First aid trucks enter Gaza as Israel seeks full control of territory

The first trucks carrying humanitarian aid have been allowed into Gaza by Israel – as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces his forces will take full control of the Gaza Strip as part of their latest, expanded offensive against the territory.

Five aid lorries entered via the Kerem Shalom crossing on Monday – ending a near three-month blockade by Israel – after Mr Netanyahu agreed to allow a “limited” amount of aid in the face of a famine from food security experts.

The move, welcomed by the United Nations, came on the same day the prime minister revealed that Israel had plans to “take control of all” of the Gaza Strip following the latest round of airstrikes in Gaza.

“The fighting is intense, and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the strip,” Mr Netanyahu said in a video posted to his Telegram channel. “We will not give up. But in order to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped.”

Mr Netanyahu added that lifting the blockade on aid entering the territory was for “practical and diplomatic reasons” that centred on pacifying Israel’s international critics. The blockade has been in place since a truce fell apart in March.

The Israeli military said forces engaged in a new campaign dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots” were active across Gaza, seeking to eliminate Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and to bring back the remaining hostages seized in October 2023.

Over the weekend, Israeli forces announced they were launching “extensive” operations in the north of Gaza, towards the Jabaliya refugee camp, and southwards towards the city of Khan Younis.

Palestinians in Khan Younis were ordered to “evacuate immediately” on Monday morning ahead of what Israeli forces described as an “unprecedented attack to destroy” Hamas.

“From this moment, Khan Younis will be considered a dangerous combat zone,” Israel spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Telegram.

Previous Israeli air and ground offensives have already caused heavy damage to the city. Almost the entire population of 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza, who are barred from leaving the territory, have been displaced by Israel’s constant attacks. Many have been forced to relocate numerous times as Israel returns for further military operations.

Palestinian health officials said more than 500 people have been killed in attacks in the past eight days.

Nedal Hamdouna a journalist who was force to flee bombing for the eight time over the weekend said the situation was a nightmare.

“While I was evacuating I saw people screaming and crying as they received the news of the killing of their sons in an Israeli airstrike,” he told The Independent. “I passed by the cemetery road where I saw some young men burying their relatives who were killed this morning,” he said.

Israel’s ground and air war has killed more than 53,000 people, many of them civilians, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

The war erupted after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near the border with Gaza on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

The Israeli army spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani, said there was “no end date necessarily” for the newly expanded and intensified operation in Gaza, adding that the army had hit over 800 targets in Gaza in “recent days” and that there were five divisions operating there, after tens of thousands of reservists were mobilised.

On Monday, Cogat, the Israeli army unit given the task of delivering aid to the occupied territories, said: “Following the recommendation of professional IDF officials and in accordance with the directive of the political echelon, 5 UN trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including food for babies, were transferred today via the Kerem Shalom Crossing into the Gaza Strip.

“All aid was transferred following a thorough security inspection by personnel from the Ministry of Defense’s Crossing Points Authority.”

Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Colonel Shoshani declined to confirm or deny whether the Israeli military would indefinitely hold areas of Gaza, as suggested by the Israeli premier.

The military spokesperson told reporters the main goal of the new operation was “to target Hamas’ command and control systems, to target their commanders, to target their remaining capabilities.” However, he acknowledged that this means forcing civilians to flee again — without confirming how many people have been asked to move.

Palestinian health officials, meanwhile, said more than 500 people have been killed in attacks in the past eight days as Israel has stepped up its ferocious military campaign.

The health ministry in Gaza said several hospitals had been hit or surrounded. In a message posted to Telegram groups today, the Ministry of Health said Israeli forces fired directly at the intensive care unit at the Indonesian Hospital and bombed the European Gaza Hospital with 14 rockets, “complicating the hospital’s chances of reopening.”

When The Independent asked the Israeli military about these reports, Lt. Colonel Shoshani replied that the army “does not attack hospitals” and that they were “operating according to international law.”

Dr Khaled El-Serr who is head of Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, said his was the last working medical centre in the south of Gaza after the Israeli military issued new forced evacuation orders.

“The situation in the hospital is disastrous… we are overwhelmed with patients. We’ve had to place injured people in the paediatrics and obstetrics wards because there is no space left in the surgical departments,” he said.

“Some patients are being treated in tents and other unsuitable areas where proper care and monitoring are impossible,” he told The Independent as Israeli drones whined in the background.”

The director general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Monday morning that more than 2 million people, out of a total population of 2.3 million, are currently starving in Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu said it was important for Gaza not to “reach a state of starvation, both from a practical and a diplomatic perspective”, because Israel’s international backers “simply will not support us [and ] we will not be able to complete the mission of victory”.

US president Donald Trump, who is viewed as one of America’s most pro-Israel leaders, said last week on the final day of his Gulf tour that people were starving in Gaza and suggested that the US would have the situation “taken care of”. European allies, including the UK, have also voiced serious concerns about the dire humanitarian situation.

Private US companies, under the security control of Israeli forces, will eventually administer the aid, in a move that has been criticised by humanitarian groups as illegal. Until then, the United Nations will lead “limited” efforts to restore deliveries into Gaza.

Hardline nationalist ministers in Mr Netanyahu’s cabinet who had previously opposed all aid to the strip endorsed the move. Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, echoing Mr Netanyahu’s message, suggested it was necessary to ensure the continued war.

“I understand the anger and the stomach aches,” he said on Monday morning. “Until the last of the kidnapped people returns, not even water should be brought in, but the reality is different.”

Israel made its announcement on aid after sources on both sides reported no progress had been made in a new round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Qatar.

Israel has also been pounding Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. Shoshani said the Israeli military deployed 15 aircraft, including fighter jets, to strike seaports and the airport in Yemen.

“They were successfully conducted… and they disabled the ports and reduced the Houthis’ capabilities to transfer their core equipment or anything funding terror into Yemen.”

‘Hero’ died helping firefighters at Bicester fire, say family

A “amazing man” died while helping fire crews tackle a huge blaze at a former RAF base in Bicester, his family have said as they paid tribute to the father.

Dave Chester, 57, was working at Bicester Motion when the blaze broke out, claiming his life and two firefighters – Jennie Logan and Martyn Sadler – on Thursday night.

Two further firefighters suffered serious injuries and are in hospital, Oxfordshire County Council said previously.

In a statement released by Thames Valley Police, Mr Chester’s family said: “Dave was the most amazing man we will ever know, we love and miss him so much. He was a loving and caring father, husband, son and brother. He was Bicester born and bred and known by almost everyone. Once you met Dave, you never forgot him or his quirky sense of humour.

“You won’t find anyone who worked harder than he did, he built an incredible business from the ground up alongside the help of his family and friends.”

They added: “Bicester Motion has been a huge part of our lives, with many amazing memories and friends made along the way. Dave was always known as the man you went to when you needed any sort of help.

“This is exactly what happened on Thursday evening, he saw firefighters needing assistance and helped without hesitation. He was not a victim but a hero, he died the way he lived – helping others and putting them ahead of himself.

“Although he is no longer with us he will always be in our hearts and his legacy will continue.”

A golden plaque has been installed at the entrance to the site, with a tribute reading: “Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Bicester Motion. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the sad loss of two firefighters and the member of the public. Love from the Bicester community.”

Ms Logan, aged 30, and Mr Sadler, 38, were among the ten fire crews that rushed to the fire as neighbours reported multiple explosions and clouds of dense black smoke at 6.39pm.

A close friend of Ms Logan, and a fellow firefighter, posted on social media: “Life is cruel but now everyone can be proud of the hero that I saw, that I heard, that I hugged.”

Mr Sadler’s cousin David described the death of his family member as a “devastating loss”. “Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming number of messages following the devastating loss of my cousin, colleague, role model and hero Martyn Sadler at the fire in Bicester last night,” he wrote on social media.

The Bicester Rugby Union Football Club, with which both Ms Logan and Mr Sadler were involved, said the presence of both firefighters would be “massively missed”.

A fundraising site in memory of those who lost their lives has been set up by Bicester resident Daniel Chartrand, and the GoFundMe page has already raised nearly £2,000 of its £4,500 target.

Fire investigators and Thames Valley Police are working to establish the cause of the blaze, the force added.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe, said: “Our inquiries are ongoing but this is a complex investigation which may take some time.”

Couple awarded damages after footballs kicked into garden of £2m home

A couple who own an idyllic £2m country home have successfully sued the county council after footballs were repeatedly kicked into the garden of their property.

St Anns, an impressive sprawl in Winchester, Hampshire, became a “no go area” after a primary school built a football pitch next door, the High Court was told.

Homeowners Mohamed and Marie-Anne Bakhty said the sports pitch had “taken over” their life, with 170 footballs kicked into their garden in less than a year.

The couple was awarded £1,000 after the High Court ruled Westgate All Through Primary School’s decision to build the pitch and stray balls landing in the garden amounted to a public nuisance.

Mr Bakhaty, a 77-year-old property developer, claimed he was forced to stop using his garden as a place of rest after the school “deliberately” built the pitch to “upset” the couple.

His 66-year-old wife Ms Bakhaty, once a keen gardener, said the “continuous, horrendous noise” of the pitch had caused her distress.

Judge Philip Glen ruled that while stray balls might be annoying, the “frequent projection” of them onto someone else’s property breached common law.

In 2021, a grassy playground was transformed into an all-weather play area with five-a-side football pitch after money was raised for the project.

It was surrounded by a green wired fence and built roughly two metres from the boundary of the couple’s home.

But by October 2022, Mr and Mrs Bakhaty issued a civil claim against Hampshire county council alleging a common law nuisance.

When Judge Glen visited the home, he found 20 footballs lining the flowerbeds of the garden, according to court documents.

He ordered the council to pay the couple £1,000 in damages for the period in which there was “excessive use” of the play area.

However, he said it would not be appropriate to grant an injunction, which is what the couple had initially requested.

He said in his judgment: “There can also in my judgment be no objection to the use by the school of the area presently fenced off behind the all-weather play area for structured activities such as natural history lessons.

“Indeed, if a net was erected to prevent balls, and other objects, from crossing the boundary fence, I cannot necessarily see that there could be any real objection to opening this area up altogether.”

He also said: “I do not consider that the defendant ‘threatens and intends’ to continue the nuisance that I have found existed, albeit that they would have liked in other circumstances to have done so.”

Egypt says seven, including two Brits, dead in tourist boat tragedy

Seven people, including five foreign tourists, have been officially declared dead by Egyptian authorities after a tragic boat accident in the Red Sea.

The tourists – two British, two Polish, and one German – along with two Egyptians, were aboard the Sea Story when it capsized near Sataya Reef in November last year. The boat, carrying 31 tourists and 13 crew on a diving excursion, sank rapidly after being hit by high waves.

While four bodies were recovered shortly after the incident, the remaining seven individuals had been missing until this official declaration, published in a government decree on Sunday.

Brits Jenny Cawson, 36, and her husband Tariq Sinada, 49, were believed to be among seven people still unaccounted for.

Ms Cawson’s mother Pamela told the BBC at the time that she recognised the name of the boat in the news as the couple had been in touch when they arrived in the Red Sea.

She said: “Your heart sinks. You ask yourself, have I misread the news? Let’s look again.”

The family said they approached local sources in Egypt in an attempt to locate their loved ones.

“One of the local sources was kind enough to try and look for them in local hospitals,” Ms Cawson’s mother said in December.

Officials said the boat had passed its last safety inspection eight months earlier with no technical issues reported.

Owned by an Egyptian national, the vessel was 34 meters long and had received a one-year safety certificate from the Maritime Safety Authority. The incident was blamed on high waves during rough weather conditions.

The Sea Story was the second boat to sink in the area last year. A vessel suffered severe damage from strong waves in June, though no casualties were reported. Earlier this year, a viewing submarine sank off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, killing six Russian tourists.

The Red Sea, renowned for its coral reefs and marine life, is a major hub for Egypt’s tourism industry, which plays a critical role in the country’s economy.

Teacher banned over intimate relationship with pupil that started after sports day

An art teacher has been banned from the profession for kissing a student after sports day and having sex with them at their parents’ home regularly.

Helen Flinders, 55, had a five-month relationship with a student while teaching at St Joseph’s Catholic College in Swindon, Wiltshire.

A Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) misconduct panel found she had “seriously breached the teacher-pupil boundary” and that her behaviour represented a “complete abuse of her position of trust”.

Flinders began teaching at the school in 1994, before beginning a sexual relationship with a student, referred to as Student A, in June or July 2000.

In a witness statement given to the TRA, Ms Flinders admitted to the accusations and said: “During July 2000, I went for a drink with Pupil A after sports day. We then went to another teacher’s house. I asked Pupil A for a kiss goodbye. He kissed me and it was consensual.

“A consensual sexual relationship began during the summer break of 2000. I met up with Pupil A approximately three or four times during the summer break of 2000 at his parents’ house… My sexual relationship with Pupil A lasted around 5 and a half months from July to December 2000.”

Pupil A stated in his witness statement that Ms Flinders regularly had sex with him at his parents’ house over the summer break of 2000.

He stated: “The first time Helen Flinders and I had sex was in my parents’ house. She came over, and had asked what I wanted to do, and whether I wanted to take our relationship to the next level. It therefore progressed into a consensual sexual relationship.

“During the summer, my parents worked during the day and were out of the house, so they were not aware that our relationship had progressed to a sexual relationship.”

The relationship ended in December 2000, and Ms Flinders later moved to teach at Churchfields School in Swindon.

In 2011, Pupil A was asked by someone he was dating whether the rumours of his relationship with Mr Flinders were true, to which he said yes.

Churchfields School was notified and she was suspended and later resigned.

Police began an investigation but did not refer the case to the TRA until 2022, when Ms Flinders admitted to the allegations.

After the TRA panel found the accusations against Ms Flinders proven, Duncan Tilley, the panel chairman, said: “The panel noted that whilst the term “safeguarding” was not widely used back in 2000, there was still a clear expectation for teachers to keep children safe and protect their well-being.

“The panel considered that Miss Flinders’ conduct fell significantly short of the standards of behaviour expected of the profession at the time, given the serious nature of her conduct which the panel considered to be a complete abuse of her position of trust to commence a sexual relationship with one of her pupils.

“The panel also noted that despite Pupil A and Miss Flinders stating that the sexual relationship was consensual, the panel considered the potential harmful impact that this relationship could have had on Pupil A’s life.”

Sarah Buxcey, the decision maker, said on behalf of the Secretary of State: “Miss Helen Flinders is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or 18 children’s home in England.

“Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against her, I have decided that Miss Helen Flinders shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of her eligibility to teach.”

Ms Flinders, who faces no police action, has a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.

Sarah Silverman shares shocking revelation about her brother’s death

Sarah Silverman has shared an extraordinary and shocking revelation her father made to her before he died, about the circumstances surrounding the death of her brother, Jeffrey, when he was three months old.

The US comedian, 54, is preparing to release a new special, PostMortem, about the deaths of her parents Beth Ann Halpin (1941 – 2015) and Donald Silverman (1937 – 2023).

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Silverman spoke about her late parents and the themes behind the show, before the journalist told her that he’d been unable to talk about his own father after he was killed in a plane crash.

He wondered if Silverman’s parents had ever been able to talk about Jeffrey’s death, prompting her to explain she was going to tell him “a big bomb”.

While she was writing her 2010 memoir, The Bedwetter – which was later turned into a 2022 musical – she said she was struck by the fact that, while her parents had different accounts of “every issue of their marriage”, they had the same one when describing how Jeffrey died.

In her memoir, Silverman said her brother had been left in the care of her grandparents, Max and Rose, while Donald and Beth Ann went on holiday. Max told his son that he had been checking on Jeffrey in the night, as he had been crying a lot and Rose was hard of hearing.

When her grandfather got up to check on Jeffrey in the morning, he apparently found the baby had suffocated after slipping through a narrow space between the mattress and the bottom rail of the crib.

“The story was that something happened with the crib, and Jeffrey’s little body slid and he got suffocated,” Silverman told Rolling Stone. “But if you look back, there was never a lawsuit with the crib company or anything.”

In 2022, the year before he died, her father came to see a Manhattan production of The Bedwetter five nights in a row. The show included a scene about Silverman as a child making a joke about Jeffrey’s death to her grandmother and no one laughing.

Donald Silverman came backstage after the fifth show and told his daughter a different story about her brother, who died before she was born, claiming that it was in fact his own violent father who had been responsible.

“My dad says, ‘I always felt that he was crying or something, and my dad shook him,’” she recalled. “‘He shook him in a rage and killed him.’”

Her manager apparently gasped at this revelation, and the room went quiet for a moment.

“As soon as he said it, it was like, ‘Of course, that’s what happened,’” Silverman continued. “[Donald’s] mother always stood by her husband. She watched him beat the s*** out of her son. I couldn’t ask my mom, because she was dead.”

Silverman had earlier spoken of her father’s “heartbreaking” childhood, when he was subject to daily beatings by his own father: “He had a younger brother who wasn’t touched. His father made the kids call him Mr Silverman.”

She suggested this kind of bombshell-dropping was par for the course from her dad: “We were playing poker once, and he just dropped in that one of the priests at his school fondled him. I was like ‘Dad!’ He was always dropping bombs.”

The Independent has contacted Silverman’s representatives for additional comment.

Donald Silverman died shortly after his second wife of more than 40 years, Janice, passed away.

“My best pal, Schleppy – my dad, died last night,” the stand-up comedian, 52, wrote in an Instagram post after his death in 2023.

“All the sisters, and grandkids surrounded him with love and singing and very dark f***ed up jokes this final week. But ultimately, he wanted to be with his love, Janice, who we lost last Monday.”

“He always said he was the richest man in the world because of his family, and he was,” Silverman added.

In another recent interview with The Guardian, Silverman said touring PostMortem across the US had been “a nice way of keeping [her parents] alive”, but it would be “time to put it to bed” after PostMortem’s UK run, which concluded last month.

Her previous comedy specials have included Netflix’s A Speck of Dust (2017) and HBO’s Someone You Love (2023).

PostMortem will be available to stream on Netflix from Tuesday 20 May.

Sisters battle over mum’s home as youngest claims she needs it for dog

An alternative therapist is locked in a court fight after her “sensitive” younger sister told her she can’t have her inheritance as she needs their mum’s £420,000 house for her and her emotional support dogs to live in.

Agnes Duggan died in August 2018, aged 78, leaving her home to be split equally in her will between her three daughters, Sharon, Ann and Brenda Duggan.

The house in Crawley, Sussex, where she had lived with Sharon, her youngest daughter and carer in her final years, made up almost all the value of her estate.

But now Sharon, 49, is blocking alternative therapist Brenda, 55, and oldest sister Ann, 60, from getting their share of their mum’s estate, claiming she needs to stay in the house for life with her therapeutic pets, as she is too “noise sensitive” to live in a flat.

She says that her needs and those of her two rescue dogs – which she told Central London County Court “help with her mental and emotional wellbeing” – outweigh the rights of her sisters to get the inheritance they are due and that they should only get a “small lump sum” each, which she could raise with a mortgage.

Sharon is now suing her two sisters under the 1975 Inheritance Act, claiming “reasonable provision” above her one-third share of her mum’s money on the basis that her special sensitivity and medical ailments mean she should get the whole house for life.

But Brenda, who formerly ran a bioresonance therapy company and a business providing gluten-free altar bread to food-intolerant Catholics, is fighting her claim, insisting Sharon and her pets will be fine in a one-bed flat.

Former NHS medical secretary Sharon, representing herself in court, told Judge Alan Johns KC that she should have the right to stay put in the family home in Lyndhurst Close, Southgate, Crawley, where she moved in 2014 and cared for her mum in her last dementia-plagued years.

Sharon, who lives on benefits, told the court she is “dyslexic and suffers from a variety of health issues, including chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, and adjustment disorder [and] also has long Covid”.

Her sister, Brenda, has suggested she could relocate to a flat using her stake from the inheritance, but in court, Sharon rejected this as totally unsuitable due to intrusive noise, her history of fragile mental health and the effect on her two dogs.

In her written arguments, Sharon told the judge: “The claimant avers that psychologically she could not cope with living in a flat again.

“She is anxious that neighbours may cause disturbances and impact upon her ability to sleep and exacerbate her insomnia, of which she has previous experience, even having soundproofing installed in her apartment, which did little to mitigate noise.

“The claimant now has two rescue dogs, which help with her mental and emotional wellbeing, but which make finding suitable alternative accommodation difficult.

“If the claimant received a lump sum, it would not likely be enough to buy a one- to two-bedroom house in the local area and she would need to move far away from her support network, which she relies on greatly for her health issues.

“The claimant maintains that moving from the property would affect her mental health greatly and that having to move into rented or temporary accommodation would further affect her health negatively. Moving out of the area would also adversely impact the claimant.”

Alex Findley, barrister for Brenda, challenged Sharon’s claim, suggesting there is no medical evidence to show she cannot live in a flat.

But Sharon replied: “I have two dogs to consider and I am hyper-vigilant and sound sensitive. A flat would not be suitable due to the noise levels.

“I would be better off living in a car, I couldn’t cope with it.”

Sharon says she gave up a career and her position on the property ladder to move in and help out her mum and claims that before her death, Agnes had promised that she would inherit her home, although she never got round to changing her will.

She argued: “The claimant sacrificed her career and employment prospects, and by extension her ability to purchase a property, by giving up work in the latter half of 2014 to care for the deceased, such that it could be asserted that she had a moral claim to be maintained by the deceased through the provision of accommodation.

“The deceased recognised her sacrifice and possible moral claim against her estate.”

As well as helping her mother out with her daily needs, she also says she spent £30,000 of her own money on hefty vet bills for her mum’s beloved Jack Russell/chihuahua cross, Lady, whom Sharon had pledged to care for after she died.

And in her written arguments to the court, she explained: “Lady survived the deceased and was treated successfully for liver cancer but died in 2022.

“The claimant had promised the deceased she would look after Lady after her death. Lady was part of her mother’s estate and the claimant avers she spent over £30,000 on vets’ bills.”

However, lawyers for her sister Brenda suggest Sharon’s figures for Lady’s care are a “gross exaggeration”, with much of the expenditure going on “homoeopathic and herbal remedies and not emergency medical treatment”.

Mr Findlay, for mother-of-four Brenda, insisted that Agnes had always been clear that her estate should be equally split three ways and said Sharon’s case that she is unfit for future work is “an extremely pessimistic claim which is not adequately supported by medical evidence”.

“Likewise, there is no evidence from a suitably qualified expert in mental health to support her assertion that her cognitive and mental difficulties are such that she cannot work,” he added.

There was evidence that Sharon had received nearly £160,000 from various sources over the past 10 years, although she now claims to be penniless, despite living rent-free, said the barrister.

“Sharon claims to have an income of £1,559.44 per month, no other savings or assets, and outgoings of around £1,500 per month,” he said.

“Evidence of credit card spending does not support Sharon’s case to be in deep financial need. She has regular expenditure on going out to restaurants and cafes, online shopping, through PayPal and Amazon Marketplace, dog grooming, and there is significant monthly expenditure on online courses relating to spiritualism and alternative medicine over the last few years.

“Further, it appears that she has simultaneous subscriptions to Sky, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

“While she is perfectly entitled to purchase these things with her own money, the significant amount of spending which is discretionary and apparently non-essential does not reflect someone in necessitous circumstances.

“Sharon claims that she needs the property. This is a substantial three-bedroomed home; it is obviously not needed for her maintenance.

“She claims that she cannot move because she cannot live in a flat due to her sensitivity to noise. There is inadequate evidence for this and it is to be noted that, although Sharon may prefer living in a house, it seems she lived in a flat on her own for many years.

“A suitable one-bedroom property locally should cost less than £150,000. She should therefore be easily in a position to purchase a property for herself with a small mortgage and her share of the estate.

“Sharon certainly does not need the court to displace the deceased’s wishes and take from the inheritance of her sisters to achieve this.”

The barrister highlighted Brenda’s own predicament – including coping with four children, suffering from multiple sclerosis and being currently jobless.

“While she does own her own home, it is not valuable, and she is not wealthy,” he said.

“The claimant appears to believe that Brenda is hiding significant wealth and makes a number of other allegations, but there is no evidence to support the claims Sharon makes about Brenda.

“Ann is also near retirement age and has dependent children. While her financial disclosure has been limited, there is no reason to believe she is sufficiently wealthy that she can forgo her inheritance from her mother without some hardship.”

Brenda, who is an executor and beneficiary under Agnes’s will, is opposing the 1975 act claim, while her fellow executor and beneficiary, Ann, has adopted a “neutral position” in the case.

Judge Alan Johns KC is expected to reserve his ruling in the case.

Colombian model killed days after Mexican TikToker shot on livestream

A Colombian model and influencer has reportedly been killed just days after a Mexican TikTok influencer was fatally shot during a livestream.

On May 15, Maria Jose Estupiñan, a 22-year-old university student living in Colombia’s northern city of Cúcuta, was reportedly shot several times at her residence by a man pretending to be a delivery person.

In security footage that has been widely shared across social media, a man can be seen running away after allegedly shooting Estupiñan, who can be heard screaming in pain.

Estupiñan, who was a student at Francisco de Paula Santander University, died shortly after from her injuries.

“She was a young, enterprising woman with a whole life ahead of her, but those dreams are cut short like the dreams of many women in this country,” said Magda Victoria Acosta, president of the National Gender Commission of the Colombian Judiciary, at a recent news conference, per CNN.

Acosta added that Estupiñan’s death came just as she was expecting to receive 30 million pesos from her ex-partner as part of a domestic violence complaint she filed against him in 2018.

Authorities have said they are investigating Estupiñan’s murder, though it’s unclear if they’re pursuing it as a suspected femicide, which is the killing of a woman or girl, particularly by a man on account of her gender.

“It could be an alleged femicide, since she filed several complaints for domestic violence in previous years, but that is a matter of investigation,” said Colonel Leonardo Capacho, commander of District One of the Cúcuta Metropolitan Police, according to local news outlet Noticias Caraco.

Estupiñan’s tragic death came just two days after the fatal shooting of Mexican influencer Valeria Márquez, 23, on May 13.

Márquez was livestreaming to her followers from her beauty salon in Jalisco, Mexico, when two men arrived on a motorcycle. One of the men entered the store and asked if she was Valeria, before delivering a small parcel.

“He’s a little piglet!” Márquez reportedly exclaimed as she unwrapped the stuffed animal in front of her viewers before she was shot. Officials have said that the two men swiftly fled the scene.

When police arrived, she was “still sitting in the chair where she was surprised with that doll, the little pig, right there in her arms,” Denis Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office, told The New York Times.

According to Rodriguez, the two men had come into the salon earlier that day and claimed they were trying to deliver a gift to Márquez.

They “most likely didn’t personally know her, as they had to ask for her by name,” Rodríguez told The Times.

“They didn’t have a personal relationship,” he said. “He was simply her executioner.”

Márquez’s murder is also being investigated as a possible femicide.

Several Latin American countries, including Mexico, have the highest rate of femicide in the world, despite the region having laws aimed at preventing and ending violence against women.

According to a 2023 study, at least 11 women are victims of femicide every day in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327.

Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.