According to the NBA, the former Houston Rockets star passed away from brain cancer and was surrounded by his family in his final moments.
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NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo dead at 58 after brain cancer battle
Travis Kelce’s ex Kayla Nicole hits back at Taylor Swift fans attacking her online: ‘You’ll never make me hate me’
A fan page dedicated to posting unfiltered photos of the NFL star’s ex shared images of Nicole getting her hair done sans makeup.
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Just weeks to act on pension credit DWP loophole and bag an extra £150 towards energy bills this winter
THOUSANDS of pensioners can get £150 to cover the cost of energy bills over the winter through a loophole – but only have weeks left to act.
The Warm Home Discount (WHD) is a reduction on your electricity and sometimes gas applied by energy firms once a year.
In the vast majority of cases, you receive the discount automatically and don’t need to apply.
The discount is open to those in receipt of certain benefits including Universal Credit, Income Support and Housing Benefit.
The £150 reduction is also available to thousands on pension credit.
To qualify, you need to claim either the guaranteed credit element of pension credit or one of the below benefits:
- Income support
- Income based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income related employment and support allowance
- Housing benefit
- Universal Credit
- Child tax credit
- Working tax credits
- The “savings credit” part of pension credit
If you weren’t claiming any of the above benefits on August 11, 2024, you won’t be eligible for the discount this winter.
The Government also assesses your energy costs based on the type, age and size of your property.
However, the August 11 qualifying date does not apply if you are receiving the guarantee credit element of pension credit.
This is because you can backdate pension credit claims by up to three months.
But, that does mean you will have to launch your pension credit claim by Sunday, November 10, and then successfully backdate it to cover the August 11 Warm Home Discount qualifying date.
Fail to do this and you will miss out the £150 discount this year.
What is pension credit and who is eligible?
Pension credit is a government benefit designed to top up your weekly income if you are a state pensioner with low earnings.
The current state pension age is 66.
There are two parts to the benefit – Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit.
Guarantee credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you are single or your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner.
Savings credit is extra money you get if you have some savings or your income is above the basic full state pension amount – £169.50.
Savings credit is only available to people who reached state pension age before April 6, 2016.
Usually, you only qualify for pension credit if your income is below the £218.15 or £332.95 thresholds.
However, you can sometimes be eligible for savings credit or guarantee credit depending on your circumstances.
For example, if you are suffering from a severe disability and claiming Attendance Allowance, as well as other benefits, you can get an extra £81.50 a week.
Meanwhile, you can get either £66.29 a week or £76.79 a week for each child you’re responsible and caring for.
The rules behind who qualifies for pension credit can be complicated, so the best thing to do is just check.
You can do this by using the Government’s pension credit calculator on its website.
Or, you can call the Pension Service helpline on 0800 99 1234 from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Those in Northern Ireland have to call the Pension Centre on 0808 100 6165 from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
It might be worth a visit to your local Citizens Advice branch too – its staff should be able to offer you help for free.
One additional and major perk of pension credit is that it is known as a “gateway” benefit in that it opens up a host of other freebies and perks.
This includes a free TV licence worth £169.50 a year if you are 75 or over and council tax discounts.
And of course, if you are on the guarantee credit part of pension credit, you also qualify for the Warm Home Discount.
How and when is the WHD paid?
The discount is usually applied between October and March, typically as a credit on your account depending on how you pay for your energy.
The £150 is usually deducted from your electricity bill, but you can also get the money off your gas bill if your supplier provides both your gas and electricity.
You should get in touch with your energy supplier to ask if they will give you a discount on your gas bill.
If you are a direct debit customer or smart prepayment meter customer, you should get the £150 automatically added as credit on your account.
Traditional prepayment meter customers are sent top-up vouchers by post, email or text. You may also receive a cheque.
You have 90 days to redeem any vouchers, but your supplier can reissue you one if it gets lost or expires.
Any vouchers have to be redeemed at your nearest Post Office branch or PayPoint shop.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Beauty therapist reveals horror injuries after she was ‘glassed in the face on night out by savage gang of girls’
A BEAUTY therapist has revealed her horror injuries after she was allegedly glassed in the face on a night out.
Elly Brosch was out with a pal at Harry’s Bar in Maidstone, Kent, when she was ambushed.
The 27-year-old claims she turned around when a gang of vicious girls smashed a glass in her face.
She now fears she will be scarred for life following the horror last Saturday night.
Elly added: “I never thought anything like this was possible.
“I’m pretty sure I had my back to them and as I turned around they hit me.
“They must have glassed me first as I vaguely remember my hair being pulled out and everyone screaming and then staff carried me upstairs.
“I woke up on the floor in the girls’ toilet after being unconscious for a while.
“The medics told me I’d been attacked by a group of girls and they had smashed a glass and hit me with it.”
Elly claims paramedics were called but after they failed to show up for three hours, she took herself to hospital.
Once there, she had to wait another two-and-a-half hours for a CT scan and blood tests.
The beauty therapist posted a string of pictures on social media of herself wrapped up in bloody bandages following the horror.
Elly can also be seen with a large gash on her forehead after one cut narrowly missed her temporal vein.
She said she spoke to a Kent Police officer while in hospital but claims she has not heard anything since.
Elly added: “It’s just totally shocked me that this would ever happen.
“I’d never dream of this happening to anyone.”
A spokesperson for Harry’s Bar said: “We have fully cooperated with the police and they have full access to any CCTV as part of this investigation.
“For legal reasons, we are only permitted to provide CCTV footage direct to the police.
“We will continue to cooperate with the police if any further requests are made in their investigation.”
The Sun Online has contacted Kent Police for comment.
EastEnders’ Bradley Branning actor has very different life 14 years on from iconic soap death
LIFE is a world away from Walford for Charlie Clements after he left EastEnders in a dramatic storyline back in 2010.
The actor, now 37, played Bradley Branning from 2006 to 2010 and was introduced to the Square as the son of Max (played by Jake Wood) and Rachel Branning (Suki Smith).
Viewers will remember him as a mild mannered, serious young man, who married Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
At the time viewers dubbed him ‘Boring Bradley’ but one of his most memorable storylines was when his wife Stacey did the dirty on him with his dad Max, breaking his heart.
Bradley went on to have his own affair with beautician Preeti Choraria (Babita Pohoomull) and was once taken hostage by Nick Cotton (John Altman) in Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) café.
However, he met his untimely end in February 2010 during a special live episode to mark EastEnders’ 25th anniversary.
He fell dramatically from the roof of the Queen Victoria pub while being chased by police after admitting he killed Archie Mitchell.
At the time he said of his departure: “Time to move on and take on some new roles.
“I will always be grateful to EastEnders – I have had the privilege of working with some wonderful people whilst being given some fantastic storylines.”
He told The Express, it was “scary” to think about a post-EastEnders life, saying: “It takes up so much of your life. I guess it’s auditions, auditions, auditions for me. I just hope I get work.”
It took some time but he got the part of Jake O’Reilly in Casualty (2013) before appearing in an episode of the Canadian drama series, Murdoch Mysteries (2015).
A year later, he appeared in Channel 5’s miniseries, Henry VIII & His Six Wives and in 2017 was cast in the television documentary Elizabeth and Her Enemies.
However, the COVID pandemic saw him swap acting for a more ordinary life, working as a chef and later at a garden centre.
He and his wife Rebecca Clatworthy have three children and with family life comes new responsibilities.
Opening up about the career change during an episode of Loose Women, Charlie said: “Acting is my first love and career choice, but at the end of the day, I’m a jobbing actor. I’ve got bills to pay and a family to support like everyone else.”
When he is not working, Charlie loves to get on the golf course. His Instagram profile shows his passion for the sport.
Most devastating soap deaths
SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust.
Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years.
EASTENDERS
Barry Evans – Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying.
Her plan to inherit Barry’s fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files.
Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was “fake”.
Bradley Branning – Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater’s rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died.
He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape.
Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death.
CORONATION STREET
Tina McIntyre – Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow – despite him being married to Carla Connor.
When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla’s brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her.
Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony – then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her.
In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe.
Molly Dobbs – Molly was one of the victims in Corrie’s 2010 tram crash, alongside Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold).
Married to Tyrone (Alan Halsall), Molly had been having an affair with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in the months before her death.
This resulted in the birth of their son, Jack (Kyran Bowes), who was named after Jack Duckworth.
As fate would have it, Kevin’s wife Sally (Sally Dynevor) was by Molly’s side in her final moments.
Sally was stunned as Molly confessed Kevin was Jack’s father, before dying of her injuries.
Vera Duckworth – Having appeared regularly in Corrie since the 1970s, there was no denying Vera Duckworth was an iconic character.
Alongside her husband Jack, the pair formed one of the soap’s most beloved couples.
Viewers were heartbroken when Vera was killed off in 2008, being discovered having passed away peacefully in her chair.
Liz Dawn, who played Vera, made a brief return two years later for Bill Tarmey’s exit as Jack.
Paul Foreman – Fans were heartbroken when Paul Foreman succumbed to his illness after battling motor neurone disease.
Introduced in 2018 as David Platt’s (Jack P. Shepherd) cellmate, he later embarked on a romance – and marriage – with vicar Billy Mayhew.
The MND storyline was announced in 2023 – with the expectation it would result in the character’s death.
EMMERDALE
Sarah Sugden – After the family got into financial problems, Sarah’s son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn.
He didn’t realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze.
Nine villagers – The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale.
Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash.
Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died.
HOLLYOAKS
Carmel McQueen – The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family’s car.
Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble – but got stuck in it herself.
Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel.
Last year, he was pictured wearing a bright turquoise polo shirt with the caption: “Swapped the chef whites for the greens.”.
So, from acting to becoming a chef, to becoming a greenkeeper, there is life after the square.
EastEnders is on BBC1 on Monday at 8pm, Tuesday at 7.30pm and Thursday at 7.30pm and Friday at 8pm.
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Woman wins huge payout after mechanic kept £80k Porsche for 11 YEARS – before dumping stripped out shell on her doorstep
AN ARCHAEOLOGIST has won a £114,000 payout after a mechanic kept her Porsche for 11 years – before dumping its stripped shell on her doorstep.
Oxford University academic Dr Penelope Horlick pranged her 1997 Porsche 911 Triptonic – worth £80,000 – while trying to avoid a pothole on a wet road in August 2010.
In the aftermath of the accident, which took place while Dr Horlick was picking her daughter up from college, the car would not start, and it had an oil leak.
She left it in the care of engineer Jagjiwan Jhally, who took the car into his Beckenham workshop, agreeing to repair it.
Dr Horlick repeatedly contacted Mr Jhally, 59, for an update, but the mechanic failed to return the vehicle, and she finally opted to buy an Audi as a replacement in 2014.
Despite repeated requests, Mr Jhally failed to return her car, which he said needed an engine rebuild, insisting that he had legal rights over it and seeking payment of his “storage costs”.
He presented Dr Horlick with bills totalling around £9,000.
Finally, in March 2022 – more than 11 years after it was handed to the machanic – the stripped out shell of the car was deposited outside Dr Horlick’s Kensington home.
Only the chassis – stripped of the engine, gearbox and other crucial parts – was returned, following the issue of legal proceedings, the court was told.
Now, after a three-day trial, Mr Jhally, trading as JJ Engineering, has been ordered to hand over £114,000 in compensation to the academic.
Dr Horlick, who specialises in the mid-Palaeolithic period and Neanderthals, is a veteran academic who has been a research fellow at Oxford University since 2003.
Her car is a rarity, being one of the last Porsche 911s made using an air cooled engine and labelled by one expert as a “wonderful touring car”.
Dr Horlick had relished taking the car she bought in 2008 out on the road, using it a couple of times a week when commuting for work in Oxford, Recorder John Halford said.
Following the accident, she sent it to Mr Jhally’s Beckenham premises for repairs, but years passed without the car being repaired and returned to its owner.
“Mr Jhally would repeatedly say the repairs were almost complete, but refused to give a definite timeline,” said her barrister Adam Smith-Roberts.
“As time progressed, he became more aggressive and Dr Horlick was afraid to push matters.”
In her evidence, Dr Horlick claimed Mr Jhally became “increasingly aggressive” when she urged him to return her car, and sent her abusive messages through her lawyers branding her an “attention seeker.”
Dr Horlick sued Mr Jhally for compensation for breach of contract and for conversion, a legal term meaning a failure to “surrender property to the rightful owner” when requested.
On top of having to buy a replacement vehicle, she claimed £5,000 damages for the distress caused by the loss of her “prized” possession.
But Mr Jhally countersued Dr Horlick for substantial sums he claimed to have spent on parts and repairs, also maintaining her case was time-barred because she left it too late to sue.
Giving judgment, Recorder Halford said the dismantled Porsche 911 was clearly Dr Horlick’s “pride and joy”, adding: “Nobody buys a Porsche to have a car – they buy a Porsche to have a Porsche”.
“The car had a particular value, given its status and performance,” he added.
“It was her evidence that she prized it and enjoyed driving it and she was deprived of the value of being a Porsche owner while the car was held by Mr Jhally even though she only used it for specific trips.”
Additional distress stemmed from the way in which Mr Jhally “deposited the car at her doorstep contrary to her express instructions”, said the judge.
“His increasingly derogatory comments about her only served to compound that distress,” he added.
Mr Jhally’s comments about Dr Horlick were “vicious” and unjustly “impugned her moral character”, said the judge.
The mechanic was further found to have breached his contract to complete the repairs within a “reasonable time frame”, which the judge assessed should have been a year from the time he took charge of the Porsche.
Dr Horlick had done her best to tolerate the delays, including giving allowance for Mr Jhally’s health problems and the fact that in 2014 he had served 11 months behind bars for conspiracy to commit an assault.
In terms of repairs, the mechanic had done little more than strip out the engine and carry out his diagnosis, the court heard.
“He didn’t complete the work with reasonable care and skill, indeed he didn’t complete it at all, although there is no significant criticism of the way he undertook his diagnosis,” said the judge.
Mr Jhally had agreed to continue working on the car and complete repairs in 2012 and four years later made the same pledge.
“He re-committed himself to that in 2016, but didn’t honour his commitments,” the judge noted.
Also backing Dr Horlick’s “conversion” claim, the judge said Mr Jhally had held onto the Porsche in the face of her repeated demands for its return.
“From 2016 onwards, she made serious and unequivocal requests for the return of her car,” he said.
“She had identified another engineeer to work on the car and wanted it released so that the work which was still necessary could happen.”
But Mr Jhally refused to deliver up the car unless various “stipulations” were met, and ultimately dumped the Porsche chassis on the street near her home, despite Dr Horlick’s requests that it be delivered to her new mechanics.
“Mr Jhally said in evidence that he had no choice but to return the car to her home, but I consider this made no sense whatever,” said the judge.
“It was clear that she wanted the car collected by (her new mechanics) or delivered to them by Mr Jhally.
“He had no right to refuse to release the car.”
The judge’s award comes to around £114,000, Dr Horlick’s lawyers revealed, although both sides must return to court at a later date to discuss issues such as interest on the damages, legal costs, and whether Mr Jhally should be allowed permission to appeal.
I thought lotto email was ‘nothing’ before realising I’d blanked EuroMillions win – my pals thought I was joking
A FATHER nearly missed out on hundreds of thousands of pounds after skimming over an email from The National Lottery.
John McDowell, 53, from Bathgate, West Lothian, is hoping to take an early retirement after scooping more than £183,000 on the EuroMillions.
The father-of-three won a whopping £183,257.40 on September 6 and knows exactly what he’ll be spending his money on.
After ordering his brother his first passport for their trip abroad, Mr McDowell is keen to help his daughters get on the property ladder, and get his mother a new kitchen.
He also wants to splash out on a new car.
Mr McDowell is caring for his father, and woke him up to tell him the news after seeing an email, describing the moment as “surreal”.
He booked a holiday for Egypt at Christmas to take his brother abroad for the first time, and has begun the process of getting him a passport.
Mr McDowell currently works as a school caretaker.
He said: “I absolutely love my job but winning this money will mean I get to retire that little bit earlier and put my feet up sooner.
“I can’t wait to treat my family – my brother has never been abroad before so the first thing I wanted to do was book a holiday somewhere hot and sunny for us both.
“I asked him whether he fancied spending Christmas in Egypt as it would be nice to spend some time swapping the cold Scottish weather for somewhere warm at that time of year.
“He agreed, so I told him to get a passport ordered. It will be a really special holiday.
“I have been wanting to get myself a new car for a while, but I’ve been putting it off, but I’ll definitely be shopping for one soon.
“I like to travel up north to get away from it all, so I’d love to get an SUV-style car – maybe a Kia Sportage – to help me explore.
“I would also like to help my daughters plan for their futures, so I’ll now also be able to help them to get on the property ladder when the time’s right.”
He described the feeling of winning as “surreal” after three years of buying lottery tickets.
He matched the five main numbers and one Lucky Star number in the EuroMillions draw on September 6.
The winning numbers from that draw were 12, 14, 34, 41, 47 and the Lucky Star numbers were 3 and 4.
Mr McDowell said: “On the night I won, I was just about to go to bed and had a quick look at my phone and saw an email from The National Lottery.
“I was going to ignore it as I thought it would be nothing, but curiosity got the better of me and I had a look and realised it said I had matched five main numbers and one Lucky Star.
“Everyone in the house was in bed so I made myself a cup of tea before telling anyone – I then woke my dad up to tell him and he didn’t understand at first – he thought I was joking.
“It’s so surreal, I still can’t believe it.”
Arteta talks up Enrique’s ‘unbelievable power’ as Arsenal hosts PSG in marquee Champions League game
LONDON (AP) — Days after professing his “love” and “respect” for Pep Guardiola, Arsenal manager [...]
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My Brother’s Keeper Teasers for October 2024
Here are the teasers for this month’s episodes for the South African telenovela, My Brother’s Keeper. My Brother’s Keeper airs on Mzansi Magic on Mondays to Fridays at 19:30. Tuesday 1 October 2024 Episode 117 Don’t mess with my bag Mshengu sells MaMchunu’s car off. Donga and Nkosazana have a big blow up. Nqubeko gets […]
The post My Brother’s Keeper Teasers for October 2024 appeared first on Political Analysis South Africa.
“La Tierra está cambiando”: Conoce aquí cuales son las consecuencias
Para todas aquellas personas que sientan que les falta tiempo en el día, éste es su momento. Parece ser que los días en la Tierra durarán 25 horas, en lugar de 24, como estamos acostumbrados hasta el momento. De acuerdo con un nuevo estudio, publicado por científicos de la Universidad Técnica de Múnich (TUM, por sus siglas en […]
La entrada “La Tierra está cambiando”: Conoce aquí cuales son las consecuencias se publicó primero en Verás.