Latest news with #ManchesterArena
The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Manchester Arena bombing survivor makes emotional return to city for first time for Oasis homecoming gig
A MANCHESTER Arena bombing survivor returned to the city for the first time yesterday — for Oasis's homecoming gig. Joanne McSorley said listening to them had helped her during dark times. Advertisement 3 Manchester Arena survivor Joanne McSorley, with Radio 2's Vernon Kay, has spoken about her return to Manchester to see the Oasis homecoming gig Credit: Instagram 3 Joanne, 51, of Runcorn, Cheshire, was with her mum to collect her two daughters when she was caught in the suicide blast Credit: MEN Media 3 The band's hit Don't Look Back in Anger became an anthem of hope for Joanne and the city after the 2017 terror attack Credit: Getty And she told how the band's 1996 No1 Don't Look Back in Anger became an anthem for her and the city after the terrorist atrocity which killed 22 people at an Joanne, 51, of Runcorn, Cheshire, was with her mum to collect her two daughters when she was caught in the suicide blast. She still battles chronic pain and depression as a result of the injuries she suffered. Yesterday she travelled to the city centre for the first time since that night to join DJ Advertisement READ MORE UK NEWS Joanne, who was at the band's Heaton Park gig last night, told him: 'Today is special. 'Oasis are, and always have been, huge and they'd always meant something to us anyway as a family. "And then those songs, 'Being involved in something like that and the way it affects you, the domino effect it has on your family, it takes you to a very dark place.' Advertisement Most read in The Sun During her lowest moments Joanne said her brother would send her Oasis lyrics or videos to cheer her up. And she revealed how overwhelming her return to Manchester had been. Oasis kick off historic reunion tour as Noel & Liam reunite for first show in Cardiff But Joanne said: 'I put myself in the moment, be here now.' Vernon quipped: 'Be here now, don't look back in anger and enjoy the sunshiiiine.' Advertisement And Joanne reckoned: 'Don't look back in anger, I'm not doing that, I'm looking forward and they're on this journey with me, they're taking me forward, they're right there beside me.'
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Manchester Arena bombing survivor makes emotional return to city for first time for Oasis homecoming gig
A MANCHESTER Arena bombing survivor returned to the city for the first time yesterday — for Oasis's homecoming gig. Joanne McSorley said listening to them had helped her during dark times. 3 3 3 And she told how the band's 1996 No1 Don't Look Back in Anger became an anthem for her and the city after the terrorist atrocity which killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande gig in 2017. Joanne, 51, of Runcorn, Cheshire, was with her mum to collect her two daughters when she was caught in the suicide blast. She still battles chronic pain and depression as a result of the injuries she suffered. Yesterday she travelled to the city centre for the first time since that night to join DJ Vernon Kay on his BBC Radio 2 morning show celebrating the reunion of Liam and Noel Gallagher. Joanne, who was at the band's Heaton Park gig last night, told him: 'Today is special. 'Oasis are, and always have been, huge and they'd always meant something to us anyway as a family. "And then those songs, Don't Look Back in Anger, Live Forever, became sort of anthems of Manchester and I looked at them in a different way then. 'Being involved in something like that and the way it affects you, the domino effect it has on your family, it takes you to a very dark place.' During her lowest moments Joanne said her brother would send her Oasis lyrics or videos to cheer her up. And she revealed how overwhelming her return to Manchester had been. But Joanne said: 'I put myself in the moment, be here now.' Vernon quipped: 'Be here now, don't look back in anger and enjoy the sunshiiiine.' And Joanne reckoned: 'Don't look back in anger, I'm not doing that, I'm looking forward and they're on this journey with me, they're taking me forward, they're right there beside me.'
Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Telegraph
Network Rail hacker spared jail because of overcrowding crisis
An IT worker who hacked the Network Rail network with an anti-Islam message walked free after a judge took into account prison overcrowding. Customers who connected to the Wi-Fi at 19 major railway stations across the UK viewed information about major terror attacks including 7/7 and the Manchester Arena bombing. John Wik had discussed defacing the page with a colleague, citing the 'significant political damage' he could cause. The hacker worked for Global Reach providing public Wi-Fi networks to major companies, including Network Rail. Wik hijacked the usual WiFi terms and conditions page with his anti-Islam message which was headed: 'We love you, Europe. The Islamisation of Europe is already happening and it's getting worse each day.' His message warning of future terror attacks was seen by a 'significant number of people' was up for several hours on Sept 25, 2024 before it was removed. 'Fascination with Islamist terror attacks' Vincent Scully, prosecuting, said the offence 'required some level of sophistication. It required logging into multiple systems, and drafting quite a long document that didn't contain many spelling errors.' He added: 'This was a particularly sensitive social climate. It was a few weeks after the Axel Rudakubana incident and the riots at the start of August. 'Mr Wik's internet history shows that he has a long-standing fascination with Islamist terror attacks and at some stage a fascination with converting to Islam himself. 'Clearly there is some level of tension between those two.' Stations affected by the attack included Paddington, Kings Cross, London Bridge, Victoria, Bristol Temple Meads, Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central and Manchester Piccadilly. Wik earlier admitted distributing threatening material intending to stir up religious hatred, which carries the maximum of a seven-year jail sentence. He was handed a suspended jail sentence after Judge Baraitser took into account the lack of space in prisons. 'Prison population is close to capacity' Appearing at Inner London Crown Court the judge told Wik: 'Customers were redirected to a landing page that contained threatening and Islamophobic messages.' The page listed major terror attacks that had taken place in Europe in recent years, including the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, the 7/7 London Tube and bus bombings, and the Bataclan Theatre massacre in Paris in 2015. The message also contained photos of the victims and the terrorists. Wik had shown an interest in converting to Islam a few years earlier, the court heard. The judge took prison conditions into account when she handed Wik a two year suspended sentence. 'You are being sentenced at a time when the prison population is very high and close to capacity', she said. Andrew Cohen, defending, said Wik had 'not incited violence in his message'. Wik, of Bromley, south London, was given a 24-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months. He will have to complete 280 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement. The 37-year-old will also have to pay £150 in costs and a victim surcharge within 28 days.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
IT worker who hacked Network Rail wi-fi to rant about 'Islamisation of Europe' avoids jail as judge cites prison overcrowding
An IT worker who hacked the Network Rail network to rant about 'Islamisation of Europe' has avoided jail after a judge took into account prison overcrowding. Customers who went online at 19 major railway stations across the UK on September 25, 2024, viewed information about major terror attacks including 7/7 and the Manchester Arena bombing. Swedish John Wik, 37, had discussed defacing the page with a colleague, citing the 'significant political damage' he could cause before he posted the message. The hacker worked for Global Reach providing public WiFi networks to major companies including Network Rail. Wik hijacked the usual WiFi terms and conditions page with his anti-Islam message which was headed: 'We love you, Europe. The Islamisation of Europe is already happening and it's getting worse each day.' His message warning of future terror attacks was seen by a 'significant number of people' and was up for several hours before it was removed. Vincent Scully, prosecuting, said the offence 'required some level of sophistication. 'It required logging into multiple systems, and drafting quite a long document that didn't contain many spelling errors.' The wifi webpage after the hack said 'We love you, Europe' and contained information about terror attacks, which has been obscured by MailOnline in the above image He added: 'This was a particularly sensitive social climate. It was a few weeks after the Axel Rudakubana incident and the riots at the start of August. 'Mr Wik's internet history shows that he has a long-standing fascination with Islamist terror attacks and at some stage a fascination with converting to Islam himself. 'Clearly there is some level of tension between those two.' Stations affected by the attack included Paddington, Kings Cross, London Bridge, Victoria, Bristol Temple Meads, Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central and Manchester Piccadilly. Wik earlier admitted distributing threatening material intending to stir up religious hatred, which carries the maximum of a seven-year jail sentence. He was given a suspended jail sentence after Judge Vanessa Baraitser took into account the lack of space in prisons. He appeared at Inner London Crown Court wearing a dark blue suit jack, blue jeans and a white shirt as the judge told him: 'Customers were redirected to a landing page that contained threatening and Islamophobic messages. 'The messages referred to the Islamisation of Europe, with claims that things were getting worse each day.' The page listed major terror attacks that had taken place in Europe in recent years, including the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, the 7/7 London Tube and bus bombings and the Bataclan Theatre massacre in Paris in 2015. The message also contained photos of the victims and of the terrorists. Judge Baraitser said: 'The message continues 'And so much more in the name of Allah'. 'The number of people who accessed the portal in that period is unknown. What is known is that millions of rail passengers pass through those stations every day. A large percentage will try to connect to the free wi-fi. 'Passengers contacted British Transport Police and described their fear and disgust on reading the message. 'One passenger believed that the message might be suggesting that another deadly attack might be about to happen. 'When police attended your home you told them that you had drunk a bottle of vodka that day.' Wik had shown an interest in converting to Islam a few years earlier, the court heard. 'Your interest in Islam appears to have begun around 2020. You watched YouTube videos about the process of converting to Islam. 'The police found articles you had read about the record number of Brits converting to Islam. 'You were only able to access the portal because of your position as a trusted employee at Global Reach. 'This required some sophisticated work on your part. 'I accept that you are now genuinely remorseful for what you did. You have described yourself as disturbed and disgusted by it. 'I don't accept that the timing of the message aggravates the offence.' The judge took prison conditions into account when she handed Wik a two-year suspended sentence. 'You are being sentenced at a time when the prison population is very high and close to capacity.' Andrew Cohen, defending, said Wik had not incited violence in his message. 'It is notable that there is nothing in it that says, for example, we have to kick Muslims out of the country, or that you have to kill, attack or burn mosques or anything similar. 'He is originally from a small town in Sweden. 'In 2016 he moved [to the UK] and had been employed up until his arrest. 'This has cost him dear. He lost his job. His entire life savings have been depleted. He has been living on support from his parents. 'It is quite a dramatic fall from grace, what has happened to him. 'The punishment and suffering has already taken place. He is most unlikely to offend again. 'The defendant is extremely sorry for what he has done, and is extremely ashamed of himself.' Wik, from Bromley, south London, was given a 24 month prison sentence suspended for 24 months. He will have to complete 280 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement. Wik will also have to pay £150 in costs and a victim surcharge within 28 days.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oasis pay tribute to victims of Manchester Arena attack at first gig since 2009
Oasis paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena attack during their huge reunion gig in Cardiff tonight. Images of bees appeared on the big screens at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital during the band's rendition of classic track Don't Look Back In Anger. The song gained a special meaning in the city following the atrocity on May 22, 2017, committed as music fans left an Ariana Grande concert. 22 innocent people lost their lives. READ MORE: 'I've sold my Oasis opening night ticket after Liam's unacceptable post' READ MORE: First picture of Liam and Noel together as Oasis finally reunite at Cardiff Principality Stadium An impromptu singalong of the number one single among mourners at a vigil held in St Ann's Square became an iconic moment in the aftermath of the bombing. While the worker bee, a long standing symbol of the city, gained a more prominent and widely acknowledged role as a Manchester icon following the attack. People queued up to have bee tattoos to show their solidarity, and the image came to be associated with a sense of Mancunian resilience and togetherness. Our reporter Dianne Bourne, who was at the concert reviewing the show for the M.E.N., said: "Amazing bee tribute in recognition of this song's meaning to the people of Manchester from Noel Gallagher and Oasis."
