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‘My shop was looted by rioters, then saved by strangers’ - BBC News | 2024-08-12 | null | How a Southport man was deeply affected by violent unrest that targeted his shop - but also by the acts of compassion that followed. | null | ‘My Southport shop was looted by rioters, then saved by strangers’
Chanaka Balasuriya, the 47-year-old owner of Southport’s Windsor Mini Mart, has been deeply affected by the violent unrest that spread across the UK - but also by the acts of compassion that followed.
His grocery shop, half a mile from the dance studio where three girls were fatally stabbed at a Taylor Swift holiday club, was looted by anti-immigrant rioters the day after the knife attack.
The violence in towns and cities across England and in Northern Ireland was fuelled by disinformation online and the far-right.
Since then, thousands of people have taken to the streets to prevent further attacks and communities have repaired mosques and businesses.
Brought to the brink of financial ruin - then saved from it by those around him - Mr Balasuriya’s experience of the riots encapsulates the upheaval of the past ten days and may hint at a possible way out of the strife.
This is his story as told to the BBC’s Jonny Humphries.
Less than two hours after mourners gathered at a vigil on 30 July to honour the girls killed in the stabbing, hundreds of rioters flooded the streets of Southport.
After hearing demonstrators were gathering at a nearby mosque, Mr Balasuriya went home and watched, via the shop’s CCTV cameras on his phone, as a crowd hurled bricks at the windows and set a bin alight near the shop’s entrance.
Among those who broke in and emptied shelves of cigarettes and alcohol were boys he said who appeared as young as 11.
Many made no attempt to hide their faces.
“I remember thinking ‘well that's it, we’re finished.’ A business I started from scratch. I kind of gave up on everything.”
The following morning Mr Balasuriya found a crowd of neighbours, some of whom he’d never spoken to, making repairs and clearing up broken glass.
The owner of a nearby beauty salon set up a crowdfunding campaign raising more than £11,000 towards repairs. A local builder replaced his windows for free. One of his suppliers turned up with a cabinet of ice cream.
A few days later he re-opened the shop.
“You never imagine you're going to get that much support,” said Mr Balasuriya, who emigrated from Sri Lanka in the 1990s.
Mr Balasuriya said he found the large counter-protests across the country on Wednesday reassuring.
“Hopefully, this is going to stop in some way now and everyone can go back to their normal lives,” he said.
This was Mr Balasuriya’s first experience of overt racism, though, and he feels a new sense of caution in his daily life.
“It’s not like I see bad in people now, but it's in my head,” he said gesturing to a mobile police station outside the shop where two officers now keep watch.
The riots hurt a community already reeling from a stabbing attack but Mr Balasuriya suggests the community’s response to the violence offers hope.
“It’s not about the money people gave me. It was the messages, the cards, the flowers. That support from strangers is unbelievable.” | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-e885e189-aee4-4250-bbfc-c7f3c52f4d48 |
Newscast - LIVE at the Edinburgh Festival! - BBC Sounds | 2024-08-12 | null | A special episode of Newscast live from the Fringe in Edinburgh. | null | How will Putin Respond to Ukraine’s Attack in Russia?
And, we look at the tensions rising in the Middle East | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jhlrc9 |
The BBC News app keeps you informed with live and breaking news you can trust - BBC News | 2024-08-13 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Get our news coverage on your phone or tablet and discover a range of compelling features. | BBC News Services | Depending on the contract you have, data charges may apply for accessing the internet on your mobile device.
If you are not sure about the potential charges, please ask your mobile network provider. You may find some costs are included in your existing price plan or that you can opt for a data package that gives reduced charges for accessing the internet.
The BBC does not charge you to access mobile content. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628994 |
The BBC News app keeps you informed with live and breaking news you can trust - BBC News | 2024-08-14 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Get our news coverage on your phone or tablet and discover a range of compelling features. | BBC News Services | Depending on the contract you have, data charges may apply for accessing the internet on your mobile device.
If you are not sure about the potential charges, please ask your mobile network provider. You may find some costs are included in your existing price plan or that you can opt for a data package that gives reduced charges for accessing the internet.
The BBC does not charge you to access mobile content. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628994 |
The Global Story - Ukraine's surprise attack on Russian soil - BBC Sounds | 2024-08-14 | null | Could this offensive sway the dynamics of the war in Kyiv’s favour? | null | US election: Is Silicon Valley shifting towards Trump?
Major tech titans like Elon Musk are openly backing Republicans for the first time | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct6dr2 |
The Global Story - Ukraine's surprise attack on Russian soil - BBC Sounds | 2024-08-15 | null | Could this offensive sway the dynamics of the war in Kyiv’s favour? | null | US election: Is Silicon Valley shifting towards Trump?
Major tech titans like Elon Musk are openly backing Republicans for the first time | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct6dr2 |
Fox filmed playing swingball in back garden in Essex - BBC News | 2024-08-15 | null | The animal appeared unfazed at being watched while playing with the child's toy. | null | A woman has told how she managed to film a fox playing swingball in her back garden.
Tracey Day saw the animal playing with the child's toy at her home in Canvey Island, Essex.
She said: "I watched it for about 10 minutes through the window so I thought, I'm going to go outside and see if it runs away and it didn't."
The RSPCA said foxes are "most numerous in areas of low-density, suburban housing" but are wary of people and would normally run away. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-62309912 |
Quiz of the week: Who beat Raygun to win breaking gold at the Olympics? - BBC News | 2024-08-15 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Test how closely you've been paying attention to what has been going on over the past seven days. | World | It's the weekly news quiz - how closely have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world over the past seven days?
Some mobile users may experience difficulties. If you cannot see the quiz, try this link, external. Try last week's quiz, or have a go at something from the archives. What information do we collect from this quiz? Privacy notice.
Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-69272494 |
Newscast - The Infected Blood Scandal Payouts - BBC Sounds | 2024-08-16 | null | Plus, are more strikes on the way? | null | How safe is the world right now?
The future of conflicts in the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jjxlx0 |
The Global Story - Ukraine's surprise attack on Russian soil - BBC Sounds | 2024-08-16 | null | Could this offensive sway the dynamics of the war in Kyiv’s favour? | null | US election: Is Silicon Valley shifting towards Trump?
Major tech titans like Elon Musk are openly backing Republicans for the first time | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct6dr2 |
Fox filmed playing swingball in back garden in Essex - BBC News | 2024-08-16 | null | The animal appeared unfazed at being watched while playing with the child's toy. | null | A woman has told how she managed to film a fox playing swingball in her back garden.
Tracey Day saw the animal playing with the child's toy at her home in Canvey Island, Essex.
She said: "I watched it for about 10 minutes through the window so I thought, I'm going to go outside and see if it runs away and it didn't."
The RSPCA said foxes are "most numerous in areas of low-density, suburban housing" but are wary of people and would normally run away. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-62309912 |
Quiz of the week: Who beat Raygun to win breaking gold at the Olympics? - BBC News | 2024-08-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Test how closely you've been paying attention to what has been going on over the past seven days. | World | It's the weekly news quiz - how closely have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world over the past seven days?
Some mobile users may experience difficulties. If you cannot see the quiz, try this link, external. Try last week's quiz, or have a go at something from the archives. What information do we collect from this quiz? Privacy notice.
Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-69272494 |
Fox cubs filmed 'playing hide and seek' in Bedfordshire garden - BBC News | 2024-08-16 | null | The trio was filmed jumping in and out of bushes in Bedfordshire at 01:00 BST, as their mum watched, | null | A trio of fox cubs have been filmed "playing hide and seek" in a front garden in the middle of the night, as their mother kept watch.
The footage was captured near Woburn in Bedfordshire at about 01:00 BST on Sunday and has been watched about 60,000 on Twitter.
The homeowner who filmed it said: "It was a joy to see. They are completely wild foxes and it was such a privilege to be able to watch them playing like that. They were hilarious.
"They were playing a game of hide and seek, racing backwards and forwards across the garden. The mum kept standing up on the garden wall so that she could keep an eye on them." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-57284224 |
Newscast - The Infected Blood Scandal Payouts - BBC Sounds | 2024-08-17 | null | Plus, are more strikes on the way? | null | How safe is the world right now?
The future of conflicts in the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jjxlx0 |
Newscast - How safe is the world right now? - BBC Sounds | 2024-08-17 | null | The future of conflicts in the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine | null | How safe is the world right now? How safe is the world right now? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00227v3 |