Latest news with #McGoldrick
Daily Record
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
Wildfire 'could be biggest Scotland has seen' as scale of damage remains unknown
After spending five days putting the fires out, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Officer Craig McGoldrick issued an update on Thursday. A huge wildfire that tore across the north of Scotland could be the biggest outdoor fire the country has ever seen, according to fire chiefs. After spending five days putting the fires out, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Officer Craig McGoldrick issued an update on Thursday thanking firefighters for their heroic efforts. Firefighters used specialist equipment including all-terrain vehicles, fogging units, leaf blowers and beaters to bring the flames under control. Police said they were trying to establish the circumstances around an area in the Highlands. ACO McGoldrick said: "I would like to recognise the tremendous efforts of our staff in dealing with an incredibly demanding period over recent days, in particular our response to large-scale wildfires across Highland, Moray and Aberdeenshire. "Between Saturday June 28 and Wednesday July 2 operations control colleagues in Dundee handled a remarkable 583 emergency calls leading to 223 incidents attended. "A significant portion of these were secondary fires highlighting the intensity of the situations that you faced. "The fires that took hold from Carrbridge to Forres from Saturday could ultimately be one of the biggest outdoor fires Scotland has ever seen. "We don't know the full damage of the scale yet but we do know that the vast size of these fires were extremely challenging. "Overall it requires the deployment and movement of a significant volume of staff and appliances in and out of the area as relief crews stepped in to take over and others provided necessary standby cover." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Fire crews spent five days dealing with the blazes across Carrbridge, Grantown-on-Spey, Dava and Upper Knockando, with the area impacted described as being on a 'vast scale'. The wildfires were mostly extinguished as of July 2 and a joint probe with Police Scotland has now been launched to establish the cause of the blazes. Chief Inspector Mike MacKenzie, local area commander, said: 'Fortunately no-one has been injured but a large swathe of the countryside has been badly affected. I would like to thank all the emergency services and the public involved. 'Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and this includes the area around Lochindorb between Carrbridge and Dava and the area around Loch Allan near Dava. 'We are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious or has any information that could assist with the investigation to get in touch.'
Los Angeles Times
23-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Afghan national who entered the U.S. legally detained during an immigration hearing in San Diego
An Afghan national who served as a translator for the U.S. military and entered the U.S. legally was arrested during his immigration hearing in San Diego and is now being detained. On June 12, Sayed Naser, whose full name is being withheld because of safety reasons, was at a courthouse in San Diego for a routine immigration hearing and was detained by ICE agents wearing neck gaiters over their faces, according to video of the incident. 'I came here to make a better life,' Naser said in the video clip. 'I worked with the U.S. military. I worked in a very dangerous part of Afghanistan with the U.S. military.' Naser worked as a translator and logistics contractor for the U.S. forces at military bases in Afghanistan, according to a press release from AfghanEvac, a nonprofit created to support the safe relocation of Afghan allies. Naser's brother was killed by the Taliban in September 2023 during a wedding, forcing him and his family to go into hiding in Iran. A representative for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not immediately be reached for comment on this case. He got a humanitarian visa to Brazil and entered the U.S. legally in July 2024 through Mexico, according to the release. He was granted humanitarian parole, applied for a Special Immigrant Visa and was in the process of scheduling an asylum hearing when he was arrested by ICE. Naser has no criminal record, has an active asylum case and has another brother who was granted asylum weeks before Naser was detained, according to the release. During the hearing, the U.S. government tried to dismiss his asylum case, saying that Naser's notice to appear was 'improvidently issued' without giving any other explanation, according to the release. The judge didn't dismiss the case and gave Naser and his attorney time to respond to the motion. 'We were one hearing away from having his asylum hearing and we're dismayed that we're so close to him being granted asylum and this administration just has this 3,000-a-day policy and is blindly grabbing what looks like low hanging fruit,' said Naser's attorney, Brian McGoldrick. McGoldrick was referring to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller who said last month that ICE should arrest at least 3,000 undocumented migrants a day. As of early June, around 51,000 undocumented migrants were in ICE custody, the highest number since September 2019. Naser is being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, McGoldrick said. He said Naser is dismayed about being arrested and is also concerned because he hasn't been able to contact his family, who is still in hiding in Iran during an internet blackout. McGoldrick said that Naser thought he would have gotten better treatment after he helped out with the U.S. forces in the Middle East. 'Now they want to short circuit the whole process,' McGoldrick added.
NBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Video shows ICE detaining man in San Diego who says he helped U.S. in Afghan war
A video taken in the halls of federal court in San Diego and shared with NBC 7 shows a man being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while saying he worked for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In a video captured on Thursday, a man is heard calmly telling agents he was an interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The man's attorney, Brian McGoldrick, requested NBC 7 not use his client's name. He said the man came to the U.S. within the last two years, after he was unable to airlift out of Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal. His client used the now-defunct CBP One app to ask for asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. He was granted parole and was in the process of applying for a Special Immigrant Visa. 'While he was in Afghanistan, he was threatened repeatedly. His family was threatened repeatedly,' McGoldrick said. 'He believes that if he returns, he'll be detained, probably tortured and possibly even killed.' NBC 7 contacted ICE for comment on the incident but did not receive a response. 'They want to deny him even the opportunity to have his asylum case heard by having his case dismissed, putting him into expedited removal and trying to spirit him out of the country,' McGoldrick said. The video is particularly chilling for James Seddon, a 21-year Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan and works with #AfghanEvac to legally resettle those who aided the U.S. during its longest war. He is concerned about the message this sends to potential allies in future conflicts. 'I don't know, based on how we're currently treating our wartime allies, how anybody in the future would consider working with us,' Seddon said. 'We're supposed to have due process. We're supposed to give people their day in court. And what we saw on that clip was an example that runs counter to all of that. And it's difficult for me to reconcile that with the America that I thought I served.' McGoldrick said his client is still in custody as of Friday afternoon. In the video, the man can be heard saying he came to the U.S. to 'make a better life' and that he 'worked in a very dangerous part of Afghanistan.' 'He just came here trying to get asylum for what he did for our country, and this is how we're treating him,' McGoldrick said.
Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘A long time coming' - Belmayne residents welcome €13m for community facilities
Senior management at the council presented a detailed report at the North Central Area Committee meeting this week, outlining a multi-million-euro plan to deliver long-promised facilities, including a new library, sports amenities, a primary healthcare centre, community spaces, and a garda station. A dedicated local team will oversee the rollout of these projects, marking a significant step in addressing long-standing gaps in essential services. Michelle McGoldrick, a member of Belmayne Community Group, described the announcement as a 'huge step forward'. However, she stressed the need for further investment, estimating that an additional €40m is needed from central government to fully meet the scale of local demand. 'It's a great start, and we're delighted to see this commitment from DCC,' she said. 'But you're talking about an area with nearly 10,000 residential units and barely any community facilities. We've been advocating for over 14 years – this is just the beginning.' Rapid residential growth over the past two decades has transformed Belmayne and Clongriffin into one of Dublin's fastest-growing areas, with a young and diverse population of over 13,000 residents, 30pc of whom are under 19. However, key amenities like youth services, mental health supports, and sports facilities are either inadequate or non-existent. Promised facilities dating back to the 2012 Local Area Plan were never delivered, with some projects stalled or left incomplete after developers went bust and sites changed hands. 'When Belmayne was first built, they were supposed to put in a library at the corner of Main Street and Belmayne Avenue,' Ms McGoldrick said. 'But the builder went into NAMA, the building was sold on, and the space is still lying idle today. It could have been an ideal community hub.' The report also addresses long-standing challenges with private housing developments that have not met Dublin City Council's standards and remain outside the formal 'taking-in-charge' process. This has left roads and services in limbo, complicating service delivery and community planning. 'Many estates here were fast-tracked through An Bord Pleanála with promises of crèche spaces and amenities that never materialized,' Ms McGoldrick said. According to the report presented to councillors, one small room in a local school currently serves as the only dedicated youth space Plans in the report include a Primary Care Centre and a new garda station at Belcamp Lane, developed in partnership with the HSE and OPW to address critical healthcare and policing needs. A flagship public library is also planned as part of a new urban square in Belmayne, with temporary library facilities proposed to serve the community in the interim. Sports and recreation amenities are also a priority, with DCC collaborating with Fingal County Council to develop new playing pitches and an indoor sports centre to meet the needs of the area's youthful population. Upgrades to Father Collins Park are planned, potentially including a café, market, and public art installations. Ms McGoldrick praised the increased engagement and responsiveness from the council's senior management in recent years. 'They've really taken what we've been saying on board. It's great to finally see this level of commitment," she said. 'Now we need central government to step up and put their hands in their pockets. This is 20 years of neglect we're trying to fix.' In a statement, Belmayne Community Group thanked local representatives for 'putting political differences aside' to advance the project and urged continued pressure on all stakeholders to secure the remaining funding. 'We have waited way too long already. This is a welcome official start, but we need to make sure it's not delayed, and that it delivers everything our growing community desperately needs,' they added.
Powys County Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
We're a tough nut to crack – AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson hails defence
AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson believes the toughness of his side has driven them to the League Two play-off final after they defeated Notts County 1-0 at Plough Lane. An early strike by Josh Neufville gave the Dons a 2-0 aggregate victory that was as deserved as it was hard-earned. The South London outfit have not let in a goal in the last three games, and further demonstrated why their defensive record remains the best in the division. Jackson has not featured at Wembley as a player but will do so as a manager against Walsall on Monday May 26, and he feels his defence is pivotal. 'We've made ourselves a tough nut to crack,' Jackson said. 'They had to make two enforced changes but they didn't do too much different. we knew they would come and put it on us. 'We knew if we kept a clean sheet we'd be through, though we probably should have won by more in the end. 'To get the goal when we did really helped because they started well. I knew we'd have to suffer at times. 'I never played at Wembley – one thing I really regretted when I retired. To get the opportunity to lead this team out is really special for me. 'We have to enjoy these moments, but we haven't done anything yet.' AFC Wimbledon effectively booked their trip to Wembley after just eight minutes when Neufville saw goalkeeper Alex Bass off his line and lobbed him for the decisive goal. The hosts had the perfect chance to wrap proceedings up 10 minutes after the restart. Matty Stevens fed Marcus Browne, but his effort was heroically blocked by Lewis Macari. Stevens looked set to put the tie beyond any doubt in the 69th minute when he found space in the area from a deep James Tilley cross. However, Bass denied him with an excellent one-handed save to turn his effort around a post. Notts County manager Stuart Maynard was left to rue his side's early setback – and the absence of key attacking duo David McGoldrick and Alassana Jatta. He said: 'There were no real openings in the beginning, but then we conceded a very sloppy goal. 'In the second half the frustration creeps in. We kept going all the way to the end. That's all I can ask from the group. 'We believed that we could hurt them. You have to give credit to the opposition. They have the most clean sheets in the division for a reason. 'I wish them well in the final. 'Any team in the country would have missed McGoldrick and Jatta. We want McGoldrick to be in the team next season. He is in my plans.'
