By RICHARD MARSDEN, GENERAL REPORTER

Published: 15:10 BST, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 08:44 BST, 8 July 2026

As Britain endures its third heatwave of the summer, up to two thirds of people say they are struggling to sleep during sweltering ‘tropical’ nights.

The latest spell of hot weather could bring highs of up to 35C (95F) by the end of the week and today’s temperatures are set to climb above 30C (86F) in southern England.

Amber heat health alerts apply between tomorrow morning and Saturday evening covering all of southern England, East Anglia and the Midlands.

Now a poll by environmental group Greenpeace suggests the country is not only struggling to cope by day but also suffering ‘mass sleep deprivation’ from extremely warm nights.

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According to forecasters, tomorrow and Thursday nights could count as ‘tropical nights’, when temperatures in the warmest areas could remain in the 20s Celsius (low 70s Fahrenheit) – more usual for a fine summer’s day.

The YouGov poll of 2,135 people for Greenpeace found two in three people struggled to sleep during June’s heatwave, with almost half of people saying they lost at least three hours’ of sleep a night.

Other findings included 86pc of people saying their homes had been too hot while a quarter said they or a household member had felt physically unwell.

About one in five said they had cancelled plans because of the heat.

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Broadstairs beach’s idyllic-looking golden sands today as temperatures began to build

Met Office forecasts show how daytime temperatures are due to climb during the week

More than half said their homes needed retrofit upgrades such as air conditioning to cope with future heatwaves, but 78pc said they would struggle to afford them.

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Almost half of people said they would support a levy on highly polluting companies to fund improvements.

Some 60pc of people said their workplaces were too hot and 1:10 felt working conditions were unsafe.

Mel Evans, the head of climate at Greenpeace UK, said: ‘The poll exposes the brutal reality of dragging our feet on climate action, such as mass sleep deprivation.

Soaring temperatures by day mean very warm nights, leaving people struggling to sleep

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‘Heatwaves are now a creeping health, housing, and economic emergency that is costing families money they don’t have.’

Dr Laurence Wainwright, of the University of Oxford said: ‘Sleep is greatly impacted during heatwaves.

‘The implications are significant: a drop in work performance, an increase in accidents, lower school test scores [and] a decline in mental health.’

Britain’s warmest June temperature of 37.7C (99.86F) was recorded on June 27 at Lingwood, Norfolk, and there were also record-breaking overnight minimums of 23.5C (74.3F) in Wales and 23.2C (73.8F) in England.

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It followed the UK’s hottest ever May temperature, with 35.1C (95.2F) recorded at Kew Gardens, London, on May 25.

That month, the government’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) advisory group warned Britain was ‘built for a climate that no longer exists’ and needed urgent changes.

The heatwave is set to last into the weekend, when it could break down with thunderstorms, according to the Meteorological Office.

Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates said: ‘Unlike the May and June heatwaves, we are not expecting this heatwave to be record-breaking.

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‘There is a chance that a tropical night (where temperatures do not fall below 20°C) may be recorded in a few places.

‘Much of England and Wales will be hot, and the heat will extend to parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland too.’

Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace has spoken out after being left with lifelong scars in a horrifying dog attack, revealing she has been subjected to a wave of abuse online instead of sympathy.

The former Big Brother star, 47, was rushed to hospital after being bitten by what she says was a Standard Bully during a friend’s baby shower, suffering deep wounds to her shoulder that came dangerously close to her neck.

The media personality — who has an extensive history in reality television and has featured on Loose Women and Good Morning Britain — says the physical injuries have been compounded by relentless victim-blaming from strangers on social media, something she believes has been almost as traumatic as the attack itself.

‘The amount of victim-blaming has been diabolical,’ she told The Sun. ’People were saying the dog should have bitten me closer to the neck or that if they were the dog they would have done the same thing.

‘Even if I had been drunk – which I wasn’t – your dog still shouldn’t bite somebody.’

The TV personality admitted reading the comments left her dreading picking up her phone each morning.

‘I was waking up feeling awful, wondering what people were going to say next,’ she explained. ‘Then my boyfriend reminded me: “You’re the victim here.” That completely changed my mindset.’

The terrifying incident unfolded at what should have been a joyful celebration.

Aisleyne says she had met the large dog before and remembered it as friendly, but immediately felt uneasy when she arrived and noticed it had been tethered to a sofa inside a hot room while guests enjoyed the party outside.

‘I just felt sorry for him,’ she recalled. ‘I thought, “That dog must be getting frustrated.”’

Before leaving the party, Aisleyne decided to say goodbye to the animal. She says she deliberately approached calmly, sitting on the floor beside the dog rather than leaning over it because she understands how dogs can perceive body language.

Everything appeared fine until she turned to leave.

‘Out of nowhere, he just bit me,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t even looking at him.’

The bite landed high on her shoulder, close to her collarbone.

‘I heard my bone crunch. I’ll never forget that sound.’

Despite the severity of the injury, Aisleyne says her first instinct was to avoid ruining the celebration.

‘I was trying to style it out because I didn’t want to upset my friend.’

That quickly became impossible as blood poured down her arm.

‘Everyone started screaming because there was blood everywhere. I was just begging someone to get me a towel.’

She was driven to hospital by a friend, where doctors decided not to stitch the wounds immediately because of the high risk of infection from a dog bite.

Instead, she spent several days with what she describes as ‘two gaping holes’ in her shoulder while receiving antibiotics, a tetanus injection and later stitches.

The attack has also left lasting emotional scars.

‘I can already feel the PTSD,’ she admitted. ‘I used to be completely comfortable around dogs of any size. Now I’m frightened.’

Although Aisleyne says she never publicly identified the dog’s owner and even offered to contribute towards professional behavioural training for the animal, she claims the situation escalated after she began receiving abuse online.

She says police later became involved after the incident came to their attention.

Rather than blaming the dog itself, Aisleyne believes irresponsible ownership is the real issue and wants tougher regulations for powerful breeds.

‘These dogs are incredibly powerful,’ she said. ‘People should have to complete training before they’re allowed to own one.

‘They’re being bought as status symbols by some people who don’t understand how to care for them properly.’

She also believes the dog’s welfare played a role in what happened. ‘That poor dog was tied up in a boiling hot room. Something clearly wasn’t right.

‘I’m a dog mum myself. If my dog bit someone, my first thought wouldn’t be to attack the victim. I’d want to understand why it happened and get the dog the help it needed.’

For Aisleyne, speaking publicly now is about correcting what she says has been a false narrative.

‘I never named the owner or tried to shame anyone,’ she said. ‘But so many lies have been spread online that I felt I had to finally tell people what really happened.’

When the incident first happened back in June, the star posted on her Instagram stories about the attack, revealing that she is now ‘in agony’ and sharing a photo of her injury covered by bandages.

‘I’ve been bitten by an XL BULLY!!!!!’, she stated, adding that ‘you can see [her] bone’.

In a second post, she posed next to the dog in a photo taken a few minutes before he attacked her.

‘Everyone knows I’m a dog mummy. I love dogs. This dog loved me, then for a split second for no reason he didn’t…,’ she wrote.

‘Please please please understand how to raise and how these babies can switch.’

In a later post, she said she’s ‘thankful’ the bite wasn’t on her face or neck and ‘glad’ the victim wasn’t a child.

‘Sad I’m scarred for life,’ she added. ‘Glad it wasn’t a child and it was me… So conflicted.

‘Dogs are pack animals they need you to be their leader. It makes them feel safe to know you are in control.

‘If you let them do mad behaviour they will eventually execute that.

‘Big dogs are so powerful… protect your kids it ain’t a joke [sic]’.

Upon returning home to her own dogs, Aisleyne thanked her 900,000+ followers for their supportive messages, replying to one who shared that their friend’s daughter was killed in a dog attack, leaving the BB housemate feeling ‘lucky in this instance’.

MORE: Davina McCall reveals Big Brother secret: ‘I put myself forward to present ITV’s reboot’

Harnessing renewable resources such as wind and solar energy is vital for the green transition. But these renewables are intermittent and unpredictable. It’s impossible to control when the wind blows and when the sun shines.

Currently, we don’t have to rely on the weather to boil a kettle. That’s largely thanks to our use of fossil fuels. To break our reliance on this finite and polluting source of power, we need to be able to store vast amounts of renewable energy cheaply and safely, but unfortunately, no technologies yet tick all the boxes.

Lithium-ion batteries are used in our phones, laptops, and electric vehicles. But lithium-ion technology depends on costly, geographically concentrated materials such as lithium and cobalt.

Cobalt mining can be a dangerous and polluting process. The organic lithium-ion-containing electrolyte (the liquid chemical between the positive and negative terminals inside a battery) is flammable. Because it poses a fire hazard, it’s risky to deploy these batteries at a large enough scale to power our homes, cities, and industries.

But there is an alternative solution: flow batteries.

In a flow battery, energy is stored in liquid electrolytes which are held in large external tanks. To charge or discharge the liquid, it is pumped through a stack of cells where electrochemical reactions generate or consume electrons. This has several advantages.

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In most batteries, two properties (energy and power) are intrinsically linked. Energy refers to how much electricity is actually stored by the battery and therefore how long that supply can run at a given rate. Power is the rate at which the energy is delivered and how much can be supplied within a given time.

Usually, it’s impossible to change one without changing the other. To store more, you add cells, and that adds power you may not need (and cost you don’t want).

However in flow batteries, this is not the case. Need to store more energy? Simply use larger tanks with more liquid. Need more power? Simply use a bigger cell stack. This ability to independently control power and energy makes the technology cheaper to scale up. Additionally, unlike lithium-ion batteries, flow batteries can’t catch fire (as they are mostly water) and are extremely durable. Some flow batteries have been in operation for more than 20 years.

Several large-scale flow battery systems have already been deployed. In China, the largest systems that connect to the grid reach gigawatt-hour scale (equivalent to powering 100,000 homes for a full day). In Switzerland, what will be the world’s largest flow battery, at 2.1 gigawatt-hours (equivalent to powering over 200,000 homes for a full day) is being constructed to power an AI data centre. Nevertheless, flow batteries are still an emerging technology, with several challenges still to solve.

Test cells

Worldwide, researchers like us are developing new electrolyte chemistries and materials to reduce the cost of flow battery systems and drive wider adoption. But getting started in flow battery research can be quite daunting. Test cells can often cost thousands of pounds and testing a new cell requires lots of ancillary equipment.

Through our research, we have developed a low-cost 3D-printed test cell. This makes flow battery research much easier and has enabled our research group to test dozens of these cells. But our team struggled to get repeatable test results. It was also difficult to replicate results from previous flow battery studies by other groups in our own labs at Queen’s University Belfast. This resulted in several months of frustration as we scrutinised every aspect of our testing protocols.

As it turned out, our research group was not alone. At a conference in early 2024, we attended a talk by Fikile Brushett, a chemical engineering professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. He described the lack of protocols in this field. Together, we have led a series of studies to investigate and work out how to tackle the issue of reliably replicating data from reported scientific studies.

In one study, published in April 2026, we sent our low-cost 3D-printed test cell to several leading research groups around the world. We were struck by the extent of performance variability between different groups all nominally testing the same battery. Since then, we have identified several potential causes for this variability and have suggested improvements to testing protocols.

Our latest study has involved more than 30 research groups assessing our test cells. Our testing data is now publicly available online. We are using this to pin down why performance varies across the cohort. Our findings will help the community to develop testing protocols that all researchers can use.

Eventually, this work could make it easier for newcomers to make a start in flow battery research. It could also give established groups a reliable foundation to compare results and accelerate their work. This all helps chemical engineers innovate more quickly towards storing renewable energy cheaply, safely and at scale.

Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in dramatic fashion with his children attendance after they rejected his request

Novak Djokovic triumphed in the longest quarter-final in Wimbledon history, before confessing he needed to keep his post-match interview short as he had “no energy left”.

The tennis icon, 39, defied his years to overcome third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(10) 3-6 6-3 6-7 7-6(4) in a breathtaking five-hour and 15-minute encounter that concluded just moments before the 11pm curfew.

Djokovic’s two children, Stefan, 11, and Tara, eight, were present in his box throughout the entire match. The No.7 seed revealed he had urged them to go to bed partway through proceedings, though his instructions fell on deaf ears.

The seven-time former champion strode to the centre of the court and raised his arms aloft after sealing victory beneath the lights and roof of Centre Court. He savoured the applause before making his way to the microphone to speak with Rishi Persad.

When asked how he had managed to prevail in such a rollercoaster contest, Djokovic replied: “With racket and a lot of heart. You know, a lot of… I guess, management of the nerves and the extreme tension that you feel in this kind of matches.

“Towards the end, really anybody’s game. I think the scoreline was pretty much even all the way through. I mean, that’s kind of a reality image or presentation of this kind of match today. I think it was really anybody’s game in the super tiebreak in the fifth.

“What can I say? I mean, these are the kinds of moments that I still play tennis for, for sure. I wish it was finals, you know, so I don’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow! But yeah, I’m happy. I’m happy that I won.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion’s wife and children applauded from his box, with Persad stating: “After a performance like that, at the stage of the career that you’re in, in front of your family, it must carry a little bit more significance to be able to do it like that.”

Djokovic smiled and replied: “It certainly does, it certainly does. I was telling the kids to go to sleep after the fourth but they didn’t want to listen, and I’m glad they stayed because it was honestly one of the best matches I was part of, on this court, in my career.”

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Following another wave of applause, the 39-year-old lost his train of thought and requested to wrap up the interview swiftly. “What was your question? Sorry, I really have… Let’s keep it short, because I have no energy left, my friend,” he added.

The Serb was reminded of his remarkable statistics – 15 Wimbledon semi-finals, eight consecutive appearances at this stage, and a 55th Major semi-final.

Yet he dismissed them. “That’s great, but it’s just another semi-final for me,” Djokovic stated, aware of the challenge awaiting him in reigning champion Jannik Sinner.

“I’m going to look at all the numbers and things when I finish my career. Right now, it’s all business. I still have to recover, I’m still in the tournament, and I have the best player in the world in a few days’ time. Thank you.”

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The BBC Radio 1 star gave insight into his attendance at Taylor Swift’s recent star-studded wedding to Travis Kelce

Greg James has been seen teasing fans over his attendance at Taylor Swift’s recent star-studded wedding to Travis Kelce, having headed to New York for the big day.

On Friday (July 3) night, the pop star and the NFL player, both 36, tied the knot at Madison Square Garden in a ceremony that was officiated over by Adam Sandler. A billboard outside the venue read “JUST&T MARRIED” after the ceremony took place.

The couple were reported to have invited around 1,000 guests, with celebrities including BBC Radio 1 star Greg, as well as Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, Graham Norton, Ed Sheeran, Hugh Grant and Ethan Hawke.

Greg confirmed over the weekend that he had scored an invite to the wedding, posting a photo of a slice of pizza to his Instagram Story and writing: “I am currently experiencing the world’s greatest hangover and unable to reply to the hilarious number of messages I have received over the last 24 hours.

“But just to say: True to her word, of course the invitation arrived, and of course I couldn’t tell anyone. And oh my God, what an unbelievably brilliant night. I’m off for a nap.”

Now, having headed back to the UK after enjoying the rest of his time across the pond by attending some of the World Cup matches, Greg has shared some photos on Instagram, including a beautiful snap of himself and partner, author and journalist Bella Mackie, ready for the showbiz world’s ‘royal wedding’.

Alongside the post, the DJ and author wrote: “I’ve changed my mind about destination weddings. Certainly a rush landing on the day of it. Certainly too hot for a velvet tux. Didn’t Bella look unreal btw. Really enjoyed watching the live stream of the queue…

“…while in the queue. The traffic was so bad that Bella had time to go for a p**s and then jump back in the car, which had moved 2 metres.” He continued giving a caption for each photo he shared, by writing: “The car wash! That was the last thing on my phone. The next thing was the most delicious life-saving hangover pizza, thanks to Ray’s.“A museum was suggested. I was unsure. Until we got there. If you go to NY, you MUST go to the Tenement Museum. The best. Even on a hangover. PLEASE GO. I can’t tell you how much I love a NY Fire Station. Look at this f**king beauty.

“Oh yeah and because it was the maddest weekend of my life, a ticket to the World Cup was offered up. And I couldn’t get there quick enough. Slightly slower to get home again. Just me my 75,000 new sad friends. Just trying to process the last few days and just hours before the wedding, I was on stage with Alice Levine in Sheffield at our podcast festival, Crossed Wires, doing a live episode of our BAD CHAT podcast. We gunged an audience member called Laura. My brain is going to burst.“Had a lovely time messing with Sam and Danni on the Breakfast Show from the airport on Friday morning by the way. This is from my book. Again, it’s OK to change your mind. PLUS…the loophole is Travis and Taylor are FROM AMERICA so it’s different. Right? Back home and Barney is really enjoying all my wedding stories. I’ll be boring everyone to death with them on the radio tomorrow morning. Can’t wait to be back!”

And the post was quickly flooded with comments. Clara Amfo joked: “I can’t stand you [crying laughing emoji].” Melvin Odoom replied: “This is very cool.” Zoe Ball said: “waiting patiently by wireless for all the tea…”

It is the second serious incident involving a young person on the road in short period of time

There have been calls for urgent action to calm traffic on a busy West Belfast road called a “danger hotspot” after a child was taken to hospital after a crash.

The incident at around 4pm on Monday, July 6, is understood to be the second serious incident on the Suffolk Road in recent weeks. Independent councillor for the area, Paul Doherty, said he has requested an urgent site meeting with the Department for Infrastructure to address issues along the road.

He is calling for people to avoid parking on the double yellow lines outside the Glen Community Complex, as it puts lives at risk by blocking sight lines.

Cllr Doherty said: “This young lad could have lost his life on the Suffolk Road and sadly, it is only a matter of time before someone is killed here. This is now the second serious incident involving a young person and this road in a short space of time. Enough is enough.

“The road outside Glen Community Complex is a danger hotspot, and urgent action is needed before a family is left grieving.

“I have contacted DfI and requested an urgent site meeting to look at implement immediate traffic calming, pedestrian safety and speed reduction measures so that people in this area are removed from harm.

“In the meantime, I am asking people clearly: please do not park on the double yellow lines at the front of the complex. It blocks sight lines, creates danger for children and families, and puts lives at risk.

“I am asking people to please park responsibly and help prevent a tragedy in our community.”

A DfI spokesperson said: “With regard to unlawful parking, Traffic Attendants have been instructed to undertake periodic enforcement visits over the coming weeks, with the aim of improving compliance and discouraging inappropriate parking practices.“In light of the recent safety concerns raised, officials will arrange a meeting with the elected representatives involved to discuss the matter further.”

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said: “The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 15:53 on Monday, 6th July, following reports of an RTC on the Suffolk Road area, Belfast.

“NIAS tasked 1 Emergency Ambulance to the incident. Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one person was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast for sick children, by Ambulance.”

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police and emergency services colleagues attended the Suffolk Road area following a report made at around 4pm on Monday, 6th July of a collision involving a car and a child.

“Anyone with any information, including dash-cam or other footage, is asked to contact police on the 101 number quoting reference 1231 of 06/07/26.

“You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/ “

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Student Aaron Mills was described by his family as a ‘shining light’

A ‘kind and generous’ teenager told his mum that he had a headache then tragically died just five days later.

Aaron Mills, described by his family as a ‘shining light’, had moved to Liverpool to study last September. He had successfully finished his first term on a football science degree at Liverpool John Moores University, with ambitions to work for his beloved Liverpool FC in the future.

But when he travelled back to Kidderminster in December to visit his family, Aaron became poorly. The 18-year-old began feeling unwell shortly after he celebrated his dad’s 50th birthday though the signs didn’t appear concerning initially.

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His dad Anthony said: “We partied, we sang together, danced together, it was brilliant. Then on December 29, he was feeling a bit groggy, that’s all.”

He continued: “He spent some time in bed and then he came down at night and watched a film with us. Then the following morning, he went down to his mum at 6am and said he had a headache.

“He had some paracetamol and went back to bed. And then half an hour after that, he woke me up because he was moaning. I went into his room and he was having a seizure.”

Aaron was taken to hospital on December 30, where doctors identified that he had contracted meningitis, particularly a form of Meningococcal group B (MenB) bacteria, reports the Liverpool Echo. Aaron’s health rapidly worsened and he sadly passed away on January 3.

The UK Health Security Agency states that MenB bacteria can trigger severe, potentially fatal conditions including meningitis. Living amongst numerous new individuals in communal accommodation such as university halls heightens the likelihood of the bacteria responsible for meningococcal disease transmission.

Anthony continued: “I knew what it was, so I didn’t hesitate. We rang the ambulance. Him having the seizure, that was within half an hour of speaking to his mum.”

He explained the sudden severity: “There were no warning signs that something was serious. We didn’t stand a chance. It went from a headache to a seizure, and he never recovered from that seizure.”

When speaking about his son’s character, Anthony said: “He had this soft, gentle way about him and he made everybody feel warm and welcome. He was just a kind and generous person.

“He was my best friend. My dancing buddy, my singing buddy, my football buddy. Liverpool Football Club, he was just crazy about it. It was his religion.

“He was off to Liverpool, the city he loved, and he was doing football science, hoping to become part of the coaching staff. His ultimate dream was to be working at Liverpool Football Club.

“We dropped him off at university, it was a special time for us. I was just so proud because he was going to live his life and have adventures.

“After being in university, he really came out of himself and you could see the kind of man that he was going to become. I just really enjoyed his company.”

Aaron’s passing left the family heartbroken, though they sought ways to honour his legacy. They agreed to organ donation and approximately 300 mourners attended his funeral, each wearing a Liverpool top in memory of him.

The young man also held a season ticket at his local club, Kidderminster Harriers. The club honoured him following his death with a standing applause in the 18th minute and presented Aaron’s friends with a signed shirt bearing “AARON 18” on the back.

His mum and dad then questioned why Aaron hadn’t received full vaccination protection. While the Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) jab is routinely administered in schools – which Aaron had received – he hadn’t been given the MenB vaccine, as this isn’t standard practice for young people.

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Following the meningitis cases in Kent earlier this year, Anthony began corresponding with MPs regarding this gap in provision and managed to arrange a meeting with Sharon Hodgson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Health and Social Care. The government subsequently agreed to make the MenB vaccine available this summer to Year 13 pupils and those under 25 who will be commencing university as undergraduates or moving into residential further education settings for the first time this autumn.

Friends and family are now organising a 100-mile charity run, taking place over five days in September, setting off from Aggborough Stadium in Kidderminster on Wednesday, 16 September at 9am and finishing at Anfield on Sunday, 20 September.

Close family friend Shaun McEntee has committed to completing the entire route himself, while many of Aaron’s friends and family will be running and/or cycling various sections alongside him.

Some participants will join for the final stretch to Anfield, with staff and students from LJMU linking up at Byrom Point to run through the city centre to the ground, where more friends and family will be waiting at the Shankly Gates.

Anthony said: “Shaun is the son-in-law to Aaron’s godfather. He was up there in hospital to support us. It affected Shaun because he knows what Aaron was.

“He’s got two young kids and he told me that he wants his kids to be just like Aaron. He approached me with this challenge. There isn’t a more fitting challenge. He had a season ticket at Kidderminster Harriers, he used to go there with his mates.

“And of course, Liverpool was his religion. He was living in Liverpool for the last part of his life and that’s where all his hopes and dreams were. So it is a poignant journey, doing it from Aggborough to Anfield.”

Anthony is hoping to get official support for the challenge from both LJMU and Anfield. He said: “The local mayor (in Kidderminster) is going to be there, our MP’s going to be there. There’s going to be a big send-off for him from this end.

“We’re just trying to put the feelers out to Liverpool Football Club to try and give him a big welcome.”

To contribute to the memorial fund for Aaron, you can donate here.

Royal household recruiter Tracey Waterman has shared the quirky test used to identify the best candidates for jobs working for Prince William and Princess Catherine

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Anyone hoping to secure a position working for Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, must pass a surprising test before they stand a chance of landing the role.

Job interviews are nerve-racking at the best of times, and standards within royal residences are, naturally, exacting. From the very precise manner in which King Charles takes his tea, to the appropriate attire expected of staff, there are numerous rules and strict protocols to adhere to when working for the royal household.

One peculiar test, however, helps identify the truly “special” candidates. According to the royal family’s head of staff recruitment, Tracey Waterman, an exceptional eye for detail is essential.

Speaking in Channel 5’s documentary Sandringham: The Royals at Christmas, Tracey revealed her rather unorthodox method for identifying the finest prospective employees.

She said: “One of the tests I like to do to see if a candidate has a potential eye for detail is to place a dead fly either in the fireplace or on the carpet.

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“Once the dead fly is placed, I then bring the candidate into the room.”

Tracey then watches whether the candidate notices the dead insect and, crucially, how they react upon spotting it, which can significantly influence their prospects of securing the position.

She explained: “It’s a great test.” Yet only “one out of 10 [candidates] will actually bend down and pick [the fly] up.”

Those who do, however, truly make their mark. Tracey added: “That’s the special housekeeper.”

Of course, once employed, there are numerous other regulations to abide by.

For William and Kate, many of their guidelines are designed to “ensure informality and a good work atmosphere rather than adhering to rigid royal traditions.”

One policy the Waleses firmly uphold is a “zero tolerance” stance on gossip. They are also reported to favour a more relaxed dress code, particularly when staff are in the company of their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

Valentine Low wrote in his book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown: “The kids run around the office, and [William] does not want it to be stuffy.”

That said, more formal attire is expected during important meetings or when staff make visits to Buckingham Palace.

Princess Catherine married Prince William on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, having been in a relationship since 2003.

Following their marriage, Catherine was given the title Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, while William was created Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus.

On September 9 2022, Catherine was bestowed the title of Princess of Wales after William was appointed Prince of Wales by his father, King Charles III.

Prince William’s mother, Diana, held the previous title of Princess of Wales. She tragically died in a car crash in August 1997, at the age of 36.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday and oil prices surged more than 3% after the U.S. launched strikes on Iran following attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. futures were little changed.

Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 3.2% to $76.54 a barrel early Wednesday, while U.S. benchmark crude added 3.2% to $72.72 a barrel. Both had declined recently to the levels they were at before the war with Iran began in late February.

The flareups despite a commitment to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict have added to uncertainty over oil prices after they fell from their peak well above $100 during the war. They also have coincided with waves of worries that the craze for artificial intelligence-related shares has pushed prices beyond the productivity gains and profits likely to result from massive investments in computer chip production capacity and data centers.

“As such, geopolitical headlines will likely determine market sentiment over the coming hours. A further deterioration in the situation could weigh further on equity valuations along with rising stress in technology,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya of Swissquote said in a commentary.

In share trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.2% to 67,426.47, while the Kospi in South Korea shed 5.6%, to 7,226,48.

The South Korean index has soared and then fallen back, briefly surpassing the 9,000 level last month and then succumbing to bouts of heavy selling of big AI-related tech shares like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Samsung fell 6.7% early Wednesday after dropping about 7% the day before. SK Hynix shed early gains to drop 3.6%.

Taiwan’s Taiex rose 0.6%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng rose 2.9% to 24,178.30.

Hong Kong traded shares of Chinese AI model startup Zhipu, known also as Z.ai and traded as Knowledge Atlas Technology, rose 14% on Wednesday.

A six-month lock up period for “cornerstone” investors after its $558 million trading debut in Hong Kong in early January expires this week. State-owned China National Radio reported late Tuesday that nearly 70% of Zhipu’s cornerstone investors are committed to stay on, despite previous worries that the lock up period expiration could trigger a sell-off of shares. Zhipu’s share price has risen more than 1,300% since its January trading debut in Hong Kong.

The Shanghai Composite index declined 0.3% to 3,978.80.

On Tuesday, the roller-coaster ride for AI stocks whipped back down, dragging Wall Street lower.

The S&P 500 fell 0.4% to 7,503.85, though the majority of stocks within the index rose.

The drops for stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry dragged the Nasdaq composite 1.2% lower to 25,818.69, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.2%, from its record to close at 52,925.15.

Advanced Micro Devices sank 6.5% and Intel shed 9.7%. Micron Technology lost 4.7%.

SpaceX, which owns the xAI business, fell 6.8% in its first day of trading after it was included in the Nasdaq 100 index.

Rivian Automotive dropped 18.1% after the electric vehicle company said it’s selling 75 million shares of its stock, a move that dilutes the ownership stakes of earlier shareholders.

In other trading early Wednesday, the U.S. dollar rose to 162.27 Japanese yen from 162.11 yen. The euro climbed to $1.1421 from $1.1414.

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AP Business Writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong contributed to this report.