Latest news with #August2023
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Daily Mail
The outbreak of violence at Kabaddi tournament that sparked cartel-style execution of DPD driver - and how 'honour' could have been to blame
Firing guns and hacking at each other with machetes, axes and bats in front of terrified families, it's hard to imagine an outbreak of violence more brutal or brazen. But just a day later this brawl would spark something far worse - the 'cartel-style' execution of a DPD driver as he went about his daily rounds. The shocking fight at a Kabaddi tournament in Alvaston, Derby, on August 20, 2023 was compared to a 'medieval' battle by a judge, who jailed seven of the men responsible to nearly 40 years in jail. This week the killing was featured on a BBC documentary murder 24/7. The judge said there had been a 'conspiracy of silence' over the cause of the violence, although he read a statement from one of the men involved which stated: 'All I know is that it involved honour from one of the parties, I did not question it, it was justified.' But whatever the cause of the incident, it would lead - on August 21, 2023 - to the savage murder of Aurman Singh, 23, who was hacked to death by seven men who were armed with an axe, a hockey stick, a knife, a golf club and a shovel. He was attacked with such ferocity that his left ear was severed and his skull had cracked open and part of his brain left exposed. A trial heard he was attacked by a gang of seven men who had planned the attack following the incident a day earlier. Kabaddi is a contact sport that originated in India and involves two teams of seven players attempting to 'raid' each other's half. Mehakdeep Singh, 24, and Sehajpal Singh, 26, both of Tipton, West Midlands, were found guilty of murder following a three-week trial at Stafford Crown Court. Five other members of the group had already been convicted and jailed. Aurman was attacked in daylight as he made a delivery in Coton Hill, Shrewsbury, after the gang used 'inside' information to uncover the victim's delivery route and hunt him out. The group stalked his van in a white Mercedes Benz and grey Audi before ambushing the unsuspecting 23-year-old in the middle of the street. His injuries were so severe that there was no chance of him surviving and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspects fled in their cars before dumping weapons, including a hockey stick and shovel, in nearby Hubert Way. The police investigation into Aurman's murder was filmed for a BBC documentary, Murder 24/7, which aired this week. It showed footage of officers discussing the Kabaddi attack and linking it to his death. As MailOnline previously revealed, the incident came at the end of months of simmering hostilities between groups of young men of Indian heritage that had on several occasions exploded into violence. One linked event was a 'crazy fight' at a music event in a park a mile from Aurman's home a month before he died. Aurman, born in Italy but understood to have been of Indian Sikh heritage, lived in a mid-terraced home with his 46-year-old mother and younger sister in Smethwick, West Midlands. He attended the Sandwell and Birmingham Mela, a two-day festival promoting Punjabi culture, which took place between July 22 and 23, 2023 in Victoria Park in Smethwick. A former neighbour told MailOnline how Aurman had allegedly been caught up in trouble at the Kabaddi event. He said: 'I heard he had been involved in an altercation at the festival shortly before he was killed. 'I don't know in what capacity, he may have just been present, but I was told there was a big fight between one group and another. 'A few friends of mine who went to the Mela told me that there had been this 'crazy fight' and people had been moved away from the area by security. 'The kid I was talking to gestured over to Aurman's house and said 'your neighbour was involved, did you know that?'. 'I had no idea but didn't know what to think. He seemed to me to be a quiet man, but a good neighbour. Not someone who would cause any problems. 'I saw Aurman parking his DPD delivery van the day after I was told he was involved in the fight. I didn't know him well so I never asked him about it. I didn't have that sort of relationship with him. 'But a few weeks after being told that information about him I found out that he was the delivery driver killed on his round over in Shrewsbury. 'Reading the details of what happened to him, the fact his killers ambushed him and with such ferocity, makes it look like some sort of revenge attack.' Derbyshire Police did not have Aurman marked down as a suspect in any fighting but even so his killers are understood to have picked him out from footage, which was uploaded onto social media within hours. The following morning Aurman got up for work and drove 45-miles north from his home to his DPD depot in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. As normal he loaded his van with packages and then started out on his round. But unbeknownst to him a colleague at the depot - Sukhmandeep Singh, 24 - had passed on details of his delivery route to his killers. Mehakdeep Singh and Sehajpal Singh drove to Shrewsbury from their homes in Tipton, West Midlands, in a white Mercedes Benz. With them were Harpreet Singh and Harwinder Singh Turna, both of whom remain at large. Four other men - Arshdeep Singh, 24, Jagdeep Singh, 23, Shivdeep Singh, 27, and Manjot Singh, 24 – followed in a grey Audi. They carefully tailed Aurman through the historic Shropshire county town to a quiet suburban area in Coton Hill, where he pulled up just before 1pm and got out of his van to start unloading the packages. The Mercedes parked up behind and Harwinder was the first out, charging at Aurman and his startled colleague with a metal bar. The colleague ran off in terror and Harwinder hurled the bar at Aurman as he too tried to flee, the impact of which caused him to lose balance and tumble to the floor. Circling around him – several clutching weapons – they moved in on their hapless victim, chopping him with an axe, stabbing him and beating him mercilessly with a hockey stick, shovel and golf club. The attackers left him in a bloodied heap in a side-road. Residents who found him called an ambulance but his injuries were too severe and he died at the scene. Both the Mercedes and Audi drove off at speed. During his trial at Stafford Crown Court, Sehajpal said an argument broke out during their getaway between his co-defendant Mehakdeep and Harwinder about the metal bar being thrown and his fingerprints being on it. The suspects later abandoned their cars and dumped their weapons. Sehajpal and Mehakdeep then booked a cab to Shrewsbury rail station, where they met some of the others who had travelled there by bus. They travelled as a group to Wolverhampton. When asked what the atmosphere was like during the journey, Sehajpal said: 'It was stressed. We were also panicking. 'There was not much talking between us.' Sehajpal told jurors Mehakdeep booked an Uber to a friend's flat in High Street, Tipton, for the both of them. He recalled how he was at the flat when he discovered Aurman had died, adding: 'My friend was using his mobile phone and then he saw a DPD driver was dead in Shrewsbury. 'Then it came to my mind that it was the same case. 'It was shocking and stressful because I thought, at the time when I was in Shrewsbury, I thought that Aurman had some serious injuries but when I got the news that he had died, it was shocking. 'It was terrible news.' The court heard how Harwinder boarded a flight to Delhi, India, on August 22 and has since disappeared. Harpreet is said to have withdrawn cash from various cashpoints before the trail to catch him likewise went cold. Sehajpal and Mehakdeep, meanwhile, lay low for a couple of weeks before booking flights to Austria, where they were both arrested last May. Footage released by West Mercia Police shows the moment they were caught during a sting by armed cops in the Austrian village of Hohenzell, about 44 miles north-east of Salzburg and 146 miles west of the capital of Vienna. The pair denied Aurman's murder but were found guilty by a jury on Tuesday. Their convictions follow that of Arshdeep Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Shivdeep Singh, and Manjot Singh, who were each jailed for 28 years for murder in April 2024. Their inside man, Sukhmandeep Singh, was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for 10 years.
Android Authority
17-06-2025
- Android Authority
5 Android phones you should buy instead of Trump's T1 Phone
Joe Maring / Android Authority There's a new Android phone on the block, and it's an … interesting one. On June 16, the Trump Organization announced the T1 Phone. It's an Android phone part of the new Trump Mobile brand, described as a 'sleek, gold smartphone engineered for performance and proudly designed and built in the United States.' In reality, the T1 Phone looks like a bit of a mess. Beyond the gaudy brushed gold design, the specs aren't anything to write home about. There's a 6.8-inch AMOLED display (with an unknown resolution), a 5,000mAh battery, 20W 'fast charging,' and a 50MP primary camera that's paired with a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. And that's not to mention that the T1 is almost certainly manufactured overseas, despite the claim that it's made in the US. Trump's T1 Phone is set to release in August for $499 (with a down payment of $100), and if even a small part of you is thinking about buying it, let me stop you right there. Rather than Trump's new phone, here are five other Android phones you should buy instead. Which Android phone would you buy instead of Trump's T1 Phone? 0 votes Google Pixel 9a NaN % Samsung Galaxy S24 FE NaN % Moto G Stylus (2025) NaN % HMD Fusion NaN % Punkt MC02 NaN % Other (let us know in the comments) NaN % Google Pixel 9a Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Perhaps the best alternative to the Trump phone is the Google Pixel 9a. It has the same $499 price tag yet is objectively better than the T1 Phone in almost every conceivable way. Specs-wise, there's no competition here. It's hard to gauge how performant the T1 is without knowing its chipset, but the Tensor G4 chip in the Pixel 9a is almost certainly better than Trump's handset. There's also a larger 5,100 mAh battery, 23W wired and 7.5W wireless charging, and a 48MP primary camera + 13MP ultrawide camera combo that's bound to put the T1's camera setup to shame. The software experience is also a lot better on the Pixel 9a. The T1 Phone ships with Android 15 and has no official update policy for the number of Android OS upgrades or security patches it'll receive in the future. The Pixel 9a, meanwhile, is already running Android 16 and will keep getting updates through 2032. Plus, if you don't like the idea of having your phone tied so closely to Google, you can always install Graphene OS on the Pixel 9a, preventing Google from gathering so much of your personal data. Paul Jones / Android Authority There have been some recent concerns about Google Pixel phones and battery swelling issues, but if after-sales support is a concern for you, Google handily wins here. Google has a proven track record for taking care of any issues as they pop up, and you can always extend the default one-year warranty with Google's Preferred Care insurance plan. Comparatively, we have no idea how Trump Mobile will handle this sort of thing. The Google Pixel 9a is one of our favorite Android phones of the year, and if you have a budget of $500, it really is the best phone you can buy at this price. Samsung Galaxy S24 FE Ryan Haines / Android Authority If you have a little bit more to spend and aren't thrilled with the Pixel 9a for whatever reason, another great option to consider is the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. The S24 FE normally retails for $650, but you can currently purchase it for just $525, which is an incredible price for everything it offers. Where Trump's T1 Phone has a display with a mystery resolution, which could be amazing or total garbage, we know the Galaxy S24 FE has an outstanding display. The 6.7-inch size is larger than the Pixel 9a and similar to the T1 Phone. With an AMOLED panel, 1080 x 2340 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1,900 nits of brightness, the S24 FE's screen is one of the best in its class. It also has excellent performance, good battery life, and a strong camera setup — consisting of a 50MP primary camera, 8MP telephoto camera, and 12MP ultrawide camera. The Pixel 9a is a more reliable overall camera phone, but the Galaxy S24 FE is still much more capable than what you'll get with Trump's smartphone. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Galaxy S24 FE Like Google, Samsung also delivers on the software front. The Galaxy S24 FE currently runs Android 15 and will continue to receive Android updates and important security patches through 2031. There are also ample AI features as part of Samsung's Galaxy AI suite. The Pixel 9a is the better choice if camera quality is your number one concern (and if you prefer a smaller phone), but if you want a big display, snappy performance, and lots of AI features, the Galaxy S24 FE is an easy recommendation — and well worth an extra $25 over the T1 Phone. Moto G Stylus (2025) Ryan Haines / Android Authority Google and Samsung may be the two most prominent names in the Android world, but Motorola has a big presence, too. Not all of its phones are winners, but the recently released Moto G Stylus (2025) is pretty great — and it just happens to walk all over the T1 Phone. The Moto G Stylus comes in quite a bit cheaper than the T1 Phone at just $400, yet it matches or bests almost all of the T1's specs. The 6.7-inch AMOLED panel looks great, the 5,000mAh battery offers reliable endurance, and the 68W wired charge speeds are ridiculously fast. The 50MP primary and 13MP ultrawide cameras are also surprisingly good. Ryan Haines / Android Authority Beyond the spec sheet, the hardware is strong, too. The Gibraltar Sea faux leather back is a stunningly saturated blue that, if you ask me, runs laps around the cheap-looking gold finish on the T1 Phone. Motorola's phone is also more durable, featuring an IP68 dust/water resistance rating and a MIL-STD 810H military-grade durability rating. Plus, like the name suggests, the Moto G Stylus (2025) also comes with a bundled stylus that's stored inside the phone when you aren't using it. Motorola's update policy is perhaps the biggest weakness here, but if you don't mind receiving just two Android updates and three years of security patches (which is probably longer than what the T1 will get), the Moto G Stylus (2025) is a better and cheaper phone than the T1. It's an easy pick. HMD Fusion Rita El Khoury / Android Authority I already touched on it earlier, but it's worth reiterating a big question around Trump's T1 Phone: What happens when something goes wrong? What happens if you break your screen? If there's a battery issue? There's zero information about this on the Trump Mobile website, which isn't a particularly good sign. If these questions are top of mind for you when buying a phone, you should check out the HMD Fusion. Unlike most Android phones available today (including the T1 Phone), the HMD Fusion is incredibly user-repairable. You can easily replace the phone's screen, battery, charging port, speaker, and back cover. Spare parts are readily sold by iFixit, and they're affordable, too (a new battery is just $33 and a new screen costs $57). Unlike most Android phones available today, the HMD Fusion is incredibly user-repairable. Another cool feature of the HMD Fusion is that it can be customized with modular accessories, including a gaming controller and a high-tech flash ring. The specs aren't the best out there, but considering how cheap the Fusion is, they're solid enough. You get a 6.56-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a 108MP rear camera, a 5,000mAh battery, 33W wired charging, and expandable storage via a microSD card. For a phone that costs just $300, that's a pretty solid package. The Galaxy S24 FE and Pixel 9a are much better phones for fast performance, great cameras, and long-term software updates (the Fusion will only get updated through Android 16), but if you want to keep things more affordable and want a phone you can easily fix yourself, the HMD Fusion is one of the best options out there. Punkt MC02 Adamya Sharma / Android Authority The last alternative to the Trump T1 Phone I'd recommend looking at is the Punkt MC02. Unlike the other phones mentioned here, the Punkt MC02 doesn't run a traditional version of Android. Instead, it's powered by Apostrophy OS — a version of Graphene OS with its own suite of security-focused applications and services. That includes a built-in VPN, in-depth privacy controls, and limiting applications from accessing any personal data they would otherwise have access to on a 'normal' Android phone. The Punkt MC02 doesn't ship with the Google Play Store or any Google apps pre-installed, but if you'd like, you can still easily access all of those things — it just requires a couple of extra steps in the name of enhanced security. As far as specs go, the Punkt MC02 isn't all that exciting. But that's also not the point. If you want one of the most privacy-centric phones on the market today, you'll be hard-pressed to find something better than what Punkt is offering. The Punkt MC02 costs $599, making it a bit more expensive than the T1 Phone. But it's important to remember that Punkt offers a load of privacy features you simply won't get with Trump's phone, and if that's important to you, Punkt is far and away the better option. Don't buy Trump's T1 Phone I could keep going on and on about other Android phones I think you should buy instead of Trump's smartphone. The OnePlus 13R is just $100 more and one of my favorite Android phones of the entire year. The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G isn't a perfect device, but with a nicer design, better display, and lower price than the T1, it's a much better choice overall. Hell, even if you're a diehard Android user, I'd recommend buying the iPhone 16e over the T1 Phone any day of the week. The T1 Phone is not an Android phone you should spend your money on. I say that not because of the politics surrounding the T1 Phone, but rather as someone who has been writing about and covering Android phones for over a decade. Beyond the mediocre specs and uncompetitive price, the vibes of the T1 Phone are just off. The official render looks like a rushed Photoshop job (and a bad one at that), critical information like the display resolution and chipset are nowhere to be found, and the copy on the Trump Mobile website is laughable (in one section, the 5,000mAh battery is referred to as '5000mAh long life camera'). Remove the Trump affiliation from the T1 Phone, and my above list of recommended alternatives remains the same. This is not an Android phone you should spend your money on. If you're in the market for something new, just get one of the other phones mentioned here. You'll be glad you did.
Geek Culture
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Glow-In-The-Dark Ghostbusters Crocs Are Calling In Aug
As part of the Ghostbusters Day festivities, Crocs is taking its latest collaboration to supernatural levels with the reveal of its Ghostbusters-themed clogs! Enter the Ghostbusters Classic Clog, a glow-in-the-dark, slime-covered, nostalgia-packed tribute to the beloved 1980s franchise. Designed to honour the legendary paranormal eliminators, the clogs boast striking 3D elements like a fully sculpted Slimer and a mini Ghost Trap. Green slime glows across the toe vamp, while the right shoe features a proton-charged sound effect. Custom Velcro patches let wearers swap between standard Crocs branding and nametags for Zeddemore, Spengler, Venkman, and Stantz. Launching 19 August in the U.S., with a wider international drop on 20 August, the Ghostbusters Classic Clog will retail for US$79.99. The collection will also include themed socks (US$19.99), a Jibbitz Charms 5-Pack (US$16.99), and individual charms of Slimer, Stay Puft, and the no-ghost logo (US$4.99 each). Fans eager to snag these ghost-busting essentials can sign up for alerts via Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home's centre-piece.
GSM Arena
04-06-2025
- Business
- GSM Arena
Google Pixel 10 series to come with gimbal-like stabilization
The Google Pixel 10 series is rumored to use mostly the same camera sensors as the Pixel 9 lineup, with the vanilla model rumored to get a telephoto unit. A new report now claims that the Pixel 10 series will "debut heavily upgraded image stabilization." The word comes from the folks at Android Headlines, who said the experience will be like "using a Pixel 10 on a DJI Osmo Mobile 6, but without that gimbal" because "that's how good this new image stabilization is going to be." Google Pixel 10 leaked render (Source: Android Headlines) The publication didn't delve into the details of this new image stabilization but said that it will be present on the entire Pixel 10 lineup, which includes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. A Pixel Penthouse event invite sent by Google to Pixel Superfans recently hinted at an earlier-than-expected launch of the Pixel 10 series. However, we later heard that the smartphones would arrive on August 13, with the latest rumor claiming that August 20 will be the date when Google will unveil the Pixel 10 lineup. Source
Geek Vibes Nation
03-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Vibes Nation
GVN Talking Comics: Michael Schwartz On Armored Deluxe Edition From Clover Press (Now on Kickstarter)
In August 2023, we had the chance to speak with writer Michael Schwartz about his debut issue of Clover Press's Armored and its initial Kickstarter campaign. Now, Michael and artist Ismael Hernandez are launching the complete first volume of Armored on Kickstarter, paving the way for future expansions of the story. It feels appropriate to reconnect with Michael to see how the project has evolved since our last discussion. So, let's welcome back the talented Michael Schwartz to GVN Talking Comics. The Learning Curve GVN: Welcome back, Michael. We last spoke about your book, Armored , back in August of 2023. This was in advance of your FIRST Kickstarter campaign. So, with that experience in mind, what did you learn during that initial stage of development that you feel benefited you as you worked on the following issues? MICHAEL: Thanks for having me back! It's hard to believe our first Kickstarter was nearly 2 years ago. I had the first and second arcs of Armored mapped out back then, but the space between the campaigns gave me the opportunity to further develop the next story arc. There were a few elements I wasn't entirely sure about, and seeing how readers reacted to issues 1–5 allowed me to reshape parts of the story in ways I hadn't originally planned. A Great Team GVN: In our first interview, you discussed the similarities and differences between your work in television and screenplays and creating your comic Armored series. As you continued the Armored story, did your workflow diverge even more from your film writing format, or did they move closer together? MICHAEL: I'm incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such a talented group of collaborators, including my editor Chris Stevens and illustrator Ismael Hernández. Thankfully, Chris established a solid workflow for our team early on and we've pretty much stuck to that, even into the second arc. On the writing side, I've loosened up quite a bit with my details when writing descriptions of every page in each issue. It's still not quite like writing a screenplay, which is actually quite sparse, but I'm definitely looking for more input from Ismael as we move forward together telling this story. The Pressure of Past Success GVN: In time, Armored began to gather steam and was embraced by both fans and critics, selling out multiple issues. Did you anticipate that kind of broad-based support, and how much pressure did it put on you for the next installments? MICHAEL: Honestly, I didn't know what to expect, since I've always been on the other side of the comic industry – as a fan. I'm so grateful the story has resonated with readers because that word of mouth is so important for an independent book. Without it, I'm not sure some of the issues would have sold out. Now that there is a small but growing fanbase, I definitely feel the pressure to deliver with the second arc, but also so excited to finally get to this point in the Armored story. The Premise of 'Armored' GVN: For those not familiar with the premise of Armored , can you share the premise of your book? MICHAEL: Armored follows the story of a 13-year-old named Andy, whose parents vanished two years ago. After months of bouncing around foster homes, he's adopted by a strange couple whose son, Myles, died under mysterious circumstances. An amateur sleuth at heart, Andy decides to investigate Myles's death, which leads him to a set of old castle ruins. While there, he falls into a medieval tomb and discovers a magical suit of armor being haunted by the original wearer from hundreds of years ago, a ghostly knight, Sir William. With Sir William as his mentor, Andy must learn to harness the armor's powers and uncover the truth behind Myles's death! The Deluxe Hardcover Edition GVN: In our first chat, you mentioned that you hoped we could discuss the second arc in the future. Now, nine months later, we're back talking about Armored and a new Kickstarter campaign for a deluxe hardcover edition. Can you explain how this exciting project came about? Additionally, do you feel more confident about the crowdfunding aspect this time, given your experience from the first campaign? MICHAEL: With the success of the single issues released by Clover Press, it was the natural next step to collect them all in a hardcover edition packed with extra content. These days, many comic readers prefer to wait for collected editions, so I'm excited by the prospect of new readers. As for Kickstarter, I don't know if I'll ever feel confident going into a crowdfunding campaign. It's always tough to predict what will resonate with comic collectors. That said, I'm genuinely excited because not only are we offering the collected edition, but we're also including issue 6, which is completely new material, the first part of the second arc. New Campaign, New Extras GVN: This new campaign offers some great extras, including: An exclusive dust jacket featuring the stunning Armored artwork by David Mack, a collectible trading card set, and art prints by Jae Lee, David Mack, and Francesco Tomaselli. In addition to an exclusive Preview Comic (Issue 6) for the next story arc, with a cover by Jeff Dickson. How much input do you have when deciding on these great benefits, or does Clover Press make those calls? MICHAEL: Clover Press and I collaborate closely when deciding what kind of extras to include in the Kickstarter. We both bring ideas to the table, but Clover makes the ultimate decision. They've run so many successful Kickstarter campaigns that I really trust their judgement when it comes to tiers and rewards. Next Projects GVN: Thank you for visiting again, Michael. Before we finish, I would like to allow you to share any upcoming projects you have. Also, feel free to promote the exciting new hardcover edition of Armored , which features art by Ismael Hernandez and is edited by Eisner Award-winner Chris Stevens. MICHAEL: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. I can't wait for readers to get their hands on this edition. I know they won't be disappointed with all the bonus content we have planned. Comic fans can also look forward to my next book with Clover Press, Till Death , co-written by Rachael Schaefer and illustrated by Gaia Cardinali. Rachael and I worked with Eisner-winning editor Chris Stevens on the project, and we're excited to share more about it very soon. Clover Press Armored , the deluxe hardcover edition by Michael Schwartz, Ismael Hernández, and Ferran Delgado, is now on Kickstarter. You can check out their campaign here.
