There are four fire engines remaining in Stourbridge, with crews patrolling the area and identifying hotspots to prevent reignition.

A fundraiser created by Dudley Council to help residents “rebuild their lives” has surpassed £31,000.

Another by the Heart of England Community Foundation to help families impacted by fires across the West Midlands has hit £50,000.

Stourbridge MP Cat Eccles urged anyone who needed additional support to reach out for help.

“I’m on hand to support however I can, the Town Hall remains open for food, clothes, pet supplies, phone chargers, general inquiries,” she said.

“Counselling is available and being offered by several local professionals free of charge for adults and children.”

The Stourbridge and District branch of the RSPCA has also shared posters, external about several cats who have gone missing from the area since the fire.

In Stoke-on-Trent, four homes were completely destroyed by a fire that started in a park in Sandyford and 13 other homes suffered structural, roof and window damage.

Marie Leese told how her treasured garden went up in flames after fire ripped through properties in Maureen Avenue.

When she was allowed to return home, she discovered she had also lost the summer house her husband built before he died three years ago.

Police have arrested a man and woman on suspicion of arson in connection with the Stoke-on-Trent fire.

Investigators are still working on what caused the blaze in Stourbridge.

Fires also caused extensive damage in Warstock and Kings Norton, Birmingham on Thursday.

A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life in regards to the blaze in Kings Norton.

This review is based on the first seven episodes of Lanterns.

The DCU has got off to a mixed start. While Superman soared, Supergirl was more the woman of yesterday than tomorrow.

Yet I’ve enjoyed the small screen offerings from this nascent shared universe.

Creature Commandos impressed me with its weird confidence, while Peacemaker season 2 didn’t exactly dazzle but definitely entertained.

So with that in mind, I was quite excited for the new show Lanterns, which I was assured was like an odd mix of True Detective and a space adventure like Doctor Who. 

So does Lanterns burn bright or is it another dim bulb?

Well, I’m pleased to say that in the blackest night of the streaming era, this is one show I’m happy to give a ring-ing endorsement (especially episodes three, five, and seven).

But I’m getting ahead of myself; what’s this sci-fi thriller about? The show follows two Green Lanterns – think of them as space cops armed with a powerful ring that gives them incredible powers.

Our heroes are partners Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), a cocksure veteran who doesn’t play by the rules, and new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), whose laces are so straight you could use them as a ruler. 

While training one day, Hal gets a report of a mass shooting in Rushville, Nebraska and flies off to investigate, convinced this is no run-of-the-mill spree killing. 

And upon arriving, both Hal and John quickly uncover an extraterrestrial conspiracy that’s far darker than anything they could have imagined. 

So, I’ve already given away that I liked Lanterns, but what exactly was it about the show that charmed me?

Well, if I might pretend to be an academic for a paragraph or two, I enjoyed how the show played with contrast and juxtaposition.

You know, you have the maverick Hal and by-the-book John, the differences between the otherworldly alien planets we get glimpses of and the empty plains of Nebraska, the grand plot of alien invaders and the more relatable forces plaguing Rushville.

It’s fun, and it really plays into one of the show’s central ideas about difference and how, while ultimately we’re not all the same, we all want similar things, be that safety, a family, respect, or even power. 

I thought it was surprisingly sophisticated for a show about men with magic rings. I also think it has some really interesting things to say about fear and how courage can be a privilege.

Now, I can’t say too much about it; otherwise the Guardians of the Spoilers will come and take me to space jail, but the series does have some compelling thoughts about race and why an African American man might have a very different idea of what it means to ‘be without fear’ than a white guy. 

I’m probably not the best qualified to muse on this for too long, but it definitely recontextualised some of my preconceived notions about the Lanterns, which I quite liked. 

Pseudo-intellectual ramblings aside, the real question for any thriller like this is: is the central mystery a good one, and does it live up to those comparisons to True Detective? 

Well, yes, and no. 

I definitely think the mystery works; it’s intriguing, and by the last few episodes I was relieved I could binge them without having to wait a week for answers. But does it live up to True Detective? No.

That’s not me being mean; True Detective is a masterpiece, and Lanterns is very, very good; it’s just that they’re doing different things. 

You can definitely see True Detective DNA in the show, and it’s not just superficial.

There’s a clear ambition under the surface to make Lanterns something exceptional, but the show is a bit too interested in space lasers, ring slingin’, and making cute nods to the wider Green Lantern mythos (space squirrels included) for it to be considered a ‘grown-up show’ like True Detective.

But you know what? Sometimes I don’t want a grown-up show. Sometimes I want an action-packed, funny show about two space cops solving a space crime, and that’s what I got. 

In fact, there’s a definite argument to be made that Lanterns works so well because it understands that it doesn’t have to stop being a superhero show in order to be sophisticated.

Of course, Lantern’s greatest superpower is its cast. 

I think everyone is brilliant, from Garret Dillahunt, who plays the chief antagonist, to Kelly Macdonald, whose American accent is so convincing I didn’t even realise it was her until episode 2. 

Still, this show belongs to Chandler and Pierre. Now the hack journalist in me wants to wax lyrical about their sizzling chemistry and how the pair come together like Mentos and Diet Coke to create something spectacular, but honestly I can’t do that.

The pair are both so good it would be churlish of me not to talk about them both separately. 

Chandler is sensational as the slightly weary and sardonic Hal; he gives it just the right amount of irreverent charm while still allowing the audience to see that beneath that green bodysuit, Hal is a very broken man. It’s such an impressive performance; I was stunned.

Pierre, meanwhile, is just the man. Ever since I saw him punch his way through Shelby Springs in the woefully underrated Rebel Ridge, I knew he was a star, and this role just proves it. 

It’s not easy to make a character like John, who’s taciturn and stern, likeable, but Pierre gives him such a relatable humanity that it’s impossible not to fall in love with him. 

And of course, when they come together, it is like the aforementioned Mentos being dropped in Diet Coke.

Ultimately, then Lanterns is a near-perfect superhero show that should be mentioned in the same breath as the greats like The Penguin, Loki, and WandaVision. It’s funny, exciting, and there’s just enough emotional depth to it for ‘grown-ups’ to get their teeth into. 

So let those who worship evil TV’s blight beware their power… Lantern’s much better than just alright! 

Lanterns airs on HBO and HBO Max Sunday, August 16 in the US and on HBO Max in the UK on August 17.

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The retailer, alongside menstrual equity charity Freedom4Girls, has written to the chief executives of major UK grocery chains, encouraging them to make pads and tampons available to shoppers in-store, where facilities allow.

The call follows an Aldi-commissioned survey of 2,000 UK shoppers, which found that 67% believe supermarkets should provide free period products in customer toilets.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: “Access to period products should be a basic right, not a privilege.

Aldi has partnered with menstrual equity charity Freedom4Girls on the call to other supermarkets (Image: Aldi)

“That is why we made free period products available in our store toilets for customers and colleagues, with no questions asked.

“The latest research shows shoppers support supermarkets making period products more accessible.

“Together with Freedom4Girls, we’ve written to the chief executives of other major UK supermarkets, encouraging them to consider introducing free period products where facilities allow.”

The survey also revealed that 75% of respondents view period products as an everyday bathroom essential, equivalent to toilet paper and soap, while 67% said they would view a supermarket more positively if it offered the service.

‘Period poverty remains a huge issue in the UK’

Aldi says it became the first UK supermarket to introduce free period products in all customer and colleague toilets in March 2025.

Since then, it has provided one million free period products through its store toilets, with customers and colleagues able to take what they need without using a code word or signing up to a loyalty scheme.

Tina Leslie MBE, founder of Freedom4Girls, said: “Period poverty remains a huge issue in the UK, and we’re encouraged to see Aldi continuing to use its platform to push for wider change.

“Providing free period products in supermarket toilets is a practical way to help people access what they need discreetly and with dignity.

“We would welcome more retailers taking similar action to help tackle stigma, affordability and access.”

The research suggests the move could address several barriers.

In total, 69% said it would help people who start their period unexpectedly while out, while 58% said it would support those who cannot afford products when they need them.

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Nearly half (48%) believe it would reduce embarrassment around asking for or buying period products.

Separately, Aldi has donated one million period products to people experiencing period poverty through its charity partnerships, including with Freedom4Girls.

Customers can also donate items via Aldi’s in-store donation points, with products distributed to food banks and charitable organisations by Aldi’s partner, Neighbourly.

Do you agree with Aldi’s suggestion to other supermarkets? Let us know in the comments.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian artist Bou Meng, one of only seven people known to have survived a notorious Khmer Rouge torture center in the Southeast Asian country in the late 1970s, has died. He was 85.

His ability to paint portraits of the then-leader Pol Pot was why he was kept alive.

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, a U.N.-backed tribunal that sought to try Khmer Rouge leaders for genocide and other crimes against humanity, said he died late Friday due to age-related illness.

“The passing of Mr. Bou Meng represents the loss of an important historical witness to the grave crimes committed during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, particularly to the history and tragedy that took place at the former S-21 Security Centre,” referring to the prison, also known as Tuol Sleng, where he had been held for almost two years starting in 1977.

The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975–79 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many of their countrymen from executions, starvation, and lack of medical care due to its radical policies. An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died from forced labor, starvation, medical neglect, and executions.

An estimated 16,000 women and children were kept at S-21 over the course of nearly four years before being killed. Now it serves as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, named after the high school it had been before the Khmer Rouge takeover.

Bou Meng, along with two other survivors, artist Vann Nath and mechanic Chum Mey, testified in 2009 at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who had been the S-21 commandant.

Duch was found guilty of crimes against humanity, torture, and murder in 2010 and ultimately received a sentence of life imprisonment. He died in prison in 2020 at the age of 77.

In 2010, Bou Meng testified that painting larger-than-life images of Pol Pot and portraits of other communist icons helped save his life.

It took three months to complete his first outsized work. Kaing Guek Eav then ordered him to make three more Pol Pot paintings and portraits of other communist leaders. These included Mao Zedong of China and North Korea’s Kim Il Sung, as well as one mocking Ho Chi Minh, the father of Vietnam’s communist revolution.

“I was ordered to paint a picture of Ho Chi Minh’s head on the body of a dog,” Bou Meng told the U.N.-backed tribunal. Cambodia’s archenemy was neighboring Vietnam, which eventually invaded to oust the Khmer Rouge in 1979.

The legendary American singer and songwriter – famous for a career spanning more than six decades alongside his trademark dark eye makeup and leather outfits – performed with his Hollywood Vampires band at Scarborough Open Air Theatre last night. 

But just hours before that, Cooper managed to fit in a spot of shopping and made a surprise visit to a shop in the town to purchase an art tote bag.

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Hollywood Vampires bandmates Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen were not to be seen.

Hollywood Vampires Alice Cooper shops before Scarborough gig – he was spotted in Scarborough Market just hours before playing to 8,000 fans with Hollywood Vampires – photo shared on X. (Image: Social Media)

Arts and crafts shop Bijou Creations, which is based in Scarborough Market Hall in St Helens Square, shared a photo on social media of Cooper sporting one of its bags.

Wearing a dark jacket and baseball cap with jeans, he happily modelled the bag for the shop owner with a relaxed smile.

Bijou Creations wrote on Facebook: “Had a surprise customer in my shop today – a gentleman by the name of Alice Cooper. He allowed me to take a picture of him modelling one of my Art Tote bags he had just purchased . He was lovely to talk to, very down to earth. Sadly no sign of Johnny Depp though !!!”

A passer-by later shared on the page that she’d walked past the store at the time and her son had son “That man looks like Alice Cooper.”

Telling him that was unlikely due to the Vampires’ much-anticipated concert later that day, she added: “I guess my son was right.”

Another fan admitted that she would’ve been ‘a gibbering wreck’ had she seen him. “I just adore him!”

Another described him as a “very down to earth bloke with no airs and graces”

Cooper then caused more heads to turn as he strolled out of the market, casually passing shoppers at a butcher’s counter near the exit.

His most famous songs include School’s Out, I’m Eighteen, Poison and No More Mr. Nice Guy.

Have you spotted any of the Hollywood Vampires band this weekend? Email: nadia.jeffersonbrown@newsquest.co.uk

Here is the lesson I draw from the 9,455 votes cast for Count Binface at Clacton on Thursday. The country is still in flux. So if I were Andrew Burnham, I would call a General Election in October. In doing so, I would expect to lose quite a large chunk of Labour’s current majority. But so what if he wins enough to stay in office?

Big majorities only encourage backbench revolts and make it harder to stay in control. He will be able to campaign – and, if he wins, govern – on a manifesto different from Sir Keir Starmer’s weird, vague document.

Instead of being first among equals on Labour’s front bench, he will be the unchallenged boss. He saw what happened to Gordon Brown when he hesitated too long to do the same thing. I suspect he learned from it.

It certainly looks as if Burnham can rely on the divided ‘Right’ to continue to make fools of themselves. Nigel Farage, for instance, is firmly set on being the nation’s most active and plaintive victim. It is almost as if he has had a character transplant.

The latest example of this was his refusal to turn up at the Clacton result. Was he scared of being upstaged by Binface? Oh, honestly.

Not that long ago, Mr Farage was not much more respectable than Binface is now. How long will it be before he starts complaining about his ‘mental health’?

The latest example of this was his refusal to turn up at the Clacton result. Was he scared of being upstaged by Binface? Oh, honestly

As for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, what possessed her to offer a ‘second chance’ to a former Nazi who had racially harassed a prominent Jewish Labour politician?

The man is even called Bonehead-Pain, or something of the sort. If she was so determined to do this thing, her aides should have locked her in an outhouse, with a flask of water and some sausage rolls, to stop her. But do you really need an adviser to tell you to stay away from a man who has done time for Nazi harassment?

If she can give a second chance to this character, how long before she gives a ‘second chance’ to unrecognised economic genius Liz Truss, perhaps as Shadow Chancellor? It’s a question of judgment, you see. People will remember it.

I’m reasonably sure Mr Boneyard has seen the error of his ways (even more so than before, probably).

People just don’t like Nazis, however ex they may be.

There are plenty of jobs in modern Britain well suited to reformed Nazis, and many of them would allow him to wear a uniform and perhaps even a peaked cap. But politics isn’t one of them.

Secrecy in Letby trial casts a shadow over our justice 

We may at last be entering the final months of the Lucy Letby quarrel. It is nearly three years since I asked here if she might in fact be not guilty. At the time this meant I met quite a lot of rage and scorn. I don’t find that so much now. But our court system hates to admit it might be wrong. I suspect that is precisely because it is so often wrong these days.

The Letby trial was a mess, partly because so much of it was secret. No fewer than nine Crown witnesses were allowed to hide their names from you and me, pretty much forever. The names of the babies allegedly killed or harmed by Ms Letby were also made secret.

If this had been the trial of a traitor for handing nuclear secrets to the Kremlin, then there might have been a case for such rules. Members of the security services, for instance, are made useless if we all know who they are.

But I can see no such case here. In the USA, it would be illegal to grant any such thing. The Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution grants a defendant the right ‘to be confronted with the witnesses against him’. How can that work, if the public does not know who these witnesses are? The witness walks out of court and back into his life, and only he knows he has testified, though his words may have been reported to millions that night on TV.

What if a witness has secrets from the court, which might weaken his evidence, but which are known to others? How will those others realise this, and be able to contact the court, if they do not know who the witness is?

The radical barrister, Geoffrey Robertson KC, denounced the legislation allowing this as a ‘perjurers’ charter’. Yet it is now law. So is Michael Howard’s abolition of the right to silence. So is the ancient rule about being tried twice for the same offence (these changes, too, would be impossible in the USA),

Foolishly trusting our own rulers, we have again and again granted the state more power over us. Often this has been done on the thin pretext of ‘terrorism’, which we have all been persuaded to think is a constant deadly threat.

Every time this happens, the chorus of the complacent have chanted merrily: ‘If you’ve nothing to hide, you’ve nothing to fear.’ But it isn’t true, as dozens of innocent people, now locked away for years, in squalor and fear, know all too well.

Only a tiny number of these injustices will ever be put right. The rest will continue to shame us for years to come.

These thoughts are prompted by news that one of the witnesses against Ms Letby, known only as ‘Dr A’ , has died. I know nothing of him. I offer my condolences to his family. But I suspect his evidence against her, largely speculation, did her considerable damage – because they had once been on friendly terms.

Would he have given such evidence if he had been compelled to do so under his own name? I do not know, and nor do you. And that is the problem.

By KATHERINE LAWTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 12:15 BST, 16 August 2026 | Updated: 14:39 BST, 16 August 2026

Shoppers and homeowners have been evacuated after a huge fire broke out on an industrial estate. 

Emergency services rushed to the scene in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of this morning. 

Residents and shoppers have been ordered to avoid the area and keep their windows and doors closed, amid fears of toxic fumes. 

Footage taken from a Tesco superstore car park shows a huge plume of black smoke rising into the sky. 

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Around 45 properties on nearby streets have been evacuated as a precaution while emergency services investigate. 

A specialist environmental unit has arrived, with reports of toxic materials in the area. 

It is expected that firefighters will remain at the scene for much of today as the response continues. 

A spokesperson for Tesco said: ‘Our Greenfield Superstore is temporarily closed due to a fire nearby. We apologise for the inconvenience.’ 

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Firefighters tackling a blaze at an industrial site in Greenfield, Saddleworth, today 

A huge plume of black smoke rises into the sky near a Tesco superstore today 

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘Just after 7.45am on Sunday 16 August, fire crews were called to reports of a fire at an industrial building on Chew Valley Road, Greenfield.

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’10 fire engines and a number of specialist appliances from across Greater Manchester are now in attendance, with firefighters working hard to bring the fire under control.

‘Due to the amount of smoke, nearby residents are advised to keep their windows and doors closed.

‘A cordon is in place and people should avoid the area if possible.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Greater Manchester Police for more information.  

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By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR

Published: 11:59 BST, 16 August 2026 | Updated: 14:33 BST, 16 August 2026

There was a hint that the edge could be coming off the ‘Andy Burnham bounce’ today.

Less than a month after the PM entered No10, a poll suggested his favourability rating has dipped by five points over the past week.

Although Mr Burnham remains in positive territory the findings could indicate that the row over prisoner early release are having an impact. He also came under fire for heading off on a family holiday a fortnight into his tenure.

The Opinium research detected a net approval score of plus 11 for the Labour leader, down from plus 16 the week before.

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However, that was still significantly better than the minus four rating for Kemi Badenoch. Nigel Farage was on minus 28 and Green boss Zack Polanski minus 24.

Labour maintained a narrow lead on voting intention, with 27 per cent support to Reform’s 25 per cent. The Tories were on 18 per cent.

Less than a month after Andy Burnham entered No10, a poll suggested his favourability rating has dipped by five points over the past week

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Andy Burnham has been credited with reviving his party’s fortunes after Keir Starmer’s departure

Mr Burnham has been credited with reviving his party’s fortunes after Keir Starmer’s departure, with Brits seemingly willing to give the former Greater Manchester Mayor a chance.

Opinium found the perception that Labour is united has increased by 37 points since June, while more people now view it as having a clear sense of purpose. 

However, Mr Burnham – who embarks on the latest leg of a national tour tomorrow – is facing an intimidating array of challenges in the coming months.

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The public finances are under massive pressure ahead of the Budget on October 28, with fears of yet more tax rises to come.

Chancellor John Healey is looking for ways to drum up more cash for defence as the Iran crisis takes its toll on the UK economy.   

Reform and the Tories have been demanding curbs to welfare, but Mr Burnham has been carefully avoiding committing to outright cuts.

Join the discussion

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Has Burnham lost public trust by releasing prisoners early?

Labour maintained a narrow lead on voting intention, with 27 per cent support to Reform’s 25 per cent. The Tories were on 18 per cent

The scene is currently being preserved for examination by forensic collision investigators.

Four people have died and multiple others are injured after a horror crash on the M9 motorway in Ireland.

The collision took place on the M9 Northbound in rural Co Kildare at 3am on Sunday. It is understood the incident involved two cars on a northbound stretch of the road.

Sources told the Irish Mirror that all the deceased were in one car. It’s understood that car was travelling the wrong way on the northbound carriageway.

The female driver and front passenger – both aged in her 30s – of the second car have been rushed to Tallaght University Hospital, where their conditions have been described as critical. A female rear seat passenger, aged in her 20s, was taken to St. Luke’s General Hospital and is in a serious condition, while the third passenger, a child, has been rushed to Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin in a serious condition.

The road has been sealed off and gardai have now begun an investigation. It’s also understood Fiosru, the independent policing watchdog, has begun a separate investigation as Gardai previously had been alerted to the car driving the wrong way.

The scene is currently being preserved for examination by forensic collision investigators.

Liam was last seen heading towards Wylam from Wylam Bridge, in Northumberland, shortly after midnight in the early hours of Saturday morning (Aug 15).

The 22-year-old, from Northumberland,  is described as a white man, 6ft 3ins tall, of medium build with dark hair. He has tattoos down his right arm.

He was last seen wearing black joggers, black Nike trainers, a black T-shirt with large text and a diamond logo on the back, and a gold chain.

Northumbria Police said extensive enquiries are ongoing to locate him, and officers and family are growing increasingly concerned for their welfare.

“Liam or anyone who knows where he might be, should send us a DM on social media or use the live chat and report forms on our website,” a spokesperson said.

Please quote reference number: NP-20260815-0424.