Three people have died after a news helicopter crashed into the ground as reporters covered another deadly bus crash in Los Angeles.

NewsChopper 4, which provides coverage for NBC LA and a local Telemundo channel, fell from the sky in Chatsworth.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the helicopter crashed while circling the bus accident below.

Four vehicles were damaged and police are investigating what prompted the crash.

‘From the helicopter itself, it’s pretty well destroyed,’ the police said in a statement.’

NBC and Telemundo said: ‘We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening[

‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.’

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

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The SNP is resorting to “gimmicks” to sell the idea of Scottish independence to voters, a leading expert on the party has said.

Professor James Mitchell rubbished John Swinney’s prediction that Andy Burnham would be the last Prime Minister of the UK – and said the case for independence had not been moved forward by this week’s Cardiff summit.

And the academic, who has studied the history of Scottish nationalism for 40 years, said the meeting in Wales which brought together the leaders of the SNP, Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru was “yet another blind alley”.

Swinney used a press conference in the Welsh capital to insist he would continue pushing for an IndyRef2 by 2031 and claim the UK’s days were numbered.

He later signed a joint agreement which declared: “The political landscape across these islands is changing.”

Mitchell told the Record: “The claim Burnham will be the last UK Prime Minister will be forgotten long before it is disproved.

“John Swinney knows this, which allows him to say it. It’s easy to say something to get a headline, knowing it will soon be forgotten – just as the numerous other predictions of independence’s imminence have been.

“The SNP approach is now very clear. Lots of gimmicks, declarations and the like, but evade the weaknesses exposed in the 2014 referendum – currency, pensions, Scotland’s very challenging fiscal status, and how to attain EU membership criteria.

“Without credible answers, it is easier to indulge in posturing – but these matters are real and unavoidable.”

Mitchell described the Cardiff summit as “novel” but “lacking in substance”. And the academic at the University of Edinburgh said Swinney would be “relieved” independence was being talked about rather than the recent Pisa report which found standards in Scots schools slipping.

He added: “The fact that the leaders of three minority parties are First Minister is indeed novel but does not materially change the constitutional situation.

“While Plaid saw a significant breakthrough in Wales in May, the SNP and Sinn Fein have lost momentum.

“This is an example of the SNP’s tactic of appearing to take the constitutional debate forward any real progress.

“The agreement is yet another blind alley in the pursuit of the SNP’s aim of independence. John Swinney will at least be relieved to have the constitution talked about, even if to no effect, rather than the latest PISA results.”

The first ministers of the UK’s three devolved nations used Monday’s summit to declare that “Westminster’s time is coming to an end”. During what Swinney described as a “landmark day”, he predicted Burnham would be “the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom”.

Asked by reporters whether the summit was an “appropriate use” of their offices, the First Minister insisted he was “simply advancing the mandate that was given to me by the public”.

The SNP fell seven seats short of a majority at May’s election – the benchmark Swinney had previously suggested was needed for him to begin negotiations with the UK Government over holding another referendum.

Half of drivers now say potholes are their ‘biggest worry’

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A summer of high temperatures will lead to more potholes during winter, the RAC has warned. Many parts of the UK experienced record temperatures during a summer frequented by heatwaves and it is these periods which will create even more potholes.

The RAC points towards the negative effect which UV rays have on the bitumen used to bind road materials together. When exposed to long durations of high temperatures, this can cause asphalt to become brittle and break away when it cools.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “As UV and heat oxidise the bitumen binder in asphalt, it becomes harder and less flexible which leads to cracking. Then water penetrates cracks and as vehicles drive over them, the surface breaks and potholes start to appear. This is the last thing our already fragile roads needed.”

A recent Report on Motoring conducted by the RAC spoke to 2,238 drivers and found that half of drivers saw potholes as their biggest worry, up from 47 per cent last year. Some 83 per cent of drivers say they encounter a pothole on most trips they make by car, while more than half come across potholes on every trip. In addition, 58 per cent say that they have to make an effort to avoid them on every trip.

Williams added: “Potholes are often associated with cold or wet winters, but prolonged periods of hot, sunny weather also takes its toll on the roads. Intense UV exposure and heat gradually oxidise the bitumen that binds asphalt together, making surfaces more brittle and prone to cracking.

“Once cracks develop, traffic and later rainfall can quickly turn them into serious defects.:

Most of us are used to hearing about the risks of not getting enough iron. Yet having too much iron in the body can also cause serious health problems.

Iron overload occurs when it gradually accumulates in the body. Excess iron can be stored in organs such as the liver, heart and pancreas. This can scar the liver, weaken the heart so it cannot pump blood properly, and damage the body’s ability to control blood sugar, leading to diabetes.

Could changing what you eat and drink affect how much iron builds up?

In a recent scoping review, my colleagues and I examined 40 sources on food, drink and supplements. These included 38 peer-reviewed academic papers and two sources of grey literature. The findings suggest that diet could complement medical treatment by changing how much iron the body absorbs, although its usefulness depends on the cause of the overload.

Doctors describe inherited iron overload as “primary”, and overload caused by illness or treatment as “secondary”.

Hereditary haemochromatosis is the most common inherited form. It causes the body to absorb too much iron from food, and is particularly common among people of northern European ancestry. Standard treatment involves regularly removing blood, a procedure called venesection or phlebotomy.

Transfusion-related iron overload develops after repeated blood transfusions, in which a person receives donated blood. Each transfusion adds iron that the body has no active system for removing. Treatment generally uses iron chelators – medicines that attach to iron so the body can pass it out in urine or stools.

This type of overload can occur in thalassaemia, a group of inherited conditions affecting haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Some people need regular transfusions, and thalassaemia can also increase iron absorption from food (though for those receiving regular transfusions, food usually provides a much smaller share of their excess iron).

What the studies found

Tea contains polyphenols – plant substances that attach mainly to non-haem iron, the form found chiefly in plant foods and foods with added iron. This makes the iron harder for the body to absorb.

A small clinical trial involving 18 people with hereditary haemochromatosis found that black tea reduced iron absorption from a meal. Participants asked to drink tea with every meal accumulated about one-third less stored iron over the following year than those drinking water. However, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant, which means the researchers could not rule out chance.

A later “crossover” study, in which all 14 adults tried both the supplement and an inactive capsule, tested extracts of black tea, cocoa and grape juice. The supplement reduced non-haem iron absorption from one meal and drink by about 40%. But because the study measured only this immediate effect, it could not show whether the supplement slowed iron accumulation or reduced treatment needs.

Coffee also contains polyphenols and can reduce non-haem iron absorption when consumed with meals. Evidence in people with iron overload remains stronger for tea, though.

Haem iron, found in meat, poultry and fish, is absorbed more readily than non-haem iron. People with hereditary haemochromatosis may therefore be advised to moderate red meat and particularly iron-rich offal, such as liver, while continuing to eat a balanced diet.

People with iron overload are also generally advised to avoid iron supplements and multivitamins containing iron, unless a doctor has prescribed them. UK guidance advises people with haemochromatosis to avoid breakfast cereals fortified with iron.

Vitamin C increases the absorption of non-haem iron. People with hereditary haemochromatosis are usually advised to avoid vitamin C supplements, although they can still eat fruit and vegetables containing it.

The advice can differ for people with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia, a form requiring regular transfusions, because some develop vitamin C deficiency. Medical guidelines allow small prescribed doses with certain iron-removing medicines or when deficiency has been confirmed. Unsupervised supplements can increase forms of iron in the blood that damage cells.

Alcohol is a particular concern, because it and excess iron can both injure the liver. A study of 206 people with the most common inherited form of haemochromatosis found severe, permanent liver scarring in 61% of those consuming at least 60g of pure alcohol a day, compared with 7% of those consuming less.

That amount is roughly 7.5 UK units a day and should not be treated as a safe threshold. UK guidance advises people who drink regularly not to exceed 14 units a week. Those with liver damage may be advised to avoid alcohol altogether.

People with haemochromatosis are also advised to avoid raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters and clams. These can carry Vibrio bacteria found naturally in coastal waters. The resulting infection, called vibriosis, can be unusually severe in people with iron overload.

What the evidence can support so far

The evidence does not support a single “iron overload diet”. As a scoping review, our study mapped the available research but did not formally rate every source’s quality, nor combine the numerical results to calculate an overall effect.

The studies covered different conditions and approaches, usually in small groups over short periods. Many measured iron absorption or blood-test results without examining longer-term health or treatment needs. We therefore cannot say that dietary changes reliably reduce how often people need blood removed or should take iron-removing medicines.

For people with hereditary haemochromatosis, current guidance advises avoiding unprescribed iron or vitamin C supplements and limiting alcohol and frequent red-meat consumption. Tea or coffee with meals may help reduce non-haem iron absorption.

People with transfusion-related overload need individual advice that considers their treatment and whether they have low levels of any vitamins or minerals.

Anyone diagnosed with iron overload should discuss dietary changes and supplements with their doctor or a specialist dietitian. Diet can support treatment, but it cannot safely replace it.

A drug dealer threatened to blackmail a customer who owed him a £2,000 debt and threatened that men from Cardiff would put him into the back of a van and kill him. The customer was also told that if he was not found, there would be consequences for his family and children.

Dominic Price, 37, had been in contact with his victim Jonathan Mott, who had racked up a £2,000 drug debt, and an agreement had been reached for him to repay the debt. This involved him selling drugs on Price’s behalf for several months but matters came to a head after the defendant made repeated requests for the money.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Price contacted Mr Mott by telephone on February 22 and told him he needed to repay the debt in full. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

Prosecutor Abdallah Barakat said: “The defendant said he would give his name and address to people from Cardiff and those individuals would find (Mr Mott), drag him, cut him and stab him, put him into the back of a van and kill him.”

Mr Mott was told he needed to repay the money by February 23 or he would face the consequences.

The victim called the police and his voice appeared to be shaky as he was in a state of distress.

The defendant was arrested and interviewed, but he responded: “I haven’t done nothing and I have said nothing, this is a set up.”

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mr Mott said: “Dominic has ruined my life, the life of my parents and my children. When he made threats to me I was terrified, I was shaking and could not stop crying. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared to contact the police and make things worse but I felt there was no other way I could keep myself and my family safe.

“I feel Dominic is a predator who took advantage of me and has impacted every part of my life. Me and my family have never experienced anything like this before. My family is extremely nervous the threats are going to be carried out. My parents are still very nervous they will be targeted by Dominic or I will be hurt by them.”

The victim said he had to leave his job in a school as he was concerned about the safety of the children and he thought about making an attempt on his own life.

Mr Barakat said Price was also to be dealt with for drug possession offences after police attended his home on January 8.

The defendant locked the door and refused to open it but a search was carried out after police gained entry.

They discovered cocaine, amphetamine and bromazolam.

Price, of Clos Dyfodwg, Llantwit Fardre, later pleaded guilty to blackmail and possession of class A and C drugs.

The court heard he has 12 previous convictions, the majority of which are drug related.

In mitigation, Harry Baker said not all of the victim’s problems could be laid at the feet of his client, and referred to the victim losing his job at the school because of his involvement in drugs.

Recorder Paul Lewis KC sentenced Price to 27 months imprisonment.

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Fenland District Council has called for answers after it was revealed that ‘vital services’ could be cut from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn

A district council has invited health chiefs to face questions over fears vital services could be cut from the nearest hospital to many towns and villages.

Residents in Wisbech and parts of Fenland may have to travel to Peterborough after the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn suggested it could shut its A&E, intensive care and maternity units.

Cllr Samantha Hoy said that region already suffers from health inequalities where residents are unhealthier and die sooner than the national average. The Conservative councillor told a meeting of Fenland District Council that it is “vital” they have “good access” to healthcare – but services at North Cambs Hospital and Doddington Hospital are already facing cuts.

Cllr Hoy, of Wisbech South, said it was “unclear” what services were being cut and called for the chief executive of the relevant NHS trusts to answer questions from the council’s overview and scrutiny panel.

She said: “There’s a lack of transparency, there’s a lack of answers – but residents are telling us that they’re having appointments changed and moved to different areas. It’s not an easy journey to Peterborough in the best of times, and so we absolutely cannot lose this service. I think it is vital for so many residents.”

Cllr Maureen Davis, of Doddington and Wimblington, said: “We need to be absolutely clear – we cannot, and we must not stand by while vital health services are gradually taken away from our communities.”

The Conservative councillor said that closing more services will force residents to travel “further and further for treatment” and rural communities “should not be treated as an afterthought”.

She said: “In an emergency, every minute counts – a longer journey is not merely inconvenient, it can have life-changing or potentially fatal consequences.”

Conservative councillor Andrew Woollard said that, as chair of the overview and scrutiny panel, he would be happy to invite health chiefs to face questions, but added they have “no statutory power to insist” they come.

Summing up, Cllr Hoy said: “We’re one of the richest countries in the world, we have one of the highest tax rates in the world and NHS funding accounts for 11 per cent of GDP – which is higher than average in developed countries – and we have hospitals that are falling apart. There is something really wrong in this country and there is something really wrong with our health system.”

The council passed the motion to formally invite health chiefs to answer questions on the potential cuts to services at North Cambs Hospital, Doddington Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

They will also write to the leader of Norfolk County Council to ask what action they have taken on the matter to date.

Most of the front pages highlight the finding of an inquiry that some of the babies killed by the former nurse Lucy Letby could have been saved if consultants and hospital management had acted after concerns were first raised.

The Daily Mirror, external describes the report as “damning”. The Daily Express, external says cot cameras will now be used to protect babies in neonatal units.

The Daily Telegraph, external leads with government proposals to give mayors the power to oversee water companies in England and Wales, in line with Andy Burnham’s plans to increase state control of utilities.

The paper says there’ll be nine new regional bodies tasked with setting company objectives, and holding bosses to account over bills, shortages and sewage discharges.

The Times, external reports that the government is considering sending military support to Saudi Arabia to counter attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

A defence source says a small team of military advisers was sent to Riyadh this week in response to a Saudi request.

The Guardian, external says the Telegraph and Reform UK are facing accusations of undermining journalism and eroding trust, after Nigel Farage’s party gave the newspaper stories that were about to be broken by other outlets.

The Telegraph published the details of two £36m donations to Reform shortly after The Sunday Times approached the party for a comment about the story. Neither Reform nor the Telegraph has commented.

“Russian spies recruiting UK teenagers” is the front page headline in the i Paper., external The paper say analysis by the think-tank The Institute for Strategic Dialogue has found that Moscow is recruiting young British people willing to carry out acts of violence.

They are approached in online groups and offered money, guns and training on making explosives and poisons. The i Paper says at least two attacks have already taken place in connection with one of the groups.

The Daily Mail, external says several copies of a new book by Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer, have been stolen from a lorry in the Netherlands.

The paper describes the book as explosive and says theories about who broke into the lorry range from a gang of opportunistic thieves to a misguided but highly informed supporter of the Royal Family.

Dear Coleen

My partner and I are both in our 50s and I moved in with her last year. We’re both divorced and have grown-up children from our marriages, which is one of the many things we have in common.

I’m finding it a challenge to live with her sons, who are 26 and 29, and still at home. Before I moved in, she told me they had plans to move out with their girlfriends and were saving up, but it’s been nearly a year and neither of them is showing any inclination to get off their bums and start their lives.

It drives me crazy because they’re both so lazy and let my partner do everything for them, but it’s difficult for me to wade in because they’re grown men. Whenever I tentatively bring up the subject of her doing too much for them and ask when they’re moving out, she gets really defensive.

Luckily, I have work to distract me and see my own kids (who are teenagers) most weekends – even they think it’s weird. I love my partner, but I’m not sure how much longer I can endure this situation.

Coleen says

I understand your frustration. Blending families is hard – I’ve been there – and it takes time and patience, however old the kids are.

Your partner is always going to defend her sons, and it probably doesn’t feel weird to her because it’s how it’s always been. I have older kids in their 20s and 30s and they’ve all moved back in with me at different points.

I think it’s become more common with the cost of living and young people being priced out of the housing market. None of that helps you but what might is a different approach.

Maybe the angle to take with your partner is she should encourage her boys to become more independent and self-sufficient, so they’re ready to move out. Try to help her see that doing everything for them isn’t going to prepare them for life.

Plus, when they do move in with their girlfriends, they need to pull their weight. They need to know how to budget, pay bills, cook meals and contribute to the household.

And, in fact, you might find that if she does stop doing everything for them, they might feel more encouraged to speed up their plans! Help her to see that it’s good to allow them to grow and do things for themselves so, when they do leave, they know what they’re doing. Good luck.

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The scheme applies to baby losses before the end of week 24 of pregnancy, or before week 28 for losses before 1992.

A Stormont minister says nearly 8,000 Baby Loss Certificates have been issued to parents in Northern Ireland in the first four months of the scheme.

The Baby Loss Certificate scheme officially launched in June and is designed as an act of recognition for parents who lose a baby in early pregnancy. The scheme applies to baby losses before the end of week 24 of pregnancy, or before week 28 for losses before 1992.

Some 1,800 applications were made for baby-loss certificates within the first 24 hours of the initiative’s launch. At the time, Sands NI, a charity that supports those who experience pregnancy or baby loss, welcomed the move as “wonderful news.”

Since launching three months ago, the scheme has issued nearly 8,000 certificates, it has emerged.

Finance Minister John O’Dowd says this demonstrates just how important this recognition is for parents and families who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a baby.

Mr O’Dowd said: “We have heard the impact of the certificates from bereaved parents, the comfort they feel in seeing their baby’s name formally recognised, and what it means to have something tangible that acknowledges their child and their place within the family.

“Some have described the certificate as providing enduring recognition that their babies remain an important and treasured part of their family story. Others have talked about how the certificates have provided acknowledgement not just from government but from society more broadly. This has helped grieving families feel supported and seen as they navigate an exceptionally difficult loss.

“Whilst no certificate could ease or diminish the grief that parents who have experienced the loss of their baby carry, the recognition of that loss is making a meaningful difference. This has been made possible thanks to the parents, advocates, and organisations who bravely shared their stories and campaigned for this scheme.”

Baby Loss Certificates are now available to anyone who has experienced a loss prior to the end of the 24th week of pregnancy. Parents who wish to apply for a Baby Loss Certificate can do so on the nidirect website here.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter .

Three people were killed after an NBC news helicopter crashed between two buildings near the scene of a deadly bus collision in Los Angeles.

The aircraft came down in a parking lot between two warehouses at the intersection of Northoff Street and DeSoto Avenue in Chatsworth just before 7pm on Tuesday, near where an SUV crashed into a bus earlier in the night. 

Two people had been killed in the bus crash, while six others were left injured.

The chopper appears to have landed on top of two shipping containers and several vehicles that were parked in the area.

The helicopter crash caused a massive blaze, with the Los Angeles Fire Department saying the flames threatened four vehicles nearby.

When firefighters finished extinguishing the fire, they were seen erecting a canopy over at least one body.

Authorities have since determined that three people were killed at the scene, including the two people onboard the helicopter and a pedestrian on the ground, while another was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition.

The impact sparked a massive blaze and killed the two people onboard as well as one person on the ground

A helicopter has crashed near the scene of a bus collision in Los Angeles, sparking a massive blaze that threatened four vehicles nearby

Four vehicles and two storage containers were also damaged in the blaze, the Fire Department confirmed. 

Following the crash, a longtime NBC 4 Los Angeles anchor confirmed that the chopper was a ‘television news helicopter,’ noting: ‘We are not in contact with our television news helicopter.’

‘We have lost contact with our people,’ Colleen Williams said through tears. 

She later confirmed that the news helicopter was from NBC Los Angeles, before the news station took a break to process the information.  

LA Fire Department Captain Branden Silverman had earlier told reporters on the scene that the helicopter is ‘pretty well destroyed.’

The crash came as local media outlets rushed to get aerial footage of the fatal bus crash, showing people running away from the scene as police cruisers sped toward the fiery explosion.

The helicopter came down near the intersection of Northoff Street and DeSoto Avenue in Chatsworth just before 7pm on Tuesday 

The news helicopter was apparently reporting on a fatal Metro bus crash nearby

It appeared the bus was crossing the intersection at around 5pm when the SUV T-boned it, sending both vehicles onto the curb, ABC 7 reports. 

Authorities are now looking into the possibility that one of the vehicles ran a red light.

Three people were killed at the scene, while others were rushed to local hospitals. The extent of the victims’ injuries remains unclear.

One of those killed was reportedly ejected from the bus, while the others were said to have been onboard the city bus. 

An LA Urban Search and Rescue Team was also seen extricating multiple people from the bus, with at least one person found stuck underneath the vehicle, KTLA reports.  

She was eventually freed and quickly loaded into an ambulance in unknown condition with what crews on the scene described as ‘crushing’ injuries.’ 

A Los Angeles firefighter is pictured responding to the scene of the helicopter crash

Firefighters are pictured responding to the helicopter crash on Tuesday evening 

Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged in the blaze 

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Soon after the bus crash, images emerged showing the front half of the Ford SUV embedded in the side of the Metro bus.

When the vehicle was then removed, a gaping hole was visible in the bus’s side, according to the Los Angeles Times.

At the height of the response, there were 56 Fire Department personnel on scene, spokesperson Jennifer Middleton told the LA Times.

The intersection where the two fatal crashes occurred will now be closed for ‘quite some time,’ she noted. 

In a brief statement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she is ‘absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight.

‘My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash,’ she posted on social media. ‘My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash.

‘I’m grateful to the city teams who responded so quickly,’ she added, as she urged the public to ‘please stay clear of the are as public safety officials remain on scene.’ 

Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the helicopter crash. 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.