Plots to harm Tommy Robinson in prison, court told
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Plots to harm Tommy Robinson in prison, court told Banzai Japan Music Video The High Court has said it expects to rule on Friday on whether far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon can challenge his jail conditions. Prison authorities segregated Yaxley-Lennon, who goes by the alias Tommy Robinson, after concluding other inmates had put a “mark on his head” and may have been planning to try to kill him. The Luton man says that the segregation at HMP Woodhill, Milton Keynes, is destroying his mental health and breaching his human rights. Book Novotel Hotel Details of his life in jail reveal he has received more visits than any other inmates as part of a “bespoke regime” to keep him safe – but Yaxley-Lennon says his separation from other inmates is ideologically motivated. He is due to be released on licence at the end of July. Yaxley-Lennon’s High Court application to challenge his prison conditions means an unrelated prosecution – for allegedly refusing to comply with a counter-terrorism search of his phone – has been put back for months. That trial, which relates to his alleged refusal to co-operate with police at the Eurotunnel terminal last July, had been due to begin today. That case has been delayed to allow his challenge to be heard first. The founder of the now-defunct English Defence League was jailed for 18 months last October for breaching a court order which had directed him not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee. Since November, he has been held in a closed wing at HMP Woodhill. Alisdair Williamson KC, for Yaxley-Lennon, said the conditions amounted to a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights because his client had a complex form of post-traumatic stress disorder. Yaxley-Lennon was said to be concerned that his mental health would deteriorate on release and he would return to substance abuse to cope. He told the court that his client’s treatment did not amount to torture but was unlawful degrading treatment, and he was being dealt with differently partly because of his ideology. Tom Cross KC, for the justice secretary, said the segregation was not a punishment but a carefully considered “bespoke regime” to keep the prisoner safe. Prison authorities had received intelligence that Yaxley-Lennon had “a mark on his head”, he said. Two prisoners had been planning to assault him to “gain kudos and notoriety”. Another tip suggested that an inmate serving a life sentence would kill Yaxley-Lennon if they were ever placed on the same wing. Mr Cross said Yaxley-Lennon had three hours to exercise and use a gym. He can arrange four two-hour long visits a week from friends and family. Some 120 people have been authorised to see him on 93 visits – more than any other inmate. He has a TV and a DVD player and is receiving hundreds of emails from supporters on a dedicated laptop. While that evidence was given, thickly-bearded Yaxley-Lennon could be seen shaking his head on a video link from prison and occasionally gesticulating with his arms. Mr Justice Chamberlain said he hoped to rule on Friday on whether the case would go ahead to a full challenge. Banzai Japan Music Video Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Tommy Robinson loses prison segregation court case
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Tommy Robinson loses prison segregation court case Banzai Japan Music Video The High Court has thrown out an attempt by the far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon to challenge his jail conditions that have seen him segregated from other inmates. Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, argued that segregation at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, was destroying his mental health and breaching his human rights. Mr Justice Chamberlain said there was no evidence the state was trying to “break” him and the court has heard he was being segregated for his own safety as he had a “mark [put] on his head” by other inmates. The judge said Yaxley-Lennon’s claims of degrading treatment fell far short of the evidence needed for the courts to intervene on human rights grounds. Prison governors had segregated Yaxley-Lennon, who is from Luton and led the now defunct anti-Islamic English Defence League (EDL), after concluding other inmates posed a threat and at least one may have been planning to try to kill him. Book Novotel Hotel The activist was jailed for 18 months in October after admitting breaching a court order which had directed him not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee. Yaxley-Lennon was first held in HMP Belmarsh in south-east London – but he was moved after the jail received a large volume of abusive and racist emails, including threats to the governor, who is a black woman. On 1 November, Yaxley-Lennon entered a closed wing at Woodhill and has been kept apart from other prisoners, but has contact throughout the day with officers and staff. The court has heard he had refused an offer to move to a vulnerable inmates unit, saying he did not want to associate with sex offenders. Substance abuse On Thursday, Alisdair Williamson KC, for Yaxley-Lennon, told the High Court his client had a complex form of post-traumatic stress disorder, exacerbated by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He argued his client’s mental health would deteriorate and, upon his release on licence in July, he might return to substance abuse to cope. That disclosure was a rare court admission from Yaxley-Lennon that he has been a habitual drug user. Lawyers for the justice secretary said the segregation was neither solitary confinement or a punishment – but a carefully considered plan to keep Yaxley-Lennon safe. Prison governors said two prisoners had been planning to assault him to “gain kudos and notoriety”. Another tip-off suggested that an inmate serving a life sentence would kill Yaxley-Lennon if they were ever placed on the same wing. Dismissing the case, Mr Justice Chamberlain said Yaxley-Lennon’s own barrister had accepted there was no evidence his client had been segregated “for the purpose of breaking his resistance or humiliating or debasing him”. “On the contrary, all the evidence shows [the decision] was taken for his own protection and in the interests of preserving the safety of other prisoners and staff,” he added. “He himself had said, when first detained at HMP Belmarsh, that he had a conflict with the followers of Islam. “It was thus understandable the governor should be concerned that Mr Yaxley-Lennon’s presence might foment unrest or violence between Muslim and non-Muslim prisoners.” Banzai Japan Music Video The court heard there was no evidence Yaxley-Lennon was at risk of self-harm or suicide. The judge ruled the inmate’s situation could not be classed as solitary confinement and did not amount to degrading treatment that would be an unlawful breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The judge said his segregation was ameliorated by him being allowed “some three hours per day out of his cell, which is more than twice the time allowed to convicted prisoners held in segregation”. The judge also said Robinson was allowed to use the gym and shower every day, work (“albeit still on his own”), and he could speak to prison officers, healthcare staff and the chaplaincy daily, as well as having a weekly Bible study session. He added that Yaxley-Lennon’s claims he was being denied contact with friends and family were “manifestly not well-founded”. Some 120 people have been authorised to see him in 93 visits – more than any other inmate, the court heard. He had two hours for visits four times a week and cancellations had related to suspected attempts by his supporters to orchestrate social media campaigning relating to his imprisonment. Yaxley-Lennon’s High Court case had meant that an unrelated prosecution, for allegedly refusing to comply with a counter-terrorism search of his phone, had been put back months. He is also facing prosecution having been accused of breaching a stalking prevention order. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Tommy Robinson’s ex-wife banned for unaccounted £1m
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Tommy Robinson’s ex-wife banned for unaccounted £1m Banzai Japan Music Video The ex-wife of far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been banned from running a company after failing to file her accounts. The Insolvency Service said Jenna Lennon’s firm Hope & Pride Ltd, which was registered at an address in Luton, had no accounts to explain the £1.1m it had received and paid out. It said: “The liquidator was unable to establish if this money was used for legitimate trading purposes.” Ms Lennon, 39, was the sole director of Hope & Pride when it went into liquidation in September 2023, and has now been disqualified as a company director for seven years. Book Novotel Hotel HM Revenue and Customs estimated the company owed more than £300,000 in unpaid corporation tax. Hope & Pride was incorporated at Companies House in March 2019 and described its business as “other information service activities not elsewhere classified”. At the time, Jenna Lennon was married to Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, but he was not connected to the company. The couple divorced in February 2021, and a month later Yaxley-Lennon declared himself bankrupt. Banzai Japan Music Video ‘Failed in her duties’ The Insolvency Service said it had been unable to “verify the nature” of Hope & Pride’s income and expenditure. A total of £1,178,364 was paid into the company’s account, with £1,133,964 paid out. Additional payments of £151,000, listed on bank accounts as “J Lennon dividends”, were similarly not verified. The company entered liquidation with total liabilities, which Lennon has not disputed, of £327,923. An Insolvency Service spokesperson said: “Directors are legally required to maintain adequate books and records which show and explain their company’s transactions. “This is first and foremost to protect consumers and other businesses who have dealings with the company. “Jenna Lennon failed in her duties as a company director to preserve or maintain adequate accounting records and deliver them to the liquidator. “This has meant the liquidator has been unable to properly investigate the company’s accounts and accurately establish how much was owed to HMRC and other creditors.” Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Man flying from Bangkok faces drug smuggle charge
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Man flying from Bangkok faces drug smuggle charge Banzai Japan Music Video A man has been charged with attempting to smuggle £1m of cannabis from Thailand through Heathrow Airport. Nathaniel Benson, 45, from Leeds, had flown in from Bangkok on Wednesday and was arrested after Border Force officers found 160 packages of the drug in suitcases, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. He appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court earlier charged with importing class B drugs and was remanded in custody to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on 24 October. A 41-year-old woman from Harrogate was also arrested but later bailed. Book Novotel Hotel Upsurge in arrests The NCA said more than 100 kilos of cannabis was recovered, which would have a street value of around £1m if sold in the UK. In August, the NCA issued a warning to travellers arriving into the UK from Thailand, Canada and the United States that they faced jail sentences if caught attempting to bring cannabis into the country, after a huge upsurge in arrests. Banzai Japan Music Video The NCA said the amount of cannabis seized so far in 2024 was already more than three times that found in the whole of 2023. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
A politician was shot dead in Bangkok. Did another country do it?
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel A politician was shot dead in Bangkok. Did another country do it? Banzai Japan Music Video It had all the hallmarks of a cold-blooded, professional assassination. Next to a well-known temple in Bangkok’s historic royal quarter a man is seen on a security camera video parking his motorbike, removing his helmet, so that his face was clearly visible, and walking calmly across the road. A few minutes later shots are heard. Another man falls to the ground. The assassin walks quickly back to his motorbike, appearing to throw something away as he does, and drives off. Book Novotel Hotel The victim was Lim Kimya, a 73-year-old former parliamentarian from the main Cambodian opposition party, the CNRP, which was banned in 2017. He had been hit in the chest by two bullets, according to the Thai police. He had just arrived in Bangkok with his wife on a bus from Cambodia. A police officer attempted to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. “He was courageous, with an independent mind,” Monovithya Kem, daughter of the CNRP leader Kem Sokha, told the BBC. Asked if she thought there was anyone apart from the Cambodian state who would want to kill him, she replied: “Absolutely no-one.” Banzai Japan Music Video Lim Kimya had dual Cambodian and French nationality, but chose to stay in Cambodia even after his party was outlawed. The CNRP – Cambodia National Rescue Party – was an amalgamation of two earlier opposition parties, and in 2013 came close to defeating the party of Hun Sen, the self-styled “strongman” who ruled Cambodia for nearly 40 years before handing over to his son Hun Manet in 2023. After his close call in the 2013 election Hun Sen accused the CNRP of treason, shutting it down and subjecting its members to legal and other forms of harassment. In 2023 Kem Sokha, who had already spent six years under house arrest, was sentenced to 27 years in prison. High-level political assassinations, though not unknown, are relatively rare in Cambodia; in 2016 a popular critic of Hun Sen, Kem Ley, was gunned down in Phnom Penh and in 2012 environmental activist Chut Wutty was also murdered. From the security camera video the Thai police have already identified Lim Kimya’s killer as an ex-Thai navy officer, now working as a motorbike taxi driver. Finding him should not be difficult. Whether the killing is fully investigated, though, is another matter. In recent years dozens of activists fleeing repression in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand have been sent back after seeking sanctuary, or in some cases have been killed or disappeared. Human rights groups believe there is an unwritten agreement between the four neighbouring countries to allow each other’s security forces to pursue dissidents over the border. Last November Thailand sent six Cambodian dissidents, together with a young child, back to Cambodia, where they were immediately jailed. All were recognised by the United Nations as refugees. Earlier in the year Thailand also sent a Vietnamese Montagnard activist back to Vietnam. In the past Thai anti-monarchy activists have been abducted and disappeared in Laos, it is widely presumed by Thai security forces operating outside their own borders. In 2020 a young Thai activist who had fled to Cambodia, Wanchalerm Satsaksit, was abducted and disappeared, again it is assumed by Thai operatives. The Cambodian authorities did little to investigate, and announced last year that they had closed the case. It is possible the same will now happen in the case of Lim Kimya. “Thailand has presided over a de facto ‘swap arrangement’,” says Phil Robertson, director of the Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates in Thailand. “Dissidents and refugees are traded for political and economic favours with its neighbouring countries. The growing practice of transnational repression in the Mekong sub-region needs to be stopped in its tracks.” When the US and UK-educated Hun Manet succeeded his father as Cambodia’s prime minister there was some speculation over whether he might rule with a lighter hand. But opposition figures are still being prosecuted and jailed, and what little space was left for political dissent has been almost completely closed. From his semi-retirement the figure of Hun Sen still hovers over his son’s administration; he is now calling for a new law to brand anyone trying to replace him as a terrorist. Thailand, which lobbied hard for, and won, a seat on the UN Human Rights Council this year, will now be under pressure to show that it can bring those behind such a brazen assassination on the streets of its capital to justice. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
F1 in talks to stage Bangkok grand prix
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel F1 in talks to stage Bangkok grand prix Banzai Japan Music Video Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali met with the prime minister of Thailand to discuss plans for a street-circuit grand prix in Bangkok. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the government would commission a “feasibility study” into the possibility of a race in the capital from 2028. Book Novotel Hotel There is an existing track in Buriram, in north-east Thailand, which is accredited by the FIA, the governing body for world motorsport. Domenicali described the plans as “impressive”. Banzai Japan Music Video Paetongtarn said: “I believe that all Thai people will benefit from organising this event, whether it is large-scale infrastructure investment, job creation, new income generation, and importing new technologies and innovations.” The F1 schedule of 24 races includes four in the Asia-Pacific region. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Why have the wildfires in S Korea been so devastating?
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Why have the wildfires in S Korea been so devastating? Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo Strong winds, dense forest and unusually dry weather – that’s the deadly combination that experts say is fuelling the largest wildfires in South Korea’s history. The inferno in the south-east has burned through 35,810 hectares (88,500 acres) as of Thursday – that’s about half the size of New York City – killing 27 people so far and displacing tens of thousands. Authorities believe the wildfires started by accident from human activity, but the main drivers of the devastation are dry land, and strong gusts sweeping over inland regions. The high concentration of pine forest in North Gyeongsang province, where the fires are burning, is also “oiling” the blaze, said a forest disaster expert. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 Vulnerable pine forests “Pine trees contain resin, which acts like oil, intensifying fires when ignited. This resin causes wildfires to burn faster, stronger, and longer,” said Lee Byung-doo from the National Institute of Forest Science in Seoul. Andong, one of the worst-hit cities, is known for its tranquil pine forests. While they provide shelter and food for local wildlife and sometimes help break the wind, pine trees “become problematic during wildfires”, Mr Lee told the BBC. “Because forests [in South Korea] contain large numbers of pine trees, the areas are particularly vulnerable when fires break out,” he said. Furthermore, pine trees retain their needles throughout winter, making them susceptible to “crown fires” – wildfires that spread by igniting the dense canopy of branches and leaves. This has contributed to the rapid and extensive spread of the flames over the past week. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s Unlike neighbouring countries such as China and North Korea, South Korea has made gains in forest cover over recent years. “Most mountains are now filled with fallen leaves and pine trees… This accumulation has become a significant factor in accelerating the spread of wildfire,” says Baek Min-ho, a disaster prevention specialist at Kangwon National University. Climate change is also to blame, experts say. “This wildfire has once again exposed the harsh reality of a climate crisis unlike anything we’ve experienced before,” South Korea’s disaster chief Lee Han-kyung said on Thursday. The ideal environment for these record blazes has been building for the past few weeks, which saw temperatures rise above 20C (68F), unusually high for spring. Analysis by Climate Central, which researches climate science, suggests that these high temperatures have been made up to five times more likely by global warming. The unusual heat dried out the land and air, allowing fires to spread more rapidly, especially when combined with strong winds. Dense tree cover and strong winds in the fire-hit region also pose substantial challenges to firefighting efforts. On Wednesday, a 73-year-old pilot died when his firefighting helicopter crashed in Uiseong county. At least three other firefighters have been killed in the blazes. Elderly residents in second-oldest province Most of the 26 people who died are in their 60s and 70s, officials say. South Korea is an ageing society, where one in five people are at least 65 years old. North Gyeongsang is its second-oldest province, which also explains the relatively high death toll – it is especially difficult to evacuate older people in a disaster because they may have mobility issues or other health risks. They may also have more difficulty accessing or interpreting evacuation orders. Three residents of an elderly care facility in Yeongdeok county died on Wednesday, when the car they were in went up in flames. Only one out of four in the vehicle managed to flee in time, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported. Acting President Han Duck-soo said on Thursday it was “worrying” that many of the victims are elderly, as he ordered the interior minister to relocate to North Gyeongsang to oversee relief efforts. An Andong resident who evacuated but lost her home told the BBC her family and their neighbours were caught off guard by the fires. “No one in the village was prepared,” said the woman, who asked not to be named. “We had to leave with nothing, and all our belongings are gone. Many of the residents are elderly, so I hope the government can provide temporary shelters where people can stay comfortably,” she said. Historical relics have also been burned to the ground – a significant loss to an area considered one of South Korea’s cultural centres. These include treasures in two temples, each more than 1,000 years old. One of them, the Gounsa temple, dates back to the Silla dynasty (57BC to 935AD). Additional reporting by Rachel Lee and Jake Kwon in Seoul Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Labour councils call for Bakerloo line funding
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Labour councils call for Bakerloo line funding Banzai Japan Music Video Four Labour London council leaders have renewed their calls for the government to commit cash to deliver the upgrade and extension of the Bakerloo line. Trains on the 119-year-old line could run every two minutes under Transport for London (TfL) plans to upgrade and extend the Tube route. The proposals, which depend on government funding, would allow 27 trains an hour to run on the line, seven more than the current 20. The Department for Transport (DfT) said TfL got £500m in additional funding at the Budget last October and the government was “still assessing the challenging financial position it faces” before committing any further funding. Book Novotel Hotel The leaders of Brent, Lewisham, Southwark and Westminster councils said Chancellor Rachel Reeves should commit to deliver the transport project in the upcoming 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and secure initial funding for the scheme in the Spending Review, both expected in June. Brenda Dacres, mayor of Lewisham, said: “For too long south-east London has been excluded from the world-class London Underground network and the benefits of being a well-connected inner London borough. “With Lewisham wages nearly 40% lower on average than neighbouring boroughs, the Bakerloo line extension would be a game-changer for unlocking inclusive growth and opportunities, not just in the South East, but across the UK.” Kieron Williams, leader of Southwark Council, said the Bakerloo extension was a “shovel-ready project” which would create thousands of jobs and boost economic growth by £1.5bn. Banzai Japan Music Video The first phase of the proposed extension—which TfL is currently conducting feasibility studies for—would see new Tube stations at the Old Kent Road and Burgess Park in Southwark. The line would then continue to New Cross Gate and Lewisham. The second phase would take the Bakerloo line beyond Lewisham to Hayes and Beckenham Junction. As part of the planned revamp of the London Underground route, the Bakerloo line’s 53-year-old trains would be replaced. The planned upgrade would support 150,000 jobs in Goole, East Yorkshire—where the new trains would be built—under the current TfL proposals. About 107,000 new homes are predicted to be built around the new Tube stations in London, if the project goes ahead. Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said without the government’s commitment, the Bakerloo line was “at risk of total failure”. Of the ageing Underground line’s current 25 stations, 10 are in Brent. A DfT spokesperson said: “Further funding for London’s transport network is being considered as part of the upcoming Spending Review.” Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
WH Smith name to disappear from High Street after sale
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel WH Smith name to disappear from High Street after sale Banzai Japan Music Video The name WH Smith, a staple of UK town centres since the Victorian era when it became the country’s principal newspaper distributor, is set to disappear from the High Street after the firm agreed to sell its shops to Hobbycraft-owner Modella Capital. The sale does not include the WH Smith brand, its travel shops at airports and railway stations or its outlets in hospitals. The new owner will rebrand the High Street chain as TGJones, but said it would keep the Post Office outlets that operate in many branches. Book Novotel Hotel Modella Capital will take over 480 stores in retail parks, shopping centres and on High Streets including 5,000 staff. Modella said it would be “business as usual” while it worked on changes to the store chain including adding new ranges. However, the new owner said the Post Office and Toys “R” Us outlets currently in WH Smith stores, would remain. It would not comment on whether jobs would be cut following the takeover. The private equity firm specialises in retail and consumer businesses and, as well as buying Hobbycraft, has also invested in Crafters’ Companion and The Original Factory Shop. It said the TGJones brand carried “the same sense of family” as WH Smith, which it described as an “iconic” retail business. Banzai Japan Music Video WH Smith’s first shop was in Little Grosvenor Street, London. It opened its first travel retail store in London’s Euston station in 1848. It still sells papers and magazines, alongside books, sweets and snacks and art supplies. WH Smith group chief executive Carl Cowling said the £76m sale, was “a pivotal moment” for the company, which would now focus exclusively on the travel-related side of the business. “High Street is a good business; it is profitable and cash generative with an experienced and high-performing management team,” he said. “However, given our rapid international growth, now is the right time for a new owner to take the High Street business forward.” The travel division operates more than 1,200 stores in 32 countries. Nicholas Found at the consultancy, Retail Economics, said conditions on the High Street were “increasingly unforgiving”. As a result in recent years WH Smith’s travel arm had become its “engine room”, he said. WH Smith’s travel business contributed 75% of the group’s revenue and 85% of its trading profit in 2024. “Its product mix, which includes food, beverages and tech, is better suited to higher-margin, impulse-driven purchases in busy transit hubs,” he added. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Barber who ran Covid foodbank still donating food
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Barber who ran Covid foodbank still donating food Banzai Japan Music Video When lockdown started in 2020, Ziggy Myers had to close Progress Barbers – the business he’d run for more than 20 years – because restrictions meant he could no longer serve his customers. Instead he decided to serve his community in a different way: by feeding them. He used his own money to buy groceries for those he knew were in need. “I started very small, just doing little bits and pieces, and as time go on, I get to know more people, more people get involved and it grew and grew until it’s got to a stage I could reach out to 3,000 people a week.” Book Novotel Hotel When customer Louis Howell saw what Ziggy was doing, he decided to set up a GoFundme so that he could contribute to Ziggy’s effort. “If I was going to the shops I’d buy an extra bag and drop it in, and I saw other people doing the same thing which was amazing,” said Louis. “We felt compelled to do these things because we thought if Ziggy can, at a time when the government has effectively taken away his livelihood, yet he chose to do this, then it’s the least we can do. “We trusted Ziggy to get the food to the people who needed it.” Banzai Japan Music Video Also joining Ziggy, was friend Wayne Lawrence. Mr Lawrence used his van to deliver the food. “I’ve always wanted to give back in some way, so I’m happy.” Ziggy was given a Mayor’s Award for Volunteering from City Hall in recognition of what he did during Covid. But Ziggy believes it’s a community effort. He said: “It’s never just one person even though it might start from one person, it comes from the community.” But his volunteering efforts have not gone unnoticed and he’s become a hero to local residents. Customer Kayode Damali said: “For people like Ziggy they do it from the bottom of their hearts, regardless of getting any recognition. “Ziggy is a role model for all of us.” Five years on, Ziggy and Wayne are still giving donations to up 1,500 people a week, in collaboration with the food redistribution charity FareShare. Ziggy said: “I’m helping each and everyone, even people who are working, because the price of electric has gone up, the price of water bills has gone up.” His friend Wayne added: “It was big in Covid, but when everything was back to normal [when lockdown ended], we thought everything would be alright but it grew so that’s why I felt compelled to help. “I’d love to keep doing it, but I wish the need wasn’t there.” As for Ziggy, he has no plans to give up just yet. “It’s the right thing to do, so we just keep going.” Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol