Manchester teacher Will Nelson, 44, and his partner Kayleigh Smith, 36, died in Lisbon

The grieving family of a couple killed in the Lisbon funicular disaster have paid moving tributes to the pair to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy which claimed 16 lives.

Drama teacher Will Nelson, 44, and his budding theatre director partner Kayleigh Smith, 36, from Macclesfield, died when the Glória hillside tram in the Portuguese capital derailed and crashed into a building on September 3 last year.

Kayleigh was ‘the happiest she had been’ as she overcame ADHD and was poised to start a new career as a professional theatre director. Will taught drama at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester where he met Kayleigh.

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They were passengers on the historic 140-year-old Elevador da Gloria vehicle when the collision occurred. Portugal’s Air and Rail Accident Investigations Bureau has said the underground cable which snapped was acquired only the year before and had never been certified for passenger transportation. The cable acted as a counterweight between two carriages.

Kayleigh’s family, who were today attending a memorial event in Lisbon, said in a statement: “The last 12 months have been incredibly difficult for a lot of people connected with Kayleigh. Kayleigh and Will have left a huge void in our lives that cannot be filled and we will forever be reminded of that.

“We are all so proud of her which makes it harder. She had just passed her master’s degree, with distinction, at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester two weeks before the crash and was destined for a successful career as a professional theatre director having already won many awards and nominations during her theatre life.

“She battled with undiagnosed ADHD all through her life until her eventual diagnosis in 2022 yet remained defiant and still achieved so much. She was a shining light and inspiration for the many people she helped and encouraged.

“At this point, she was the happiest she had ever been, and when she travelled with Will to Lisbon, they had many exciting plans for when they returned.

“The love and support for us all has been overwhelming and we wish to thank our families, friends, professional bodies, and everybody in Kayleigh’s world.

“Our thoughts go out to all the families who have suffered as a result of this tragedy, the people of Kayleigh’s hometown of Macclesfield, and to the people of Lisbon. All the World’s A Stage – Shakespeare.”

Will’s brother, Gareth, also paid tribute to Will: “This has been the most difficult year of my life. A living hell is the best description. It is still difficult to put into words how much Will is missed.

“What I have learnt ever since this began a year ago is how much he meant not just to our family but to everyone who knew him. I know of so many occasions when friends and acquaintances have said when Will helped them, fought in their corner and unselfishly gave his time to help anyway he could. He and Kayleigh loved their theatre work and to hear that their legacy will be honoured in multiple ways in multiple places fills we with pride that you wouldn’t believe.

“I often think to myself what would he say about the change of political landscape, the football, the wrestling. I miss his booming voice, his burning intellect and wish I could have one more video game session or one more discussion. He was my big brother and idol, and I hope I can carry on his life mission to look after others.”

The third British victim of the crash has been named as Andrew David Kenneth Young, 82, a transport enthusiast from Holyhead, Anglesey.

Rebecca Gilmore, senior associate at law firm Hugh James, is supporting the families of all three.

By ED HOLT

Published: 00:54 BST, 3 September 2026 | Updated: 06:48 BST, 3 September 2026

This is the moment two mice sparred on a train platform while commuters waited for the Tube.

The battle of the rodents was caught on camera on the Central Line platform at Oxford Circus on Saturday.

In the footage, a passenger can be heard chuckling as the mice chase each other in circles in a fight over what appears to be a piece of food.

Without a Tom to break up the two Jerrys, their altercation escalates further as the mice start lunging at each other, egged on by the person recording who says: ‘Go on, get him!’ 

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A brief detente then ensues with the mice moving to different sides of the platform.

However, the tiny tussle then resumes and they begin sparring once more.

In scenes reminiscent of a fisticuffs fight, the mice then appear to be locked in a bizarre boxing match as they stand on their hind legs and throw punches at one another – much to the delight of onlookers who can be heard sniggering.

Eventually, one mouse comes out of the battle victorious and the other is forced to scurry away while the champion enjoys their prize. 

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The battle of the rodents was caught on camera on the Central Line platform at Oxford Circus on Saturday

In scenes reminiscent of fisticuffs fight, the mice appear to be locked in a bizarre fistfight as they stand on their hind legs and throw punches at one another

The scene at Oxford Circus was remarkably similar to photographer Sam Rowley’s award-winning picture of two mice fighting on an Underground platform.

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‘Station Squabble’, as the photograph was titled, beat 48,000 other entries to win the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 2020.

In order to capture the image, Mr Rowley spent a week overnight in the Tube network where he received ‘strange looks from commuters’ when he had to lie down on platforms in his attempts to get the best shot.

The panel of judges said at the time: ‘Sam discovered the best way to photograph the mice inhabiting London’s Underground was to lie on the platform and wait.

‘He only saw them fight over scraps of food dropped by passengers a few times, possibly because it is so abundant. This fight lasted a split second, before one grabbed a crumb and they went their separate ways.’

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What they leave behind in Gravelines is a scene of dejection and exhaustion. A limp toddler is carried past me towards a police officer, who revives him with a light shake.

This all unfolds next to four or so men casting their fishing rods into the increasingly choppy waters. It is peak holiday season here. They and other dogwalkers barely glance at the crestfallen migrants wading back to the stand.

Before, the gangs would often launch boats in the dead of night, but with increased police patrols, charity workers tell us the gangs now see the middle of the day as a better opportunity, as it takes taxi boats longer to arrive and it allows them to better co-ordinate boarding.

“You feel guilty being there – going to the beach and having a good time, while these families are in such terrible situations,” observes a woman with her young daughter. They had been playing with a bucket and spade.

“It’s hard,” she admits. “We regularly see people on the beach attempting the crossing. It feels like living in two parallel worlds that have nothing to do with each other; it’s really strange.”

The migrants remaining will wait for their next opportunity, as per their agreement with the gangs. But because of more robust policing that wait is now typically weeks, even months, rather than days.

They also need a favourable weather window: the wind needs to ideally be under 5 knots and waves need to be less than 0.8m for a small boat to have a chance of making it across.

To improve their chances of avoiding detection and to be closer to a taxi boat, charity workers tell us migrants are also sleeping closer to the beach in the woods or among the dunes, instead of at the larger camps where they can wash, or receive food, water and medication.

It is after arriving at the largest settlement at Loon-Plage, near Dunkirk, that we soon find ourselves in direct confrontation with the people smugglers.

As the intense heat bears down on a tent where people can charge their devices, we initially meet two young Egyptian men who are visibly tired and disheartened. They have been staying in squalid conditions for months and have made several unsuccessful attempts to cross.

“The police stopped us from leaving and destroyed the boats,” explains one. He says he wants to go to the UK so he can work and obtain legal papers.

A young Sudanese woman and Afghan man also told us they had also tried to cross dozens of times. We have been to the camp on several occasions over the past year, but this time there was a perceptible unease.

Riot police had cleared out the tents in the same week, and the day before around 400 migrants preparing for a taxi boat in the nearby Hardelot forest were forced to return after several fires broke out.

It is evident the migrants and the gangs have been repeatedly frustrated, and the sight of our camera in one corner of the camp leads to us being attacked.

After agreeing to stop filming, one smuggler, around 5’8″ tall (172cm) and in a new grey tracksuit, tries to grab our camera. He then repeatedly throws rocks at us from close range, striking our cameraman above the eye.

EXCLUSIVE: Scottish Labour leader hopeful Joe Fagan said rethinking the abolition of “priority need” should be carried out in a “rational” way”.

A call has been made to review Holyrood’s liberal homelessness laws to help Glasgow cope with a refugee crisis.

Scottish Labour leadership candidate Joe Fagan said rethinking the abolition of “priority need” for help with housing should be done in a “rational” way.

Glasgow council, led by the SNP’s Susan Aitken, is facing a £110m funding gap fuelled by rising homelessness costs.

The total bill for homelessness came to £38m in 2025/26, but estimates suggest this figure will rise to £75m next year.

Council chiefs believe the UK Government’s decision to clear a backlog of asylum seeker cases is behind the increased spending.

Asylum seekers who have been housed in Glasgow by the Home Office are declaring themselves homeless in the city after they are allowed to stay in the UK.

However, Holyrood’s decision to scrap the ‘priority need’ test for homelessness in 2012 is also under scrutiny.

Critics believe the decision has made Glasgow attractive to single male refugees from all over the UK.

Fagan, speaking on the Record’s Planet Holyrood podcast, said he backed a review of the “priority need” policy:

“I think it makes sense. Let’s do it on a rational basis. Don’t let Reform pull this into the realm of populism. Let’s look at this as a policy challenge that Glasgow and the country faces like any other.”

The South Scotland MSP, who is going up against Michael Marra in the contest, said looking again at “priority need” could be part of a “basket of measures” including more house building.

He also echoed calls by Aitken for more funding for Glasgow in this area:

“Susan Aitken’s right to call for more support from both the Scottish and UK governments. It’s incumbent on Scottish and UK governments to work with the local authority and find a collaborative way through this.”

With Glasgow housing more asylum seekers than any other part of Scotland, he was also asked if he supported a fairer distribution of people who have fled persecution:

“Yes, I do, and I think other local authorities can step up. Through national bodies like COSLA, local government has been trying to do that.

“But one of the issues that we find – and it makes sense in a lot of ways – is that cities will always pull diverse communities towards them. It’s always been the case through history.”

The latest pieces of President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging Washington makeover are set for an airing Thursday in front of a federal panel that already has blessed other big-ticket plans from the designer-in-chief.

The National Capital Planning Commission, which this spring approved Trump’s White House ballroom proposal after he razed the Executive Mansion’s East Wing without authorization, will discuss a proposed fence around Lafayette Park in front of the White House.

The panel also will review a proposed underground security screening center for White House visitors. It’s the first time the commission will take up either idea, and votes are not expected. But the commission and the separate U.S. Commission of Fine Arts thus far have not been an obstacle for Trump’s plans for the capital.

The fine arts panel, which is controlled by Trump appointees, approved the visitors’ center plans at its July meeting. It heard a presentation on the Lafayette Square fencing but took no action. The fencing also carries the most potential for controversy and opposition on Thursday.

The planning commission is not as dominated by Trump appointees but still has a clear tilt in the Republican president’s favor. The 12 members include three presidential appointees, plus Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, General Services Administrator Ed Forst and, from Congress, Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. James Comer, both Republicans. The new chairman, Mark Paoletta, will chair his first meeting. White House Counsel Will Scharf previously held the role.

Both proposals come at a time when security for the president is a top concern. The administration says the projects would be an improvement over temporary structures that have long been used for security, such as bicycle racks fashioned into barriers.

Trump has been the target of multiple assassination attempts, including two during the 2024 campaign and a third this past April as he attended a Washington dinner with White House journalists. Those concerns were heightened in May after U.S. Secret Service officers fatally shot a man who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint.

But Lafayette Square fencing still would be a marked permanent change to the usual access and appearance of the grounds in front of the White House. The square last had permanent fencing in the late 1800s.

The administration’s 79-page proposal for the 8-acre (3-hectare) park calls for fencing all the way around with larger gates at the north and south entrances. Options call for either including or excluding monuments located at each of the park’s four corners.

The White House Visitor Screening Facility, meanwhile, has been viewed as a noncontroversial part of the administration’s call for increased security measures.

The administration says the permanent facility, which it wants open by July 2028, would replace a series of temporary tents that have been used for years, in a bid to improve security on the White House complex and enhance the experience for visitors. The original design had it being built underground near the southern end of Sherman Park, just southeast of the White House. But consultations with other entities led to it being moved to the western edge, away from utility infrastructure.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) upgraded the rating of the maternity services at York Hospital following a two-day inspection in April.

It follows the watchdog improving the wider hospital site’s rating from inadequate to ‘requires improvement’ last year.

Maternity services at Scarborough Hospital were also rated good overall after a separate two-day inspection by the CQC in April.

The director of midwifery at the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs York and Scarborough hospitals, said it was a “proud moment” for the trust and “for the women and families we care for”.

York Hospital (Image: Newsquest)

CQC inspectors praised the “kindness and dedication” of staff and found “strong evidence of teamwork, learning and collaboration”.

The CQC said the reports also highlighted improvements in incident management, safer and more consistent triage, fire safety arrangements, maternity equipment, baby tagging and staffing arrangements, alongside stronger governance and oversight.

Inspectors found women received personalised care and that staff respected their personal, cultural, social and religious needs.

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Gill Hodgson-Reilly, the CQC’s deputy director of operations in the north-east, said: “Women and their babies are now getting the quality of care they deserve led by kind and dedicated staff teams

“Women consistently told us staff were kind, supportive and listened to their concerns, with some describing them as ‘real life angels’. We saw thank you cards displayed across all areas showing positive feedback and gratitude.”

She added that staff told the CQC that the hospital had a “strong culture of teamwork, and collaborative working”, adding: “Leaders and staff should be pleased with the positive findings, and we look forward to seeing their continued progress. We’ll continue to monitor the trust, including through future inspections, to ensure the improvements are embedded and sustained.”

‘We know our work does not stop here,’ says trust boss

The York and Scarborough trust’s director of midwifery, Sascha Wells-Munro, staff had been on a “significant journey” since York Hospital’s maternity services were rated inadequate.

“Behind this rating are hundreds of people who have supported one another and remained absolutely focused on providing safe, high-quality and compassionate care. I want to say a heartfelt thank you to every member of our maternity teams. They should feel enormously proud of what they have achieved,” she said.

“Importantly, thank you to every woman and family who has taken the time to share their experiences with us. Listening to those experiences, learning from them and acting on what we hear is fundamental to how we continue to improve our services,” Ms Wells-Munro added.

“We know our work does not stop here. I want to assure all women and families that we will keep listening to you and learning from you. We will build on this progress, sustain the changes we have worked so hard for and keep looking at how we can improve.”

The trust’s chief nurse, Joe Hague, added: “This rating provides important independent recognition of the progress we have made in the quality and safety of care.

“It’s an important milestone, but our responsibility now is to sustain these improvements and continue getting better. We will take confidence from this report while remaining focused on providing consistently safe, high-quality and compassionate maternity care for every woman, baby and family who relies on us.”

By ALISON BOSHOFF, EDITOR AT LARGE and LILY JOBSON, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 00:36 BST, 3 September 2026 | Updated: 03:46 BST, 3 September 2026

How do you celebrate when you’re given a lifetime achievement award for your work in front of the camera? Well, if you’re George Clooney, you get behind the camera instead.

The actor, 65, was honoured with the prestigious Golden Lion award as the Venice Film Festival opened last night.

But he swapped his film award for a film camera, borrowing a photographer’s lens to take his own pictures instead.

Tiziana Fabi, a photographer with news agency Agence France-Presse, posed for Clooney while holding the actor’s trophy.

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Accepting the award, Clooney said it was an ‘incredible honour’ before joking: ‘Do [the award committee] know something I don’t?’

In a politicised speech, the star said we are ‘living through a moment in time where people in charge… are telling us to fear one another’.

He continued: ‘The first people that authoritarians try to shut down are not politicians. They’re journalists who ask questions. 

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George Clooney was honoured with the prestigious Golden Lion award as the Venice Film Festival opened last night but he swapped his award for a film camera, borrowing a photographer’s lens to take his own pictures instead

Clooney appeared on the red carpet with his wife Amal for the premiere of Danny Boyle’s film Ink

Tiziana Fabi, a photographer with news agency Agence France-Presse, posed for Clooney while holding the actor’s trophy

‘They’re the artists who refuse simple answers. They’re the filmmakers, writers, actors and musicians who insist that someone you have never met is deserving of your empathy. Stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear.’

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Back on the other side of the lens, Clooney also appeared on the red carpet with his wife Amal for the premiere of Danny Boyle’s film Ink. The actor dressed in a Giorgio Armani tuxedo, while Amal, 48, wore an elegant, black Tom Ford gown.

Ink, based on the 2017 play by James Graham, follows Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of The Sun in 1969.

It stars Guy Pearce as Murdoch, Jack O’Connell as the paper’s editor Larry Lamb and Claire Foy as a fictional executive

Ms Foy said she found the world ‘really intoxicating’, adding: ‘They had power at their fingertips. They knew what they wrote would be… what people believed.’

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There has been no extensive research in Britain on why school absence might be causing obesity, but doctors who have spoken to the BBC have their theories.

One factor is diet. Since the 2000s – when all four UK governments passed laws to make school lunches healthier – it’s become much harder to find high-sugar or high-fat foods in most canteens. At home, those restrictions don’t apply. By 2010, a few years after the new laws were introduced, a study from the University of Leeds found that only 1.1% of home-packed lunches met the nutritional requirements that would apply to a meal bought by a child at school.

And a US study from earlier this year found that child obesity rose in states where a universal free school meal programme was withdrawn in 2022 (presumably because it prompted children to eat unhealthy food at home).

“While school food is not as good as it should be, there are some regulations around it,” says Keith Godfrey, an epidemiology professor at the University of Southampton. “Whereas in the home environment, it’s much more variable in terms of what children receive.”

Exercise also matters. A British study from 2014 looked at step counts measured with electronic sensors, and found that most children are more active on school days than weekends.

After two years away, San Miguel is back in Wetherspoons — following a wave of demand from drinkers who made it clear they wanted their favourite Spanish beer brand back.

And to celebrate its return, San Miguel is bringing one of Britain’s most familiar summer holiday rituals to the local: the great towel dash.

Because nothing says British holiday quite like the race to reserve a sunbed. The towel over the lounger. The strategic early alarm. The unspoken battle for the best spot by the pool.

Wait is over: Sam Miguel is back in Wetherspoons – just in time to keep summer going (Image: Wetherspoons)

Now, San Miguel is giving the ritual a Spanish Summer twist — bringing it out of the resort and into the pub.

Enter the Great San Miguel Towel Dash.

From Thursday 3rd September, the first customers through the doors at selected Wetherspoons pubs will be met by holiday-style attendants ready to hand out limited-edition San Miguel towels and complimentary ice-cold San Miguel pints.

The towel dash will take place across three cities:

·       Thursday 3 September – London: The Sir Alexander Fleming

·       Friday 4 September – Birmingham: Figure of Eight

·       Saturday 5 September – Manchester: Paramount

Each activation will run from midday, on a first-come-first-serve basis. There’ll be a limited number of San Miguel towels up for grabs, but if you miss out, don’t panic. Bring your own towel and you’ll still have the chance to bag a free pint, but just like on holiday, there are only so many prime spots.

The mission is simple: get there first, grab your towel and claim your spot with a refreshing San Miguel.

Just like on holiday, there are only so many prime spots — and only the quickest will get their hands on the coveted towel and free San Miguel pint.

It’s a playful nod to a ritual that millions of Brits know all too well, turning the familiar sunbed scramble into a reason to make the most of San Miguel’s long-awaited return.

And that’s exactly what the Spanish summer is all about.

San Miguel believes summer shouldn’t be confined to a few weeks of annual leave or a flight to Spain. It’s a feeling you can bring into everyday life — whenever, wherever and however you choose.

The campaign encourages us to hold on to that holiday attitude for longer: turning an after-work pint into a long evening, stretching a catch-up with friends into the night, or simply choosing to stay out a little longer.

Throughout September, San Miguel is on a mission to keep the Spanish Summer spirit going. With San Miguel back in Wetherspoons, that Spanish Summer feeling is now closer to home — at the local, whenever you’re ready for it. And San Miguel isn’t stopping there. Spanish Summer celebrations will culminate with San Miguel Day on 29 September.

Full details on ticketing and the line-up will be shared via San Miguel’s social channels. For more information, please contact sanmiguel@wcommunications.co.uk.

Ed Hussey, Senior Brand Manager at San Miguel UK, said: “When San Miguel left Wetherspoons, Britain made it pretty clear that they wanted us back. So, we wanted to make our return feel like something worth celebrating. The towel dash felt like the perfect way to do it. It’s one of those brilliantly British holiday rituals that everyone knows — and we’re bringing it to the local, with a San Miguel in hand. Because Spanish Summer doesn’t have to end just because the holidays do.”

One last taste of Spanish summer.

On 29 September, San Miguel Day will give Britain one more reason to keep summer going, with the brand’s annual celebration of Spanish summer attitude, anytime, anywhere.

To mark the occasion, San Miguel will take over the popular Queen of Hoxton in London for a true Spanish Summer rooftop party. Guests arriving with their San Miguel towel in hand will receive complimentary entry and a free ice-cold San Miguel — giving summer one final hurrah before autumn takes over.