Holby City Hospital will see an explosive “high-stales major incident” that will have viewers on the edges of their seat as Casualty gear up for the 40th anniversary episode
Casualty is celebrating its 40th anniversary
Casualty has dropped a first look at its explosive 40th anniversary episodes, with Holby City Hospital thrown into chaos after a devastating blast.
The BBC released a teaser trailer ahead of the landmark special, which will air in September, giving fans a glimpse of the high-stakes drama facing the emergency department.
The anniversary story will be told across a two-part special centred on fan favourites including Dr Dylan Keogh and Flynn Byron.
The trailer opens with a huge explosion as emergency medicine consultant Flynn Byron, played by Olly Rix, looks on in shock. As the scenes unfold, a haunting chorus of children singing Happy Birthday Dear Dad plays over the footage while members of the emergency department, including clinical lead Dr Dylan Keogh (William Beck), gather outside the hospital.
Viewers also get a glimpse of familiar faces including paramedic Jan Jenning (Di Botcher) and consultant Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless).
A map of Holby quickly fills with emergency incident alerts before the hospital is plunged into turmoil. The trailer shows a fight breaking out inside the hospital, while a visibly emotional Dr Keogh is seen in tears.
Elsewhere, ambulances line up outside with blue lights flashing as patients are rushed through the hospital on stretchers. A firefighter is also seen making their way through a room filled with exposed wires as sparks fly around them.
The preview keeps many details under wraps, ending with what appears to be armed police officers approaching Holby City Hospital.
According to the BBC, the anniversary episodes centre on a “high-stakes major incident that throws Holby into chaos”, leaving lives hanging in the balance as the emergency department team are pushed to their limits.
The special will also feature a major rescue operation, while Dr Keogh faces a personal tragedy during what the BBC describes as the team’s “darkest hour”. Stevie Nash and Flynn Byron will also find themselves fighting for survival in a race against time.
The episodes celebrate 40 years of the world’s longest-running medical drama while marking what the BBC has described as an “exciting new chapter” for the series.
First airing in 1986, the BAFTA-winning drama later spawned spin-off series Holby City. Since 2011, Casualty has been filmed at BBC Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff and is expected to move to a new fictional hospital in Wales next year.
The Casualty 40th anniversary episodes air on September 5 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Laura Horton on holiday in Greece(Image: Laura Horton/SWNS)
A woman was bitten by a bat on holiday and ended up seeking rabies treatment thanks to AI.
Laura Horton, 53, was on a two-week birthday trip to Lesbos, Greece, in May 2026 when she found a bat drowning in the swimming pool at the apartment complex where she was visiting a friend. She grabbed the animal from the water and let it sit in her hand for 10 minutes to “dry off” – unaware it had bitten her before flying away.
Laura wanted to know what type of bat she had rescued, so she uploaded a photo of it sitting in the palm of her hand to Google Lens. As well as identifying it as a pipistrelle bat, the AI programme alerted her to seek medical treatment immediately due to the risk of contracting rabies from handling the animal.
She also claimed Google Lens warned her that she would be unable to feel a bat bite as their teeth are too small, and on closer inspection, Laura noticed two tiny pin-prick bite marks. According to the NHS website, rabies is a rare but serious infection that is usually caught from an infected animal’s bite or scratch, and it is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Laura went to the Hospital of Mytilene, Lesbos, the following day, May 8, where she started a course of preventative rabies post-exposure vaccines. She had a total of three jabs in Greece, followed by her fourth and final jab when she returned to the UK on June 1 at the School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool.
Laura, a personal trainer from Mossley Hill, Liverpool, who spoke to Talk to the Press, said: “I had no idea you could catch rabies from a bat. I grabbed it from the water on instinct because it was drowning – I had no idea of the risks.
“It sat on my hand for about 10 minutes, drying off. We all thought it looked cute, so I took a photo of it.”
After uploading the image to Google Lens to determine the species of bat, Laura was met with a series of questions from the AI tool.
She said: “It started asking questions like, ‘are those your hands?’ and ‘have you washed your hands for 15 minutes after handling it?’ It warned me of the risk of rabies and said I wouldn’t feel a bite, as their teeth are too small.
“I thought it was all a bit dramatic. But when I took a photo of my hand, I saw two tiny bite marks.”
Laura was four days into her two-week holiday in Petra, a village on the Greek island of Lesbos, with friends when she was bitten. She rang her insurance company the following day, May 8, which confirmed she should seek medical attention.
She needed to undergo a course of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) – a life-saving treatment given immediately after a potential bite or scratch from a rabid animal. Later that day, Laura went to the hospital, but claims a language barrier nearly prevented her from getting the correct treatment.
“At first, they tried to send me away with antibiotics,” she said. “I’m not sure they understood what happened.
“I was sent to a travel clinic and a nurse was furious I hadn’t been given the first dose yet. I went back to the hospital and found the infectious diseases department – they were brilliant.”
She returned on May 11 and May 15 for two more jabs while in Greece and had a fourth when she returned to the UK on June 1.
She said: “My GP didn’t actually know what to do. Luckily, we have the School of Tropical Medicine in Liverpool and I was able to get my fourth injection arranged with them very easily.
“I later found out there is a dedicated rabies hotline in the UK that would have delivered it to my doctor’s surgery. It was lucky Google Lens told me to go to hospital – who knows what might have happened.
“I read the tragic case about the boy in Canada who died after a bat landed on his face. A lot of people aren’t aware of the dangers of these wild animals and the risks. Hopefully I can help raise awareness.”
Certain holiday destinations have seen a rise in cases of a nasty infection
Cyclosporiasis is typically spread by eating food or drinking water contaminated with human faeces(Image: Getty)
British travellers have been issued a food warning amid an outbreak of a bug that causes “explosive” diarrhoea. Mexico and the US are among some of the holiday destinations that have seen a rise in cyclosporiasis.
It said: “Cyclospora is a parasite found in some tropical and subtropical countries. In the UK, infections are most commonly linked to summer travel abroad.
“Cyclospora has been found in Central and South America, South and Southeast Asia, and most UK travel-related cases and outbreaks have been associated with visits to Mexico.”
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recently published data showing there had been 843 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in the US between May 1 and July 9 this year. No deaths have been reported, and 86 people were admitted to hospital, the CDC said.
As part of its advice, Travel Health Pro provided guidance on eating while abroad. It said: “People usually become infected by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with human faeces. Foods most commonly linked to Cyclospora include fresh produce such as soft or unpeeled fruit, lettuce, green salads and herbs like coriander or basil.”
It continued: “You can reduce your risk of Cyclospora infection by following good food and water hygiene, even if you are staying in a luxury hotel or high-end all-inclusive resort.” To do so it said you should:
Wash your hands regularly with soap and clean water; use alcohol hand gel only when handwashing is not possible
Where there is no clean water supply, drink only bottled or boiled tap water (this includes brushing your teeth)
Avoid ice in drinks
Avoid fresh produce that may not have been washed with bottled or boiled water, including berries, salads, vegetables and herbs like basil or coriander
Choose fruit that you can peel yourself, such as bananas and oranges
Eat food that has been freshly cooked and is served hot
Remember that smoothies, juices and other drinks may contain raw fruit, herbs or vegetables
Symptoms
Travel Health Pro said: “Not everyone infected with Cyclospora will become ill. If you do get symptoms, they will usually start about a week after consuming contaminated food or drinks.”
Symptoms of Cyclosporiasis include:
Watery diarrhoea
Fever
Stomach cramps
Loss of appetite and weight loss
Tiredness and muscle pain
Bloating and excess wind
Feeling sick
It said: “Cyclospora infections are usually mild and resolve themselves. However, symptoms can sometimes last for several weeks and return even after a person seems to have recovered. People with a weakened immune system, including those living with HIV, may be at greater risk of severe illness.”
The CDC added: “Cyclospora infects the small intestine (bowel) and usually causes watery diarrhoea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”
When to seek help
Travel Health Pro says you should do the following if you become ill abroad:
Drink plenty of “safe” fluids, such as bottled water, or tap water that has been thoroughly boiled and cooled
Use oral rehydration solutions so that you do not become dehydrated
Get early medical advice if you have a weakened immune system or are at higher risk of complications
Seek medical help if your symptoms are severe or do not improve
If you are back in the UK, you should ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have diarrhoea and you’ve recently travelled abroad and:
The diarrhoea is severe and has lasted for more than three days
You have bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from your bottom
You have a high temperature (fever)
You are dehydrated
You have a weakened immune system or other condition
The NHS said: “If you’re still abroad, get medical advice where you are as soon as possible.”
EXCLUSIVE: After Sarah-Jane Doherty found out she had a brain tumour the size of a golf ball in her brain, she got in touch with loveholidays to cancel a £1,100 upcoming trip – but claims they initially ‘didn’t want to know’
09:02, 11 Jul 2026Updated 09:03, 11 Jul 2026
‘I was misdiagnosed – it took doctors a year to find out what was really wrong’
A young woman who is awaiting brain surgery for a tumour the size of a golf ball watched her mum sob while fighting for her holiday to be refunded after being told she was unfit to fly. Sarah-Jane Doherty, 24, from Doncaster in Yorkshire, was told she had a brain tumour in June 2026 after one year of being misdiagnosed.
She first noticed she was ill in July 2025 when she found herself being overly exhausted, to the point where she could not stand up for long periods of time. Other symptoms included depressive episodes, psychosis, hallucinations, manic episodes, and issues with her mood being up and down, which led professionals to believe she was displaying symptoms of bipolar disorder.
This meant she was put onto anti-psychotic medications which masked what would have been one of her major symptoms, seizures, as an electric shock-type of feeling down her left side. She also suffered issues with her vision before being rushed to A&E after having a severe headache that caused her so much pain that she sobbed on her bed.
After having a CT scan at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Sarah-Jane was told doctors thought she had a bleed on her brain, and that she would need to be admitted and have an MRI scan. The next morning, Sarah-Jane’s life changed forever after being told she had a brain tumour around the size of a golf ball.
Medication masked a golf ball-sized brain tumour
She said: “They told me in a bay of four people by myself that I had a brain tumour, and that they think is a glioma. I was just distraught, I was absolutely hysterical.
“I rang my mum straight away, and she came into the hospital. She rang my dad and he came home from work to see me. I feel a bit like I’m in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, like it just doesn’t feel like it’s actually me.
“I was upset, I was stressed thinking, ‘what if it’s not removable?’ I didn’t know what grade it was. What if it’s spread somewhere else in my body? And I just had so many what-ifs in my mind that I just kept crying.”
Before being diagnosed with a suspected grade 2 glioma, Sarah-Jane had booked a £1,100 holiday to Ayia Napa with one of her friends through loveholidays, with flight bookings through British Airways.
Loveholidays booking dispute after Sarah-Jane’s cancer diagnosis
Sarah-Jane said: “I went to Ayia Napa last year and it was really good so we were set on [going] there. But it was last minute because it’s just finding time for us to be together and book holiday.
“I hadn’t been on holiday this year yet, we just wanted to get away so I’d not really had any annual leave or anything like that.
“Just wanted a break and plus because I would be starting a new training programme in September. I wanted to find a decompress before that.”
The day Sarah-Jane was diagnosed with cancer, she contacted loveholidays to make them aware and asked for a refund of her package. At the same time she realised her yearly travel insurance cover had not renewed as she thought it had.
She said: “The first time that we called they didn’t want to know at all. They didn’t even express empathy or anything like that. And then I got an email just saying I can get £62 back.”
Sarah-Jane then sent two letters from medical professionals, one from a consultant at the hospital, and a second from her GP, which were both rejected by loveholidays due to her first letter being a “statement for fitness for Work (SSP)” and the second being a letter that “outlined that it had been issued to support a travel insurance claim”.
Sarah-Jane’s TikTok video prompts action from loveholidays CEO office
After receiving pushback from loveholidays the 24-year-old made a video about her experience on TikTok, with a member of the CEO office at the company reaching out shortly after.
Sarah-Jane continued: “So it was just calls back and forth. They said you need to get in touch with British Airways. British Airways said it has to all be done through loveholidays.
“I asked them to speak to my mum, I just couldn’t deal with speaking to them. I couldn’t keep hearing no and saying, ‘there’s nothing we can do’.
“Then the person from the CEO office said ‘we wish Sarah the best and stuff’ which just shows that there’s no compassion.”
The company then offered Sarah-Jane a £300 refund, which her mum refused, before offering £600, which they also rejected. The following day, however, the loveholiday’s team confirmed they would offer Sarah-Jane a full refund.
She said: “She spent over eight hours on the phone, backwards and forwards, to loveholidays and British Airways because they just kept sending each other to each other. She started crying on the phone because the way people were speaking to her was just… It’s not what she needed to hear.
“She was unnecessarily sent between two different companies that both didn’t want to know. I think that just shows that more protection is needed in the event of major health diagnoses, because if it wasn’t for the TikTok then nothing would have been done.”
Loveholidays and British Airways issue official statements
A loveholidays spokesperson said: “We are deeply sorry to hear about Sarah’s diagnosis and the difficult circumstances she is facing. We wish her all the very best with her treatment and recovery.
“To support Sarah during this difficult time, we have refunded her in full for her holiday, and we have also explained how she can request a refund for the seat purchase she made directly with her airline.
“While we always do everything we can to support customers in difficult circumstances, as a travel agent we are bound by the cancellation policies of our airline and hotel partners, many of which do not provide refunds when customers are unable to travel due to illness.
“For this reason, we always strongly recommend that customers take out travel insurance to help protect them if unforeseen circumstances prevent them from travelling.”
A spokesperson from British Airways said: “We’re very sorry to hear of our customer’s experience and our teams have been in touch.”
The spokesperson also said that the airline had “resolved this matter”, however Sarah-Jane told us that she has yet to receive the refund or, indeed, any further communication from British Airways customer service.
Ricky Gervais today marked the 25th anniversary of the hit BBC sitcom with a countdown of his favourite 25 David Brent moments.
20:43, 08 Jul 2026Updated 20:43, 08 Jul 2026
Ricky Gervais has been celebrating 25 years of The Office(Image: Ricky Gervais and The Office/Youtube)
Ricky Gervais has crowned David Brent’s dance his favourite moment of The Office – but admitted it could have left him needing hospital treatment.
The co-creator of the show, along with Stephen Merchant, has marked the 25th anniversary of the hit BBC sitcom with a countdown of his favourite 25 David Brent moments.
In a specially curated retrospective on his YouTube channel Gervais had a training role play scene, Brent’s song Freelove Freeway and the dance by Brent as his top three.
Speaking about the crazy dance and how the scene was made, Gervais revealed: “It probably is the most famous single thing I’ve ever done, and when we had to do that, that’s three takes cut together, the first time they laughed, the second time I laughed, and then the third one we got to the end, and and then just cut it together in the edit using people looking like bewildered, but it sort of looked like one take.
“I sort of knew the type of thing I was gonna do. It’s totally improvised, obviously. I quite like the fact that it looked nearly real. Some of them looked a bit like dance moves, and I can’t believe how low I got when I did the crab, I couldn’t do that now.”
And anymore takes might have been dangerous. He added: “I remember after I filmed it, I was sat in a corner on a chair and they were fanning me.
“I was, I think I was the blobbiest I’ve ever been. I think I was like 14 stone, no muscles to speak of, just a blob, and you know, there was a small chance of heart failure.
“So, I think people were genuinely worried the way I was breathing afterwards. Tom Cruise jumps off buildings. Do I want to do a little dance? I’ll have go. It would f***ing kill me now. I’m glad I recorded it to show I did it once.”
The Gervais special is not the only celebration of the show, as the BBC also aired a programme called Remember… The Office.
On the second show Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook reflected on their time on the TV show. The pair spoke about how some of the scenes features small bits of improvisation which helped make them even more magical.
Freeman said: “The writing on it that they did was brilliant. But you only need to know us a little bit or know the process of it. We’re also in there, you know? It doesn’t mean it’s a co-credit. Doesn’t mean it’s improvised, but it’s nicely loose.”
Freeman, who played Tim, also said he had a good feeling about the show from the beginning.
He explained: “At the read-through, I remember thinking, ‘This script is really good, it’s brilliant’.”Despite huge success The Office was just two series long along with several Christmas specials. It inspired the award-winning US version, which ran for nine seasons
* The full countdown of David Brent moments is available to watch on Ricky Gervais’ YouTube channel.
Junior and Princess Andre give a joint interview as part of a new series about the life of their mum Katie Price.
19:17, 07 Jul 2026Updated 21:00, 07 Jul 2026
Junior and Princess have had a tough upbringing when mum Katie’s life went off the rails
The emotional children of Katie Price have broken down in tears as they recalled how their mother’s drug use meant she was unable to look after them properly and left them feeling “lonely” and unloved.
Junior, 21, and Princess, 19, have grown up in the spotlight since their parents Katie and Peter Andre split up when they were very young. And they’ve also dealt with the fallout afterwards which saw Katie struggle to cope and at one stage turn to cocaine to try to deal with her problems.
Junior says: “I remember missing her so much. This one time in particular, I was in her bed waiting for her to come back, and I woke up probably 3:30am to some loud noises, and I see her come in the room, and I’ll never forget the look on her face, she was obviously on stuff, right?
“I could see it in her eyes, and I was.. it scared me, because I’ve never seen my mum look like that. She’s there, but she’s not there, you know.”
Junior adds: “She wasn’t in the right headspace, she really wasn’t. And she wasn’t being a mum, she wasn’t being the mum that I knew from when I was a little boy.
“The amount of love she gave me was so immense that that’s what I missed so much. Mum was on drugs, and she could not look after us, and that is the reality of it. She couldn’t.
“And then I got fed up. I clocked on that this was a very unhealthy environment, and I needed to get out. I did leave. I think I was about 14 or 15, Thank God that my dad was stable, because that’s the house that I went to and gained my sanity back, you know.
“While I was wishing and hoping that my mum would come back and turn herself around. It made me feel like I wasn’t good enough, because she wasn’t fixing herself for me.”
His sister Princess says: “She’d give me a blanket, and she sprayed all her perfume on it, and that was like that was my, my attachment to Mum. So I remember after school I used to go home and just feel so like lonely in a way. I used to just cuddle to the blanket and just cry.”
She adds: “I stayed. I always wanted to be there for her, and I always wanted to show her that, like, she has me, she has us, but she didn’t understand that at the time, because she was so hooked up in her own problems.”
The pair, who break down in tears in the joint interview, also say they had to learn how to fend for themselves including making microwave meals and “looking after each other”. In a new Sky documentary series, Katie also is open herself about her drug use in the past. It came around decade after her split from husband Peter Andre in 2009, and coincided with a series of failed relationships including a troubled marriage to Kieran Hayler who she wed in 2013.
“It was the only thing that blocked everything out,” Katie says of drugs thinking back to the worst period of her life. It will take out that pain, it will take out any worry, it will take out the noise.”
She was regularly using cocaine and staying out late and not putting her family first. Looking back she says: “When I hear what the kids, how they saw it, it breaks my heart. But they were still always looked after, I still had people around me looking after them, like helping me.
“But that’s not good enough. Kids need their mum, kids need their mum’s love, their mum’s hugs, and I thought I was given that, but obviously I wasn’t. It must have been horrible for them, horrible for them, and I’m just sorry to them that I put them through that and thought I was doing the best I could with them, but what could I have done?
“I was unwell. I couldn’t even look after myself. I was more than rock bottom. I didn’t want to be. I wanted to die. I felt worthless, suicidal thoughts all the time.”
After one night of taking drugs and drinking, she crashed her car whilst feeling suicidal in September 2021. At the crash scene before being taken to the hospital, and then a police station, she had told her mum she “wanted to be out of it”.
“I remember when they put me in a cell it was like peace. Peace and quiet. I found that quite comforting. It is quite sad to think that,” She recalls.
Thankfully she also credits six weeks in The Priory after this incident with saving her life and helping her to learn to look after herself in a better way. Her relationship with Junior and Princess has improved as a result.
The new documentary covers the whole 30 year career of Katie, beginning as a glamour model who at her peak could command six figure fees for photoshoots or appearances on shows like I’m A Celebrity, where she met Peter Andre in 2004.
But since then she has been made bankrupt and is less in-demand to be on TV.
She is currently married to Dubai businessman Lee Andrews and her family express their shock on screen at the fact she again married someone in January she had known for just weeks.
On the documentary her stepdad Paul Price recalls a conversation he had before her fourth marriage.
“I said what’s she going to Dubai for? ‘To see a bloke’. I said ‘what’s the catch?’ And then we find out she’s getting married. I said ‘you’re off your head’. And then the geezer is in the paper pretending to be a millionaire.”
Asked if he was angry with her, Paul replies: “100 percent”.
Son Junior adds: “This is the most silliest stupidest thing, marrying a guy she doesn’t even know. This is my mum, this is what she does.”
Her mum Amy Price ends the film with a simple dream that her daughter will fine happiness and less drama in her life at some stage as she gets older.
Amy says: “In some ways, she’s still like a child. But she’s a good daughter. I hope she really does find someone to love and be happy.”
* Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, a four-part Sky Original series, will be available on Sky and streaming service NOW on 8 July.
Coronation Street fans think Kevin Webster could be about to rekindle his longstanding romance Abi amid the family tragedy, almost a year after it emerged she had had an affair with the man he thought was his long-lost brother but then turned out to be his long-lost nephew
Kevin was the first to comfort Abi in hospital
Kevin Webster could be about to rekindle his romance with Abi – almost a year after they separated. The mechanic has been played by Michael Le Vell since 1983 and has been central to many of the soap’s biggest storylines, many of them involving his ex-wife Sally (Sally Dynevor), and their daughters,Rosie (Helen Flanagan) and Sophie (Brooke Vincent).
They called time on their marriage in 2010 after Kevin had an affair with Molly Dobbs and although they have been on relatively good terms since, Sally married Tim Metcalfe in the years that followed and Kevin later tied the knot with Abi Franklin in 2021.
On the latest episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap, Abi was faced with horror when she had to rush her young son Alfie, who is the product of her affair with the late Imran Habeeb, for treatmentand it became apparent that mould was causing him to suffer severe respiratory issues.
Abi has been living in one of the flats at Weatherfield Precinct, and her landlord is newcomer Idris Sharma, the cousin of established character Alya (Sair Khan). When Abi was delivered the bad news by the doctor in the hospital, she said through tears: “It means it’s not just an infection. There’s something really wrong. I’m going to lose him!” and instantly turned to Kevin for comfort.
While all this was going on, Idris had become aware of what was going on and recruited teenager Brody Michaelis, whom he has taken under his wing, to deal with the situation. Paying the teenager to bundle a man named Isaac into the back of his car, they pulled up at an unknown location and Idris told him: “You know why you’re here. You put a kid in hospital.
“I don’t let people live like animals. Thanks to you, I’m the bad guy. And for my loss of reputation, you pay. And if I have to come and find you, believe me, it’ll be ten times worse. Think on that.” With Brody still keeping tightly hold of him, Idris drove off and later paid the teenager for his help.
But unbeknownst to to Idris and Brody, Abi had watched the whole kidnap and informed Sally, who is currently acting as a foster mother towards Brody, about what she saw.
Brody, whose father is in prison for murder, told Idris that the whole thing wasn’t really for him but the dodgy landlord continued to pressure him into things.
Reacting to the dramatic scenes, viewers predicted that Abi, who lost her son Seb when he was murdered in an unprovoked attack and also has a few children in the care system, will get back together with Kevin however her latest melodrama turns out.
Taking to X, one fan said: “Honestly, with Kev and Abi being on good terms I’m surprised she hasn’t moved back in with him. Abi can’t lose another kid ffs!”
Another said: “The fact it’s has been 9 months and Abi still hasn’t changed her name back to Franklin, and now they are having her move back into number 13 with Kev and carl supporting her. I am praying they don’t do what I think they are going to do #corrie.”
“I’m surprised dopey Kev hasn’t taken Abbeh back already,” a follower commented, as a Twitter user added: “I wonder if this new storyline for Abi and Alfie will lead to Kevin and Abi getting back together.”
A man has died after a holiday in Turkey when he suddenly fell seriously ill hours before flying home. David Kelly was at the airport when his health rapidly deteriorated.
Within hours, the joiner was rushed into intensive care and placed in an induced coma. He was kept alive on life support as he fought for his life miles from home. His devoted wife, Dawn, remained at his bedside in a Turkish hospital for four weeks.
A fundraiser set up with the permission of David’s family said: “What was meant to be a relaxing holiday in Turkey turned into a nightmare that none of us could have imagined. Just hours before his flight home, David suddenly became seriously unwell at the airport.
“Within a matter of hours, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was rushed to intensive care. Placed into an induced coma and kept alive by life support, David was fighting for his life thousands of miles from home.
“For four long weeks, his devoted wife, Dawn, remained by his side in a Turkish hospital, never leaving him as he battled with incredible strength and courage.”
David, from Barrhead, Renfrewshire, was eventually repatriated on 8 June aboard a specialist flying intensive care unit. He was taken to the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
The fundraiser said he continued his fight while receiving “outstanding care” from hospital staff. But David sadly died peacefully on 18 June surrounded by his family. The fundraiser added: “Despite everyone’s best efforts, our warrior David passed away peacefully on 18 June, surrounded by his loving family.”
His family later announced the devastating news through his business’ Facebook page, Barrhead Joinery. They said: “We would like to share the devastating news that sadly after fighting as hard as he could, our lovable, amazing David Kelly passed away on Thursday 18 June.
“Barrhead Joinery will now cease trading, as a family we’d like to thank you all for the work you all have given David over the years. Lots of love from his wife Dawn and daughters Gemma & Sophie.”
David was described as a much-loved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend. The fundraiser said: “He was someone who was always there to lend a hand, offer support, and put others before himself. Now it is our turn to be there for those he loved most.”
Tributes have also poured in from members of the local community. Noreen McHugh wrote: “I am devastated to hear this sad news about Davie. He was an excellent professional who I counted on over the years.
“But upmost a wonderful human being who was always friendly and honest. My sincerest condolences to you and your daughters. A huge loss for you all. RIP Davie, you will be sorely missed.”
Another person added: “So sorry to hear this very sad news. David did some work for me when I moved into my home in Newton Mearns some years ago. Such a lovely, lovely man. Sending you all my heartfelt condolences. x”
Emmerdale fans have been left furious after Dr Caitlin Todd was killed off at the end of Wednesday night’s episode, meaning that Charity Dingle will now never get justice for the abuse she faced
Dr Todd has been murdered on Emmerdale – and some fans have made it quite clear they’ve had enough of these types of storylines (Image: ITV)
Emmerdale fans have been left furious after Dr Caitlin Todd was killed off at the end of Wednesday night’s episode. The medic, played by Caroline Harkin, had relentlessly bullied Sarah Sugden’s partner Jacob when she was in charge of him at the hospital, and things have only got worse since she retired.
Last year, Charity tried become a surrogate for her granddaughter Sarah only to find out that she was naturally pregnant by Ross Barton. Still, she kept this all a secret and Sarah believed that all had gone to plan with the surrogacy. Todd found out the truth and used it to blackmail Charity into handing over money. This all culminated in harrowing scenes where she sexually assaulted a drunken Charity.
Earlier this week, Charity, who confessed all about to Mack, found the courage to go to the police but Mack, having had enough of the whole lie, stormed to the hospital to confront Todd. At the very end of Wednesday night’s episode, Charity vowed to get justice but then, Mack was seen with Todd as he said: “Would we call it winning if you stopped breathing? If you ever come near Charity again, I will bury you!”
A random flashforward, complete with the sound effects of a camera shutter to imply something had very suddenly become a crime scene investigation, showed Todd in the future lying dead, with blood coming out of her head. Todd is now the fourth person in the small Yorkshire village to be murdered this year – after John Sugden, Ray Walters and Celia Daniels.
This all seems to confirm that, despite her evil ways, Doctor Todd will never face justice for the way she abused Charity and fans were not impressed. Taking to X, one fan raged: “I just had a feeling that #Emmerdale was gonna kill Dr Todd off and here we are!
“Charity deserves justice , unfortunately now it’s not gonna happen And now this storyline has turned into a whodunit! I have no words. Soaps needs to do better instead off killing off the villain! This storyline is so important to raise awareness for and in my opinion they have gone and ruined it for a cheap plot!”
Another said: “It angers me that both Charity and Jacob will never get justice for what Dr. Todd did to them. Her abuse of both should have been dealt with not this cheap cop out.”
It all comes after fellow ITV soap Coronation Street made the decision to kill off domestic abuser Theo Silverton, and viewers will know that Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien) was revealed as the killer when the whole story began as a plot to raise awareness on an issue rahter than a whodunnit.
Another said: “can soaps stop unaliving the abusers please! todd and charity deserved to get justice. #emmerdale #corrie.” Another said: “two brilliant actors & two brilliant villains. two storylines that brought attention to important topics, only for them to end unrealistically & for the sake of drama. im disappointed both soaps chose this, the characters deserved justice & so did the audience
One particular irate fan blasted the those in charge of the soaps, which have favoured an onslaught of constant crime stories above all else in recent years.
They wrote: “The fact [the soap bosses] are all stuck in this endless loop of stupid ridiculous outlandish who dunnit stories and killing abusers, health stories that aren’t even researched properly and toxic men. Also stupid pairings that are past their sell by date. Not to mention the never ending introduction of villains to these tiny places – just stop.”
Another wrote: “I don’t mind the copper stories I find some interesting, when they get it right but my gripe is the constant cycle of villains and murders! I would rather watch an episode of them all at the rovers for some sort of party with funny scenes not this abysmal year upon year of violence.”
Jakob Davies, 25, suffered severe injuries after falling from a three-storey balcony during a stag do in Albufeira, Portugal, as his family launches a fundraiser to help him
Jakob Davies remains in hospital after falling from a balcony in Portugal(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
The devastated family of a Brit who plunged from a three-storey balcony during a stag do in Portugal fear his travel insurance may not cover his mounting medical bills because he had been drinking.
Jakob Davies, 25, remains in hospital in Faro after suffering catastrophic injuries in a fall at a hotel in Albufeira earlier this month. His loved ones say they are still waiting to hear whether his insurer will pay out after tests showed alcohol in his system.
The factory worker, who is from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, had travelled to the Portuguese party hotspot with around 30 work colleagues for a stag weekend on June 4.
His mum, Claire Gerrard, fears the family could be left facing huge costs after doctors warned Jakob he may never walk again without urgent surgery.
The 51-year-old woman said: “He’s totally on his own. I need to know what’s going to happen to him. He was told if you don’t have this operation immediately then you won’t walk again.
“He does have travel insurance but because of the alcohol that he’s drunk it’s not looking like they will pay. We’ve contacted the insurance company and they wanted all the reports so I sent the reports.
“The doctor gave Jakob his alcohol levels with his bloods done and it did show alcohol in his system, which unfortunately they will not pay out.
“25 [years old] on a stag party he’s not going to have none is he? They’ve not said no yet, we’re still waiting on information. I think it should be made more clear to people, especially to youngsters. You’re going on holiday to a stag party and you can’t drink, they don’t listen, they just go and have a drink.”
Jakob had chosen to stay behind at the accommodation on June 5 to play football while the rest of the stag group headed out.
But when his friends returned later that day, they were alarmed to see fire engines, police cars and ambulances rushing towards their hotel.
Claire expained: “I think there were about 30 of them and it was somebody from work’s stag party. It’s all really, really vague, Jakob has no recollection of it whatsoever.
“He had been playing football with some other guys, his party were leaving and Jakob had said ‘I’m going to continue to play football’.
“I don’t even think he remembers playing football but that’s what he was doing. When the party was returning back to the hotel there were fire engines flying past and then the police came past and then the ambulances came past and had turned into their hotel so they thought ‘oh gosh something is going on’.
“When they got there Jacob was unconscious on the floor with severe head injuries and broken bones, it looked pretty horrific initially. When they got him in the ambulance, he had regained consciousness and he was speaking but he wasn’t aware of what had happened.”
Believed to have fallen from a three-storey balcony, Jakob was initially taken to a local hospital before being transferred to a larger hospital in Faro.
Doctors later discovered he had suffered a serious head injury, broken feet and ankles, as well as fractures to both his L1 and L4 vertebrae.
Recalling the moment she learned about the horror fall, the worried mum said: “I got a phone call at around 11am on Saturday morning [June 6] to say Jakob’s fallen from a three-storey balcony. My initial feelings from then on were absolute dread.”
As Jakob continues his recovery overseas, family and friends have launched a GoFundMe appeal to help cover medical expenses and the cost of bringing him back to the UK.
Travel insurance experts warn that some policies contain exclusions relating to alcohol or drug use, although terms and conditions vary between providers. Holidaymakers are urged to check the small print of their policies before travelling, particularly if they are planning to drink while abroad.
After her colleague and mate Dylan Keogh (William Beck) uncovered she’d been conducting a clandestine romance with his son and junior medic Matty Linlaker, he informed Clinical Lead Flynn Byron (Olly Rix).
Explaining that the accusations levelled against her ‘amount to sexual coercion’, Matty, Dylan and Stevie were all required to attend hearings with HR panel members during Saturday’s instalment (June 20).
Throughout the medical drama, the three clashed yet again as Stevie subsequently apologised to Matty for the entire situation.
Nevertheless, Matty responded: “You’re not sorry, Stevie. You’ve realised I’ve got the power to end your career and you’re worried what I’m going to say, right?”
When she questioned what he intended to tell the HR panel, he remained silent, while Stevie was subsequently shown in floods of tears confiding in Flynn, confessing she didn’t wish to lose her position, reports the Daily Star.
As the episode drew to a close, audiences witnessed Stevie facing the panel members as she declared: “Look, before we get started. I just wanted to apologise unreservedly for my behaviour.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that I’ve made mistakes. But, I’m a bl**dy good doctor. I deserve to be here, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure I stay.”
Can Stevie preserve her position at the hospital? Or will Matty destroy her career for spurning him?
It didn’t take long for viewers to react to the episode, with many divided over Stevie and her future on the long-running medical drama. One viewer wrote: “WE CAN’T LOSE STEVIE.”
While another urged: “Fight for your job, Stevie.” A third chimed in: “THE WAY STEVIE ENDED THE EPISODE. I’m so happy.”
With one fan commenting: “Stevie is going to fight for her job. Hopefully, she isn’t leaving now.”
Yet not everybody shared the same excitement about Stevie’s decision to fight for her position, with a number of viewers keen to see her go.
One wrote: “Don’t like this storyline. Add in real life, Stevie would be on suspension, I would’ve thought.” While another simply declared: “So tired of Stevie.”
Former EastEnders actress Gurlaine Kaur Garcha, who previously played Ash Panesar on the long-running BBC soap, has married her partner Max after a year-long engagement
Gurlaine Kaur Garcha has married her partner after a year-long engagement(Image: WireImage)
EastEnders star Gurlaine Kaur Garcha has married her partner after a year-long engagement. The actress, 32, is best known known for having previously played Ash Panesar on the long-running BBC soap, but she left the programme just over three years ago.
A slew of Gurlaine’s former co-stars were quick to congratulate her. Former Strictly Come Dancing star Balvinder Sopal, who plays Gurlaine’s on-screen mum Suki, wrote: “Gorgeous baby. Congratulations.”
Emma Barton, known for her role as Honey Mitchell, wrote: “Gorgeous… congratulations beautiful,” whilst Denis Fox actress Diane Parish simply said; “Congrats”
Last year, the actress, who last year was seen in an episode of the Amazon Prime hit The Girlfriend, shared the happy news of her engagement with fans on Instagram, flashing a huge diamond ring while sipping a cocktail abroad.
“v happy & v engaged!!!!!!” she wrote, keeping the caption short and sweet. Although Gurlaine’s kept her partner’s identity private, she confirmed the romantic proposal took place while on holiday in Ibiza.
Gurlaine made her debut in Albert Square back in 2019 as Ash; a confident, no-nonsense doctor who immediately made an impression. She arrived as the first member of the Panesar clan, with her brothers and mum Suki introduced shortly after.
Her character quickly became a key figure in several dramatic storylines from tense family fallouts and fractured relationships to fast-paced scenes at the hospital. She was also part of a same-sex romance with Iqra, making Ash one of the few LGBTQ+ South Asian characters in soap at the time.
Ash wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, often clashing with her mum Suki, whose controlling nature added even more fuel to their fiery dynamic. Her arrival was also seen as a big moment for representation, with viewers praising EastEnders for spotlighting a British Sikh woman in a lead medical role – something rarely seen on mainstream TV.
Gurlaine took a short break from the show in 2022 before officially bowing out in early 2023. At the time, soap bosses thanked her for her contribution, while the actress told fans she was “excited for what’s to come”.
Since then, Gurlaine’s kept a low profile but still shares snippets of her life online – posting travel pictures, moments with friends, and positive messages with her followers.
And while she’s stayed off-screen for now, fans will no doubt be thrilled to see her celebrating such a personal milestone.
The 28-year-old was on a six-week trip when she was involved in an accident in the motorhome she had hired
Emma Blood was badly hurt in the crash(Image: SWNS)
A Brit’s dream holiday turned into a nightmare after a horror motorhome crash left her unable to walk. Emma Blood, 28, was travelling in Western Australia when the collision left her trapped, seriously injured and facing a year-long recovery.
The hospitality worker from Milton Keynes had travelled to Australia on March 19, 2026, with plans to spend six weeks exploring. Inspired by stories from other travellers, she teamed up with three women she had met through a travel group and hired a motorhome to travel around and live in while exploring the region.
Just nine days into the trip, on March 29, Emma and the three women were travelling towards Margaret River when she lost control of the motorhome, due to slipping on the Western Australia mud roads, and crashed into a tree. Two passengers suffered minor injuries, but Emma was trapped from the waist down in the wreckage and had to be cut free by firefighters.
She was then airlifted to Perth Trauma Hospital, where she spent 10 days before flying back to the UK to continue her recovery. She said: “There are still a lot of blank spaces in my memory, I’m not sure whether I lost consciousness or whether it’s just a trauma response.
“I recall the moment of impact, when the vehicle struck a tree on the driver’s side where I was sitting. The force of the crash pushed everything forward, and I ended up trapped from the waist down.”
While the other passengers escaped with relatively minor injuries, Emma suffered devastating damage to her leg. One passenger required stitches to her face, and another was left with a bruised finger, but Emma faced a far more serious outcome.
Emergency services were alerted after her phone automatically contacted them following the collision. Upon arrival, a fire crew had to cut Emma free before she was airlifted to Perth Trauma Hospital.
Doctors discovered she had broken her femur in three places. She underwent emergency surgery lasting around six hours, during which surgeons inserted an intramedullary nail – a metal rod fixed inside the bone with six screws to stabilise the fractures.
Emma said: “I remember being in and out of consciousness, having scans and being moved around the hospital. It felt like something out of 24 Hours in A&E or Casualty, being rushed about.
“One of the most difficult moments was definitely standing for the first time after surgery. It was terrifying because I had no control over my leg, at first they thought there could be spinal injuries but it turned out to be okay.”
Complications continued when doctors discovered her haemoglobin levels had dropped dangerously low, resulting in a blood transfusion several days later. Emma spent 10 days in the hospital in Australia before her father flew out to help bring her home.
She said: “I couldn’t have travelled back on my own, I needed someone with me the whole way. If my dad hadn’t come to pick me up, I would have had someone to take me who I didn’t know.”
After arriving back in the UK on April 8, she was admitted to Milton Keynes Hospital for around another week before continuing her recovery at home.
In the early stages of recovery, Emma could not move her injured leg without using a strap around her foot and required assistance with everyday tasks, including showering.
She said: “It felt like I had lost all independence. I have been told a full recovery could take up to a year, but I am making great progress.
“My older brother is helping me, he’s a sports physiotherapist and thanks to him I progressed from a walking frame to two crutches, and now I only rely on one.”
She spends time in the gym every day, rebuilding strength and mobility and recently celebrated a major milestone by getting back behind the wheel of a car.
She said: “Driving again was huge for me, both physically and mentally. Although the accident cut short my dream trip, I will go back to finish it.
“There is still a lot of trauma attached to what happened, but for now, I am going to focus on getting back to my full health and independence.”
The Retirement Abroad Index 2026 has ranked 20 countries across five key areas including healthcare, cost of living and visa accessibility – and the results may surprise you.
The place you want to retire may be about to change(Image: Getty)
While you might be drawn to these sunny spots for a holiday, have you ever considered they could be the perfect place to spend your retirement?
As Brits approach retirement age, plenty contemplate purchasing a property in well-loved retirement havens such as Spain and France, but there are warmer, more affordable locations that could offer greater advantages, according to the latest figures.
The Expatriate Group, a specialist provider of international health insurance serving expats and retirees globally, has published The Retirement Abroad Index for 2026. The study assessed 20 countries, evaluating them across five crucial categories, including healthcare, visa accessibility, health insurance requirements, cost of living, and community and integration.
Drawing from these essential factors, it’s evident which destinations emerged as frontrunners for retirees and which have fallen in the rankings, with some surprising contenders.
Lee Gerry, director of Expatriate Group, said: “Retiring abroad has never been more achievable, but the decisions that matter most – healthcare access, visa routes, and the reality of day-to-day costs – are often the least well understood.”
“This index is designed to cut through the noise and give people an honest, data-led picture of where the real opportunities are.”
The top destination for retirement, according to the index, was the Philippines, with a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa that ranks among the most accessible globally. It requires a fixed deposit of roughly £11,000 for those receiving a pension.
What’s more, it achieved impressive marks for affordability and anticipated integration, which, combined with its tranquil beaches and stunning scenery, makes it an idyllic spot to enjoy your retirement years.
The second choice is perhaps less of a shock, as it’s certainly more familiar to Brits, though still not typically considered the top pick: Thailand.
The nation boasts several well-established and vibrant cities, each providing a flavour of its rich culture, but most prominently, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket all feature internationally recognised private hospital networks.
Thailand secured a perfect 20 out of 20 on the scoring index, excelling in the healthcare category alongside Spain and France. Regarding visas, their Non-Immigrant O-A Visa demands coverage of at least $100,000, approximately £74,000, per policy, per year, as a visa requirement.
The third country, which may surprise some retirees, is Colombia, offering one of the most straightforward retirement visa routes among the 20 destinations and, remarkably, achieving a cost of living score of 18 out of 20.
According to their findings, the report indicates a retired couple can generally enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in Medellín, the capital of Colombia, on roughly £1,000 to £1,500 per month. In contrast to most British cities, it boasts reliably warm weather and possesses a lively atmosphere that’s difficult to match elsewhere.
Portugal emerged as the first European nation to feature on the list as an ideal spot to spend your golden years, claiming fourth place. Joint fifth went to Sri Lanka and South Africa, while Malaysia and the UAE shared sixth position, before Mexico secured a solid seventh spot.
While Spain continues to be among the most favoured destinations for British retirees, it didn’t appear until eighth on the list, achieving 18 out of 20 for healthcare, though it was let down by the cost of living and visa complications.
It also shares eighth place with Indonesia, which is cherished for its relaxed way of life and renowned for its strong emphasis on wellness culture. Packed with stunning beaches and particularly attracting visitors to Bali, it has climbed to the top of countless people’s bucket lists as a must-visit destination.
Coming in at number nine is Panama, followed by Qatar. Panama has made headlines in recent years for its ‘Pensionado’ programme, which offers a generous range of discounts designed to make retirement far more affordable.
The scheme also requires retirees to demonstrate a lifetime income of just £738 or so per month, with an extra £184 for each dependant.
Due to several countries sharing identical scores, the top 10 is actually made up of 13 nations in total. These are:
The farmer was visibly upset, breaking into tears, when Jeremy Clarkson announced his cancer diagnosis in the latest episodes of the TV show Clarkson’s Farm
04:56, 17 Jun 2026Updated 04:58, 17 Jun 2026
Kaleb breaks down in tears as Clarkson breaks the news (Image: Prime)
Jeremy Clarkson’s devastating cancer diagnosis left farm manager Kaleb Cooper in tears.
“I’ve got cancer,” Clarkson said during a conversation about the farm’s harvest.
Kaleb replied, “No, you haven’t. Where?”
The former Top Gear host has continued: “Where it is, is of no concern of anybody. I’ve known since May.”
“I had a medical, you remember back in May? I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy and it is cancer and it’s aggressive, but it’s really early so the treatment will be, you know…
“I was praying we could get the harvest done and then I could go and get some treatment but it’s going to be slap bang in the middle.”
Kaleb, wiping away tears, then said, “Look after yourself, you go and do… if you need anything just ring.”
Later in the show, Clarkson spoke about how the year had been challenging while talking to Kaleb, his girlfriend Lisa, and his two other employees.
“We started the year and I had coronary heart disease and ended it with me with cancer,” he explained.
“We can dwell as much as we like on all the bad things that have happened on the farm, but I think it’s better now, at the end of the year, to focus on things that have happened that are good.”
Kaleb asked, “When will we know the treatments worked?”
In response to Kaleb’s tears, the Who Wants to be a Millionaire host jests at him to “cheer up”.
“Not for another few weeks. Come on cheer up, it probably did work.”
The emotional episode has now been added to Prime Video.
Ahead of the episodes the TV star warned fans that they may be “a difficult watch”.
He posted on Instagram: “Ordinarily we try to keep the show bucolic and charming and cheerful. But the final two episodes which drop in the middle of the night tonight are none of those things really.”
In the clip, he took a deep breath and added: “They’re a difficult watch. They’re really, really difficult.”
After he announces the news to the farmers, Clarkson is later seen in a hospital bed set to undergo surgery.
However, Clarkson appears to maintain a positive attitude as he says he hopes to be back for a sixth season, before joking that if the treatment isn’t successful ‘take care everyone’.
Juba, South Sudan – In the days before Lankien was attacked, doctors at the local hospital rushed to evacuate patients. Some were women in labour. Others were being treated for gunshot wounds. By the evening of February 3, just hours after the last patients were carried out, a bomb struck the empty facility, ripping a crater through its warehouse.
Fighting was underway in surrounding areas as South Sudan’s military pressed forward with a counteroffensive aimed at retaking territory seized by opposition armed groups. As the army advanced eastward through Jonglei State, it captured town after town, pushing opposition fighters towards the Ethiopian border.
In the aftermath of the bombing, residents said they were forced to flee into surrounding marshland on the morning of February 7 as mortar fire struck the town. Some eventually returned and described extensive destruction.
The hospital had been looted and burned. Its cold-chain storage unit, used to preserve vaccines, was set on fire. Vehicles were sprayed with bullets and stripped for parts. Solar-powered water systems had been dismantled. The local market was reduced to twisted metal sheets, while homes on the outskirts appeared to have been burned.
“Anything that can support the life of human beings was deliberately destroyed,” said Emmerson Gono, deputy head of mission for Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, who visited Lankien in April, adding that this was his assessment based on what he observed.
A counteroffensive across Jonglei
Since the start of what authorities refer to as “Operation Enduring Peace,” satellite imagery analysed by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), combined with verified videos, images and witness accounts, indicates widespread destruction across a swathe of Jonglei that has long been a stronghold of opposition groups.
Both the military and opposition forces have been accused of razing villages and attacking civilians in recent months. In this area of Jonglei, which is home to a section of the Nuer ethnic group that officials often cast as hostile to the state, more than a dozen residents who spoke to Al Jazeera said they believed the military was responsible for targeted destruction that experts say has pushed tens of thousands of people towards the brink of famine.
Lankien hospital was evacuated, and patients were discharged hours before the attack, following increased tensions and after MSF received information about a possible attack against the city. [Courtesy of MSF]
In most of the 23 incidents CIR documented between late January and February, civilian structures, including homes, health facilities and markets, appear to have been burned and looted. CIR said the destruction was “likely to be more widespread and potentially part of what it described as a deliberate military strategy”.
“Using satellite imagery, we were able to map how troop movements from west to east followed a path of burning and looting,” said CIR researcher Kiria Borak, stressing that satellite imagery alone cannot determine intent or responsibility.
Some officials and humanitarian actors have attributed the destruction in Jonglei to clashes between government troops and opposition forces. However, residents told Al Jazeera that opposition fighters were not present when their villages were attacked. Those accounts could not be independently verified due to restricted access to the area.
Government officials did not respond to requests for comment on the specific allegations described in this report. In earlier statements, authorities have said military operations are conducted in self-defence and that civilians are not deliberately targeted.
Political backdrop
Violence has escalated since 2025, when opposition leader and first vice president Riek Machar was arrested on charges of subversion, allegations he denies. Machar and President Salva Kiir were once on opposing sides of the country’s 2013–2018 civil war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people before a peace agreement brought them into a fragile unity government.
The implementation of that agreement stalled amid delays in unifying armed forces into a national military and repeated postponements of national elections.
Following Machar’s arrest, the government undertook a campaign of aerial bombardments to beat back a simmering rebellion in rural areas. Machar’s political group declared the peace deal dead and began launching hit-and-run attacks on military positions.
Between December and January, opposition fighters, buoyed by support from local armed youth, seized several military garrisons in Jonglei, prompting the government to announce a counteroffensive on January 28.
Then-army chief Paul Nang ordered forces, drawn from the national army, intelligence units, police and allied militias, according to UN investigators, to retake territory held by opposition groups.
Analysts say the involvement of allied militias operating alongside formal units has complicated the determination of command responsibility.
‘Burning homes’
Five individuals who fled Lankien told Al Jazeera they witnessed events unfold on February 7.
They said government-aligned forces reached the outskirts of the town after fighting in a nearby village. Around late morning, mortar fire struck the town, followed by the arrival of ground forces in armoured vehicles.
Gai Ket, 32, said he had been cutting firewood when explosions began. He rushed back to town to look for his wife and children.
“The first thing I saw was smoke. SSPDF was burning homes,” he said, referring to the national army.
When he reached his house, he found his wife dead, with a severe wound to her chest. Bodies lay scattered across the neighbourhood. “Everything was gone,” he said.
The hospital’s main warehouse was destroyed during the attack, and we lost most of our critical supplies for providing medical care. [Courtesy of MSF]
Another resident, Puoch Duol, said he returned at night to search for his grandmother, who had been too weak to flee. He said he found her body among several others near the ruins of burned homes.
Satellite imagery reviewed by CIR indicates significant destruction in Lankien between February 7 and 9. On February 7, the army announced it was in control of the town.
MSF has said government forces were in control of Lankien in the days after the attack but has not assigned responsibility for the destruction. It said the government is the only party to the conflict with the capability to carry out aerial bombardments.
Government-appointed officials told Al Jazeera that opposition fighters looted the town during their withdrawal. Opposition representatives deny this, saying their forces were not present at the time. Neither account could be independently verified.
A pattern of destruction
Residents described a similar pattern of destruction across towns and villages stretching from the Nile River to the Ethiopian border. Armed men in military-style uniforms arrived in armoured vehicles, often after opposition forces were reported to have withdrawn, according to residents.
Homes and markets were burned, while health facilities and humanitarian compounds were looted. Civilians took refuge in swamps and forests, while those too weak to flee were killed or went missing.
CIR geolocated social media footage from Pathai showing fighters moving among burning structures towards a road leading into the town’s western entrance. The identities of those in the footage could not be independently verified.
Jany, an aid worker based in the town of Walgak, described an attack on February 5.
“We saw smoke everywhere. They were firing guns and burning houses,” he said.
Satellite imagery shows significant structural damage in Walgak between February 3 and 7, shortly after the town changed hands.
Humanitarian sources tracking developments in the area reported that multiple villages in the vicinity of Walgak were burned or destroyed during the same period. These accounts could not be independently verified due to restricted access and ongoing insecurity.
Remote sensing data shows clusters of fire activity across the region during the same period. However, satellite imagery alone cannot determine the cause or responsibility for the fires.
Command rhetoric and discipline
From the start of military operations, remarks by commanders raised concerns over civilian safety.
A video circulated on social media shows Johnson Olony, a deputy army chief who is also head of the Agwelek armed group, telling troops not to spare lives or property during operations. The government later said the remarks did not reflect official policy, and Olony apologised.
In another video, a commander identified as Wal Nyak appears to threaten violence against perceived opposition supporters. “Whether you are a woman or a girl, we will kill you all … We don’t want supporters of Riek Machar here,” he says.
Reports and satellite imagery point to burned villages and mass displacement across Jonglei. [Satellite imagery/Vantor]
The authenticity and full context of the footage could not be independently verified.
Humanitarian impact
Aid agencies say the consequences of the destruction reported in the area are severe and likely to last for months or longer.
At least 28 health facilities in Jonglei were damaged or looted this year, according to the UN. Seventy percent are no longer functioning.
The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations-backed analysis body, says there is a risk of famine in multiple counties, while more than 70,000 people are already facing the highest possible severity of hunger.
Nicholas Kerandi of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said the impacts on food security and public health “are likely to persist through the remainder of the year and potentially beyond”.
Others say the alleged abuses in Jonglei have pushed South Sudan’s already fractured state to breaking point.
“The tribes don’t trust one another, the citizens don’t trust the government, and the government doesn’t trust its citizens,” Ter Manyang Gatwech, a human rights advocate from Jonglei, told Al Jazeera.
“Unless there is a miracle, South Sudan will disintegrate,” he said.
Kevin and daughter Natalie (Kennedy News and Media)
A dad faces a £30,000 medical bill after falling ill on holiday because he didn’t declare a common ailment on his travel insurance. Kevin Turner flew to Alicante with his partner Joy Peck in May after feeling poorly the week before with a chest infection.
After taking antibiotics and steroids, the 63-year-old said he felt assured by his GP that he was ‘good to go’ and was prescribed more medication to account for being away. The retired painter and decorator felt ‘off’ when he landed but put it down to the journey. It was when his chest pains worsened the following day that Joy called an ambulance.
After being rushed to a hospital in Alicante, doctors discovered Kevin had a pierced lung and pneumonia and he was put in intensive care. Despite having holiday insurance, Kevin’s family says his medical bills aren’t covered as he didn’t declare his chest infection before travelling – meaning he faces bills of at least £30,000.
Kevin’s daughters Sam Turner, 44, and Natalie Fowell, 40, have set up a GoFundMe to help pay his medical bills and get him home to the UK. Sam, from Winsford, Cheshire, said: “It was really, really scary because obviously you’re helpless. You’re over here and you don’t know what’s going on.
“He did have an existing chest infection that he had visited the doctor for that week and had been given antibiotics and steroids. He did also say that he was due to go on holiday and there were no warnings or concerns around that [from the GP] so he thought he was good to go.
“They just gave him enough medication for the fact that he was going away and that was it. He’d arrived at midnight, had something to eat and drink and gone to bed, feeling a bit off but just put it down to travel. It got progressively worse from there.
“By the next day the pains were just so much that in hindsight he probably already had pneumonia when he got on the flight, but he wasn’t aware. Joy rang me from the hotel and said ‘I’ve had to call him an ambulance, he’s not good’ and we were like ‘right, ok get him to the hospital’, trying to get updates all the time.
“They [doctors] said he had a pierced lung and chest and stomach pain where it’s believed air and gases had built up and had to be drained.”
Wedding co-ordinator Sam flew out to be with her dad on May 30 to be by his bedside. After contacting the insurance company, Sam says she was told that Kevin’s medical bills wouldn’t be covered as he didn’t declare the ongoing chest infection on his travel insurance before flying.
Sam said: “It very much looks like it’s a case of, the small print says if there are any significant health changes up to the date of travel then you must notify them. He’s still in intensive care and we’re trying to find out what the prognosis is.
“He hasn’t been out of bed, he hasn’t used his legs or feet and he’s just really worried because he’s lost all feeling in them. The insurance took about two weeks for them to decide that they weren’t going to pay out. It involved a lot of chasing from us.
“I would always say read the small print of the insurance document, make sure you go with a reputable company and look at their reviews.”
Martin Lewis’s team has issued urgent advice for the summer
Martin Lewis’s MoneySavingExpert has issued urgent advice for anyone travelling to Europe this summer, as more than two million people will see a key document expire before they head off. MoneySavingExpert.com has a holiday warning for anyone visiting countries including France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy.
Martin’s team has urged holidaymakers to check if their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is still valid, as 1,285,250 GHICs and 926,954 EHICs are set to expire this year. The EHIC is being replaced by the new Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). These cards are totally free to get and they give you access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local.
They last for up to five years, and the final EHICs issued after Brexit are expiring this year. The MSE newsletter reads: “These cards give access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local – so if it’s free for them, it’s free for you.”
You need to check your card for the expiry date, and apply for a new one if necessary.
The team said: “You’ll need to get a new card – it’s now called a GHIC (as it’s been rebranded a ‘Global’ card, though in essence still covers mostly the same European countries).” However, MSE also warned people not to fall for websites that charge you for these cards.
MSE said: “Never pay to get an EHIC or GHIC. It is always free, beware shyster sites trying to charge you for ‘fast tracks’ or other stuff, that’s nonsense. See how to safely get a free GHIC.” If you have an existing EHIC, it remains valid until the expiry date runs out – after this, you’ll need to apply for a GHIC card.”
The NHS explains: “The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) lets you get necessary state healthcare in the European Economic Area (EEA), and some other countries, on the same basis as a resident of that country. This may be free or it may require a payment equivalent to that which a local resident would pay.
“The UK GHIC has replaced the existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you have an existing EHIC you can continue to use it until the expiry date on the card. Once it expires, you’ll need to apply for a UK GHIC to replace it.
“The ‘Global Health Insurance Card’ (GHIC) and its predecessor, the EHIC, give access to state-run hospitals or GPs, mainly in European countries, for the same price as a local. So if they don’t pay, you don’t either. Over two million expire this year, check yours.”
A UK GHIC is free, and you can apply through the NHS website. The NHS advises avoiding unofficial websites, which may charge an application fee. People can apply for a new card up to nine months before their current card expires.
The NHS says: “Every member of your family needs their own card. You can add your spouse, civil partner and children to your application when you apply. You must enter your own details first and apply for any additional cards when prompted.”
Watch out for blue, red or dark patches on your skin
A doctor has explained the red flag warning signs that should never be ignored after a flight. Millions of people will jet off on their summer holidays in the coming months and a vascular consultant says holidaymakers should be aware of tell-tale signs before they become a medical emergency.
Dr Mark Regi, Consultant Interventional Radiologist at VeinCentre, said: “Air travel, particularly long-haul flights, can put extra strain on your circulatory system as most people will have limited movement for a long period of time. People with poor circulation or varicose veins can be at greater risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot usually found in the leg.
“For most people, a walk around the cabin and some compression socks will do the trick, but it’s always worth knowing the signs to look out for that something potentially serious could be happening.”
Last year influencer Molly-Mae Hague told how she feared she had suffered a blood clot after experiencing severe pain in her leg following a flight home from Dubai. After rushing to hospital doctors gave the former Love Island star the all clear. She told fans: “It needs to be taken so much more seriously because it can happen to anyone at any age.”
Symptoms of DVT include a throbbing pain in the calf or thigh, swelling in one leg, swollen veins and the skin around the leg becoming red, blue or darkened. Dr Regi said: “If any swelling doesn’t ease after a flight and you experience a dull ache or heavy cramping then it’s always worth speaking to a doctor.
“DVT can be serious so keep a close eye on any changes that don’t settle down. If you experience shortness of breath or chest pain, together with these symptoms, seek medical advice straight away as this could be a sign a clot has travelled to the lung.”
Dr Regi continued: “People who already know they have poor circulation, for example if they have varicose veins, should try and move around as much as is practical during any long-haul flights. That’s because twisted or bulging veins can struggle to circulate blood effectively during extended periods of immobility.
“I always recommend investing in medical-grade compression stockings if you have varicose veins. You should also keep hydrated and keep alcohol and caffeinated drinks to a minimum. Exercises such as calf raises and ankle pumps can also keep blood pumping around your legs when you can’t get up for a wander.”
Dr Regi says varicose veins are often seen as purely a cosmetic issue, but they should be taken seriously and treatment is available. He said: “Varicose veins mean they are not working as they should. Treatments are available which focus on the underlying venous insufficiency to alleviate symptoms and prevent complications. Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses laser energy to close off affected veins, treating the root cause of varicose veins.”
The island’s dark history of forced labour and harrowing conditions for prisoners of war has left a haunting legacy
This island has been abandoned for decades(Image: Getty)
In the late 19th century, this isolated Japanese island was a bustling town fuelled by its coal-mining industry. Today, it’s gradually being swallowed by the sea and reclaimed by nature, but given the island’s sinister past, perhaps it’s for the best that this once-thriving community has fallen into silence.
Hashima Island sits roughly 15 kilometres off Nagasaki, and was formerly a mining settlement. At its height in the late 1950s, the island housed more than 5,000 residents who lived in its towering apartment blocks — the ruins of which remain visible today.
Initially renowned for its undersea coal mines, the island also harbours a deeply troubling history.
The island was purchased by Mitsubishi in the late 19th century, and in 1916, work commenced on apartment blocks to house workers. There was a school, a kindergarten, a community centre and a hospital.
For leisure, residents could head to the cinema or visit the numerous shops, reports the Express.
Following the end of World War 2, Chinese and Korean prisoners of war were forced to labour on the island, either erecting buildings or toiling in the mines. These prisoners endured appalling and perilous conditions under Mitsubishi’s control.
Many perished from exhaustion and starvation — the precise death toll on the island ranges from 137 to as many as 1,300.
The people who laboured here dubbed the island “Jail Island” or even “Hell Island” — a stark contrast to the tranquil mining town it seemed to be. By the 1970s, coal reserves had largely run dry and the industry was in terminal decline.
This prompted many residents to abandon the island, and by the mid-70s, the mine had shut its doors for good, leaving the island completely deserted.
In 2009, Japan put forward a request for the island to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The move drew sharp criticism from the governments of North and South Korea and China, with Seoul arguing it would “violate the dignity of the survivors of forced labour”.
Eventually, South Korea and Japan struck a deal allowing the island to be included on the list, on the condition that Japan provided information acknowledging the use of forced labour.
However, in 2021, it emerged that Japan had failed to honour its side of the agreement, having not displayed adequate information regarding the use of forced labour.
The museum in Nagasaki, which documents the island’s history, reportedly contains no testimonies from Koreans about forced labour or discrimination, and the sole Korean testimony on display actually denies that forced labour was ever used.
The looming impact of federal Medicaid cuts has reignited a long-simmering, costly battle between California’s medical industry and one of its largest health worker unions.
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, with about 120,000 members, has put forward two ballot initiatives to cap the pay of medical executives and require community clinics to spend the bulk of their revenues on patient care.
The California Hospital Assn. has responded with its own ballot proposal that would make it tougher for unions to spend money on political initiatives in the future. It would require approval by a union’s rank-and-file membership for any spending of $1 million or more on statewide measures, or $100,000 or more on local ones.
The competing measures, which have drawn enough verified signatures to qualify for the November ballot, come at a time when the rising cost of healthcare is emerging as a top voter concern.
The Service Employees International Union affiliate has seized upon affordability angst to resurrect a proposal for a cap on healthcare executive compensation, which it has failed to achieve multiple times before. The proposed measure garnered more than 1 million petition signatures.
“This initiative reflects the serious crisis we face and that affordability is a real thing,” said Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a Massachusetts-based healthcare think tank. “I think it also reflects grassroots anger and a desire to do something.”
Mikey Vaughn, a certified nursing assistant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said the hospital often lacks supplies and staffing levels that he and his colleagues need in order to do their jobs effectively and without undue stress, despite its reputation as the go-to place for the rich and famous.
“The executive pay initiative would, I hope, be used to hire staff and to actually provide better resources for our patients,” he said. Vaughn is also a member of SEIU-UHW’s executive board and political committee.
Thomas Priselac, then-president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, made $8.8 million in fiscal year 2024, according to the organization’s most recent available federal tax filing. Kaiser Permanente’s CEO, Gregory Adams, made nearly $13 million in 2024. Warner Thomas, head of Sutter Health, made just under $12 million.
Cedars-Sinai spokesperson Duke Helfand said the hospital would be unable to recruit and retain physicians, nurses, and specialists if the measure passed, dramatically impairing its ability to provide healthcare.
“Such a scenario would be disastrous not only for Cedars-Sinai but for hospitals across Los Angeles and California,” Helfand said.
The union wants to cap compensation at $450,000 a year for senior hospital and medical group executives, as well as other administrative and managerial staff. However, the initiative does not stipulate how dollars diverted from payroll must be spent.
Carmela Coyle, CEO of the hospital association, called the measure a cynical political ploy.
“It’s bad policy and it’s going to have bad consequences across California,” she said.
Glenn Melnick, a healthcare economist at the University of Southern California, said even if the initiative were fully implemented and pay cuts enacted, he doubts it would reduce the cost of healthcare for patients.
SEIU-UHW does not have an estimated total amount the initiative would claw back from pay packages that exceed the limit.
Opponents of the initiative note that it doesn’t just target executive pay; it would affect medical practitioners who are also managers. That could include chief medical officers and chief nursing officers, as well as heads of surgery, emergency rooms, oncology, obstetrics, cardiology and other specialties, they say.
It would be up to each hospital, health system and physician group to report which staff members exceed the cap and by how much.
Ultimately, who is subject to the pay cap “probably will have to be battled out in court,” Coyle said . “That’s why we are throwing everything we can at it.”
The second SEIU-UHW ballot initiative, on community clinics, is already in court. The California Primary Care Assn., which represents clinics, filed a federal lawsuit in April seeking to invalidate it before it reaches the November ballot.
The proposed measure would require federally designated community clinics to spend at least 90% of their revenues on activities directly related to their mission of providing care for low-income populations. If it were to pass, more than 90% of those clinic organizations would be on the hook for penalties totaling $1.7 billion in the first year alone and “would face similarly crippling penalties every year,” according to a report commissioned by the primary care association and conducted by the Berkeley Research Group, an international consulting company.
Louise McCarthy, president and CEO of the Community Clinic Assn. of Los Angeles County, said many pivotal services the clinics provide — such as translation and transportation — would likely not be counted toward the spending requirement.
“They are targeting a group of what they see as employers and we see as the safety net,” she said.
The lawsuit cites the harm to clinics and claims the proposed spending requirement would interfere with federal authority.
Renée Saldaña, a spokesperson for SEIU-UHW, characterized the lawsuit against the initiative as “a really desperate attempt by the clinic industry to try and avoid accountability.”
SEIU-UHW, proud of its political activism, is also behind a controversial billionaire tax proposal that would impose a one-time 5% levy on California residents with fortunes over $1 billion to backfill the funding gap created by federal cuts coming down the pike under Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law, passed last July and signed by President Trump, is projected to squeeze nearly $1 trillion from the Medicaid health coverage program for low-income people by 2034, including as much as $30 billion annually in California.
The hospital association, the community clinic group and the California Medical Assn., which represents physicians, are neutral on the wealth tax proposal thus far. But Saldaña said all three of the union’s ballot proposals tie into an overarching strategy to counter the widening healthcare disparities caused by the federal law.
“We believe the primary concern of healthcare providers, including executives, should be to serve the community, heal patients, and not be in healthcare just to enrich themselves,” she said on the proposed pay cap.
Over the years, the union has submitted dozens of local and statewide ballot initiatives, including ones to cap the pay of hospital executives, regulate dialysis clinics, and raise the minimum wage of healthcare workers.
The hospital association calculates that SEIU-UHW has spent nearly $125 million on local and statewide initiatives since 2012. But healthcare industry groups have spent far more opposing them. The hospital association data shows that the union spent nearly $36 million on three ballot proposals to regulate the dialysis industry, but dialysis companies poured in $302 million to defeat them, according to state campaign finance records.
The union’s ongoing political efforts “threaten patient access to quality health care,” according to the hospital association’s ballot initiative, which could limit how much unions spend on future ballot measures.
Saldaña hinted at a possible lawsuit should that measure pass, saying “we don’t see the legal viability” of it. The proposal, she said, is an attempt “to silence the front-line healthcare workers.”
Ultimately, a ballot initiative won’t cure the ills that plague healthcare in the United States, said the Lown Institute’s Saini. What’s needed, he said, is “an evaluation and reimagination of healthcare.”
Wolfson writes for KFF Health News, anational newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw, who played Maxine Peacock in the ITV soap, has been battling breast cancer and has now shared an update after completing her first day of chemotherapy
She showed herself having her hair cut off(Image: tracy.k.shaw/Instagram)
Coronation Street star Tracy Shaw, who portrayed Maxine Peacock in the ITV soap opera, has shared a health update after she revealed she has been fighting breast cancer.
Following the completion of her first chemotherapy session she explained to fans that she would be shaving her head and donating her hair to charity. Posting a video on Instagram, she disclosed to her followers that she had spent more than eight hours at her initial appointment.
The actress said: “First day of chemo done. I’m feeling alright but that has a great amount to do with the steroids which are helping my body fight the chemo that has gone in. So I went in today to start at 9am and I left at 5:30pm, very hot day and there was a bit of delay.”
She continued: “Basically with my chemo injection, one of which hadn’t arrived, it’s got nothing to do with robots or anything to do with the hospital team, it was the medics delivery, so yeah that was the delay. But I’m feeling really positive but everything I keep eating tastes horrible.
“Everything tastes of metal, just like you told me, and every now and again I feel like the Incredible Hulk, I want to start moving furniture around, the dogs keeping away from me because they sense that.”
This follows her recent decision to cut her hair to donate to The Little Princess Trust, and she has since ventured out to shop for a replacement wig. She posted footage online of herself modelling the various wigs and displaying them while being assisted by a Macmillan nurse who also offered guidance to individuals experiencing a similar situation, reports the Express.
Earlier this month Tracy revealed the emotional difficulties she’s been encountering, informing her followers: “Each morning I wake up and know that I have to go into hospital and receive more news, which has been going on for a long time, that unknown… I just think, ‘I can’t go through with this anymore,’ but I’ve not even started my journey.”
She’s received an outpouring of support online from her followers as she’s posted updates on every stage of her journey, with many of Tracy’s recent posts emphasising how waking up is a “gift” each day.
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