MH370 disappeared in 2014 with 239 people on board and has never been found, but the final words of the pilot continue to haunt those grieving the loss of their loved ones

The infamous flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished without a trace with 239 people on board – after the pilot uttered eerie five final words.

In 2014, the Boeing 777 transmitted its final message two hours after departure, when the Malaysian pilot delivered a chilling last five words that have baffled investigators ever since.

Zaharie Ahmad Shah signed off from Malaysian airspace as he prepared to enter Vietnamese airspace, radioing air traffic control with the words: “Goodnight Malaysia three seven zero.”

They would prove to be the last words ever heard from the cockpit. One of the most enduring mysteries surrounding the disappearance of MH370 is how a large commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 777 could go missing in an age of unparalleled aerial monitoring.

The eerie silence that followed sparked a torrent of controversy. Speculation ran rife, with some suggesting the aircraft may have been brought down by bad actors, with accusations levelled variously at the Chinese, Americans, and Russians. As the fruitless search presses on, so do the theories.

The Malaysian government has approved multiple fresh searches for the missing aircraft, joining forces with Ocean Infinity, a British search firm that works on a “no find, no fee” arrangement. The hunt has concentrated on the Southern Indian Ocean, widely believed to be where the plane crashed.

The plot thickened when the plane “went dark” upon entering Vietnamese airspace on that fateful night, prompting speculation that its onboard systems were intentionally switched off from inside the cockpit.

Despite the failure of its operating system, a considerable volume of data remains which has helped in mapping the aircraft’s flight path.

This information has proved invaluable in planning previous searches across the Southern Indian Ocean and has been central to shaping theories regarding the plane’s ultimate fate, including Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data, radar data, Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) data, and Inmarsat satellite data.

This data consistently suggests that the aircraft continued flying for more than seven hours over the Southern Indian Ocean before it finally disappeared — most likely plunging into the ocean’s depths, where any further detection became virtually impossible.

As a result, experts have painstakingly combed through this data, seeking conclusions rooted in evidence rather than conjecture and conspiracy theories. Simon Maskell, a distinguished professor in autonomous systems at the University of Liverpool, revealed to The Diplomat details of pioneering research his team undertook on MH370.

Employing data referred to as Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR), which harnesses low-frequency signals monitored by amateur radio operators over considerable distances, Maskell and his colleagues investigated the enigma thoroughly.

Through examining years of information from the WSPRnet database, the team succeeded in dismissing numerous implausible theories regarding the doomed flight’s fate.

Maskell explained that, according to their findings, three credible scenarios exist. He said: “The analysis we did indicated that there are three explanations that appear to be approximately equally consistent with the information we had at the time: there is a chance that a freak accident occurred and the crew were unable to communicate or land the aircraft elsewhere,” he stated.

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“[Or] it was a murder-suicide with the murderer alive when the descent occurred, [or] a murder-suicide with the murderer no longer alive when the descent occurred.”

This emerges amid increased theories surrounding the murder-suicide hypothesis, which gathered momentum after Malaysian officials uncovered a flight simulator at pilot Shah’s home containing a route strikingly similar to MH370’s final known path over the Indian Ocean.

There is no concrete evidence or indication to suggest that Shah, or his co-pilot, had any premeditated intentions to hijack the aircraft and deliberately crash it.

Nevertheless, the murder-suicide theory has arguably attracted the most scrutiny over the years, potentially owing to the absence of any other credible explanations.

Maskell highlighted that alternative theories were less consistent with the available data. It is worth noting that many searches have been undertaken over the years, including a three-year operation by Australian authorities covering more than 120 square kilometres of the Southern Indian Ocean, all without success.

“Given the plane has not been found and the area that has been searched is underpinned by assumptions that involve there being no human intervention during the descent, it now seems more plausible that there was human intervention during the descent,” Maskell said.

“That therefore slightly nudges up the probability that there was someone alive in the cockpit during the descent. However, all three explanations remain commensurately likely.”

Whether the fresh search will yield any results remains to be seen, but the absence of definitive answers 11 years after the aircraft’s disappearance highlights the profound complexity of the case.

“While it transpires that our calculations indicate that an accident would be a commensurately rare event to there being a successful attempt at murder-suicide,” Maskell said, “all the explanations imply that something like this happens very rarely indeed.”

Two Spanish fighter jets were sent to shoot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace earlier this morning.

The pair of Nato jets were already in the air when they were tasked with intercepting the unmanned aircraft at around 4.45am.

Around 15 minutes later, it had been shot down, with the wreckage landing in an unpopulated area between two towns according to Romania’s Ministry of Defence.

The ministry did not confirm where the drone originated, but said radars detected it entering Romania – an EU and Nato member – from neighbouring Moldova.

Defence Minister Radu Miruţă said his country is ‘in the front line of defence of the European Union’ in a post on social media.

He added: ‘Romania is defending its airspace, and our allies stand with us.

‘Vigilance, rapid response, and allied solidarity—these are the concrete guarantees of our security.’

According to news agency Reuters, the latest unmanned aircraft was the fourth shot down in Romania this year.

The country has a 382-mile land border with Ukraine and Russian drones have repeatedly entered its airspace since the war began four-and-a-half years ago.

In May, a drone from Russia hit a block of flats in the eastern town of Galați, which is close to the border with UKraine.

Two people were injured in the incident which also started a fire in the building, prompting an evacuation.

And last month, a cruise missile thought to be Russian landed in a field in Poland and left a crater 33 feet wide.

Meanwhile, an overnight missile and drone attack on Kryvyi Rih, the Ukrainian hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky, has killed a woman and wounded six others.

Zelensky posted yesterday that successful missile attacks had hit a Russian electronics manufacturer, airbase, and oil facility deep inside the country.

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

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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

MORE: Fighter jets scrambled to shoot down drone that entered Nato airspace

MORE: The Ukrainian children ‘abducted and brainwashed’ by unsanctioned Russians

However, if you are looking for a relaxing place to visit to soak up some sun, there are busier areas that you should avoid.

The Telegraph recently released a list of the 20 best secret and remote beaches around Britain to help you avoid the “madding crowds”.

The quiet spot, Budle Bay, made it onto the list as an alternative to the usually busy Bamburgh.

Why should I visit Budle Bay?

On the beach, The Telegraph said: “Visitors to the popular coastal town of Bamburgh looking for a quieter seaside experience should head north, past the castle and the lighthouse at Stag Rocks and round the head to reach Budle Bay.

“Here, as well as acres of golden sands to enjoy and sea that is safe for swimming and watersports, you can see Lindisfarne – or Holy Island – in the distance.”

Budle Bay is described as being a “hidden gem” in Northumberland with “stunning scenery and rich wildlife”.

Budle Bay is made up of a narrow strip of sand that follows the bay around, with grassy dunes and Northumberland countryside backing it.

The area is great for birdwatching and spotting wildlife like wildfowl, wading, and migratory birds, and if you are lucky, you might even spot grey seals, dolphins, and otters.

There are lots of walking and hiking trails to follow around the bay, or if you prefer to relax, the area is great for swimming and sunbathing.

If you want to spend a weekend in the area, The Telegraph recommends staying at Budle Hall, which is a B&B with rooms and a camping field behind it.

There are also plenty of other campsites where you can stop and enjoy the area.

What do visitors say about Budle Bay?

Budle Bay has a score of 4.2 out of 5 on Tripadvisor with 60 reviews.

One reviewer wrote: “Just breathtaking! Even when the tide is out, the mudflats attract feeding rare birds – a nature reserve like no other.

“Sandy beach is about two miles out to see from the observation point but worth the walk.”

Another person said: “One of the best beaches we’ve visited.

“There’s nothing else there, no shops or amusements etc so I’ve rarely seen it super busy.

“When the tide is out it leaves behind big pools which are lovely for children and dogs to play in safely.

“One of my favourite places in Northumberland.”

What is your favourite secluded beach along the Northumberland coast? Let us know in the comments.

Standing under the archway where King Charles, the late Queen Elizabeth II and plenty of other Royal Family members have been pictured on Christmas Day every year, I look up at St Mary Magdalene church.

I’m spending the afternoon with my fiancé and some friends exploring Sandringham Estate’s house – there are eight rooms open to the public – and the 60-acre gardens.

After a couple of hours in the sunshine admiring the horticulture, including a hydrangea named ‘King George V‘ and countless beautiful roses, we cool off with an ice cream from the Stables Café. 

Unlike most guests who visit this regal 20,000-acre Norfolk country retreat, we’re not going home at the end of day. 

Instead, we’re checking into accommodation for the next two nights that’s located within the grounds of the estate.

Rather than checking into a stately abode though, we’re staying in a deluxe safari tent at Experience Freedom’s Sandringham Estate glamping site – but it very much feels like we’re in the monarch’s back garden.

Travel reporter Alesia Fiddler checked into a safari tent on Experience Freedom’s Sandringham Estate glamping site

The Caravan and Motorhome Club has operated a campsite on the Norfolk-based land since 1977 and it was created with the help of the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, who was known to love the outdoors.

It recently underwent a major redevelopment including a new facilities block and reopened earlier this year. 

Our tent is one of four different types to choose from – there are 15 in total – and it is fully equipped with everything you might need including a stove top, kitchen appliances, a modern bathroom and even a dishwasher, it hardly feels like a tent. 

With enough space for six people – and from just £79 a night in low season, there are three bedrooms including a double bedroom, a twin bedroom and a double cabin bedroom.

It’s deemed too hot to use charcoal and disposable barbecues on the site (the tent is kitted out with a disposable BBQ stand next to the decking), so to make the most of the outdoor space and warm evening, we bring along an electric pizza oven and set it up on the verandah.

Surrounded by towering trees, we tuck into molten slices of margarita and pepperoni pizza as we sit underneath the beige canopy and look out onto the forest and other tents. 

At one point during the meal, a wild rabbit pays us a visit and scratches around the ground nearby the decking. 

With only fabric walls to separate us from the outside, I feel completely connected to nature and it’s a refreshing change from the hot and muggy London I’ve experienced this summer. 

The site sits surrounded by Norfolk nature, with a chance to explore the 20,000-acre royal estate too

In the evening, fairy lights twinkle along the edge of the verandah 

There is a spacious outdoor deck area to enjoy that’s sheltered from sun and rain

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The woodland walk across the estate from the site to the visitor centre and house

As the sun sets, a string of fairy lights come on and illuminate the edges of the tent and sparkle as the night draws in. 

We head inside and spend the evening enjoying drinks and board games on a spacious wooden dining table. 

In the morning, birds chirp loudly outside as we rustle up a bacon sandwich on the hob and enjoy it out in the fresh air. 

Our plans for the day are scuppered by a downpour – the first I’ve seen in a while in this heatwave summer – and we sit outside under the verandah as rain patters down and bounces off the material.

Water trickles off the canopy and the air fills with the smell of damp earth but the break from the heat isn’t long lived. The rain subsides and the sun breaks through after a couple of hours.

We take the opportunity to explore our back garden – the estate – some more and walk to Sandringham House from the safari tent.

A woodland trail winding through ferns and trees, across wide pathways and a walk through heavily wooded sections of the forest leads us to the visitor centre in around 30 minutes, though it feels much shorter.

In the evening, we’re spoilt for choice with the amount of restaurants and pubs nearby. 

We eventually settle for The Farmers – which is only a six-minute drive away – and tuck into homecooked food under wooden beams, sitting beside characterful bare brick walls.

The deluxe safari tent has three bedrooms including a double bedroom (pictured), a twin bedroom and a double cabin bedroom

The kitchen is fully equipped with a stove, sink, appliances and a dishwasher – it hardly feels like a tent

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Several beaches are located just a short drive away from the site. Pictured: The red and white striped cliffs at Hunstanton

With the sun still shining into the next day, we venture outside of the estate and head to the beach. 

The Norfolk coastline is only 20 minutes away by car and we are soon walking along Hunstanton South Beach, which is popular with families and young children. 

Further down, we find the famous red and white striped cliffs and soon reach Old Hunstanton Beach – much more peaceful than our first stop.

We have a paddle in the sea before heading home, this time to our flat rather than a royal estate, after enjoying a weekend fit for a king.

A knife amnesty bin will be set up at Nelson Square of Bradshawgate early next month, on Friday, September 4, between 6pm and 7:30pm.

Amnesty bins have previously been set up elsewhere around the town, including at the junction of Churchgate and Bradshawgate last Saturday.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “You may have unwanted knives at home and are worried about safely disposing them, this is an excellent way to ensure they are responsibly and securely disposed of.

“This is also an opportunity to anonymously hand over knives without fear of prosecution.

“If you wish to hand over a knife, please ensure the blade is safely wrapped in cardboard, secured in place with tape, and placed into an opaque bag whilst on route to the amnesty bin.

“No details will be taken, no questions asked, simply walk over, drop off, and walk away knife free.”

Anyone with any further information or concerns about knife crime in their areas can call police on 101 or 999 in the event of an emergency.

Alternatively, members of the public can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The gym would have two to three instructor-led classes per day

A new fitness studio and gymnasium may soon be opening in Peterborough. It comes after Peterborough City Council approved a planning application to change the use of a former vehicle repair workshop at Wharf Road Industrial Estate.

Applicant, Jess Croney, stated that the proposed new gym at unit 12 would be operated on a members-only basis. Documents suggested that there would be around two to three instructor-led classes per day, with eight participants per class.

“The classes will be staggered through the day, with sufficient intervals between sessions so that one class concludes and its participants depart before the following class begins,” the plans stated.

“This is a core part of the operating model and is specifically designed to prevent the overlap of arriving and departing attendees that could otherwise place pressure on the parking area.”

The only physical works proposed at the site were internal decoration and refurbishment, with new external lighting and CCTV cameras to be installed.

Internally, the unit would be laid out to provide an open training area for fixed and free-weight resistance equipment and cardiovascular equipment, together with ancillary floorspace. Free-weight and resistance areas would be fitted with resilient rubber gym flooring to control impact noise.

Externally, there would be seven car parking spaces provided (including one accessible bay), two motorcycle spaces, turning space and a designated pedestrian route to the entrance. The previous occupier of the industrial unit, a car repair centre, relocated to larger premises in summer 2025.

The unit was marketed for approximately seven months without securing a tenant.

“Given the established industrial and commercial setting, and the presence of similar indoor sport and fitness uses nearby – most notably the karate gym directly opposite – the change of use is wholly consistent with the character and function of the estate,” the design and access statement noted.

By JOE ROSSITER, REPORTER

Published: 00:01 BST, 16 August 2026 | Updated: 07:45 BST, 16 August 2026

A countryside ranger was involved in a heated conversation with a man using a portable stove in the tinderbox-dry bushes of Buckinghamshire’s Coombe Hill on Saturday.

The ranger sternly reminded the defiant cook that using an open-flame stove in the baking conditions could prove dangerous.

Clad in a light blue patterned short-sleeved shirt, the bearded chef looked glum as the ranger reprimanded him.

The heated exchange on the hill – which overlooks the Prime Minister’s residence at Chequers – came just a day after the Government’s national warning amid the wildfires ravaging the country.

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Andy Burnham was heavily criticised for using the UK’s national alert system to sound an alarm on mobile phones across the nation on Friday night warning of the wildfire risk.

‘There is a very high risk of wildfires nationally,’ the message read.

‘Residents, landowners and visitors should not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks.

‘Even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire placing lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk.’

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Join the discussion

Should people face tougher penalties for reckless behavior that could spark wildfires during dry spells?

The would-be chef looked annoyed as his defiance of national warnings against open flames outdoors was questioned by a National Trust ranger on Saturday

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But the exchange came to an amicable end as the pair shook hands on the tinderbox-dry ground

The warning prompted panicked Britons to jam 999 phone lines and startled drivers.

It also sounded on the BBC’s The One Show, which was being transmitted live, startling presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp. 

But the blaring warning was clearly not enough for the connoisseur of the Buckinghamshire bistro.

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However after his row with the ranger, the pair amicably shook hands.

The Bolton News exclusively revealed that the water company has taken the next step in implementing car parking charges in Rivington by submitting plans to introduce paid car parks around Rivington Reservoir.

The group submitted the application on July 29 for eight new number plate recognition cameras and four new payment machines to be installed in car parks around Rivington.

Parking charges on the site have loomed since 2022, though until now, no firm plans had been submitted.

Rivington Reservoir (Image: Derek Cartwright)

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “The increasing popularity of Rivington creates challenges including congestion, unsafe parking, pressure on paths and heritage assets as well as impacts on local residents and businesses. Without significant new investment, these issues will continue to grow.

“We have been engaging with local residents, businesses and councillors to share a proposal for car parking to be operated by Rivington Heritage Trust. There isn’t a fixed timetable for this, and the level of charges hasn’t been agreed yet. We will take the views of local people into account when setting them. We are in discussions with both Chorley Council and Lancashire County Council to ensure any proposals will help reduce congestion and improve safety for residents and visitors.

“Funds generated from car parking will be ringfenced and used to support improvements such as the creation of new car parks and refurbished car parks with bay marking, upgraded footpaths and signage, new toilets, new visitors centre, restoration of heritage assets including Liverpool Castle, the creation of education and engagement spaces and on-site staff who can help manage visitors, improve safety and protect the landscape.”

Lower House Car Park (Image: Chorley Council)

Even though the car parks fall within the jurisdiction of Chorley Council, the new restrictions will affect nearby Horwich and Blackrod.

Horwich and Blackrod First Cllr Peter Wright said: “It affects us here because Rivington is such a popular area. Many of those people will then end up parking somewhere else, for example side streets in Horwich.

“We know that United Utilities do a good job around here, but we will have to see how it goes.

“I know they’ve been in touch with some of the smaller councils in the area, but it would have been nice for them to contact Horwich council.

“I know they have some good plans going, like extending some of the car parks and making new spaces near Lower House.

Main Drive (Image: Chorley Council)

“Of course we’re going to try and stop it if we can.

“I know Lord Leverhulme left it for the community of Bolton when he died – but back then people didn’t have cars.”

Considering the current Premier League champions play in the game every season it is surprisingly rare for the Community Shield winners to go on to win the league.

Since the Premier League started in 1992-93, only eight of the 34 winners of the Charity or Community Shield have done so.

Five of those happened in a six-year spell from 2005 until 2010.

Manchester City, in 2019, were the last team to do so – and before that it was Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in 2011.

Only one of the past 15 winners of the Community Shield have gone on to become champions that season.

Since 1992 the teams who lose the Community Shield have won more league titles that season – 10 in total, including Manchester City for three years in a row between 2021 and 2023.

Last year Crystal Palace beat Liverpool and ended up finishing 15th, although they did go on to win the Conference League. The Reds also had a disappointing domestic campaign, finishing fifth.

Some 47% of the time (16/34) the upcoming season’s Premier League winners had not been involved in the Community Shield – like Arsenal in 2025-26.

And 53% of the time (18/34) the Shield winners have finished above the losers in the league that season.

On 10 occasions the two teams have finished as the top two in the Premier League – with four of those times being the Shield winners top and the losers as runners-up.

Chaos erupted across the US on Saturday, with three separate mass shootings threatening to snuff out dozens in Virginia, Kentucky and Chicago. 

In Kentucky, five people were shot, one fatally, when gunshots rang out in a park near a packed downtown bar district Saturday evening. At least 13 shots sent revelers running for cover, footage posted by a local official showed.

‘My heart is broken. This evening we had a shooting at the park with multiple victims and one fighting for his life,’ ONE Lexington Director Devine Carama wrote.

The shooting took place at roughly 6.45pm at Charles Young Park. 

A four-year-old, a 14-year-old and two adults were shot, police said in a subsequent update. All were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Another victim was declared dead at the hospital, a Lexington Police Department spokesperson told the Daily Mail. The spokeswoman said the incident remains under investigation.

Both Carama, the director of the mayor of Lexington’s youth gun violence reduction program, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear used the incident to call attention to high rates of gun violence.  

Meanwhile, a mass shooting was unfolding in Chicago, at around 7.15.pm. It left four injured, two critically, after a car pulled up beside a group walking along a sidewalk in the city’s Gresham neighborhood.

The victims, a 43-year-old man, a 34-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman and a man of unknown age, were all injured, after multiple occupants fired shots out of the windows before driving off. The incident is also under investigation. 

A mass shooting in Chicago at around 7.15.pm left four people injured, two critically, after a car pulled up beside a group walking along a sidewalk in the city’s Gresham neighborhood

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No arrests have been made in either incident.

A 19-year-old suspect was arrested Saturday evening, though, for a shooting that occurred at Virginia State University early Saturday and injured five, including a student.

The school, however, previously said in a statement that the shooting involved ‘multiple suspects.’

That shooting remains under investigation as well.

Suspected gunman Camron Harris is not a student and is from Virginia, Chesterfield County Police said in a statement shortly after making the arrest. Neither were four of the people injured.

The victims’ ages ranged from 17 to 23. Their names have not been released. The shooting occurred just after 1.30am and sent the campus into lockdown. One of the five wounded suffered critical injuries. 

The park plagued by gunfire in Kentucky, meanwhile, was in the midst of an outdoor concert event slated for six to 8pm, the Lexington Herald Leader first reported.   

Gov. Beshear was the first to confirm reports of the shooting, doing so during a speech in downtown Lexington at the Kentucky Democratic Party’s Moving Forward Together at the Hyatt Regency, not far away from the scene.

A 19-year-old suspect has been taken into custody for a shooting that occurred at Virginia State University early Saturday. The shooting injured five, including a student

‘To stop mass shootings, we have got to elect Democrats that will actually do something about it,’ Beshear said. 

Lexington Chief of Lexington Police Lawrence Weathers gave an update at the park as well, revealing that multiple children were among those shot in an update issued at the scene shortly thereafter.

It remains unclear whether a suspect was apprehended.

Weathers told reporters at the scene that he didn’t believe there was a threat to the public, the Herald Leader reported. 

A Lexington Police Department spokesperson told the Daily Mail the investigation was still active early Sunday morning.  

The University of Kentucky HealthCare reportedly sent an email to employees saying it was providing care to ‘multiple patients’ wounded during the ‘tragic shooting at Charles Young Park.’

Police were filmed making a perimeter around the park with their cruisers before sundown as well.

Chief Weathers told reporters: ‘If you know somebody who might be inclined to use a weapon, please do anything you can do to let us know before something happens.

‘Please let us know.’ 

The park plagued by gunfire in Kentucky was reportedly in the midst of an outdoor concert event slated for 6 to 8pm. At least 13 shots were fired, according to the hectic video

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The poster recalled parkgoers performing CPR and lifting young victims who had been shot 

Police descended on the park, where there was reportedly an outdoor concert in place, after witnesses reported gunshots at 6.48pm, police said – adding that they did not believe there was any more threat to the public

Carama, meanwhile, recalled parkgoers ‘trying to help with CPR,’ one lifting a young victim ‘who got shot,’ and ‘EMS responding to multiple victims in real time’ in posts to Facebook.

In the footage he shared, a woman can be heard screaming ‘my baby’ as bullets whiz by. 

‘This is not normal. We come together every year as a family and kick it on the Eastside and we haven’t had something like this happen, EVER,’ Carama added.