Home news in brief
Four-year-old is youngest person admitted to Mensa
A boy who can read and count in seven languages has become the youngest member of Mensa. Teddy Hobbs from Portishead, Somerset, was admitted to the exclusive society when he was three years and nine months old. Now four, he can already count to 100 in six non-native languages, including Mandarin, Welsh, French, Spanish and German. Teddy taught himself to read aged
just two years and four months and is now capable of reading Harry Potter books, when his parents allow.
Teddy was admitted to Mensa late last year after sitting an IQ test, scoring 139 out of 160 on the Stanford Binet test. His parents – Beth Hobbs, 31 and husband Will, 41 – say that they are trying to keep him “humble” given his genius to prevent him from developing any kind of “superiority complex”.
Firefighter critical after blaze at Jenners building in Edinburgh
A firefighter is fighting for their life after being injured battling a blaze at the Jenners building in Edinburgh yesterday. Five other firefighters were also hurt at the landmark former department store in the Scottish capital. Elena Whitham, Scotland’s community safety minister, said her thoughts were with the firefighters and their families. “Their sheer bravery and professionalism must be commended,” she said. The huge fire broke out yesterday morning at the historic building and flames were seen tearing through what was one of the world’s oldest department stores prior to its closure for restoration in 2021, with thick smoke billowing through the city. At least 10 fire engines attended the scene of the Victorian-era property in the city’s east end, where the store straddles Princes Street and Rose Street, two of the capital’s best-known thoroughfares.
Founded in 1838, Jenners had been one of the longest-running department stores in the world to trade from the same site, having started life as a drapers. The building was redesigned by architect William Hamilton Beattie after the original was destroyed in a fire in 1892.
Ex-MP put in £30,000 claim to fund cocaine habit
A former MP tried to fraudulently claim up to £30,000 in taxpayers’ money to fund an “extensive cocaine habit”, prosecutors have said. Jared O’Mara, 41, who represented the constituency of Sheffield Hallam from 2017 to 2019, is on trial for submitting “dishonest” invoices to the Independent
Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa). Jurors at Leeds Crown Court heard that he made four claims to Ipsa between June and August 2019 from a “fictitious” organisation called Confident About Autism SY, and submitted two invoices from his “chief of staff” Gareth Arnold for media and PR work that prosecutors say was never carried out.
Mr O’Mara, who appeared in court by videolink yesterday, is also accused of submitting a false contract of employment for his friend John Woodliff, “pretending” that Woodliff worked for him as a constituency support officer. The allegedly fraudulent invoices included £19,400 for support from Confident About Autism SY, and £4,650 for Mr Arnold. O’Mara is charged with eight counts of fraud by false representation, with Mr Arnold jointly charged with six of the offences, and Mr Woodliff jointly charged with one. All three deny all the charges. The trial continues.
Woman held after man dies following mobility scooter theft
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man in his 60s died following the suspected robbery of his mobility scooter. Police were called shortly before 6am on Sunday to a report that a man had been found unresponsive in the car park of a Tesco superstore in Stroud. The man was found without his mobility scooter and was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital by paramedics, where he died later. Gloucestershire Police believe the victim was the subject of a robbery after his mobility scooter was taken. A woman from Stroud was arrested on suspicion of robbery and murder and remains in police custody.
Want your views to be included in The Independent Daily Edition letters page? Email us by tapping here letters@independent.co.uk. Please include your address
BACK TO TOP