Everything you need to know about the hero firefighter who saved Glasgow Central – Daily Record
Need to know
John Banach tackled the flames on the building in Union Street from the top of a 115 height ladder.
John at Johnstone Community Fire Station(Image: Daily Record)
A hero firefighter spend six hours battling flames to save Glasgow Central. Here’s everything you need to know about John Banach and his actions last Sunday.
Incident Overview: A massive fire broke out at 3:45 pm on a Sunday afternoon within a ground-floor vape shop on Glasgow’s Union Street. The blaze quickly escalated, eventually destroying a historic building that had been a part of the city for 175 years.
Heroic Individual Effort: Crew commander John Banach spent six exhausting hours at the top of a 115-foot high-reach ladder to battle the flames. He was later pictured covered in soot and resting on the pavement, a photo that has since become a symbol of the emergency response.
Strategic Fire Break: Banach’s primary mission was to create a fire break to prevent the inferno from spreading to Glasgow Central Station and the Grand Central Hotel. His success in holding this position saved these iconic landmarks from suffering catastrophic damage.
Extreme Working Conditions: Firefighters endured punishing heat that was so intense Banach reported losing significant body weight from sweat during his shift. Despite being physically and mentally drained, the crews maintained their focus to ensure the fire did not jump across the street.
Significant Structural Loss: The fire resulted in the near-total destruction of the B-listed “Union Corner” building, including the collapse of its famous domed roof. Only the Gordon Street facade remains standing after the internal structure and a large digital advertising board gave way.
Scale of Emergency Response: The operation involved 18 fire engines and a massive team that eventually grew to include nearly 200 firefighters. This extensive resource mobilisation was necessary to manage the inferno and protect the surrounding city centre.
Innovative Water Supply: To provide enough water for the high-reach appliances, crews utilised a high-volume pump to draw water directly from the River Clyde. This tactic ensured a steady supply was available to combat the fire from multiple elevated angles simultaneously.
Government and Policy Reaction: First Minister John Swinney has pledged to look into financial support for the businesses affected by the devastating incident. Additionally, the Scottish Government is now considering tighter regulations for vape shops to minimise the risk of similar fires in the future.
Wales take on Italy at the Principality Stadium in the penultimate match of this year’s Six Nations. Italy have won the last two meetings and three of the last four.
Wales are bottom of the table and on course for a third straight wooden spoon. After back-to-back heavy defeats against England and France to start the tournament, they came agonisingly close to beating Scotland before pushing Ireland close last time out.
“Having an unchanged team reflects the cohesion and the consistency in the group and the consistency of performance out in Ireland,” Wales head coach Steve Tandy said. “This week we need to go up another level. We have had some good performances. There were parts against France, then we built up into the Scotland game where I thought we were very good. Against Ireland we stepped up to the plate physically. Now it is putting it all together and creating our best performance this weekend.”
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They go in search of their first Six Nations win in over 1,000 days, with their last victory in the competition coming against today’s opponents in Rome back in March 2023. That run without a win in the Six Nations now stands at 15 consecutive defeats in the competition.
“For the team and myself, going back to Principality Stadium is amazing,” Tandy added. “The boys did well creating their own energy against Ireland, but there is nothing better than being at home. The boys reference in meetings what the Scotland game meant to them, as well as the matches against France and New Zealand. The fans have been incredible and I think they are behind the team and the team are putting in performances to represent our nation.”
Italy made history last weekend, beating England for the first time as they claimed a 23-18 win in Rome. They have two wins to their name now going into the final round, knowing a win of any sort will seal a fourth-place finish.
“No-one is talking about two wins or three wins,” said Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada. “The goal is more to finish our first Six Nations with full consistency and having five good games. That is something that has never happened. There was always a game where things did not work and there was a big loss. I promise it is not just words, it is exactly what we are after.”
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Italy have won on their last two trips to Cardiff but Quesada is aware of the desperation the hosts will be playing with this afternoon.
“We know that Wales must win this game, they must win it,” Quesada added. “They produced amazing performances against Ireland and Scotland but you can be in these periods where the results are not there, not even if you play as well and fight as hard as they did and the stunning physicality they put in against Ireland. We are preparing mentally and physically to be ready for what will be, for me, the toughest game of the whole Six Nations.”
“It was a pretty clean session, really happy, unfortunately George had an issue in Q3 – but it was a really good session, no mistakes, looking forward to the race.
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“I just tried to keep my focus, stay calm, and deliver a good lap.”
Antonelli pips Sebastian Vettel’s record as the youngest-ever pole-sitter…
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson15 March 2026 06:30
George Russell: ‘It was damage limitation’
On qualifying issues: “Damage limitation, Q2 the front wing broke, went out in Q3, car wasn’t restarting, really happy to be standing here. Start of the last lap, had no tyre temp, no battery, so it could have been much worse.
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On race: “We need to take care of the guys in red as well. Lewis is going to be pretty dicey at the beginning of the race, put on a good race to the fans.”
Kieran Jackson15 March 2026 06:15
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified third:
“It was a really tough qualifying, bit harder with the wind, so gusty today. These guys put in great laps, really happy to be up here, they’ve been rapid so far this season.
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“We did some great work over the break and we managed to get a little bit closer to these guys, that’s a real positive.”
On race: “Still going to be a challenge, I’m sure we’ll have some fun, looking forward to it. Our goal is try and break the gap between these two.”
Lewis Hamilton (Getty)
Kieran Jackson15 March 2026 06:00
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff:
“Many said the kid was too young to be in Mercedes, now he’s the youngest pole-sitter. I’m so happy for Kimi to be on pole.
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On race: “Let’s see how they get away from the start, Ferrari will be pushing like crazy like Melbourne and today.”
On Russell’s issue: “It looks electrical. I didn’t think it was going out but to my surprise, we went out.”
Toto Wolff (AFP/Getty)
Kieran Jackson15 March 2026 04:00
Constructor standings after Chinese GP sprint
6. Racing Bulls – 6 points
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11. Aston Martin – 0 points
Kieran Jackson15 March 2026 02:00
Driver standings after China GP sprint
1. George Russell (Mercedes) – 33 points
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2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 22 points
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 22 points
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 18 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 15 points
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7. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 7 points
8. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) – 4 points
9. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 3 points
10. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – 2 points
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11. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 2 points
12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1 point
13. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 0 points
14. Alex Albon (Williams) – 0 points
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15. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
16. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 0 points
17. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) – 0 points
18. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 0 points
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19. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 0 points
21. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – 0 points
Kieran Jackson14 March 2026 23:59
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How else has motorsport been impacted by Middle East chaos?
The World Endurance Championship (WEC) event in Doha, originally set for 26-28 March, has already been postponed and rescheduled for October.
MotoGP’s Qatar round at Lusail, near Doha, on 12 April is facing significant difficulties and is unlikely to be rescheduled.
Formula Two, F1’s key support series, has its freight still in Melbourne after the season-opener. Should the Bahrain and Saudi F2 rounds be cancelled without replacement, the championship’s second race would not occur until Monaco in June.
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Kieran Jackson14 March 2026 22:00
Christian Horner’s route back to F1 faces obstacle – with Toto Wolff ‘bidding for Alpine stake’
Ex-Red BullF1 team principal Horner, who lost his job last summer after 20 years leading the outfit, is known to be making enquiries with a group of investors into purchasing Otro Capital’s 24 per cent stake in Alpine, the Renault-owned team managed by Flavio Briatore.
Alpine confirmed Horner’s interest in the stake back in January but, now, Wolff has reportedly launched his own bid at the start of the new F1 season, in which Alpine are using Mercedes power units for the first time.
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Kieran Jackson14 March 2026 19:00
Chinese GP preview: Mercedes’s early F1 dominance is ominous – but memories of 2022 provide warning to George Russell
Euphoric and smug all in one swivel of the head, Toto Wolff currently cannot help himself. Just one week into F1’s new era, four years of torturous ground-effect running seem a distant memory now for Mercedes’s long-term commander-in-chief. On Friday, after a third successive perfect competitive session to start 2026, Wolff saw the monitor in front of him, the camera lasered in and turned to face it, smiling wryly. He did the same last week in Melbourne. An early contender for F1 “memeable content” of the season? You bet.
And, really, why shouldn’t he be so merry? Lightyears from the “top four is closely packed” predictions from pre-season testing, Mercedes are currently over the hills and far away. On Friday, George Russell claimed pole position for the sprint race in China, leading home another Mercedes one-two finish with Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli behind him. For the Silver Arrows, it’s been a hat-trick of flawlessness to open up the new campaign.
The identities have been disclosed of all six crew who died when their US military refuelling plane crashed this week.
An umbrella group of Iranian proxies, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, claimed responsibility but US authorities have said it “was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire”.
One of the victims, Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, was deployed to help the Iran war effort less than a week before the crash
Image: Alex Klinner leaves behind three small children. Pic: Mary Remmes/AP
“It’s kind of heartbreaking to say, he was just a really good dad and really loved his family a lot – like a lot,” his brother-in-law James Harrill said.
The eight-year US Air Force veteran from Auburn, Alabama, had just moved into a new home with his family, his wife, Libby Klinner, said in a social media post. The couple have seven-month-old twins and a two-year-old son.
Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, was another of the six who died.
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Image: Mr Simmons had a smile “that could light up any room”, his family said. Pic: National Guard/AP
In a statement obtained by WCMH-TV in Columbus, Mr Simmons’ family said his “smile could light up any room”.
“His parents, grandparents, family and friends are grief stricken for the loss of life,” they added.
After the confirmation by the families of Sgt. Simmons and Maj. Klinner on Saturday, the US Department of War officially named all the crew members who died.
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Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio.
The chief of the National Guard Bureau shared a picture of them all on X.
Image: A KC-135 refuelling plane. File pic: Reuters
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Maj. Klinner, Captain Savino and Tech. Sgt. Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, in Florida.
The others were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio.
“We share in the sorrow of their loved ones, and we must not forget the valuable contributions these Airmen made to their country and the impact they have left on our organization,” said the Air National Guard on social media.
Manchester United welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford this afternoon as the Reds look to solidify their spot in the top four
Manchester United continue their bid for Champions League football when they welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford. The game could not be more important for the Reds as they look to open up a three-point gap on the visitors.
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After an 11-day break from competitive football, there could be understandable rustiness for United but they cannot allow Villa to gain a foothold. Michael Carrick is lacking defensive options with both Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez out. However, he is likely to stick with Noussair Mazraoui at right-back despite him picking up an injury at Newcastle.
Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw are almost certain to complete the back four with Senne Lammens behind them. In midfield, Kobbie Mainoo will continue his renaissance alongside Casemiro. Both men are currently undroppable and while that’s a positive for Mainoo, it does spark a concerning transfer question as Casemiro prepares to leave in the summer.
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Captain Bruno Fernandes is the first name on the teamsheet and will start behind Benjamin Sesko. The striker struggled at Newcastle but will hope better service is provided for him today. United’s major selection decision comes out wide.
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Bryan Mbeumo did not have the best of games at St James’ Park but, in fairness, there were few players who came out of that trip with credit. The former Brentford man has credit in the bank having scored nine goals in 24 Premier League matches, so he should keep his place.
On the other side, Matheus Cunha has struggled in recent matches. The Brazil international is better suited to the central role and that has caused problems for the Reds.
Cunha’s determination to cut inside has left United lacking width. If Patrick Dorgu was fit, he would be starting but his absence means Amad is the only option for that position.
Carrick believes Amad can play on the left wing but he has rarely played there during his career. For that reason, United’s interim head coach could play it safe and stick with Cunha.
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United’s predicted XI vs Aston Villa: Lammens; Mazraoui, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko
Earlier this month, Lucy and her fellow cast members appeared on ITV’s popular gameshow Celebrity Lingo. During the episode – presented by Adil Ray – Lucy made a surprising admission about her initial day on Corrie.
“Now Lucy how long have you been in Corrie now? How many years has it been?” Adil enquired. She responded: “It’ll be 11 in January. It’s quite a long time actually.” Lucy was subsequently asked whether she recalled her opening lines, reports the Daily Star.
She said: “I can’t remember my first words but I remember I had to say ‘Anna Karenina’ and I said ‘Anna Karaneena’ and I was really embarrassed.”
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Adil immediately offered reassurance, saying: “But it’s a tough first word, isn’t it! ?” Lucy then disclosed she’d made her blunder in front of soap legend.
She elaborated: “Yeah and I was only 19, in front of Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey. Yeah I was embarrassed, I was ashamed.”
Adil joked: “They were trying to set you up there!” Over the years, Lucy has featured in numerous major storylines on Coronation Street portraying Bethany Platt. From grooming ordeals to botched cosmetic procedures, Bethany’s stint in Weatherfield has been packed with drama.
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The character also returned to the soap in October, after actress Lucy completed her maternity leave. Lucy welcomed daughter Nancy in January 2025. She shares Nancy and son Sonny – born in 2023 – with fiancé, footballer Ryan Ledson, to whom she became engaged last November.
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**
Announcing the news, Lucy turned to Instagram with a series of photographs displaying her glittering engagement ring. In the opening snap, she and Ryan, who are parents to Sonny and Nancy, captured a selfie whilst she held her hand towards the camera, and the bride-to-be appeared visibly moved with tears welling in her eyes.
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A further photograph revealed Lucy seated in a restaurant, where she was pictured raising her glass with her stunning engagement ring gleaming on her wedding finger. Accompanying the post, the soap actress penned: “Ending the birthday weekend with my best friend as a fiancé! ! ! ! I can’t wait to marry you @ryanledson8.”
Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Chelsea vs Newcastle United in the Premier League, with Liam Rosenior’s men hoping to bounce back from their late collapse against Paris Saint-Germain in the week and climb into the top four.
In the 73rd minute of Wednesday’s round-of-16 first leg in Paris, Chelsea were on course for a respectable and useful 2-2 draw to take back to Stamford Bridge. However, a disastrous final 20 minutes, sparked by a glaring error from Filip Jorgensen, has left them facing a 5-2 deficit ahead of Tuesday’s second leg.
While PSG get the weekend off from Ligue 1 duties, Chelsea will be hoping a victory against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge this evening can restore some confidence and belief before the French side come to town.
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With Manchester United hosting Aston Villa on Sunday, before Liverpool face Tottenham, Chelsea have the chance to set the pace in the race for Champions League football this weekend. While they are currently level on points with sixth-placed Liverpool, a win against Eddie Howe’s side would take Chelsea into third, above United and Villa on goal difference.
Newcastle had been enduring an incredibly difficult period in the league, with one win in seven games. However, they beat United 2-1 in their last top-flight outing, and following defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup, were only denied a famous victory against Barcelona with the last kick of the game as Lamine Yamal converted from the spot.
Ahead of their trip to Spain on Tuesday, Howe’s side are hoping to secure successive league wins for the first time since the start of January, a result which could take them from 13th to ninth, depending on how this afternoon’s 3pm fixtures finish.
Chelsea have failed to beat Newcastle in their last three meetings, with November’s league clash ending in a 2-2 draw after the west London side’s second-half comeback, but they have not lost against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge in the league since 2012, winning 11 of their 12 home ties in the competition in that time.
The decision comes after what has been described as a turbulent year for the company.
Allan Leighton, the Executive Chairman of Asda, has confirmed that around 9,500 salaried staff, including head office and senior store managers, will receive a thank you payment at the end of the month.
This is despite some teams having missed their annual targets.
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Despite the supermarket’s continued struggles, Leighton told staff in a memo that “there was still significant effort, commitment and progress made under challenging circumstances”.
A day early …. And breakfast on its way … at the “big” @asda … or “Yhe Asda” as I think my friends from Liverpool would say !! pic.twitter.com/bCigOxnFKk
The payouts will be determined by a worker’s particular grade. Those who have met all of their targets will receive their full bonus, while those in teams below target will receive a partial payout, per the Telegraph, which first reported the memo.
It applied to any salaried colleague who joined before 1 October 2025.
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“In recognition of all the hard work undertaken during the first year of our turnaround, we have confirmed that all eligible salaried colleagues will receive a thank you bonus in their March pay,” an Asda spokesman said. “This has been well received,” he added.
The payout – which follows the return of Asda’s ‘Tell Allan’ feedback initiative – contrasts with last year, when there was fury among some Asda staff after bonuses for managers were scrapped.
Asda is set to report full-year results on 27 March, and Leighton is hoping to boost morale across the business to breathe new life into his turnaround plan, which was set back by around six months following the botched final stage of its Project Future IT project.
During Christmas, it was the only supermarket to lose market share.
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However, according to The Grocer , there are signs that the bleed is slowing, with its market share down 2.6% in the 12 weeks to 22 February according to the latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator.
It was an improvement on the 3.7% fall in the 12 weeks to 25 January.
“I’m just looking for signs of progress, and there are signs of progress,” Leighton told The Grocer x Retail Week LIVE conference last week, on Asda’s market share performance.
“I’ve said from the beginning, this is [going to take] three to five years. You do not turn these things around in a short amount of time.”
CAIRO (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped allies would send warships to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz while Iran urged people to evacuate three ports in the United Arab Emirates as its war with the United States and Israel showed no signs of ending.
Iran’s call to evacuate the Middle East’s busiest port and two other UAE ports marked the first time it had openly threatened a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets.
Tehran said the U.S. had used “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports, without providing evidence. It urged people to leave areas where it said U.S. forces were sheltering.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis deepened, with over 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
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Iran says the US attacked from close to Dubai
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the U.S. attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from two locations in the UAE, Ras Al-Khaimah and a place “very close to Dubai,” calling that dangerous and saying Iran “will try to be careful not to attack any populated area” there.
U.S. Central Command said it had no response to Iran’s claim. A diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president, Anwar Gargash, said on social media the country has the right to defend itself but “still prioritizes reason and logic, and continues exercising restraint.”
Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Arab Gulf neighbors during the war, but it has said it was targeting U.S. assets, even as hits or attempts were reported on civilian ones such as airports and oil fields.
Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz was closed only to “those who are attacking us and their allies.”
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Trump urges allies to send warships to Strait of Hormuz
As global anxiety soars over oil prices and supplies, Trump said Saturday that he hopes China, France, Japan, South Korea, the U.K. and others send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.” Britain in response said it was discussing with allies a “range of options” to secure shipping.
Araghchi, in a social media post, urged neighbors to “expel foreign aggressors” and described Trump’s call as “begging.”
On Saturday, Iran’s joint military command reiterated its threat to attack U.S.-linked “oil, economic and energy infrastructures” in the region if the Islamic Republic’s oil infrastructure is hit.
Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency said the Kharg Island strikes caused no damage to oil infrastructure. It said they targeted an air defense facility, a naval base, the airport control tower and an offshore oil company’s helicopter hangar.
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U.S. identifies 6 killed in military aircraft crash
The U.S. Department of Defense on Saturday identified six service members who died when the military refueling aircraft they were aboard crashed Thursday while supporting operations against Iran.
The service members were Maj. John A. Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, according to U.S. officials.
The crash in western Iraq followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace,” according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safety.
Another attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad
A missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Saturday. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The embassy complex, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned militias.
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The State Department again warned citizens in Iraq to leave “now,” and by land since commercial flights were not available. It noted that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups “may continue to target” U.S. citizens, interests and infrastructure.
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Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem; Sally Abou AlJoud, Kareem Chehayeb and Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Tia Goldenberg in Washington contributed to this report.
Rory Innes, founder of The Cyber Helpline charity, has highlighted an explosion in “catfishing” cases, which leave victims emotionally and financially devastated every year.
New laws outlawing fake dating app profiles are needed to stop sophisticated online predators, a leading cybercrime expert has warned.
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Rory Innes, founder of The Cyber Helpline charity, has highlighted an explosion in “catfishing” cases, which leave victims emotionally and financially devastated every year.
He believes targeted Scottish legislation to combat exploitation is a must to keep people safe in an increasingly virtual world.
The Sunday Mail has highlighted the case of serial fraudster Ryan McVeigh who used a string of aliases as well as stolen photographs to carry out the sexual, financial and emotional abuse of 17 women – including raping two.
Rory wants social media platforms to be forced into greater accountability, and powers for police extended to tackle the growing crisis.
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He said: “Pretending to be someone else online, even building a fake relationship, isn’t in itself a crime. It only becomes criminal when it crosses into things like fraud, harassment, stalking, malicious communications or sexual offences.
“The rise of dating apps, social media and AI tools have made impersonation incredibly easy.
“You can create multiple profiles, generate convincing images or even videos, and operate anonymously at virtually no cost. That lends itself to harm.
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“Ultimately, we need legislative reform, platform accountability and properly resourced policing. Otherwise, this problem will continue to escalate.
“The impact is massive and not just financially. It’s mental health, fear, loss of confidence, reputational damage.
“Imagine discovering that someone you thought you were in a relationship with never existed. That’s devastating.
“This is a crisis that’s growing. If we don’t adapt our laws and systems, more people’s lives will be devastated.”
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Last month we told how Tinder rapist McVeigh, who had already conned and abused seven women when he appeared in court, had gone on to target 10 more victims after being freed from prison to await trial.
McVeigh finally pled guilty to a litany of charges in November, including defrauding his victims out of £81,872, but a Sunday Mail investigation revealed that officials missed the chance to stop the sick 32-year-old in 2023 when he was remanded in custody at court – only to be set free days later.
We also revealed how Gary Stephenson, a 40-year-old dad from Yorkshire, was horrified to discover McVeigh, using his identity, was facing charges of fraud and rape after being contacted by one of the women online.
Rory, 43, said: “That’s a perfect example of how these cases escalate. The impersonation may not be illegal in itself, but it’s often the foundation for very serious crimes.
“With generative AI we’re at a point where people can convincingly fabricate images, videos and even real-time interactions. Victims often blame themselves but they’re not foolish.
“These perpetrators are often highly manipulative and technically skilled. It’s about timing, vulnerability, and the sophistication of the deception.”
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McVeigh picked the women via dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble, using a string of fake names. But Rory said anonymity allows room for abuse.
He said: “Often platforms do not know who their users really are, or not in a way that helps victims.
In many cases, platforms don’t robustly verify identity. So if someone commits a crime on a platform, tracing them can be complex, slow and sometimes impossible.
“That lack of accountability creates opportunity for abuse.
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“On mainstream social media and dating platforms, total anonymity allows people to impersonate others with zero consequence.
“To drive a car, you need a licence. You’re effectively anonymous to the public – but the police can identify you through your number plate.
Online platforms could operate similarly. Your username could function like a licence plate – anonymous publicly, but traceable in cases of harm. That would fundamentally change things.”
In another shocking case, serial catfisher Adele Rennie, while employed as a nurse, impersonated a doctor named David Graham.
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It is believed up to 100 women were targeted by Rennie, 35, of Kilmarnock. Rennie was arrested in 2015 and admitted 18 charges involving 10 victims. She was sentenced to 22 months in jail and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
But following her release, she began pretending to be a lawyer and in 2019, she was jailed for another three years.
In 2024, she was once again apprehended, this time facing charges of stalking, deception, and sexual coercion, leading to her third stint in prison.
She was released in January 2025 after serving half of her sentence, only to be arrested again just 10 days later.
Rory said: “We don’t currently have effective mechanisms to restrict online access in a meaningful, enforceable way. And in some cases, there are deeper psychological issues driving the behaviour — something prison alone doesn’t address.”
In 2024-25, an estimated 14,120 cybercrimes were recorded by Police Scotland – equating to at least five per cent of all crimes recorded.
Rory added: “It shows we haven’t invested enough in understanding or policing online harm. Cybercrime now makes up the majority of crime in the UK, yet only a tiny proportion of policing resources are allocated to it.”
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Rory set up the charity in 2018 with a clear mission: to fill the alarming gap in support for victims of cybercrime and online harm. Since then, The Cyber Helpline has supported over two million users.
Rory said: “I worked in cybersecurity for businesses and realised that individuals had nowhere to go. The national cyber strategy barely mentioned support for individuals. So we mobilised cybersecurity professionals to volunteer their expertise and help ordinary people recover. We help people understand what’s happened, secure their accounts, gather evidence, and present cases properly to banks or authorities. We don’t recover money ourselves, but we significantly increase people’s chances of doing so.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “A range of criminal offences can be used to prosecute those who use fake dating profiles to harass, abuse, defraud or groom others.
“While online safety is reserved to the UK Government, we engage consistently and robustly with UK ministers to strengthen online protections. We also work with Police Scotland and Ofcom.”
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Lawyer: Answer is better policing
The lawyer behind Netflix’s hit show Sweet Bobby has called for better resources for police and courts to tackle catfishing crimes.
Yair Cohen, of London law firm Cohen Davis, successfully represented victim Kirat Assi when she raised civil proceedings after a harrowing nine-year catfishing scam, which police refused to investigate.
London DJ Kirat believed she was in a relationship with a man called Bobby Jandu, but it was a cruel hoax by her cousin Simran Bhogal.
Cohen told the Sunday Mail: “The devastation caused by catfishing is profound. That said I don’t believe we need new legislation to make catfishing a specific crime.
“We already have robust tools like the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, the Fraud Act 2006, and the Malicious Communications Act 1988, all of which can and do tackle it effectively when applied properly.
“The real barrier lies in criminal prosecution service and police priorities. These crimes are often more challenging and require more intellectual and financial resources to investigate than a complaint about an offensive tweet, so police choose to not invest.
“New laws will create more restrictions of free speech whilst not addressing the real issue of lack of enforcement and willingness to investigate.”
Tonight’s episode was released early this morning on BBC iPlayer, meaning fans had the opportunity to watch it before it was broadcast at 7.15pm this evening.
Mo Robertson, one of the semi-finalists, required medical attention after a fall off Everest, one of the many challenges featured in the episode.
After being assessed, the 35-year-old from Swansea was ruled out for the rest of the competition.
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While fans wished Mo well, they were not happy when they saw that Finn Hatton, another semi-finalist from the Lake District, who had been competing against Mo, was then going up against his replacement, Tyler, a 35-year-old teacher from Wigan.
Tyler returned to the competition and only competed in two challenges tonight, as Mo’s departure came late in the episode.
Fans were frustrated when they saw Finn, 23, lose, as he had taken part in more rounds.
Tyler continued the competition with Mo’s points (which were higher than Finn’s at the time Mo left), with one fan saying on X: “Surely it’s not fair that Tyler only does 1 event and carries over Mo’s points #Gladiators”.
Fans say Gladiators is ‘unfair’ following ‘scandal’ in tonight’s episode
One fan said: “That’s a joke that. Tyler does one event then wins the eliminator.
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“Need to re-look at what happens when someone gets injured as you shouldn’t have someone completely fresh up against someone who has already done multiple events #gladiators”.
Another commented: “That men’s #Gladiators semi is one of the great scandals.
“Finn, gotta take it the court of arbitration for sport.”
This person agreed: “#gladiators @BBCOne – come on this was so unfair , Tyler came in basically full of beans all he had to do was the eliminator, need to look at the rules , Finn got screwed over here poor lad”.
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Someone who watched the episode earlier predicted the reaction the episode would get from other fans: “Watched Gladiators early again (quite like it being on IPlayer early!)- people are definitely not going to be happy on here in circa an hour #gladiators”.
Another commented: “Finn has really been stitched up in this semi final.
“How is it fair for an opponent to come in last minute play 1 round then the eliminator and win when Finn had to compete in 4 extra rounds #gladiators”.
Who is through to the Gladiators final?
Following tonight’s episode, the following components have made it through to the final:
Naomi – 40-year-old from Birmingham
Tyler – 35-year-old from Wigan
Ellie, a 37-year-old from Edinburgh, and Finn were sent home.
Who is your favourite Gladiator of this series? Let us know in the comments.
