Latest news with #WhatsAppGroup
Wall Street Journal
10-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
The Secret Group Chats Where the Rich Score Seats on Private Jets
Nick Molina was in the American Express Centurion Lounge at New York's LaGuardia Airport, chatting with a stranger about flight delays, when his fellow traveler asked if he'd considered flying private. 'She was telling me about this WhatsApp group,' said Molina, a 57-year-old investor and former startup entrepreneur in Key Biscayne, Fla. 'She offered to get me added.'
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
MP who was suspended over vile WhatsApp group 'embarrassingly' admits he edited a photo to make it look like he'd gone to Armed Forces Day
An MP who was suspended over a vile WhatsApp group has 'embarrassingly' admitted he edited a photo to make it look like he attended Armed Forces Day. Andrew Gwynne, the member for Gorton and Denton, Greater Manchester, was exposed for his racist and sexist comments by The Mail on Sunday in February. The former public health minister's remarks in the chat called Trigger Me Timbers included a vile post saying he hoped a pensioner who did not vote Labour would die before the next election. The MP, who apologised for his 'badly misjudged comments', is now under investigation by the Commons' standards watchdog over potentially 'causing significant damage to the reputation of the House'. When this newspaper revealed the messages in February, Mr Gwynne was sacked as a health minister and 'administratively suspended' by the Labour party immediately. And now, he has posted an image purporting to be of him at Armed Forces Day celebrations in his home town of Denton on Saturday, June 28. But members of the public quickly noticed his pose and attire were the exact same as a shot of him on the other side of his constituency, in Levenshulme, the day before. Mr Gwynne has since apologised: 'It [was] just a simple mistake. As soon as I saw it had been posted I removed it. 'I had forwarded 15 images taken by my son to my office, who do my social media posts. 'I don't look at social media anymore as it's not good for my mental ill health which I'm really struggling with right now. 'I do, however, do the infographics that go up as no-one else can use Canva since Tim [Hammersley-Rich, his former senior researcher] left. 'I had intended [to do] a covering photo apologising for not being in attendance and this is the early saved part of that from Canva, which must have saved to my camera roll and I forwarded it with the rest. 'In the end, I just thought it best to have pics from the day without an explanation which is what's up. 'A simple, honest mistake rectified very quickly and just a little bit embarrassing.' Mr Gwynne's constituency office stands besides Denton's Victoria Park, where the event to celebrate and honour service men and women took place. But it has also been the scene of demonstrations calling for the resignation of the MP, who since his suspension has served as an independent candidate. The face of his Tameside borough councillor wife Allison Gwynne, who is also suspended over the WhatsApp scandal, has been scrawled over on information posters. And Tony Moran, a Labour Party member of 56 years who has worked alongside Mr Gwynne in Denton, told of his feelings on the controversy. The chair of the town's Victoria Park Community Centre aid: 'This has cut deep. If he thinks he's coming back, he must be deluded, because he's toxic now as an MP. 'Nobody will vote for him now. He was laughing at people behind their backs. 'People have been upset and felt betrayed because some of the comments are about some of the people he's supposed to be representing. 'And if I saw him, I'd say, "Hang your head in shame". 'What Andrew's done, though, is he's created a cult and if you're not in that cult, he doesn't answer you. 'Sometimes you have to have a s*** sandwich and you have to deal with it. But no. He's very immature. He's passionate about being liked, he doesn't like rejection. 'Everybody in life goes through a dark patch, don't they? If he's saying, "I'm mentally ill", I'd be the first to say, "Right, how can we help you? What can we do?"' 'If he's using it as a card, it's too big an issue.' Mr Gwynne is not the first Tameside MP to be caught up in a row over using doctored images. In 2007, then Stalybridge and Hyde representative James Purnell faced controversy over a picture purporting to show him at Tameside Hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne. The snap also featured other MPs, including a young Mr Gwynne, who has served as a member in the area since 2005. But in fact, Mr Purcell's image was actually inserted into the photograph - as he had not shown up to the photo call on time. The hospital said in a statement: 'As we would not be able to stage a repeat of this historic day for the hospital, we decided to take a photograph of Mr Purnell in the same spot very shortly after, and merge it with the earlier photograph, to which Mr Purnell kindly consented. 'We apologise if anyone feels misled.' Mr Gwynne (pictured in 2019) was stripped of his job as health minister and had his membership of the Labour Party suspended by Sir Keir Starmer when he was told by The Mail on Sunday about vile WhatsApp messages the MP had sent But his office said at the time: 'It is not as if he was never there. In no way did James say, "Just add me in so it looks like I was there".' Mr Gwynne was stripped of his job as health minister and had his membership of the Labour Party suspended by Sir Keir Starmer when he was told by The Mail on Sunday about vile WhatsApp messages the MP had sent. A Government spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office. He will not hesitate to take action against any Minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.' In one particularly shocking comment, the Gorton and Denton MP said he hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon be dead after she dared to ask about her bins. He also made anti-Semitic slights and 'jokes' about a constituent being 'mown down' by a truck in the leaked messages from the local group chat called Trigger Me Timbers. The Stockport resident wrote to her local councillor saying she hadn't voted Labour, but added: 'As you have been re-elected I thought it would be an appropriate time to contact you with regard to the bin collections.' After the councillor shared the letter among fellow Labour figures in the WhatsApp group, Mr Gwynne wrote a suggested response: 'Dear resident, F*** your bins. 'I'm re-elected and without your vote. Screw you. PS: Hopefully you'll have croaked it by the all-outs.' In one particularly shocking comment, the Gorton and Denton MP (pictured in 2017) said he hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon be dead after she dared to ask about her bins 'All-outs' are elections at which every council seat is contested at once. Accepting his fate after The Mail on Sunday exclusively revealed his vile messages, Mr Gwynne wrote on social media: 'I deeply regret my badly misjudged commments and apologise for any offence I've caused. 'I've served the Labour Party all my life and it was a huge honour to be appointed a minister by Keir Starmer. 'I entirely understand the decisions the PM and the party have taken and, while very sad to have been suspended, will support them in any way I can.' The messages were exchanged in a group called Trigger Me Timbers, which Mr Gwynne shares with more than a dozen Labour councillors, party officials and at least one other MP, all based on the outskirts of Manchester. The MoS gained access to thousands of messages from the closed group, which was set up in 2019, and discovered a barrage of abusive texts. Among them are: Mr Gwynne saying someone 'sounds too Jewish' and 'too militaristic', apparently from their name alone; Racist comments about veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott, mocking her historic achievement in becoming the first black MP at either Despatch Box for Prime Minister's Questions; Sexist comments about Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner performing a sex act; Mr Gwynne mocking a local Labour leader as 'Colin C*mface'. It comes after the former councillor (pictured) was investigated over comments in the WhatsApp group Shortly after, a second MP was suspended by Labour over their membership of the vile WhatsApp group. Oliver Ryan, the 29-year-old Burnley MP, lost the Labour whip in Parliament and now sits as an independent in the House of Commons. It comes after the former councillor was investigated over comments in the WhatsApp group. Police confirmed they had received complaints about the WhatsApp messages and had recorded a non-crime hate incident while making 'initial inquiries'. In the private chat, Mr Ryan took part with others in apparently homophobic banter as they joked about a fellow Labour MP being gay. In a series of posts, Mr Ryan also made cruel remarks about a local Labour leader and life-long lollipop man in Greater Manchester called Colin Bailey. A Labour spokesman said: 'As part of our WhatsApp group investigation, Oliver Ryan has been administratively suspended as a member of the Labour Party. 'As soon as this group was brought to our attention, a thorough investigation was immediately launched and this process is ongoing in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures. 'Swift action will always be taken where individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members.' The Tories at the time demanded Sir Keir Starmer now expel both Mr Ryan and Mr Gywnne from Labour and 'show some leadership'. But a senior Labour figure earlier dodged on whether those MPs involved in the WhatsApp group should be kicked out of the party for good. Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle condemned the messages exchanged in the group - but insisted 'anyone can make mistakes'. It was claimed earlier this month Labour had privately urged Mr Gwynne not to resign - for fears of losing another by-election to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Sources said the former health minister, who now serves as an Independent MP, was facing appeals from party officials at national and local level not to resign and trigger a by-election in his Gorton and Denton seat. They said Labour was 'scared stiff' that if he stood down, it would hand Mr Farage another by-election triumph akin to Reform's shock victory in Runcorn and Helsby last month. But local Labour officials are also said to be worried snatching Mr Gwynne's Greater Manchester seat would give Reform a platform to oust nearby Labour big-hitters Deputy PM Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds at the next general election. The claims came after Sir Keir made clear he now considered Reform to be Labour's main enemy, saying the Tory party was 'sliding into the abyss'. In the Runcorn and Helsby contest, Mr Farage's party overturned a 14,696 Labour majority. With a 13,413 majority, Mr Gwynne's seat looks to be even more vulnerable. One insider predicted: 'With Reform riding high in the polls, there'd be only one winner if Gwynne resigned from the Commons and that'd be the candidate Nigel Farage picked to stand. 'There's no way Labour would hold it – they're scared still of Reform.' The 72-year-old from Stockport who Mr Gwynne insulted said she was angry he had not stood down yet. She added:: 'If he wants to resign, Labour should allow it. I know Reform has won a seat, and they don't want to lose another.' But one Labour MP dismissed the idea the party wanted Mr Gywnne to stay on, stressing the strong action it had taken when his offensive messages were revealed.
Times
28-06-2025
- Times
Bangkok is better — and cheaper — than Center Parcs for a celebration
Last week I flew to Bangkok for a group holiday that had been years in the making and involved about 679 different messages with flight times, hotel bookings and memes about The Hangover. To borrow the Gen Z parlance, the trip finally made it out of the WhatsApp group. We were seven women, arriving from various parts of the world (London, Paris, Hong Kong, how terribly international). Our connection was that we once lived and worked in Hong Kong together, almost a decade ago in what now feels like the last glory days of Asia's world city. For this long-planned trip we considered various cities in Europe (too expensive),as well as Dubai (too hot), before eventually settling on the Thai capital (cheap, fun). When some of you are welcoming your fifth decade on Earth, the vibe is very much go big or go home — which meant I could swallow the 6,000 miles it took to get there. • 21 of the best hotels in Bangkok It turns out I'm part of a trend to supersize milestone celebrations. According to research from M&S Bank, we are shelling out an average of £2,650 on luxury trips to mark a big birthday, such as, ahem, turning 40; and 42 per cent of the survey's 2,000 respondents said they were planning a big trip in the next five years. I'm still recovering from my Bangkok bender, so I'm not planning on doing another one for at least the next half decade, but it got me thinking. First, about the cost. The great thing about choosing Thailand is that it cost me nowhere near £2,650, despite staying in the lovely Shangri-La hotel right on the Chao Phraya River. The flights were the biggest outlay, but still cost just £600; I had four massages over as many days; plus there was the shopping in chichi Chinatown. I spent £1150 in total. In August that won't even stretch to four nights at Center Parcs. Second, it made me think about the etiquette of big group trips, and navigating different interests and needs now that we're embracing middle age. Seven years ago, in a villa outside Hoi An in Vietnam, we drank the bars dry and didn't go to sleep until the sun came up. Now, with young children and serious jobs, bedtimes were … well, an entire working day earlier. Most of us got up to use the gym before breakfast; some of us even wanted to see some temples — unthinkable a few years ago. The most action took place in the bill-sharing app Splitwise, which diligently tracked our spending. Rather than eating street food on the backpacker party strip of Khao San Road, we spent evenings in posh Thai restaurants in quiet residential areas. Out went the Thai moonshine buckets in banging nightclubs: instead it was cocktails with live jazz in the Mandarin Oriental. (It wasn't all classy — one night I did manage to strong-arm the group into a party minibus and on to Soi Cowboy, one of the sleaziest strips in the city, to carry on the night. When in Bangkok!) • Read our full guide to Bangkok But of course the most important lesson is the mawkish one. Take the trip. Spend time with your friends. A decade on from meeting in Hong Kong, our group's lives are scattered across the world; having a few days to create anecdotes to feed the WhatsApp group for a few more years feels like the ultimate privilege. Let's do it all again for our fiftieths?
News.com.au
26-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
What it's really like to get caught up in the flight disruptions in the Middle East right now
I was all buckled in my aisle seat and about to get cosy with Wicked when the pilot came over the intercom on Emirates A380 flight EK764 from Johannesburg to Dubai at around 7.10pm on June 23, about 10 minutes before we were due to depart. The British captain of our flight explained that they had been issued a directive from the security team at Emirates HQ in Dubai that it was not safe for us to depart right now, and they would be monitoring the situation and update us shortly. 'The decision to continue the flight towards Dubai will been taken with serious consideration for your safety, which is of our utmost importance,' he stressed. What he didn't mention, for obvious reasons, was what had transpired in the minutes before. Having had personal ties to Dubai now for 17 years, I knew something serious had happened. I activated my roaming service and informed my sister of the delay, who has two young girls and has been based in Dubai for 17 years. The UAE had closed its airspace, she said. Iran had bombed the US base in Qatar. This was unprecedented. I had lived in Dubai from 2008 to 2014, during some of the more recent unrest of the Middle East, such as the Arab Spring, and I had never seen this before. The UAE had always been considered a bubble. The Dubai friends Whatsapp group I'm part of was blowing up; people were scared. One friend had ordered a supply of water to her house, another was directing everyone to stay indoors. Another messaged that she naively thought the UAE would be kept out of this. It's sentiment all of us shared. Other passengers on the plane appeared calm and most seemed unaware of the situation. The kind nun from Madagascar sitting next to me had fallen asleep and asked me why the flight was so late. When I told her, she was worried she would not make the connection in Dubai to her homeland in time for her brother's funeral. I felt uneasy knowing that my family and friends were in Dubai, and the situation was still developing. With my parents travelling in business class, I asked the crew if I could go upstairs to talk to them. They very kindly consulted their superiors, and then ushered me upstairs. Credit to the entire Emirates crew who handled it professionally and turned a blind eye when my folks and I sat down at the A380 bar to drink champagne and wait it out. The A380 business class bar was a different vibe to economy, with people cracking jokes, lots of laughter, cake served and a party vibe quickly evolving. At around 8.15pm we noticed more of a momentum on the aircraft, crew seemed to be getting ready for something. At about 8.20pm, the captain announced that things were looking positive and we might soon be cleared to fly. Then at 8.45pm, we got more news. 'The UAE has decided to reopen their airspace … there are aircraft landing and departing around the terminal as normal,' he said. We'd be pushing back at 9.15pm, he said to an eruption of cheers in the A380 bar. Back in economy, things were calm but less festive. Cabin crew immediately began going through each of the cabin bags in the holds and asking passengers to identify their bags. One bag was not identified in my section and it was paraded up and down the aisle before an announcement was made saying that it would be offloaded. Eventually someone who wasn't paying attention claimed it. The nun was not happy. However, then there were more delays. Some people wanted to get off of the plane. 'I've been informed that there are some passengers who wish to offload,' said the captain. He stressed Emirates safety protocols and that the current unrest was isolated to very specific spots. Several freaked-out passengers did decide to disembark the flight and the captain kept us informed that there would be a bit more of a wait until their bags were collected from the hold. We eventually took off at around 9.36pm and touched down in Dubai nearly 2.5 hours later than scheduled, so there was plenty of panic, with most passengers connecting to onwards flights. It was as if the entire economy jumped up into the aisle to get their bags before the plane had even stopped moving. I wished my seat neighbour all the best in making her brother's funeral and assured her the ground staff would assist her. There were masses of staff holding signs to connecting flights when we touched down, but other than that, things appeared as normal. Kudos to Emirates and all the crew on flight EK764 for handling this tricky situation with such grace and professionalism. Let's hope my next flight to Europe is less eventful.
Khaleej Times
16-06-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Dubai Marina fire: Residents open homes, share meals with displaced tenants
As the charred upper floors of Dubai Marina's Tiger Tower, also known as The Marina Pinnacle, stood sealed off for a third day after Friday evening's fire, the residents once again showed why Dubai is more than just a city of skyscrapers. From strangers opening up their homes to volunteers organising shelter, meals, pet care, and even salon services, the outpouring of support has revived memories of the April 2024 floods, when Dubai residents mobilised to help those stranded and displaced. One of the most active hubs of support has been a WhatsApp group titled 'Support Group to Help', launched by Dr Deepti Arora. When the group exceeded its member limit, a second one with the same name was created to accommodate the overflow. Both groups now serve as central coordination points for clothing, food, essential supplies, and emergency assistance for those displaced by the fire. On Sunday, one member posted an update: "We've arranged 35 non-veg and 15 veg meals for one of the buildings today". Others continue to volunteer for transport, bedding, toiletries, and more. A pinned message in the group reads: "The past two days have seen immense generosity with donations pouring in from all over. The locations are now full, so please stop all donations — perishable and non-perishable. All locations remain open for those in need of clothes, food, and water." Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The group was founded by Dr Deepti, an HR manager at a luxury retail company, after an employee she had hired from Brazil called her in distress. The young man was living in the tower affected by the fire. Deepti, who lives in Jumeirah Beach Residence, said she first saw chatter about the blaze on a ladies' WhatsApp group. "I tried to take the tram to check on him, but it wasn't working. So, I followed the smoke and walked to the building," she recalled. "What I saw was gut-wrenching." That moment, she said, made her decide to act. "Within hours, our group crossed a thousand members, and I had to start a second one," she said. "We made it clear from the start — no cash donations. People needed essentials: food, clothes, even toiletries and undergarments." Another citizen-led effort emerged when Sevgi Anar, a Sydney-born health and fitness professional living on the 72nd floor of a building opposite Tiger Tower, began receiving messages from displaced residents. She had first spotted the fire around 9:30pm on Friday. "People in our building were shouting across to the tower, trying to alert residents," she recalled. "It was hard to tell who had seen the smoke and who hadn't. Everyone just acted instinctively." The following morning, while walking her dog, Sevgi came across two young men asleep near a tram station. "Their feet were black with soot," she said. The men told her they had escaped from the building. She and a friend immediately booked them into Rove Dubai Marina Hotel. After that, more people began reaching out. "Ten boys, mostly Asian, were roughing it out near Princess Tower. We found them an apartment. Later that night, we put four more into Rove just for the night," she said. To better coordinate the growing requests, Sevgi started a dedicated WhatsApp group called Accommodation for Tiger Tower Residents, which now has around 150 members. "It started when people began messaging me for help," she said. "Now we're just trying to connect those in need with people who can offer a place. I'm focusing only on accommodation; that's the most urgent gap right now." One of the young men she assisted wrote in the group the next day: " My roommates and I were able to sleep peacefully last night. Thank you, everyone." While residents with tenancy or ownership contracts have been given temporary housing by the building's management in three towers —including Nobles Tower in Business Bay, those in shared accommodation continue to face difficulties. "I was told to go to Nobles Tower, but by the time I reached, it was full," said one Indian resident who lived on the 20th floor. He is currently staying at Staybridge Suites in Dubai Internet City. "Thankfully, my company is helping me with accommodation. My wife had gone to India two days ago, but she'll be back this week." Ross, an Azerbaijani expat living on the 60th floor of Marina Pinnacle, said he was among the first to detect the fire. "It started small. I thought it was coming from the 62nd floor and went up to check, but then I realised it was the floor right above mine. We tried using extinguishers and then the fire hoses, but it was too intense. Once Civil Defence arrived, we ran down the stairs," he said. Ross suffered a minor injury from a balcony door that shattered from the heat and was treated by paramedics at the scene. "The firefighters arrived quickly and handled it very efficiently. I am really thankful for how fast they took control." Amid the scramble for shelter, new requests continued to come in the support group. "Dear friends, we are a family with three kids and a small dog and urgently need a place to stay," one message read. Within minutes came a response: "I have a vacant villa in Dubai Hills. It's unfurnished, but power and water are available. You can stay for a week." Support continued to pour in from all corners. Clever Dogs Pets Care in Jebel Ali is offering free boarding for displaced pets. Sisters Beauty Lounge in JBR is offering complimentary wash and blow-dry services to 20 women from the tower, provided they present a tenancy or ownership contract. "It's just our way to pitch in," said Mary, the lounge's marketing manager. "These women have been through a lot. We wanted to offer a bit of relief." Dubai Media Office earlier confirmed that all 3,820 residents from the 764 apartments in the 67-storey building were safely evacuated and that no injuries were reported. The blaze, which broke out around 9.30pm, was brought under control within six hours. Emergency crews remained at the site on Sunday. The cause is under investigation, and it remains unclear when residents will be allowed to return. In the aftermath, however, it was the community response that stood out. "Dubai isn't only home," said a volunteer packing essentials. "It's where we look out for each other."
