1 week agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Bus driver & his sick wife ‘who barely left home’ died with 2 dachshunds when car plunged 300ft off cliff at UK landmark
A BUS driver and his “frail” wife who tragically died when their car plunged 300ft off a cliff have been identified by locals.
John and Lynn King were reportedly with their two Daschshunds when their car plummeted into Alum Bay, near to the Needles, on the Isle of Wight last Friday.
SolentThe couple died instantly after their car plunged off the 300ft cliff[/caption]
SolentThe couple’s silver Ford Mondeo left the road close to the world-famous coastal landmark[/caption]
SolentIt is understood that John, who drove for a local bus company, was a full-time carer for his wife[/caption]
The couple’s silver Ford Mondeo left the road close to the world-famous coastal landmark, killing the pair instantly.
It is understood that John, who drove for local company Southern Vectis, was a full-time carer for his wife.
According to locals, Lynn had rarely been seen out the house for the past two years.
Speaking to the MailOnline, one neighbour said: “She wasn’t well, I don’t know exactly what she was suffering from but I think it was serious.
“John was effectively her carer. He was helping his wife to the car and their two Dachshund dogs were with them.
‘His wife looked really, really frail. I was surprised to see her out of the house. She was hunched over quite badly and was finding it very difficult to walk.”
Emergency services were scrambled to Alum Bay New Road, close to the coastal spot, shortly after 7.20pm on Friday.
HampshireandIsle of WightConstabularyconfirmed on Sunday that two people died in the tragedy.
The force explained: “A car, which was being driven along Alum Bay New Road, left the road, came off the cliff top and came to rest in the water below.”
Cops also closed the neighbouring Needles Landmark Attraction while emergency crews attended the site.
Responders were stood down in the early hours of Saturday morning.
In a statement released on Saturday evening, a police spokesperson said: “Formal identification has yet to take place, but their next of kin have been notified.
“As part of the ongoing investigation into the incident, on behalf of the coroner, officers have been carrying out enquiries at an address on Arctic Road, Cowes.”
SolentCops closed the Needles Landmark Attraction while emergency crews attended the scene[/caption]
SolentEmergency services were scrambled to Alum Bay New Road shortly after 7.20pm on Friday[/caption]
GettyResponders were stood down in the early hours of Saturday morning[/caption]
Following the confirmation of the latest round of closures, a spokesperson for NatWest said more customers “than ever before” were using digital banking.
They said: “Over 80% of our active current account holders now use our digital services and over 97% of retail accounts with us are now opened online.
“Our customers appreciate the speed and convenience of digital banking for everyday transactions, and often, when it comes to making bigger, more complex decisions they value speaking to our skilled and experienced colleagues.”
They added: “We expect to invest over £20m in our network across the UK in 2025 to improve customer service, enhance the look and feel of our branches, and reduce the environmental impact of our buildings, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and Banking Hubs.
“We will also provide temporary support for transitions to our new network in selected locations through our 12-week Community Pop-Ups.”
The latest round of closures from NatWest comes as other big banks shutter hundreds of branches between them.
According to Which?, around 6,100 bank and building society branches have closed since January 2015 across the UK.
This is equivalent to 61% of branches that existed 10 years ago.
Banks have cited reduced customer footfall and a trend towards digital banking as two of the main reasons for closing branches.
But the loss of sites on the high street can cause a headache for locals who still require a physical branch.
Research has found around 39% of people over 65 did not use online banking and were at “high risk of financial exclusion“.
While a survey conducted by Which? last year found more than half of disabled or impaired people had negatively been impacted by bank closures.
What to do if your local bank branch closes
If a recent bank or building society closure has left you without one nearby, you have some alternatives.
You can carry out most basic banking tasks at your nearest Post Office, although you won’t be able to apply for a loan or open a new bank account there.
You can find your nearest Post Office branch by using the locator tool on its website.
Some banks offer a mobile banking service – a bus that comes to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
It’s worth contacting your bank to see what services they have available, and when they might next be in your area.
If you’re thinking about giving online banking a go, comparison website Uswitch has a useful guide on all the need to knows.
You could also switch your current account to a bank or building society that has branches closer to you.
You can switch current accounts for free, in most cases, through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
People like David Elkins, 82, a retired service engineer from Calne, Wilts, who saw his HSBC branch close in 2023 and had to travel ten miles to the next nearest.
He has a kidney issue and needs frequent dialysis, making it impractical.
Banking hubs are emerging as a solution to address the gaps left by widespread closures – but there are not enough of them.
There are plans for 146 of these, but so far there are only 60.
You can use one of the Post Office’s 11,635 branches to perform basic banking tasks, but they don’t allow you to open or close accounts for example.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
1 week agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Greta Thunberg DEPORTED by Israel after ‘Freedom Flotilla’ Gaza stunt after refusing to watch horrifying Oct 7 vid
GRETA Thunberg is being deported after Israel detained her along with other activists on board the “Freedom Flotilla” stunt ship.
Israel‘s foreign ministry shared a photo of Thunberg on a plane, saying she was headed for France along with a security escort.
X/@IsraelWarRoomActivist Greta Thunberg is being deported from Israel[/caption]
IsraelMFAGreta Thunberg has arrived on dry land[/caption]
Greta Thunberg is one of the 12 people aboard the vesselGettyThunberg with part of the crew of the ship headed to the Strip[/caption]
Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing those on board, said Thunberg and two other activists and a journalist had agreed to be deported and leave Israel.
Other activists refused deportation, were being held in detention, and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities.
Israel accused the group who were aboard the boat of supporting Hamas terrorists who detonated Middle East mayhem by massacring 1,200 and kidnapping 251 hostages.
The activists said they were protesting the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
But Israel says such ships violate its naval blockade of Gaza.
Israeli authorities said all the activists on board the “selfie yacht” were safe and unharmed.
They were handed out sandwiches and water before the vessel docked at the southern Israeli port of Ashdod.
After seizing the “selfie yacht” ship, Israeli authorities moved all those on board to the ground and said they were safe and unharmed.
The boat was carrying a “tiny amount of aid” on board – which will be sent to Gaza, officials said.
Hamas branded the interception of the yacht as a “crime of piracy”.
The group said in a statement that activists were on a “humanitarian mission aimed at breaking the siege on the Gaza Strip and exposing the crime of mass starvation.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that he had instructed the Israeli Defence Forces to screen footage of the 7 October attacks as soon as they arrive.
The disturbing footage – titled “Bearing Witness” – shows innocent people being massacred and mutilated.
And all the footage was taken from the Hamas terrorists’ body cams as they filmed their massacre.
The flotilla’s latest voyage follows a failed attempt in May, when another of its vessels was struck by two drones in international waters off Malta.
The group accused Israel of being behind the attack.
Despite the risks, activists aboard the Madleen attempted to enter Gaza’s territorial waters on Sunday.
The vessel’s controversial crew includes figures who have openly supported terrorist organizations and have made inflammatory public statements.
Brazilian activist Thiago Avila attended the funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, calling the terrorist a “beloved” leader and a “martyr”.
Avila said he was “very honoured” and “very happy” to attend, and described the funeral as something that “amazed him”.
Greta Thunberg – Swedish climate activist
Rima Hassan – French-Palestinian MEP
Yasemin Acar – German activist
Thiago Avila – Brazilian activist
Omar Faiad – French journalist
Pascal Maurieras – French activist
Yanis Mhamdi – French reporter
Suayb Ordu – Turkish activist
Sergio Toribio – Spanish activist
Marco van Rennes – Dutch activist
Reva Viard – French activist
Liam Cunningham – Irish Game of Thrones actor
Baptiste Andre – French Physician
Freedom Flotilla CoalitionA photo posted on Telegram purportedly showing activists with their hands up on board the Madleen[/caption]
Alamy Live NewsGreta Thunberg is offered a sandwich by an Israeli soldier[/caption]
ReutersThunberg sits aboard the aid ship Madleen, which left the Italian port of Catania on June 1 to travel to Gaza[/caption]
GettyGaza has been hammered by the IDF as it aims to wipe out Hamas[/caption]
He wrote that Nasrallah was an “important figure” who “inspired people all over the world”.
Also on board was Yasemin Acar from Berlin, who reportedly danced as Iranian rockets rained down on Israel and once told a white woman at a protest: “You’re a white person, you shouldn’t tell us what to do.”
French journalist Omar Faiad, of Al-Jazeera, sparked outrage for comparing the IDF to Nazis.
On X, he wrote: “The Israeli army resembles the Nazi army,” and claimed: “Israel is committing a new Holocaust in Gaza.”
Rima Hassan, meanwhile, previously tweeted: “Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri Bibas were killed by an Israeli attack,” despite Hamas being responsible for their abduction and deaths.
She was also seen at a protest where demonstrators chanted: “We die for jihad.”
As a Palestinian-British journalist, Mr Birawi is chair of the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza.
He also runs a UK-registered charity called Education Aid for Palestinians, which has raised more than £3 million since 2017.
Just a week ago, Mr Birawi was present at the launch of Madleen and live-streamed the event from a dock in Sicily.
He called himself the “founding member” of the Freedom Flotilla International Coalition – which arranged Madleen’s voyage to Gaza.
Labour MP Christian Wakeford named Mr Birawi in the Commons using special parliamentary protections that protect him from being sued.
Mr Birawi said Mr Wakeford’s claim was “baseless” and that he was looking at “all available legal recourse” in response to the MP’s comments.
According to Israel’s strategic affairs ministry, Mr Birawi moved to the UK in the 1990s, has “close ties to Hamas” and worked for several pro-Palestinian NGOs – including one tied to Hamas.
Zaher Al-Birawi, who is close to the Hamas leadership, speaks at anti-Israel protest in LondonCourtesy of Ministry of Strategic AffairsMr Birawi pictured with Ismael Haniyeh, the former Hamas Leader, in 2012[/caption]
MP for Bury South Mr Wakeford raised concerns over a “serious national security risk” from “Hamas operatives”.
He told the Commons: “[Mr Birawi] was designated by Israel in 2013 as a senior Hamas operative in Europe.
“He is listed as a trustee of a UK-registered charity Education Aid for Palestinians, and a publicly available video shows him hosting a 2019 event in London titled ‘Understanding Hamas’.
“Two weeks ago, Hamas launched the deadly terrorist attack the world has seen since 9/11.
“This House rightly voted to proscribe Hamas in its entirety in November 2021. It is therefore a serious national security risk for Hamas operatives to be living here in London.”
There is no suggestion that Mr Birawi was involved in the deadly October 7 terror attacks.
He said: “I have been made aware of the fact that the Member of Parliament for Bury South, Christian Wakefield, made a reference to my name in the proceedings of the House of Commons on October 26.
“Regrettably, this mention appears to have been motivated by an intent to besmirch my character and, potentially, to rationalise any harm that may befall me or my family.
“In a time when we should all exercise vigilance and contemplate the potential consequences of our words, particularly their capacity to incite violence and animosity, Mr Wakefield chose a contrary course of action.
“I wish to reaffirm that what the respected MP said about the accusation is baseless and that it is part of the distortion attempts undertaken by the occupying state to prevent activists supporting Palestinian rights from carrying out their duties in supporting the Palestinian human rights.”
Hamas has been proscribed as a terror group in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000 since 2021.
GettyThe Freedom Flotilla Coalition says it was carrying essential supplies to the Gazan population[/caption]
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