A contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee was left in tears after they were forced to leave.

A contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee was left in tears after their exit was announced.

The beloved competition has returned for its 12th series, and is weeks away from crowning the winner.

However, one sewer’s journey came to an end on Tuesday, August 18, as judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant joined host Sophie Willan in announcing the results.

After a series of tense challenges, Minnie was sent home.

“Unfortunately, one of you does have to go home, and the person going home this week is Minnie,” Sophie said.

Bedfordshire mum Minnie was left in tears as she was supported by her co-stars.

Reflecting on her journey on the show, she said: “It’s been really, really nice. I think the best part is meeting all the sewers, and I’ve learnt a lot.”

She continued: “I’m proud of how far I’ve got, it’s been quite the journey. I’m proud and I’m happy, it’s a good place to be,” reports The Mirror.

This week, the sewers were challenged with children’s projects, including a tutu, transforming fleece material into a cuddly toy and designing bespoke costumes for children’s superheroes.

Rebecca’s final piece was crowned Garment of the Week, as she shared: “I’m completely shocked, I was not expecting that. I’m going to take from this week that it’s not over until it’s over. And a bad challenge on day one does not count you out of the race.”

The contestant had previously spoken about her desire to create her own clothing, adapted just for her as she opened up about a health condition.

In a previous episode, she said: “Almost everything I make for myself is adaptive. I have chronic stomach pain, so for me, adaptive fashion is making sure there is nothing tight around my stomach.”

The Great British Sewing Bee airs Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Sussex Police have tonight confirmed a man, woman and teenage girl died despite attempts to rescue them at Shoreham this afternoon. A younger girl from the same family is in a critical condition.

Chief Superintendent James Collis said: “At around 2.40pm this afternoon, emergency services were called to reports of four people in difficulty in the water close to Shoreham Fort. 

“Sussex Police officers supported His Majesty’s Coastguard and the RNLI, as all four people were brought ashore. 

“Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people – a man, woman and teenage girl – have sadly been confirmed deceased. 

“A younger girl has been taken to hospital and is in a critical condition. 

“We can confirm all four people were members of the same family, and their next of kin have been informed. 

“Specialist officers are supporting them at this incredibly difficult time, and our thoughts are with their family and friends. 

“I know this incident will have a profound effect on the community, and enquiries are ongoing alongside our partners to understand the full details. 

“At this point we believe all four entered the water from the land to swim and sadly got into difficulty. 

“Our partners in His Majesty’s Coastguard have completed an extensive search of the water and we are not searching for anyone else. 

“I would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding during the emergency response. 

“Anyone with any information or video footage that could assist in our enquiries is asked to contact us online or via 101, quoting Operation North.” 

We will provide further updates as soon as we are able. 

A section of the A259 in Shoreham was closed and people were urged to stay clear of the area in the meantime.

Follow our live coverage of this breaking incident here: Live updates from emergency incident at Shoreham Port | The Argus

A helicopter landed next to the Shoreham lifeboat station

A major multi-agency response was launched after the alarm was raised shortly before 3pm on Tuesday, August 18.

HM Coastguard confirmed rescue teams, a helicopter, and lifeboat crews were sent to the scene.

Sussex Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended.

The RNLI confirmed Shoreham lifeboat crews had been tasked to assist.

RNLI launch records show Shoreham Harbour lifeboats launched at 2.51pm, while Brighton Lifeboat Station recorded launches at 3.08pm and 3.10pm.

Emergency services are responding to reports that four people are in difficulty in the water off the Sussex coast.

Multiple ambulances and two air ambulances could be seen in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, near the RNLI station on Tuesday afternoon.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “Emergency services are currently responding to reports of four people in difficulty in the water close to Shoreham Fort.

“A section of the A259 in Shoreham has been closed as the incident remains ongoing, and we’re urging the public to stay clear of the area in the meantime

“We will provide more information as soon as we are able to.”

The A259 Brighton Road was blocked in both directions from New Road to Kingston Lane because of the incident.

An RNLI spokesman said: “Shoreham RNLI were tasked by HM Coastguard at approximately 3pm on Tuesday 18 August.”

At the scene an ambulance could be seen leaving under a police escort with blue lights flashing.

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala said he’s dealing with a neurological issue but doing well despite collapsing during a preseason game Tuesday at Heidenheim, three days after a similar incident against Leipzig.

The 23-year-old Germany international went down shortly after entering the friendly as a substitute in the second half. He received medical treatment and was helped as he walked off the pitch.

Musiala had collapsed Saturday during a friendly against Leipzig. German news agency DPA reported that he left the field on his own but still appeared dazed.

Bayern, in its report on Tuesday’s game, only said of the incident: “There was a setback when Jamal Musiala had to be subbed off with a knock minutes after coming on.”

After the game, Musiala posted a message on his Instagram account, explaining that he has suffered “treatable absence seizures” because of a neurological problem.

Musiala said he’s optimistic and receiving excellent medical treatment.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

A spokesperson for Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex said both of its helicopters and critical care team had been sent to the scene as part of the response, and Shoreham RNLI said its lifeboat had beencalled out at 15:00 BST.

South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) said it had been called to “reports of four people in need of medical attention”.

A section of the A259 – a main commuter road which runs through Brighton, Shoreham and Worthing – was closed.

BBC reporter Callum French said despite warm weather, sea conditions had been “pretty rough” because of high winds, describing the response as “the biggest turnout [of emergency services] I have seen“.

Witnesses described seeing large numbers of emergency vehicles and helicopters arriving at the seafront.

Resident Shirley Pumfrey said: “I have never seen them do that. The whole road was just full of emergency services.

“It was horrific and quite scary to see that many.”

Steve Chapman, who lives opposite the beach, said he couldn’t get into his road because it was cordoned off.

“There were all sorts of rumours flying around, it was very upsetting,” he said.

This year’s A-level results show a significant increase in the number of students choosing to study politics. In fact, politics saw the largest year-on-year increase of all A-level subjects in the UK, with entries up 11.9% this year compared with 2025.

This is an additional 2,639 students – up from 22,185 to 24,824. Politics still accounts for only 3% of all A-levels studied across the UK in 2026. This increase comes on the back of increases in demand for over a decade. Politics is one of the fastest-growing A-levels – up 81% in the UK since 2010.

Who studies politics?

There is an interesting phenomenon going on in terms of who is choosing to study politics. In 2022, the subject marked an important watershed when, for the first time, more women than men studied politics across the UK. A significant change for a historically male-majority subject.

The trend of a small female majority has continued year on year. In 2026, though, the gender split is almost 50-50.

This change in gender demographics over time is quite distinct from the trajectory of many other social science subjects. Psychology has remained strongly female-majority, while economics and business studies are male-majority subjects.

For young women, there may be several distinct factors at play. First, increased interest may be linked to recent changes to the A-level syllabus. A study found that young women placed greater importance than young men on topics such as human rights, elections and voting, climate change and inequality. These are all topics that feature in the revised 2017 politics syllabus, which covers a wider range of political ideas and global issues than previously.

In addition – while somewhat harder to assess – it seems that social media is playing a role in enabling greater engagement and awareness of political issues and debates among young women. This may be because online debates about issues that resonate with young women, including women’s rights, may be encouraging interest in politics.

This would chime with research showing that traditional classroom discussions are less effective in developing “political self-efficacy” (how much a person believes in their ability to understand and make change through politics) among girls than boys aged 11-16. This suggests that factors outside the classroom, such as social media, may be fuelling increased interest.

Why are teens choosing politics?

According to the British Academy, students taking A-level politics in England tend to come from wealthier families compared with the norm for A-level students. Historically, A-level politics has been a popular, and widely offered, subject at private schools.

Yet recent data shows that the number of state-funded schools in England offering A-level politics has risen. More state-funded sixth forms and secondary schools offering the subject suggest that greater accessibility may be a factor in the rise in uptake.

There are most likely multiple reasons for the rise in demand for the politics A-level over the last 15 years. Factors such as ongoing global conflicts, climate change and the increased volatility of national politics, such as the UK’s six prime ministers in the last decade, have increased interest in and the desire to understand how we are governed and what triggers global political change. The proposed lowering of the voting age to 16 may also have prompted increased interest in the subject among teenagers.

Research suggests that young people care deeply about social and political issues and that they are increasingly keen to understand the systems that affect their lives.

The growing popularity of politics A-level may reflect a generation that recognises that political literacy is no longer simply an advantage, but an essential part of active citizenship. But there is still more work to do to ensure that this growing demand is met. A recent report by the Electoral Commission found that 72% of young people believe schools and colleges should do more to teach politics, democracy and voting.

The challenge for politicians is to turn young people’s growing interest in politics into meaningful political participation. In the last general election only 40% of 18–24-year-olds voted, and just 20% of those were from lower socioeconomic groups. Parties that engage young people on issues they care about and involve them between elections are likely to be rewarded. Ultimately, politicians must move from speaking to young people to working with them.

Young people are not disengaged from politics but increasingly interested in understanding it. The challenge is to build on this interest, to create opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to pursue political studies education at school and university. It also means finding more diverse ways to support all young people to engage with and participate in politics.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Archaeologists in Peru on Tuesday unveiled the skeletal remains of an adult they believe was buried as an offering near the base of Huaca Pucllana, an ancient adobe pyramid in Lima, the nation’s capital.

The remains are believed to be those of a man who may have been sacrificed during a ritual in which a canal linked to a ceremonial pool was closed.

Gladys Paz, the archaeologist who led the excavation, said the bones will help researchers better understand “the rituals of the Lima culture” and reconstruct ceremonies performed hundreds of years ago.

Paz said that the body was buried inside a canal, resting on its left flank, with the skull facing the pyramid and the Pacific Ocean.

The Lima culture flourished between the 1st and 7th centuries along Peru’s arid central coast, about 700 years before the rise of the Inca Empire.

Huaca Pucllana was one of the most important ceremonial and administrative centers of the Lima culture, which disappeared centuries before a group of Spanish conquistadors founded Lima in 1535.

Today, the pyramid is surrounded by parks, leafy streets and upscale apartment buildings in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro.

Huaca Pucllana is open to tourists, with a restaurant serving Peruvian specialties like ceviche, stir-fried beef and roasted alpaca meat.

According to Peru’s government, there are more than 400 archaeological sites across metropolitan Lima. Pieter Van Dalen, an archaeology professor at the National University of San Marcos who was not involved in the excavation, said that it’s common to find tombs, mummified remains and other burial-related items along Peru’s coast. Such discoveries have also been made while construction workers dig canals to install gas pipes.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

A man, a woman and a teenage girl have died after getting into difficulty in the sea near Shoreham-by-Sea, while a younger girl from the same family remains in a critical condition in hospital

A couple and their teenage daughter have tragically lost their lives after encountering difficulties in the water off the Sussex coast.

Numerous ambulances and two air ambulances were spotted in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, close to the RNLI station on Tuesday afternoon. Sussex Police confirmed that emergency services responded to reports of four individuals in distress in the water near Shoreham Fort.

The force believe the family entered the water from land for a swim.

Addressing journalists this evening, Chief Superintendent James Collis revealed that a man, a woman and a teenage girl died, while a younger girl from the same family remains in a critical condition in hospital.

He said: “Around 2,40 pm this afternoon, emergency services were called to reports of four people in difficulty in the water close to Shoreham Fort.

“Sussex Police supported His Majesty’s Coast Guard and the RNLI as all four people were brought to shore.

“Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people – a man, a woman, and a teenage girl – were sadly confirmed deceased.

“A younger girl has been taken to hospital and is in critical condition. We can confirm all four people were from the same family, and their next of kin have been informed.”

Anyone with information or video footage about the incident has been asked to contact Sussex Police online or via 101, quoting Operation North.

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