Tearful Liam Payne fans comfort one another at London vigil

Published

1 month ago

October 21, 2024

admin

Tearful Liam Payne fans comforted one another as they came together to remember him at a vigil in London’s Hyde Park.

Hundreds of people gathered at the park’s Peter Pan statue on Sunday. Many were seen crying and hugging one another, while others wrote messages and laid flowers.

Vigils were also held in Glasgow and Paris, following others in Liverpool, New York, Paris, and Madrid this weekend.

Payne, 31, died as a result of multiple injuries after falling from his third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.

Lauren, 26, from Kent, said it was “comforting being with other people… because these people get it, whereas back at home, you’re just kind of on your own, and it’s quite tough, you’re stuck in your own thoughts, and here you can talk about it”.

She added Payne’s death hit harder than the loss of popstar Tom Parker from The Wanted because she was “prepared for it” after his brain tumour diagnosis.

Tess Hayden, 24, is from the US and was on holiday in Dublin when Payne died. She decided to cut her trip short and travel to London in the hope of attending a vigil.

She said: “Well, my older brother and I had been planning a trip to Dublin for a while, and I knew I was gonna try and come to London at some point at the end of the trip, but when I woke up and heard the news, I was like, ‘okay, I’ll just go a day earlier (and) try and figure (it) out’.”

Ms Hayden added that it was “very surreal… sad, devastating, and shocking”.

“It’s a reminder of what a huge part of my childhood and growing up, Liam and One Direction were,” she added.

Natasha Bradley, 23, who was also at the event, said: “I’ve literally been feeling so sad like ever since the news came on, I just didn’t believe that.”

‘I feel pain in every part of my body’

‘Directioners’ travelled to Buenos Aires to pay their respects outside the Casa Sur hotel immediately after Payne’s death became public.

His father Geoff Payne arrived there on Friday to arrange the repatriation of his son’s body and stopped to observe flowers and messages left by fans.

Sisters Selena, 21, and Augustina, 25, spoke to Sky News correspondent Martha Kelner after travelling three hours from the city of La Plata to the hotel.

“When One Direction came to Argentina in 2014 it was so exciting. We went to the concert and we were in VIP and we were so close to them,” Selena said.

“It feels like so recent, and now that Liam’s gone I feel pain in every part of my body and my heart.

“He was a beautiful person. When his dad came to see the notes around the tree we shielded him from the cameras because the love we have is so big for Liam and his family as well.”

Rocio Hipperdingar also came from La Plata.

“At first I didn’t believe it had happened. I’ve been a fan of One Direction since I was 13 and now I’m 24,” she said.

“I spent many years of my life thinking of them, listening to their music and they were my support in very bad times. I couldn’t believe when I heard he had died, I thought it was fake news. I wanted to come to the hotel because it’s about remembering all the good times I felt with their music.”

She feels as though she has “lost a friend”, she added.

Fan Aelen Urguesta, 24, from Buenos Aires, was also there. “I’m 24 and have loved Liam since I was 14,” she said.

“I saw him at Niall Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires the week before he died and that was wonderful to see them together.

“The most heartbreaking thing is that he passed away here and not with his family. Liam was a very important part of One Direction so it’s incredibly sad. I can’t say exactly how I feel because I am so emotional.”

Payne’s former bandmates have all paid tribute to him, with Zayn Malik postponing his upcoming US tour dates until January as a mark of respect.

His girlfriend Kate Cassidy said she is “at a loss” without her “angel”, while the mother of his child Cheryl has criticised “abhorrent” reporting around his death.

World

Arrest warrants issued for Israeli PM Netanyahu and former defence secretary Gallant over alleged war crimes

Published

7 hours ago

November 21, 2024

admin

Arrest warrants issued for Israeli PM Netanyahu and former defence secretary Gallant over alleged war crimes

Arrest warrants have been issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence secretary Yoav Gallant by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The warrants are for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza that Israel launched following the 7 October attacks by Hamas.

The prime minister’s office said the warrants against him and Gallant were “anti-semitic” and said Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions”.

Another warrant was issued for the arrest of Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Al Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, was the mastermind behind the 7 October attacks.

It is unclear if he is still alive, following an airstrike that Israel claimed killed him earlier this year.

Neither Israel nor the US are members of the ICC. Israel has rejected the court’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.

Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were a “mark of shame” for the ICC.

The court originally said it was seeking arrest warrants for the three men in May for the alleged crimes and today announced that it had rejected challenges by Israel and issued warrants of arrest.

The new UK Labour government said in the summer it would not oppose the ICC’s right to issue the warrants.

Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

In its update, the ICC said it found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility” for alleged crimes.

These, the court said, include “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts”.

Netanyahu previously spoke of his “disgust” at the suggestion the ICC would seek an arrest warrant for him.

Warrant for Hamas leader

The ICC also said it has issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Al Masri, saying it has “reasonable grounds to believe” that he is responsible for crimes against humanity including murder, extermination, torture, rape, as well as war crimes including taking hostages.

Discussing the 7 October attacks, the court said: “In light of the coordinated killings of members of civilians at several separate locations, the Chamber also found that the conduct took place as part of a mass killing of members of the civilian population, and it therefore concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the crime against humanity of extermination was committed.”

In its statement, the ICC said the prosecution was not in a position to determine whether Al Masri is dead or alive, so was issuing the arrest warrant.

The court previously said it was seeking an arrest warrant for Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas who was subsequently killed in July.

This will never leave Netanyahu

Three arrest warrants have been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) but the two most significant are those against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.

The court in their statement said that they have reasonable grounds to believe that those two men, have been carrying out the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.

Ever since the arrest warrants were first sought there have been a lot of legal challenges. But the court has rejected all that and has now issued these arrest warrants.

So what does it mean? Well, practically, it would mean that Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant couldn’t travel to any state that is a signatory of the ICC – about 120 countries around the world, including the UK and many European countries.

Were Netanyahu to travel to any of those countries, he should be arrested by the police forces of those countries. And it’ll be very interesting to see what Sir Keir Starmer’s reaction is to this.

But the US, Israel’s closest ally, is not a signatory of the ICC. I think Netanyahu will have support on the other side of the Atlantic.

Also, these ICC arrest warrants don’t always get carried out. We saw President Vladimir Putin, who had an arrest warrant issued for him after the invasion of Ukraine, travel to Mongolia a couple of months ago and nothing was done about that.

But in terms of the reputations of Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, in terms of that legacy, they are now wanted suspects, wanted to be put on trial for war crimes. And it is a label that will never leave them.

World

Four dead and more in hospital with methanol poisoning after drinking ‘free shots’ in Laos

Published

14 hours ago

November 21, 2024

admin

Four dead and more in hospital with methanol poisoning after drinking 'free shots' in Laos

Four people have died and a number of others are in hospital after allegedly being served drinks laced with methanol.

According to reports, six British travellers are among those being treated in Laos, after falling ill last week.

Two Danish women in their 20s and a 56-year-old US citizen are reported to have died in what authorities fear was a mass poisoning.

On Thursday, it was confirmed an Australian woman – named as Bianca Jones, 19, from Melbourne – had become the fourth person to die.

Her friend Holly Bowles is being treated in hospital after calling for medical help at their accommodation, Nana’s Backpackers Hostel.

In a statement given to the Herald Sun, Ms Jones’s family said: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news that our beloved daughter and sister, Bianca Jones, has passed away.

“She was surrounded by love, and we are comforted by the knowledge that her incredible spirit touched so many lives during her time with us.

“We want to express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming support, love, and prayers we’ve received from across Australia.”

One of the British travellers being treated in hospital has been named as Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent.

According to The Times newspaper, she became ill last week in Vang Vieng – a resort popular with backpackers.

Ms White’s friend, Bethany Clarke, a healthcare worker also from Orpington, posted on a Laos Backpacking Facebook group to warn other travellers.

“Urgent – please avoid all local spirits. Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars,” she wrote.

“Just avoid them as so not worth it. Six of us who drank from the same place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”

New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed one of its citizens was also unwell in Laos and could be a victim of methanol poisoning.

World

Ukraine fires UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia

Published

19 hours ago

November 21, 2024

admin

Ukraine fires UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia

Ukraine has fired British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Russia, a source has told Sky News.

The UK and Ukraine have not yet confirmed the use of the long-range weapons in Russia but their deployment has been widely reported in British media.

Footage has been posted on Telegram reportedly showing wreckage from one of the missiles in Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.

Ukraine war: Follow latest updates

The UK had previously said that British tanks, anti-tank missiles and other military equipment could be used inside Russia as part of Ukraine’s defence – but had kept restrictions on the use of long-range missiles.

It comes just days after US President Joe Biden authorised the same policy shift.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that Ukraine had fired six US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) in the Bryansk region.

A Russian state news agency cited the ministry as saying the missiles caused no casualties.

Missiles will have a ‘marginal effect’

Sky News’ security and defence editor Deborah Haynes says Ukraine’s allies have been pursuing a strategy of ambiguity and “it remains to be seen whether we get official confirmation on this from the UK or from Ukraine”.

“There is also the uncomfortable reality that Ukraine’s stockpile of Storm Shadow missiles is severely limited, so their use will only have a marginal effect.”

Meanwhile, Sky’s military analyst Sean Bell says he would be amazed if this attack really marks the first time such a missile has been used by Ukraine to hit inside Russia.

“I would be quite surprised if they haven’t been used for selected targets further on [into Russia] because they are… very, very effective at striking Russian logistics hubs, headquarters, ammunition dumps,” he said.

The same missiles are also used by French forces, using the alternative name SCALP, and are made by the Anglo-French arms manufacturer, MBDA.

What are storm shadow cruise missiles?

The air-to-air missile has a strike capability of nearly 200 miles (300km) – meaning it would potentially allow Ukraine to hit further into Russian territory.

The missile weighs 1.3 tonnes and is just over 5m long.

It is launched from the air, and in theory can be used from Ukraine’s Soviet-made jets.

UK-owned Storm Shadow missiles are made in Stevenage by MBDA. Each cruise missile costs an estimated £2m.

The Storm Shadow was originally developed as a project between the UK and France in the mid 1990s.

It was used in Iraq in 2003, while France, Italy and the UK used it in Libya in 2011.

The missiles have also been used to bomb Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq.

Embassies shut over air attack fears

Earlier, the US and some other Western embassies in Kyiv closed amid fears Russia was preparing a major air attack on the Ukrainian capital.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been asking Kyiv’s allies to give his troops the capability to strike deeper behind Russian lines for over a year.

Mr Biden’s change of policy is linked to changing tactics by the Russians, which began deploying North Korean ground troops to supplement its own forces.

The White House is set to announce more military aid for Ukraine worth up to $275m (£217m), the US defence secretary has said.

Lloyd Austin said the support would “meet critical battlefield needs” and would include munitions for rocket systems, artillery and tank weapons, along with anti-personnel landmines.

Russian politician Maria Butina and Donald Trump Jr, the son of US President-elect Donald Trump, both warned that Mr Biden’s decision over Ukraine’s usage of long-range missiles could spark the start of a third world war.

Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold required for the use of nuclear weapons after the US move, adding to fears the conflict could escalate.