Weekly News Update

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In Local News:

A thank you to 35 years of service:
• Surrey’s first black police officer has retired after 35-years of dedicated service.
• Chief Superintendent Victor Olisa joined the Surrey police force in 1982 and went on to become Head of Diversity at the Metropolitan Police.
• Born in Nigeria, Mr Olisa lived in Egham for three years whilst studying biochemistry at Royal Holloway before completing his 10-week police training course.

A step backwards in the name of truth:
• Lawyers have applied to the coroner to reopen the inquests of victims of the 1974 bombing of the Horse and Groom pub in Guildford.
• The bombings were connected to the IRA, and killed 5 people and injured 65
• Four people were wrongly convicted and served 15 years in prison before being released.
• The Surrey coroner’s office has said it will consider the request to continue the inquests.

In National News:

A problem in politics or ‘political smears’?
• Theresa May’s most senior minister has denied the claim that pornography was discovered on his computer during a raid of his Westminster office in 2008.
• First Secretary of State Damian Green tweeted saying the claims of ex-police chief Bob Quick are “from a tainted and untrustworthy source.”
• Mr Quick said he would take part in an inquiry and “stood” by the claim.
• These allegations have emerged at a time of particular concern for MPs.
• Both the Labour and Conservative party have been hit by fresh allegations of sexual harassment and assault, with the Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke suspended from the party, and Labour MP Clive Lewis facing new allegations of groping a party activist at the Labour Party conference.

Paradise Papers: Tax-haven secrets of the ultra-rich exposed:
• £10 million of the Queen’s private money was invested in offshore accounts, according to the leaked Paradise Papers.
• The documents show that the money was invested in funds in the Cayman islands and Bermuda.
• Many other famous figures have been shown by the paradise papers to have had offshore accounts, including Lord Ashcroft, a former conservative party deputy chairman.

Met Police open investigates against actor Kevin Spacey:
• Met Police have announced they’ve opened an investigation into Kevin Spacey, following Sexual Assault allegations made against him during his time as artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre in London.
• Entertainment company Netflix has also severed ties with Kevin Spacey, star of its House of Cards show, amid a number of sex assault allegations against him.
• The company has also said it would not release Spacey’s film about writer Gore Vidal.

In International News:

Texas church shooting leaves at least 26 dead:

  • At least 26 people have died after a mass shooting at a church in Texas in the United States on Sunday 5th
  • A gunman opened fire during a service at first Baptist church in Sutherland Springs and is reported to have been killed in the aftermath.
  • It is the worst mass shooting in the history of Texas.
  • The shooting comes just a month after a gunman in Las Vegas opened fire on an outdoor music festival, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.

Typhoon Damrey descends on southern Vietnam:
• At least 27 people have been killed by Typhoon Damrey in Vietnam.
• This typhoon has wreaked havoc on southern and central Vietnam leaving 27 people dead and over 20 missing.
• Weather experts say it is the most destructive storm in decades to hit the area.