Emergency services, including six fire engines were called to a house fire on Birchington Avenue at 5.23am on August 26 where sadly, two people have been confirmed dead.

Four people have been taken to James Cook University Hospital for further treatment.

The fire service has confirmed the fire has now been extinguished and have released an updated statement.

Emergency services at the scene of a major residential fire on Birchington Avenue, in Grangetown, Middlesbrough (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

The force said: “Following Cleveland Fire Brigade’s attendance at a house fire on Birchington Avenue, Grangetown, this morning (Wednesday, August 26), we can confirm that the fire has now been extinguished.

“Six fire appliances from Grangetown, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Saltburn attended the incident, along with the Incident Command Unit. One appliance remains at the scene on protective standby.

“We can confirm that six people were inside the property at the time of the fire. Tragically, two people have died.

“One person remains in a critical condition, while three others are receiving treatment.

“The circumstances surrounding this tragic incident will now be jointly investigated by Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade’s fire investigation officers.

“It is with great sadness that we share this update. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of everyone affected at this incredibly difficult time.”

Firefighters were spotted dampening down the smoking roof of the home which has been wrecked by the fire.

A ladder was also seen propped against a rear upstairs window of the family home.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “My daughter heard shouting and screaming this morning. The dogs were barking.”

The neighbour said a family lived at the house, adding: “I don’t know the people who live there, we just say hello when we walk past.”

Another resident said: “It’s just horrible, we were all in bed when it happened.”

While another added it was a “tragic incident for this area.”

Emergency services at the scene of a major residential fire on Birchington Avenue, in Grangetown, Middlesbrough (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

Police officers continue to guard a cordon around the scene.

Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said: “This is a tragic incident which has sadly resulted in the deaths of a number of people this morning, and their families are being supported by specially trained officers.

 “We are working to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened, but we are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time.

“We will have a high visibility presence in the Grangetown area as this investigation progresses, and to provide reassurance to local communities, who will no doubt be impacted by this tragic incident.

 “We encourage anyone who has concerns, or who may have information regarding the incident in the early hours of this morning, to approach one of our officers or to contact Cleveland Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously.”

Anna Turley, MP for Redcar & Cleveland added: “I am devastated to hear of the tragic loss of life following this morning’s fire in Grangetown.

“My deepest condolences are with the families, friends and loved ones of those who have died, and my thoughts are also with those injured and receiving treatment.

“Our community has faced a profound amount of heartbreak over the past few weeks.

“Please keep everyone affected in your thoughts, give the emergency services the space they need, and avoid speculation as Cleveland Police & emergency services continue their investigation.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, one of the nation’s highest state honors, citing his “outstanding personal merits” in safeguarding human life and liberty while reinforcing connections between Ukraine and the United States.

Musk, founder of SpaceX, has emerged as a central, if controversial, private figure in Ukraine’s defense effort. His deployment of the Starlink satellite network provided a crucial communications lifeline for both troops and civilians following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

The satellite network is now deeply integrated into Ukraine’s military infrastructure, with service members and commanders depending on the connection to coordinate battlefield actions.

Starlink does not currently function over Russian territory but Zelensky is urging Musk to alter the policy. Enabling access across the border would allow Ukrainian forces to maintain continuous satellite links during long-range drone attacks against Russian military and industrial targets.

Musk did not immediately offer a comment regarding the award, which was conferred via presidential decree.

Elon Musk has restricted Starlink use in Russia

The technology has proved essential to Ukraine’s aerial strategy, helping operators guide drones over extended distances. This access was instrumental in the initial success of Kyiv’s medium-range drone strikes, which disrupted Russian logistics lines earlier this year.

While Musk permits Ukrainian forces to utilize Starlink within national boundaries—including regions currently held by Russian troops—he maintains strict restrictions on its operation inside Russia proper.

SpaceX further aided Kyiv earlier this year by responding to requests to deactivate unauthorized Starlink units being operated by Russian personnel in occupied zones.

These actions helped place sustained pressure on Russian supply lines in Crimea, affording Ukrainian troops a degree of tactical momentum not experienced since the major counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson in late 2022.

Musk’s critical role underlines how Kyiv remains dependent on a single private individual. Because Starlink is so deeply woven into military communications, SpaceX holds considerable leverage over how its technology is deployed.

Preserving a positive relationship with Musk is paramount for Kyiv, given that his policy decisions carry immediate consequences for the country’s defense capabilities.

Zelensky has requested assistance from American officials to convince Musk to widen Starlink’s operational range. However, Musk considers expanding access inside Russia to be a “significant and dangerous escalation,” according to statements Zelensky made to journalists last week.

The friction over Starlink’s boundaries has also triggered internal political fallout in Kyiv. Miscommunication regarding whether SpaceX had authorized Starlink usage within Russian territory created friction between Zelensky and former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who served as the government’s primary liaison to Musk.

Fedorov was subsequently removed from his post in July during a broader cabinet reorganization.

Zelensky noted that inaccurate reports from the Defense Ministry concerning SpaceX’s stance led to a difficult interaction with U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that the Ukrainian leader had misled him.

This confusion played a role in “some of the steps” taken regarding Fedorov, Zelensky indicated to reporters, though he did not directly accuse the former minister of intentional deception.

Fedorov’s departure highlights the far-reaching political consequences of Musk’s involvement in the conflict.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived back in the UK, BBC News understands.

Prince Harry, Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet are believed to have flown into the country privately from California, and landed in Birmingham shortly before midday.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said “this is not something we would comment on”.

There did not appear to be a police presence as Harry and his family left the airport, a source told the BBC.

Last week, it was reported that the couple would be relocating to the UK in August. They will not return to official duties but will live in Britain as non-working royals.

It is thought the family will base themselves at a private property outside of London in the Cotswolds area.

Archie and Lilibet have been enrolled in school and the new term is due to start next week.

The Sussexes left the UK and stepped back from their royal duties in early 2020, before settling in California in March that year.

King Charles was told of the move earlier this month. The family visited the King at his Highgrove home in July this year, but it is understood the move was not discussed.

Before that visit, Prince Harry and Meghan had not been in the UK together since they attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

The bus was involved in a crash with another vehicle in the early hours of Monday morning

Manchester indie rock band Inspiral Carpets’ tour bus was involved in a crash on a motorway in Scotland.

The crash happened in the early hours of Monday morning (August 24). The band, who hail from Oldham, had played gigs in Scotland on August 21 and August 22 and were travelling back towards England.

The tour bus was involved in a crash with another vehicle on the major A74(M) motorway which with the M74 connects Scotland to England. A spokesperson for the Inspirals said no-one in either of the vehicles suffered serious injuries.

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The band, whose current members are Clint Boon, Stephen Holt, Martyn Walsh and Oscar Boon, the crew and bus driver escaped uninjured. Two people in the other vehicle suffered ‘minor injuries’ and were taken to hospital, the spokesperson added.

A statement issued on behalf of the Inspiral Carpets said: “In the early hours of Monday 24th August, the tourbus carrying Inspiral Carpets was involved in a collision with another vehicle on the southbound carriageway of the M74 motorway in Scotland. Thankfully no one from either vehicle was seriously injured.

“Two people travelling in the other vehicle received minor injuries and were taken to hospital. The band, crew and bus driver were all uninjured. As the matter is now in the hands of the police the band can give no further comment for the time being.”

Police Scotland has been contacted for a comment on the incident.

The This Is How It Feels hitmakers have 14 top 40 singles to their name, as well as three top ten albums, in almost 40 years. The band is releasing new album Burn Like the Sun in January 2027.

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And… did it work?

Sharon Beshenivsky was murdered on her daughter’s fourth birthday in Bradford

The mastermind behind the 2005 armed robbery at a Bradford travel agents that led to the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky has died in jail.

Piran Ditta Khan died on February 21, 2025, at the top-security Wakefield Prison. His death came less than a year after he was jailed for life with a 40-year minimum term for murdering the police officer, after he had spent 15 years on the run.

A 20-minute inquest hearing at Wakefield Coroner’s Court on Wednesday (26 August) confirmed no evidence of assault or trauma, and concluded that the 76-year-old died from complications associated with lung cancer. He died of natural causes, a coroner has ruled.

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Assistant Coroner Naomi McLoughlin told the inquest that she had a statement from Khan’s son, Shabaz Khan, which said the imposition of the 40-year tariff had “taken its toll” on his father. The coroner said Mr Khan described how his father had always maintained his guilt in relation to the robbery but had pleaded not guilty to murder and was found guilty “by association”.

The court heard that Khan was being treated for stage-four lung cancer when he was taken to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield in February of last year, suffering from what turned out to be a stroke.

Doctors decided his cancer was too advanced for any rehabilitation work in hospital to have made any difference, so Khan was returned to prison where he received palliative care until his death 10 days later.

Ms McLoughlin said his cause of death was bronchial pneumonia “in association with” multiple strokes and cancer of his right lung. The coroner noted the strokes could well have been caused by the cancer.

The court heard Khan was born in Pakistan, came to the UK in his early teens and was married with five children. He smoked around 10 to 15 cigarettes a day.

PC Beshenivsky was shot dead on her daughter’s fourth birthday in November 2005 after responding to an active robbery at the Universal Express travel agency in Bradford. She and her partner, PC Teresa Milburn, were both unarmed and shot at point-blank range as the robbers fled.

Khan was the sole gang member familiar with the business. Two months after the killing, he fled to Pakistan, remaining at large for nearly 15 years until his arrest in 2020 and extradition to the UK in 2023.

In April 2024, Khan became the seventh and final member of the gang to be convicted. He was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of murder, firearm possession, and weapon offenses, in May 2024.

At sentencing, Mr Justice Hilliard noted that Khan would inevitably spend the rest of his life behind bars due to the gravity of his actions.

In a statement to the court in 2024, Paul Beshenivsky, who had been married to Pc Beshenivsky for four years when she died, said: “The way we lost Sharon was in the most brutal, callous and futile way. She never came home due to the actions and organisation of one person – Piran Ditta Khan.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the county police say that they have been called to an incident involving ‘cylinders’ in Crossfield Crescent, Fulford, today (August 26).

It is believed to have started at around noon and there are currently number of fire engines and officers in attendance.

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“Due to reports that cylinders are involved, a safety cordon has been established and a number of nearby properties have been evacuated as a precaution. Crews are expected to remain at the scene for some time. Please avoid the area,” said a spokesperson for the service.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police added: “We are currently supporting our colleagues from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in response to this incident in Fulford. Please follow their advice and avoid the area where possible.”

More to follow.

Rockstar has issued a rare statement to address the GTA 6 leaks, describing them as ‘heartbreaking’ for the team. 

Over the past week, a total of 14 gameplay videos have been leaked from GTA 6, ahead of its launch on November 19, 2026. 

A group or individual named Cyberleek appears to have a playable build, and has been releasing clips daily, supposedly in protest of Rockstar not releasing the game on a disc. However, they’ve also been asking for funding via cryptocurrency, to keep the leeks coming. 

After being silent on the issue for the past week, and one day ahead of its GTA 6 Extended Look on Netflix, Rockstar has released a statement to address the matter. 

‘We know that many of you have been waiting to hear from us regarding the events of the past week,’ the statement begins. ‘It would be an understatement to say that having videos of GTA 6 gameplay leak in this way has been heartbreaking for our team, and this is obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time.

‘We are very sorry that everything has taken as long as it has – from getting the game finished (nearly there!) to sharing more details and official gameplay, and providing the community with everything you want to know.’

They added: ‘We are very excited for everyone to see the extended look tomorrow. It has taken longer than we wanted to get it ready, but as with everything we do, we know we need to exceed your expectations, and we are determined to deliver at the level you expect and deserve. 

‘While it is unfortunate that the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers, we hope that everyone will wait a bit longer to experience the game for themselves on November 19.’

The statement concludes by thanking ‘everyone in the community’ who ‘reached out with messages of support’, adding: ‘Ultimately, we are making this game for you, and without you, we would not have the privilege of making games.’

It’s a surprisingly apologetic statement and an acknowledgement that Rockstar’s prolonged silence is, to some extent, partially responsible for this situation. Perhaps more importantly, it’s reassuring confirmation that GTA 6 is still on track for November. 

It’s still unclear what the Extended Look will actually show, but it’s set to debut on Netflix tomorrow (August 27) at 8pm BST, before it arrives on YouTube six hours later. 

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Country legend Dolly Parton received a Buckingham Palace tribute after her death aged 80, with military guards performing a version of her hit single 9 To 5. 

Household Division officers performed the song on Wednesday morning, hours after the loss of the much-loved singer who had been suffering from cancer. 

The Band of the Coldstream Guards played the song in her honour during a Changing the Guard ceremony.

The track was released in 1980, written by Parton for a film of the same name in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. 

Parton has been widely praised for her literacy and health charity work as well as her songs such as Jolene, I Will Always Love You and Coat Of Many Colours.

The London performance came as tributes continued to pour in for the star, including from Sir Paul McCartney, PM Andy Burnham and US President Donald Trump.

Scores of tourists gathered at the railings of the royal residence in London where the special instrumental addition to the historic ceremony echoed around the forecourt.

Footage was shared on the Royal Family’s official social media, alongside the message: ‘Remembering the late, great Dolly, who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many – including the millions of children given free books through her Imagination Library. We will always (heart) you.’

Tributes are continuing to pour in for the singer, pictured here at Glastonbury in 2014

The King and Queen, who are away on their annual summer break at Balmoral, were not in residence, with the union flag flying over the Palace rather than the Royal Standard.

Camilla’s charity The Queen’s Reading Room praised Parton as an ‘icon’ for her Imagination Library.

In a story on Instagram, the Queen’s charity said: ‘Today we remember and celebrate the unwavering advocate for the joy and importance of reading – the icon, Dolly Parton.’

Parton donated more than 300million books to communities over the past three decades through her Imagination Library, while also funding vaccine research. 

The Queen’s charity added: ‘Dolly once said: You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children – but she gave it a pretty good go.

“By putting so many books into the hands of so many children, she gave the most precious of gifts: the chance to millions of young minds of opening the door to imagination, possibility and a lifelong love of reading. Thank you, Dolly!”

The new guard, Number 12 Company Irish Guards, in their red tunics and bearskin hats, marched with the Band of the Coldstream Guards, from nearby Wellington Barracks to the Palace to take over the duty from the old guard.

The singer’s death was revealed in a statement from her representatives that said: ‘Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched.

Dolly Parton, pictured in the early 1970s, donated more than 300million books to communities over the past three decades through her Imagination Library

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Members of the band of the Coldstream Guards and Welsh Guards play for Dolly Parton

‘After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.’

They also highlighted the reach of her ‘unmatched generosity’, noting she touched the lives of countless people she would never meet and was always ready to ‘offer a helping hand’. 

The statement added: ‘Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.’

The star’s death was first confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also acted as her head of security.

She died Tuesday morning after being hospitalised on Friday at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center with autoimmune and kidney problems, according to TMZ.

As news of Parton’s rapidly deteriorating condition spread, her loved ones raced to Nashville to be by her side, but not all were able to reach her while she was alive. 

Mr Seaver said: ‘This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.

He hailed his aunt for having ‘lived in the light’ and said she was now ‘in the arms of Jesus’ and the company of her late husband Carl Dean, as well as her parents and ‘countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens’.

Queen Camilla’s literacy charity posted this praise of Dolly Parton for her book-sharing work

Her husband Carl died at the age of 82 in March last year. 

Family insiders indicated that a private service for close friends and relations would be held in Nashville within the next few days.

In an interview published just four days before her death, Parton had declared she still had ‘so many things I want to achieve’ and vowed to continue ‘working as long as I can to see everything come to life’, via People.

She also admitted she had recently been having ‘hard times with my health’.

‘I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.’

Following Tuesday night’s announcement, President Trump paid tribute to Parton and ordered American flags lowered nationwide for one week in her honor.

Shortly after the news of Parton’s death broke, the Empire State Building’s official Instagram account announced that it would be lighting up the iconic landmark in ‘pink sparkle’ at 9.25pm Tuesday night to honor her.

‘Dolly was a global cultural icon whose seven-decade career reached generations of fans,’ the post read.

Sir Paul McCartney shared this tribute to Dolly Psrton on Instagram and his official website

‘Beyond entertainment, Dolly leaves a significant philanthropic legacy through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, which has provided hundreds of millions of books to children worldwide.’

Sir Paul McCartney posted a message about her on his official website, recalling their collaboration – along with fellow ex-Beatle Sir Ringo Starr – on a 2023 cover of Let It Be.

He said: ‘The magnificent star Dolly Parton has died and it is so sad. She was such a wonderful woman.

‘I first met her in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry where she had been playing with the country star Porter Wagoner and was about to start her solo career.

‘She was so bubbly and full of life it is difficult to take in the news that she has passed.

‘Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly.

‘She was a very clever business woman who understood the value of her music and, most importantly, the effect that she had on the people of the world.

‘There was no greater honour for me than to have her sing my song Let It Be and, even though I only made a small contribution to it, I am so honoured that she did it.

‘I am so proud to have known her and admire her unique talents.

⁠’Thanks Dolly for the beautiful music you gave me and the whole world. We will always love you, god bless and rest in peace. You were the best.’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham today said she would be remembered for her legacy of ‘great music that people will treasure forever’ as well as her charity efforts.

Speaking to reporters at a supermarket in London, he said: ‘I was a huge fan of what Dolly did around literacy around the world.

‘I was Culture Secretary when her libraries were first coming through and the books that went into communities across Britain. What a legacy to leave.

‘It was so moving to hear about her dad and how that experience made her want to give back so much.

‘She leaves that legacy as well as, obviously, great music that people will treasure forever.’