A police chief has apologised after admitting phones were seized from the Manchester synagogue attacker months before the car and knife assault but they were not examined.

Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was on bail for an alleged rape when he carried out the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue in Crumpsall on 2 October 2025, in which two Jewish men were killed.

His devices, which contained evidence of his extreme views, were seized after he was arrested in February and September but not analysed.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said he was “deeply sorry”, conceding that “the information contained within these devices would have inspired further investigative action”.

Sir Stephen said: “In conducting an internal review, it became apparent that GMP had seized Al-Shamie’s mobile devices, at the point of each arrest.

“The significance of the data contents of these devices was substantial in respect of evidencing an extremist mindset.

“I am disappointed at the prospect of adding to the distress of all of those affected by the terrible events last October.

“For this, I am deeply sorry.”

The apology came after Mohammad Bashir was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years for plotting a separate attack with Al-Shamie at the UK’s Defence Academy in Shrivenham.

Details emerged in the case at Manchester Crown Court that the pair had been discussing their extremist views in WhatsApp chats, including preparing for a “war”.

The court was played footage showing the moment Al-Shamie and Bashir discussed becoming martyrs.

Corey Davies got the personal details when the whistler’s wife put her car in for repairs at the garage where the 19-year-old worked.

A teenage mechanic has been fined more than £700 after sharing football referee John Beaton’s address and phone number online following a controversial penalty decision in a key Scottish Premiership match.

Corey Davies got the personal details when the whistler’s wife put her car in for repairs at the garage where the 19-year-old worked.

Beaton and spouse Laura then received numerous calls from unknown numbers.

Beaton was placed under police surveillance amid fears for his safety after he awarded a late spot kick to Celtic in their 3-2 win at Motherwell on May 13.

The decision came in the dying seconds of injury time with the score 2-2.

Beaton was alerted by VAR to a penalty box incident and, after viewing TV footage, awarded a penalty for handball against Motherwell defender Sam Nicholson.

Kelechi Iheanacho netted to seal a vital three points for Celtic.

Three days later Celtic beat long time leaders Hearts 3-1 to pip the Edinburgh side to the title.

A Scottish Football Association panel later ruled that the penalty should not have been given.

Police were alerted when it was discovered that Beaton’s details had been leaked on social media. Davies, of Mauldslie Road, Carluke, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week.

He admitted breaching the Data Protection Act 2018 by disclosing personal details without consent.

He was working at a Park’s of Hamilton garage at the time.

Cameron Murdoch, prosecuting, said Beaton was watching his son playing football the night after the controversial match when he received a call.

Mr Murdoch told the court: “He answered, believing it to be a work call, and heard a voice saying ‘Hello. Is this John Beaton?’.

“Further calls were received and, due to the number of them, Mr Beaton believed his phone number had been leaked.

“He then received communication from the SFA saying that a Park’s director had been made aware that someone in the business had leaked Mr Beaton’s personal information.

“Numerous ‘No ID’ phone calls were received by Mr Beaton. He and his wife continued to receive calls and voicemails throughout the night.

“They began the process of changing their numbers.”

Park’s bosses found that Davies had photographed Laura Beaton’s job card that contained the family’s address, mobile phone numbers and her car registration number.

Defence lawyer Michael Poggi said Davies shared the photo with three friends on Snapchat and one of them distributed it further.

Mr Poggi said the first offender has ADHD and his actions were “spontaneous and ill-judged but not malicious”.

The solicitor added: “He apologises to the complainers for the distress they obviously had.

“His actions were foolish and cost him his job but, given his otherwise good professional reputation, he has been able to secure alternative employment.”

Sheriff John Hamilton KC fined Davies £666 and added a victim surcharge of £40.

He told the accused he had acted in an “immature and stupid” way but acknowledged his lack of previous offending and early guilty plea.

The sheriff added: “Someone older than you would have been more able to foresee the consequences of doing this.

“This should be a message to you that there is a responsibility when you have such information.”

Last week Motherwell’s Elliot Watt was given a four-match ban for branding Beaton’s penalty award “the worst VAR decision in history”.

The SFA condemned the online leak as an attempt to “compromise the safety” of the referee.

In a statement it said: “Such vigilantism, motivated by decisions perceived to be right or wrong on a field of play, is a scourge on our national game.

“This is the inevitable consequence of the heightened criticism, intolerance and scapegoating demonstrated this season by media pundits, supporters, official supporters’ groups, clubs, players, managers and former match officials.”

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Police were called to Hartington Road around 4pm on Wednesday (July 22) where a woman was found injured.

She had suffered facial injuries which are not believed to be serious, Cleveland Police said.

Another woman, aged 33, was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm, possession of a knife and possession of cocaine.

She remains in police custody at this time.

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said: “Shortly after 4pm on Wednesday police were called to Hartington Road in Stockton following reports of an assault of a woman.

“Officers attended the area, and the woman was taken to hospital with injuries to her face that are not believed to be serious.

“A woman, aged 33, was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, possession of a knife and possession of cocaine. She is currently in police custody.”

Robbie Williams has addressed the World Cup moment that launched a thousand memes – and insists the internet got one very important detail completely wrong.

The singer has shared a hilarious post reflecting on the viral ‘MintGate’ saga that saw a small white object fall from his mouth during a live TV interview before ending up stuck to his forehead in front of an estimated 1.5 billion viewers.

While social media quickly filled with wild speculation about what viewers had witnessed, Robbie has now made it crystal clear: it was simply a Nicorette mint.

Sharing a photo comparing himself to The Sopranos’ legendary Paulie Walnuts – whose famously silver wings have become an unlikely point of comparison – the Angels singer admitted the whole ordeal was painfully on-brand.

‘I think I reached peak me at the World Cup,’ he wrote.

‘To have a Nicorette fall out of my mouth during a live interview… and then stick to my forehead… is the most me thing I’ve ever done.’

The 52-year-old confessed he had ‘absolutely no idea it was there until the following day’, revealing his tongue-in-cheek apology video has now racked up more than 27 million views, while the wider MintGate saga has reached a staggering 51 million people.

Rather than cringe at the attention, Robbie admitted he’s been trying not to read too many comments because it’s allowed him to find the whole thing genuinely funny.

‘The Paulie Walnuts memes have been magnificent,’ he laughed.

He also poked fun at the fact that, no matter how prepared he is, something bizarre always seems to happen whenever he’s in front of a global audience.

‘It wouldn’t feel right if I appeared on the world stage and absolutely nothing weird happened.’

The former Take That star even reflected on the surreal pressure of performing at the World Cup final, revealing that despite an audience of around 1.5 billion people, he managed to keep his anxiety hidden.

‘For someone whose nervous system is permanently convinced we’re moments away from disaster, I’m quite proud that none of it was visible on my face,’ he joked.

‘Well… apart from the Nicorette.’

Robbie couldn’t resist taking aim at the rumours that inevitably followed the viral clip either, mocking online claims that he’d been under the influence during the interview.

‘Remember when Robbie was off his nut at the World Cup?’ he wrote, before firmly shutting the speculation down.

‘I wasn’t. I’m not. And I haven’t been for a very long time.’ The singer has spoken candidly for years about his past struggles with alcohol and drugs, and has been sober for more than two decades.

Still, that didn’t stop social media detectives from inventing their own theories after the clip spread online.

Robbie revealed the irony was that moments before the interview, after performing alongside Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger, he’d proudly declared to everyone backstage: ‘No one died and I didn’t cause an international incident. We did it!’

Seconds later, he agreed to what he assumed would be a quick television interview.

The rest, as the internet happily ensured, is history. Far from being mortified, Robbie appears to have embraced the chaos.

‘Me being me is very on brand,’ he wrote. ‘There’ll be plenty more. I am inevitable.’

He signed off with one final self-deprecating flourish: ‘I’m off to continue ageing in public. See you at the next misunderstanding.’

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Brendan Foley, chairman, president and chief executive of McCormick, said: “This, in combination with our International Headquarters and commitment to Unilever’s world-leading R&D facilities in the Netherlands and our global headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland, reinforces the global nature of the combined operations and positions us for ongoing success.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Wednesday she was “deeply humbled” by a new poll that shows her leading in the early 2028 presidential primary state of New Hampshire and, when pressed, would not rule out a 2028 White House bid.

The Independent spoke with the self-described Democratic socialist congresswoman from the Bronx and Queens after a poll from the University of New Hampshire showed her leading in the first-in-the-nation primary.

The survey showed 22 percent of would-be Democratic primary voters prefer Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, while 21 percent would prefer Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly comes in third at 9 percent while California Gov. Gavin Newsom placed fourth at 8 percent.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an AOC ally who won New Hampshire in 2016 and 2020, clocked in at 6 percent while former Vice President Kamala Harris garnered 5 percent.

Ocasio-Cortez did not directly address whether she’d run, nor rule out a bid for the White House in 2028.

“I think there’s two things: One is that you know polls are polls, and a horse race is a horse race,” she said. “I am, of course, I think, very deeply humbled and grateful to you know folks who participate and convey that confidence.”

But Ocasio-Cortez said her main focus was helping Democrats win back the majority in the House of Representatives.

“I’m honestly I think my main focus is is really genuinely just the midterms right now, and we have to make sure that we win this majority,” she said.

The one-time insurgent, who defeated former House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in 2018, has in many ways inherited the mantle from Sanders, the independent socialist senator who caucuses with Democrats and ran two populist campaigns.

In 2024, AOC campaigned heavily for Harris in Nevada courting Latino voters. She also endorsed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his primary challenge against disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Since then, she’s endorsed in both deep-blue districts and swing races. In Pennsylvania’s 3rd district, she endorsed left-wing candidate Chris Rabb’s campaign in one of the bluest districts in the country. She also endorsed Randy Villegas’s successful primary in California’s 22nd district to run against incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao.

Over the weekend, she campaigned with Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s open Senate seat.

Historically, the Iowa caucus goes first in the nation before the New Hampshire primary. But in 2024, the Democratic National Committee moved South Carolina to be the first binding primary after President Joe Biden won the primary in 2020 thanks to Black voters. South Carolina and Nevada, which has a high Hispanic population, are now dueling for the right to go first.

Harris, the most recent Democratic nominee, would likely do better in the Palmetto State. In 2020, Buttigieg narrowly beat Sanders in Iowa but fell short in southern states due to a lack of trust among Black voters.

Some Democrats expect Ocasio-Cortez to either run for president or, more likely, for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s seat in 2028.

On the Republican side, Vice President JD Vance has a wide lead against Secretary of State Marco Rubio to succeed President Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee, with 36 percent of would-be primary voters picking Vance and 26 percent picking Rubio.

Rubio ran for president a decade ago, but failed to put up a significant showing after a poor debate performance against then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

EA Sports FC 27 is set for its official reveal, but when can gamers pre-order? We’ve got all the expected info, including early access and other pre-order perks, ahead of the first trailer drop

EA Sports is set to officially unveil EA FC 27 with the game’s first trailer later today (Thursday, July 23). The hype is building for the latest in the long-running football sim series thanks to the release of two new covers.

As is tradition, the cover of EA FC 27 features a major football superstar. The man who has that honour this year is Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe, who graces both the Standard and Ultimate Edition covers.

Very little has been officially revealed about FC 27 so far, but the Standard Edition cover has hinted at plenty of new features. While Mbappe takes the spotlight, there are dozens of teases pointing towards fresh content.

Beyond the new features and gameplay tweaks, attention is turning quickly to pre-order bonuses and early access. Ahead of today’s major announcement at 5pm, prominent EA FC leakers have got their hands on information about the new Ultimate Edition – and more.

Here’s everything you need to know about the expected date you can pre-order, the perks you’ll get if you do so, and more.

EA FC 27 expected pre-order dates and prices

If EA FC 27 follows the same path as its predecessors, then pre-orders could open as soon as today. The last three FC games were all available for pre-order on the day they were officially unveiled.

For EA FC 26, that was July 16, 2025. We are a week late to meet the same deadline, which is likely due to EA hoping to capitalise on the interest following the conclusion of this year’s World Cup.

Both EA FC 25 and EA FC 24 were revealed in the same week for their respective years, so there’s precedent to expect pre-orders to open as soon as the EA FC 27 reveal trailer drops on YouTube at 5pm today.

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Pre-ordering the game usually ensures a week of early access before the official release date, too. Once again, each FC game has come out at roughly the same time every year, which is usually the last Friday in September – so expect EA FC 27 to drop on Friday, September 25.

Early access is almost certainly going to come seven days before that for Ultimate Edition customers and EA Play subscribers. Indeed, leakers have indicated this to be the case, so the earliest players can get their hands on the new game will be Friday, September 18.

As for pricing, EA Sports is rumoured to have thrown a spanner in the works for EA FC 27. While each FC title has come with a Standard Edition and an Ultimate Edition, FC 27 is set to introduce a third version, according to leakers.

The likes of insider DetectiveFUT, who is prominent on X, formerly Twitter, has said that an Ultimate+ Edition is coming for EA FC 27, While pricing for this version isn’t yet disclosed by EA Sports or leakers, many insiders fear it could come with a hefty £120 price tag.

In fact, the Ultimate Edition+ is teased by EA Sports in the cover for the Standard Edition. One of many Easter Eggs in the cover shows off the Ultimate Edition, while another piece of cover art features Mbappe and Jude Bellingham and is expected to be the Ultimate Edition+ cover art.

The Standard and Ultimate Editions of EA FC 27 are likely to stay at the same prices as last year, however. That means a cost of £69.99 and £99.99 on consoles, and £59.99 and £89.99 for the respective versions on PC.

EA FC 27 Ultimate Edition and Ultimate+ rewards and content leaks

The Ultimate Edition for EA FC has typically represented a chance for gamers to get a leg up on the opposition in Ultimate Team, as well as offering extras for Career Mode and Clubs. But with the rumoured arrival of the Ultimate+ Edition, there are even more perks for those willing to shell out more of their hard-earned cash.

According to DetectiveFUT, pre-ordering the Standard Edition guarantees an Icon player item rated 92 overall or above for FUT. It also includes pre-order challenges and a season boost for Career Mode, and three exclusive playable Icons and Heroes.

A five-star coach and five-star youth coach are also included for Career Mode. An Archetype unlock and two Archetype XP multipliers are also features, as well as a version of Kylian Mbappe for use in Ultimate Team and world customisation for the long-rumoured new open world mode, The Grounds.

There are also reportedly set to be ‘early bird’ and standard pre-order bonuses for those buying the Ultimate Edition. Both include all of the perks of the Standard Edition pre-order, plus a whole lot more.

It includes seven days early access, a premium pass for one FC Season, and three batches of 2,000 FC Points. An additional FUT Evolution slot will be made available, as well as a 99 Dribbling stat evolution to boost one player in FUT.

The Icon available in the Standard Edition will be a 93+ OVR player pick rather than a random player rated 92 or over. There will also be an additional five User Generated Content Creation slots – a feature that more light will hopefully be shone upon during tonight’s big reveal – and a five-star senior scout for Career Mode.

The only difference between the early bird and standard pre-order of the Ultimate Edition is that the early bird offer comes with an 85+ International Icon pack. The Ultimate+ edition, which is reportedly only available as an early bird pre-order, includes that same pack for FUT but plenty of other features.

These include five Premium Season Passes, five batches of 2,000 FC Points, plus a special, first-ever 1 of 5 Direct Hall of FUT Player Pick. The Hall of FUT is another new campaign coming in EA FC 27, and will celebrate iconic players and fan favourites with boosted player items.

The Ultimate Edition+ early bird pre-order also includes a 99 Physical stat Evolution, giving FUT players a major advantage going into the new season.

A mother and her 15-year-old daughter have drowned off an Essex beach after going into the sea in an attempt to rescue a six-year-old girl who had been swept away by the rising tide.

Emergency services were called to West Mersea beach, near Colchester, at around 5.30pm yesterday following reports that several people had got into difficulty in the water, according to police.

It is understood they might have found themselves struggling off the coast against high tides. 

A third person has been hospitalised and is in a serious condition, while two others also remain in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

East of England Ambulance Service said one person was airlifted to hospital while a further three were taken by road.

West Mersea Coastguard Rescue Team said it had ‘responded to a tragic incident’ yesterday and that its thoughts were ‘with the family involved’.

News website Daily Dazzling Dawn reported that the victims in the incident were a mother and her 15-year-old daughter.

It said the fatalities had been confirmed by Abul Kalam Azad, convenor of the UK Bangladeshi National Party (BNP), and Khosruzzaman Khosru, the party’s UK member secretary.

The report added: ‘The family was enjoying a summer holiday trip to the seaside when the heartbreaking incident occurred.

A third person has been hospitalised and remains in a serious condition, while two others have been left with non-life-threatening injuries 

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An air ambulance near the scene of the tragedy in West Mersea, Essex yesterday – one person was airlifted to hospital and a further three taken by road

The woman and girl were named in reports as the wife and daughter of Dr Mansur Rahman, pictured, the leader of Jubo Dal UK, youth wing of the Bangladeshi National Party

‘Other injured family members were airlifted to a London hospital by helicopter.’

The report continued: ‘Our source confirmed that the tragedy occurred due to an incoming high tide at West Mersea.

‘The family was sitting near the shoreline when a six-year-old child was suddenly swept away by strong currents. Rushing into the water to save the child, both the mother and daughter tragically drowned.’

Daily Dazzling Dawn did not name the victims, but confirmed that the woman was the daughter of Mujibur Rahman, former vice president of the UK BNP, originally from Chhatak Upazila in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Mr Rahman is said to have confirmed to Daily Dazzling Dawn that he was on the beach at the time ‘but was too overwhelmed to speak further’.

The website also confirmed that she was the wife of Dr Mansur Rahman, the leader of Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the BNP. Dr Rahman is also the son of Sylhet BNP leader Sheikh Makhan Mia.

At least six ambulances, a dozen police cars, a fire engine, a lifeboat, two air ambulances and a coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene yesterday.

One coastguard truck remained on the shingle beach into the night near an area which was cordoned off with a wind break. 

Other emergency vehicles were parked behind a row of multi-coloured pastel beach huts beside the West Mersea Holiday Park. 

Emergency services at the scene after the incident in West Mersea last night

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The area is known for its strong currents that can take swimmers and tourists by surprise 

The area is known for its strong currents that can take swimmers and tourists by surprise. 

Essex Police Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher said: ‘Today, our thoughts remain with the family members who are coming to terms with their loss.

‘We are grateful to the people who have already spoken to us and helped with our enquiries. 

‘We would ask anyone who was at the beach at the time, and who has not yet spoken with officers, to please get in touch, to help us understand what happened.’

One holidaymaker said: ‘We heard that the incident involved an Asian family. Children got into difficulty and adults went in the water after them, only to get into difficulty as well. 

‘Other people on the beach went into the water to try and help, but it looks like there were fatalities.’ 

Two air ambulances landed on the green beside the caravan park’s Sandbanks bar and restaurant while the coastguard helicopter is reported to have landed on the beach. 

Witnesses last night reported seeing at least one casualty being loaded into an air ambulance, while others said they had heard reports of ‘multiple people in the water’. 

One beach hut owner told the Daily Mail: ‘We heard the helicopter last night and the search and rescue operation.

‘We saw all the emergency services.

‘We have a beach hut and live locally as well.

‘I have heard the poor woman was trying to save the family and then has died. It’s horrific. It sounds like a worst nightmare. Apparently she did all she could and ended up dying.

A caravan owner said: ‘The first we knew something was wrong was when we heard a helicopter overhead. 

‘I spoke to someone who saw the emergency services working on someone and pumping their chest on the beach. 

‘People were shouting, “Come on you can do it.” They couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.’

A spokesman for East of England Ambulance Service said: ‘Following reports of multiple people in distress in the water at Sea View Holiday Park, West Mersea yesterday evening, we dispatched multiple resources including our Hazardous Area Response Team, critical care paramedics and two air ambulances to the scene.

‘Sadly, despite best efforts, two patients could not be resuscitated. One patient was transported by air to hospital, and a further three patients were transported by road to hospital.’