A Northern Ireland district authority is about to launch an app mooted since 2022 to tackle dog fouling incidents

A Co Down councillor has warned the “public won’t buy” into a new dog fouling pledge as a long awaited council app is about to go live to target increasing mess.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has confirmed 244 complaints made about dog poo in the last financial year, but only five fixed penalty notices.

A committee report now shows the local authority is about to launch an app mooted since 2022 to tackle dog fouling incidents in the district.

In chambers, Mournes DUP councillor Henry Reilly said:”On one aspect of the report, where it says we will improve the cleanliness of our district by continuing to promote recycling and address fly-tipping and dog fouling incidents.

“I have to say that on dog fouling it seems aspirational to me rather than practical.

“Because the amount of dog fouling in the district, especially in this really dry weather is totally unacceptable and the council doesn’t seem to be able to get a prosecution to try and deter these irresponsible dog owners.

“It is easy to say, but unless there is a real product emerging from it and an improvement in those services, the public won’t buy that.”

According to the council’s strategy, policy and resources committee paper, ‘dog fouling and littering’ reports increased almost 55% from from 212 to 328, with 35 fixed penalty notices.

However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has now been given further clarity from the council to show despite only 84 of the reports being for littering, there were 30 fixed penalty notices.

Whereas dog fouling resulted in only 2% of reports leading to a fine despite an increase of 31 complaints of dog mess on the previous year’s total of 213.

A council spokesperson said: “Newry, Mourne and Down District Council recently launched a three-year education and enforcement action plan to address key issues of fly-tipping, littering and dog fouling aimed at protecting the environment for future generations.

“The plan sets out how the council will continue to record dog fouling incidents in order to identify hotspot locations across the district.

“This will be further achieved through the online public reporting tool available on the council website, which is currently live, and through the introduction of an online reporting app.

“The app is due to be procured and implementation initiated during 2026/27.”

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Tony Kounnis, CEO of Face Int, which commissioned the research, said: “It’s far too simplistic to say that people in London are for or against facial recognition. This research shows that it’s far more nuanced than that – people have specific and understandable concerns, particularly the accuracy of the technology, their own privacy, and the security of biometric data.

It is understood there will no change to Harry and Meghan’s role and status as private individuals and non-working members of the royal family

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Harry and Meghan Markle are planning to make the move back to the UK, according to reports.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex plan to move back to Britain more than six years after they relocated to California, the Press Association understands.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the couple will move back to the United Kingdom later this month – making their home in a non-royal residence outside of London.

It is understood there will no change to Harry and Meghan’s role and status as private individuals and non-working members of the royal family.

The King was first made aware of the move on Sunday and is understood to welcome the opportunity to see more the family both in a private and personal capacity.

But their status will remain the same, with the couple not being offered a “half-in-half-out” option when it comes to their roles, reports PA.

The Telegraph – which broke the story – reports the couple’s children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are enrolled to start at British schools in September.

Skins star Mike Bailey has left fans stunned with his dramatically different appearance

The actor recently made a rare public appearance.

Former Skins star Mike Bailey has left fans gobsmacked after appearing virtually unrecognisable during a rare public appearance, and it’s not just his looks that have changed dramatically.

Gone is Sid Jenkins’ trademark floppy brunette hairstyle, replaced by a cropped blonde look on the now 38-year-old actor.

Fans of the show were left astonished by how different Bailey appeared during an appearance on the NSN podcast in March.

One fan remarked: “Took me some time to figure out this was Sid, ahahah,” while another concurred: “I can hear Sid but I can’t see him.”

A third person observed: “bro that is NOT the same person,” with another commenting: “So odd seeing him w blonde hair and not swoopy brown bangs a beanie and glasses lol.”

A final viewer remarked: “Can’t tell if I cant recognise him because it’s been nearly 20 years, or because he doesn’t have his hat on.”

Bailey first captured audiences’ attention back in 2007 when he portrayed the much-loved Sid in the cult teen drama. Mike, then just a teenager himself, featured in the opening two series of the show’s seven-season run.

His co-stars included Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel and Daniel Kaluuya, who have all since carved out stellar Hollywood careers. Yet Mike opted for a completely different path, stepping away from the entertainment industry entirely.

The Bristol native traded acting for teaching, discussing his career change during a 2017 Radio Times chat.

“I kind of thought ‘what the f**k am I doing with my life?’ and ended up getting in a conversation with the wife a couple of years ago and decided that those who can’t act teach,” he revealed, reports OK!.

“10 years ago I never thought I’d still be talking about it, but [Sid] still does pop up every now and again.”

While his acting stint was relatively brief, Mike did appear in several productions, including the documentary 1066: The Battle for Middle Earth and the film We Are the Freaks. He now looks back fondly on his Skins experience as “a collective positive memory”.

But it’s his teaching role that truly resonates with him. During his appearance on the NSN podcast, he enthused: “I love it, it’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

Mike reflected on his varied career, saying: “It’s one of those things, you know those cliché things, I go into work each day and it’s completely different. It literally is.”

Skins is available to stream on Disney+

Russian citizens have reportedly begun to pull money from banks after fears Vladimir Putin will raid savings to pay for the war against Ukraine.

During the first two weeks of August, the country saw the volume of cash in circulation rise by 286.4billion roubles, the equivalent of £2.5billion.

Russian banks have been bleeding cash each day, with the highest outflow of  56.8billion roubles (£491.9million) recorded on August 12.

The month before saw a record outflow, with more than 620billion roubles (£5.4billion) withdrawn from the banking system.

For seven consecutive months, money has been flooding out of the banks, according to central bank data, believed to be due to the ongoing instability.

Analysts suggested economic pessimism and fears that the Kremlin could freeze deposits or impose a cap on withdrawals.

Rumours spread across Russian Telegram channels of this potential freezebut Anton Siluanov, the Russian minister of finance, branded the posts ‘fake news’ in a statement.

The cash demand has reportedly drained banks’ rouble liquidity, resulting in the Central Bank of Russia expanding lending in the banking sector.

It’s not just the citizens who are moving money, though, as large companies are said to be moving funds abroad to avoid any potential seizures.

This comes hours after Moscow slammed Britain for supplying drones for long-range strikes inside Russia, warning this makes the UK a participant in the war.

Vladimir Putin’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lashed out as Prime Minister Andy Burnham stressed that he is 100% behind Ukraine ‘against this illegal war led by Vladimir Putin.’

Burnham added: ‘Britain is providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself, and that’s been the British position all the way through this conflict by previous prime ministers, it remains the case with me.

‘We are not fairweather friends.’

Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke to Russian television and said: ‘This only means one thing. The president [Putin] warned of our right to act in any part of the oceans if someone encroaches on our interests, on our property. 

‘We have the same right to view the proudly declared direct participation of British missile forces in strikes against Russia as participation in a war, with all the ensuing consequences.’

Russians are becoming increasingly concerned over the new deep reach of drones and missiles deployed by Ukraine to target strategic targets deep inside the country.

Buildings were also hit today in other Russian cities – Tula, the location of multiple defence plants – and Ufa, a major oil capital. 

An oil refinery was hit in Ufa, sparking yet another fire as Russia grapples with critical petrol shortages and long queues. 

In Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, two people were killed and ten injured in a Russian guided aerial bomb attack on a residential area.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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MORE: Russia threatens UK with ‘consequences’ after British drones used by Ukraine

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MORE: UK warned it ‘doesn’t have the firepower’ to stop Russia seizing ships

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 21:27 BST, 19 August 2026 | Updated: 22:24 BST, 19 August 2026

Hollywood legend George Hamilton flashed his enduring megawatt smile as he posed with his younger son George Jr on Instagram.

Hamilton, who celebrated his 87th birthday a week ago on August 12, posted a new album documenting his subsequent trip to his native Memphis.

He returned to his hometown to appear at Graceland for its annual Elvis Week, which spanned August 8 through August 16 this year in order to commemorate the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s death anniversary on August 16.

The excursion proved an opportunity for quality time with George Jr, whom Hamilton welcomed in 2000 with his then-girlfriend, swimsuit model Kimberly Blackford.

Bronzed and dapper in a coat and pocket square, Hamilton was aglow with his trademark cheer as he posed with George Jr at Graceland.

George Jr, according to his Instagram, is now based in Panama and has just embarked on a career restoring properties in Grenada and Nicaragua.

Hamilton is pictured in a recent throwback he posted from a 1960s trip to Palm Beach, during the height of his fame as a Hollywood matinee idol

‘Thank you Memphis, always great to get back to my roots!’ wrote Hamilton in the caption of his Instagram album about his Graceland trip.

One of the Elvis Week events was an onstage interview on August 15 with Hamilton, who regaled the audiences with his Elvis Presley anecdotes.

Hamilton explained that he had been a ‘close’ friend of Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker, through whom he became acquainted with the legendary singer.

Before this month, Hamilton’s previous visit to Graceland had been for Presley’s funeral in 1977, which he attended at the Colonel’s side.

‘He was fighting to keep being business as usual. It wasn’t happening, but he was trying,’ Hamilton said, in fan footage posted by the YouTube account EP Fanatic. 

‘And he said: “Go in and say goodbye to Elvis,” and it was in the parlor, and he was holding on as best he could. It was the hardest I’ve ever seen. It was not the Colonel,’ said the Home from the Hill actor. ‘He was shocked.’

Hamilton appeared to have rung in his actual birthday in Manhattan, where George Jr posted a photo of them together and a video of his father blowing out the candle on his cake while out to dinner with a group of loved ones. 

His latest travels with his younger son come after he retained a public silence in April when his 51-year-old elder son Ashley Hamilton, whom he welcomed with his ex-wife Alana Stewart, was hospitalized for an overdose.

Hamilton appeared to have rung in his actual birthday in Manhattan, where George Jr posted a photo of them together and a video of his father blowing out the candle on his cake

Ashley, who was once married to Shannen Doherty, was said in April to be in the process of recovery and in stable condition at the hospital, via TMZ.

He has been candid about his struggles with addiction, saying he had racked up ‘half a dozen arrests’ and attended ’32 rehabs’ by the time he was 22 years old. 

Ashley, who shares his nine-year-old daughter Willow with his ex-girlfriend Renee Karalian, had been suffering from a rare mucosal HPV-related cancer.

Weeks before he suffered his overdose in April, he publicly disclosed that he had submitted ‘paperwork’ to a Swiss clinic that offers assisted suicide.

A decade ago, his father broke down in tears while discussing Ashley’s addiction on the blended family’s reality show Stewarts & Hamiltons.

‘I am very proud of you. There are about four times that we almost lost you in your life,’ Hamilton told his son, at a point when the latter was sober. 

‘I had some really hard times,’ said Ashley while promoting the series in 2016 to People magazine. ‘But my dad never gave up on me no matter what.’ 

Last year, Ashley went public with the health battle he has waged against his HPV-related cancer, during an interview on the podcast Punk Rock Sober.

Hamilton retained a public silence in April when his 51-year-old elder son Ashley (pictured), whom he welcomed with his ex-wife Alana Stewart, was hospitalized for an overdose 

He was still struggling with the illness as of a Soft White Underbelly interview released this March, this time featuring him alongside a death doula.

Hamilton held forth about his harrowing experience with the disease and noted that his nine-year-old daughter was unaware he had cancer. 

It was during that conversation that he said he had ‘sent all my paperwork to Switzerland’ to a ‘clinic’ where patients undergo ‘assisted suicide.’

Ashley explained that ‘what I don’t wanna do is, I don’t wanna die in a motel with a f***in’ needle in my neck and leave that stain on my daughter and leave that stain on people around me. That I don’t wanna do. As easy as that would be for me to do, I don’t wanna do that to people.’ 

The Daily Mail has contacted Hamilton and Ashley’s representative for comment. 

Jason Mohammad, the Welsh radio and TV presenter, has joined the Celebrity MasterChef line-up for its 21st series.

Welsh presenter Jason Mohammad has taken on a new role, as he joins the contestants taking part in Celebrity MasterChef.

The star is hoping to win over Grace Dent and Giorgio Locatelli with his cooking, as he competes against actor and author Joe Pasquale, The Wanted’s Jay McGuinness, weightlifter and Olympic medallist Emily Campbell, and Love Island star Shakira Khan.

Having already suffered a blow during the first episode, Jason managed to avoid the first elimination, which sadly saw singer Jay leave the competition, reports the Mirror.

Inside Jason Mohammad’s life and career

Jason is a Welsh broadcaster working across radio and television, and was born and raised in Cardiff to a Pakistani father and Welsh mother.

He has previously spoken about his identity, recalling one conversation with a taxi driver in a 2018 interview.

Jason told The Telegraph: “I found myself having to tell him the full back story of my faith, about being a proud Cardiffian, proud to be Welsh, proud to be British, but also proud of my Pakistani Muslim heritage. It’s not something I am usually that open about. Definitely not with taxi drivers.”

He’s also previously spoken about the racist abuse he suffered, telling The Guardian in 2021: “I was called a ‘Muzzie’ and the P-word and remember walking home from school one day and a kid spitting at me for no reason. That’s just what it was like back then for someone like me – the only Muslim kid in my school, one of very few Mohammads on my side of Cardiff, in a hard place where there were lots of racists around.”

He went on: “While I didn’t suffer racism every day I was constantly made aware I was different, and when you’re aware you’re different you feel it [racist abuse] could happen at any moment. That type of thing sticks with you and can damage you in adulthood. That was definitely the case for me, hence me feeling unable and unwilling to talk about my faith for many years.”

Jason began working for BBC Cymru Wales as a correspondent for BBC Wales Today, before progressing to Wales on Saturday.

The 52-year-old subsequently succeeded Gabby Logan as presenter of Final Score from 2013, having formerly worked as a reporter on the programme.

He’s also known for appearing on programmes such as Match of the Day and serving as a broadcaster at the Olympic Games in both London and Rio.

Beyond television, Jason hosts programmes on BBC Radio Wales and has fronted Radio 5 Live Sport segments.

In 2018, he joined Kate Bottley as a presenter on Good Morning Sunday on Radio 2.

According to the BBC’s most recent annual salaries list, which discloses the earnings of its highest-paid personalities, Jason featured within the top 30, with earnings between £290,000 and £294,999.

Away from his professional life, Jason is married to his wife Nicola, with the couple sharing three children – Lili, Max and Poppy.

Celebrity MasterChef is available to watch on BBC iPlayer

A fourth person has been charged in connection with the death of an 18-year-old man in Gorseinon.

Tyler Ford, 18, from Morriston, has already been charged with the murder of Ceiran Evans, from Gorseinon, following a fatal road traffic collision involving a car and an off-road bike on July 9.

Ford was also charged with the attempted murder of a second victim in the same incident, which took place on Pen Cae Crwn Road.

Last week, South Wales Police confirmed that 33-year-old Elliot Truelove, from West Cross, Swansea and 18-year-old Liam Thomas, from Morriston, Swansea, had also both been charged with murder and attempted murder.

On Wednesday evening the force confirmed that a fourth person has now been charged in relation to Mr Evans’ death.

36-year-old Trisha Thomas, from Gorseinon, has been charged with assisting an offender.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit to make up an enormous share of federal spending.

The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.

The unprecedented $40 trillion figure highlights competing administration priorities, from boosting the defense spending that the U.S. relies on to carry out President Donald Trump’s almost-6-month-old Iran war to lowering the cost of gas and groceries.

Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said the Trump administration “has been focused on slashing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending while accelerating economic growth to get America’s debt-to-GDP ratio trending in the right direction.”

However, experts say the exploding debt and the latest record milestone is already affecting Americans’ pocketbooks by raising borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lowering wages from businesses that have less money available to invest and creating more expensive goods and services.

Advocates for a balanced budget also warn that the long-term trend of borrowing more and paying more in interest will force Americans to face tougher fiscal tradeoffs ahead.

“The federal debt is already raising the cost of living and choking out other spending and investment, threatening our economy and Americans’ long-term prosperity,” said Margaret Spellings, president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

“Our current fiscal trajectory is plainly unsustainable, and that’s the best-case scenario. AI disruption, a recession, global war, or any number of other events could quickly push us over the edge from a challenge into a full-blown crisis,” Spellings said in a statement.

The U.S. is subject to a statutory debt limit, or a limit to federal borrowing, which Congress has the authority to set, adjust or abolish. The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that the U.S. will most likely reach the debt limit of $41.1 trillion sometime between late winter and mid-summer of 2027, requiring Congress to again vote on whether to raise or suspend the debt limit.

The U.S.’ fiscal position stands at the worst among other developed countries, according to recent data analysis from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development