tragedy

Kyiv, Ukraine – Nadiya escaped the rapists and killers only because her father hid her in a haystack amidst the shooting, shouting and bloodshed that took place 82 years ago.

“He covered me with hay and told me not to get out no matter what,” the 94-year-old woman told Al Jazeera – and asked to withhold her last name and personal details.

On July 11, 1943, members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA), a nationalist paramilitary group armed with axes, knives and guns, stormed Nadiya’s village on the Polish-Ukrainian border, killing ethnic Polish men and raping women.

“They also killed anyone who tried to protect the Poles,” Nadiya said.

The nonagenarian is frail and doesn’t go out much, but her face, framed by milky white hair, lights up when she recalls the names and birthdays of her grand- and great-grandchildren.

She also remembers the names of her neighbours who were killed or forced to flee to Poland, even though her parents never spoke about the attack, now known as the Volyn massacre.

“The Soviets forbade it,” Nadiya said, noting how Moscow demonised the UIA, which kept fighting the Soviets until the early 1950s.

Nadiya said her account may enrage today’s Ukrainian nationalists who lionise fighters of the UIA for having championed freedom from Moscow during World War II.

After Communist purges, violent atheism, forced collectivisation and a famine that killed millions of Ukrainians, the UIA leaders chose what they thought was the lesser of two evils. They sided with Nazi Germany, which invaded the USSR in 1941.

In the end, though, the Nazis refused to carve out an independent Ukraine and threw one of the UIA’s leaders, Stepan Bandera, into a concentration camp.

But another UIA leader, Roman Shukhevych, was accused of playing a role in the Holocaust – and in the mass killings of ethnic Poles in what is now the western Ukrainian region of Volyn and adjacent areas in 1943.

Genocide?

Up to 100,000 civilian Poles, including women and children, were stabbed, axed, beaten or burned to death during the Volyn massacre, according to survivors, Polish historians and officials who consider it a “genocide”.

“What’s horrifying isn’t the numbers but the way the murders were carried out,” Robert Derevenda of the Polish Institute of National Memory told Polskie Radio on July 11.

This year, the Polish parliament decreed July 11 as “The Volyn Massacre Day” in remembrance of the 1943 killings.

“A martyr’s death for just being Polish deserves to be commemorated,” the bill said.

“From Poland’s viewpoint, yes, this is a tragedy of the Polish people, and Poland is fully entitled to commemorate it,” Kyiv-based analyst Igar Tyshkevych told Al Jazeera.

However, rightist Polish politicians may use the day to promote anti-Ukrainian narratives, and a harsh response from Kyiv may further trigger tensions, he said.

“All of these processes ideally should be a matter of discussion among historians, not politicians,” he added.

Ukrainian politicians and historians, meanwhile, call the Volyn massacre a “tragedy”. They cite a lower death toll and accuse the Polish army of the reciprocal killing of tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians.

In post-Soviet Ukraine, UIA leaders Bandera and Shukhevych have often been hailed as national heroes, and hundreds of streets, city squares and other landmarks are named after them.

Evolving views and politics

“[The USSR] branded ‘Banderite’ any proponent of Ukraine’s independence or even any average person who stood for the legitimacy of public representation of Ukrainian culture,” Kyiv-based human rights advocate Vyacheslav Likhachyov told Al Jazeera.

The demonisation backfired when many advocates of Ukraine’s independence began to sympathise with Bandera and the UIA, “turning a blind eye to their radicalism, xenophobia and political violence”, he said.

In the 2000s, anti-Russian Ukrainian leaders began to celebrate the UIA, despite objections from many Ukrainians, especially in the eastern and southern regions.

These days, the UIA is seen through a somewhat myopic prism of Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, according to Likhachyov.

Ukraine’s political establishment sees the Volyn massacre and armed skirmishes between Ukrainians and Poles as only “a war related to the Ukrainians’ ‘fight for their land’”, according to Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher at Bremen University in Germany.

“And during a war, they say, anything happens, and a village, where the majority is on the enemy’s side, is considered a ‘legitimate target’,” he explained.

Many right-leaning Ukrainian youngsters “fully accepted” Bandera’s radicalism and the cult of militant nationalism, he said.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, thousands of far-right nationalists rallied throughout Ukraine to commemorate Bandera’s January 1 birthday.

“Bandera is our father, Ukraine is our mother,” they chanted.

Within hours, the Polish and Israeli embassies issued declarations in protest, reminding them of the UIA’s role in the Holocaust and the Volyn massacre.

Far-right activists began volunteering to fight Moscow-backed separatists in southeastern Ukraine in 2014 and enlisted in droves in 2022.

“In the situational threat to [Ukraine’s] very existence, there’s no room for reflection and self-analysis,” rights advocate Likhachyov said.

Warsaw, meanwhile, will keep using the Volyn massacre to make demands for concessions while threatening to oppose Ukraine’s integration into the European Union, he said.

As for Moscow, it “traditionally plays” the dispute to sow discord between Kyiv and Warsaw, analyst Tyshkevych said, and to accuse Ukrainian leaders of “neo-Nazi” proclivities.

Is reconciliation possible?

Today, memories of the Volyn massacre remain deeply contested. For many Ukrainians, the UIA’s image as freedom fighters has been bolstered by Russia’s 2022 invasion, somewhat pushing aside reflection on the group’s role in the World War II atrocities.

For Poland, commemoration of the massacre has become a marker of national trauma and, at times, a point of leverage in political disputes with Ukraine.

In April, Polish experts began exhuming the remnants of the Volyn massacre victims in the western Ukrainian village of Puzhniky after Kyiv lifted a seven-year moratorium on such exhumations. Some believe this may be a first step in overcoming the tensions over the Volyn massacre.

Reconciliation, historians say, won’t come easily.

“The way to reconciliation is often painful and requires people to accept historical realities they’re uncomfortable with,” Ivar Dale, a senior policy adviser with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, a human rights watchdog, told Al Jazeera.

“Both [Poland and Ukraine] are modern European democracies that  can handle an objective investigation of past atrocities in ways that a country like Russia unfortunately can not,” he said.

Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – Eighteen-year-old Hani Hammad never imagined that his daily search for flour would end with him suffocating and being trampled.

On Wednesday morning, he left his tent in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, where he’s been displaced from Rafah along with his seven siblings, heading to a food distribution point run by the much-criticised, United States-backed GHF.

“We left at dawn and stood among the thousands gathered. About 5am [02:00 GMT], they [US staff and Israeli army] signalled to open the gate, and people rushed forward,” Hani told Al Jazeera.

“The gate was open, but people were packed into a very narrow corridor leading to it – only about seven metres wide,” he said, struggling to catch his breath after arriving at Nasser Hospital gasping and barely conscious.

“I got in with the crowd with difficulty. Suddenly, American guards started spraying pepper spray and firing gas bombs, and people began stampeding through the corridor,” he added.

‘I collapsed. They trampled my face.’

“I felt like I was dying. I couldn’t move forward or backwards. I collapsed. My face and side were trampled. No one could pull me out. But God gave me a second chance,” Hani said.

He was rushed unconscious to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on a tuk-tuk and initially placed beside the bodies of others who had died, some from suffocation, others from bullet wounds.

“I was unconscious, couldn’t see or hear. I drifted in and out. They put me beside the dead. I thought I was one of them.”

Early Wednesday, 21 Palestinians were killed, including 15 by suffocation, while trying to collect food aid.

The incident occurred near a gate managed by the GHF in western Khan Younis. Dozens more were reportedly injured, with some still in intensive care.

Hani is the oldest of eight siblings who live next to their uncle’s tent – their parents remain in Jordan, where they travelled for medical treatment just a month before the war began.

“I feel like I carry a huge burden. We’ve endured the pressures of displacement and war without our parents and without any help from them,” he said.

Though he acknowledges that lining up for aid from the GHF is a major daily risk, he adds: “Our intense hunger pushes me to go every day.”

“There’s no other choice. I have no money to buy the overpriced goods available in the markets. My only option is to try my luck with aid distributions,” says the young man.

“Each time is a near-death experience. There’s gunfire, tanks, drones and attacks. What kind of aid distribution is this? We are exhausted, truly exhausted.”

“We’re shot at like animals”

Mohammed Abedin, 24, now lies in a hospital bed with a leg wound after heading to the same aid centre in Khan Younis early Wednesday.

For the first time, he says, he chose to turn back after sensing the danger of the crowd surge.

The young man, a first-year accounting student, arrived about 3am (00:00 GMT) at the distribution site, but he noticed that things looked different. The same site had been closed for two days before reopening.

“Before, we used to enter from several access points, and the entryway was wide. But this time, we were funnelled through one long, narrow corridor, fenced in with metal,” he says.

“When the gates opened, everyone rushed forward, and people began falling underfoot.”

Mohammed described a terrifying scene of people crushed against the metal barriers, screaming and gasping for help, as pepper spray and gas bombs were fired by American guards and quadcopters above.

“I was standing close to my cousin, watching. We decided not to go in because of the overwhelming numbers. I saw kids screaming, choking, men and youth trapped. No one could move forward or back.”

“The fenced corridor, with gas bombs raining down and people being pushed through, became a death trap,” he says.

Mohammed and his cousin tried to leave, but just as he thought he had made a wise choice, a quadcoptor shot him in the leg. His cousin was also injured.

“There’s always random gunfire from quadcaptors, tanks, or soldiers in the area. This time, I was the unlucky one,” he said. “But thank God, I survived.”

Mohammed reflects on the tragic situation faced by Palestinians, caught between starvation and death, forced to risk their lives for food. He supports his displaced family of nine, originally from Rafah and now sheltering in al-Mawasi.

“We dream daily of eating bread. I go for aid almost every day and usually return empty-handed. But the days I brought home just a few kilos of flour felt like ‘an eid’ [a celebration] for my family.”

Flour is the top priority for Mohammed, especially with Gaza being under siege for four months, the borders sealed, and humanitarian and commercial goods blocked by Israel.

“Bread is what drives me to risk death. There’s no alternative,” he said, awaiting surgery at Nasser Hospital to remove a bullet from his leg. “Has the world failed to provide a safe channel for aid delivery?”

“There’s no system, no organised relief, no police or UN intervention. We’re shot at like animals. If we don’t die of hunger, we die in the chaos and stampedes.”

In late May 2025, the GHF launched its aid distribution efforts in Gaza following an Israeli-imposed near-total blockade, which is still in effect and has prevented the entry of humanitarian supplies.

According to United Nations figures, at least 798 Palestinians have been killed since then while trying to reach or receive aid from the organisation’s distribution points.

Widespread criticism has emerged from UN agencies and rights organisations that argue the operation is politicised and endangers civilians. The UN has stated that the GHF’s operations violate humanitarian neutrality and are inherently unsafe, highlighted by the hundreds of deaths at their sites.

“Either we return with flour, or we don’t return at all”

Ziad Masad Mansour, 43, displaced with his wife and six children from central Gaza to al-Mawasi in Khan Younis after their home was destroyed in the war, is another frequent visitor to the aid lines.

“I head there at 10 at night and sleep on the sand like thousands of others. We endure the dust and humiliation,” said Mansour, who was wounded in the head on Wednesday.

“Sometimes I manage to get flour, sometimes a few cans. Other times, I return empty-handed. I even help others carry their bags in exchange for some food.”

“Yesterday, there was horrific crowding: gas bombs, bullets, and we were packed tightly in the narrow corridor. I was trying to escape the crush when I got shot in the head and lost consciousness.”

Mansour is now recovering at Nasser Hospital. “More than 20 people died today – for a bag of flour. What more is there to say?”

The 35-year-old builder, named locally as Andrea Russo, somehow managed to bypass multiple layers of security before reaching a moving plane at Milan Bergamo Airport

The man who died after reportedly getting sucked into an aeroplane’s engine was neither a passenger or an employee at the airport, its boss said.

The 35-year-old man, named locally as Andrea Russo, ran onto the tarmac at Milan Bergamo Airport, the third-busiest international airport in Italy on Tuesday. He then got sucked into a plane’s engine, it is said, as the aircraft attempted to take off.

Giovanni Sanga, CEO of the group which operates Milan Bergamo Airport, has today expressed his “personal condolences” to the man’s family and offered fresh detail about what happened at the hub, a base for Ryanair and other airlines. He said the man, thought to have been a builder, actively “approached the aircraft of a scheduled flight” in the harrowing moments that led to his death.

Flights had been suspended and cancelled but the airport’s website now says all operations are scheduled, including flights from Edinburgh and London Stansted, to leave and arrive on time this morning.

Mr Sanga said: “The dramatic event has shocked the entire airport community. First of all, I would like to express my personal condolences and those of the company to the victim’s family, to whom we are close in this terrible moment.”

READ MORE: Milan Bergamo Airport: Man ‘sucked into plane engine’ and killed identified

Mr Sanga added: “From the very beginning, in addition to ensuring the immediate management of the emergency and assistance to passengers and crew, we turned our attention to the colleagues who witnessed the episode and were deeply affected by it.

“At 10:35am on July 8, at Milan Bergamo airport, a person, neither a passenger nor an employee of companies operating at the airport, despite the prompt counteraction of the police forces present, managed to enter the aircraft apron, then reaching the taxiway. Here he approached the aircraft of a scheduled flight, stationary and with its engines running, losing his life.

“The exact dynamics of the incident are being examined by the judicial authorities to whom SACBO (The Bergamo Milan airport authority) continues to provide all the necessary collaboration. The company, in coordination with the relevant bodies, immediately activated emergency procedures and assistance to the flight passengers, crew and ground personnel involved, also making psychological support services available.”

When all flights were halted at around 10.20am on Tuesday local time, SACBO said “a problem occurred on the taxiway”. Mr Sanga’s statement is the first time the group has given more detail about what happened.

The plane, an Airbus A319 of the Volotea airline, was flying to Asturias, Spain. It, and all other departures, were stopped as emergency services descended on the tarmac.

Milan Bergamo Airport in Orio al Serio, northern Italy, catered for more than 15 million passengers in 2023. Some 500,000 of those headed to and from Stansted Airport, typically on Ryanair flights.

The catastrophe unfolding in Gaza cannot be understood solely through the lens of humanitarian crisis. What we are witnessing is not just a tragic consequence of war, but the deliberate use of starvation as a tool of political and demographic control. This strategy, designed to dismantle Palestinian society, amounts to a form of structural genocide.

The Israeli military and political leadership, in its pursuit of dominance and the erasure of Palestinian national aspirations, has moved beyond the tactics of bombardment and physical destruction. Today, its methods are more insidious: they target the core of Palestinian survival: food, water, and the means to endure.

Breaking the will of a people by denying them the ability to feed themselves is not collateral damage. It is policy. According to reports from independent international bodies, more than 95 percent of Gaza’s farmland has been destroyed or rendered unusable. That figure is not just an economic loss; it is the intentional dismantling of food sovereignty, and with it, any hope of future independence.

The destruction is systematic. Seed access has been blocked. Water infrastructure has been targeted. Fisherfolk and farmers – already operating under extreme siege conditions – have been repeatedly attacked. These are not random acts. They are part of a broader plan to re-engineer Gaza’s demographic and economic future in line with Israel’s long-term strategic goals: absolute control and political submission.

What makes this all the more alarming is the complicity of the international community. Whether through silence or vague diplomatic statements that describe the situation as a “humanitarian crisis”, global actors have helped normalise the use of starvation as a weapon of war. The refusal to name these actions for what they are – war crimes committed as part of a genocide – has given Israel the cover to continue them with impunity.

Even more disturbing is how food itself has become a bargaining chip. Access to essentials like flour, baby formula, and bottled water is now being tied to political and military negotiations. This reveals a grim logic of power. The goal is not stability or mutual security – it is to impose political conditions through the calculated manipulation of civilian suffering.

By making Gaza entirely dependent on outside aid while systematically dismantling local means of survival, Israel has created a trap in which Palestinians are stripped of all political and economic agency. They are being reduced to a population that can be managed, controlled, and bartered.

Every statistic coming out of Gaza must be read through this lens. That 100 percent of the population now suffers from food insecurity is not simply tragic; it is a marker of the strategy’s progress. This is not about feeding the hungry. It is about breaking the spirit of a people and forcing them to accept a new reality on the occupier’s terms.

And yet, Gaza’s resilience persists. That defiance, under siege and starvation, has exposed the moral collapse of an international order that prefers managed crises to political accountability. This is not a famine born of drought. This is not the chaos of a failed state. This is a crime in progress – carried out with eyes wide open, under the protective cover of global indifference.

Let me also add that international civil society organisations and global social movements – such as La Via Campesina – are not standing by in silence. In fact, this September, some of the world’s most prominent movements of farmers, fishers, and Indigenous Peoples – many of them from conflict-affected regions – will gather in Sri Lanka for the 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum. There, we aim to build a unified global response to the widespread indifference that turns a blind eye to the dispossession of entire communities. From the ground up, we are working to develop concrete proposals to ensure that food is never weaponised and that starvation is never used as a tactic of war. At the same time, countless acts of solidarity are unfolding across the globe, led by people of conscience who are demanding that their governments take action.

History will remember what is happening in Gaza. It will also remember those who chose to remain silent. Justice may be delayed, but it will come, and it will ask who stood by as starvation was used to try to break a people.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

TAHOE CITY — Today I offer boating tips for Lake Tahoe — actually, for any body of water.

That’s not one of my usual column topics. Normally I write about California government and politics.

But this time I’m writing about boating because I’ve been wincing after reading and watching news reports of the horrific accident on Tahoe that killed eight people June 21.

Moreover, the Fourth of July means we’re in the heart of boating season. There are 4 million recreational boaters in California, according to the state Division of Boating and Waterways. There’s an average of 514 boating accidents a year. And July is the worst month.

I’ve been boating at Tahoe for 55 years, and on some water since I was a teen.

These are my basic rules for safety and enjoyment, at least in a vessel up to about 30 feet. My Tahoe boats mostly have been 22 to 24 feet.

For starters, if Lake Tahoe winds are already blowing at 10 mph and it’s not even noon, be smart. Don’t venture out in a recreational powerboat. The water’s likely to get much choppier in the afternoon.

If you’re out there and see white caps forming, head for shore.

If lots of sailboats show up, you don’t belong on the water with them. Get off.

And another thing: Don’t pay much attention to the manufacturer’s claim of how many people a boat will hold. Boat makers tend to exaggerate. If it says 10 people will fit, figure on maybe eight tops.

Sure, 10 may be able to squeeze aboard, but the extra weight causes the boat to ride deeper in the water and become more vulnerable to taking on water in heavy swells. That can lead to capsizing. And all those passengers squirming around makes driving more difficult because of the constantly changing weight balance.

But most important: Monitor the weather forecasts before you even get near the water.

Lake Tahoe is big and beautiful — 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, at 6,224 feet in the Sierra mountains. It holds enough water to cover all of California by 14 inches. Two-thirds of the lake is in California, one-third in Nevada.

Weather patterns vary. Scary winds and thunderstorms can be at one end of the lake, and calmer water and blue skies at the other.

Even on calm mornings, Lake Tahoe’s weather and boating conditions can turn hazardous quickly.

(Max Whittaker / For The Times)

My wincing at reports of the multi-fatality accident and many other boating mishaps that Saturday afternoon off the south and west shores stem from repeated references to all of it being caused by a sudden, unexpected storm.

The intensity of the storm may have been unexpected — north winds up to 45 mph, producing eight-foot waves. But winds had been forecast by the National Weather Service in the high teens and into the 20s. And that should have been enough warning for boaters: Stay off the water.

The person who made the most sense after the tragedy was Mary Laub, a retired financial analyst who lives in Minden, Nev., over the steep hill from South Lake Tahoe. She and her husband keep a 26-foot Regal cabin cruiser in Tahoe Keys on the south shore. And she habitually watches weather forecasts.

She had planned to go for a cruise that Saturday but dropped the idea after seeing the forecast.

“The afternoon winds pick up at Tahoe. If they’re approaching 10 [mph] before noon, I don’t go out,” she told me. “I saw that forecast and said, ‘No way.’

“If there’s any whisper of wind, I don’t go out. We’ve been caught out there before. I don’t take a chance.”

The people who died were in a practically new 27-foot Chris-Craft Launch, a high-end, gorgeous open-bow boat. It was the vessel’s third time on the water. Ten people were aboard, mostly in their 60s and 70s. They were relatives and lifelong friends, celebrating a woman’s 71st birthday. She was among the fatalities.

They were trying to return from popular Emerald Bay to their west side home in midafternoon when eight-foot swells swamped the boat, deadening the engine and capsizing the vessel off rocky Rubicon Point near D.L. Bliss State Park. They were tossed into the abnormally cold water and presumably drowned, perhaps paralyzed by hypothermia.

A mother and daughter in the party, both wearing life jackets, were rescued by a Washoe County sheriff’s team. Whether the others were wearing life jackets hadn’t been revealed as of this writing.

Meanwhile, boats all along the southwest shore were being swamped or ripped from their moorings and piling up on rocks or beaches, often crashing into other vessels.

One four-person crew in a 24-foot open-bow MasterCraft grabbed their life jackets, wisely abandoned the boat and swam to shore. They scampered up rocky cliffs in their bare feet to safety. The boat was practically totaled.

I called meteorologist Dawn Johnson at the National Weather Service in Reno.

She said the forecast for that Saturday afternoon had been for winds up to 20 mph and gusts to “25 or so.”

There also was up to a 25% chance of thunderstorms. “If you have thunderstorms on the lake, make sure you get off the water,” Johnson said. “You have a higher risk of being struck by lightning on open water.”

There were strong winds Friday night, she recalled, but by 11 a.m. Saturday they had dropped to 5 to 10 mph. Then they picked up as forecast.

“We see winds gust at that magnitude multiple times a month, most likely in the afternoon,” she said. “Sustained winds reach 25 to 30 mph.”

But normally they produce waves of only 2 to 4 feet, she added. “We’re trying to figure out exactly what happened.”

Four-foot waves are a hurricane in my book.

And Mother Nature doesn’t care about a boater’s weekend plans.

MARRIED At First Sight UK star Laura Vaughan has been left heartbroken following the sudden death of her stepfather after losing her biological dad to cancer.

In an emotional statement posted to social media, Laura, 35, revealed her stepdad Rich also died of cancer and said that the loss had left her family “devastated.”

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“I’ve sat with this for weeks, not knowing how to find the words,” she wrote on Instagram. 

“A few weeks ago, my family lost my stepdad, Rich – very suddenly to cancer. It has left my family devastated.”

Laura, who rose to fame on the reality show in 2023, also opened up about feelings of guilt over not being as close to Rich in recent years. 

She said: “That’s a guilt I will carry with me for the rest of my life and right now, it feels very heavy.”

The reality star also reflected on the loss of her father to cancer years earlier, adding: “Lots of you know that I lost my dad to cancer, the same age as my half-sister is now. 

“It feels as though sometimes, life plays out the most painful patterns.”

Paying tribute to Rich, she added: “He came into my life over 20 years ago and brought light and laughter into our family when we really needed it. 

“I hope that where you are now, you are at peace and out of pain, and that West Ham are winning every match they play!”

Laura ended the post by announcing a temporary break from social media.

She said: “I don’t know how to show up online for you guys at the minute and therefore I am going to take a break. 

“Sometimes this world feels so painful, so I’m sending an enormous amount of love to anyone struggling.”

Laura had a failed love match with tennis coach Arthur Poremba, 38, on MAFS.

She recently opened up to The Sun about her own private battle in a heartbreaking interview – after she was forced to make a terrible decision.

The TV star underwent a heartbreaking medical abortion after unexpectedly finding out she was almost eight months pregnant.

She endured the painful procedure after doctors told her she had been unknowingly putting her unborn foetus at high risk of “extreme” harm and severe birth defects by taking a powerful drug to treat her acne.

The medical abortion in 2016, when she was 26, left Laura struggling to make sense of what had happened. 

“It was very difficult because I went from not thinking I was pregnant to being seven months pregnant to then having a very prolonged abortion and where I was so far gone,” she told The Sun in an exclusive interview.

“Then, when I got home from the procedure, my milk came in, which, as you can imagine, was just really hard to deal with.

“I hunkered down at home for weeks and didn’t talk to anyone.”

Multiple labour attempts

Laura initially thought it was “impossible” when a Clearblue digital pregnancy test revealed she was expecting. 

And she was even more stunned when doctors told her she was in the third trimester.

Although the former finance manager had been suffering from bloating and missed periods, she says she had been told the symptoms were likely caused by a “ruptured cyst”.

She’d gone to see a GP about her symptoms – including bloating and pain in her stomach – but when they looked at her medical records they noticed she’d had a ruptured cyst the year before and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and said that was “likely the cause again”.

They referred Laura for a scan which she kept forgetting to book.

Laura was still able to “squeeze into size 6/8 dresses” while not being aware of her pregnancy, and considered her weight gain to be down to bloating the entire time.

She said: “It was literally the week I decided to test that my stomach popped, and I remember thinking ‘this isn’t right’.”

Recalling the moment the Clearblue test came up with the phrase “2-3 weeks [pregnant]”, Laura, now an influencer, said: “My first thought was ‘that’s impossible’… but then I realised that is how the tests display it, so I could’ve been pregnant for months – and I was.”

Clearblue’s ‘weeks indicator’ test is designed to be reliable in the early stages of pregnancy.

Laura’s shock at her cryptic pregnancy soon turned into an unimaginable ordeal when she learned the strong acne drug she had been taking, isotretinoin, can cause birth defects.

Due to the risk of birth defects to her foetus, Laura was offered a medical abortion – and, with a heavy heart, she accepted it. 

Recalling the hospital procedure itself, she added: “I went for the abortion and I was meant to be in and out within a day and a half but I ended up being in for nearly a week. 

“They could get me to contract but couldn’t get me to full labour, and so I was having contractions and then [they were] stopping.

“It was agony. It was just so awful for my state of mind, too, going into labour multiple times and then nothing.” 

Laura, now in a happy and serious relationship, has been put off having children because she “doesn’t want to be reminded of what happened in 2016”. 

She added: “We spoke about my abortion and he’s the first partner I’ve told about it for a long time.

“He’s been incredibly supportive, and we have discussed having children but neither of us see children in our future.” 

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“There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.” US President Donald Trump thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and God after the US conducted strikes on Iran.

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Tuesday ruled out calling Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after the targeted shootings of two state lawmakers, saying that to do so would “waste time.”

One lawmaker and her husband were killed, and the second legislator and his wife sustained serious injuries in the shootings early Saturday. A suspect surrendered to police on Sunday.

The Republican president spoke to reporters early Tuesday aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington after abruptly leaving an international summit in Canada because of rising tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. Asked if he had called Walz yet, Trump said the Democratic governor is “slick” and “whacked out” and, “I’m not calling him.”

Presidents often reach out to other elected officials, including governors and mayors, at times of tragedy, such as after mass killings or natural disasters, to offer condolences and, if needed, federal assistance.

On the plane, Trump sounded uninterested in reaching out to Walz, who was the vice presidential running mate for 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump. During the campaign, Walz often branded Trump and other Republican politicians as “just weird.”

“I don’t really call him. He’s slick — he appointed this guy to a position,” Trump said. “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling him. Why would I call him?

“I could call him and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’” Trump continued. “The guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a, he’s a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and call him but why waste time?”

Trump’s mention of “this guy” being appointed to a position appeared to be a reference to Vance Boelter, the suspect who surrendered to police after a nearly two-day manhunt in Minnesota.

Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman, records show, though it was unclear if or how well they knew each other.

Authorities say Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were seriously wounded in a shooting a few miles away from the home of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was fatally shot along with her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.

Friends and former colleagues interviewed by the Associated Press described Boelter as a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and went to campaign rallies for Trump.

Federal prosecutors charged Boelter with murder and stalking, which could result in a death sentence if convicted. His lead attorney has declined to comment.

On Monday, Walz posted a message of thanks on social media to Ontario Premier Doug Ford for his call expressing condolences to Hortman’s family and the people of Minnesota.

“In times of tragedy, I’m heartened when people of different views and even different nations can rally together around our shared humanity,” Walz wrote.

In an interview Monday with Minnesota Public Radio, Walz said he wasn’t surprised by the lack of outreach from Trump, saying, “I think I understand where that’s at.”

Walz said he has spoken with Vice President JD Vance and was “grateful” for the call and had talked with former President Biden, Harris and Ford.

“I’m always open to, you know, people expressing gratitude. Vice President Vance assured us, and he delivered, that the FBI would be there as partners with us to get it done,” Walz said. “That was what needed to be done.”

Superville writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Md., contributed to this report.

A “talented” young footballer has suddenly passed away aged just 19 leaving his family and friends shocked.

Pontypool footballer Tristan O’Keefe, aged 19, tragically passed away on Wednesday June 11.

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His sudden and untimely death left family, friends, supporters and his club reeling.

Tristan played over 100 games for Pontnewynnd AFC and played a a massive role in their promotion to the Gwent Premier League.

As a mark of respect the club is retiring Tristan’s number 3 jersey and plan to hang it in the changing rooms.

Tristan was described as “kind and humble” by those who knew him.

A statement from Pontnewynydd AFC reads: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the devastating news of the passing of one of our own — Tristan O’Keefe.

“Tristan wasn’t just a talented footballer — he was a bright light in our club, a kind and humble young man who brought energy, joy, and strength to everyone around him.

“Loved by his teammates, respected by his coaches, and cherished by all at Pontnewynydd AFC, Tristan was an integral part of our unforgettable undefeated league campaign — a journey that led us to promotion to the Gwent Premier League.

“His presence was felt in every game, every training session, and every moment off the pitch.

“We will never forget you, Tristan. You will always be a part of Pontnewynydd AFC. Forever 19. Forever our Number 3.”

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Viswashkumar Ramesh, the only survivor of the Boeing 787 plane crash, said he witnessed other passengers die.

The only survivor of the Air India plane crash says he couldn’t believe he made it out alive after escaping from a broken emergency exit in a deadly crash that killed 241 people.

Shortly after Thursday’s crash, social media footage showed Viswashkumar Ramesh limping down the street in a blood-stained t-shirt and with bruises on his body.

The British national was sitting in seat 11A on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that was flying in to London when the plane crashed into a medical college hostel moments after taking off from India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad.

Ramesh, 40, told India’s national broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed on Friday that he thought he was “also going to die”.

“But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others [died],” he said.

He was travelling with his brother Ajay, who had been seated in a different row, members of his family said.

“The side of the plane I was in landed on the ground, and I could see that there was space outside the aircraft, so when my door broke, I tried to escape through it and I did,” Ramesh said.

“The opposite side of the aircraft was blocked by the building wall so nobody could have come out of there,” he added.

He explained that the plane had seemed to have come to a standstill midair for a few seconds shortly after taking off and felt the engine thrust, which later “crashed with speed into the hostel”.

Ramesh’s cousin Hiren Kantilal, 19, told the AFP news agency that he called his family in Leicester, in the East Midlands in England, after the crash to tell them he was alive.

“Our plane has been crashed,” Ramesh told his dad, according to his cousin.

“He was bleeding all over him, in the face and everything, and he said, ‘I am just waiting for my brother and I don’t know how I get out of the plane.’

“He said: ‘Do not worry about me, try to find about Ajay Kumar’ and he said: ‘I am totally fine.’”

Kantilal said his cousin had spent about 10 to 15 minutes seeking his brother, and then was whisked away to hospital by the rescue services.

“We are happy Vishwash has been saved, but on the other hand, we are just heartbroken about Ajay,” he told AFP.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met Ramesh at the hospital.

Rescue workers continued to search for missing people and aircraft parts on Friday following the worst aviation crash in a decade.

After the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash killed over 200 people, aviation experts are reassuring viewers on This Morning that aviation is still one of the safest ways to travel

Aviation experts have spoken out following the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171, which killed at least 241 people on board and eight more on the ground, insisting that air travel remains one of the safest modes of transport.

A female aviation analyst appeared on ITV’s This Morning, telling viewers that while plane-related tragedies are devastating, they remain incredibly rare. She said: “Of course there is a risk when you go into a metal container that is seven miles above the planet.

“There is an element of risk to everything we do, but it is still more dangerous to ride your bike down the street or to get in a car than it is to fly on an aircraft.”

She continued to defend air travel, adding: “What doesn’t make the news is the boring story of the aircraft taking off, flying where it’s supposed to, and landing again. We do learn in aviation from the mistakes that have happened or design errors that have happened. Whatever the findings are from this investigation, procedures will be put in place to make sure this can never happen again.”

Meanwhile, another expert sat beside her insisted: “There’s been learning since the dawn of aviation. Things happen, procedures are set in place, design changes are made to prevent it happening again. So every incident, it gets safer.”

The expert comments come in the wake of one of the worst aviation disasters since the tragic 9/11 terror attacks. Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad just minutes after take-off on Thursday (June 12).

The aircraft issued a mayday call moments before vanishing from radar, with the captain saying: “Mayday… no thrust, losing power, unable to lift.”

Eyewitnesses captured harrowing footage of the plane descending nose-up before exploding in a massive fireball. There were 241 passengers on board along with crew members.

The crash also claimed the lives of eight people on the ground, including medical students and their family members living in nearby buildings.

British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, miraculously survived the crash. He has spoken to press from the hospital, saying: “The lights started flickering — green and white — then the plane rammed into some establishment… I saw people dying in front of my eyes. I don’t know how I survived.”

His family in Leicester said they were “devastated” to learn of the crash and shocked that Vishwash made it out alive. He has been treated for facial injuries and was pictured being comforted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a hospital visit.

Former This Morning editor Martin Frizell has paid tribute to a former guest on the show, wellness coach Fiongal Greenlaw, who is feared to have died in the crash along with his husband Jamie Meek.

Martin said Fiongal was “vibrant and full of enthusiasm” during his appearance on the ITV show, adding: “Thoughts are with his family and friends and those of his partner Jamie.”

Investigators are hoping to find out what exactly caused the catastrophic engine failure after recovering a black box from the Air India Flight 171.

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The Wire cast featured faces who were relatively unknown at the time

Over 17 years later, The Wire continues to be celebrated as one of the finest crime drama TV series ever produced. First gracing our screens in June 2002, The Wire garnered immense popularity, airing 60 episodes on HBO until 2008, and finding a home in the UK on FX and subsequently BBC Two.

Each season spotlighted a different city institution and its interaction with law enforcement, whilst maintaining storylines and characters from previous seasons. Since the hit series wrapped up, some of its actors have retired from acting, others have bagged major awards, and some have sadly passed away.

Let’s take a look at what became of The Wire cast after the series concluded:

Dominic West – Jimmy McNulty

Dominic West’s portrayal of Detective Jimmy McNulty in The Wire was his breakthrough role. Post-series, he starred in The Affair, earning a Golden Globe nomination, and played Prince Charles in The Crown, reports the Mirror US. He also embodied Jean Valjean in the 2018 BBC miniseries adaptation of Les Misérables. Dominic has featured in films such as Chicago, 300, The Square, Tomb Raider, and Downton Abbey: A New Era.

In 2024, he was named as the new ambassador of Julian House, a Bath-based charity supporting vulnerable individuals.

Idris Elba – Russell ‘Stringer’ Bell

Idris Elba, arguably the most prominent star to emerge from The Wire, later took on roles such as DCI John Luther in Luther, Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and featured in films like Beasts of No Nation, American Gangster, and the Thor series. In 2025, he fronted the BBC documentary Idris Elba: Our Knife Crime Crisis, addressing the escalating issue of knife crime in the UK and exploring potential solutions.

Beyond his acting career, Idris is also recognised for his work as a DJ under the alias DJ Big Driis and as an R&B singer. He was crowned the Sexiest Man Alive in 2018 by People Magazine, and co-owns the Kiro Race Formula E team.

Michael B. Jordan – Wallace

One of Michael B. Jordan’s earliest roles was as Wallace in The Wire. He later gained further acclaim in Friday Night Lights, Chronicle, and Fruitvale Station. He also starred as Adonis Creed in the Creed franchise – a spin-off of the Rocky films – and as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther and its sequel.

In 2025, he showcased his versatility in the film Sinners, portraying twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore. The film, directed by Ryan Coogler, blends historical drama with supernatural horror and has been lauded for its unique narrative and visual style.

In 2022, Michael became a minority owner at Premier League side AFC Bournemouth – even designing two limited-edition kits for the team.

Maestro Harrell – Melvin ‘Cheese’ Wagstaff

Maestro Harrell, who played Cheese in The Wire, has since appeared in shows like The Deuce and films such as Trainwreck and Keanu. He’s also made a name for himself in the EDM scene with tracks like For You and Which One Which.

In 2024, he lent his voice to the character Inaki in Mufasa: The Lion King.

Amy Ryan – Beatrice ‘Beadie’ Russell

Amy Ryan, who portrayed Beadie Russell in The Wire, earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in Gone Baby Gone and is also recognised for playing Holly Flax in The Office. She has starred in films like Birdman, Bridge of Spies, and Central Intelligence. In 2023, she took on the role of Grace in Ari Aster’s psychological horror film Beau Is Afraid.

John Doman – Major William Rawls

John Doman, who played the ambitious and politically astute Major William Rawls in The Wire, has since taken on significant roles such as Rodrigo Borgia in Borgia, Senator Ross Garrison in Person of Interest, and Helen’s father in The Affair. He also featured as Bishop Charles Eddis in House of Cards and as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany in Berlin Station. In the gaming world, he voiced Caesar in Fallout: New Vegas.

Michael K. Williams – Omar Little

Michael K. Williams, who won acclaim for his role as Omar Little, the principled stick-up man in The Wire, went on to star as Albert ‘Chalky’ White in Boardwalk Empire, as well as in films including 12 Years a Slave and Inherent Vice. Michael was also recognised for his advocacy work, notably hosting the Vice series Black Market, which explored underground economies.

He tragically passed away in 2021 at the age of 54 due to an accidental drug overdose.

Aidan Gillen – Tommy Carcetti

Aidan Gillen brought to life the ambitious politician Tommy Carcetti in The Wire. Post-series, he gained further fame as the cunning Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish in Game of Thrones.

Aidan also featured as Aberama Gold in Peaky Blinders and as Frank Kinsella in the Irish crime drama Kin, which debuted in 2021. The show has been renewed for a third season.

Reg E. Cathey – Norman Wilson

Reg E. Cathey portrayed Norman Wilson, the experienced political operative in The Wire. He later won an Emmy Award for his role as Freddy Hayes in House of Cards.

Reg also had roles in series such as Grimm, Outcast, and Luke Cage, where he played James Lucas. He sadly died in 2018 at the age of 59.

Tom McCarthy – Scott Templeton

Tom McCarthy took on the role of ambitious journalist Scott Templeton in the final season of The Wire. Beyond acting, Tom is a successful filmmaker, having directed and co-written Spotlight, which clinched the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2016.

He also directed Stillwater in 2021 and served as an executive producer and director on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why.

Lance Reddick – Cedric Daniels

Lance Reddick, known for his role as the upright Lt. Cedric Daniels in The Wire, also starred as Charon in the John Wick film series and appeared in shows like Fringe, Bosch, and Resident Evil. In addition to his on-screen roles, Lance lent his voice to video game characters such as Commander Zavala in Destiny and Sylens in Horizon Zero Dawn.

He passed away in March 2023 at the age of 60. His posthumous performance as Zeus in the Percy Jackson series earned him a Children’s and Family Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Performer. He also makes a posthumous appearance in this year’s From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.

Seth Gilliam – Ellis Carver

Seth Gilliam portrayed Officer Ellis Carver in The Wire, a character who grew from a green cop into a seasoned leader. He later assumed the role of Father Gabriel Stokes in The Walking Dead and had a recurring part in Teen Wolf.

Seth continues to be active in television and film.

CHILLING new audio reveals the moment OceanGate’s founder fired the company’s operations director who voiced safety concerns about the ill-fated Titan sub.

The audio clip was obtained by Netflix and has been used in its documentary Titan: The OceanGate Disaster.

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American businessman Stockton Rush, who would go on to be one of the victims of the Titan disaster, can be heard David Lochridge in the clip.

Lochridge had raised concerns around the safety of the submersible ahead of its doomed voyage.

Rush tells him: “I don’t want anybody in this company who is uncomfortable with what we are doing. 

“We’re doing weird s*** here. I’m definitely out of the mold, I am doing things that are completely non-standard.

“I’m sure the industry thinks I’m a f****** idiot.

“That’s fine, they’ve been doing that for years. And I’m going to continue on the way I am doing.”

A woman can be heard saying: “We need David on this crew, in my opinion we need him here.”

Lochridge says Rush’s remarks left him “a tad let down” and “pretty gutted”. 

 “This is the first time on paper I’ve ever put any health and safety concerns,” he adds.

“You know every expedition we have had, we’ve had issues.”

Rush concedes the point, and Lochridge asks him: “Do you now want to let me go?”

But Rush bluntly replies: “I don’t see we have a choice.”

Rush would later die on board the Titan alongside Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood and Paul-Henri Nargeolet.  

The vessel imploded during a June 2023 expedition that initially prompted a major rescue operation.

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Speaking to filmmakers, Lochridge said: “To me it was just sheer arrogance.

“I didn’t know what to say, but I was blown away that at this point they were willing to play Russian roulette.”

Lochridge was fired back in 2018 after he had worked at the firm for three years.

In one email to an associate, he expressed fears that Rush would be killed, the MailOnline has reported.

“I don’t want to be seen as a tattle tale but I’m so worried he kills himself and others in the quest to boost his ego,” he said.

“I would consider myself pretty ballsy when it comes to doing things that are dangerous, but that sub is an accident waiting to happen.”

Lochridge would go on to inform the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of Titan’s safety issues after he was fired.

He reportedly got a settlement and release agreement from OceanGate’s lawyers after flagging these concerns with OSHA.

How the Titan tragedy unfolded

By Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital)

FIVE men plunged beneath the surface of the North Atlantic in a homemade sub in a bid to explore the Titanic wreckage.

Four passengers paid £195,000 each to go on the sub, with the fifth member of the trip being a crew member.

But what was supposed to be a short trip spiralled into days of agony as the doomed Titan vanished without a trace on June 18, 2023.

The daring mission had been months in the making – and almost didn’t happen at the hands of harsh weather conditions in Newfoundland, Canada.

In a now chilling Facebook post, passenger Hamish Harding wrote: “Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023.

“A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”

It would be his final Facebook post.

The following morning, he and four others – led by Stockton Rush – began the 12,5000ft descent towards the bottom of the Atlantic.

But as it made its way down into the depths, the vessel lost all contact with its mother ship on the surface, the Polar Prince.

It sparked a frantic four-day search for signs of life, with the hunt gripping the entire world.

There was hope that by some miracle, the crew was alive and desperately waiting to be saved.

But that sparked fears rescue teams faced a race against time as the passengers only had a 96-hour oxygen supply when they set out, which would be quickly dwindling.

Then, when audio of banging sounds was detected under the water, it inspired hope that the victims were trapped and signalling to be rescued.

It heartbreakingly turned out that the banging noises were likely either ocean noises or from other search ships, the US Navy determined.

Countries around the world deployed their resources to aid the search, and within days the Odysseus remote-operated vehicle (ROV) was sent down to where the ghostly wreck of the Titanic sits.

The plan was for the ROV to hook onto the sub and bring it up 10,000ft, where it would meet another ROV before heading to the surface.

But any hopes of a phenomenal rescue were dashed when Odysseus came across a piece of debris from the sub around 1,600ft from the Titanic.

The rescue mission tragically turned into a salvage task, and the heartbroken families of those on board were told the devastating news.

It was confirmed by the US Coast Guard that the sub had suffered a “catastrophic implosion”.

LIVERPOOL, England — A 53-year-old British man who injured 65 people when his car rammed into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans celebrating their team’s Premier League championship was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said Tuesday.

The driver was also being held on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving on drugs, Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill said.

The incident late Monday afternoon turned a jubilant parade into a tragedy that sent 50 people to hospitals for treatment of their injuries. Eleven remained hospitalized Tuesday in stable condition.

The wounded included four children, one of whom had been trapped beneath the vehicle with three adults.

Driver dodged road block

Police had closed off much of the area to traffic, but the driver is believed to have maneuvered around a road block by following an ambulance that was rushing to treat a person suspected of having a heart attack, Asst. Chief Constable Jenny Sims said.

Merseyside Police said they were not treating the incident as terrorism and were not looking for other suspects. The force has not identified the arrested driver. Police in Britain usually do not name suspects until they are charged.

Detectives were still working to piece together why the minivan plowed into crowds packing a narrow street just after the players of Liverpool Football Club had celebrated its championship with an open-topped bus parade.

The incident cast a shadow over a city that has suffered twin tragedies linked to the soccer team and led to widespread expressions of shock, sadness and support.

“It is truly devastating to see that what should have been a joyous celebration for many could end in such distressing circumstances,” King Charles III said in a statement while on a visit to Canada. “I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.”

Crime scene scoured for evidence

Water Street, near the River Mersey in the heart of the city, was cordoned off by police tape, and a blue tent had been erected on the road strewn with the detritus of celebration, including bottles, cans and Liverpool flags.

Teams of officers wearing white forensic suits scoured the damp streets for evidence and snapped photos of clothing and other items left behind as people fled the chaotic scene.

Hundreds of thousands of Liverpudlians had crammed the streets of the port city in northwest England on Monday to celebrate the team winning England’s Premier League this season for a record-tying 20th top-flight title.

As the parade was wrapping up, a minivan turned down a cordoned-off street just off the parade route and plowed into the sea of fans wrapped in their red Liverpool scarves, jerseys and other memorabilia. A video on social media showed the van strike a man, tossing him in the air, before veering into a larger crowd, where it plowed a path through the group and pushed bodies along the street before coming to a stop.

“It was extremely fast,” said Harry Rashid, who was with his wife and two young daughters as the minivan passed by them. “Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”

Rashid said the crowd charged the halted vehicle and began smashing windows.

“But then he put his foot down again and just plowed through the rest of them, he just kept going,” Rashid said. “It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.”

Suspect partly identified to stop rumor mill

Police quickly identified the suspect as a white local man to prevent misinformation from flooding social media, Liverpool City Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said.

Rotheram said police acted appropriately to tamp down online speculation about the person responsible as false rumors spread rapidly online of there being another incident.

“Social media is a cesspit,” he said, referring to the conjecture and misinformation. “It was designed to inflame. It was designed to divide. The message of hate doesn’t go down well here.”

Last summer, a teen in the nearby town of Southport killed three girls in a stabbing rampage at a dance class and wounded 10 others, including two adults. An incorrect name of the suspect was spread on social media and people said he was an asylum-seeker. In fact, he had been born in the U.K. Rioting spread across England and Northern Ireland, targeting Muslims and refugees in hotels for asylum-seekers, lasting about a week.

Liverpool soccer legacy tainted by tragedy

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the tragedy as he hailed the bravery of rescuers and said the country’s thoughts were with the city and its people.

“Scenes of joy turned to utter horror and devastation,” Starmer said Tuesday. “Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool.”

The storied franchise has been associated with two of the biggest tragedies in professional soccer.

Its fans were largely blamed for the 1985 disaster at Heysel stadium in Belgium when 39 people — mostly supporters of Italian team Juventus — died when Liverpool backers surged into the rival’s stand.

Four years later, a crush at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.

Ha and Melley write for the Associated Press. Melley reported from London. AP writer Jill Lawless contributed to this report.

Emmerdale spoilers for next week have revealed a devastating twist for a number of villagers, while fans will also see a hospital dash, a murder confession and characters facing drama

There’s huge scenes ahead on Emmerdale next week, with possibly two deaths being exposed.

As a body is found in the lake, there’s fears it’s Anthony Fox whose murder is about to come to light. But in a dramatic turn of events, Nate Robinson’s family finally learn he’s dead.

News of a body being found leads to those who covered up Anthony’s demise panicking, and soon his killer Ruby Miligan, his daughter who he sexually abused as a teenager, heads to the police station. She begins to make her killer confession, first telling them about the abuse she was subjected to.

As her loved ones desperately try to stop what it already in motion, the character prepares to reveal what she did and keep everyone else out of it. The interview is halted by the arrival of a solicitor just as Ruby is explaining her dad’s vanishing act, and we learn said solicitor has a plan.

So will Ruby get to confess all and will she be locked up? What exactly does her husband Caleb Miligan have up his sleeve? OF course what they are soon to find out is that the body is not Anthony’s, and is in fact Caleb’s nephew Nate.

READ MORE: Emmerdale star feared axe before bosses revealed ‘terrifying’ cancer plot

As it emerges he’s been in the lake for some time and that it’s murder, suspects begin to emerge. Cain Dingle is blindsided about news of his missing son’s death, with Nate’s wife Tracy Robinson also heartbroken.

Cain is left in the frame and faces tough questions from the police as Nate’s final moments are recounted. His own family members begin to question whether he might be guilty, with Tracy also airing her own suspicions – unaware John Sugden is the real killer.

Later, Cain is left reeling when DC Cole arrives and reveals there’s been a shock development in Nate’s case. But what has been revealed and who else might be blamed?

Elsewhere next week, there’s horror for Eric Pollard who suffers a fall as his health deteriorates amid his Parkinson’s disease battle. With no one coming to his aid initially he’s eventually rushed to hospital where he reveals he doesn’t remember anything.

He’s urged to get some help at home but this only leaves Pollard feeling patronised, with him refusing to make changes. But when Eric suffers yet another fall, Kerry Wyatt makes a call to a home-help company, and soon a resolution is met.

There’s also a big decision made by teen April Windsor, who struggles with her exams. Soon she’s given a trial shift for a summer job at Take A Vow, but at a Christening she’s left panicked when she recognises the baby’s father.

Getting flashbacks to her time on the streets, she recalls that the man was someone that threatened to urinate on her – but will she confront him? Also in the village Dawn Taylor pitches herself to Belle as a new business partner, but she’s torn when Belle makes her swear Take A Vow will never take money from Joe Tate.

Soon Joe offers her some money, having already suggested they take over Home Farm weddings and not include Take A Vow. Will Dawn use Joe’s money though? Finally next week, Sarah Sugden worries how she will fund her planned IVF as she continues her plans to have a baby despite her cancer diagnosis.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

CARLOS BALEBA isn’t just here to make up the numbers, he’s chasing football’s ultimate individual prize and wants to leave an indelible mark on the game.

The 21-year-old Brighton midfielder is full confidence and charm as he reveals his dream of getting to the top of world football from his home in Hove after inviting me over for an interview.

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Baleba is dreaming of winning the Ballon d’Or, and says praise from Declan Rice and inspiration from Rodri’s success have convinced him it’s possible.

He told SunSport in an exclusive interview: “Declan Rice, Matheus Cunha, Joelinton, they’ve all told me I’ve got it in me.

“I want to win the Ballon d’Or like Rodri.

“I watched him during the Euros and before his injury I played against him and time I got the ball, he was right in front of me.

“It was my first game against Manchester City, and it was very difficult.

“He made it so hard to dribble or pass. That showed his class.

“His success has opened the door for midfielders like us to believe we can win the Ballon d’Or someday.”

Baleba is already making waves with his performances. The Cameroonian is the only midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues this season to register 30+ tackles, 30+ interceptions, 30+ clearances, 30+ take-ons, and 30+ aerial duels won, a stat line that shows just how complete his game is.

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His stock is rising fast, and he’s already been linked with Liverpool and Manchester City and Manchester United.

But for now, Baleba is focused on developing and not paying attention to the rumour mill.

He said: “Yes, I can get to the very top of world football.

“But I need to stay focused, stay calm, not rush, and not let what people write get in my head. If I keep working hard, I can be like Luka Modric or Toni Kroos, I just need to stay grounded.”

The Brighton star’s journey is nothing short of remarkable so far. Just three years ago, he was still in Cameroon, uncertain about his future. 

When he finally got his breakthrough move to Lille, tragedy struck, he lost his mother, he says it was sudden and quick. It’s a pain that still drives him.

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He revealed: “It was very difficult for me because I didn’t see my mum. I wanted her next to me, but when I signed for Brighton, she wasn’t here.

“That’s why the first season was really hard. I thought about her a lot. But I vowed that I would be the best version of myself and go as far as I can in my career.”

The Premier League is the dream destination for many young African players, but Baleba warns it’s not for the faint-hearted.

“The intensity,  if you don’t run, you cannot play in the Premier League. That’s the truth. You have to be willing to put in the hard work.”

What makes Baleba stand out isn’t just his football, it’s his effort to adapt to a new culture and language.

His English is still a work in progress, but he’s proud of the steps he’s taking to settle in,  even if the British weather isn’t always his cup of tea.

“I love it here, to be honest. My favourite English food is the English breakfast, if I’m allowed to say that!.

“But the weather is the only issue, it changes all the time.”

Brighton will be hoping Baleba can continue his meteoric rise, following in the footsteps of midfield stars like Alexis Mac Allister, Yves Bissouma, and Moises Caicedo.

All arrived as unknowns but left as stars. The Cameroonian might just be the next one off the Seagulls’ midfield conveyor belt, and if he keeps dreaming big, he could go even further.

THE family of a chef who was killed in the Bayesian superyacht tragedy want justice for his death, a report claims.

Recaldo Thomas, 59, was among the seven people who died after Brit billionaire Mike Lynch’s yacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm last year.

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Recaldo’s family are now seeking compensation for his tragic death – and they could be in line for a $40 million payout.

The chef’s sister-in-law Joycelyn Palmer told MailOnline: “We just want justice and yes, we will be looking at compensation, someone must pay for what happened.”

Last week a report detailing the “vulnerability” of the yacht revealed how the tragedy unfolded.

A thorough investigation has shown that the ship was likely knocked over by “extreme wind” and was not able to recover.

But Palmer believes the yacht’s 236ft mast may have also played a part in the tragic sinking.

Recaldo’s sister-in-law said: “I looked up the yacht and when I saw the mast I just thought that must have something to do with what happened.

“You can even see it in one of the last pictures he sent us.”

She also claimed the crew were at fault as they had taken the weather for granted and didn’t alert the captain until it was “too late”.

Palmer recalled the emotional turmoil the family experienced in the aftermath of the tragedy.

She said it took six long weeks to get Recaldo’s body, meaning they were unable to have an open-casket funeral and say their goodbyes properly.

Palmer described her brother-in-law as a lovely man who had a heart of gold and an infectious smile.

The family’s lawyer said they were looking at a US lawsuit against “various entities”.

They added that a $40million pay-out would not be out of the question for the “emotional loss”.

Recaldo was among seven passengers who died when the 184ft yacht capsized and sank on August 19.

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Anchored off the coast of Porticello Harbour in Palermo, a downburst of stormy winds hit the boat causing it to topple.

It sunk to the sea floor in minutes and prompted a huge five-day search operation with specialist divers, underwater drones and helicopters.

Recaldo was found dead near the wreck site on August 19, but it took several more days to recover six missing guests including the Brit billionaire and his daughter.

New York lawyer Chris Morvillo and wife Neda also died, as did Morgan Stanley international chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy.

Just two months before the disaster, Lynch had been cleared of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.

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An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch revealed last week that the yacht had a “vulnerability” to lighter winds which the owner and crew may not have known about.

Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: “The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over.

“Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70° the situation was irrecoverable.

“The results will be refined as the investigation proceeds, and more information becomes available.”

The salvage operation for the superyacht is officially underway.

Floating cranes, remote-controlled robots, and specialist divers amongst other marine experts are all helping to recovery the vessel.

But the operation had to be put on pause just days after it started when a diver died.

The diver, who is thought to be a Dutch national, reportedly died when working 160ft below the ocean alongside other recovery workers to cut the boom of the yacht.

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After an unsuccessful attempt trying to cut the section, the divers are believed to have used a blow torch.

Local media speculated that the man was hit by part of the cut boom as it came off whilst he was underwater.

But police said they have launched a probe to understand what exactly caused the man’s death.

According to other local media reports, an underwater explosion was heard by at least one person before the man was found dead.

Inside the Bayesian’s final 16 minutes

By Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter

Data recovered from the Bayesian’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) breaks down exactly how it sank in a painful minute-by-minute timeline.

At 3.50am on Monday August 19 the Bayesian began to shake “dangerously” during a fierce storm, Italian outlet Corriere revealed.

Just minutes later at 3.59am the boat’s anchor gave way, with a source saying the data showed there was “no anchor left to hold”.

After the ferocious weather ripped away the boat’s mooring it was dragged some 358 metres through the water.

By 4am it had began to take on water and was plunged into a blackout, indicating that the waves had reached its generator or even engine room.

At 4.05am the Bayesian fully disappeared underneath the waves.

An emergency GPS signal was finally emitted at 4.06am to the coastguard station in Bari, a city nearby, alerting them that the vessel had sunk.

Early reports suggested the disaster struck around 5am local time off the coast of Porticello Harbour in Palermo, Sicily.

The new data pulled from the boat’s AIS appears to suggest it happened an hour earlier at around 4am.

Some 15 of the 22 onboard were rescued, 11 of them scrambling onto an inflatable life raft that sprung up on the deck.

A smaller nearby boat – named Sir Robert Baden Powell – then helped take those people to shore.