
Family tribute to boy, 16, after Sutton Park lake death
The 16-year-old was reported missing in Powell's Pool, one of seven at the 2,400 acre (971 hectare) park, at about 18:00 on Thursday.The emergency services were called in a bid to rescue him, but he died before his body was recovered from the water, ambulance crews said.In a statement, released through the police, his family said: "Everyone wanted to be his friend and he was popular because of the beautiful spirit he had."They described him as a big Birmingham City fan who loved going to the games with his grandad and friends.
Flowers and other tributes were left beside the water and the family said: "We want to thank the community for all of the kind messages, love and support. "It has given us all comfort knowing just how loved he was by so many people and shows they all saw what we saw in him."They said they would miss his "cheeky smile" and added: "He has been taken from us way too soon and we still can't process what is happening right now."
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Times
7 minutes ago
- Times
Veterans minister may quit if Troubles-era troops lose immunity
The veterans minister is expected to resign over government plans to repeal the law that granted Troubles-era servicemen immunity from prosecution. Alistair Carns, a former Royal Marines commando, is said to have told ministers that he cannot support any proposal that would leave veterans vulnerable to criminal proceedings. Government sources said that Carns had made his position clear at a drop-in session for Labour MPs hosted by Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland secretary, on Monday last week. Benn had invited colleagues to be briefed on the Northern Ireland Office's plans to replace the Legacy and Reconciliation Act, the 2023 law that ended dozens of civil cases and inquests examining killings during the Troubles. At its heart is a conditional amnesty for all suspects in historic cases related to violence during the conflict. Conservative MPs had long pushed for the legislation to protect former soldiers from prosecution but the act's provisions also apply to republican and loyalist paramilitaries, provided they co-operate with a new information recovery body. Labour's election manifesto pledged to repeal the law and Benn said last year that it was 'completely wrong' that it had barred victims' families from pursuing new inquests or civil action in the courts. He has promised to abolish immunity for suspects, including veterans. Carns, who was appointed to the government within days of his election to the Commons last July, is understood to have told Benn that he could not endorse new legislation, due to be published within weeks, that reopened the possibility of veterans being prosecuted. 'There is a huge row brewing,' a government source said, adding: 'Everyone has been left with the impression that this is a resignation matter.' The minister was not present when MPs debated a petition signed by 176,485 people opposed to Benn's proposals in Westminster Hall on Monday evening. Suggestions that he is hostile to any change in policy on Troubles prosecutions risk embarrassing No 10, which made much of the fact that Carns, who won a Military Cross and is among the most decorated soldiers to have sat in the Commons, joined Labour last year. Senior figures in Downing Street are increasingly nervous of the backlash to the legislation. While Carns has yet to clarify his position publicly, the government's veterans commissioners for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales signalled their opposition to any legislative change in a joint statement on Monday night. 'We stand united in our firm support of the motion to be debated in Westminster today. We are deeply concerned by the prospect of retrospective legal action being taken against veterans who were carrying out their lawful duties, often under immense pressure and threat. 'We urge the government to resist any changes to legislation that would reopen legal uncertainty for veterans of Operation Banner,' David Johnstone, James Phillips and Susie Hamilton said. 'Any proposed changes must be measured, fair and informed by the voices of veterans themselves — many of whom have already endured decades of scrutiny and hardship. 'This is not a call for immunity from the law, but for fairness under it. Veterans deserve clarity, finality and respect for their service.' They added: 'There can be no moral equivalence between those who served in uniform to uphold peace and the rule of law, and those who sought to destroy it through acts of terrorism.' During the debate, hundreds of soldiers who served during the Troubles descended on Parliament Square to protest against the plans. They warned that modern soldiers would hesitate to pull the trigger in combat if the government were to remove legal protections for troops who served in Northern Ireland. • Trauma of veteran who faced jail over SAS shooting of IRA members The former servicemen massed on motorbikes and blasted their horns while circling Parliament Square during a 'rolling thunder' demonstration. The riders have been campaigning on the subject since 2019, but said that Labour's reignition of the debate made this their most important event to date. Veterans from all three services said that the move had 'reopened old wounds' and was fuelling a recruitment crisis. They said that the move could also be dangerous for serving soldiers whose fear of being dragged through the courts later in life may prevent them from fighting. 'No one will want to the pull the trigger,' said Geoff York, 71, a former lance corporal in The Blues and Royals cavalry regiment, who served for six years in Northern Ireland. 'If they're doing this to us, they'll be doing it to those who served in Afghanistan, Iraq … In 30 or 40 years' time, when these young soldiers are our age, they'll be getting the same thing. It is already reflecting on recruitment. Recruitment is on the floor across the three services.' York said that during the Troubles, British soldiers carried a 'yellow card' detailing the rules of engagement, which instructed troops to give a person three warnings before opening fire. Any soldier involved in a shooting would be investigated by the Royal Military Police and the Royal Ulster Constabulary. 'They would say 'you were in your rights to open fire' but many years later it's come to bite us on the rear,' he said. Special forces soldiers have also criticised Labour's pledge to reopen investigations. In a joint statement shared with The Times, seven commanders of The 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, who served in the elite unit during the Troubles, said: 'We have already processed our grief within our units and with the families of our fallen comrades. 'There's nothing healthy about perpetually reopening these wounds through endless legal proceedings. The harsh reality is that these new hearings are an exercise in futility. The terrorists responsible for killing our colleagues have already been granted 'letters of comfort' — effectively immunity from prosecution. 'So while these investigations might reopen painful chapters for veterans' families, they cannot deliver any meaningful justice. The terrorists walk free while we debate the merits of investigating decades-old cases. 'Our fallen comrades would not want their deaths to be used as political leverage to keep their families and the families of their comrades who are now being hounded, trapped in an endless cycle of hearings and investigations.' Carns and the Ministry of Defence were contacted for comment.


Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Tragic new details emerge after a baby was found dead at a suburban home in Balcatta, Perth
The tragic death of a six-month-old baby boy is being treated as an alleged family violence homicide, Western Australia 's top cop has revealed. Emergency responders were confronted with traumatic scenes after being called to a home on Campion Avenue in Balcatta, northern Perth, early on Monday. It's understood the baby boy was found with stab wounds and died in front of other family members, including a teenage girl. A woman in her 30s was taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital where she underwent a mental health assessment under police guard. She was released from hospital on Monday night but remains in police custody. No charges have yet been laid as police try to piece together what happened. Harrowing new details emerged when WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch fronted a press conference on Tuesday. 'This is a trauma that no one will ever recover from, and I think the family are just deeply affected,' he told reporters. 'There would be very few cases where you would have a crime scene of such a horrific nature for our officers and all first responders involved. 'And certainly those officers would be entitled to their critical incident leave, but that's something that will most likely haunt them for the rest of their careers.' Other family members are assisting homicide detectives with their inquiries. 'It's very confined to the members of that household,' Commissioner Blanch said. 'It's a very sad story, obviously with the death of such a young baby.' Premier Roger Cook said that his thoughts were with everyone impacted by the 'dreadful' tragedy. 'Obviously, there are family and friends who are impacted by the information that is now coming through and it's incredibly sad and horrible stuff,' he said. 'I also want to extend my thoughts to first responders who would have gone into that scene, confronted by some very difficult circumstances.' The suburban street remained in lockdown for most of Monday as police, homicide detectives and forensic officers examined the crime scene. The tragedy has rocked the family's neighbours, who described the woman who lived at the home as a kind, sweet person who loved her kids. 'I know she had been struggling lately with the new baby and her own personal stuff... When I heard that one of the kids had died, I just felt sick to my stomach,' a neighbour told The West Australian. Another man added: 'Just for the (police) forensics to have to go to a job and deal with that is just, you know, there is nothing worse'.


BreakingNews.ie
19 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Omagh bombing inquiry seeks secret 15-year-old transcript from archive
The British parliament's rules watchdog has three-and-a-half months to decide whether to release a secret transcript, amid efforts to establish whether the 1998 Omagh bombing could have been prevented. Omagh Bombing Inquiry solicitor Tim Suter has asked for information about an allegation 'that police investigators into previous attacks in Moira, Portadown, Banbridge and Lisburn did not have access to intelligence materials which may have reasonably enabled them to disrupt the activities of dissident republican terrorists' in the Co Tyrone town. Advertisement The allegation is thought to have been made during a private session of the Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee almost 16 years ago, on November 11th, 2009. Conservative MP Simon Hoare warned there was 'no wriggle room' in the UK parliament's rules to hand over the information to the inquiry without MPs' say-so, because it previously went 'unreported'. Commons committees can refrain from reporting evidence in certain circumstances, for example, if it contains information which is prejudicial to the public interest. British MPs tasked the Commons Privileges Committee with looking at the 2009 transcript. Advertisement This seven-member group has until October 30th to decide whether to report and publish the evidence, which was originally given to the House by former senior police officer Norman Baxter. 'It is very hard for the House to decide whether or not to release evidence it has not seen and cannot see before the decision is made,' Mr Hoare warned. 'It is particularly difficult in this case, as that evidence may contain sensitive information.' The North Dorset MP added that the Privileges Committee 'might simply decide to publish it'. Advertisement Chairman of the Omagh Bombing Inquiry Lord Turnbull (PA) But the agreed motion will give the committee power to make an alternative recommendation 'on the desirability or otherwise of the release of the evidence to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry'. Privileges Committee chairman Alberto Costa, the Conservative MP for South Leicestershire, told MPs that his organisation 'stands ready to deal with this matter'. Ireland UK government has 'plain duty' to assist Omagh inq... Read More The independent inquiry chaired by Lord Turnbull will consider whether the Omagh bombing 'could reasonably have been prevented by UK state authorities'. The dissident republican bomb exploded in the Co Tyrone town on August 15th, 1998, killing 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins. Advertisement Mr Hoare agreed with DUP MP for Strangford Jim Shannon, who was born in Omagh, after he told the Commons that 'justice' should be at the 'forefront of all right honourable and honourable members' minds during this process'.