Latest news with #ManchesterUniversity
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Death In Paradise's Ralf Little warned 'your career is over' by his own mum
Ralf Little says his mother had some harsh words for him after he decided to quit Death in Paradise, in which he played DI Neville Parker Death in Paradise star Ralf Little's mum told him his "career was over" when he decided to quit the hit BBC series last year. Ralf, 45, became part of the show in 2018 playing Detective Inspector Neville Parker, taking over from Ardal O'Hanlon. But following four series he decided to walk away from the part, with Don Gilet's character Mervin Wilson taking on the main detective role. Ralf has now revealed that his mother became concerned about his professional prospects after he left the programme. Speaking to The I, Ralf revealed: "About six months ago I went to visit her. My mum's done this my whole career - she's always worried about me." "She went: 'So, I've been thinking, now that your career's over you could go back to medical school this September and qualify in five years and the good news is you could still work till you're 75." Ralf originally went to Manchester University to study medicine as a teenager. But he decided to drop out of his course at just 18 to become part of The Royle Family cast. He played the put-upon younger sibling Antony in the sitcom, created by comedy legends Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash. Ralf has since had a hugely successful acting career, appearing in shows such as Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. Ralf has spoken about how his role as Antony in The Royle Family resulted in him being pigeonholed as a "gawky" teenager in the TV world. Ralf Little, best known for his role in Death in Paradise, has opened up about his journey to becoming a leading actor. Speaking to the BBC, he said: "I am incredibly grateful for my career. I have had a wonderful time and I'm having a really wonderful time now being able to be in the Caribbean for five months." Reflecting on his career, he added: "But I've had a 20-year career and this is the first show I've actually been the legitimate lead in ... at age 40. Don't get me wrong, anyone's lucky to even have one, but it's taken a while to even get here." He also speculated that his career might have taken a different path if not for being typecast as Antony from The Royle Family. He even considered a career in medicine, as he revealed in a piece for The Telegraph in 2021. He recalled: "I actually started medical school in the same week that The Royle Family was first broadcast, in September 1998. That was my 'sliding doors moment'. I wouldn't say my career suddenly exploded, but casting directors were reaching out and asking for me." However, he didn't sugarcoat the challenges of medical school, stating: "It's no picnic, medical school. From day one, the workload is extraordinary. "By about the third week, I realised trying to juggle both medical school and auditioning wasn't sustainable and I thought it was time to make the decision once and for all: either decide to be an actor or really commit to medical school."
Times
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Living in Gaza, accepted to Cambridge — blocked by Home Office
When Karam Elradie went up to the roof to try and get a phone signal, he knew he was risking his life. An Israeli army base was just in front and any movement could prompt them to launch a drone and fire. But he was desperate to check his application for Manchester University. While applying for university is stressful for most teenagers, the challenge for those in Gaza this year, staking their claim from the most dangerous place on earth, was on a completely different level. Some pupils had to transport exam papers through the rubble by donkey cart. Elradie had to do his interview with shrapnel in his leg after an IDF airstrike. Another candidate crossed dangerous territory to a makeshift wi-fi hub to take an online exam, only for the signal to cut out halfway through. Many were living in tents after their homes had been destroyed. Interviews had to be conducted over WhatsApp or Signal using voice notes, often in the middle of the night when the wi-fi was strongest, with phones powered by car batteries or solar packs. Some had to try for days as the signal was too weak. Many had lost family members. Others were going hungry and joining aid queues meant risking their lives. Yet somehow about 80 of them, aged 19 to 32, secured places in 32 British universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews and London. Of these, 32 won full scholarships. They are hoping to be doctors, engineers, teachers, midwives and mental health professionals, and play a role in the eventual reconstruction of their destroyed homeland. But after overcoming so many obstacles, it now turns out the British government may be the hardest of all, making unfeasible demands for them to get out, including eight who have been awarded Chevening Scholarships, the Foreign Office's own scheme. While other countries such as Italy, Ireland, Germany and France have taken students to study in their universities, the Home Office is insisting students for UK universities first need to provide biometric data (fingerprints and photographs) to apply for a visa, even though the relevant Gaza office has been shut since the October 7 attacks in 2023 after which Israel launched its invasion. The nearest safe places with offices are Jordan and Egypt but the students need British government intervention to enable them to leave Gaza. Italy got round this by taking the data after the students had crossed the border while Ireland waived the requirement altogether, taking out 16 students in May. This approach has left students such as Malak, 19, who has a full scholarship to study history and politics at Downing College, Cambridge, from September, in a desperate situation. At 16 years old, Malak achieved the top national results in her school exams, the equivalent of GCSEs, but her education stopped in 2023 when the schools in Gaza shut. Despite this, she applied on her mobile phone (computers required too much electricity) to study history and politics at Cambridge and secured an interview. Armed with a 'very big, very heavy' solar-powered battery on her back, she walked a perilous mile to her friend's house, who had a broadband box but no electricity, in the hope that the panel of academics would be able to hear her. The panel was so impressed 'with her intellect and her breadth of knowledge' — as Downing College would later say — she was quickly accepted. Now Home Office red tape means she may not get there. As we speak over an intermittent WhatsApp call, a bomb goes off nearby, demonstrating the danger she navigates daily. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the war according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. 'I am living in one room in a relative's house with my father [a former professor of accounting and finance], my mother [a former maths teacher], my two younger siblings and my grandparents in the western parts of Gaza city. For the last two days there are no flour bags at all, so there is no sufficient access to food. We distribute meagre food between us every day. We don't know what we will eat tomorrow.' Cambridge, where she would have the opportunity to dine in a 19th-century hall in a gown, could hardly be more different. Nonetheless, Malak says she knows that studying at Cambridge is 'no piece of cake' so, after collecting water each morning at 6am half a mile away with her family, she studies whenever she can. 'I don't have sufficient access to the internet and it is expensive so I try my best to download books by the great thinkers when I can. 'I am currently reading a book called How Democracies Die and it is a great book. I am trying to be prepared for my intensive studies at Cambridge. It has always been my dream school. I am hopeful that I can take my place there this fall.' Nada Alfarra, 28, a junior doctor awarded a Chevening scholarship for a master's in global health management at the University of Greenwich, is also affected. 'I was so excited to get the scholarship but now I am worried,' she said. 'Till now they've said nothing about what we should do, which is very stressful. I don't know what to do. I understand there are rules and requirements for visas but rules should have a heart, particularly in a place like Gaza where everything is destroyed. And this is a government scholarship.' Winning the place had been a tortuous process of 18 months, during which she, her parents and three brothers had to move four times because of shelling. Last August they lost everything they had when their home in Khan Yunis was blown up. When she applied they were living in a tent in Rafah. 'I knew my only way out was university abroad so I walked and walked the streets of Rafah, trying to get a signal on my phone strong enough for the internet. Every time I found one it was too weak and I would stare at the university portal refusing to load for hours then return to my tent. I would go early in the morning to 'internet street' to try and get a spot before the crowd arrived. It took more than a week of trying before the submit button worked.' After the tent they stayed with relatives but their home was also destroyed. Alfarra and her family are now renting a place in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza which she says is relatively peaceful but they can hear the bombing of Khan Younis and struggle to buy food because prices are so expensive with Israel allowing in few supplies. Tomatoes are now $30 (£22) a kilo and sugar more than $100. Alfarra, who is now helping women with breastfeeding, chose to study health policy to engage with humanitarian crises such as in Gaza where hospitals have been bombed. 'These students have gone to unbelievable lengths to do these applications and went big, applying for the most prestigious British universities because they thought they would be safe and the opportunities second to none,' said Nora Parr, a fellow at Birmingham University and one of a coalition of academics helping the Gaza students. 'Now they watch other countries getting their students out while the UK does nothing. And inaction is a no.' Karam Elradie, 26, secured a place at Manchester University to study computer science, despite being injured three times in the last 18 months and having to move 'more times than I can count'. Now living in his uncle's kitchen in eastern Gaza City with five family members, he recounts over intermittent wi-fi how he completed his interview with shrapnel in his leg and head after the friend's house where he was pointing his phone was bombed. 'It was a hard struggle,' he said. Elradie and his family had to flee their home in northern Gaza when Israel launched its invasion after the October 7 attacks, and slept on the floor of a lecture room at al-Aqsa university with 44 other people for a month. When they returned home, everything had been looted. Desperate to complete his university application, Elradie borrowed his brother-in-law's iPhone and went to the rooftop which was the only place he could get a signal. But their roof overlooked an IDF base. 'Going up there wasn't just risky — it was life threatening,' he said. He crouched behind the water tank, knowing that if they saw movement they would send a drone to fire. 'That's how much I was prepared to risk for my education,' he said, shrugging. 'One day while checking my email, a helicopter gunship suddenly appeared and fired directly at me. One shell nearly blew my head off. Another missed my hand by inches and almost destroyed the borrowed phone which was my lifeline to the world.' Some time after that he was at the house of a friend, who had solar panels with which to charge his phone and laptop, when it was directly targeted. 'We were all wounded,' he said, 'but by some miracle none of us died.' Throughout the 21 months of war, he has been injured many times. 'I lost people I loved including one of my dearest friends who was killed just next door to me,' he said. Elradie, wearing glasses, said he had to move 'more times than I can count' After everything Elradie went through, he was 'overjoyed' to finally get a place at Manchester with a full scholarship. 'But now we are still stuck in Gaza,' he said. 'The war is still raging and our visas are the biggest barrier between us and our futures.' 'We are pleading with the British government to grant us biometric exemptions like other countries have done,' he added. 'We're not asking for a miracle. We risk losing everything, our lives, our scholarships we fought so hard to get, trapped in a warzone with an open door just out of reach.' One young woman has scholarships to study international development at Goldsmiths College, London, and Sussex University but they are both dependent on her taking an English exam which means going to an internet hub — something she is struggling to find time for in between finding food for her autistic son. 'I have no time to think of anything but the unbearable starvation happening here,' she said. 'My son is autistic and refuses to eat without bread but it's so hard to find flour. Today he kept screaming and beating himself from hunger so I had no choice but to collect some infested with weevils and worms that had been thrown away in a garage. How can I then go to the wi-fi hub? By the time I feed him and wash clothes for the next day and find someone to stay with him, I get to the hub and then I break down.' She refused to give her name because she said she was 'so ashamed'. • 'Over 30 people killed' in shootings near Gaza aid centres Many university principals as well as MPs have written to the Home Office as well as Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East, but are yet to receive a reply. Among them are Lord Woolley, principal of Homerton College, Cambridge. 'Nearly 40 incredibly talented students in Gaza have earned highly competitive places and fully funded scholarships at top UK universities including at Cambridge,' he said. 'I have written to the government to urge them to assist in supporting them with safe passage to travel out of Gaza, just as other countries have done. These students have overcome unimaginable challenges to earn their places. We urge the government to support these students seeking an opportunity to learn so that they can contribute to the monumental effort of rebuilding their communities.' Kamran Yunus, the director of admissions at Downing College, described the government response as 'disappointing'. He said: 'The visa application process asks students to specify which visa centre they're going to do their biometrics. There's no box to say they've been all blown up. 'I am hoping the government will come up with a sensible strategy. Given that countries like Ireland, France, Germany, have managed to do this, I believe it is not beyond the capability of the UK government. 'These students just want to come and make a better life for themselves. They earned their places on competitive grounds and they should be able to come and be supported.' A government spokeswoman said they would not comment on individual cases but added: 'We are aware of the students and are considering the request for support. Clearly the situation on the ground in Gaza makes this challenging.'
New Straits Times
09-07-2025
- New Straits Times
British teen missing after secretly flying to Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: A 17-year-old British boy reported missing by his family is believed to have secretly travelled to Malaysia last month and remains untraceable. David Balisong, from Cheadle, Greater Manchester, had told his brother on June 6 that he was leaving early for school, where he was sitting for his A-level exams. That same day, he boarded a one-way flight to Kuala Lumpur without informing anyone, the Daily Mail reported. His family only realised something was wrong when he failed to return home from college that evening. They found out that he had taken his passport. The next day, police in England confirmed that David had travelled alone from Manchester Airport and had been granted a 90-day visa upon arrival in Malaysia. His mother, Minerva, 50, a critical care nurse, said the family is devastated and clinging to hope that he is safe. "The emotion feels like a tsunami. We never saw this coming. We just woke up, and the next thing our son was gone," she was quoted saying. "We're not angry with him — we love him and care for him more than he knows. We just want to know he's safe." David, a computer science student at Manchester University, has reportedly turned off his phone and has not responded to emails. He had only £1,200 in his bank account when he left the UK. Born in the UK to Filipino parents, David has no known links to Malaysia. Minerva said the entire family — her husband Lorenzo, 55, and their two other children, Faith, 16, and Daniel, 13 — are still in disbelief. "He was healthy and happy, and nothing seemed wrong. "He's an ideal student, an ideal son. Everyone is shocked — he's a homebody who always comes home. "Even when he goes out, he asks for permission and keeps us updated," she said, adding that he may have been under some stress from his A-levels but showed no sign of distress. The family has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help raise funds for travel and accommodation in Kuala Lumpur to assist in the search. The New Straits Times has reached out to police for comment.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Exclusive: There has been no support from Indian cricket, says Anaya Bangar
Cricketer-social media influencer Anaya Bangar, (inset) formerly Aryan "As far as support from Indian cricket is concerned, there has been silence. No institution or player has come forward to ask, 'How are you doing? Do you need help navigating this? You played our game. Why did we leave you behind?' The assumption that all trans women have an inherent advantage in sport is scientifically outdated. I've been on medically supervised hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for over a year. My body falls well within the cisgender female athlete range according to the report from Manchester University. If transwomen meet scientifically agreed performance margins based on hormone levels, strength metrics, and transition timelines why should they be denied the right to compete?" It hasn't been an easy road for 25-year-old Anaya Bangar, daughter of ex-cricketer Sanjay Bangar . Formerly Aryan, Anaya was born a boy but always identified as a woman. Her gender transition journey including HRT (hormone replacement therapy), required much more than mental resilience and blocking of external noises that doubted if this is just a ploy for seeking attention. It meant giving up a sport that she plays and deeply cherishes – cricket. Not only in India but globally, there's resistance to inclusion of transwomen in women's sports on the grounds of biological differences affecting performance. However, Anaya is confident that these policies should change given the recent studies and tests she herself underwent that support her argument that trans women have no biological advantage over cisgender women. In a candid chat with BT, Anaya shared her journey. For the first time in August last year, you came out as a trans woman through a post on Instagram. Did you always feel like a woman trapped in a man's body? It all started when I was 8-9 years old. I would hide in my room and wear my mom's clothes. Whenever I looked in the mirror, I saw a girl. I wanted to be a girl. I kept this to myself until my 20's. It was suffocating. I was ashamed of myself for feeling the way I did. I feared how the world and my family would react. I kept doubting my thoughts and calling myself wrong for not aligning with my birth gender. I adapted my body language to make it seem boyish just so that I can fit in with the other boys. At the age of 21, I found the courage to finally own who I am. I opened about my identity to a few friends during lockdown because it gave me time to introspect. For a decade before that, not a single person knew what I was going through. It did affect my mental health. How accepting was your inner circle? I have made my peace with isolation. Support has been minimal. My parents paid for my HRT, and for that I'm grateful. But every other part of my transition from laser hair removal, cosmetic procedures, clothing, jewellery, media prep I've had to manage myself. Could be a case of habit but till date my parents refer to me as Aryan and not Anaya. As far as support from Indian cricket is concerned, there has been silence. No institution or player has come forward to ask, 'How are you doing? Do you need help navigating this?' After this report comes out, I am open to having discussions with BCCI , ICC and other institutions to have a fair and just discussion about this. There's no point waiting for support. I became one. For myself, and for every athlete who's waiting to be seen. So, it's a lone battle? The truth is I've been doing all this alone. I didn't inherit a system. I didn't inherit a team. I inherited silence and I've had to build a voice loud enough to survive it. My parents helped me with the basics; they paid for my hormone therapy. But the rest? The emotional cost, the financial cost, the daily cost of becoming a woman the world doesn't know how to hold. That's all from my savings since the time I have been playing age group Cricket. I've had to keep showing up with a smile when I wasn't sure if I could afford my next dose. I've had to explain myself in rooms that only ever saw me as a 'controversy.' No one from Indian cricket called to say, 'You played our game. Why did we leave you behind?' I don't want pity. I want a policy. I want a system where the next trans girl who wants to pick up a bat isn't told she's a threat but told she's welcome. I want my story to be the last one that had to be built on survival instead of support. Anaya Bangar, Location: Dadar SOCIAL; (inset) father Sanjay Bangar After you called out toxic masculinity in Indian cricket, you were labelled as an attention seeker. How do you deal with this backlash? Every time a woman, especially a transwoman, speaks openly about her experience, there's a section of people who try to dismiss it as 'attention seeking.' That's not criticism. That's deflection. If I had stayed quiet about being harassed or disrespected by people in power, I would've been praised for being 'disciplined.' But silence is what allows toxicity to thrive. I didn't share my truth for attention. I shared it for the people who'll think twice before doing something to some other girl which I had to go through. (Anaya shared how a cricketer sent her inappropriate pictures to the DM). And if my voice makes some people uncomfortable, maybe it's time they are asked why they were comfortable with the behaviour I exposed. There's a lot of debate around trans women having biological advantage in elite female sport, which is why it's unfair to cisgender women. Your thoughts? The assumption that all trans women have an inherent advantage in sport is scientifically outdated. I've been on medically supervised hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for over a year. My testosterone levels are 0.5 nmol/L, which is within and in some cases, below the cis female range. My muscle mass, power output, and recovery ability have reduced significantly, which aligns with what international studies (including the SIT01 report) have documented in transitioned athletes. My body falls well within the cisgender female athlete range according to the report from Manchester University. The research was done by Dr Blair Hamilton. Inclusion isn't about erasing fairness, it's about redefining it using data, not fear. That's why I advocate for sport-specific, case-by-case assessments not blanket bans. If transwomen meet scientifically agreed performance margins based on hormone levels, strength metrics, and transition timelines why should they be denied the right to compete? But higher Testosterone tends to be associated with better physical performance for athletes, doesn't it? Yes, testosterone contributes to physical development in puberty but when suppressed medically for 12+ months, its performance benefits decline rapidly. In my case, regular blood work shows a testosterone level of 0.5 nmol/L — and zero athletic advantage compared to cis female athletes. Any governing body that truly cares about fairness should evaluate outcomes, not assumptions. If I test within the cis female athletic margins, shouldn't I be given the same rights as any other woman? I've got scientific evidence to back whatever I'm saying. My conclusion is based on my medical examination with a reputed university. The ICC, ECB, FA ruling for trans women The International Cricket Council (ICC), global governing body of cricket in 2023 stated, 'Any player who has transitioned from male to female and has been through any form of male puberty will not be allowed to participate in women's international cricket, regardless of any surgery or gender reassignment treatment they may have undertaken.' English football's governing body (FA) also made changes in their policy and said only those born biologically female will be permitted to play women's football at all levels. 'Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women's football in England, and this policy will be implemented from June 1, 2025.' This was following the UK Supreme Court's ruling on April 16 that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. On May 2, the English Cricket Board (ECB) followed suit. It said, 'With immediate effect, only those whose biological sex is female will be eligible to play in women's cricket and girls' cricket matches.'
Wales Online
25-06-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Vet says commonly ignored signs in your dog may mean something is wrong
Vet says commonly ignored signs in your dog may mean something is wrong Dr Sean McCormack has listed the easily missed symptoms that may mean you need to take your dog to a vet Vet examining a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Dog owners have been warned of the symptoms that are often overlooked but which could indicate a serious health problem. Head Vet is offering advice on what to do if your pet has potentially serious symptoms. Dr Sofia Izquierdo Sanchez, Senior Lecturer in Economics at Manchester University, said workers taking time off to care for sick pets costs the UK economy £13.8 billion a year in lost wages. Research from reveals 72% of pet owners have pulled a sickie to look after their pet with the average dog owner needing to take eight days off a year. Dr. Sean McCormack, Head Vet at said: 'Whilst some illnesses can't be prevented, ensuring your dog is eating a complete, balanced and nutritious diet, getting the right amount of exercise and having regular health check ups can help to limit the need to take too much time off and your pets living healthier lives.' Dr McCormack provided tips for spotting when your dog might need a vet check: Article continues below Keep an Eye on Their Eating Habits: If your dog suddenly goes off their food or becomes ravenously hungry, it might be a red flag. Changes in appetite can indicate anything from dental issues to digestive upsets or more serious internal conditions. Remember, sudden weight loss or gain is always worth investigating. Check Their Coat and Skin: Your dog's coat is a great barometer of their overall health. Look out for excessive scratching, bald patches, redness, lumps, or a dull, greasy coat. These can indicate allergies, infections, parasites, or hormonal imbalances. A quick daily brush can help you spot issues early. Watch for Changes in Drinking and Urination: If your dog is suddenly drinking more water than usual or asking to go out to pee more frequently, this could be a sign of underlying health issues like diabetes, kidney disease, or a urinary tract infection. On the flip side, straining to urinate or accidents in the house that are abnormal, can also indicate problems. Don't Ignore Bad Breath or Drooling: While doggy breath isn't always pleasant, a sudden increase in bad breath, drooling, or difficulty chewing can indicate dental disease, which if left untreated can affect the heart and kidneys. Regular dental checks and brushing can help keep your dog's mouth healthy. Carolyn Menteith, Behaviourist at said: 'Your dog's behaviour can tell you if they're feeling a bit under the weather or are even in pain or discomfort. Trust your instincts and for any unexpected changes, however subtle, it's time to go and talk to the vet.'
