you have always been with me.' 'I have not picked all the best photos, nor the best videos, because I cannot bear to go through my camera roll yet,' Beckinsale continued on Instagram. 'I deeply apologise to any of her friends who are finding out this way or through the press, but I cannot go through her phone. I am paralyzed.' Beckinsale said her mom 'was the compass of my life, the love of my life, my dearest friend. The vastness and huge heart of this tiny woman has touched so many people who love her dearly.' 'She has been brave in so many ways, forgiving sometimes too much, believing in the ultimate good in people and the world is so dim without her that it is nearly impossible to bear,' Beckinsale wrote. 'Mama, I love you so much. This has been my greatest fear since finding my father dead at five and I am here,' she concluded her statement. 'Oh my Mama. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry.' On July 9, just a week before Loe's passing, Beckinsale shared an emotional video of herself in the hospital, caring for her mom . In the video, Beckinsale was seen singing to her mom. 'When my mum was 14, she was in a harmony group with her best friends Mary, Sylvia, (known as Fuzzy to this day because of an unfortunate perm decades ago) and Chris,' Beckinsale shared. 'Mary unfortunately is no longer with us but up until very recently even though they are in their now late 70s they would get together and still absolutely kill it.' 'I am a very poor substitute not being a very good singer but I want my mum's dearest and oldest friends in her hospital room with her, so Fuz and Chris, please know I'm trying to keep the Four Teens going as best as I can from a distance.'
