Cincunri Sakia

Kamis, 02 November 2023

Suspected mushroom poisoning: Australian woman charged with three murders - BBC

By Hannah Ritchie and Simon Fraser

in Sydney and London

An Australian woman has been charged with murder over the suspected mushroom poisoning deaths of three people.

Erin Patterson was arrested on Thursday morning and police have spent the day searching her home east of Melbourne.

Ms Patterson, 49, had served the family lunch after which the trio, who included her former in-laws, fell ill. A fourth person survived.

Toxicology reports suggest the victims consumed deathcap mushrooms. Ms Patterson maintains she is innocent.

She has said she did not intentionally poison her guests at the lunch in the Victorian town of Leongatha on 29 July.

Her former husband Simon Patterson had also been invited to the family lunch, but was unable to make it at the last minute.

Erin Patterson was named as a suspect by police after she and her two children appeared unharmed after the lunch.

Police in the state of Victoria took Ms Patterson into custody on Thursday.

Homicide squad Inspector Dean Thomas stressed the complexity of the case in a press conference, describing it as a tragedy that may "reverberate for years to come".

"I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest, not only here in Victoria, but also nationally and internationally," he added.

Gail and Don Patterson - the parents of Ms Patterson's ex-husband - were guests at the lunch along with Gail Patterson's sister Heather Wilkinson and brother-in-law Ian Wilkinson.

The four were taken to hospital on 30 July reporting violent illness, police say.

Within days the Patterson couple, both 70, and Ms Wilkinson, 66, had died. Mr Wilkinson, 68, was taken to hospital in a critical condition but later recovered after two months of treatment.

Erin Patterson has said she herself was taken to hospital after the meal due to stomach pains, and was put on a saline drip and given medication to guard against liver damage.

She has said she served a beef wellington pie using a mixture of button mushrooms bought from a supermarket, and dried mushrooms purchased at an Asian grocery months earlier.

"I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones," she wrote in a statement in August.

"I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people, whom I loved."

Her children, who were not present at the lunch, ate some of the leftover beef Wellington the next day. However the mushrooms had been scraped off the dish as they do not like the fungi, she said.

Rabu, 01 November 2023

Israel-Hamas war live: Rafah crossing open to people for limited evacuation from Gaza; Gaza internet cut off, says Paltel - The Guardian

The Rafah crossing has opened to allow a limited number of people to cross from beseiged Gaza into Egypt. It is expected that foreign nationals, dual-passport holders and some of the most seriously injured will be allowed through by Egyptian authorities, in a deal said to be brokered by Qatar.

Images showed families and vehicles queueing up to exit Gaza, amid reports that Egypt would allow in 81 seriously injured people. A line of ambulances was seen waiting to take the sick and injured.

People walk through a gate to enter the Rafah crossing to Egypt

AFP reports it was not immediately clear how many people managed to leave via Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, but live footage from the scene showed crowds of people entering the Palestinian side of the terminal. It said 400 foreigners and dual nationals were expected to make the crossing.

The UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, said on social media: “The Rafah crossing is likely to open today for a first group of foreign nationals. UK teams are ready to assist British nationals as soon as they are able to leave. It’s vital that lifesaving humanitarian aid can enter Gaza as quickly as possible.”

People enter the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip before crossing into Egypt

It would mark the first time people have been allowed to leave Gaza since Israel began its latest aerial bombardment, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, on 7 October. Israel launched the attacks after the Hamas massacre inside Israel.

The move comes as the telecoms providers Paltel and Jawwal reported a “complete disruption” of communications and internet services in Gaza, the second major cut in five days. Humanitarian aid agencies have warned that such blackouts severely disrupt their work in an already dire situation in Gaza.

Israel has said that the total number of IDF soldiers killed in combat in Gaza has risen to 13, Haaretz reports.

Earlier, Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that “Our soldiers have fallen in the most just of wars, the war for our home. I promise the citizens of Israel: We will complete the work – we will continue until victory.”

Two British nationals are expected to be among the first group of foreign passport-holders to evacuate through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, opening for the first time on Wednesday in more than three weeks since the brutal conflict began.

British nationals Abdel Hammad, a transplant surgeon from Liverpool, and Charles Birch, who was working with the United Nations in Gaza, are expected to be among the first foreign passport holders to be evacuated, the Guardian understands. It is understood that the Rafah border crossing today will open “for limited exits”, primarily for seriously wounded Palestinians and a first group of foreign nationals.

On Wednesday morning, the Foreign Office said the Israeli and Egyptian authorities will determine “who is allowed to cross, at which time” and that a full list of names of British nationals and dependants in Gaza has been provided to the Israeli and Egyptian authorities. Messages will be sent from the Foreign Office requesting individuals travel to the border crossing once they receive confirmation that individuals are permitted to cross.

“It’s such a relief the last three weeks have just been really surreal, like a bit of a bad dream really, waiting to hear from him,” said Abdel’s son, Salim Hammad, a 34-year-old doctor in Oxford.

“When communications have been coming and going especially this morning when communication was cut and there was a chance he might be able to leave but there’s no way we can tell him he can get to the border – yeah, that was stressful,” said Salim.

“We’re really just looking forward to be able to get him back, hopefully,” he said.

Abdel, a transplant surgeon from Liverpool, arrived in Gaza a day before the conflict began on 7 October with a transplant charity endorsed by the World Health Organization.

Al Jazeera reports that in the last hour “telecommunications company Jawwal announced … internet connections and mobile networks in the Gaza Strip are gradually being restored”.

Palestinian authorities have said on social media that “dozens of Palestinians were martyred and many others were injured” in the strike today on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

The BBC has announced it is launching an emergency radio service for Gaza in response to the conflict in the region.

In a statement, the BBC said: “It will provide listeners in Gaza with the latest information and developments as well as safety advice on where to access shelter, food and water supplies.” The service will initially consist of one bulletin a day on medium wave broadcast at 1500 GMT from Friday.

Here are some of the latest images sent to us over the news wires from Gaza and Israel.

Pallbearers carry the casket of Lavi Lipshitz, 20, who was killed in the northern Gaza Strip during the ground operation of the Israeli army

Israeli army tanks move towards the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel

People ride with belongings in a vintage pickup truck as they evacuate their home in Rafah

Ameer Joma, a Palestinian boy who was injured in an Israeli strike, waits with his father in an ambulance at the Rafah border crossing for treatment in an Egyptian hospital

On reports of the Jabalia refugee camp being struck by Israel for the second consecutive day, Al Jazeera’s Safwat Kahlout, who is in Khan Younis in the south of Gaza, has reported:

The al-Falouja area [where the strike is reported to have been] is one of the most crowded in the Jabalia refugee camp. We are trying to contact sources and our relatives in Jabalia but because of the communications blackout we cannot get more information at this time.

The health ministry in Gaza says 8,796 Palestinians, including 3,648 children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel began its campaign of airstrikes and incursions in response to the Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October.

The figures from the Hamas-run ministry have not been independently verified.

It is believed that 1.4 million people in Gaza have been displaced from their homes. The Rafah crossing has been opened for the first time since 7 October today, and it is expected that up to 500 foreign nationals and 81 seriously wounded people may be allowed to leave the Gaza Strip.

Italy’s foreign minister said he hoped the first Italian citizens could leave Gaza on Wednesday.

Citing the Ansa newswire, Reuters reports Antonio Tajani said: “The first corridor in Rafah has been opened and people have started to leave. I hope that the first Italian can start leaving. Our embassy in Cairo is ready to welcome our fellow Italians that will leave.”

With the earlier reported communications blackout in Gaza it is difficult for journalists to report what is happening on the ground, but at the moment Al Jazeera is carrying news that Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip has been struck again.

Wael Dahdouh reported for the network that buildings had been levelled after the camp was targeted by Israeli warplanes in what was described as “intense, indiscriminate shelling”.

Al Jazeera reports that hundreds of people are feared to be trapped and buried under the rubble, and that Israel had earlier dropped leaflets telling Palestinians to leave the refugee camp.

Haaretz reports that “footage from the area shows smoke billowing over a compound containing several buildings.”

Israel yesterday said it struck the camp in an attempt to kill the local Hamas battalion commander Ibrahim Biari, who it believes was involved in the militant group’s 7 October attacks. AFP witnessed at least 47 bodies being recovered from the scene yesterday.

More details soon …

Austria’s main Jewish leader said on Wednesday that a fire was set during the night in the Jewish section of Vienna’s central cemetery and swastikas were sprayed on external walls.

AP reports that the president of the Jewish community of Vienna, Oskar Deutsch, wrote on social media that the fire burned the entrance lobby to a ceremonial hall but did not cause any injuries. The fire service and police were investigating, he said.

Patrick Wintour is the Guardian’s diplomatic editor:

Western officials said they expected the Rafah crossing to be open for “controlled and time-limited periods” to allow specific groups of foreign nationals and the seriously wounded to evacuate Gaza.

The list of those evacuating has been agreed between Egypt and Israel, with embassies from the relevant countries being informed in advance to ensure they can prepare to receive their nationals.

As a result, it is likely the departure of British nationals from Gaza will take place in stages over the coming days.

The UK Foreign Office has said it sent a Border Force team to Cairo and has forward-deployed a team of consular officials to Arish, close to Rafah, to ensure it can provide the necessary medical, consular and administrative support needed.

The team said it had set up a reception centre to welcome British nationals who have left and have arranged accommodation.

Indonesia’s foreign ministry has said it has started its efforts to evacuate its nationals from Gaza, some of whom could leave “possibly today”.

In a press conference, the foreign affairs minister, Retno Marsudi, said the movement of Indonesians out of the beseiged Gaza Strip could not be done at once and must be gradual, with safety the priority.

Adblock test (Why?)

Photos show scale of devastation of deadly Israeli air strike at Gaza refugee camp - The Independent

More than 50 Palestinians have been killed and over 150 wounded in Israeli airstrikes on the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, the director of Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital has said. He told Al Jazeera he feared the numbers would rise after several residential buildings were destroyed in the bombardment.

The Israel Defence Forces admitted carrying out the strikes saying it had targeted Hamas infrastructure “that had taken over civilian buildings” but claimed those killed were Hamas militants.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied the IDF’s claim, saying it was trying to justify “its heinous crime” against civilians.

Palestinians search for survivors at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in the Jabaliya refugee camp

The blast comes as the Palestinian border authority said late on Tuesday that the Rafah crossing will be opened on Wednesday to allow 81 severely injured Palestinians to be treated in Egyptian hospitals.

Photographs from the scene show the devastation caused by the attack with civilians digging through rubble to recover the dead and wounded.

Mohammed Hawajreh, a nurse with Doctors Without Borders, told The Independent: “Young children arrived at the hospital with deep wounds and severe burns.

“They came without their families. Many were screaming and asking for their parents. I stayed with them until we could find a place, as the hospital was full with patients.”

Several residential buildings were flattened by the strikes

In a statement late on Tuesday night, the Ministry of Health in Gaza warned that the Shifa Medical Complex and the Indonesian Hospital, which are treating the wounded from the Jabaliya strike, were hours away from shutting down as fuel runs out.

It said: “We send a distress call to countries around the world to save 42 children under life support in incubators, 62 wounded and patients under artificial respiration, 650 patients with kidney failure, hundreds of operations in operating rooms, and other patients and wounded.

“We appeal to all gas station owners and our people who have any quantity of fuel or know a place with fuel to supply it to al-Shifa Medical Complex and Indonesian Hospital to save the lives of the wounded and sick.”

As the battle inside Palestinian territory intensifies, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed international calls for a halt to the fighting, which has been raging since Hamas launched attacks on 7 October, killing 1,400 people, according to Israeli authorities.

More than 50 people have been killed with more feared to be under the rubble

The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports 8,525 people have been killed, including 3,542 children, in what charity Save the Children says has surpassed the number of children killed in all conflicts since 2019. Almost 1,000 children are missing, according to the charity.

The rapidly mounting death toll has drawn calls from the international community, including the US – Israel’s biggest ally, for a pause to the fighting to allow humanitarian aid through.

Israel has sealed off Gaza and refuses to allow in food, fuel and medical supplies least, it says, they be used by Hamas to wage war.

The US secretary of state Antony Blinken, speaking in Washington, stressed the importance of both security assistance for Israel and humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

“Without swift and sustained humanitarian relief, the conflict is much more likely to spread, suffering will grow, and Hamas and its sponsors will benefit by fashioning themselves as the saviours of the very desperation they created,” he said.

A World Health Organisation official said that “a public health catastrophe” is imminent in Gaza.

Jabaliya is one of the most densely populated areas in Gaza

Mounds of rubble were seen following the deadly strike

Airstrikes on Monday night outside the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza caused a power cut and doctors said they feared for the lives of 250 injured Palestinians being treated there as fuel runs low.

“Running out of fuel would mean no power and no power would mean the inevitable death of many patients,” Dr Moaeen Al-Masri said.

James Elder, a spokesperson for the UN children’s agency in Geneva, warned of the risk of infant deaths due to dehydration. Children in Gaza were getting sick from drinking salty water, he said.

Smoke billows over flattened buildings in Jabaliya

“Protection of civilians on both sides is paramount and must be respected at all times,” the UN chief said in a statement. “International humanitarian law establishes clear rules that cannot be ignored. It is not an a la carte menu and cannot be applied selectively.”

About 940 children are reported missing in Gaza, he said, with some thought to be stuck beneath the rubble of buildings flattened by Israeli airstrikes.

Significantly fewer humanitarian aid trucks than are needed have so far reached the besieged enclave, UN officials said. Aid trucks have been trickling into Gaza from Egypt over the past week via Rafah, the main crossing that does not border Israel.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvbWlkZGxlLWVhc3QvZ2F6YS1qYWJhbGlhLXJlZnVnZWUtY2FtcC1kZXN0cnVjdGlvbi1waG90b3MtYjI0Mzk1MzUuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5

2023-11-01 06:25:30Z
2578563134

Israel-Hamas war live: Rafah crossing open to people for limited evacuation from Gaza; Gaza internet cut off, says Paltel - The Guardian

Images showed families and vehicles queueing up to exit Gaza, amid reports that Egypt would allow in 81 seriously injured people. A line of ambulances was seen waiting to take the sick and injured.

Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a statement addressing the loss of Israeli soldiers during the IDF campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

He said:

We are in a difficult war. This will be a long war. We have so many important achievements but also painful losses. We know that every soldier of ours is an entire world. The entire people of Israel embrace you, the families, from the depth of our heart.

We are all with you during your heavy sorrow. Our soldiers have fallen in the most just of wars, the war for our home. I promise the citizens of Israel: We will complete the work – we will continue until victory.

The social media account of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has posted a message in the last few minutes to say:

This war isn’t a war between Israel and Gaza. It’s a war between falsehood and truth, a war between the arrogant powers and faith.

The world of imperialism has come forward with bombs, military pressure, tragedies, and crime, but you should know that the power of faith will overcome all of these, with God’s grace.

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy has already responded on social media to the first part of the post, saying “The first truth to come out of this man’s mouth”, presumably framing for Israel the “arrogant powers” and “faith” in the opposite direction.

Hamas’ armed wing al-Qassam Brigades claimed on Wednesday that seven civilian hostages were killed in Israeli strikes on Jabalia refugee camp, including three foreign passport holders, Reuters reports.

Hamas seized over 240 hostages during its murderous rampage inside Israel on 7 October, including children, women and the elderly. Since then it has released four civilians, the Israeli army cliams to have rescued one IDF soldier who was a hostage, and Shani Louk, who was thought to be a hostage, has been declared killed.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslim states to cease oil and food exports to Israel in order to stop the bombardment of Gaza during a speech on Wednesday, Reuters reports, citing Iranian state media.

Israel’s airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp, which it claims targeted a Hamas commander, are part of the “terrible nature” of the conflict in the Middle East, the UK’s deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, has said.

PA Media reports, asked by Sky News, whether Israel had broken international law with the strikes, Dowden said: “This is the reality of the conflict with an organisation like Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organisation that has murdered in cold blood over 1,000 innocent Israeli men, women and children, and now seeks to hide amongst the civilian population. This is a very difficult conflict.

“We continue to urge the Israeli government to abide by international law. I believe that the Israeli government is continuing to do so against an enemy that hides among civilians. It is the terrible nature of this appalling conflict.”

Just a third of primary care facilities are functioning in Gaza, while the hospitals remaining open have substantially reduced services, the World Health Organization has said.

Issuing a new update on the situation in Gaza via social media, it said:

The crisis in Gaza is having a devastating impact on access to health care for patients with long-term needs. Patients with cancer, diabetes, heart disease and mental ill health face medicine stockouts and have been cut off from health services. Just a third of primary care facilities are functioning, while the 66% of hospitals remaining open have substantially reduced services to cope with massive casualties. Before 7 October, around 100 patients each day needed health care outside Gaza because of lack of availability of health care.

An Egyptian security source has told Reuters that up to 500 foreign passport-holders will pass the Rafah border crossing from Gaza to Egypt on Wednesday.

About 200 people were waiting at the Palestinian side of the border on Wednesday morning, the source said.

A second source with knowledge of the deal and evacuations said there was a list of up to 500 who would leave the Gaza Strip, but, Reuters reports, not all were expected to make it out on Wednesday.

Earlier this morning, Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said Israel was prepared for “a long and complex campaign”.

In a message posted to social media, Gallant wrote:

The fall of IDF fighters in the battles against Hamas terrorists in Gaza is a hard and painful blow. Our hearts and thoughts are with their dear families.

The significant achievements of the powerful fighting in the depths of the Gaza Strip unfortunately exact a heavy price. We are prepared and ready for a long and complex campaign that requires courage, determination and perseverance – we will win.

Here is a video clip which appears to show ambulances and some of an aid convoy this morning moving through the Rafah crossing.

Images showed families and vehicles queueing up to exit Gaza, amid reports that Egypt would allow in 81 seriously injured people. A line of ambulances was seen waiting to take the sick and injured.

Here is a short video clip purporting to show the first foreign nationals and dual-passport holders being able to exit through the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt.

AFP reports that its images show long lines of ambulances and several people in wheelchairs at the Rafah border crossing. Egypt said it would let in 81 of the most seriously injured.

Egypt also announced the first foreigners could exit Gaza.

Video footage from the crossing shows people and vehicles moving to exit Gaza for the first time since the escalation of violence following the Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October.

An Egyptian ambulance convoy waits at the Rafah crossing.

The video stream of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt shows people and cars beginning to move through.

A limited evacuation of foreign nationals and sick people is expected, in a deal brokered by Qatar.

More details soon …

Reuters has a quick snap that the UK’s foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has also said that the Rafah crossing is expected to open today for limited travel by foreign nationals.

A source has told Reuters that Qatar has mediated an agreement between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, in coordination with the US, which will allow limited evacuations of foreign passport holders and some critically injured people.

There are small groups of people waiting at the crossing.

People wait at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on 1 November 2023

Israel has accused Bolivia of “aligning itself with the Hamas terrorist organisation” after the South American state broke off diplomatic ties with Israel yesterday.

In a message posted to social media, the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson Lior Haiat said:

The government of Bolivia’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with Israel is a surrender to terrorism and to the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran.

By taking this step, the Bolivian government is aligning itself with the Hamas terrorist organization, which slaughtered over 1,400 Israelis and abducted 240 people, including children, women, babies and the elderly.

Israel condemns Bolivia’s support of terrorism and its submission to the Iranian regime, which attest to the values the government of Bolivia represents.

Since the change of government in Bolivia, relations between the countries have been devoid of content.

The decision by Bolivia was announced at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “We demand an end to the attacks on the Gaza Strip which have so far claimed thousands of civilian lives and caused the forced displacement of Palestinians,” a government minister told reporters in her country’s de facto capital, La Paz.

The governments of Chile and Colombia have also recalled their ambassadors from Israel.

Israel’s military has said it has deployed missile boats in the Red Sea. Yesterday, it said it intercepted a surface-to-surface missile and “hostile targets” in the Eilat region, which were later claimed by Yemen’s Houthis.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, the Israel Defence Forces said:

In accordance with the situational assessment and as part of defensive efforts in the area, yesterday, Israeli Navy missile boats arrived in the area of the Red Sea.

It issued images of the ships on patrol in the region.

Eilat is Israel’s southernmost city, near Israel’s borders with Egypt and Jordan. It also came under fire from a long-range missile attempt from the Gaza Strip in recent days.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vd29ybGQvbGl2ZS8yMDIzL25vdi8wMS9pc3JhZWwtaGFtYXMtd2FyLWxpdmUtdXBkYXRlcy1nYXphLWludGVybmV0LWFjY2Vzcy1jdXQtb2ZmLWVneXB0LWphYmFsaWEtc3RyaWtl0gGCAWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS93b3JsZC9saXZlLzIwMjMvbm92LzAxL2lzcmFlbC1oYW1hcy13YXItbGl2ZS11cGRhdGVzLWdhemEtaW50ZXJuZXQtYWNjZXNzLWN1dC1vZmYtZWd5cHQtamFiYWxpYS1zdHJpa2U?oc=5

2023-11-01 07:51:14Z
CBMiggFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vd29ybGQvbGl2ZS8yMDIzL25vdi8wMS9pc3JhZWwtaGFtYXMtd2FyLWxpdmUtdXBkYXRlcy1nYXphLWludGVybmV0LWFjY2Vzcy1jdXQtb2ZmLWVneXB0LWphYmFsaWEtc3RyaWtl0gGCAWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS93b3JsZC9saXZlLzIwMjMvbm92LzAxL2lzcmFlbC1oYW1hcy13YXItbGl2ZS11cGRhdGVzLWdhemEtaW50ZXJuZXQtYWNjZXNzLWN1dC1vZmYtZWd5cHQtamFiYWxpYS1zdHJpa2U

EXCLUSIVE: British expats are hit with enormous water bills of up to £64,000 EACH and told they MUST pay up by - Daily Mail

Over 100 residents are reeling from bills greatly inflated on the previous quarter

By Walter Finch

Published: 04:29 EDT, 1 November 2023 | Updated: 05:17 EDT, 1 November 2023

A British expat has revealed her shock after being hammered with £64,000 (€74,000) of water bills.

Gillian Hodge said she completely 'panicked' and is now suffering from extreme stress.

The retired pharmacist, who lives between Spain and Scotland with husband Tom, received two eye-watering bills from La Viñuela town hall.

'I couldn't believe it at first when I saw I owed €73,640,' Gillian, 66, said.

'I just felt raw panic. I've been overwhelmed with stress since I saw the bill last month.'

The total comprises two big demands, one for the third quarter of 2022 for €28,420 and the other for the second quarter of 2023 coming to a whopping €45,220.

Gillian Hodge (pictured with husband Tom) said she completely 'panicked' and is now suffering from extreme stress

Gillian's property. She received two eye-watering bills from La Viñuela town hall

Gilian is a retired pharmacist, who lives between Spain and Scotland with her husband Tom

La Viñuela, a municipality in the province of Málaga in southern Spain which is popular with British expats

Unbelievably, the two interim quarters came to just €15.48 and €14.18 respectively.

The town hall, which administers the water, claims her three-bedroom property has used 2.6 million cubic litres over the combined 180-day period - enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool - or 601 litres per hour.

'They told my property manager we had a leak in July, but it was fixed immediately. This leak would have had to be massive and we were not even using the home at the time.

'On top of that we are overlooking rural land which is bone dry With that much water leaking out, you would have thought our land would be flourishing and green, but it isn't.'

Not permitted to just pay part of the bill and obviously unable to pay it all, Gillian is baffled.

'I'm not refusing to pay for the water. We're just refusing to pay €70,000. We don't have the money and even if we did, it's still entirely wrong.'

Meanwhile her British neighbour, Lee Talbot, 60, has been forced to call in lawyers after being sent a bill for €43,000.

The property developer from Kent has appealed the 'crazy' bill levied on his six-bedroom home, overlooking Viñuela reservoir.

He said that the town hall lawyer suggested someone had been stealing his water.

'I laughed and said, 'really? Is this a joke?' But he confirmed that I had apparently used more water than the entire village combined.'

Lee Talbot, 60, has been forced to call in lawyers after being sent a bill for ¿43,000

Talbot, a property developer from Kent, has appealed the 'crazy' bill levied on his six-bedroom home, overlooking Viñuela reservoir

Many residents have complained they have not even been able to put a pause on their bill while the situation is in dispute

Talbot, who owns Marbella's LT Construction, which employs 30 people, hired a technical expert to inspect his property.

He came back and told him definitely there was 'no leak' nor any water theft.

There are understood to be at least three more people with life-changing, five-figure bills.

A further 20 people - the majority British expats - have been landed with bills in the thousands.

And, in addition, over 100 residents are also reeling from bills greatly inflated on the previous quarter.

A trio of Spanish residents are also caught up in the fiasco.

One resident, Paul Rouse, claimed his bank manager told him of a woman who had passed away years ago receiving a bill for €1,500.

Many residents have complained they have not even been able to put a pause on their bill while the situation is in dispute.

Councillor Amber Crookshank said an investigation has been launched and the meters have now been sent for testing to make sure they are calibrated properly

Suspicion has naturally fallen on the water meters.

Some residents believe air is entering the water pipes, causing the meters to spin wildly and inflate the usage - literally paying for air.

Councillor Amber Crookshank said an investigation has been launched and the meters have now been sent for testing to make sure they are calibrated properly.

And the British expat admitted the town hall didn't 'understand the problem.'

'I'm frustrated because something needs to be done to figure out what's going on and why people are getting these impossible bills.'

A further 20 people - the majority British expats - have been landed with bills in the thousands

Her colleague, Moises Cerrado, later admitted that water theft was 'a big problem' in the area.

'Many of the residents do not live in their properties and they don't know what's happening while they are away,' he said.

He expected the results back within four weeks, but added there were 'no guarantees' the residents will be happy. 'We are in the middle of an extreme drought and some have been consuming huge amounts of water,' he explained. 'The new rates are designed to penalise this wastage.'

And he confirmed the problem is not only affecting British residents, with some Spanish and 'also Belgians' getting big bills. 'The water meters do not understand nationality and we are trying to help all our residents.'

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTEyNjk2NTYxL0JyaXRpc2gtZXhwYXRzLWhpdC1lbm9ybW91cy13YXRlci1iaWxscy1wYXktU3BhbmlzaC1hdXRob3JpdGllcy1zdXNwaWNpb25zLXdhdGVyLVNUT0xFTi5odG1s0gGSAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtMTI2OTY1NjEvYW1wL0JyaXRpc2gtZXhwYXRzLWhpdC1lbm9ybW91cy13YXRlci1iaWxscy1wYXktU3BhbmlzaC1hdXRob3JpdGllcy1zdXNwaWNpb25zLXdhdGVyLVNUT0xFTi5odG1s?oc=5

2023-11-01 08:29:41Z
CBMijgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTEyNjk2NTYxL0JyaXRpc2gtZXhwYXRzLWhpdC1lbm9ybW91cy13YXRlci1iaWxscy1wYXktU3BhbmlzaC1hdXRob3JpdGllcy1zdXNwaWNpb25zLXdhdGVyLVNUT0xFTi5odG1s0gGSAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtMTI2OTY1NjEvYW1wL0JyaXRpc2gtZXhwYXRzLWhpdC1lbm9ybW91cy13YXRlci1iaWxscy1wYXktU3BhbmlzaC1hdXRob3JpdGllcy1zdXNwaWNpb25zLXdhdGVyLVNUT0xFTi5odG1s

Selasa, 31 Oktober 2023

Israel-Hamas war live: IDF defends Jabalia refugee camp strike - The Independent

Netanyahu claims Israel will ‘resign Hamas to the dustbin of history’

Egypt is set to open the Rafah border crossing for a number of Palestinians injured in Gaza, according to reports.

The country will take in 81 seriously wounded people from the besieged Gaza Strip and treat them in its hospitals, reported the New York Times citing Gaza’s General Authority for Crossings and Borders.

The Israeli military admitted to launching a wide-scale airstrike on the densely inhabited Jabalia refugee camp where potentially “dozens” of civilians have been killed.

The Israel Defence Forces said it targeted Hamas infrastructure in the area “that had taken over civilian buildings” and that tunnels under the buildings had collapsed in the strike.

During a briefing attended by The Independent, Israeli officials defended the attack as proportionate, saying the operation led to the killing of Ibrahim Biari, the commander of Hamas’s Central Jabalia Battalion.

The “military objective was of high importance”, lieutenant colonel Jonathan Conricus, an IDF spokesperson, said at the briefing. “Multiple Hamas operatives were killed,” he added. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied any senior commander was in the Jabalia camp at the time of the Israeli strike.

At least 11 Israeli soldiers died in Gaza fighting yesterday, the biggest one-day loss for the IDF since the Hamas attack on 7 October.

1698820128

Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah discuss ‘shared commitment’ to increase Gaza aid

Mr Biden “reiterated the importance of protecting civilian lives and respecting international humanitarian law, as Israel defends its citizens and combats terrorism”, it said.

My colleague Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has more:

Namita Singh1 November 2023 06:28

1698819163

Pakistan urges action after Israel’s attack on refugee camp

Pakistan’s interim prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar today denounced the latest Israeli airstrikes on a refugee camp near Gaza City, urging the international community to play its role in ending such strikes.

“Yesterday’s air raid on Jabalia camp, where hundreds of lives were lost, including women and children, was a stark reminder of ongoing Israeli brutalities and war crimes in Gaza,” Mr Kakar said in a statement.

<p>This picture taken from a position near Sderot along the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip on 31 October 2023</p> — This picture taken from a position near Sderot along the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip on 31 October 2023
(AFP via Getty Images)

He said that “such reprehensible acts can never be condoned or forgotten. The world must act now to end this carnage.”

Namita Singh1 November 2023 06:12

1698818782

Three Arab states denounce Israel’s airstrikes on refugee camp

Three Arab states have strongly criticized Israel’s airstrikes on a refugee camp near Gaza City as its war on Hamas rages.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates each issued statements denouncing the strikes on the Jabaliya camp. The exact number of casualties was not immediately clear in the strikes, though one doctor said hundreds were killed and wounded.

Qatar, which as been mediating talks with Hamas over the more than 200 hostages it holds from its 7 October attack on Israel, described the strike as “a new massacre against the defenseless Palestinian people, especially women and children”.

The country warned that “the expansion of Israeli attacks in (the) Gaza Strip is a dangerous escalation in the course of confrontations, which would undermine mediation and de-escalation efforts.”

Namita Singh1 November 2023 06:06

1698817961

Gaza plunges into communication blackout

Communication has again been cut in Gaza, two providers said early today. Paltel and Jawwal reported a “complete disruption” of communications and internet services in Gaza, the second major cut in five days. Humanitarian aid agencies have warned that such blackouts severely disrupt their work in an already dire situation in Gaza.

A deluge of Israeli airstrikes yesterday on a refugee camp near Gaza City demolished apartment buildings, leaving gaping holes where they once stood, while ground troops battled Hamas militants across northern Gaza. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a cease-fire. Though more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians have fled their homes, several hundred thousand remain in the north, where Israeli troops and tanks have reportedly advanced on multiple sides of Gaza City.

<p>A soldier works on a tank on 31 October 2023 in Southern Israel</p> — A soldier works on a tank on 31 October 2023 in Southern Israel
(Getty Images)

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 8,525, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, more than 122 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.

Namita Singh1 November 2023 05:52

1698816758

Hamas denies militant group's commander was at Jabalia refugee camp

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied any senior commander was in the Jabalia camp at the time of an Israeli strike. Palestinian health officials said at least 50 Palestinians were killed and 150 wounded in the air attacks.

A Hamas statement said there were 400 dead and injured in Jabalia, which houses families of refugees from wars with Israel dating back to 1948. Reuters could not independently verify the reported casualty figures.

The blast left large craters surrounded by wrecked buildings. Israel repeatedly warned Gaza residents to evacuate northern areas and while many have gone south, many have stayed.

Israel besieged Gaza after the Hamas attack, and the UN and other aid officials said civilians in the enclave were living in a public health catastrophe, with hospitals struggling to treat casualties as electricity supplies petered out.

Namita Singh1 November 2023 05:32

1698815135

Israeli military jets strike Gaza camp, says Hamas commander killed

Israeli airstrikes hit a densely populated refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 50 Palestinians and a Hamas commander, and medics struggled to treat the casualties in the enclave where food, fuel and basic supplies are running scarce.

Israeli tanks have been active in Gaza for at least four days following weeks of air bombardments in retaliation for an attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on southern Israeli towns on 7 October and the taking of more than 200 hostages.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement said the strike by fighter jets on Jabalia, Gaza’s largest refugee camp, had killed Ibrahim Biari, a Hamas commander it said was “pivotal” in the planning and execution of the attack.

Dozens of Hamas combatants were in the same underground tunnel complex as Biari and were also killed when it collapsed in the attack, IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, adding: “I understand that is also the reason why there are many reports of collateral damage and non-combatant casualties. We’re looking into those as well.”

Namita Singh1 November 2023 05:05

1698814288

Egypt to open Rafah crossing for injured Gazans

The Rafah border crossing will be opened today for a number of Palestinians who were injured in Gaza to complete their treatment in Egyptian hospitals, Egyptian medical and security sources as well as a Palestinian border official said on Tuesday.

The country will take 81 seriously wounded people from Gaza and treat them in Egyptian hospital, reported the New York Times citing Gaza’s General Authority for Crossings and Borders.

Namita Singh1 November 2023 04:51

1698813449

‘Hamas stranding 1,000 Americans and family members in Gaza’

During testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of the White House’s request for $14bn in additional military aid to Israel, Mr Blinken said nearly 1,000 people with ties to the US, comprising American citizens and their family members, are still trapped in the bombarded Palestinian territory.

“We are working on every single day,” he testified on Tuesday, saying the State Department has sent 5500 communications including phone calls and WhatsApp messages to Americans stuck behind the siege line.

“I’m focused on this intensely,” he added. “My entire department is as well, both in the region and here, we are working with various parties to try to facilitate their departure from Gaza.”

Josh Marcus has more:

Namita Singh1 November 2023 04:37

1698813403

Just in: ‘Nine soldiers killed in Gaza fighting’

Nine soldiers have been killed in Gaza fighting, Israeli mislitary has said in a statement today. There are more than 20,000 IDF troops in Gaza.

Namita Singh1 November 2023 04:36

1698812326

Protesters interrupt Blinken as he lays out US plan for Gaza after Hamas

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was repeatedly interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as he told a US Senate hearing that the Palestinian Authority should retake control of the enclave from Hamas. The president has said that the militant group should be eliminated and that he supports a two-state solution in the region.

Mr Blinken and US defense secretary Lloyd Austin testified about the White House’s $106bn funding request for national security, including $14.3bn for Israel.

My colleague Graeme Massie has more:

Namita Singh1 November 2023 04:18

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvbWlkZGxlLWVhc3QvaXNyYWVsLWdhemEtcGFsZXN0aW5lLWhhbWFzLXdhci1qYWJhbGlhLWxhdGVzdC1iMjQzOTQ5Ny5odG1s0gEA?oc=5

2023-11-01 05:32:38Z
2578563134

Cincunri Sakia

Kamis, 02 November 2023

Suspected mushroom poisoning: Australian woman charged with three murders - BBC

Related Topics

Joe Biden calls for 'pause' in Gaza fighting to help free hostages - Financial Times

What is included in my trial?

What happens at the end of my trial?

When can I cancel?

What forms of payment can I use?

Rabu, 01 November 2023

Israel-Hamas war live: Rafah crossing open to people for limited evacuation from Gaza; Gaza internet cut off, says Paltel - The Guardian

Photos show scale of devastation of deadly Israeli air strike at Gaza refugee camp - The Independent

Israel-Hamas war live: Rafah crossing open to people for limited evacuation from Gaza; Gaza internet cut off, says Paltel - The Guardian

EXCLUSIVE: British expats are hit with enormous water bills of up to £64,000 EACH and told they MUST pay up by - Daily Mail

Selasa, 31 Oktober 2023

Israel-Hamas war live: IDF defends Jabalia refugee camp strike - The Independent

Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah discuss ‘shared commitment’ to increase Gaza aid

Pakistan urges action after Israel’s attack on refugee camp

Three Arab states denounce Israel’s airstrikes on refugee camp

Gaza plunges into communication blackout

Hamas denies militant group's commander was at Jabalia refugee camp

Israeli military jets strike Gaza camp, says Hamas commander killed

Egypt to open Rafah crossing for injured Gazans

‘Hamas stranding 1,000 Americans and family members in Gaza’

Just in: ‘Nine soldiers killed in Gaza fighting’

Protesters interrupt Blinken as he lays out US plan for Gaza after Hamas

Kamis, 02 November 2023

Related Topics

What is included in my trial?

What happens at the end of my trial?

When can I cancel?

What forms of payment can I use?

Rabu, 01 November 2023

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Selasa, 31 Oktober 2023

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah discuss ‘shared commitment’ to increase Gaza aid

Pakistan urges action after Israel’s attack on refugee camp

Three Arab states denounce Israel’s airstrikes on refugee camp

Gaza plunges into communication blackout

Hamas denies militant group's commander was at Jabalia refugee camp

Israeli military jets strike Gaza camp, says Hamas commander killed

Egypt to open Rafah crossing for injured Gazans

‘Hamas stranding 1,000 Americans and family members in Gaza’

Just in: ‘Nine soldiers killed in Gaza fighting’

Protesters interrupt Blinken as he lays out US plan for Gaza after Hamas