Ruth, who grew up in Westhoughton, stars in the series based on Liz Jensen’s novel of the same name,.

It unfolds during a sweltering heatwave as protesters take to the streets amid growing environmental unrest.

The series follows forensic psychologist Gabs Fox, played by Ruth, who begins a new role at a high-security psychiatric hospital. There, she meets There, she meets 17-year-old Bethany Krall, played by India Amarteifio, who was convicted of murdering her mother, but insists she is innocent.

Bethany is estranged from her father, Leonard, played by Sam Hazeldine, the charismatic leader of an influential religious movement.

Ruth Madeley as Gabriele Fox and India Amarteifio as Bethany Krall (Image: BBC / Mammoth Screen)

She tells Gabs that she has psychic powers and can predict the future. But what will it take for Gabs to believe her? And if Bethany didn’t kill her mother, then who did?

The five-part series, set in Wales, also stars Jack Farthing, Iwan Rheon, Siena Kelly and Ruth Jones.

Ruth, who attended Thornleigh Salesian College, and best known for playing Shirley Anne Bingham in Doctor Who, was born with spina bifida and says it is a significant milestone to portray a wheelchair user in a leading role on screen.

“I think being given the privilege to do something like this is incredibly special,” she says.

“To be able to tell a story with such important themes, and to bring a character to the screen who is so complex, is something I feel really honoured by.

Pictured: Iwan Rheon as Dick Carwyn and Ruth Madeley as Gabriele (Image: BBC / Mammoth Screen)

“But then to add disability into that, as someone who didn’t grow up seeing herself represented on screen, makes it even more significant. It’s not only a privilege, but also a huge achievement, and I’m incredibly proud of it.

“It’s something I want to keep doing. I want to keep seeing these kinds of stories being told, keep pushing boundaries and keep exploring what representation can look like.”

Speaking about Gabs, she says: “I’m always drawn to the messy decisions characters make – the moments where you think, ‘Why on earth would you do that?’. I’m really interested in what drives a character’s decision-making.

Stephen Campbell-Moore as Max Leland and Ruth Madeley as Gabriele Fox (Image: BBC / Mammoth Screen)

“I found the dynamic between Gabs and Bethany really intriguing. It felt fresh and new. I loved the push and pull between them. Even without the disability or psychological elements, I think the way they play this cat-and-mouse game with each other is incredibly compelling.”

In the series, Gabs is involved in a car accident and becomes a wheelchair user.

“Gabs is still getting used to everything. She’s very much dealing with the trauma and grief of having her family life completely obliterated, while also trying to build a new life in a new place, in a new body. I think she’s a little unsure of herself.

“I also feel she gravitates towards Bethany in a way that perhaps she wouldn’t have if she hadn’t experienced the accident and everything that came with it. She’s trying to be the psychologist she was before the accident, but she begins to realise she has a new level of empathy – one she perhaps didn’t have before.

“She’s intrigued by Bethany, and I think that’s a really strong thread that comes across, even while she’s trying to protect herself, her career, and her own sanity.”

Amarteifio, 24, who gained global recognition for her role as young Queen Charlotte in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, says she was fascinated by a series centred around a neurodivergent lead and a lead character who is a wheelchair user.

“For me, what really stood out was the idea of bringing a young, potentially neurodivergent character into a central role who shares the screen with a person who also uses a wheelchair,” says the London-born actress.

“In what world do those identities usually come together? I think it’s a really interesting combination of experiences that exist in real life, but that we rarely get to see represented, particularly on screen.

“That was one of the first things that appealed to me. I’d also read the book, and I thought it was really intense and incredibly compelling. I don’t think I’d seen an adaptation on that scale from the BBC aimed at such a broad audience before. The topics we delve into are quite niche and specific, and they’re the kind of stories you’d normally expect to see on a streaming platform.

“So the fact that this will be available to so many people, and accessible to the majority of the public, is really exciting to me. It explores important topics and themes that we should all be talking about.”

Speaking about the supernatural elements in the series, Amarteifio says: “I wanted to embrace the magical realism in the show, but as an actor, I also wanted to find the emotional reality in every situation. That’s how I approached it.

“It’s the first time in your life when you really begin to question things, to form opinions that differ from your parents’ or your peers’, and to see the world through your own eyes. That can be really frightening because it challenges everything you’ve grown up believing.

“For Bethany, enough of these visions have come true that she knows they’re not just random coincidences. At that point, she’s thinking, ‘Okay, this isn’t a fluke. This is really happening’.

“There are also strong religious and biblical themes running through the story, which raises questions: Is this a gift from God? Is it something else? Is it something darker? We never really know, and I think keeping that ambiguity was important. If we pinned it down to one definitive explanation, it wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.”

Both loved how the climate emergency theme was integrated into the story.

“There’s so much happening within the series that the climate change conversation is almost there without the audience necessarily realising it. It’s part of the backdrop rather than something that’s being forced upon you,” said Ruth.

“I think it’s beautifully done. So for that to reach a wider audience, as India mentioned earlier, is really exciting. But for me, it was less about the subject itself and more about the way it was told, the way it was conveyed to the audience. I thought that was really clever and really effective.”

“There’s a really lovely but, in my opinion, quite frightening element to the story, because climate change is this constant undercurrent throughout,” says Amarteifio.

“There aren’t loads of obvious references to it, but it’s always there, the relentless heat, the feeling of that heat building all the time.”

The Rapture is on BBC iPlayer and the BBC.

The Scottish breaststroke record holder broke down in tears after his final and he delivered a powerful message about brain cancer just two years on from his diagnosis

An emotional Archie Goodburn broke down after the Comonwealth Games final as he declared his biggest dream comes outside of the pool, where brain cancer isn’t the biggest killer of those under 40.

The Scottish 50m breaststroke record holder found out the devastating news of his diagnosis after a training session just over two years ago.

He had been having some issues impacting his training including seizures and numbness on his left side.

He had been for some tests and missed a call whilst in the pool.

When he called back he was told he had brain cancer.

The 22-year-old was told that he may not make it to his 40s.

On Monday, Goodburn was met by an outstanding ovation as he walked out at Tollcross to compete in a Commonwealth Games final.

He finished seventh in the Men’s 50m Breaststroke final at Glasgow 2026.

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Following the race, Goodburn broke down in to tears as he delivered an extremely powerful message.

He said: “Outside the pool I dream of a future where brain cancer isn’t the biggest killer of those under 40.

“Where the UK government establish a brain cancer lead to make that change.

“I’d much prefer that change is made and that dream is completed than any of my personal goals in the pool because what families and young people are going through out there is really beyond the comprehension of many people out there and certainly harder than anything I’ve had to do as a world class sportsman.”

Goodburn has been having new treatments, which he fought to be able to receive, and they have slowed down the growth of his tumours.

The swimmer recently graduated from Edinburgh University with a first in chemical engineering.

After qualifying for the final he told BBC Sport Scotland that the past 24 hours has been “pretty indescribable”.

Goodburn added: “Usually the words flow easily, but I’m finding myself quite speechless.”

The Games became a focus for Goodburn during the tough times, but rather than just focus on himself he used the opportunity to talk passionately about guaranteeing brain cancer research is fully funded.

Despite the result, his team-mate unsurprisingly labelled Goodburn “inspirational”.

For nearly eight months, Suzie Brown simply assumed the pounding palpitations in her chest were stress-related.

‘My dad had been diagnosed with terminal cancer so I was under immense stress – and as I was only 40, I didn’t think it could be anything serious,’ recalls Suzie, an insurance claims manager.

Nonetheless, the repeated random episodes of thumping heartbeats and mild chest pains left her terrified.

‘I could be picking up my eight-year-old daughter from school, or lying in bed – there didn’t seem to be any pattern,’ says Suzie, now 42.

But then one weekend in December 2024, four months after her symptoms first began, Suzie’s heart started pounding constantly and ‘very loudly’ in her ears – excruciating chest pains kept her awake at night.

‘I was convinced I must be having a heart attack,’ she says.

By the Tuesday, the family was so concerned that Suzie’s dad drove her to hospital, while her husband Ashley, 38, who also works in insurance, took their daughter to school.

Tests – an ECG (to measure heart rate) and blood tests – ruled out a heart attack, so Suzie was discharged.

But her symptoms continued.

Suzie, who lives in Heysham, Lancashire, also began feeling hot and sweaty, so wondered if it might be related to the perimenopause, despite her young age.

Her GP got her to fill in an online symptom-checker, but nothing was flagged up.

Over the following months, with the palpitations continuing, Suzie lost a stone and a half and had trouble sleeping.

‘Irritable and wired’, she also noticed her hair thinning and her eyes feeling ‘dry and gritty’.

Finally, out for a jog one day in April 2025, she happened to glance at her fitness watch and saw her heartbeat was 180 beats per minute (a healthy exercising rate for a 40-year-old is 90 to 153). She contacted her GP, who told her to go straight to A&E.

Once again, all the checks were normal – but this time Suzie stood her ground. ‘I said I wasn’t happy and knew something was wrong,’ she says. It was a nurse who – after asking a few more questions – suggested Suzie might have an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) and arranged a blood test.

With hyperthyroidism, the gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine, which controls metabolism.

High levels can cause bodily functions to speed up, leading to a rapid irregular heartbeat, a racing pulse, sudden weight loss despite an increased appetite, as well as anxiety and difficulty sleeping, heat intolerance and excessive sweating.

Other symptoms include itchiness, passing large amounts of urine (a higher metabolic rate causes the kidneys to filter blood faster), thirst, an enlarged thyroid gland (a goitre) or thyroid eye disease (when the immune system attacks the tissue behind the eyes, producing a characteristic ‘bulging’ appearance). It can also cause erectile dysfunction in men.

It’s estimated that around 800,000 to a million people in the UK have an overactive thyroid – with women twice as likely as men to be affected. The most common cause is Graves’ disease, an auto-immune condition caused by antibodies over-stimulating the thyroid gland to produce too much thyroid hormone. (It’s not clear what triggers Graves’, but smoking may increase the risk.)

Excess thyroid hormone overstimulates the heart – which, along with the nerves and gut, has a particularly high concentration of thyroid hormone receptors, explains Kristien Boelaert, a professor of endocrinology at the University of Birmingham, and adviser to the British Thyroid Foundation charity. This leads to a faster metabolism, and potentially heart palpitations.

‘It can also cause faster transit through the gut, weight loss, tremor and heat intolerance [feeling hot and sweaty], as well as a whole host of other symptoms,’ she told the Mail.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism – such as palpitations, sweating and trouble sleeping – can overlap with other common conditions including stress and cardiac condition

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But symptoms – such as palpitations, sweating and trouble sleeping – can overlap with other common conditions including stress and cardiac conditions – which can make diagnosis tricky, particularly for women, as they also mimic classic menopause symptoms, says Professor Boelaert.

This can often lead to delays in diagnosis – yet early identification of an overactive thyroid is crucial. Left untreated, the constant strain on the heart can lead to atrial fibrillation (an erratic heartbeat) and an increased risk of stroke. In rare cases, uncontrolled overactive thyroid can develop into a life-threatening ‘thyroid storm’ – where a sudden, massive release of thyroid hormones into the bloodstream tips the metabolism into overdrive.

Symptoms include high blood pressure, fever, sweating, shaking, vomiting and agitation: it’s a medical emergency that can lead to death in up to 30 per cent of cases.

Yet despite having classic symptoms of an overactive thyroid, more than eight months passed before the condition was even mentioned to Suzie. She had another four-month wait to see an endocrinologist, a hormone specialist.

Her experience is troublingly common. A 2023 survey by the University of Aberdeen of 1,200 people with thyroid disease found people waited on average four and a half years for their diagnosis.

Sometimes women with heart palpitations may be misdiagnosed with other conditions, including panic disorder. Others may have unnecessary cardiac investigations without first being tested for thyroid function – Professor Boelaert says that a middle-aged woman with repeated bouts of significant heart palpitations should be first given a thyroid function test.

But this was not the case for 42-year-old Michelle Smythe, a mother of two, from Maidstone, Kent, who underwent two unnecessary cardiac procedures because doctors wrongly diagnosed a heart complaint when in fact she had an overactive thyroid.

It was only after both procedures failed that she was finally given a blood test to check her thyroid function and the truth was revealed – despite having a family history of thyroid problems. Her symptoms began during her pregnancy 15 years ago, when her heart rate shot up to 209 beats per minute.

After she was started on the drug carbimazole to control her thyroid levels, Suzie’s palpitations are 70 per cent improved

‘I was short of breath and shaking, it was really terrifying,’ recalls Michelle, who works as a caretaker and has asked to use a pseudonym because of ongoing medical treatment.

She was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia – episodes of abnormally rapid heartbeats caused by faulty electrical signalling in the heart – and told she’d need a cardiac ablation, when heat is used to destroy the tissue triggering the faulty signalling. The five-hour procedure was performed under local anaesthetic.

‘I found it extremely painful as morphine doesn’t work for me,’ says Michelle.

When the operation proved ineffective, doctors repeated it three months later.

‘Again, it didn’t work and my palpitation attacks continued,’ says Michelle.

It was only when planning a third ablation that her consultant finally did a thyroid function test, and Michelle was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid caused by Graves’ disease.

‘I went through 17 months of hell having completely unnecessary heart procedures,’ she told Good Health. ‘I don’t understand why they didn’t do a thyroid blood test when I first started with palpitations.’

By the time she was diagnosed, her thyroid gland was so badly damaged it had to be surgically removed.

Michelle will now take an artificial form of thyroid hormone for the rest of her life.

She was later awarded £6,000 in compensation by the hospital.

‘All of this trauma could have been avoided had the right test been done at the right time,’ she says.

Suzie echoes this frustration. After her diagnosis with an overactive thyroid, she was started on the drug carbimazole to control her thyroid levels – although it would take another four months for her palpitations to subside while doctors tried to find the right dose for her.

Now her palpitations are 70 per cent improved.

But she adds: ‘The delays mattered because my symptoms were getting worse all the time – putting my heart under stress and me at risk of serious long-term symptoms.’

Professor Derek Connolly, a consultant cardiologist at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, says that palpitations are often caused by atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.

But he adds: ‘One of the things you should absolutely screen everyone who comes in with palpitations for is thyroid disease – with a blood test.

‘That is a standard test, even though it is a relatively rare cause. In younger women with palpitations, I would be looking for thyroid disease.’ 

btf-thyroid.org

Sonia Exelby was reported missing from her home in Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, on October 12 last year, and her body was found in Marion County, Florida, on October 17

The relatives of a British woman thought to have been killed in Florida following her disappearance from her UK residence described her as a “truly beautiful person” and “the gentlest soul”.

was reported missing from her home in Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, on October 12 last year, with early police investigations confirming she had already departed the country.

US authorities discovered her body in Marion County, Florida, on October 17. Dwain Hall, 53, from Ocala, was later apprehended on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

He had previously been held over allegations of fraudulently using Ms Exelby’s credit cards. Hall is anticipated to stand trial in November.

In a statement issued through Hampshire police on the family’s behalf, they said: “Sonia was a truly beautiful person, inside and out.

“She had the gentlest soul – so gentle that she chose to become vegan, because she couldn’t bear the thought of any animal suffering just so she could eat. That was who she was: kind, compassionate, and full of quiet love.

“She was incredibly talented. Sonia could play the piano so effortlessly, and when she sang, she had the voice of an angel. Being around her felt special – she brought a calmness and warmth that made everything feel a little lighter.

“Sonia was one of those rare people who made you feel completely safe to be yourself. She never judged, never criticised – she simply accepted people as they were and loved them for it. That is something so many of us will carry with us forever.”

The youngest of six children, the family described her as “deeply loved by all her siblings”.

They continued: “She was softly spoken and always gave the best most intense hugs. She was the baby out of us that kept us bound together.

“We will never get over losing her, which has left an emptiness in our lives that can never be filled. The world has lost so much kindness and light, and her absence will be felt by so many people for so many years to come.

“We know that life wasn’t always easy for you, but your life was so much more than the struggles you faced. This is so important to us that the life you lived is what you are remembered for.

“You were deeply loved, and you will always be deeply loved. We miss you more than words can ever say. We love you so much, always, and forever.”

Hampshire Police confirmed: “We received a report on Sunday October 12 that Sonia was missing from her home in Southsea.

“Initial inquiries established that she had travelled outside of the UK prior to the report being received.”

The force stated it continues to assist the FDLE investigation, while specially trained officers are supporting Ms Exelby’s family in the UK.

By DAILY MAIL COMMENT

Published: 21:27 BST, 27 July 2026 | Updated: 00:47 BST, 28 July 2026

“Because over the years, I feel like maybe we’ve tried to fulfil one of us more than the others, and what we discovered on our last album, there’s been a couple of albums, (Radio:Active) and Power To Play. And when we play those songs, we look at each other and we’re laughing and we’re thinking this is badass, this is awesome.

The woman and man who died at Fistral Beach are said to be a father and his daughter, with the pair understood to have been on holiday in Cornwall.

The Sun reports that one witness – a local beach artist – claims the man had “gone in to try and rescue his daughter”.

Sand Phoenix, 33, said he “sprinted” up to help, jabbing the man with an adrenaline pen he had to hand and trying to give him oxygen.

His attempts to save the man’s life were in vain, however, as the victim’s lungs were “full of water”.

Mr Phoenix, who was sleeping on the beach at the time of the incident, said: “He had been pulled out of the water but had been in there about seven minutes.

“The paramedics arrived and carried on trying to give CPR. He was still wearing his trousers so I don’t think he had been swimming.

“It looks like they had been walking near the rocks and had fallen in.”

Another bystander explained he heard shouts for help and saw a woman lying face down in the water when he went down the cliff.

The brave man went into the sea fully clothed in an attempt to grab the woman, who was being bashed against rocks by waves.

Another witness told the Sun: “A woman was desperately trying to ring someone but couldn’t get through [and] was in tears.

“There was a helicopter overhead and there was a lifeboat in the water.

“They recovered one body on the beach, while the other one was brought up the cliff.

“Another man came up soaking wet and in a foil blanket. He knew them and had been trying to help. I’m just in shock, it was awful to watch.”

Adam Peaty claimed two bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but the three-time Olympic champion has had a frustrating few days

Adam Ramsay-Peaty has revealed that his sole motivation for continuing to compete is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The English swimming star picked up two bronze medals at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Ramsay-Peaty claimed his first medal in Saturday’s 100m breaststroke and gave an emotional television interview afterwards in which he was in tears.

He then went on to add a second third-place finish in the 50m breaststroke on Tuesday evening. The 31-year-old touched the wall in 26.94, just 0.44 seconds behind Australian winner Sam Williamson, who backed up his 100m triumph to complete a remarkable double in the Scottish city.

Michael Houlie took silver, with Ramsay-Peaty edged into third by a mere 0.01 of a second. The Uttoxeter-born swimmer entered the race as defending champion, having claimed gold four years ago in Birmingham. The England athlete whipped up the crowd during his walk-in, yet was unable to translate that energy into a podium-topping performance.

He had secured his place in the final with a time of 26.82 seconds, finishing behind only South Africa’s Houlie in his semi-final. Following his bronze medal in the short-distance event, Ramsay-Peaty gave a candid interview to TNT Sports.

He said: “Sometimes in that event the harder you try the slower you go. I am learning from this experience as a whole.

“I think for me it’s just getting back to the enjoyment of racing. I made a few errors…you need to be race polished and I am not. I am not going ot be too hard on myself…I am a different man from 12 years ago…I have a six-year old and daughter on way [so that puts it] all in perspective.

“I think my whole career has been ups and downs. First two thirds were very good then I lost way and purpose. The only reason I am here now is to give myself best shot into LA [Olympics] I obviously have a lot to work on.”

Regarding what the build-up to LA might entail, he said: “I don’t know – I don’t know what tomorrow looks like. [I will take] lot of learning [from this]. I felt off and I don’t know why, I am slow in the final, I don’t know why, I don’t know what two years looks like.”

It has been a challenging time for Ramsay-Peaty following a dramatic falling out with his family before he married Holly Ramsay – the daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay – last December.

The three-time Olympic champion also previously stepped away from swimming during a period of mental health struggles in 2023. He was then agonisingly denied Olympic gold in Paris two years ago as he attempted to become the first swimmer to claim the men’s 100m breaststroke crown at three successive Games.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Ramsay-Peaty has discussed the tough choices that accompany life as an elite athlete. The swimmer has spent time away from his son and was forced to miss events at home.

Speaking to BBC Sport following the 100m race, he struggled to hide his frustration that those decisions have not been leading to better results.

He said: “They are not even sacrifices; they are choices. It’s like getting knocked out in the group stages in the World Cup for a very good team. You know you’re better and it hurts because you know you have to wait for a very long time for the next championships.

“This is probably – realistically – my last Commonwealth Games and I thought I’d trained for better. I could do better. I’ve been faster this season. That’s where the frustration is.”

Entertainment will be in front of Kelly’s Cellars, at the cathedral car parks, and off Castle Street

Further Belfast Fleadh outdoor entertainment has been formally approved at a special meeting at City Hall.

A special summer meeting of the Belfast City Council Licensing Committee has approved entertainment for Bank Square, the car parks at St Anne’s Cathedral, and the Fountain area including Castle Street.

Belfast for the first time will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. Qualifying competitors from all over the world will showcase the best of traditional music, song, dance and language in All-Ireland competitions.

READ MORE: Irish signs to be put up in unionist parts of Belfast streets after U-turn

READ MORE: Belfast Council awards £100,000 to Irish language group in secret meeting

With a minimum of 800,000 visitors from across the world, it is anticipated to be the biggest cultural event ever held in Belfast. Tourism NI estimates the 2026 Fleadh will bring £60 million into the Northern Ireland economy. Belfast will host the Fleadh again next year.

Last month, a swathe of late night and outdoor licences were granted for gigs in streets, vacant buildings, alleys and car parks for the Fleadh.

At a special Licensing Committee in July, councillors recently green-lighted five entertainment applications that related to the Fleadh.

First, permission was granted to provide outdoor musical entertainment beyond 11pm at Bank Square, just off Royal Avenue, in front of Kelly’s Cellars. The application from Mr Henry Downey is for all eight nights, until 1am.

Bank Square already has a seven day annual outdoor entertainments licence and a seven day annual indoor entertainments licence for a marquee, both of which have been used to hold events in the past. The licence is held by the Department of Communities and will be transferred to Henry Downey for the duration of the Fleadh.

Secondly, a 14 day occasional outdoor entertainments licence was granted for St Anne’s Cathedral south car park, which runs along Talbot Street. The applicant was Stephen Magorrian of Wandsworth Pubs Ltd, and the licence will cover entertainment from 11.30am to midnight each day.

A similar licence was granted for St Anne’s Cathedral north car park, which runs along Academy Street and Exchange Street West. The applicant is Keith Forster of Belfast City Council. This area will be the location of the Fleadh Cheoil food and drink market.

Permission was also granted for a 14 day occasional outdoor entertainments licence until 11pm for the Fleadh at land bounded by 1-7 Fountain Street and 22-40 Castle Street. The applicant is Ciaran Smyth, of Phoenix Wine and Spirits Limited.

The council report on the application states: “The premises will be a temporary outdoor events space formed on land now available following the demolition of a number of buildings on Fountain Street and Castle Street. The site will be bounded by Fountain Street, the existing Voodoo premises, which is owned by the applicant, and the temporary events space operated by TG4 for the period of the Fleadh Cheoil.”

A similar licence was granted for the former Norwich Union House site, 24-40 Castle Street, with outdoor entertainment beyond 11.00pm, and indoor musical entertainment beyond 11.00pm within a marquee. The applicant is David Power, of Power Pictures Ltd, Galway, and the site will be the base for the Irish language television channel, TG4. The entertainment will be Thursday 6th, Friday 7th, Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th, 11.30am to 11.30pm.

The council report states: “There will be minimal amplification of music in the outdoor area for the benefit of a small crowd attending. This will be intermittent as the bulk of the performances take place within the marquee and the priority with sound is that which is broadcast.”

During the meeting, an application to provide outdoor musical entertainment beyond 11pm at Custom House Square was removed from the agenda.

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

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students is asking a court to let him withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial, saying his attorneys manipulated him into making the deal by promising him better prison conditions and scaring him about the quality of life on death row.

Bryan Kohberger, 31, filed the hand-written petition on Monday from the Idaho Maximum Security Penitentiary where he is serving four consecutive life sentences for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen in a rental home near campus in 2022. It’s been just over one year since he pleaded guilty to the stabbing deaths that scarred the close-knit community of Moscow, Idaho.

In his request, Kohberger said his attorneys didn’t adequately represent him and that his guilty plea wasn’t knowingly or voluntarily entered because it “was induced by unkept promises” and threats.

He offered only a few details in elaboration, saying they failed to disclose or review evidence that might have helped his case during plea discussions, like an “unknown hair in Chapin’s hand.”

He also wrote that the attorneys insisted that his plea “need not be truthful, despite petitioner’s vehement denial of actual guilt,” that they promised life in prison would come with “immediate contact visits, freedom of movement, employment” and that they told him “elaborate lies of DR (death row) life.”

That’s the opposite of what Kohberger told 4th District Judge Steven Hippler on July 2, 2025, when he confirmed that he was pleading guilty “freely and voluntarily” because he was, in fact, guilty, and not because he had some other incentive. As part of that process, he had to agree to waive his rights to appeal, confirm that he understood the punishments on the table for the crimes and assure the court that he wasn’t coerced by his attorneys or anyone else to make the plea.

Those and other questions were posed to Kohberger more than once — first in a nine-page legal document that Kohberger filled out, initialed and signed, and later in direct questioning by the judge — all in an effort to ensure that his plea would hold up.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed they would not seek the death penalty, and instead would recommend that he be sentenced to four back-to-back life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 10 years.

For Kohberger’s team of four court-appointed attorneys, the plea deal was a way to save his life. Over two years of hearings, they tried multiple times to get capital punishment off the table. They challenged the legitimacy of DNA evidence, argued that Kohberger’s autism diagnosis made him less culpable, suggested there might be another unknown suspect to be found, and said the death penalty violates international standards of decency.

But none of the arguments worked, and Kohberger’s trial was just a month away when he reached the plea agreement.

The lead defense attorney on the case, Anne Taylor, is one of the most highly regarded capital defenders in the state, with nearly three decades of experience, more than half of it as a death-penalty-qualified defender. A person who answered the phone at her office on Monday immediately said “no comment” and hung up before she could be asked if it was Kohberger’s case or another matter on which she was declining to comment.