Ashling Murphy's boyfriend settles defamation action against BBC
Her partner, 27-year-old Ryan Casey, sued the BBC over a broadcast of an episode of the View following Puska's sentencing.
It contained commentary on Mr Casey's victim impact statement that he delivered ahead of sentencing.
He initiated High Court proceedings against the broadcaster alleging that he had been defamed during the television programme.
The action was settled on Thursday, with the BBC saying it acknowledged Mr Casey's personal tragedy.
It stood by the journalism of the broadcast and added: 'The BBC is however happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist, or someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the far right through his victim impact statement.'
It is understood Mr Casey received a substantial figure in the settlement.
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Glasgow Times
27 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Wet Leg singer says Bob Vylan and Kneecap Glastonbury reaction is ‘messed up'
The 32-year-old indie rocker's band played on Friday afternoon at the festival, where Bob Vylan and Kneecap's Saturday sets are being investigated by Avon and Somerset Police to decide whether any offences were committed. Bobby Vylan, of Bob Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of 'death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)', before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap joked that fans should 'start a riot' outside his bandmate's upcoming court appearance, and led the crowd on chants of 'f*** Keir Starmer'. Teasdale said she was concerned by the fallout from their sets, and added she feels it is 'powerful' for artists to speak up. The singer told PA: 'It shouldn't have to be considered brave to call out a genocide — that should be the absolute bare minimum. 'But the fact that people are being punished, silenced, or villainised for doing so shows just how messed up things are. I don't think it's brave to speak out — I think it's necessary. 'What's scary is how dangerous or controversial that's being made to seem. The media has focused so much on bands like Bob Vylan and Kneecap, but they weren't the only ones speaking out. Every other artist showed support for Palestine across the weekend. 'So why are these two being singled out? It feels like a deliberate attempt to create scapegoats, to distract from the actual message – which is simply calling out a genocide. 'Coming out of the Glastonbury bubble and seeing how much of that pro-Palestine messaging was cut from the BBC footage was honestly chilling. It shows how reality can be edited, distorted. 'That level of control over public perception feels dystopian, and it's exactly why speaking out, even imperfectly, is so important right now.' Bob Vylan are being investigated by Avon and Somerset Police after their Glastonbury set (Ben Birchall/PA) Bob Vylan's set at the festival, which was livestreamed at the time, is not available on iPlayer, and after the festival the BBC said it would no longer livestream acts it deems 'high risk'. Other acts to show their support for Palestine across the weekend included Wolf Alice, CMAT, Gurriers, and Black Country, New Road. The star, who grew up on the Isle Of Wight, says she herself wants to 'do better' at speaking up about important issues, having been inspired by Australian hard rockers Amyl And The Sniffers. She told PA: 'I think what these artists are doing is powerful. I saw Amyl And The Sniffers that weekend, and I really admired how she (Amyl And The Sniffers lead singer Amy Taylor) used her set to speak about Palestine. 'At one point she said, 'I was going to say something more poetic, and it's not perfect, but I think it's better to say something than say nothing at all'. That really stuck with me. 'It was honest and human — not polished, but true, and it reminded me that saying something imperfect is still far more meaningful than staying silent. 'That really resonated with me because speaking about Palestine on stage isn't something I take lightly. It's not about me — and I never want to make it about me — but I do feel a huge responsibility to get it right. 'I don't want to dilute the message or speak over the people whose voices actually need to be heard. That tension can make it hard to know exactly what to say, but the alternative — saying nothing — isn't acceptable either.' Made up of singer and guitarist Teasdale, guitarist Hester Chambers, drummer Henry Holmes, multi-instrumentalist Josh Mobaraki, and bass player Ellis Durand, Wet Leg rose to fame with their viral single Chaise Longue. The band will release their second LP Moisturizer on July 11, having performed songs from it such as Davina McColl, Catch These Fists and CPR during their Glastonbury appearance. Punk duo Bob Vylan issued a statement on Tuesday claiming they were being 'targeted for speaking up'. The pair have also had their US visas revoked before their tour later this year, were pulled from their Saturday headline slot at Radar festival in Manchester, and from an upcoming performance at a German music venue. Bob Vylan are expected to perform at the Boardmasters surfing and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall, in August. It has also emerged that Bob Vylan were already under investigation by police for comments made at a performance one month before Glastonbury. Video footage appears to show Bobby Vylan at Alexandra Palace telling crowds: 'Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF.' The BBC has been contacted for comment.
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Gaza beach cafe: Strike on al-Baqa killed a Hamas operative, but many more people were killed
Moments before the explosion, artists, students and athletes were among those gathered at a bustling seaside cafe in Gaza around tables, customers at al-Baqa Cafeteria were scrolling on their phones, sipping hot drinks, and catching up with friends. At one point, the familiar melody of "Happy Birthday" rang out as a young child celebrated with a quiet corner of the cafe overlooking the sea, a Hamas operative, dressed in civilian clothing, arrived at his table, sources told the was then, without warning, that a bomb was dropped by Israeli forces and tore through the building, they the sound of the explosion, people nearby flooded onto the streets and into al-Baqa in a desperate search for survivors."The scene was horrific - bodies, blood, screaming everywhere," one man told the BBC later that day."It was total destruction," said another. "A real massacre happened at al-Baqa Cafeteria. A real massacre that breaks hearts." The BBC has reviewed 29 names of people reported killed in the strike on the cafe on Monday. Twenty-six of the deaths were confirmed by multiple sources, including through interviews with family, friends and eyewitness accounts. At least nine of those killed were women, and several were children or teenagers. They included artists, students, social activists, a female boxer, a footballer and cafe conduct of the strike and the scale of civilian casualties have amplified questions over the proportionality of Israel's military operations in Gaza, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say are aimed at defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages still being held by the members in Gaza and abroad spoke to the BBC of their shock and devastation at the killings."We were talking with each other two days ago. We were sending reels to each other. I can't believe it," said a young Palestinian man living in the US whose 21-year-old "bestie" Muna Juda and another close friend, Raghad Alaa Abu Sultan, were both killed in the numbers of deaths analysed by the BBC were broadly consistent with figures given by the Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency, a senior local medic and the Palestinian Red Crescent in the days after the at Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies, said its toll as of Thursday had reached 40 deaths, including people who had succumbed to their injuries, and unidentified official at the hospital said some of the bodies had been "blown to pieces", and that 72 injured patients were brought there - many having sustained severe burns and significant injuries that required surgery. He said many were a statement after the strike, the IDF said it had been targeting "terrorists" and that steps were taken to "mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance"."The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization in order to remove any threat posed to Israeli civilians," it added, before saying the "incident" was "under review".The IDF did not directly respond to multiple BBC questions about the target of the strike, or whether it considered the number of civilian casualties to be proportionate. Al-Baqa Cafeteria was well-known across the Gaza Strip, considered by many to be among the territory's most scenic and vibrant meeting over two floors and divided into men's and mixed family sections, it had views out to the Mediterranean Sea and television screens where people could watch football matches. It was a place to gather for coffee, tea and shisha with friends, and was a particular favourite with had remained popular even during the war, especially because of its unusually stable internet connection. The cafe, which had until now survived largely unscathed, also served up a reminder of the life that existed before the bombardments.A cafe manager told the BBC that there was a strict entry policy. "It was known to our customers that if any person looked like a target, then they were not let inside the cafeteria - this was for our safety and the safety of the people there," he said. On the day of the strike, the port area of Gaza City where the cafe is located was not under Israeli evacuation orders, and families of those killed on Monday say they had felt as safe as is possible when heading told the BBC that the strike in the early afternoon - between the Muslim prayers of Zuhr and Asr - was outside of the cafe's busiest strike hit a section of the men's area where staff said few people were at the Verify showed several experts photos of the crater left in the wake of the explosion and the remaining munition fragments. Most said that they believed it was caused by a bomb, rather than a missile, with a range of size estimates given, at a maximum of 500lb (230kg).The IDF told the BBC it would not comment on the type of munition used.A journalist who was in the area at the time of the strike and spoke to eyewitnesses immediately afterwards told the BBC the munition that hit the cafe "was launched from a warplane - not from a drone that would usually target one or two people… It looked like they were very keen on getting their target". His account was consistent with others we spoke to. Twenty-seven-year-old Hisham Ayman Mansour, whose deceased father had been a leading figure in Hamas' military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was among those in the men's section by the sea. His brother was previously killed by Israeli forces, and one social media post mourning his death suggested the brother had taken part in the 7 October 2023 attacks.A local Hamas source said Hisham was the target of the strike, and described him as a field commander with the group, a "mid-ranking role".Tributes posted on social media also referred to him as a "fighter" and "member of the resistance". His cousin also described him to the BBC as a "fighter" with the proscribed group, but said he thought he was "low-level" and not currently is unclear what he was doing in the cafe that day, with two sources telling the BBC he was believed to be there for a "money drop", while another suggested he was there for "coffee and a short respite" and that he had not been involved in "militant activities" during the war.A photo shared on social media purported to show Hisham at the same spot in the men's area of the cafe the day before the strike, wearing a cap and sports t-shirt. Photos of his body after the strike in the same outfit were shared by family and members of his family - one of them a child - were also IDF would not confirm whether Hisham was the primary target, or one of a number of targets of the strike. One former senior IDF official told the BBC he understood that "multiple Hamas operatives" were hit at the cafe, but that a so-called battle damage assessment was still ongoing. A source with Israeli intelligence connections pointed towards a social media post naming Hisham as the in Gaza gave the BBC the name of a more senior Hamas commander who was rumoured to have been seated on a nearby table, but posts on social media said he died the following day and did not mention the cafe. The Hamas source said Hisham was the only person within the group killed at al-Baqa, while the IDF did not respond to questions about the anti-Hamas activist told the BBC that "many Hamas people" were injured in the strike, including one who worked with the group but not as a fighter, who lost his leg in the explosion. Medics could not confirm this account, but said that they dealt with many people with severe injuries, including those arriving with missing limbs or requiring does not allow international journalists access to Gaza to report on the war making it difficult to verify information, and Hamas has historically ruled the territory with an iron grip, making speaking out or any dissent dangerous. The remainder of this article contains details some readers may find the bodies and the debris in al-Baqa were traces of the civilian lives lost - a giant pink and white teddy bear, its stuffing partially exposed, a child's tiny shoe, and playing cards soaked in blood.A displaced man who was in the area seeing family at the time of the strike was among those who went running into the cafe to try to find survivors."Shrapnel was everywhere… there were many injuries," he told the said when he entered part of the men's section that he found the bodies of waiters and other workers, and saw as one "took his last breath"."It was crazy," said Saeed Ahel, a regular at the cafe and friend of its managers."The waiters were gathered around the bar since it was shady and breezy there. Around [six] of them were killed," he added, before listing their names. More were mother of two young men who worked at the cafe screamed as she followed their bodies while they were carried on a sheet out of the wreckage on Monday. A distraught man pointed at a dry patch of blood on the floor, where he said bits of brain and skull had been splattered. He had put them in a bag and carried them the grandmother of 17-year-old Sama Mohammad Abu Namous teenager had gone to the cafe that afternoon with her brother, hoping to use the internet connection to study. Relatives said the siblings were walking into the beachside cafe when the bomb hit. Sama was killed, while her brother was rushed to hospital."She went to study and they killed her," she said. "Why did she have to return to her grandmother killed?" The coach of young female boxer Malak Musleh said he was in shock at the loss of his friend of more than 10 years, having first learned the news of her killing through social media."She believed that boxing was not just for boys but that girls should have the right too," Osama Ayoub said. "Malak was ambitious. She didn't skip any training day."He said he last saw Malak about 10 days before the strike, when he dropped off some aid to her and her father."We sat together for nearly an hour. She told me that she was continuing her training with her sister and wished I could train them. I told her unfortunately because my house got demolished I live now in Khan Younis [in southern Gaza], but as soon as I hear that there is a ceasefire I will try to go back to training," he said."She said to make sure to keep a space for them… She had passion in her eyes and her words."When Osama saw the Facebook post by Malak's father announcing her death, he "didn't believe it"."I called him and he confirmed it but I still don't believe it," he said over the phone from a displacement camp. Artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi, better known as Frans, was also at the cafe with a well-known photographer the 35-year-old's death, one of her pieces depicting a dead woman with her eyes closed and covered in blood, has been shared widely online alongside an image of her after her death, with people noting the striking sister, now living in Sweden, told the BBC that the last time they spoke, Frans had said that she was sure "something good was going to happen"."She was happy and said: 'We'll meet soon. You'll see me at your place.'"Additional reporting by Riam El Delati and Muath al-KhatibVerification by Emma Pengelly and Richie Irvine-Brown
Wales Online
38 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Ashling Murphy's boyfriend settles defamation action against BBC
Ashling Murphy's boyfriend settles defamation action against BBC The 23-year-old schoolteacher was killed along a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly in 2022 by murderer Jozef Puska. Ashling Murphy and Ryan Casey (Image: Instagram/@ashling_murphy_memorial_fund ) The boyfriend of murdered Ashling Murphy has settled a defamation claim against the BBC. The 23-year-old schoolteacher was killed along a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly in 2022 by murderer Jozef Puska. Her partner, 27-year-old Ryan Casey, sued the BBC over a broadcast of an episode of the View following Puska's sentencing. It contained commentary on Mr Casey's victim impact statement that he delivered ahead of sentencing. He initiated High Court proceedings against the broadcaster alleging that he had been defamed during the television programme. Article continues below The action was settled on Thursday, with the BBC saying it acknowledged Mr Casey's personal tragedy. It stood by the journalism of the broadcast and added: "The BBC is however happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist, or someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the far right through his victim impact statement." It is understood Mr Casey received a substantial figure in the settlement.
