More than 30 British nationals are believed to be among those missing and feared dead after disaster struck on Wednesday this week and into Thursday.

Paul Heslop, trustee of Farnworth-based charity A Must for Dolakha (AMFD), returned from Nepal at the end of July and says they have heard many messages of concern about the tragedy.

He said: “The main area of the disaster originated in in the area north of Kathmandu in the Rasuwa district of the country.

“It has been suggested that the flooding and mudslides were as a result of the collapse of a glacier on the Tibet/Nepal border.

People walk past damage in the aftermath of flash floods in Devighat in the Nuwakot district in Nepal (Image: AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

“All of our friends and their families are safe, along with the schoolchildren and school that the charity supports, on the Sindupalchowk/Dolakha border.

“There is extreme concern about some of the trekking guides that come from our friends’ home village. Some are still unaccounted for.

“Trekking guides in Nepal can work many miles from their own villages and tend go where the work is, this changes throughout the seasons.”

AMFD, based on Clelland Street in Farnworth, mainly focused on the Dolakha area of Nepal which is about 50 miles east of the capital Kathmandu.

A policeman with a sniffer dog looks at the damage in the aftermath of flash floods in Devighat in the Nuwakot district in Nepal (Image: AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Despite this relatively short distance, it is a four of five-mile drive because of Nepal’s mountainous terrain.

Mr Heslop, a familiar figure to many in Bolton from his years as a councillor for Kearsley, has been a frequent traveller to the landlocked south Asian country.

He said it was only 11 years since Nepal had been devastated by earthquakes.

Mr Heslop said: “The next big worry is whether there is a secondary flood caused by a lake, on the Tibet/Nepal border, filling up and then flooding down the Bhote Khosi river.

People walk through water in the aftermath of flash floods in Devighat in the Nuwakot district in Nepal (Image: AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

“It is being reported that the Chinese government is monitoring the situation and look at ways to avoid the lake rupturing its banks.

“Naturally, many roads in Nepal meander parallel to the river.

“Our friends assure us that they will be staying on higher ground and will not be going down to the valley bottom until they are sure that it is safe.

“I simply can’t imagine the level of worry on the minds of the families of the 33 missing Britons in Nepal and I sincerely hope that they are safe.

Nepalese policemen watch as earthmovers clear the debris of flash flooding in Nepal’s Nuwakot district (Image: AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

“This also goes for the hundreds of Nepalis and foreign tourists that are still unaccounted for.

“Nepal is a truly stunning country, and its people are some the friendliest and humble people that you could meet on the planet.

“It’s such a tragedy that with all this beauty, the country suffers from frequent natural disasters.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that the government will do “everything we can” to support British nationals in Nepal following the floods.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the floods in Nepal”.

A spokesperson said: “British nationals in Nepal should follow local authority advice and exercise caution while travelling.

“For consular assistance call (+44) (0)207 008 5000 or (+977) (0)14237100.”

Anyone interested in more information about A Must for Dolakha can email amfd@outlook.com.

A former Border Patrol official who helped spearhead President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has claimed the administration now wants him dead.

Gregory Bovino made the explosive allegation during a lengthy interview with conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson, released Wednesday night.

“Do I think they want me killed? Absolutely,” Bovino told Carlson during the interview, which has been viewed two million times on X alone. The White House has labeled his comments “absurd.”

Bovino, 56, was one of the most prominent figures associated with Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda. As a Border Patrol commander-at-large, he helped lead enforcement operations in Minnesota and became known for aggressive measures, including firing tear gas at protesters — a tactic that has prompted legal scrutiny.

He left his post in January, after federal agents shot and killed two American citizens in Minnesota, incidents that triggered growing opposition to the administration’s immigration enforcement approach, polls show. Bovino retired from federal service several months later.

Trump has distanced himself from Bovino, describing him in January as “a pretty out there kind of guy.” The president later called for a “softer touch” on immigration.

During his interview with Carlson — who has also broken with the administration — Bovino claimed that his security detail was withdrawn as soon as he left government, despite what he described as an onslaught of death threats.

He said he believed the protection had been removed as part of an effort to “silence him.”

“Silence you, like get you killed? Because that’s what it sounds like,” Carlson said.

“Do I think they want me dead? At this point yes,” Bovino replied.

“I’m in a running battle every time I go out,” he continued. “I mean, every time the citizens of my own community are like, ‘What is going on with you?’ These people come up. There’s some crazies out there. You know, you know this, Tucker, and you bet. Do I think they want me killed? Absolutely.”

Bovino clarified that he does not believe Trump is behind the alleged effort. Instead, he blamed the administration’s “hellacious gatekeepers,” specifically naming Border Czar Tom Homan.

“This is absurd,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told The Independent. “Tom Homan is an American patriot and career law enforcement officer with decades of experience effectively protecting American communities and deporting illegal aliens.”

A White House official said that Homan does not get involved with security matters regarding former or current DHS officials.

Elsewhere in the interview, Bovino said believes forces within the Trump administration are opposed to carrying out the mass deportation campaign the president had promised — which he claimed is not actually underway.

He also asserted, without offering evidence, that 105 million undocumented immigrants are currently living in the U.S., a figure that would represent nearly one in three people in the country.

According to the U.S. Census, there are about 50 million immigrants in the country. As of 2023, there were an estimated 14 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center.

The Independent has contacted DHS for comment.

Putin will be well aware of Donald Trump’s periodic disdain for Nato and he may have calculated that a low-key attack on say, Lithuania, is not going to trigger Nato’s mutual self-defence clause – Article 5 – and that the US will not respond.

In which case it would make sense for part of the CIA chief’s unexplained mission to Moscow was to remind Russia that the US is still fully committed to Article 5.

Lithuania is of special interest to the Kremlin as it has a common border with Poland known as the “Suwalki Gap”. Just 60 miles long, this strip of land is all that separates Russia’s client state Belarus from its nuclear-armed exclave of Kaliningrad, which is separated from mainland Russia.

If Russia were to seize that it would effectively cut off those three Baltic states by land from their Nato neighbours.

Then there is the question of tactical nuclear warheads. It has long been said that Russian military doctrine views these small but highly destructive weapons as an integral part of its order of battle.

Moscow has been warned off, by friend and foe alike, not to break the 81-year long taboo on using nuclear weapons in anger.

Yet this could still be a tempting option for Vladimir Putin to “escalate to de-escalate” by demonstrating to Ukraine that it has such catastrophic weapons at its disposal it would be better for Kyiv to capitulate to Moscow’s terms now or face annihilation.

Of course, in the absence of any clear, attributable, official confirmation from the US as to what this sudden CIA dash to Moscow was all about then it is always possible it was about something else.

That could be trying to persuade Russia to end its military cooperation with Iran, for example, or maybe about more prisoner swaps or the prospect of a mass mobilisation of Russian troops.

But make no mistake, this trip was highly unusual and it came at a time of rising tension between Moscow and the West. Something is almost certainly up.

The incident happened at 8:30am this morning (Thursday) on the B1249 at the top of Staxton Hill between Fordon Lane and North Cotes Road.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said it involved four vehicles, including an orange Kia Ceed, a blue Ford Focus, a dark grey Ford Ranger and an orange Ford Ranger.

“Four occupants were taken to hospital for minor injuries following the collision, where they are currently receiving treatment.

“A man has since been arrested following the incident.”

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Jonathan Haigh, currently 66, will have to pass an extended driving test before he is allowed to drive unsupervised again, York Magistrates Court heard.

The B1224 was closed for hours after his VW T-roc crashed into a Hyundai, driving by a woman in her 40s at Rudgate crossroads on February 23 this year.

Haigh, of D’Arcy Road, Selby, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury to the woman by careless driving.

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He was fined £480 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £192 statutory surcharge at York Magistrates Court.

He was also banned from driving for four years from July 27 this year and ordered to take the extended driving test after the ban ends.

He attended an earlier hearing walking with the aid of a crutch and the court heard he has mental and physical health problems including arthritis.

Arsenal: Real Madrid [H], Bayern Munich [A], Borussia Dortmund [H], Real Betis [A], Lille [H], Napoli [A], Sabah [H], Slavia Prague [A]

Aston Villa: Barcelona [A], PSG [H], Borussia Dortmund [H], Club Brugge [A], Fenerbahce [H], Galatasaray [A], Viking [H], Slavia Prague [A]

Liverpool: Inter Milan [A], Atletico Madrid [H], Porto [H], Club Brugge [A], Villarreal [H], Fenerbahce [A], Lens [H], Lask [A]

Man City: PSG [H], Barcelona [A], Sporting Lisbon [H), Porto [A], Napoli [H], RB Leipzig [A], AEK Athens [H], Lens [A]

Man Utd: Atletico Madrid [A], Bayern Munich [H], Roma [H], Sporting Lisbon [A], RB Leipzig [H], Villarreal [A], Sabah [H], Como [A]

Read the full story here.

Floods have devastated the Nepal-Tibet border region which have destroyed towns and swept away bridges.

Hundreds of people have been reported dead and hundreds more missing.

BBC Verify has traced the path of the deadly flash flood using verified videos and satellite imagery. Merlyn Thomas reports.

Produced by Aisha Sembhi. Graphics by Mesut Ersoz. Verification by Emma Pengelly, Paul Brown, Charlotte Green, Shayan Sardarizadeh, Yi Ma and Benedict Garman.

The incident happened at Boyes in Queen Street, Scarborough, on Wednesday, August 5.

North Yorkshire Police has issued images of three people, including a topless man, who officers want to speak to about the theft.

“Please contact us if you recognise the people pictured on CCTV, as they may have information that will assist our investigation,” a police spokesperson said.

Anyone with information is asked to email ben.hepworth@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone 101.

Information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via its website.

Quote reference 12260150889 when passing on information to police or to Crimestoppers.

A group of friends were left “stranded” in Turkey after their flight home was unable to operate in mysterious circumstances. Justine Williams, Debbie Davies and Steve Wilson had enjoyed a trip away together in Marmaris, and returned to Dalaman Airport ready to fly back to Bristol Airport on Saturday, August 22.

The trio from Swansea, who started their holiday the week prior on Saturday, August 15, reached the point of boarding, and could see their plane through the windows. But the departure time came and went, with Miss Williams stating that very little information was given for the growing delays.

The group, who had booked their flights and hotel separate, rather than a package deal, claim they were ushered onto buses and taken to a hotel which “puts up people when they are stranded”, without being given any explanation as to why their flight had been cancelled. EasyJet later said it was due to an issue with the aircraft that required an engineering inspection.

Read the full story here

Bronte and Brett Jackson took the reins of The Bay Horse at Green Hammerton last August after it closed suddenly on July 28 “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

The previous publicans Jon and Tina Clarke left after nine years, leaving the Greene King owned pub shut for almost three weeks.

Now, after a successful and happy first year, Bronte and Brett who also have an events business, have signed up for five more years.

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The couple will also celebrate their first year on Sunday, with a birthday party from 2pm until late. It will feature pizza, live music, dj and face painting.

Bronte, 31, has lived all her life in Green Hammerton and says she and Brett love the village and the pub.

She told the Press: “It’s the only pub in the village. It’s a brilliant opportunity. There’s no immediate competition. It’s got loads of history. It’s a lovely building.”

Bronte says the couple took the 17th century venue on a Greene King scheme known as TWA, which allows you to trial it before committing yourself for the long term.

She continued: “We have a brilliant chef, who has put together a great menu. We have a permanent younger team of staff from the village. There haven’t been any reasons for us not to continue.

“We have a strong, young, willing team. We have enjoyed the past 12 months. We feel we have put our stamp on the pub. We just want to carry on, challenging as hospitality is.”

Business is ‘ticking over nicely’ a little quieter over the summer than expected, which Bronte feels may be caused by the fine weather encouraging locals to travel and go on holiday more, but business has since picked up in the cooler past week or two.

Either way, the Bay Horse has been scoring well on the review’s websites, with Google awarding 4.5 stars out of five, based on 546 Google reviews.

The latest Google review awarded five stars and said: “We booked two rooms for our stay with other family, both were clean and comfortable. We also ate in the pub, the food was excellent as were the staff (especially Morgan who was on her first shift). When we are in the area next, we hope to be able to stay and eat again.”

Looking ahead, Bronte expects a further boost from events at the pub including Octoberfest, Halloween and Christmas. Such events proved popular last year, with Christmas having a lovely ‘vibe’ in the pub. And Halloween promises to be ‘bigger and better’ this year.

The pub is about to replace it summer menu with autumn and winter menus, and it has just launched monthly themed menus for every second Thursday.

Bronte added: “We are really excited to have the challenge of the of the next five years and to continue to run this marvellous village pub.”