Emma O'Neill

Jason Mulhern, 57, caused a Jet2 flight from Manchester to Dalaman to be cancelled after verbally abusing cabin crew and calling them Nazis while intoxicated. The incident affected about 300 passengers on the outbound flight and another 300 awaiting the return flight, generating £44,710 in costs for hotels and delays. At Manchester Crown Court, Mulhern received an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, 300 hours of unpaid work, an alcohol abstinence order, rehabilitation requirements and £500 in costs; he may also be permanently banned from flying with Jet2.

Courtney Ambrose Lee was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of seven years and 229 days, after pleading guilty to multiple offences arising from two violent attacks on women in London and Salford. He imprisoned and assaulted a former girlfriend in London, then later attacked another woman with a knife in a Salford flat, causing life-threatening injuries. Lee was cleared of attempted murder in relation to the Salford incident but convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and received an additional consecutive 18-month sentence for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

A total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, will be visible from Gibraltar, where totality is expected to last four minutes and 32 seconds. The event will also be visible across parts of southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Gibraltar can be reached by flights from several UK airports or by land from Spain, with suggested viewing sites including Casemates Square, Queensway Quay, Ocean Village and the Skywalk in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. Solar astrophysicist Ryan French describes it as the longest remaining eclipse of the current lifetime and says generally sunny desert conditions could make it especially favorable for observers.

Pamela Gwinnett, known as the “Black Widow,” was jailed after exploiting vulnerable pensioner Joan Green and stealing nearly £300,000 while isolating her from family members. Gwinnett fled to Tenerife after breaching bail and remained there for 16 months before returning to court. She received a six-year sentence for theft and fraud by abuse of position, followed by an additional two months for the bail offence. The court also ordered her to repay £350,180, with property reportedly confiscated to recover the money. Green’s grandson David Bolton said the family felt relief at the conviction but believed Green died while still under Gwinnett’s influence.

Photographs have been published of 38-year-old Scottish woman Elisabeth Jane Ross, whose remains were found inside a suitcase in an abandoned Athens building on July 18. DNA analysis identified her as a British woman, and investigators believe she had travelled to Greece via Cyprus after leaving the United States. Greek authorities, assisted by Interpol, US investigators and Police Scotland, are examining her final movements; no visible injuries or signs of a struggle were initially found, and no suspect has been identified.

Seven-year-old Musa Ahmed has died at the Royal London Hospital after being rescued from the water off West Mersea, Essex, where six members of his family got into difficulty on July 22. His mother, Shelina Rahman, 41, and his 15-year-old sister, Sameeha, died at the scene. Three other relatives were rescued and hospitalized. Musa’s family praised the intensive-care staff, while Essex Police continue investigating the incident.

Andrew and Tristan Tate will remain in US custody for at least two more weeks while extradition proceedings to the UK continue, with a detention hearing scheduled for August 13. British prosecutors allege that the brothers committed rape, assault, human trafficking and offences involving indecent images and extreme pornography involving multiple complainants; both men deny all accusations. Their lawyer Joseph McBride opposes extradition and claims the request is politically motivated, without providing evidence. The case follows earlier legal proceedings in the UK and Romania and is expected to last several months.

An inquest at Cornwall Coroner's Court heard that 31-year-old Tasmin Paterson asphyxiated her nine-year-old son Hudson at their home in Bodmin in September 2024 before taking her own life. The hearing examined relationship difficulties, health problems, and financial and housing pressures involving Paterson and her partner Marcus Hughes, who discovered the bodies and was cleared by police of involvement. The coroner recorded Paterson's death as suicide and Hudson's as unlawful killing.

Four members of a Gambian family from Leeds, including 36-year-old Abu Camara, two women aged 18 and 30, and a seven-month-old girl, died after a red Hyundai left the A38 near Willington and struck a tree on July 25. The driver, a 33-year-old man, was seriously injured, arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and later bailed. The Gambian Welfare Society in Leeds and The Gambia’s UK High Commission paid tribute and offered condolences while remaining in contact with the families and authorities.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ruled out calling a snap general election, saying he will follow Labour’s 2024 manifesto and focus on making the country work. After his first day at the new Number 10 North headquarters in Manchester, he defended splitting government operations between Manchester and London as a way to rebalance power, reduce travel costs and expand devolution across England. Burnham also outlined pledges including capped bus fares, lower business rates for pubs and music venues, reduced VAT on domestic electricity, abolition of the digital ID scheme and a £340 million plan to eliminate rough sleeping. He acknowledged that rough sleeping has risen again in Greater Manchester but argued that coordinated action across all regions is necessary. Regional mayors broadly welcomed the initiative, while Burnham plans a UK-wide listening tour to build public support.

A Cheshire man celebrating remission from pancreatic cancer suffered a life‑threatening medical emergency while on holiday in Gran Canaria after suddenly vomiting blood poolside. Local hospital staff reportedly attributed his symptoms to sunstroke, but after returning to the UK he was diagnosed with internal bleeding caused by an ulcer linked to prior pancreatic surgery. He underwent multiple blood transfusions and surgery at Manchester Royal Infirmary and spent 18 days in hospital. Recovering but shaken, he remains fearful of travelling again.

Two children, aged nine and seven, died after being ejected from a 30‑foot Tidewater Custom vessel that struck an Intercoastal Waterway channel marker off Berkeley Township, New Jersey. The boat’s operator, Stephen Schneider, and passenger Laurie Schneider, believed to be the children’s grandparents, found them unresponsive in the water before they were pronounced dead at hospital. New Jersey State Police are investigating the crash. A separate incident near Bordeaux Airport saw two firefighters killed in a blaze that temporarily halted departing flights before the situation was brought under control.

A Ravenair pilot conducting a routine test flight after an engine cylinder replacement traced the message “I’m bored” in the sky over Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales, visible on Flightradar24. Operations manager Wayne Barrett confirmed the aircraft was undergoing standard safety checks, the maneuver required skill and concentration, and the pilot is not facing any disciplinary action.

Sam Neill died at age 78 in Sydney, described by his family as a sudden and unexpected loss. He was surrounded by loved ones and remained cancer free at the time of his death. His family expressed gratitude to staff at St Vincent's Private Hospital and requested privacy. Neill’s five-decade career included starring roles in the Jurassic Park franchise and numerous acclaimed films and television series. No further details about his death have been released.

A police search for Richard Scatchard ended when his mummified remains were discovered in a caravan in Watchet, six months after he disappeared following the death of his partner, Kelly Faiers. Inquest evidence indicated no signs of injury, third‑party involvement, or confirmed cause of death, with decomposition preventing toxicology conclusions. Scatchard, a sex offender on a life licence, had concealed his relationship with Faiers and was facing likely recall to prison. The coroner recorded an open conclusion, citing insufficient evidence to determine how or when he died and noting no indication he was alive after mid‑October 2023.

Keir Starmer suggested an England World Cup victory could prompt an extra bank holiday, likely the Friday after the final. He praised England’s win over Mexico and joked with Norway’s prime minister ahead of their quarter‑final match at the NATO summit in Ankara. Starmer said he would not seek to overturn Jarell Quansah’s red card despite pressure, contrasting this with Donald Trump’s intervention that allowed Folarin Balogun to play for the United States.

A man was convicted of murdering his sister’s partner after a pet camera captured the fatal stabbing at his flat in Bury on New Year’s Eve. Prosecutors showed that Anthony Junior Murray stabbed Joe Burton during a drunken confrontation, then lied to police about his involvement. The video evidence disproved his claims of self‑defence. A jury found him guilty by majority verdict, and sentencing is scheduled for August 7.

A major eruption of Mount Etna produced heavy ash clouds, prompting authorities to raise the aviation alert to red and forcing Catania Airport to cancel all incoming flights. Monitoring services showed widespread flight disruptions as ash spread across the region. Italy’s national carrier ITA cancelled or rescheduled operations, while geophysical institutes tracked intensified volcanic activity following early-morning emissions from the crater.

A 35-year-old father from Ayr was diagnosed with Stage 4 oesophageal adenocarcinoma after months of difficulty swallowing and severe chest pain. Scans revealed the cancer had spread to multiple organs, leaving him with an estimated nine months to live. He has begun preparing for end-of-life, recording messages for his children and seeking access to private treatments and clinical trials in Germany and London. He remains physically strong but relies on a liquid diet, with chemotherapy due to start soon.

Several children were rescued from dangerous rip currents at Tywyn beach in Gwynedd, prompting renewed calls for lifeguards and clearer safety signage. Local men intervened in multiple incidents during a heatwave, with residents warning that lives could have been lost without swift action. Past tragedies and previous petitions for lifeguard provision have intensified pressure on authorities. Cyngor Gwynedd maintains its approach of deploying beach wardens rather than lifeguards, citing risk assessments and collaboration with the RNLI. The RNLI emphasises the power and difficulty of identifying rip currents and provides guidance on how swimmers can escape them.

Zoo owners Andy and Tracey Johnson issued their first public statement after a three‑year‑old boy was seriously injured when allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst in Cambridgeshire. They thanked emergency services, visitors and staff for their rapid response and expressed ongoing support for the child and his family. The boy remains in stable condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital with significant injuries. Police continue investigating, with a 30‑year‑old suspect arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and released on bail. The attraction’s Tropical House has since reopened after temporarily closing out of respect for the family.

Two 15-year-old boys previously given youth rehabilitation orders for multiple rapes and indecent image offences had their sentences increased to four years’ detention after the Court of Appeal ruled the original penalties unduly lenient. Appeal judges, led by Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, criticised the earlier approach taken by Judge Nicholas Rowland, finding it insufficient given the seriousness and number of offences and the harm to the victims. The Attorney General had referred the case for review, while defence barristers argued the original rehabilitative sentences were appropriate. One victim described severe lasting trauma from the attacks, which the boys recorded and shared online.

Five people were killed and several others injured in a shooting at a youth care facility in Stade, Germany, prompting a large emergency response. Police arrested two suspects, including the alleged shooter, and reported no ongoing threat to the public. Investigators have not yet determined the motive or provided details about the victims as the inquiry continues.