Most students will celebrate their Junior Cert results in a sensible way, but, just in case, here’s how to talk to your child about alcohol misuse. Today, students all over the country will be getting their Junior Cert results, and they’re likely going to meet their friends to celebrate tonight. You may feel, though, that […]
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FOOTAGE shows a female thief distracting a McDonald’s customer – before seamlessly swiping his phone off the table.
Nirix Stanescu, 24, has been jailed after admitting nine “distraction thefts” of mobile phones across the Home Counties.
Between May and July this year, Stanescu would enter restaurants and approach people eating meals with their phones on the table.
Stanescu would put a map or piece of paper over the phone – pocketing it while the victim was distracted.
Footage shows canny crook Stanescu in action at a McDonald’s in Reading.
Smiling and dressed smartly in a gilet, she is seen approaching a man with a piece of paper in hand.
Stanescu asks the man a question about the sheet and slips it over his phone as he takes a look.
She then walks away with the phone tucked behind the sheet of paper – with the man none the wiser.
Stanescu has now been convicted of a spate of mobile phone thefts across Surrey, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.
Four of the thefts happened in the leafy Surrey towns of Staines-upon-Thames, Walton-on-Thames and Woking.
The others took place in Milton Keynes, Reading, Slough, Wokingham and Oxford.
Stanescu, of no fixed abode, was arrested on September 25 and has been jailed for eight months after admitting nine counts of theft.
Detective Constable Michael Hanson said: “Stanescu would use distracting techniques to target her victims and steal their phones.
“I am pleased that she pleaded guilty at the first hearing and has now been sentenced to prison as a result.
“I hope that her time in prison is used constructively to reflect on her offending behaviour.
“Although Stanescu used distractive techniques, this case is a timely reminder of the risks involved in leaving property in full view.
“I would advise people to keep their property close at hand, or out of sight, to prevent opportunists such as Stanescu targeting them.”
Inspector Chris Thoday said: “We worked closely with Thames Valley Police to ensure Stanescu was held accountable.
“Her repeated and targeted offending stretched across multiple counties.
“By reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses, we identified Stanescu and her tactics for stealing mobile phones.
“This type of distraction theft is something we’re seeing right across Surrey.
“We urge people to stay aware of their surroundings and secure their belongings while out.”
MEGHAN Markle was “given every opportunity to succeed as a royal but just didn’t fancy it”, royal experts have claimed.
Speaking at our first ever Royal Exclusive Live show, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond and Sun snapper Arthur Edwards revealed their experiences of Meghan joining the royal family.
The royal experts were asked by a forum attendee whether Meghan had been properly advised by the palace on how to handle royal life.
The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson argued the former Suits actress had been given so many opportunities to succeed in the role.
He said: “I think the royal family gave her so many opportunities.
“They gave her staff, a house, paid for her wedding, gave her patronages, and made her a Commonwealth Trust ambassador.
“She had all these opportunities and was given so much to succeed.”
He added: “I think they gave her everything they could, I don’t think they could have given her any more, but in the end, she just didn’t fancy it.”
Royal photographer Arthur agreed, saying Meghan was “brilliant” and “fantastic” when she first started doing public engagements, but claimed she changed her mind on royal life.
He stated: “It was phenomenal, and I can’t tell you how unbelievably brilliant she was in that first year.
“I don’t think she needed any briefing. She was a very wise lady and knew exactly what was required of her, and she did it.
“But then, she decided she didn’t want to do it anymore, and that was it.”
Jennie disagreed and said that although Meghan should have spent more time deciding if royal duties were for her, she was not properly “nurtured” in the role.
She commented: “I think she didn’t really know what she was getting into, and I believe that’s why William was absolutely correct to warn Harry, or suggest to Harry, that he took it a little more slowly and give it more time.
“Not the strength of the love, but whether Meghan truly understood what she was getting into. William was so wise to give Catherine ten years to look in that “goldfish bowl” and think ‘can I hack it’.
I think they gave her everything they could, I don’t think they could have given her any more, but in the end, she just didn’t fancy it
Matt Wilkinson
“If Meghan had been given more time, she might have thought well no I can’t give up my independence.
“Meghan was fantastic. She could have been such a credit to the royal family.
“She was an independent, forthright woman with her own career, her own thoughts, charities, and causes.
“She could have been exactly what a modern monarchy needs.
“But I think the monarchy, as I’ve said earlier, didn’t act as carefully as they should have done in nurturing what they could have had.”
However, Jennie did admit that she thought Meghan was a “bit of a diva”.
She continued: “She didn’t like what she saw and didn’t like having her wings clipped in that way. I think it’s a sad combination of misjudgments, really.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from royal duties in 2020, following their royal wedding in 2018 in Windsor.
In her March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan opened up about the difficulties she faced as a member of the royal family.
She admitted struggling with her mental health, and said: “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.
“And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought.”
I think the monarchy, as I’ve said earlier, didn’t act as carefully as they should have done in nurturing what they could have had
Jennie Bond
Speaking about being prepared for royal life, Meghan shared: “I would say I went into it naively because I didn’t grow up knowing much about the Royal Family.
“It wasn’t part of something that was part of conversation at home.
“It wasn’t something that we followed.
MEGHAN Markle was also branded a 'diva' on the show, while Prince Harry was dubbed 'deplorable' for his book Spare.
Jennie Bond blasted: “He was a very silly boy to write Spare, it was deplorable and stupid. He’s done the blood letting, now we want to move on.”
Meanwhile the pair said Meghan couldn’t hack royal life in the same way Princess Kate can – and revealed she was ‘difficult’ with the media.
Sun legend Arthur also regaled memories of his royal tours with Charles and Diana – and implied Harry and Meghan may be putting on a show like they did before their marriage crumbled.
During the hour-long event, the royal experts also discussed the future of a slimmed-down monarchy, shared tales of behind-the-scenes encounters with key royals and opened up about Kate and Charles’ cancer battles.
You can watch the full Royal Exclusive Live show in the player above and on our YouTube channel.
“My mum even said to me a couple of months ago, ‘Did Diana ever do an interview?’
“Now I can say. ‘Yes, a very famous one’, but my mum doesn’t know that.”
She claimed she didn’t do much research into what the role would entail, and said that her perception was very different from the reality.
I would say I went into it naively because I didn’t grow up knowing much about the Royal Family
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Meghan continued: “I think, as Americans especially, what you do know about the royals is what you read in fairytales, and you think is what you know about the royals.
“It’s easy to have an image that is so far from reality, and that’s what was so tricky over those past few years, when the perception and the reality are two different things and you’re being judged on the perception but you’re living the reality of it.
“There’s a complete misalignment and there’s no way to explain that to people.”
POKÉMON TCG is a collectors paradise, with the rarest cards eventually selling for thousands.
The Sun has received an exclusive first look at two of the powerful Pokémon EX cards from the upcoming set Surging Sparks.
There are over 250 new cards coming in the upcoming set, which will launch on November 8, 2024.
It will include a number of full-art illustrations, Pokémon EX cards, and Ace Spec cards that you can use while playing the TCG.
Some cards like Alolan Exeggcutor EX, Archaludon EX and Latias EX and the set will feature the new terastalization type, Stellar Tera, for the first time.
The first card we can exclusively reveal is Tatsugiri EX which will come with Stellar Tera, making it a Dragon-type card.
It unfortunately doesn’t have an ability, and has just 160HP meaning it will be one of the easier EX cards to knock out.
However, it does come with an interesting attack that could be used in a number of decks if positioned correctly.
The first move Surprise Attack deals a steady 100 damage, which isn’t changed by any of the opponents’ effects.
The second move Cinnabar Lure will be very intriguing for decks built around getting Pokémon on the bench to use their abilities.
The move reads: “Look at the top 10 cards of your deck. You may put any number of Pokémon you find there onto your bench. Shuffle the other cards back into your deck.”
We can also exclusively reveal a new full-art card for Pikachu EX, which is classed as a special illustration rare.
This one has 200HP but it does come with an ability that increases its usability in the tabletop game.
Pikachu comes with the ability Resolute Heart which reads: “If this Pokémon has full HP and would be Knocked Out by damage from an attack, it is not Knocked Out, and its remaining HP becomes 10.”
The Pikachu EX also comes with a very powerful attack called Topaz Bolt which deals 300 damage.
This card will be one of the rarest cards in the whole set and definitely one to look out for when you are opening your packs.
If you want to read more about Pokémon cards, check out our Pokémon TCG Pocket preview.
Get the lowdown on more of the latest Nintendo Switch releases from our expert reviewers.
For Xbox Series X and PS5 reviews, check out our full game reviews section.
WANT some extra cash in your back pocket? This woman might have found the perfect side hustle.
You don’t even need to leave the comfort of your home to rake in the cash, you can do it all from your computer.
Aubree Malick took to TikTok to explain how she makes money as a virtual assistant – and it’s way easier than you probably think.
Unlike other side hustles, the money-making whizz said becoming a virtual assistant is a good way to reliably bring in money every month.
So, what do you need to know?
According to Aubree, the job is similar to being a personal assistant, only you only work online – sounds easy enough.
“Your job is to help businesses run in the background, to help them with different tasks, all from your computer,” she explained.
There are just three things you need to know if you want to try it out for yourself too.
First up, you need to be able to know what you can actually offer a business.
Whether that’s skills you already have, specialist knowledge or any other talents – businesses will want to know all about you, Aubree said.
Next, you’ll need to know who you want to work for.
Since all different types of businesses need assistants it’s good to know what will and wont work for you.
It could be a building company, a fitness coach or an influencer you work with, for example.
“The last thing you need to know is what you are going to charge,” Aubree continued.
This could vary depending on your experience, but if you’re just starting out you could still make $20 – $40 per hour.
And if you do have a bit more experience under your belt that could go up even more.
Aubree suggested creating “packages of 10, 20, and 30 hours per month to offer that support your clients.”
This way, you can work as much or as little as you like and still get paid for your efforts – what’s not to love?
Many people rushed to the comment section of the video to rave about the savvy side hustle.
One wrote: “I’ve been think about being a virtual assistant, love this.”
“I’m a fellow virtual assistant, it’s 100% the best,” another chimed in.
With time and a bit of commitment, you can build up a strong enough following on social media platforms and get paid to promote products and services.
The simplest way to earn money is by partnering with a brand as an Instagram influencer.
They send you products to test out and review in your posts and in exchange they’ll pay you a fee.
You must have a minimum of 1,000 followers to become an influencer and the more followers, the bigger the fee.
You’re followers also need to engage with your posts, as this also affects how much you
Good for your wallet and for the world, reselling unwanted items such as clothes or children’s toys is increasingly popular.
There are plenty of apps and websites that make it super easy to sell your items online by finding potential buyers for you and handling a lot of the shipping process.
Each platform and app offers something slightly different, so it can be a good idea to try a few out until you find one that works for you.
The biggest and the most established platforms are eBay and Amazon.
Both have massive reach, though Amazon’s Marketplace tends to appeal mostly to small businesses.
Some side hustlers scour thrift shops for cheap items they then sell on for a profit.
Generally speaking, there’s no limit on how much you can earn from reselling but the more expensive and in demand the item, the bigger the profit.
Secondhand designer handbags can go for hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds.
Extra income you make from side hustles may need to be reported to the IRS.
If you receive more than $600 in gross payouts from a selling platform like eBay, the site will issue you a Form 1099-K to use in your tax return.
Individuals should calculate their adjusted gross income, taxable earnings, and deductions for the year.
Once they have that, they can use the 1040-ES form to calculate estimated taxes.
A BRIT photographer has collapsed and died on top of a Greek beauty spot.
The man, 67, was found in the Vouraikos gorge in Kalavryta after his friends called emergency services around 8.30 am Friday.
Friends tried to resuscitate the 67-year-old to no avail before rescue teams arrived to find the man already unconscious on the outskirts of the town of Diakopto.
Police, the fire department and an ambulance were quickly brought to the scene to assist.
He was later pronounced dead at the Kalavryta Hospital.
The man has not been identified yet.
The 67-year-old and his friends were hiking through the gorge, hoping to capture shots of NATO fighter jets flying overhead on the last day of drills.
Photographers were invited to attend NATO exercises on October 1 and 8.
Local firefighters posted on Twitter/X this morning but only confirmed that one man had been injured near the local caves.
“An unconscious man was transported from a difficult location in the Kalavryton mega cave area and handed over to the EKAB (emergency teams).
“(They brought) 7 firefighters with 2 vehicles.”
Police are working to establish the cause of death, with initial investigations suggesting he may have been suffering from an illness, per local media.
The body will be transferred to Patra, where an autopsy will be conducted.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
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