1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on First picture of woman, 35, who died in Derry crash as tributes pour for ‘caring and kind’ midwife with ‘kindest soul’
TRIBUTES have been paid to a beloved midwife who died after a horror collision in Derry.
The two-vehicle collision occurred on the Windyhill Road, Macosquin, at around 3.10pm on Thursday.
The PSNI have now confirmed the 35-year-old victim as Annemarie McWilliams, best known as Annie.
The woman was a driver of one of two cars involved in the smash.
Police in Northern Ireland are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the fatal collision.
In a statement they said: “Police can confirm the name of the woman who died following a road traffic collision outside Coleraine on Thursday 20th February, 2025.
“35-year-old Annemarie (Annie) McWilliams from the Kilrea area, died following the two-vehicle collision on the Windyhill Road, Macosquin, at around 3.10pm.”
“The Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the circumstances of the collision and are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision or anyone who may have CCTV, dash-cam or other footage that could assist with the investigation is asked to contact detectives from the Collision Investigation Unit on 101 quoting reference 1027 20/02/25.”
Annemarie is remembered as the “loving daughter” Philip McWilliams and late Martina.
She is deeply missed by her aunt and uncle Kevin and Jacqui.
And is described as the “adored cousin” of Christopher and Erin.
Posting an online death notice her family described her passing as “suddenly as the result of a road traffic accident”.
Her funeral details will be release at a later date.
‘BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN EVERY WAY’
Tributes have now poured in for the well-liked woman.
One person said: “The heart of maternity… a beautiful girl who carried us all through many’s a difficult day.
“Such a pleasure to have known and worked with you Annie! You will be missed more than you will ever know.”
Another person added: “I’m totally heartbroken. A beautiful girl in every way, taken far too soon. It’s been a pleasure working with you over the years.
“Will miss your beautiful shy smile. Thoughts and prayers are with your family, friends and colleagues. RIP Annie.”
And another person said: “RIP Annie, such a beautiful girl inside and out.
“You were so good to me after I had my two boys, I will never forget how caring and kind you were. Sincere condolences to all the family at this heartbreaking time.”
‘FRIEND FOR LIFE’
Further tributes have poured in for “Annie” following the tragic passing.
One old friend wrote: “Just devastating news. The kindest soul.
“From the little shy girl who sat beside me the first day of school to that friendly face in maternity who would of done anything for you. Thinking of all those who loved you.”
Another mourner added: “What a gorgeous girl a friend for life and some of the best years spent together fly high angel, thinking of the whole family at this sad time.”
Another added: “Aw wee Annie, the best girl and a dear friend.”
Midwife Annemarie has been described as a ‘beautiful girl’ in a resounding tributeFuneral Times Collect
1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on Sarwar vows to take Scotland in ‘new direction’ as he blasts SNP for 18 years of the ‘wrong’ one
ANAS Sarwar has promised he would take Scotland in a “new direction” as he blasted the Nats for 18 years of taking the country in the “wrong direction”.
The Scottish Labour leader used his keynote speech at his party’s annual conference in Glasgow’s SEC today to outline a flurry of policy pledges, including a ban on mobile phones in classrooms.
PAAnas Sarwar has set out his pledges in a bid to win the next Holyrood election[/caption]
PAThe Scottish Labour leader has promised to set up a watchdog to highlight wasted taxpayers’ cash, axe peak rail fares, end rough sleeping, and ban mobiles in classrooms[/caption]
AlamyMr Sarwar has called on First Minister John Swinney to “step aside”[/caption]
PAMr Sarwar is setting his sights on next year’s Holyrood election[/caption]
And he urged John Swinney to “step aside” as the Scottish Labour leader insisted he would “defy the odds” and win the 2026 Holyrood election.
The party chief also sought to gloss over the troubled first months of Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street by focusing on the failures of the SNP.
And as he sought to set out his vision as a future First Minister, Mr Sarwar outlined key promises ahead of next year’s vote.
They included:
– Setting up a Department of Government Efficiency to tackle waste of taxpayer cash
In a 50-minute speech at the Scottish Event Campus, Mr Sarwar attempted to set out his vision as he told Scots he was “submitting my application to be the next First Minister of Scotland”.
And he urged voters to abandon the SNP and back him at the next Holyrood election – despite recent polling putting his party 17 points behind the Nats.
Such a result would be Scottish Labour’s worst in the history of devolution and is a major reverse from before last year’s General Election when the party was level-pegging with the SNP.
But Mr Sarwar – who was congratulated and embraced by his wife Furheen after the speech – insisted Scottish Labour is “on the pitch”.
He added: “I am determined that we will defy the odds again and that we will win the election in 2026.
“Whether it’s in our NHS, our economy, or our schools the SNP is taking Scotland in the wrong direction.
“We will set out what a new direction in May 2026 will mean for you, your family, your community and our country.
“I am submitting my application to be the next First Minister of Scotland.”
Slamming the SNP for 18 years of failures, Mr Sarwar insisted the Nats time was up and urged voters to give his party their trust.
Mr Sarwar also blasted John Swinney and labelled him a “back-to-the-future” leader as he urged John Swinney to “step aside”.
He said: “After nearly two decades in power, they’ve had their chance.
“If they were going to fix the problems, they would have done it by now.”
Mr Sarwar added: “You can’t fix the problem, so move aside because as First Minister I will.
“As First Minister the buck would stop with me and my ministers. No more passing the blame – no more shirking responsibility.”
The Scottish Labour leader also used his speech to set out brand new policies ahead of next year’s elections in a bid to differentiate the party from the Nats.
Among the announcements included a commitment to end rough sleeping, which insiders said would be based on policies in Greater Manchester.
This would see extra beds provided in major cities to give every person sleeping on the streets an option of a warm bed – alongside “wrap-around” mental health support.
Adding that 242 Scots died last year while sleeping rough, in what he branded a “damning indictment on Government failure”, he added: “As first minister I will end rough sleeping in Scotland once and for all.”
Mr Sarwar also took aim at the rise in violent behaviour in schools and promised he would ban mobile phones in classrooms if he enters Bute House in May next year.
The move comes after SNP education secretary Jenny Gilruth was accused of passing the buck by saying it was up to individual headteachers whether to ban phones in schools.
Mr Sarwar said: “More and more pupils are feeling unsafe in our classrooms.
“The mental health of our young people is being undermined – with catastrophic results. This has to end.
“That’s why, as First Minister, I will ban mobile phones in classrooms and make schools safe, calm places for learning again.”
The Scottish Labour leader also aped plans from Twitter/X tycoon Elon Musk and Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay to target wasteful government spending as part of a pledge to set up a Scottish department of government efficiency.
This, he said, would see every penny of the Scottish Government’s spending tested for value for money amid a crackdown on waste.
Mr Sarwar said: “That value for money will extend to every part of government because right now Scots are paying more and more to serve the ever-expanding machinery of government.
“And they are getting less and less from public services.”
It is understood the party’s finance spokesman, Michael Marra, will lead the efforts and outline the plans in more detail tomorrow.
Mr Sarwar also repeated his promise to reduce the number of health boards in Scotland from 14 to three and said he would focus on increasing the number of nurses amid a war on “penpushers”.
Blasting the number of managers in the NHS, he said: “As First Minister I will make sure your money is spent on the nurses and doctors, not the bureaucrats and the penpushers.”
And echoing John Swinney’s pledge to end child poverty, Mr Sarwar promised he would use “all the powers at Scotland’s disposal to end poverty.”
But Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton attacked the Scottish Labour leader and said voters could not “trust a word” of the speech.
She said: “Labour have broken so many promises since the General Election that who could trust a word Anas Sarwar says.
“They promised not to axe winter fuel payments for pensioners or not to hike National Insurance, but Keir Starmer did it anyway, so Scots simply won’t believe him.”
And Nats depute leader Keith Brown blasted the lack of a mention of the row over 400 lost jobs at Grangemouth, with Mr Sarwar having promised Labour would step in and “save the jobs” at the refinery.
The SNP MSP said: “His speech would have benefitted from an apology for the litany of broken promises he and Keir Starmer used to get elected.
“Labour under Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer are in complete disarray – breaking promise after promise and seeing their support plummet.”
1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on Mipo Odubeko scores winning goal as Shelbourne edge out 10-man Waterford to maintain perfect start to Premier Division
MIPO ODUBEKO popped up with the lone goal as champions Shelbourne made it two wins from two games against the battling ten men of Waterford FC in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division at the RSC.
Padraig Amond had the first chance on two minutes when he latched onto a long clearance from Stephen McMullan down the left-side on two minutes, and after cutting into the area, but his low shot was saved by Conor Kearns.
Mipo Odubeko scored the winning goal for Shelbourne against WaterfordMichael P Ryan/Sportsfile
The Blues had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Paul Norton six minutes later when Rowan McDonald’s right-wing delivery was knocked down into the path of Tommy Lonergan and although the ball seemed to strike the hand of a defender, the official took his time before awarding a corner-kick.
Shelbourne struck for the lead goal on 14 minutes when Evan Caffey flicked the ball to Sean Boyd, who got past the intentions of Darragh Leahy with ease, before squaring into the centre for Mipo Odubeko to finish past McMullan from ten yards.
Odubeko had the ball in the net for a second time on 22 minutes when he headed home inside the six-yard box, but the flag was raised for offside before Ryan Burke was just over with a cracking 25-yard strike at the other end a minute later.
Harry Wood went close for the champions four minutes later when the midfielder picked up possession left of centre on the top of the penalty area, but his effort fizzed wide of Stephen McMullan’s near post before Sean Boyd was rightly cautioned for simulation in the area on the half-hour.
A neat Shels move on 35 minutes created another chance for Mipo Odubeko when he controlled a pass from Caffrey before bringing the ball onto his left-foot, but his well-struck effort from outside the penalty area was well saved by keeper McMullan.
Blues left full-back Ryan Burke wasn’t afraid to have a crack from distance with his 38th minute that saw his deflected effort spin wide of the target as the second-half was all about potential penalties and a red card.
There were two penalty appeals in the space of sixty mad seconds on 53 minutes that were both turned away by referee Paul Norton. The first for the Blues when Conan Noonan skipped past Mark Coyle before crossing for Dean McMenamy before the ball broke for Tommy Lonergan, and although the ball seemed to strike the hand of a visiting defender, the referee was unmoved.
Down the other end, Evan Caffrey went down under a challenge from defender Ryan Burke and with the champions bench animated for a spot-kick, assistant coach Joey O’Brien picked up a yellow card for his reaction to the non-award.
Referee Norton was in the centre of the action once again on 62 minutes when Ryan Burke was dismissed on a straight red card for what the official deemed serious foul play for a follow through in a challenge with Evan Caffrey.
Ellis Chapman could have put the icing on the cake for the visitors in second-half added time, but the former Sligo Rovers player saw his effort from distance flash inches wide of McMullan’s left-hand post as neither keeper were tested in the second period.
1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on Desperate search for girl, 13, who vanished in early hours and ‘may have travelled miles from home’
A DESPERATE hunt for a 13-year-old girl has started after she disappeared in the middle of the night.
Amelia was last seen at around 1am yesterday in the Newport area, Wales, but has since gone missing.
Cops are urging anyone who might know her whereabouts to get in contact.
She was last spotted wearing a quarter-zip black top, grey leggings and black trousers and has links to Stoke Gifford, Fishponds, Kingswood and South Bristol.
Avon and Somerset Police shared a post on social media asking for help to find her.
They said: “We are appealing for the public’s help to find missing Amelia. She was last seen at around 1am yesterday and we are concerned for her welfare.
“If you can help, please call us immediately referencing 5225045861 to the call handler.”
The photo shared shows an image of the teenager with the caption “can you help?”
Text on the image reads: “We are looking for missing 13-year-old Amelia – have you seen her?
“She was last seen at around 1am yesterday in the Newport area but is thought to have travelled to Bristol.
“She is white, of slim build, approximately 4ft 11ins tall, with long, straight, brown hair.
“Amelia was last seen wearing a quarter-zip black top, grey leggings and black trainers.
“She has links to Stoke Gifford, Fishponds, Kingswood and South Bristol.
“If you know where Amelia is, please call 999 and quote reference 5225045861.
“If you have any other information, please call 101.”
1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on I saved £300 on a new bed by transforming my son’s ‘girly’ old one with a £13 hack, now it’s perfect for his gaming room
A MONEY-MINDED mum has impressed people online with her incredible DIY skills.
She managed to give her son’s “girly” old bed a total glow up using fabric dye she’d bought online – which she says saved her splashing out £300 on a new bed.
Becca said her son felt his old grey bed was “girly”TikTok / @becca_janeh0After her jaw-dropping DIY, her son’s bed looked perfect for his gaming roomTikTok / @becca_janeh0
Mum-of-two Becca posted a video to her TikTok account, @becca_janeh0, showing users the amazing transformation.
Her video has so far been seen a whopping 6.5 million times, with people praising her for her money-saving hack.
She told viewers: “Rather than spending £200-£300 on a new bed, I thought I would upcycle this one, so I went on eBay and bought some fabric dye.
“Read the instructions, I have no clue what I’m doing here, but you have to mix it with, like, some colour activator or soak the bed – so I’ve just sprayed it and now I’m just painting it on.”
Smart-thinking Becca had found some the dye online, and chosen a black colour to match her son’s gaming room aesthetic.
She’d never attempted the DIY hack before, but followed the instructions on the packaging and painted directly onto the headboard.
Bold Becca even did up her son’s gaming chair, to make a matching set of furniture that looked totally brand new.
She said the first time she applied the dye, the dark colour gave her “a bit of a scare” but after application she realised it might even need a second coat.
In another video posted to her page, she showed off the results of the gorgeous glow-up, and you’d never be able to tell the handiwork wasn’t completed professionally.
Pleased with her progress, she told viewers: “In my opinion, how much better does this look for this bedroom?”
She panned the camera round to show the matching gaming chair, which was also updated with a fresh new look.
Still planning to give the furniture another coat in the future, Becca said she’ll soon be giving her other son’s room a makeover too.
Users love the results
Viewers filled the comment section with praise for the hardworking mum’s money-saving makeover.
“I’ve been wanting to do this in my room! Thanks for sharing! Super helpful,” said one person.
“Love the room. I bet your son thinks it’s the best!” said another.
“Omg love, and you didn’t have to spend money on a whole new set,” somebody else wrote.
“I love it! I’ve been thinking of doing the same exact thing!” another user commented.
Eight Easy DIY Tips & Tricks
The ultimate guide for homeowners and renters:
DIY expert’s lazy painting hack will make decorating your home much easier
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1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on Leicester 0 Brentford 4: Woeful Foxes set embarrassing Premier League record as Bees run riot at King Power
LEICESTER CITY set an unwanted Premier League record as more misery piled on Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The Foxes lost 4-0 at home to Brentford thanks to three first-half Bees goals.
PALeicester lost their sixth home match in a row without scoring a goal[/caption]
GettyBrentford won 4-0 at the King Power[/caption]
And that made it SIX home league defeats in a row without scoring a single goal.
It puts them clear of Norwich’s five in 2019-20.
The run started with a 3-0 thumping by Wolves on December 22 then City lost 2-0 to Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Arsenal before Brentford arrived at the King Power.
Yoane Wissa gave the Bees the lead on 17 minutes when Leicester’s statues at the back allowed Mikkel Damsgaard’s neat pass to make its way through.
Bryan Mbeumo did what Bryan Mbeumo does, cutting in on his left foot and whipping into the far corner for 2-0.
Then Christian Norgaard had a free header from a free-kick to make it 3-0 with just 32 minutes on the clock.
It looked as though it would finish at three but Fabio Carvalho added a fourth just before the end – to condemn the Foxes to the third 4-0 defeat of Van Nistelrooy’s nightmare tenure.
The final sting from the Bees prompted arguments between Leicester team-mates on the pitch – seemingly between goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and Boubakary Soumare.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
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1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on Salford chief exec delivers ‘season starts now’ message after takeover
Macdonald believes Salford’s fans are also helping him love lifeSWPIX.COM
CHRIS Irwin has a three-word phrase that sums up the feeling at Salford – season starts today.
But he feels the Rugby Football League could have moved quicker to get their takeover done.
Chris Irwin has told of the hold-ups that saw Salford’s takeover delayed – and sparked a controversy over a reserve teamSALFORD RED DEVILS
The Red Devils will not have heard the last of the record 82-0 hammering at St Helens in which boss Paul Rowley played the reserves.
Now the buyout led by Swiss moneyman Dario Berta, with Australia-based Saia Kailahi and Dubai-based Curtiz Brown as the ‘men on the ground’ has gone through, sustainability cap restrictions have been lifted.
The full first team can face Leeds as the man now leading the club detailed what everyone involved had gone through.
And getting the nod from the game’s governing body was no easy task.
“It’s taken a while because you need to acquire the club first, then they find out if they’re fit and proper persons from the RFL,” chief executive Irwin said.
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“I think it could’ve been easier if the RFL met the owners prior to the paperwork for the club being signed, rather than wait for that and then starting that process.
“They actually got involved last Tuesday. The owners met to try and make sure everything was clear and on the Wednesday morning, they sent a list of things they needed to provide – I think their interpretation of what was expected was different.
“I appreciate having that governance from the RFL is really important for our game – to dismiss that would be naïve and silly. The RFL has to do their job for the sake of the game.
“We’re working with the RFL on the compliance unit investigation into the St Helens squad. I’m supportive of the RFL and I’ll work with them to make sure there are learnings for everyone for the benefit of the game.
“But these guys are going to invest a significant amount of money but they had to wait for the RFL before they could move on with things.
Salford Red Devils have new owners after Swiss banker Dario Berta bought the cash-strapped clubSWPIX.COM
“That dragged things out a bit.”
Now the deal for Salford Red Devils is done, thoughts are turning to taking on the council-owned stadium and the land around it.
For now, though, just being able to field Rowley’s first team squad and seeing the club financially secure long-term for the first time in a long time is enough.
“I think there’s been interest for a while and actually they maybe had to move quicker than they wanted to because of the situation the club was in,” former player Irwin, who was chief commercial officer at Exeter City FC, added.
The deal was eventually ratified by the RFL ahead of Salford’s home opener against LeedsSWPIX.COM
“The funders have founded a special purpose vehicle – they will put into that. For the club, the stadium and the development of the land around it, there will be separate companies under the same banner.
“As a club we’ve not had the resources to grow. Now we have funds in, my job is to build that infrastructure so we can get bums on seats in the stadium and start maximising what we’ve got.
“The product on the pitch is second to none. What Paul’s done, we need to sell that and after the turmoil he and his staff have been through, not just this year, their closeness is unrivalled.
“They should play in front of packed crowds at this stadium. We’ll spend to full salary cap in future. We’ll be looking to get a marquee player in at some point to shake Super League up a bit.
1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on Isaiah Hartenstein drops honest admission on Thunder getting healthy
Isaiah Hartenstein and the Oklahoma City Thunder are excited to finish the 2024-25 campaign. Heading into the post-All-Star break, the Thunder will face the Utah Jazz before entering 27 more games to wrap up a dominating regular season. Oklahoma City, 44-10, leads the Western Conference standings by 8.0 games and is relatively healthy for the […]
1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on Penn State vs. Minnesota prediction, pick, college basketball odds
These are two of the worst teams in the Big Ten this season, and they desperately need a win to look more respectable. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a prediction and pick for Penn State-Minnesota. Penn State is 14-13 and has quality wins against Purdue, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Nebraska. It […]
1 day agoworld NewsComments Off on Padres’ Manny Machado crushes home run on his 1st spring training pitch
The San Diego Padres are hungry heading into the 2025 season after a disappointing NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, and that quest gets underway today against the Seattle Mariners in the spring training opener. Star third baseman Manny Machado has been one of the best players in baseball for a number […]