Latest news with #Sanctuary
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Romford family with disabled son frustrated by broken lift
The family of a disabled boy living on the fifth floor of a block of flats in Romford, say they are "exhausted" after having no functioning lift for more than three Alexander has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic condition which is a type of motor neurone disease, and uses both a manual and an electric wheelchair to get 5 April when the lift broke, his mother Victoria has had to carry him and his 18-month-old brother up the stairs several times a day to reach their management company Sanctuary, a not-for-profit housing association, said they are "working hard to resolve what is a complex repair". Alexander loves to visit the playground close to his home with his brother, but since the lift broke more than 15 weeks ago they can not play outside as mother Victoria said: "Because Alexander doesn't bear weight on his own... I pick him up from the car and then I have to grab Laurence and double-lift them. "And then obviously once you're up, you can't really go anywhere which is such a shame because if the lift was working you could pop out."She has to do this largely on her own because the children's father Eric works abroad four days a electric wheelchair Alexander uses weighs 25kg and the manual one is 10kg. Eric said they are "chunky pieces of equipment and unfortunately we can't get them up the stairs".Victoria bought the flat when the building was completed in 2016. The family would like to move somewhere more suitable for their son but there is an unresolved cladding issue, which makes the flat difficult to sell. In effect, they are trapped - in more ways than one. Alexander's parents said they have been in constant contact with the building's management company understands that lifts are very technical and potentially difficult to repair but feels the process has been mismanaged. He said that no one from Sanctuary has come on site to assist the repairs."Several engineers have visited. 13 weeks in, we had an engineer that came thinking it was a callout for a first day lift outage, without having all the history."A spokesperson for Sanctuary apologised for the "disruption and inconvenience" caused. They added: "We are working hard to resolve what is a complex repair, and we're committed to bringing the lift back into service as quickly as possible."But it is a frustrating process for the residents, most of whom pay a service charge to the management said: "We have, as leaseholders, no rights to challenge that entire process. Ultimately the leaseholder is paying for all the repairs so why can't we have a say in this and why can't we push for a quick resolution?"The situation has become critical for this family because Alexander is having a serious operation to fit pins in his hips. Eric said the recovery will leave his son with "bruising, scars, pain - and we're not allowed to carry him".The family faces having to pay for alternative accommodation - and there is still no timeframe for the lift being repaired.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Fourth studio album delivers message of unity through dynamic performances, first solo tracks
Tomorrow X Together has returned with a fourth studio album, 'The Star Chapter: Together,' concluding the boy band's long-running conceptual series with a record that deepens the group's artistic identity. The five-member group under Big Hit Music, the same agency behind BTS, held a media showcase Monday at Kyung Hee University in Seoul to mark the album's release. This is the band's first studio album since 'The Name Chapter: Freefall,' which came out in October 2023. 'The Star Chapter: Together' serves as the final installment in the 'The Star Chapter' series, following the seventh EP 'Sanctuary,' and places emphasis on the true meaning of 'together' — a word that also appears in the group's name. The new album explores themes of unity and shared experience across eight tracks, including 'Upside Down Kiss,' 'Beautiful Strangers,' 'Ghost Girl,' 'Sunday Driver,' 'Dance With You,' 'Take My Half' and 'Bird of Night.' Each song presents a different interpretation of what it means to be together. The lead single, 'Beautiful Strangers,' is a trap-based hip-hop track that blends dreamy piano lines with bold synthesizers. It contrasts ethereal melodies with explosive instrumentals, matching TXT's dynamic choreography with emotional storytelling. Yeonjun contributed to the track's performance direction, marking his first official involvement in choreographing a lead single. 'I worked on the dance break and chorus sections in particular," Yeonjun said. "When I first heard the song, I had a clear vision of how it could look. It only took me about two days to organize my ideas and send a proposal to the company and it was approved surprisingly smoothly." He also noted that the choreography includes 'three distinct dance breaks,' asking fans to pay attention to how this performance differs from the group's previous routines. For the first time in their career, TXT's group album includes solo songs by each bandmate. 'As we come to the end of one overarching narrative as a team, it felt meaningful to show our individual colors through solo tracks,' said group leader Soobin. Beomgyu added, 'I even got to film my first solo music video. It was a fresh and exciting experience.' The group recently drew attention when the boy band 'Saja Boys' of hit Netflix animated film 'KPop Demon Hunters' was revealed to have been inspired by TXT. 'The film was a huge success and helped raise global awareness of K-pop,' said Yeonjun. 'I was honored that they based the character Romance on me.' Having already topped the Billboard 200 albums chart, TXT now has sights set on the Hot 100 singles chart ― a tougher benchmark that reflects radio airplay and streaming numbers in the US. 'Over the past six or seven years, we've reached some goals and missed others,' said Taehyun. 'But I believe the bigger the dream, the bigger the pieces when it breaks ― so I'm going to dream big. I want to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.' The group also shared encouragement from BTS. 'They (BTS) told us to keep working hard,' said Beomgyu. 'They've always looked out for us, and that makes me want to become a good senior for our juniors in the future.' Regarding their upcoming contract renewal, Soobin offered a positive outlook. 'We're currently in discussions, and all five of us are on the same page. We're happiest when we're together and we want to stay on stage for a long time. I'm confident we'll have good news to share,' Soobin said. Huening Kai reached out to bring comfort to MOA, the band's fan group, saying, 'MOA shouldn't worry too much. The five of us still love making music and sharing our unique color — that hasn't changed.'
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The Bad Batch Returns In a New ‘Star Wars' Novel
It's been over a year since Star Wars: The Bad Batch ended, but it was a given Clone Force 99 would eventually live on beyond the screen. Next month, we'll check back in with the team in their first novel, Sanctuary. Written by Lamar Giles (Ruin Road), the tale takes place towards the end of season two after the episode 'Pabu.' Now that they're working with pirate hunter Phee, the Clones—Hunter, Omega, Wrecker, and Tech—are on resource gathering duty after the planet's recent tsunami. That leads to them running two different jobs pretty close to each other: stealing a relic from an auction to return it back to its people, and ferrying a pregnant couple on the run. Hunter wants to be sensible and just do one job at a time, but that's not doable, and to further complicating matters, there's an ISB agent gunning for the couple, who are due to give birth any day told Polygon he hopes the novel feels like 'the feeling of an extended bonus episode where our favorite characters got exciting moments that felt fresh and familiar. I wanted it to feel like seeing old friends after some time apart amid an intense adventure.' You can read an excerpt here, which features the Clones trying to get the relic through conventional auction means before things inevitably pop off. Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel releases August 5. If you're looking to revisit other Star Wars eras through books, there's also Finn and Jannah's YA story The Last Order coming October 21 from Kwame Mbalia. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Scoop
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Dracula's Second-Ever New Zealand Tour Comes To Palmerston North This Week With Four Shows At The Regent On Broadway
Australia's iconic vaudevillian variety extravaganza Dracula's is in the midst of a seven-city nationwide tour in New Zealand, and is coming to Palmerston North on the 17th, 18th and 19th of July. After selling out their debut New Zealand tour in 2023, Dracula's wild, weird and wonderful cast is back with a brand-new show, Sanctuary, a high-energy, adults-only production that's bursting with thrills, chills and outrageous fun. The tour started in Auckland before heading to Rotorua and Wellington, and following Palmerston North will show in Christchurch, Invercargill and New Plymouth. Initial ticket releases sold out in record time, with extra shows being added in every city to keep up with demand. Dracula's: Sanctuary is part cabaret, part comedy and all chaos delivered with Dracula's signature risqué edge. Musical tributes to icons like Guns N' Roses, Elton John and No Doubt will leave audiences wanting more, with an encore promised for those who cheer the loudest. Dracula's steward and Newman Entertainment CEO Luke Newman says they can't wait to bring the mayhem back to New Zealand stages. 'We were blown away by the response in 2023, and this time, it's even bigger. Sanctuary is next-level Dracula's, and we're so pumped to kick things off in Auckland next week. Get ready for a bloody good time,' he says. New Zealand Tour Dates: Tickets and more information available at
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
'XL Gullies' unleash aerial attacks on estate as locals terrified to leave homes
Residents say they're being terrorised by 'massive' seagulls they call 'XL Gullies' - with the birds repeatedly divebombing them and their pets as they leave their homes Residents living on a Liverpool housing estate say they're being repeatedly attacked by "massive" seagulls divebombing them as they step outside their homes. The white birds have hatched chicks on the rooftops of Mahon Court in the city's Georgian Quarter, and residents say the "XL Gullies" now swoop into the square most days to protect their young in the grassy area below. While some locals are left rattled, others see it as nature simply taking its course. "It's nesting season at the moment. Every day, they're coming down," said one resident, who asked not to be named. "They're attacking the dog, they're attacking us. I've just been out with the dog just now and one of them just flew down and attacked us. "They're ripping the bins open and dragging the kids everywhere. It's a hellhole. We call them XL Gullies," the local told the Liverpool Echo. "I've lived here for eight years. We're terrified. They fly at you and come very low down, literally centimetres away from us." Resident Akbar Hhorbani, 60, said the seagulls "go out and attack us when we leave the house". He added: "It's scary. It happens all the time." But Kieran Robertson, 59, was more relaxed about the situation. He said: "It does happen but it's just nature isn't it? They're only coming down to protect their little uns. They use their poo as dive bombs. It happened to me when I was out walking my dog this morning. I've told my neighbours to get a water bottle and make a small hole in the top of it to squirt at the seagulls. "I tried to do that this morning but the bottle fell out of my hand. But I don't see what Sanctuary could do. With rats, they've put down some poison. I don't know what they could do with the seagulls. Once, I saw a few people here holding chicks. I told them about an animal sanctuary over the water which would take them in." Another resident said: "I can see why people are scared but it's not that big a deal. You do get seagulls here because they're on the roof and have had chicks. I don't see what Sanctuary could do. It's just part of nature. You get them all around the place." Locals and street cleaners say the rise in litter, rubbish and dumped food in the city centre is fuelling the problem - creating the perfect environment for the super-seagulls to thrive. Cleaners say the gulls are becoming more aggressive and are pushing further inland, rampaging through bins and waste, and hampering clean-up efforts. To tackle the issue, Liverpool City Council has brought in Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement (WISE) to operate city-wide. The move means more officers on the ground to help curb environmental offences and issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to anyone caught littering. Under the law in England, littering, dog fouling and fly-tipping are all offences that can result in a FPN or prosecution in court. As part of the crackdown, Liverpool Council has also increased fines to deter offending. Litterers now face a £150 penalty, dog foulers £100, and fly-tippers face a new tiered fine system starting at £500 depending on the severity of the offence. The Mirror has contacted Sanctuary Housing, which manages Mahon Court, for comment.
