horror

HORRIFYING footage shows the moment a monster who killed his own grandad glassed a punter who confronted him for boasting about his evil crime.

Sick thug Jakob Walpole, 33, killed vintage car expert John Brown, 81, in a brutal attack on his grandfather in Bulkington, Warwickshire.

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The “internationally renowned” Jaguar restoration expert suffered serious head injuries in his home at the hands of Walpole, who was convicted of John’s manslaughter.

Less than four minutes later, Walpole was seen on CCTV footage emerging from the property and from there headed to a village pub.

He stayed at the pub for a matter of minutes before moving on to a working men’s club.

It was here the cowardly thug was also convicted of breaching a restraining order and assaulting two other victims, a court heard on Wednesday.

Now, footage released showing the cowardly killer boasting about his despicable crime and attacking others has surfaced.

Jurors heard drunken Walpole attacked Dennis Hopson from behind in Bulkington Working Men’s Club after openly speaking about the vicious assault on his grandad.

Drunken Wallpole also “ignored” Mr Hopson’s pleas to moderate his language as he continued to badger the drinker.

He was then caught on “clear” CCTV footage attacking the elderly drinker.

Matters came to a head when Walpole took the victim’s seat before smashing a pint glass over the back of his Hopson’s head after being told to move.

The attack caused cuts to Mr Hopson’s ear, neck and head and prosecutor Michael Duck KC told jurors: “There can be no suggestion (Walpole) was acting in self-defence or anything of that sort.”

A barman was then punched in the face as he frogmarched Walpole out of the club.

“Belligerent” Walpole was arrested for all three attacks later the same night.

He remained abusive throughout the process and “booking in” at a police station, the court heard.

Jurors were also shown “haunting” footage of “world-renowned”  restoration expert John pleading for help on a security camera before he was attacked by Walpole.

Earlier that evening, Walpole had been seen on CCTV arriving at John’s bungalow, before going inside and attacking the pensioner. 

The pensioner could be seen waving at the camera – said to be linked to his daughter, Walpole’s mum – while in the garden before heading inside.

Mr Duck told jurors: “John Brown is Jakob Walpole’s grandfather.
He was a frail man and he had recently been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia.

“He was plainly a vulnerable individual and the evidence will demonstrate that this defendant was acutely aware of that.”

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John was well known in the local community, having run a successful car panel and body repair business due to his expertise in respect of vintage cars, the court heard.

Police summoned to the bungalow by John’s daughter, Lynda Brown, found the pensioner “dazed and confused” and with significant injuries to his face and arms.

Despite being rushed to hospital, over the following hours John suffered a bleed on the brain as a result of the attack and passed away six days later.

Walpole had also attended a match at Coventry City‘s home stadium that lunchtime before visiting local pubs in the run-up to the spree of violence.

Concerns about Walpole’s “deteriorating behaviour” had led to a security camera being installed at his grandparents’ home address in Bulkington.

He was also already subject to a restraining order when he carried out the attack on his grandfather.

‘ACT OF COWARDICE’

Walpole, of School Road, Bulkington, Warwickshire, will be sentenced next Monday.

Commenting after the case, Natalie Kelly, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Jakob Walpole carried out a senseless and brutal attack on his own grandfather who had tried to help him.

“He showed no concern or remorse following the attack.

“Rather than call for help, he callously left his vulnerable and elderly grandfather severely injured and went to a local pub where he assaulted two further elderly victims.

“Everyone who knew Mr Brown saw how much he did for his grandson, often going out of his way to care and support him – but Walpole simply took advantage of his kindness.

“While this conviction ensures Walpole is held accountable for his actions, the family have been left with a deep and lasting pain that no justice can erase.”

Detective Inspector Gareth Unett, who led the investigation for Warwickshire Police, said: “John Brown was a kind, gentle, hardworking man whose loss has left a huge void in the lives of his loved ones and friends.

“Not only was he loved greatly by all those around him, he was known internationally as one of the best restorers of classic Jaguars.

“The legacy he leaves is not only in the love and generosity he showed to those around him, but also in the countless classic cars that will survive for generations more thanks to his work.

“Walpole’s attack on his grandfather, who had shown him nothing but kindness and generosity, was an act of cowardice and brutality that, in decades of policing, I struggle to find a comparison for.”

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Love is in the air for Dev Alahan and Bernie Winter on Coronation Street – but a burglary, debauched behaviour, and a medical emergency risk ruining their big day

It is wedding season on Coronation Street – and Dev Alahan and Bernie Winter are set to tie the knot with a lavish ceremony. But as fans of the long-running ITV continuing drama will know – happiness rarely runs smooth in the world of soaps.

Dev, played by Jimmi Harkishin, has been living on the Cobbles since 1999 and married Sunita Alahan, played by Shobna Gulati, in 2004 – before she was killed off in 2013, surviving the Rover’s fire only to be murdered by arsonist Karl Munro, played by John Michie. Fans may be hoping Dev has a happier second marriage.

And he is set to swap vows with Bernie, played by Jane Hazlegrove, in scenes this coming week. The pair have been an on-screen item since September last year – growing close after the death of Bernie’s son, Paul.

After enduring a brief split, the pair will become husband and wife – if they can survive a series of dramas. Stag party shenanigans, a burglary, a surprise proposal, a shock collapse and a hospital dash midway through the ceremony all look to cause havoc with the wedding plans.

Fans tuning in at the start of the week will see Dev and Bernie embracing the last of their single lives as they celebrate their stag and hen parties. But when Bernie learns Dev and the boys have hired a pole dancer to join them at the Rovers, she is not best pleased.

With the ceremony set to appear on Wednesday’s episode, trials face the couple as some guests fall ill and have to watch via a live stream. Bernie’s emotions run wild when she forgets her lucky charm locket that contains a photo of late son, Paul – and disaster strikes when she runs home to retrieve it only to find a burglar in her house.

While the big day is supposed to be all about Dev and Bernie, Debbie Webster steals some attention for herself when she gets down on one knee to propose to Ronnie. And fans will need to wait to find out if Bernie even makes it down the aisle – as she collapses in front of Dev, leaving him scared for the life of his bride.

The Corrie cast have been discussing all the highs and lows of the wedding day plans. Bernie actress Jane, 57, laughs: “The day goes from bad to worse!

“That’s what is so brilliant about Coronation Street, you don’t know what you’re going to get until you open the page of the script and that’s what is so fantastic about how it plays out – we’ve got this woman raving down the aisle and the next minute she’s collapsed and an ambulance is on its way!”

Jane also revealed that she had a hand in the design of Bernie’s wedding dress.

She revealed: “I knew that Bernie wouldn’t go down the road of wearing a traditional dress. I had seen some old footage of Elkie Brookes on TV and she was wearing a kaftan.

“I am a big fan of Elkie so that was the initial inspiration, but this is for Bernie so it needed to be a bit extra. Our fantastic talented costume department came up with the 1970s style white dress that is a bit Elkie Brookes, a bit Demis Roussos and very Bernie Winter.”

Fans can see all the drama unfold as Coronation Street airs this week on ITV1 and via ITVX on Monday at 8pm, Wednesday at 8pm, and Friday at 8pm.

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Coronation Street spoilers for next week’s episodes reveal characters are hiding things, while more than one character takes revenge and there could be an exit on the ITV soap

Spoilers for next week’s Coronation Street see drama, chaos and a new arrival, as well as an exit teased.

One character vows to leave amid a shock affair that threatens to tear a family apart. There’s a visit for one family from a relative, who makes their debut – played by an actress who has been on the ITV soap before.

Josephine Lloyd-Welcome will play Dev’s Aunty Rani, while she’s played different roles in the past on the ITV soap. More than one character takes revenge of sorts next week too, while there’s a discovery as we find out what Carla Connor has been hiding.

Let’s kick things off with the Websters, and an exit could be looming as an affair begins. With Kevin Webster still lying about his cancer results, making wife Abi Franklin believe he needs more treatment, his brother Carl Webster fights the urge to tell her the truth amid their secret feelings.

Abi does end up finding out the truth from someone else, confronting Kevin who admits his lie and explains he did it out of fear she would leave him for his brother Carl. He ends up pushing her straight into Carl’s arms though, and they begin to kiss passionately.

READ MORE: Coronation Street character ‘still alive and set to join soap’ as fake death ‘rumbled’

Despite their moment of intimacy, Carl tells Abi she would be right to stick with Kevin and that they should stay apart from now on. When Kevin sacks his brother from the garage after his recent dodgy dealings, Carl decides a fresh start is needed and he plans to move away from Weatherfield.

When Abi finds out she’s left gutted, but will Carl stay? And what will Abi do? Elsewhere, in the fallout to Lily Platt terrorising her cousin Sam Blakeman, he gets his own back next week with a fake story about a robbery at her home.

Lily’s left terrified unaware Sam has taken revenge after her recent behaviour. Soon, Sam is confiding in Toyah Battersby about his anxiety and his recent panic attacks – but will he tell his dad Nick?

There’s more drama for the Bailey family too, as James moves ahead with the adoption plans for his sister Dee-Dee’ daughter Laila, amid her torn over what she wants to do. Ed Bailey is keen for his kids to clear the air as they remain divided over Laila’s future, while James is plotting to leave – but will he take the baby with him?

Meanwhile Dee-Dee can’t help but smile when she bumps into newcomer Ollie who she recently met at the pub. There’s a new face on the show next week, as Dev’s aunt arrives ahead of his wedding to Bernie Winter.

When she shows up unannounced though the family panic, especially as Aunty Rani has offered to pay for the wedding – while Bernie and Dev’s son Aadi are still hiding the latter’s money issues. When Aunty Rani reveals her plan to create a spreadsheet detailing all the wedding costs so she can keep tabs on the amount she’s spent, Bernie and Aadi hide their dismay – but what are they up to?

There’s more trouble ahead for Todd Grimshaw and new partner Theo Silverton. Todd has to attend a restorative justice session with Noah, after he attacked him recently over his past with Theo.

Todd had seen him practicing conversion therapy on a member of the congregation and took action, after Noah pushed Theo into this years earlier. But there’s a bigger twist ahead when Noah seems to take payback, and maybe Theo’s wife Danielle does too.

It’s revealed they are dating, much to the horror of Todd and Theo given what Noah did. Theo ends up lashing out but accidentally hurts his son Miles leading to him being told he isn’t allowed to see his kids.

When Billy Mayhew tries to help with the situation it backfires, leaving Theo lashing out once more and telling lies – with Todd horrified. Finally next week, we learn what Carla was hiding from her partner Lisa Swain amid her turmoil over her past.

Skipping therapy, Lisa instead spends some time at her late wife Becky’s grave ahead of their anniversary. Carla supports Lisa, and as the day arrives Lisa is clearly struggling.

Carla and stepdaughter Betsy Swain are worried about Lisa, knowing she’s not doing well at all. Lisa insists she’s okay though and heads off for another therapy session.

She does open up to her therapist, with us finally realising what is bothering the detective. She confesses that she often wonders if there was more to Becky’s death than meets the eye. With questions continuing over whether Becky was corrupt or not, it’s clear she needs to know what really happened to Becky and what was going on with her wife before her death in order for her to move on.

She has no idea that Carla is on a mission to get her those answers, with her visiting Logan Radcliffe in prison who clearly knows something. Logan’s link to what happened to Becky was explored on the show earlier this year, while Betsy failed to get anything out of Logan.

Carla decides to try though, determined to help Lisa and get to the bottom of what really happened. Does she get anything out of Logan though? Later on the week, Lisa does some digging of her own.

She sneaks into DI Costello’s office and searches his email for any reference to Becky Swain. But will she find anything out and will she be caught? It seems she finds something out about Kit Green as she soon confronts her colleague.

She tells him she saw his name on the computer which stated that he had asked for access to Becky’s file. Having it out with Kit, it’s not revealed what he says or what this means, but she later tells Carla she cannot work with Kit anymore.

She slams the detective for going behind her back, unaware Carla, out of love, has done the same. But will Carla admit what she’s up to, and how will Lisa react?

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Tony Holliday, 57, was left with a fractured right leg, head and shoulder injuries after the crash – which happened after being given a complimentary quadbiking trip while on holiday

A holidaymaker who is suing TUI at the High Court following a quad bike crash has issued a stark warning to tourists while on excursions abroad after he suffered serious injuries which “should never have happened”.

Tony Holliday, who now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, required two operations on his right leg after he collided with rocks and was thrown from a quad bike while on an excursion in Cape Verde in March 2023.

The property developer travelled to the island, off the coast of west Africa, with his wife, Bev, and two of his daughters, Keeley and Rhianna.The 57-year-old, from Cockermouth, Cumbria, is suing TuUI UK, claiming it misrepresented the nature of the excursion and was negligent, and is seeking more than £500,000 in damages.

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Mr Holliday has now urged travellers to take precautions while abroad. He said: “Please check everything. If something doesn’t feel right… take the full checks, make sure everything’s there (and) the health and safety looks like it’s in place.” He continued: “We asked questions at the time but were not given the correct answers.”

Mrs Holliday, 54, said: “Make sure that you’ve got the right insurance in place, that you’re going through your tour operator, and just think carefully about the excursions that you take your family on and that you go on, and just to try and look out for things that we didn’t see.”

The family agreed to go on the free quad bike excursion as compensation for issues with lost luggage and rooms smelling of sewage earlier in the trip.

In court documents filed by law firm Stewarts, which is representing Mr Holliday, Sarah Prager KC said that TUI staff described the excursion as “suitable for total beginners”, despite the company saying online that it was an “off-road adventure”, an “action-packed excursion”, and “four adrenaline-pumping hours” on “very powerful machines”.

Mr Holliday believed the excursion was provided by Tui but later found out it was organised by a local provider. Mr Holliday continues to suffer from anxiety and issues with sleep following the incident, and said he “feels a second slower than where I should be”.

He said: “Although I went through it, I didn’t witness what my family had to witness, and I don’t think they’ll ever get that image out of their head. So it’s not just me who has suffered. I think the full family has suffered through this. It should never have happened.”

Mrs Holliday said: “It’s really strange when you’ve got a partner who has no fear… he gets himself out there and he loves the challenge, work-wise. It’s really strange to then find yourself in the position where he hasn’t got that confidence any more, and your life completely changes. He will get back, he will get back to where he is. We’ll make sure he does.”

Chris Deacon, international injury lawyer at Stewarts, said: “Sadly, every year I see cases like Tony’s, of people sustaining serious, life-changing injuries on holiday excursions. One of the key factors which influences whether a person can bring a compensation claim for their injuries is how the excursion (is) booked.

“This is because booking your excursion through your tour operator as part of your package holiday brings with it certain protections under the package travel regulations.

“If you book through a small, local provider, there is a risk they won’t be insured, fully or at all, with no safeguard that the tour operator may have risk assessed the provider or activity, and the added complication of potentially having to bring your legal case in a foreign jurisdiction.

“What is also worth knowing is that many travel insurance policies exclude high-risk activities such as quad biking, parachuting, bungee jumping and certain watersports. So even if you have travel insurance, don’t assume it will cover you for everything.”

A spokesperson for TUI said: “We are sorry that Mr Holliday was injured during his holiday to Cape Verde. As this is now a legal matter, we are unable to comment any further at this time.”

Tui is understood to be opposing the claim and is due to file its defence at the High Court later this year.

Coronation Street is lining up yet another drama-packed week next week on the ITV soap, as spoilers confirm a prison escape leading to a siege, as someone faces grave danger

There’s dramatic and deadly scenes on Coronation Street next week, as more than one character faces danger.

A prisoner escapes and sets out on a mission that could prove fatal for one character. As recent events lead to a horrifying point, more than one resident faces peril.

It’s a big week for multiple characters and the repercussions of the prison escape leads off into different stories. Elsewhere away from the siege drama, one character is unaware that a fellow resident has feelings for them, there’s concern for one youngster leading to a realisation and the battle for No.6 continues leading to a possible discovery.

Kicking things off, villain Mick Michaelis makes an action-packed return to the show next week as he plots to escape with his family. He manages to break out of prison, with images appearing to show he’s had a beating.

Mick finds out his wife Lou is in trouble and the family is falling apart, so the desperate character takes action weeks on from him killing PC Craig Tinker. We see him in his cell reading messages on his burner phone, and it’s clear he’s in contact with his son Brody.

Brody arrives at Tim and Sally’s wanting to collect his sisters Joanie and Shanice, while Sally tells him that Tim is taking Joanie to a taster day at Weatherfield High. Brody panics, and lets Mick know there’s an issue.

READ MORE: Coronation Street’s Todd and James’ sinister fate ‘revealed’ in dark Theo scene

At the school Joanie is left in tears over some hurtful comments made about her parents, so Sally is called to collect her. But Mick has no idea and heads to the school to get his daughter, threatening Daniel and Mrs Crawshaw before locking them in the office and fleeing.

Lou meanwhile is questioned by the police who demand to know what Mick is planning, while she denies knowing about the escape. Back on the cobbles, Sally offers Joanie a tour of the factory while the girls are at the pub.

With news of Mick’s escape revealed, his nemesis detective Kit Green heads to the street but can he stop Mick from doing anything stupid? It seems something happens and Mick could hurt Kit, while either way the latter is left in a bad way.

Rushed to hospital, his family are left fearing he might not make it as he has to undergo life-saving surgery. It comes after his showdown with Mick, but will he pull through and what has actually happened?

Brody goes AWOL after events and Bernie Winter fears for his safety – so has Mick fled with his family? Nothing else is said about Mick and the family, so fans will have to wait and see what comes of it.

It seems Mick’s terror at the school impacts other residents, as teen Sam Blakeman is troubled in the aftermath. When Hope revels to Sam’s dad Nick Tilsley that his cousin Lily hid in a classroom but wouldn’t let Sam in and he was left to fend for himself, he’s furious and speaks to his brother David, Lily’s dad, about it.

Someone clearly struggling amid the scenes is detective Lisa Swain. With upcoming scenes showing the character attending therapy where she must face her past, and her trauma over her wife Becky’s death, it seems Lisa continues to spark concern next week. Carla Connor can’t hide her fears for her partner as Lisa acts out of character.

There’s an incident with a thief, as someone tries to steal from the shop. But as Carla urges her partner to act Lisa completely freezes and can’t do anything but watch on. Aadi soon tells sister Asha that he was threatened and forced to empty the safe.

When the police arrive to ask what happened, Aadi explains the robber made off with £6k in cash and says it’s a good thing they’re insured. But the look on his face and his shifty behaviour leaves stepmother Bernie confused – so is he hiding something?

With that, the end of the week sees his dad Dev Alahan return to the show after months offscreen. As he reunites with partner Bernie and son Aadi he wants to know what he’s missed.

Back to Carla and Lisa and the immediate fallout of the robbery, and as the thief flees the scene Carla and Lisa look on rattled. But it’s something Lisa does, something she wouldn’t normally do, that leaves Carla deeply troubled.

She lets the thief run off and doesn’t arrest them, frozen in horror, which leads to Carla asking about this. But Lisa shuts down and refuses to discuss what happened, and it’s clear Carla is worried about her – so what is going on?

Kevin Webster is still keeping up his cancer lie next week it seems, as he assures pal Tyrone Dobbs that he will tell wife Abi the truth about his results once they’re back from their weekend away. Soon his sister Debbie Webster is sharing her fears about not being able to live closer to him amid his health turmoil, with Kevin left feeling guilty at tricking his sibling.

It comes as Debbie is furious when her hopes of buying No.6 with partner Ronnie Bailey, after their reunion, fall flat. She hears from the estate agent and learns they have lost out to Carla, who is hoping to move in with partner Lisa and stepdaughter Betsy – while we expect Ryan Connor will have a room in his aunt’s new place too.

Debbie isn’t ready to let it drop though and makes another offer, but Ronnie is horrified and begs her to retract it. Will Kevin be forced to admit to his sister that she doesn’t need the house as he’s been given the all clear?

Finally next week, Aadi is continuing to get closer to Lauren Bolton out of guilt after she drank a drink spiked with LSD recently that was meant for him, leading to her almost dying. He has no idea though that his recent kind gestures have left Lauren developing feelings for him – but will she learn the truth?

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

TV Columnist Sara Wallis reviews Squid Game 3, as TV’s most stressful show returns to Netflix today for its third and final season…

*Warning: Some plot reveals, no major spoilers*

Surely the most stressful TV experience of all time, dystopian horror-show Squid Game is back today for its third and final flourish – and you won’t want to miss it. The South Korean mega hit, which will send your blood pressure soaring within minutes, somehow manages to become even more messed up and sinister than before. Millions of viewers across the globe have been hooked by the plot so far, which sees desperate, broke ‘losers’ compete in a series of children’s games for quick cash. What they don’t realise until it’s too late is that there’s a violent twist. Win these menacing games, win millions. Lose and get shot in the head by a soldier in a mask and red jumpsuit. The fewer players left, the more money for each one. As you can imagine, they all become completely unhinged and begin to turn on each other. It’s thrilling, popcorn-eating TV.

After season one became a cultural phenomenon, Director Hwang Dong-Hyuk admitted he was stressed out (his teeth fell out) as he faced the difficult Second Album Syndrome, with expectations through the roof. Three years later, season two saw our anti-hero Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), aka winning Player 456, re-enter the game with the intention of bringing down the bad guys.

By the end he was leading a rebellion, hoping to take them down from within. But the evil Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) always seemed to be one step ahead. It ended on a brutal cliffhanger, with Gi-hun witnessing the death of his friend at the hands of the Front Man, who was disguised as Player 001.

We’ve only had to wait six months this time for these final six, nail-biting episodes. Picking up exactly where we left off, the first episode is titled Keys and Knives, which sets us up for the first new game. It’s hide and seek, but no one’s laughing. Some players get keys, some get knives, you can guess the rest. As ever, the gigantic set-pieces, made to make the players feel small like children, are visually stunning and creative. The stage is set, classical music blares out, shrill voices sing-song the instructions, and we watch as the players try to outrun death at every turn.

This season gives the actual games more airtime, meaning the edge-of-seat moments are longer, making everything more disturbing. Episode two, The Starry Night, is entirely one game played out, where bonds are tested, dynamics shift and you can expect plenty of shock-horror moments. Next another frantic childhood game results in a bloodbath, before ultimately the remaining players reach the grand finale, called Sky Squid Game.

Watching the whole thing on screens are the VIPs, a group of wealthy, masked foreigners (American and British accents among them), who all place bets, moving little numbered chess pieces, while smoking and drinking. Though this part is no doubt supposed to be a caricature of a corrupt society, it’s all so cartoony with terrible acting that it jars with the excellence of the main scenes.

If you can get over groaning at these hammed-up villains, you will at least appreciate the social commentary on class, capitalism and immorality. While they enjoy this gladiator-style bloodsport as entertainment, as the players themselves become more deranged by greed, it holds up a mirror to the worst of humanity. By the time we reach the final episode, titled Humans Are…, we have also become numb to the violence. Seasons two and three could never have quite the same impact as season one. However, with the new games designed to cause even more division among the players than before, and a callous, unguessable twist early on that changes the whole dynamic, Squid Game becomes monstrous in a different way.

Watch out for drama outside of the main arena, as police officer Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) mounts a desperate search for the island, knowing his brother is the Front Man. What he doesn’t realise is that his plan is being sabotaged from within. Organs are still being harvested, and one soldier defects and tries to escape, while there are plenty of players, such as a mother and son and pregnant girl, to get emotionally attached to – and plenty to hate. Some of the side plots feel a bit muddled and some player hallucinations are confusing, but for the central characters there is a lot of heart to be found amid the trauma. Ignoring rumours of spin-offs and more seasons (and a glorious final wink), it feels right to end this show now. Squid Game has been an brilliant television hammer-blow, but surely no one has the stomach for more…

*Squid Game 3 is now streaming on Netflix

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The Carnival Triumph cruise from Texas to Mexico in 2013 turned into a nightmare when an engine room fire cut power to the ship, leaving over 4,000 passengers and crew adrift

A passenger who endured the ill-fated Carnival Triumph “poop cruise” has lifted the lid on what the horror sailing was really like.

The smelly voyage is the focus of the Netflix documentary “Trainwreck: Poop Cruise,” which premiered on June 24. The voyage from Texas to Mexico descended into chaos after an engine room fire caused a massive electrical failure, leaving over 4,000 passengers and crew to wade through urine and feces and camp on deck.

Tay Redford, 24, a passenger who was only 12 at the time of the incident, has watched the trailer and feels “hurt” by the portrayal. Now a bakery owner from Enid, Oklahoma, Tay vividly recalls the fear and chaos, arguing that Carnival failed to provide meaningful support after the ordeal.

Still grappling with long-term trauma, Tay is concerned that the documentary does not adequately represent the voices of those passengers onboard and has vowed never to go on a cruise again.

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“I’ve only seen the trailer, but from what I saw, it doesn’t even scratch the surface,” she said. “It’s just Carnival workers telling the story. It’s really hard watching the documentary come out and seeing all these people making money from it.

“To me, it feels like they’re profiting off something that deeply affected and traumatized me.”

On February 10, 2013, a blaze broke out in the engine room of the Carnival Triumph, located at the rear of the ship, while it was off the coast of Mexico. A faulty flexible fuel line had ruptured, spewing fuel onto a scorching surface, which in turn crippled the ship’s generators.

As a result, the vessel lost all primary power and propulsion, stranding over 4,000 passengers and crew in the Gulf of Mexico for four days. Raw sewage inundated numerous cabins, and essential services ground to a halt as the ship was laboriously towed to Mobile, Alabama over the course of several days.

Tay was on board the ship, accompanied by her parents, older brother, and a group of family friends. What was intended as a relaxing family getaway rapidly descended into a traumatic experience.

“It was the most fear I’ve ever felt in my life,” Tay recounted. “I’m not that old yet, but that was hands down the scariest thing I’ve ever been through.”

The fire caused a total blackout, plunging the ship into darkness and depriving passengers of basic necessities. Due to the unhygienic conditions and poor ventilation, Tay’s family was forced to vacate their cabin.

“My first thought is we’re sinking, we’re going down. That was the only thing I thought. I was crying hysterically, trying to follow my parents around in the dark,” she recalled. “When we went down to our room, we were up to our ankles in sewage and urine and feces, and there was no air flow. There were no lights.”

The situation was nothing short of chaotic and terrifying, compelling the family to take refuge on the uppermost deck for nearly four days. Passengers on a cruise ship faced a nightmare holiday when access to food, water, and sanitation became severely limited.

“They ran out of water to give us, so they said, ‘Hey, we’ll open up the bar and let people drink liquor,'” one passenger recounted.

The situation quickly deteriorated as inebriated guests, furious over the scant information and deteriorating conditions, started brawling. Tay, a passenger, recalled how some resorted to “throwing their bodily fluids over the ship” amid rising tensions.

During the ordeal, Tay’s brother came up with a clever solution.

“My brother actually had this great idea. He said, I’m going to build a tent out of these sheets. And he cut the sheets up and invented Tent City where everybody followed him to make tents to keep us out of the sun,” Tay said.

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After enduring days of hardship, the crippled vessel was towed back to port in Mobile, Alabama. Although Carnival offered a modest compensation – $500 and a refund for the journey home – Tay feels the company failed to truly acknowledge the trauma suffered by passengers.

A spokesperson for Carnival said: “The Carnival Triumph incident over 12 years ago was a teachable moment for the entire cruise industry. A thorough investigation following the incident revealed a design vulnerability which was corrected and led Carnival Cruise Line to invest more than $500 million across our entire fleet in comprehensive fire prevention and suppression, improved redundancy and enhanced management systems, all in support of our commitment to robust safety standards. This is in addition to our vigorous Health, Environmental, Safety and Security (HESS) protocals that guide the entire Carnival Corporation fleet as we maintain our commitment to industry leadership in this area.”

The statement ended by pointing out that the company is “proud of the fact that since 2013 over 53 million guests have enjoyed safe and memorable vacations with us, and we will continue to operate to these high standards.”

Former Sky News journalist Dermot Murnaghan has opened up about his journey with stage four prostate cancer, with an important message for other men. And it’s not the first time the sporty broadcaster has shared details about his health

Dermot Murnaghan has today revealed he has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. The 67-year-old broadcaster told how he’s undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, and urged other men to make sure they get themselves tested.

Praising his “outstanding medical team”, former Sky News reporter Dermot issued a statement via social media platform X, writing: “Some personal news……I’ve been diagnosed with Stage IV advanced prostate cancer I’m fortunate to have a simply outstanding medical team looking after me, who I can’t thank enough – they are administering the best possible care with expertise, compassion and sensitivity.”

He continued: “I’m responding positively to their excellent treatment and feeling well. I’m blessed to be fortified by the monumental love and support of my wife, family and close friends. Needless to say, my message to all men over 50, in high-risk groups, or displaying symptoms, is get yourself tested and campaign for routine prostate screening by the NHS.”

READ MORE: Dermot Murnaghan sends plea to men after devastating stage four cancer diagnosis

Journalist Dermot went on to share that, going forward, he hopes to participate in Sir Chris Hoy’s fundraising charity bike ride in Glasgow this September, encouraging followers to make a donation if they can.

In a previous interview with the Mail Online, keen cyclist Dermot opened up about his health, describing himself as “fairly fit”.

He shared that his father had “lived till the ripe old age of 86”, before offering his own thoughts on the prospect of “living forever”. He reflected: “Only if everyone else I knew could. Being old without your loved ones could be very lonely. “

The Devon-born media personality also opened up about his healthy diet, which he supplements with immune-boosting vitamin C and zinc tablets, and spoke about his “worst illness or injury”, telling the publication how he was injured after a dog lunged at his bike.

He said: “A few years ago, I broke four ribs when a pitbull knocked me off my bike. The charming owner then had the audacity to reprimand me for scaring his dog. They can’t do much for broken ribs, you’re just sent off with strong painkillers. For eight weeks, sleeping was very uncomfortable and sneezing, coughing or laughing could aggravate it. Even now, when I turn to my right side, I often feel a twinge.”

This, unfortunately, isn’t the only time that Dermot has found himself in peril while on the road. In 2017, the newsreader shared photographs of his bruised face after he was injured in a hit-and-run incident. He told fans at the time: “Here’s why I haven’t been on air for 2 days. A hit and run in Kentish Town yesterday. Police were fantastic.”

Delving into the incident in more detail on Sky News, Dermot explained: “Having worked on Breakfast TV for 10 years in two stints, I’ve become a bit of an early bird. So last Thursday I woke at 6am, put on my hi-vis cycling jacket got on my bike to meet my mates for a few healthy miles before work.

“Twenty minutes later, I was lying by the side of the road with a broken cycle helmet and a hobbled bike, still spinning, lights shining – and a variety of cuts, bruises and abrasions. But thankfully, no broken bones.”

He added: “On an empty road in north London, a guy in a car on a mobile phone pulled out from the side of the road without indicating. I swerved that. But a millisecond later, he U-turned into me and wiped me out.

“The Good Samaritan who saw it says the driver then sped off. I didn’t catch his name in the muddle, so if you read this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. The perpetrator was too interested in his phone to bother to stop and would have left me lying in the road.

“Police were there within five minutes and were absolutely fantastic. Took all the details and went to check the CCTV. Then drove me and my crushed bike home. Professional through and through. “

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READ MORE: Sky News’ Dermot Murnaghan diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer

She was once known as Violet Harmon in the first season of American Horror Story. Now, Taissa Farmiga has traded Violet’s whimsical streak for Gladys Russell’s socialite status.

George and Bertha Russell’s marriage is hanging by a fragile thread in the third season of The Gilded Age – but one of the show’s stars originally shot to fame with several appearances in American Horror Story.

Taissa Farmiga portrays socialite Gladys Russell in The Gilded Age, originally aired on HBO. In its third series, due on Sky, Gladys has to face the aftermath of her parents’ choice to promise her hand in marriage to the Duke of Buckingham. But will she go through with the nuptials?

This remains to be seen. But, back in 2011, shortly after debuting her acting career in High Ground, Taissa starred in the first season of American Horror Story as Violet Harmon, the daughter of Vivien (Connie Britton) and Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott).

Violet’s story ended in tragedy as she committed suicide, joining her killer boyfriend Tate Langdon (Evan Peters) in the afterlife – but Taissa still reprised the role in the eighth season of American Horror Story. She even appeared in the anthology series as two different characters – Sophie Green and Zoe Benson.

READ MORE: Disney+ drops to £1.99 in rare deal Netflix and Amazon can’t beat

Now starring in The Gilded Age, Taissa admitted that she had to delve deep into the Downton Abbey universe to nail Gladys’ role. “I started watching Downton Abbey because I thought ‘I have to brush up,'” she told producer Joshua Horowitz in 2023 on his podcast Happy Sad Confused.

But when she first auditioned for Gladys, Taissa was honest – she wasn’t a fan of period dramas. “During my audition, they asked me if I was passionate about period pieces,” she remembered, joking later: “I told them, ‘I don’t know. I’m a stoner, I watch Rick and Morty.'”

Growing up, Taissa was the youngest in a family of six children and watched her older sister Vera Farmiga rise to fame through her roles in The Conjuring franchise, Orphan and even Bates Motel. But she had no intentions of following in her footsteps.

Instead, Taissa dreamed of being an accountant – until Vera convinced her to appear in her directorial debut drama, Higher Ground. “I was thrown into this world,” Taissa once told Yahoo Movies in 2015.

The experience was enough for her to change trajectory completely. “After Higher Ground about six months went by and I went back to my normal life,” Taissa said.

“I was looking at community college classes for accounting. I wasn’t jumping right into it, thinking, ‘I have to be an actress.'” And the rest was history.

Since then, Taissa has bagged a multitude of roles in feature films and series alike. She was notably seen in The Bling Ring with Emma Watson, The Nun franchise as Sister Irene Palmer and even in The Twilight Zone.

Taissa is also very active on social media, particularly on Instagram, where she’s followed diligently by 1.9 million admirers. The 30-year-old shares everything – from snaps on set and on the red carpet, to her trips with producer husband Hadley Klein.

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A family of four claimed their holiday to Cape Verde was ‘ruined’ after they allegedly found bedbugs in their hotel room. They said they got ‘itchy bites’ and were left ‘absolutely horrified’

A family of four suffered the ultimate holiday from hell after allegedly finding bedbugs in their hotel room.

The ordeal was such a nightmare that the family said they had to abandon £800 worth of their clothes because of the alleged infestation.

Natalie Slater and her husband, Steven, both 45, were excited for their trip of a lifetime to Cape Verde, Africa, with their two children, Alfie, 13, and Amelia, seven. But on the second day of their family getaway in a five-star hotel, beauty business owner Natalie claimed she and Steven woke up covered in itchy sores.

As with many hot climate locations, they initially thought they had been bitten by pesky mosquitoes. It wasn’t until their children found bites five days later that their concerns grew.

“I could feel biting at night time,” Natalie, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, said. “I sprayed mosquito spray on the bed and had plug-ins.”

READ MORE: Brits call out ‘horrendous’ hotel behaviour but admit ‘we find it funny’

She added: “Amelia started getting bitten on her face, then my son got bitten. My husband said I looked like a pepperoni pizza because I was covered in that many bites.

“They were shockingly painful, itchy and had pus in them. There were more and more every day, so we looked under the mattress and behind the bed.”

Natalie then claimed: “The mattresses were covered in brown blood stains, and there were bed bug shells on the floor. I was absolutely horrified.”

“I stormed to see the rep who was amazing and couldn’t do enough to help. She told the hotel to do an investigation but they never came so me, my husband and two children sat up all night on the settee.

“Amelia was crying, sat up on the settee. She had 25 bites on her face. I didn’t know what to do. I got my torch out in the pitch black and took photos of the bugs on the bed at 2am.”

The couple claim that they checked underneath the mattresses and were left disgusted when they discovered bloody patches and bed bug shells.

Natalie said she reported the suspected bedbugs to staff and was told that someone would have a look. But she claims that no one arrived at their room, and the family were forced to sleep on a sofa.

TUI maintains that a third-party contractor inspected the room on the same day Natalie lodged the complaint, finding no signs of bed bugs, only mosquitoes.

The company further stated that they relocated the family to a new room and proposed to wash their clothes, insisting there was no proof of bed bugs in the room, and that no other holidaymakers had reported any.

“If they weren’t bedbugs, why did they offer to wash our clothes?” Natalie said.

Despite being moved into a new room, Natalie said that the ordeal had ruined their holiday, which they had been saving for all year. “We couldn’t settle but we had two children and had to try and make the most of it,” she said.

“I cried every day. I wanted to go home but it would have been £400 each and we didn’t have that money.”

With concerns that their clothes could have bedbugs on them, Natalie said she opted to leave £800 worth of clothes behind. However, she made sure to take home £2,000 worth of designer labels, but said she’ll have to replace them.

She said: “We had thousands of pounds of designer clothes that are in a suitcase in the garage. There were Casablanca shirts that are £350 a pop, pairs of crocs for £40, sandals, FCUK tops, Stone Island clothes, Amelia had a Burberry dress and £25 rucksacks. We can’t afford to replace all that.”

Natalie demanded: “I want a full refund for my holiday being ruined, and what about my clothes?” She claimed that she’s “covered in scars” and her daughter can’t “sleep properly”.

She added: “It’s awful. I don’t want it to happen again. We saved all year and go to work. I’m fed up and I don’t want other people to go through it.”

The Mirror has contacted TUI and the hotel for comment.

Many Brits seek summer sun abroad from Turkey to Cape Verde, but holidays often turn into costly disasters with delays, illness, and nightmare accidents

Every summer, millions of Brits jet off in search of sunshine and relaxation – but for some, dream holidays can quickly spiral into disaster.

From flight delays and lost luggage to heatstroke, food poisoning, and unexpected injuries, the holiday season often brings more chaos than calm.

Travel insurance providers report spikes in claims during July and August, with accidents abroad, hospital visits, and missed connections among the top complaints.

Here, the Mirror looks at some dream getaways that quickly became nightmares…

Horrific joke gone wrong

A “joke” on a lad’s holiday in Benidorm ended up with a dad breaking his neck after he was shoved into a pool.

Martin Bullen, 31, described how someone who he didn’t know playfully pushed him into the water at a Benidorm pool party on June 10.

The single dad-of-two said he tried to turn his fall into a dive but he didn’t realise how shallow the water was and he split his head open on the bottom of the pool.

Luckily one of the revellers at the party was an army medic who helped get Martin out of the pool and kept him still until an ambulance arrived.

Paramedics took Martin, who works as a sales advisor, to a nearby hospital where doctors gave him 16 stitches in his head and found that he had fractured his neck in three places and broken his back.

READ MORE: ‘Cause of death’ of Beth Martin, 28, whose heart was removed after dying on holiday

He said that the trip to Benidorm had been intended as a relaxing getaway with his cousins to give Martin a break from being a busy single dad.

Martin explained that he had gone to book travel insurance before the holiday, but he had gotten distracted before paying and forgot to purchase it – a mistake he dubbed ‘stupid’.

The tourist ended up forking out £1,500 for the hospital stay and extra flights. He urged holidaymakers travelling this summer not to make the same “daft mistake” as him.

Martin, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, said: “I was having a drink but I had my wits about me and stuff. Somebody pushed me into the pool and I didn’t know it was a shallow pool.

“I’m thinking I’ll just dive in and dive back up and my head hit the floor straight away and it split open my head.

“It was quite scary. I’ll be honest, there was at one point I thought I was going to die on my own [in hospital] because I didn’t know what was going on or who to talk to.

“It was a moment of madness [not to take out insurance]. I was looking at getting it, I put it in the WhatsApp group for my cousins to get it and as I went to do mine something came up with the kids.

“Then it just slipped my mind and then I forgot all about it and didn’t get it done. It was a daft mistake. I knew I needed to get it. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail, that’s the best thing I could say.”

Raw buffet food hell

What was supposed to be a dream getaway quickly spiralled into a holiday from hell for 25 Brits after they allegedly suffered gastric illnesses while staying at the Riu Karamboa, in Boa Vista in Cape Verde.

The group claim there were disturbing scenes around the hotel’s buffet – birds, flies, and even cats wandering freely. The food, they allege, was often “raw and undercooked,” served alongside “dirty crockery and cutlery.”

One NHS worker who splurged £3,000 to celebrate early retirement said she ended up hospitalised with a severe E.coli infection during her holiday.

Sharon Burrow, 56, of Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, recalled how the luxury break became “one of the worst experiences of her life,” and eight months on, she still battles ongoing complications.

Another guest, Penny Robson, a 55-year-old paramedic from London, was forced to take antibiotics after battling a brutal bout of gastric symptoms – bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, and stomach cramps. Penny, who paid £2,000 for a weeklong stay with a friend in September 2023, had to cancel two prepaid excursions, including a stargazing trip and a private island tour, after falling ill five days in.

The Riu Karamboa resort told the Mirror: “For RIU Hotels & Resorts, the health and safety of our guests is our highest priority. That is why we adhere to strict Health & Safety protocols and comply with all applicable regulations.

“Additionally, we work closely with local health authorities to ensure a safe environment for both our guests and employees. As part of our proactive approach to preventing health issues, we conduct thorough internal and external audits on a regular basis.

“Our hotels in Cape Verde, which consist of six properties with a total of 4,650 rooms, maintain an average occupancy rate of over 80%. Given this high level of activity, we continuously monitor our operations to uphold the highest health and safety standards.”

‘Never leaving UK again’

It was a luxury holiday of celebration that turned into a nightmare. Alison Shah had celebrated her big birthday in style with a month-long trip to countries including Bangkok and Thailand when she tried to get home with her partner Richard Kay, 52, and chaos ensued.

The couple finally made it home after a three-day trek but their ordeal has made them vow ‘never again’. “I have never experienced anything like this,” said Alison. “We paid a lot of money for the holiday and it has ended in a nightmare.”

The couple had flown from Thailand to Dubai last April to find the airport in turmoil due to severe storms, with their plane circling above the airport for an hour and a half before it was able to land. They had a few hours to wait until flying to Manchester.

“Finally at 8am, we started to board the plane, the plane was there,” said Alison. “We then sat there for two and a half hours in the holding area waiting to get on the plane. Nobody was answering any questions and people were getting frantic.”

The couple’s frustration peaked when they were informed of their flight had been cancelled. “We were then told our flight was cancelled and we had to leave the airport,” added the emergency control operator. “We went back the following day and joined another queue for seven and a half hours.

“We were waiting to board the plane and it kept saying delayed, delayed, delayed. The screen changed from Manchester to Sydney and they sent us away again.”

After spending money on a hotel stay, the couple faced further uncertainty at the airport the next day when they were offered a flight to Manchester on April 28 – 12 days after they were meant to head back home. “We couldn’t do that. We had to go to work and we had already been out of the country for a month,” Alison said.

“I asked if they could get us to another airport, if I could get near the UK I could work it out. They got us a flight to Istanbul.”

But their ordeal wasn’t over – landing in Istanbul on April 19, Alison and Richard were greeted with the news that their luggage had gone missing, meaning they had to buy clothes there. The couple then made their way from Istanbul to Dalaman, Turkey, on Saturday in hopes of catching a flight to Manchester.

“We’re pleased to be home, but really really upset not to be able to give the grandchildren the gifts and open the cases and do what you normally do when you get home,” Alison said.

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, penned an open letter at the time of the disruption, which said: “The UAE experienced its highest rainfall in 75 years. Storm winds and torrential rain disrupted activities across the cities.

“While our hub in Dubai continued to operate, albeit with reduced flight movements for safety reasons, the flooded roads hampered our customers, pilots, cabin crew, and airport employees from getting to the airport, and also affected the delivery of essential supplies like meals and other flight amenities..

“We know our response has been far from perfect. We acknowledge and understand the frustration of our customers due to the congestion, lack of information, and confusion in terminals. We acknowledge that the long queues and waiting times have been unacceptable.”

Terrifying break-in

Becca Farley, 27, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was enjoying a getaway in Benidorm with her family when she encountered intruders in their accommodation. The family had shelled out £2,500 for their week-long retreat.

On their final evening, amidst hotel notices about an impending power outage, Becca headed to their room to charge mobile phones ahead of their journey back. She recounted the unsettling moment: “As I got in the lift these two teenagers got in the lift with me and just pressed my floor level. I honestly didn’t think anything of it because there’s five rooms per floor, so I just assumed they were going to one of them.”

However, the situation took a turn when the youths exited the lift before her and made a beeline for her room, which was propped open with a shoe. Initially confused, Becca thought she had got off on the wrong floor, but she quickly realised that wasn’t the case.

“It happened all quite quickly and they just strolled straight into my room,” she said. Becca decided to follow them inside and confront them.

“But I just didn’t really think and went straight into the room and shouted ‘What are you doing in my room? Get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out’.” Thankfully, the teenagers did.

Yet, the ordeal hadn’t ended—the youth hammered on the door shortly after while Becca remained barricaded inside. “I was absolutely petrified,” she confessed.

“I know it sounds silly and people have said you should have done this, you should have locked them in the room, you should have decked them but at that moment I think it was just that invasion of privacy. This is supposed to be your safe place when you are away, you’re away from home, we don’t travel all that often so we were really shaken.”

READ MORE: ‘Struggling’ mum ditches regular diets to lose 4 stone with 3 children under five

Robert and John Sugden’s rivalry is getting out of control next week in Emmerdale while, in Corrie, the Weatherfield teens are forever changed by a night of partying.

Soap fans are set for another rollercoaster next week as some fan favourite characters will be left in the balance.

In Emmerdale, John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) is determined to keep half-brother Robert (Ryan Hawley) away from his marriage with Aaron Dingle – but could he claim another life as a result?

Over in Coronation Street, Weatherfield residents are trying to move on from the shocking death of PC Craig Tinker, prompting Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) to urge Aadi Alahan (Adam Hussain) to throw a party on the cobbles. But in true Corrie fashion, the night is set to spiral.

Much like ITV viewers, BBC One regulars will face their fair share of ups and downs in EastEnders with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) struggling to help Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley). But there’s more drama on the way in Neighbours, Hollyoaks and Home and Away.

READ MORE: Disney+ drops to £1.99 in rare deal Netflix and Amazon can’t beat

Emmerdale

Robert feels guilty about hurting Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) and decides to move out. John pressures Caleb (Will Ash) to end Robert’s trial employment. Caleb invents a cover story, leaving Robert disappointed – Jai (Chris Bisson) later confirms John’s interference.

After a tense confrontation with Robert, John tries to convince Victoria to report Robert for hitting her. Overhearing them, Robert is upset and seeks comfort in Aaron (Danny Miller), who rejects him.

Distraught, Robert tries to distract himself – only for John to intervene when Robert’s date drugs him. John drives off with unconscious Robert in his van, before towering over him with a syringe in hand.

Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) mentions Sarah’s (Katie Hill) IVF to Cain (Jeff Hordley), assuming he knows and Cain is furious that Jacob is more in the loop than he is. But his angry reaction leaves him at odds with Sarah.

She later admits to Jacob that Cain’s behaviour has caused her to question herself. Jacob tries to reassure her and when she shares her fears over her mortality, he makes a bombshell proposition. Later, the seriousness of Sarah’s cancer operation becomes an unavoidable reality.

Elsewhere, Joe (Ned Porteous) hatches a plan to get revenge on Billy (Jay Kontzle) with the help of a newcomer. Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) overhears Tracy (Amy Walsh) making preparations for Nate’s funeral and seizes the opportunity to get the Dingles an invite.

Coronation Street

At Bernie’s suggestion, Aadi throws a midsummer party. Carla (Alison King) hands Betsy (Sydney Martin) the keys to the Underworld factory, asking her to lock up. But when Brody (Ryan Mulvey), Dylan (Liam McCheyne) and Lauren (Cait Fitton) walk in, she gets distracted and forgets.

The group heads to the party but when Brody shows Dylan a bottle of LSD, telling him he intends to make some money, Dylan is concerned. Meanwhile, romance is in the air for Amy and Aadi but a misunderstanding leaves him hurt.

Later, he kicks Brody out of the party after spotting him with LSD but when Brody’s gone, Aadi splits the LSD into three cups – and the night takes a devastating turn.

High on LSD, Summer (Harriet Bibby) and Nina (Mollie Gallagher) let themselves into the darkened café. When they hear the sound of sirens, they cling on to each other, terrified.

Confused, they then try to retrace their steps for answers. But when discussing what they witnessed that night, they agree to stay quiet. Kit (Jacob Roberts) tells Bernie he’s had the DNA results through and confirms he’s Brody’s biological father. Will he keep the news to himself?

Elsewhere, Liam (Charlie Wrenshall) confides in Maria (Samia Longchambon) that Gary (Mikey North) isn’t answering his calls, after expecting him to return from his mother’s. Maria masks her concerns for Liam – but where is Gary?

EastEnders

Phil worries about Nigel when he goes out barefoot but fears grow when Phil returns home to find chaos. Danger then strikes as Nigel and Phil bicker over a pan of boiling water.

Kat (Jessie Wallace) later clocks Phil is injured and, realising something is wrong, presses him to be honest about Nigel’s condition. Realising he’s in over his head, she visits Phil and suggests he needs extra support to take care of Nigel. Meanwhile, Nigel spirals as he helps Lexi (Isabella Brown) with her homework.

Yolande (Angela Wynter) organises a party for Patrick’s (Rudolph Walker) birthday and asks Elaine (Harriet Thorpe) to host at The Vic. Elaine agrees, roping in an overwhelmed Linda (Kellie Bright). When Linda is left to hold the first alone, George (Colin Salmon) steps in to help, causing Elaine to lash out.

Later, Elaine goes big for Patrick’s party, while Denzel (Jaden Ladega) welcomes his friends at the house. After trying to bribe his way in, Joel (Max Murray) takes Denzel to The Vic, where Elaine agrees to let them have a glass of punch each. But things go awry when the teens are left unsupervised.

Elsewhere, Nicola (Laura Doddington) and Teddy (Roland Manookian) are concerned for Barney (Lewis Bridgeman) when he fails a chemistry test because of the stress. Nicola tries to cheer him up, but scathing Harry (Elijah Holloway) throws a spanner in the works.

Hollyoaks

Prince has doubts over throwing a party for Mercedes but she tells her family to continue organising it. Jez is concerned to hear Dodger has planned to meet with Tori’s former social worker.

Later, Dodger investigates what happened to Dennis. After tracking him down, Jez meets with the social worker, who drops a bombshell about Dennis.

Donny arrives on police duty and privately informs Mercedes and Myra that Bobby has escaped the secure home, suspectedly in a social worker’s car.

Neighbours

Andrew and Holly embark on a road trip in search of answers about his biological family while Wendy rushes home for a job interview at the school.

She’s thrown to learn about Holly’s involvement in Andrew’s journey for clarity. Meanwhile, Karl is in hospital, subdued and introspective, as Jane secures an interview with Darcy in prison.

Elsewhere, Max’s mother, Yvette, and sister, Saskia, pay him a visit. But he’s shocked when Yvette announces she’d like Saskia to stay in Erinsborough.

Home and Away

Justin runs into Bree and Remi, desperate to get a message to Theo. Remi agrees – as long as he helps Kirby through her songwriting. When Kirby plays him some of her songs, Justin’s feedback is limited. His apparent lack of interest sends her spiralling.

Cash is desperate for Eden to go away with him, but she has other ideas, telling Mackenzie to decline on her behalf. But Cash gets Mackenzie on his side with a bombshell. Another shock then rattles the Bay – Eden’s mum, Deb.

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THE family of Minnesota Senator John Hoffman has revealed how his wife Yvette used her body as a shield when a gunman opened fire in their home.

Both Hoffman and Yvette were seriously injured when they were targeted in an attempted assassination at their home in Champlin around 2 am on Saturday morning.

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Less than two hours later, the gunman, suspected to be 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, shot and killed DFL speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their home in Brooklyn Park.

Hoffman, 60, and his wife underwent surgery at the Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and are stable.

The pair were shot 11 times by the crazed gunman who posed as a police officer, their nephew Mat Ollig shared in an update on Facebook.

He revealed how Yvette heroically threw herself in front of their daughter Hope to shield her from the bullets.

Hope, who is in her 20s, was not injured in the horror attack.

Senator Hoffman was shot six times and Yvette five, Ollig said.

“My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life,” he wrote.

“They are both out of surgery and stable. These two are the kindest, most giving and caring people I know.”

He called the horror attack “a political act of terrorism” carried out by a “vile piece of s*** dressed as a cop”.

“I am beyond sick,” Ollig wrote as he shared pictures of the family.

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One of the bullets that struck Hoffman narrowly missed his heart, local outlet KARE11 reported.

Images from the scene show the Hoffmans’ front door riddled with bullet holes.

Boelter was named as a suspect for the shootings on Saturday afternoon sparking a major manhunt.

As the search continues into its second day, cops are tightening the net around the 57-year-old who allegedly wore a creepy latex mask when he gunned down his victims.

They have located a vehicle of interest and the cowboy hat they believe Boelter was wearing when he was last seen in the Twin Cities area.

These were found on Highway 25 roughly half way between Green Isle, where Boelter has a property, and Belle Plaine, KARE 11 reported.

State patrol confirmed they found a black vehicle on the side of the road that is of interest in the hunt for the suspect.

They also found a cowboy hat matching the one Boelter was seen wearing in the last CCTV footage of him lying in the open on the side of the road.

About 100 yards away from the road, is a property that KARE 11 says has a major police presence around it as part of the manhunt.

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It has not been confirmed if Boelter is still in the area.

The FBI has issued a $50,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest and a conviction.

Hours after the double shooting, at around 6 am, Boelter’s roommate and best friend David Carlson received a string of chilling text messages from him in which Boelter said “I may be dead shortly”.

“I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he said to his friends David and Ron.

“May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”

Officials have said that they believe Boelter may have been trying to flee.

His wife Jenny was detained after a traffic stop during which cops found she was carrying weapons, cash, and passports, KTSP reported, citing law enforcement officials.

She was not arrested and officers have warned that as the search continues, Boelter should be considered armed and dangerous.

Officials have urged the public to send in tips and call 911 if they see him.

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Air India was battling an ‘exceptionally poor’ reputation before the horror incident that claimed the lives of all but one flight AI171 passengers – and many more people on the ground

Air India flights were notoriously plagued with issues in the years before the tragic AI171 disaster last week, with bad publicity from a series of incidents giving the airline what an expert has said was an “exceptionally poor” reputation.

Hospital officials in Ahmedabad, in Gujarat province, western India, confirmed today that 270 people died in the disaster after the doomed flight hit a medical college hostel on Thursday shortly after takeoff – killing all but one of 241 passengers and dozens of people on the ground. Indian officials continue to pick up the pieces this morning, with investigations underway to determine exactly what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to crash as bereaved families wait to collect the bodies of their loved ones from a post-mortem centre.

The airline has received high praise for its response to the disaster, which comes three years after it was acquired and privatised by Tata steel. Prior to this, Rhys Jones, a luxury travel expert and editor of Head for Points, told The Mirror, Air India’s reputation was “extremely poor” despite it being cleared by European and US regulators. Previous incidents aboard Air India planes have seen window panels break off and passengers complain of dirty interiors.

READ MORE: Air India plane crash UPDATES: Sole survivor reveals horror moment before impact

Window panel chaos

Back in 2018, chaos erupted during a 30-minute Air India flight from Amritsar to Delhi, when intense turbulence resulted in the inside part of a window panel becoming dislodged.

Panic spread across the packed cabin, filled with 240 passengers, while a cabin crew member bravely pushed the panel back in, all while comforting a distressed passenger.

Footage of the terrifying incident was shared widely on social media at the time and shows some overhead oxygen masks being deployed.

Three people were left requiring hospital treatment, as per The Times of India newspaper.

A source told the publication: “Passengers were naturally terrified.” He continued: “The turbulence on Flight AI 462 was such that the head of a seated passenger, who possibly did not have his seat belt fastened, hit the overhead cabin because of a bump.

“The person suffered injuries. Two more had minor injuries. The inside of a window panel came off. The outside window did not break, and there was no depressurisation.”

‘Dirty’ conditions

One year ago, after the Tata group took over the airline, a Dubai-based travel influencer, who vlogs via the YouTube channel Living Jet Setters, reviewed a flight they took aboard a 787-8 Dreamliner, to see if improvements had been made.

The vlogger, who travelled in economy class, was impressed by the speedy check-in and the “great service” they received from “extremely friendly and very nice” cabin crew members. They also noticed improvements with the on-flight food, which they described as “tasty” and “delicious”, and found their seat and headrest to be comfortable.

However, there were a number of areas they found to be “pretty outdated” aboard the aircraft, which had been part of Air India’s fleet for 10.4 years by this point. They noted: “Even the magazines aren’t very well kept”.

Expressing displeasure at the “very poor hygiene” standards that quickly became apparent when they took their seat, the travel reviewer showed footage of stains on the torn seat cushions, as well as on the fold-out tray table. He remarked: “Air India has to improve on this.”

On top of this, their remote control socket was broken, and their in-flight entertainment screen wasn’t working. A glance around the cabin showed he wasn’t alone on this front.

Unfortunately, there were yet more grim finds awaiting him in the “old and dirty” bathroom, which he claimed had “no amenities” or even tissue paper. The air freshener also didn’t seem to be working. Calling upon Air India to update and refurbish their older planes, he asserted: “It’s only been half an hour into the flight, and it’s already dirty”.

Broken seats

In April of this year, as previously reported by the View From The Wing travel publication, an Air India passenger making the 7,500-mile journey from Chicago to Delhi claims she was told “there was a technical issue” with her business class seat, which “wouldn’t recline”.

Instead, she says she was offered two economy seats, which she was allegedly pressed to take.

Although she allegedly made it clear that she wished to keep the broken business class seat and have a partial refund, she was informed this wasn’t an option.

She claims staff continued to press her to take the economy seats, and handed over a form for the seat reassignment.

After sitting in her original business class seat, the passenger allegedly found only a broken tray table. She also learned that her seat opponent had accepted a downgrade from first class, on account of a broken seat.

Two rows of business class had also been cleared out, apart from the crew rest seats in the cabin that were curtained off.

This alleged series of events was told by the woman’s daughter, who uploaded a screenshot of the seat reassignment form to Reddit.

Claiming that her mother had been “scammed”, she wrote: A few hours in, several of the crew/attendants get in the seats, cover themselves with blankets, and go to sleep.

“Then on her flight back home there were no issues with her seat but she watched them run the exact same play on the woman in front of her in line with the form, technical issue, etc – she tells her and multiple of the passengers get to talking about it and corroborate similar happening to them on other flights. Same situation occurs with rows of empty business seats that the crew takes over midway through the flight.”

‘Technical snag’

In a more recent review filmed back in May, aviation vlogger and content creator Noel Phillips documented his “awful” flight aboard Air India’s “Filthy Boeing 797”, showing followers sights such as a “grimy” window button, and a hair left behind by the previous seat occupant. They also spoke about how the power went out, and how passengers were told they’d been a “technical snag”, after learning the flight would be delayed by 45 minutes.

In one part of the video, a baffled Noel, who was travelling business class, shared: “So a passenger across the aircraft has got to their seat, and there’s like a massive bit of metal sticking out of the seat. Okay, they’ve fixed it with a bit of gaffer tape, so that’s all good, I suppose.”

According to Noel, staff initially didn’t mind him taking a review video, but when the technical difficulties began, it allegedly became clear that his camera was no longer welcome, forcing him to be more “discreet”.

While inspecting the toilet, Noel was alarmed to find “liquid matter on the floor”, and also wasn’t majorly won over by the in-flight entertainment, where advertised content such as games, music, and even the flight map, wasn’t available.

Unfortunately, Noel’s reading light was out of order, meaning he couldn’t even read the newspaper he’d been handed at the beginning of the flight. He also advised future travellers to bring along a power bank, as neither the 3-pin plug nor USB were working.

Flights deemed safe despite poor reputation

Mr Jones noted that, before the airline was acquired in 2022, the overall reputation of Air India was “exceptionally poor”, but regulators in the US and Europe continued to allow the airline to take passengers.

He said it was important to note that the airline would not have been able to if any “significant safety lapses” were found. The expert said: “Prior to privatisation, Air India’s reputation was exceptionally poor. But it’s important to remember that the airline was still deemed safe by European and American regulators, who permitted the airline to operate flights to the US, UK and Europe.

“If these bodies had found significant safety lapses then this would not have been permitted, as we saw over the last five years with Pakistan International Airlines which was banned from flying to these destinations until their safety record (and that of the Pakistani regulator) improved.”

The Mirror has reached out to Air India for comment

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