Matt Jackson

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to be visible across the UK during the early hours of Thursday, August 13, following a solar eclipse on Wednesday evening. The shower is caused by Earth passing through debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet, with the best viewing conditions likely between midnight and 5:30 a.m. Clear skies are forecast across much of Britain. Stargazers are advised to avoid artificial light and use an unobstructed view, while eclipse glasses are required for safely observing the solar eclipse.

A school bus carrying pupils from King David Junior School crashed into a boulder on Chekwatit Hill in Uganda’s Kapchorwa District while returning from an excursion to Sipi Falls. Ugandan authorities confirmed that 20 pupils and one adult, identified as school founder and director Tadeo Ssekade, died, while about 60 others were reportedly injured. Police said the bus may have suffered a mechanical failure and lost control, and an investigation is under way. Local residents helped rescue passengers and provide emergency support.

Wreckage from a K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo plane has been found more than 50 miles south of Ormara in the Arabian Sea after a 12-hour search. The aircraft disappeared from radar on July 7 while flying from Sharjah to Karachi with an estimated five people aboard. Authorities said the plane reported a navigation-system problem, rapidly lost altitude and made an abrupt directional change before radio and radar contact were lost. Search teams are continuing efforts to locate the missing crew members, while the pilot’s final transmission may indicate difficulties controlling the aircraft.

Plymouth bus driver Neil Ginter was found after his family became concerned when he stopped communicating for more than 24 hours while on holiday in Benidorm. Terri Purland had appealed online for information. The report also recounts the separate case of British football supporter Michael Hewitt, who was found safe in Barcelona after disappearing during a journey to the United States for the World Cup.

Lisa Osman, 46, from Greater Manchester, died suddenly in a taxi while travelling with her partner Baba and daughter Kadie to a five-day family holiday at Haven Marton Mere in Blackpool. Her family had recently taken their first holiday in several years, but Lisa became unwell during the journey and died despite attempts to get her to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. A post-mortem examination is expected to establish the cause of death. Relatives and friends describe her as a devoted mother of six and an active member of the Moston community, while a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help with funeral expenses.

British traveller Liam Anelay, 28, from Liverpool, died in Thailand on January 28, 2026, after a car performing a U-turn collided with the moped he was riding toward friends in Phuket. He suffered multiple fractures and was pronounced dead at Chalong Hospital. A Liverpool inquest concluded that his death resulted from multiple injuries sustained in a road traffic collision. His mother Christina and cousin Jason Ding later shared tributes expressing their grief.

Lee Andrews, Katie Price's husband, has reportedly been arrested in Dubai after disappearing for more than a week and missing a planned television appearance. His father, Pete, said Andrews was safe but did not know the charge or where he was being held, while a Dubai police official reportedly said there were multiple cases against him. The disappearance followed Andrews's alleged account of being restrained and forced into a van, and Katie Price said she was stepping back from the situation because she was unsure what was true.

Arenillas, a small village in Spain’s mountainous Soria province, is seeking a family with school-age children to relocate permanently, run its community pub and provide bricklaying work. The selected family would receive rent-free accommodation, while six other families would pay €100 per month in refurbished homes. The initiative attracted 116 applications in seven days, but applicants must have the right to live and work in Spain and be prepared for long school journeys, limited public transport and harsh winters. The scheme is intended to counter depopulation in Spain’s rural “empty Spain” region, following similar incentives offered by the Italian town of Radicondoli.

YouTuber Barny Dillarstone recorded a rare stingray off Bali while lowering a camera about 200 metres into the Indo-Pacific. The animal appears to belong to the stingaree group, which is generally associated with Australia, leaving its identity and geographic range uncertain. Experts could not determine whether it was an Australian species, a mature kai stingaree, or a species new to science. The expedition also filmed unusual plankton, crabs and eels, highlighting how difficult it remains to study the largely unexplored deep sea.

Olympic diver Tom Daley said he was frustrated at being cast as a Faithful and eliminated early from Celebrity Traitors. After missing the show's challenges, including helicopter jumps intended to increase the charity prize fund, he proposed a resurrection twist that would bring back an eliminated contestant after the first four murders, but producers rejected the idea. The programme has since seen Faithfuls eliminate Kate Garraway after previously discovering Jonathan Ross was a Traitor. Daley is also set to host Channel 4's Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter.

Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood has discussed his private life with wife Melissa, saying they live in a secluded Grade II-listed property near Ashford in Kent and that he enjoys privacy, quiet evenings, gardening and mowing the lawn. The couple married in Cyprus in 2023 after meeting at a pub in Smarden. Hollywood also reflected on his 15 years on Bake Off, criticizing contestants’ increasingly complicated recipes and advising them to focus on one central flavour. He revealed a preference for cakes containing cream and fruit.

Sam Thompson described panicking after a woman fell while audiences waited to enter a Loose Women and Men recording. He said he hesitated because others were already helping before eventually approaching her, while Pete Wicks confirmed she was fine. The pair also discussed their close friendship, including Pete's initially negative impression of Sam and how their differences have strengthened their bond. They recently promoted Twix's “two is more than one” campaign.

Samantha Giles says securing television work has become more difficult as auditions and self-tapes have increased competition from presenters, influencers and singers. The actress, who first played Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale in 1998, accepted a return for four or five episodes after previously leaving and reprising the role several times. Her latest comeback is scheduled for 15 September, while she also hopes to pursue comedy, police drama and horror roles.

Davina McCall described the fears she experienced as a celebrity mother, particularly concerns that her public profile could affect or embarrass her children and questions about how to keep them safe. Speaking with Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the Begin Again podcast, she discussed the challenges of raising children in the public eye. Ellis-Bextor reflected on growing up with presenter Janet Ellis and said family dynamics shape children regardless of their circumstances. The conversation also touched on Ellis-Bextor's music career, including the renewed success of “Murder on the Dance Floor” after its appearance in Saltburn.

Michelle Ryan is returning to EastEnders as Zoe Slater after a 20-year absence. Ryan says Zoe is struggling across all areas of her life but remains resilient and has returned because she needs her family. Her reunion with her biological mother, Kat Slater, is expected to be highly dramatic, reflecting their complicated history of being raised as sisters. Ryan said the comeback felt like coming home and came at the right time after the soap’s new executive producer expressed interest in reviving Zoe’s story.

Dayle Dixon and Mark Lee say their £275,000 Barratt new-build home in Ivybridge has serious defects, including cracks, damp, plumbing problems and hundreds of snagging issues, leaving it effectively unsellable despite a survey valuation of £330,000. They say the condition has caused emotional distress and prevented family members from safely staying there. The couple wants Barratt to buy the property back at market value and compensate them for damaged belongings and distress. Barratt says it offered to address the problems through independent surveyors and contractors, as well as buy back the home and pay £5,000, but claims its efforts were refused and says it remains open to discussions.

Katie Price said she currently cannot smile properly after undergoing a facelift in Turkey, explaining that swelling and healing have affected her facial movement. She also revealed that surgeons initially misunderstood her request and nearly performed a back lift instead. The procedure follows years of cosmetic treatments, which Price has linked to body dysmorphia and an ongoing struggle with surgery addiction. Her daughter Princess has voiced concerns while acknowledging that cosmetic procedures are ultimately her mother's choice.

Natalie Cassidy says she does not miss the demanding schedule of EastEnders, although she misses the people and remains grateful for her 32 years as Sonia Fowler. She left the BBC soap in April 2025 to spend more time with her family and pursue other opportunities, including writing the motherhood book Happy Days, presenting television projects and appearing on Cooking with the Stars. Her upcoming series Learning to Care will follow her return to college to train as a carer.

Natalie Cassidy says she is frustrated when people describe her long acting career as merely lucky. She explains that although she was discovered at school and was in the right place at the right time, sustained success required commitment and hard work. Cassidy began performing at eight in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Beggar's Opera at London's Barbican Theatre, joined EastEnders as Sonia Fowler in 1993 after attending Anna Scher Theatre School, and remained associated with the soap for more than three decades, including an 11-year return stint after leaving in 2007. She left EastEnders again earlier in 2025.

Amanda Holden joked on Heart Radio about being naked at home, including gardening nude and flashing her husband. She then revealed that a newly installed garden security camera had been recording her without her realizing it, potentially capturing those incidents. Holden urged the electrician who installed it to disable the camera and delete the footage, while co-host Jamie Theakston teased her about the situation.

Katie Price may need to leave her four-bedroom Tudor-style home in West Sussex after saying her landlord wants to sell it. She is considering moving closer to her children’s school but may remain if the landlord changes his plans. Price moved there after leaving and later selling her former Mucky Mansion, which she described as plagued by bad memories, fly-tipping and alleged paranormal activity. Her previous television show about renovating the mansion was reportedly cancelled after two series amid her financial difficulties.

EastEnders actor Anita Dobson recalled that Freddie Mercury used to tease her about appearing on newspaper front pages after she joined the soap as Angie Watts in 1985. The story also recounts Dobson’s complicated early relationship with Queen guitarist Brian May, who was married to Christine Mullen when they met. May and Mullen later separated, and Dobson and May married in 2000 after overcoming the strain surrounding their relationship. Dobson says she now has a good relationship with May’s children and former wife. She was awarded an OBE for charitable fundraising, while May was knighted in 2023 for services to music and charity.

Peter Crouch says Abbey Clancy's use of the regional phrase “lolly ice” instead of “ice lolly” is grammatically wrong, prompting a playful argument on their podcast, The Therapy Crouch. The couple also discussed a recent Ibiza trip, including a minor dispute over Peter refusing to eat a burger, while reflecting on their long relationship, marriage and family.

Natalie Cassidy has explained that she allowed her 15-year-old daughter Eliza to attend a family baby celebration during a week of school exams, saying teenagers need downtime and should not be overwhelmed by pressure. The former EastEnders star, who left the BBC soap after more than three decades to spend more time with her family and pursue other work, said youth does not last long and that she must choose her battles as a parent. Cassidy also plans to take on more presenting and comedy roles, having described EastEnders as a large-scale production unable to accommodate extended absences for outside projects.

Katie Price has spoken about being diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer, while pregnant with her eldest son Harvey in 2002. The cancer was discovered after a manicurist noticed a lump on her hand; despite two doctors initially dismissing it, the growth was later removed following a biopsy at Nuffield Hospital in Brighton. Price underwent regular check-ups and described Harvey as her inspiration during the health scare. The report also outlines the rarity, survival rates and typical treatments for leiomyosarcoma.