4 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on ‘I have MAJOR doubts over Arsenal star William Saliba’s red card for four key reasons’, says ex-Premier League referee
I HAD major doubts over William Saliba’s red card and would have stayed with referee Rob Jones’ on-field decision of a caution.
William Saliba was sent off against Bournemouth following a VAR review[/caption]
Ex-Premier League referee Mark Halsey has major doubt over the decision[/caption]
It’s a subjective decision, so I didn’t think VAR Jarred Gillett needed to get involved. For the denial of a goalscoring opportunity, we look at four key criteria.
And I had doubts over three of those.
The distance between the offence and the goal was lengthy, the general direction of play saw the ball coming across Evanilson and not in front of him and also the location and number of defenders was questionable.
The likelihood of him keeping or gaining control of the ball would have probably been in the favour of the Cherries forward because David Raya was back-pedalling towards his own goal.
PGMOL chiefs Howard Webb was spotted on TV listening into the VAR comms and that is normal for him to have access — just like the media broadcasters.
There is no way he would have had any input or communication into the Saliba red card.
The Frenchman’s dismissal means he is now set to miss a crucial match in the title race for the Gunners.
Saliba will serve a one -match ban in the Premier League, ruling him out of next Sunday’s clash with Liverpool.
He will then be free to return to league action away to Newcastle on November 2.
Fortunately for Mikel Arteta, he remains available for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Match Stats
The 23-year-old is also free to face Preston in the Carabao Cup later this month ahead of the trip to St. James’ Park.
Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth is only the second of his career and his first for almost four years.
He was previously dismissed whilst playing for Arsenal’s under-21s in the EFL Trophy back in 2020.
Robert Jones upgraded Saliba’s yellow to a red card after an on-field review of the incident[/caption]
Saliba will miss Arsenal’s home match against Liverpool next weekend through suspension[/caption]
4 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Strictly Come Dancing fans stunned as week five eviction spoiler is leaked online – saying ‘the curse has struck again!’
STRICTLY Come Dancing fans have been left stunned after the identity of the couple kicked off on tonight’s results show leaked online.
BBC viewers were irked after a mole let slip the outcome of the eviction – with one exclaiming: “Blimey. Did not see one of those coming at all.”
Strictly Come Dancing viewers have been left irked after a spoiler for tonight’s results show was leaked[/caption]
BBC fans said they didn’t expect either couple to be in the bottom two[/caption]
It came after they claimed Wynne Evans had been ‘overmarked’[/caption]
Judge Craig Revel Horwood called for Pete Wicks to be ‘disqualified’[/caption]
Strictly viewers are set for a real shock as the pre-recorded episode airs on BBC One tonight – yet The Sun has decided against naming the unlucky contestant so as not to spoil the surprise.
Two couples are forced to dance again, with the judges then making their decision.
Head judge Shirley Ballas, 64, as always, has the casting vote – but this week it is not needed.
Earlier in the weekend, The Sun exclusively revealed an expert believed opera singer Wynne Evans would be voted off as fans “don’t want scandal.”
Meanwhile, in the live show Craig Revel Horwood demanded Pete Wicks be “disqualified” with professional partner Jowita.
Yet fans who chose to read the spoiler have taken to X to air their shock.
One fan was quick to post: “Wow! No way did the person who was saved deserve to be there, but I thought they might be which was why I voted for them.
“Again the curse of going first and being middle of the leaderboard. Remember to save your favourites – they’re not always safe!”
A second put: “Good decision but did NOT expect the surviving couple to be in the bottom.”
A third then mused: “Ohhh shame, he wasn’t that bad and he was having fun.”
One then added: “Wow shocked at the person in the bottom two who survived I really thought they’d get the votes because of their partner.”
FAN CONCERN
One celebrity who sparked fan concern during the live show was sports star Sam Quek.
The hockey player, 36, performed a Quickstep to Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten alongside pro partner Nikita Kuzmin.
Viewers noted Sam was a “little off” in the routine – as did the judges – yet it was her sad reaction that sparked concern.
Alluding to an error in the dance routine, Motsi Mabuse said that it looked like her nerves had got the better of her.
Sam later told Claudia Winkleman that she was upset with her own performance and admitted: “I’m just so disappointed, because that could have been our moment, and we felt it coming into it, I was confident.
“Something happened which people don’t need to know about, because I don’t want to make excuses, that’s not what it’s about, and it’s just delivering in the moment, and unfortunately, I kind of let the side down.”
Fans also reckoned Strictly bosses want Dr Punam out after giving her the “death slot” in the roster – this being performing second.
It came after Wynne and Katya attempted to brush off the drama from last week – where the Go Compare advert star was seen with his hand around professional partner Katya‘s waist during the show, yet later explained it was “a stupid joke that had gone wrong.”
The live show came ahead of Strictly’s Halloween week[/caption]
Fans believed Dr Punam, far right, had been given the ‘death slot’ by Strictly bosses[/caption]
4 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on My neighbour saw my Halloween decorations & sent me threatening notes, I worried she would torch my front garden
WHEN Lia Adams-Steele decided to decorate for Halloween she never imagined the backlash she would receive.
The mum-of-two from Bristol spent weeks constructing her Hansel & Gretel themed scene in her front garden of the Longwell Green area of the city, complete with a lifesize gingerbread house and three witch figures.
Lia Adams-Steele was thrilled with her Halloween display[/caption]
She and her two children had worked for weeks creating the display in their front garden[/caption]
She was horrified to received a note complaining about them[/caption]
However, just days after erecting her display Lia, 37, was horrified to receive a letter from a neighbour complaining about her decorations.
The typed note read: “Dear resident of number [redacted.]
“As a member of the Longwell Green community, I would like to ask you to be considerate of young children and others who may not be comfortable viewing your outdoor displays, which are quite scary and aggressive. Not everyone celebrates Halloween.
“Images of witches/ occult and such like can be offensive and scary to some, and actually gave nightmares to my child, who has to pass these most days.”
The letter goes on to say that while Lia might be ‘free to express herself, unless she is renting’ the family had gone ‘a bit too far.”
Lia admits that the letter came as a shock and even left her feeling ‘quite scared.’
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, she says: “I found it quite scary that someone from nearby wrote a letter like this.
“It worried me that they seemed to know a lot about us and the fact that we were renting.
“I had no idea who the writer was and I worried about what they might do next to be honest with you.
“I thought his person got p***ed off enough to put so much effort into writing a letter what will happen if I don’t take it down?
“I felt really intimidated, I genuinely worried they might burn my display down.”
Lia and her family wouldn’t typically erect such a large display for Halloween but they had decided to join in with a local tradition last year.
She explains: “In the last few years, the whole Halloween thing became a biggie in my area of Longwell Green.
“Local residents created a Facebook page where you can tag your display and it will be featured on the trail map so kids know to trick or treat there.
Lia said she felt quite frightened by her neighbour’s note[/caption]
She says she worried her neighbour might burn her display down[/caption]
“I was really inspired by other people’s displays and decided we could do something really big this year.”
With the help of her two children, Lia set about creating their biggest spooky display yet – something Lia admits was no easy feat.
“My creative mind just went flying, and I worked out how we could create this Hocus Pocus/ Hansel and Gretel mashup on a budget,” she says.
“We collected pallets and used those to build the gingerbread house from scratch.
“The kids and I used bin bags for the witches bodies and pumpkins for their heads and spent hours painting the house and decorating it with fairy lights.
“It took all of us a couple of weeks to complete around our work and school commitments.
“Neighbours were following our progress and couldn’t wait to see the finished result.”
When they finally finished decorating the overall feedback was overwhelmingly positive, however, it was just days before they received the letter.
Lia admits she was totally baffled by the accusations that their display was too scary.
“Our display was not scary,” she insists.
“There was no blood or body parts anywhere, we had nothing jumping out and scaring children like a lot of the other houses I’d seen.
Fabulous' Commissioning Editor Martha Cliff weighs in on spooky season
WHILE some might be waiting for Mariah Carey to slowly defrost, I couldn’t care less that Christmas is less than 100 days away.
Has everyone forgotten that there are less than 50 sleeps until the best holiday of the year?
I’ve long preferred Halloween to Christmas and spend most of the year mourning the loss of spooky season.
Not that I don’t find ways to include it into my year.
In April I marked the halfway point to the best day of the year with a ‘half-o-ween’ picnic in a cemetery (where else?). Come July I needed to get my fix again and hosted a ‘Summerween’ barbecue complete with watermelon carving and Piña Ghoul-adas.
Christmas fanatics are often horrified by my snowy-season snub, but for me December is just a slew of stress and overspending.
I don’t know about you but wracking my brains for bigger and better present ideas and spending four times the amount of time and money at the supermarket is not my idea of a good time.
With Halloween there is no expectation to spend. Homemade costumes are often head and tails above the ones sold in the shops and when it comes to decorations what is better than a carved pumpkin that can cost just pennies to achieve?
In January kids return to school bragging about what Santa brought them this year, all with the hope of outdoing each other but November 1st is a different story.
Trick or treating is fair through and through. Unless you’re bribing the neighbours, children all receive the same, and whatsmore for free, eliminating any playground bragging rights.
Above all I love the chaos over curation when it comes to Halloween. There’s no obligation to strive for perfection, in fact the rule is the sillier the better. It’s all the childhood nostalgia of Christmas but without the pressure.
So spare me the Christmas spirit, I’ll opt for a fully fledged ghost any day.
“I was so confused by the feedback.”
Lia admits that after receiving the note she seriously considered taking the display down all together.
“I didn’t want to put children through something horrific after all,” she says.
“But ultimately we had worked too long and too hard on this just to take it down again.
“I stand strong by my belief that I hadn’t done anything wrong and I was not doing anything to hurt anyone’s feelings.”
In need of a second opinion, Lia shared the letter on Facebook where it quickly went viral, amassing thousands of likes and 300 supportive comments from all over the world.
She explains: “I just put a question up onto the Facebook group has anyone ever received anything like this?
“I later shared a photo of the display and then asked whether I should take it down.
“Not one of the comments was negative, everyone was so supportive and reassured us that there was nothing wrong with the decorations.
“I even had people from America messaging me on Facebook to reassure me.”
I think holidays are important, I won’t let one person put me off
Lia Adams-Steele
Lia admits that she will be doing a smaller display this year as she is living in a new area but says that other families should not be discouraged.
She adds: “What I would suggest to anyone who would like to do any decoration, do it, feel free.
“Let your mind fly as far as you can, and try to do as many things as you can at home, including your kids.
“It will create memories with the kids and as a family. It’s amazing to create something together.
“I think holidays are important, I won’t let one person put me off.
“In fact it only spurred me on and last Christmas we repurposed the pallets into a manger.”
At Christmas Lia repurposed the gingerbread house[/caption]
4 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on How to challenge a DWP benefit decision if you think it’s wrong
APPLYING for benefits in the UK can be a tricky process with lots of hoops to jump through and confusing rules.
And even then, you can end up with a decision that you don’t agree with.
You can challenge a benefit decision if you don’t believe it’s right[/caption]
This could be because your claim is denied, you don’t get the level you expected, or you’re missing certain elements you think you qualify for.
Fortunately, the system allows you to challenge decisions that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has made, and there’s evidence it’s well worth doing.
For instance, figures released by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service on 14 March show that 70% of all Personal Independence Payments appeals are won.
That means people are getting much-needed cash that they would have been denied if they hadn’t challenged the government’s decisions.
If you want to challenge a DWP decision, you usually need to apply for a mandatory reconsideration. But first, you need to understand why the benefits office made the decision it did, and gather evidence to show why they’ve got it wrong.
Getting an explanation
If your claim is denied or lower than expected, the first step should be to make sure you understand why. Sometimes, you’ll be sent the reasons in writing, for instance if you are rejected for a Personal Independence Payment claim.
If you haven’t been told why, you can ask the DWP to explain. Sometimes this can happen over the phone, or you can get a written statement of reasons. If you want the information in writing, you can request this and it must be provided.
Either way, you should move fast. There’s a time limit when it comes to asking for a mandatory reconciliation, so if you leave it too long, you might not be able to appeal.
To get the extra info, contact the DWP, HMRC or your local authority, depending on which benefit you’re trying to appeal. You should have the details on your decision letter.
It’s also worth speaking to them and explaining why you think the decision is wrong, sometimes it can be changed without launching a formal appeal.
For instance, if the decision was based on incorrect or missing information, the benefits office may be able to send you a new decision letter or it can explain what you can do next.
If your first language isn’t English, you can get an interpreter.
Turn2Us says that if you do telephone the benefit office, you should make a note of the time and date that you call, who you speak with and exactly what is said. This can be useful if you decide to formally challenge the decision.
If you’re still not happy with the outcome, the next step is usually to start the mandatory reconsideration process.
How long do I have to appeal the decision
Generally, you need to apply for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of your decision letter.
However, Turn2Us says that if you ask for written reasons within one month of the date on the decision letter, the time limit will be extended. The new limit will be:
One month and 14 days from the decision date (if the written reasons are provided within one month of the decision date); otherwise
14 days from the date the written reasons are provided.
However, the charity cautions that this only applies if the reasons were not provided in the decision letter you received. It says: “If you are in any doubt, stick to the usual time limits.”
You can usually get an extension if you have a good reason, for instance, if you’re in hospital or if a member of your immediate family dies.
How to ask for a mandatory reconsideration
If you want a mandatory consideration, you should write to the DWP or other relevant department.
You need to ask for the decision to be reviewed, and include any evidence you have as to why it was wrong in the first place.
You should go into detail, and provide copies of supporting documents where possible, for instance medical reports, doctor’s records, and financial statements.
If you are challenging decisions to do with benefits such as PIP and ESA medical evidence can be extremely valuable, particularly if it contradicts your medical assessment report produced by DWP.
Send the letter by recorded delivery, so you know it arrives safely, and keep a record for yourself.
If you’re challenging a decision around Universal Credit, you can do so through your online journal.
A different person will look at the decision, and decide whether it should be overturned or changed.
Sometimes, the DWP will ask for more information or extra pieces of evidence. If this happens, you should send things through as quickly as possible.
If your mandatory reconsideration is successful, you’ll be sent a new decision letter. If the decision doesn’t change, you’ll also be told by post.
You can choose to appeal if you’re still not happy with the outcome you get.
How to take an appeal further
The next steps depend on which benefit you’re applying for. However, in almost all cases you need to act within a month.
We have explained what to do for each benefit below.
Budgeting loans
If you want to challenge a decision around a budgeting loan, you need to ask the Independent Case Examiner’s office to do a review. The ICE is an independent organisation that’s completely separate from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Contact the ICE office in writing asking it to look at the decision again. You need to include your:
Name
Contact details
National insurance number
Details of the benefits you applied for
The date of the decision
Information about why you disagree with the decision and evidence to back this up.
The ICE will decide whether the decision should be changed.
Employment and Support Allowance
If you’re making an appeal regarding ESA, you might want to skip the mandatory reconsideration process.
Turn2Us says this applies if you already getting the payment, you’re appealing a decision that says you are fit for work, and the decision is not based on you having failed to return your ESA50 questionnaire or attend an assessment.
It must also be either:
The first time you have been found fit for work at an assessment, or
You have been found fit for work at a previous assessment but since then had an assessment where you were found to have limited capacity for work.
The reason for going straight to appeal is that you can keep getting your benefits during the appeal, but you can’t when going through a mandatory reconsideration process.
If you’ve been through the mandatory reconsideration and aren’t happy with the outcome, you can still choose to appeal either online or by post.
You can also write to HM Courts and Tribunals Service at the following addresses:
England and Wales: HMCTS SSCS Appeals Centre, PO Box 12626, Harlow, CM20 9QF
Scotland: HMCTS SSCS Appeals Centre, PO Box 13150, Harlow, CM20 9TT .
Northern Ireland: The Appeals Service, PO Box 2202, Belfast, BT1 9YJ.
The First Tier Tribunal will decide if you are entitled to a benefit and can change a decision. However, it’s worth knowing that its decision could leave you worse off so it is often best to seek advice first.
Universal Credit
If you believe the DWP has calculated your Universal Credit using the wrong income, you need to raise a Real Time Earnings (RTI) dispute. You can do this by leaving a note in your journal.
Further appeals follow the same process as for an Employment and Support Allowance claim.
Personal Independence Payment
If you’ve tried a mandatory reconsideration for your PIP claim and you still aren’t happy, the next step is to go to a tribunal. You normally need to do this within a month.
You need to explain which decision you’re challenging, what you think the outcome should have been, and why you disagree with the DWP’s decision.
PIP is awarded based on points, so you need to include information about how many points you think you should have been scored for each activity and medical evidence where possible to back up your claims.
Turn2Us says you can also apply for judicial review if the way a decision was made was wrong or very unfair.
Council tax support
If you’re challenging a decision on council tax support you need to send a letter or email to your local authority instead of DWP. You should include your council tax reference number, why you think the decision is wrong and any documents that back up your argument.
The next step is to make an appeal. This could focus on whether you are entitled to a reduction in your council tax, or how much you have been awarded under the local Council Tax Support scheme.
You can get a copy of the appeal form or complete it online from:
If you’re challenging a child benefit decision, you need to speak to HMRC not DWP, but the mandatory reconsideration process is the same.
If you’re still not happy with decision, you might be able to go to tribunal, although not all decisions can be appealed.
For instance, you cannot appeal against a decision about who gets child benefit if you and the other parent could not agree and had equal priority.
If you are appealing, you need to write directly to the Tribunal Service.
In England, Wales and Scotland, you use the appeal form SCS5 on the Gov.UK website. There are also SSCS5 guidance notes to help you fill the form. You need to include the mandatory reconsideration notice that you received from HMRC.
Like with council tax challenges, appeals around housing benefit need to go through your local authority first, not DWP. However, the mandatory reconsideration process is the same.
If you then go on to appeal the decision, it will be looked at by an independent tribunal, which is separate from your local authority or the Housing Executive. You can appeal without having to ask for a reconsideration first.
The First Tier Tribunal will decide if you are legally entitled to a benefit and can change a decision if they think it is wrong.
4 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Dozens of shooting stars to flash through the skies every hour TONIGHT as one of the year’s BEST meteor showers arrives
OCTOBER has been quite the month for celestial events – and it’s not over yet.
We only recently got to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime comet that swings by Earth every 80,000 years.
Composition photo of a previous Orionid meteor shower[/caption]
But the brightness of the Moon may cause a problem…[/caption]
Now it’s time for a meteor shower – but there might be one big problem with the display.
Experts at the Royal Museums Greenwich say the annual Orionid meteor shower is usually the most reliable around.
According to Nasa, it’s one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year too.
These bright shooting starts are fast ones, capable of travelling at around 148,000 mph.
Some 25 shooting stars are expected to flash through the sky every hour.
It’s expected to peak from the early hours of Monday (October 21).
The Orionid meteor shower is associated with Comet Halley.
And Sunday into Monday will see a bright gibbous Moon high in the sky.
That could pose a problem when trying to see the Orionid meteor shower by creating too much glare.
If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse, they should be visible across the UK and the US – weather permitting.
Fear not though, as there are more meteor showers due to happen for the rest of 2024.
Wait until December and there’s a huge Ursids meteor shower just before Christmas.
At its peak, we’re expecting a whooping 150 shooting stars per hour.
What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa...
Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it’ll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing)
4 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Young teacher tragically killed by ex-boyfriend in Chachoengsao
A young teacher, Namfon, was tragically shot dead by her ex-boyfriend, 25 year old Atitwat, inside her car. The incident unfolded in the Bang Nam Priao district, Chachoengsao province, and ended with Atitwat taking his own life. Namfon’s mother, 44 year old Pannee, shared her grief while on her way to retrieve her daughter’s body …
4 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Woman attacks debtor at funeral in Songkhla, victim critical
A woman attacked a debtor at a funeral with a knife, seriously injuring her, then fled the scene. The incident occurred yesterday at Wat Ja Ting Phra, Sathing Phra district, Songkhla province. The victim, 36 year old Wilaiwan, remains in critical condition at Songkhla Hospital. The assailant, 58 year old Sawai, later surrendered to the …