The 18th York World Naked Bike Ride will take place in York next Saturday (September 12) – starting at Millennium Bridge at 4pm and returning to the same spot.

The global protest highlights the dangers faced by cyclists on roads dominated by motor vehicles and aims to raise awareness about the environmental impact of fossil-fuel-dependent transport.

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The global protest highlights the dangers faced by cyclists on roads dominated by motor vehicles and aims to raise awareness about the environmental impact of fossil-fuel-dependent transport.

Organisers describe the ride as a celebration of cycling as a “healthy, fun and affordable alternative,” with some participants choosing to ride naked to symbolise vulnerability and promote body positivity.

World Naked Bike Ride sets off from Millennium Bridge , York Picture Frank Dwyer.

This year’s theme is ‘Bare as you Dare’ with organisers encouraging both clothed and unclothed cyclists to take part – encouraging them to be ‘comfortable in this space of acceptance’. 

Sadie Tann, a participant and first-time organiser, said: “We have all witnessed the devastating impacts of climate change this summer.

2015 The York Naked Bike Ride sets off from Millennium Bridge on Sunday Picture Frank Dwyer.

“Carbon dioxide levels are rising at an unprecedented rate with current figures at 427ppm. This is the highest it has been in human history and the primary driver is fossil fuel emissions

“One way of tackling this first-hand is to switch our cars for carbon-free bikes, and the more of us that do so, the greater the call to local councils for better infrastructure will be.”

World Naked Bike Ride sets off from Millennium Bridge , York Picture Frank Dwyer.

The 7-mile route is expected to take around two hours and will pass through the University of York, with views of the city’s historic walls and the River Ouse.

Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 group shared their frustrations over the postponed case.

US officials have expressed confidence that the trial of a Libyan man accused of making the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988 will “successfully” go ahead in the new year after a recent postponement caused concern among campaigners.

The federal prosecution of Abu Agila Masud over the deadliest terrorist attack in UK history is now due to get under way on January 11 in Washington DC after the judge ordered a delay last week, citing the disclosure of new evidence that defence lawyers wanted to examine.

The last-minute hold-up, just as jury selection was set to begin, sparked consternation within the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 group, given the elderly age of many bereaved relatives.

A spokesman for the US Department of Justice said: “It is not unusual for trials to be continued, and the government is confident that this case will go forward at the new trial date successfully.”

However, a hearing due to be held into the status of the postponed case on Tuesday was itself delayed until September 15.

Court documents said this was due to “the complex nature of the case, the amount of time required to adequately prepare for pretrial proceedings and for trial… the voluminous discovery, including newly discovered evidence, as well as evidence located in other countries… and the need for the defence to determine how best to defend this case”.

As such it was concluded the “ends of justice… outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial”.

The nature of the newly discovered evidence has not been revealed. Masud’s legal team say the disclosure was made at short notice and that their “constitutional and ethical obligations require the defence to investigate this development”.

The defendant, now in his mid-70s, is charged with two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors claim he once confessed to his role, although this has been challenged by his lawyers. Masud, who was extradited from Libya to the US in 2022, has denied the charges.

All 259 passengers and crew and 11 people on the ground were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded 31,000ft above Lockerbie and 38 minutes into its flight from London to New York.

Former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only person convicted in connection with the bombing, after being found guilty of 270 counts of murder by a panel of three Scottish judges sitting at a special court in the Hague in 2001.

He was sent to serve his prison sentence in Scotland but was controversially granted compassionate release in 2009 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, returning home to Libya where he died in 2012.

His fellow Libyan co-accused Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, who was cleared at the time of involvement in the atrocity, was recently reported to have died.

Scottish prosecutors have always maintained that Megrahi acted with others in carrying out the attack.

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The pair remain in hospital

Two men were hospitalised with “serious” injuries after a crash between two motorbikes in Peterborough. A blue Yamaha MT-03 motorcycle was being ridden in Stanham Way, near Cardea, at about 5.20pm on Monday, August 31.

The rider was then involved in a head-on crash with a black BMW S1000 motorbike. The rider of the Yahama motorbike, a 19-year-old man from Peterborough, suffered serious, life-threatening injuries.

The rider of the BMW motorbike, a 32-year-old man from London, suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. Both men were taken to Peterborough City Hospital, where they remain on Tuesday morning (September 1).

An investigation has been launched and anyone with any information, including dash cam footage, is urged to report it online or by calling 101. They should quote Op Michigan or incident 321 of August 31.

It comes as free bus travel over the summer holiday for children comes to an end.

The move to offer the free travel is designed to ensure children placed in temporary accommodation can stay at their school, maintaining their routine and minimising disruption to their education.

The Mayor Bev Craig announced when she was elected that the free bus travel offer for children in temporary accommodation would be in place for the new school year.

She has now confirmed that the policy will come into effect from today (1 September).

Families living in temporary accommodation who are eligible – which includes those living more than two miles from their school or where their route is considered unsafe to walk – will be assessed for eligibility by their local council who will then issue the pass.

Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “I believe everyone deserves a safe home they can afford. Across our region, too many people face the risk of homelessness.

“As Mayor, I’m committed to reducing the number of families stuck in temporary housing, including by building 50,000 council and genuinely affordable homes.

“We know that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation. That’s why I’ve also promised to reduce the prevalence of out-of-borough placements to keep families in their communities.

“But we need to help families facing homelessness now, when they need it most. That’s why I backed the campaign to give children living in temporary accommodation free travel to and from school on Bee Network buses and I’m pleased that, as Mayor, we are making it a reality – to make life that little bit easier in difficult times.”

The Greater Manchester Strategy – the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation.

Measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to access, improve and retain a decent, affordable home.

As part of that free Bee Network bus travel to and from school will be provided to children placed in temporary housing by a local authority in Greater Manchester from today (1 September).

Sam Pratt, Policy and Communications Lead at Shared Health Foundation, a charity which supports homeless families in Greater Manchester, said: “We are really pleased to finally see bus passes will be provided for homeless children living in temporary accommodation. Even more significant is that their parent or carer will be offered support while accompanying them to school too.

“For children already facing the uncertainty and disruption that comes with living in temporary accommodation, ensuring they have the cost covered to travel to school will ease the burden of being homeless.”

The free school pass will be available to primary and secondary school aged children living in temporary accommodation that is located more than two miles from their school or if they live within two miles, but the route is not considered safe to walk.

Parents or carers of eligible children under 12 will also be provided with a linked pass, allowing them to take their children to school and collect them at the end of the day.

The programme, codenamed C430L, reportedly involves the ‘transfer of a highly strategically sensitive military technology from Russia that the Iranians have wanted to acquire for decades’

Russia has been covertly helping Iran develop advanced supersonic cruise missiles, according to reports.

According to an investigation by the Financial Times, the assistance by Russia started in 2023 and has continued into the US war on Iran.

The US and Iran have been at war since February 28 when joint US-Israeli forces carried out strikes on several key Iranian sites. Iran retaliated by striking sites across the Middle East and closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway.

The programme, codenamed C430L, has used some of Russia’s most experienced missile specialists to help the Middle Eastern nation develop a new class of weapon. It is being carried out via Russian correspondence, travel records and analysis of military patents.

Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iranian missiles and senior analyst with Conflict Armament Research, a UK-based weapons-tracing organisation, said: “This is the transfer of a highly strategically sensitive military technology from Russia that the Iranians have wanted to acquire for decades.

“A programme like this would require political clearance from the very top in Russia.”

Weapons such as these would pose a threat to US warships in the region and could add a new element to the months-long conflict.

The main purpose of the programme is to assist Iran to develop a ramjet propulsion system, an engine that allows a cruise missile to sustain flight at several times the speed of sound.

Supersonic cruise missiles shorten the time available for air and missile defences to detect and engage them and would help Iran in the Gulf where the US operates advanced defensive systems.

“For the Iranians, this would give them a qualitatively new strategic weapon system that could threaten US Navy vessels,” said Jim Lamson, a former Iran-focused military analyst with the CIA now at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

Iran has built and flight-tested the ramjet propulsion system. There is no evidence that a Russian-assisted supersonic cruise missile have been deployed yet.

By ADAM S. LEVY, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 00:38 BST, 2 September 2026 | Updated: 03:14 BST, 2 September 2026

Jared Leto made more than $7 million as he sold a Los Angeles mansion he owned for $12 million earlier this year.

The 54-year-old actor in May finalized the real estate deal on the property, which had once been a base for the U.S. Air Force, TMZ reported on Tuesday.

The 14,649 sq. foot home has six bedrooms and five bathrooms, as it’s situated on a lot of land spanning 1.4 acres.

The Academy Award-winning star had initially purchased the Laurel Canyon property in 2015 for $5 million, the outlet reported.

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Among the unique amenities of the home include a trio of 35-millimeter screening rooms, film vaults with temperature-control and a sound stage.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Leto for further comment on the story. 

Jared Leto, 54, made more than $7 million as he sold a Los Angeles mansion he owned for $12 million this past May. Pictured October in LA 

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The property had been the location for training films for the Army, and newsreels for the Air Force that featured late Hollywood icons such as Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart and Gregory Peck, according to the outlet.

Other notable features of the unique property include concrete blast walls that are four feet thick, a shelter and a tower intended for air-traffic, according to a 2017 WSJ Magazine profile.

The Suicide Squad actor spoke about the unusual history associated with the property in the piece, saying, ‘There are so many crazy rumors about this place: Everything from “Part of the moon landing was filmed here” to “They used to keep prisoners downstairs.”

‘They had laboratories. They were doing all kinds of God-knows-what.’

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Leto noted he had converted the soundstage on the premises to a studio for his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, according to the report.

Leto was in the headlines earlier this summer following the July release of a BBC documentary titled Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Darkest Secret.

The documentary included allegations from four women who accused the entertainer of sexual misconduct, stating the incidents had occurred when they were aged 16-19.

The claims, which Leto denied, were situated between the years 2002 and 2016, a timeframe in which Leto had primarily been in his 30s and 40s.

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The 14,649 sq. foot home has six bedrooms and five bathrooms, as it’s situated on a lot of land spanning 1.4 acres

The Academy Award-winning star had initially purchased the Laurel Canyon property in 2015 for $5 million

The actor in May finalized the real estate deal on the property, which had once been a base for the U.S. Air Force

One woman said in the BBC doc that Leto had assaulted her when she had been 17-years-old while in the bathroom of a motel.

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Another woman said that Leto had threatened her with sex assault when she was 19, in a hotel room.

A woman in the doc said she had been 17 during a sexual encounter with Leto in California, where the age of consent is 18.

Another accused claimed Leto had made sexually graphic statements to her while on the phone when she was 16.

Leto, through a statement, denied all of the allegations, saying, ‘I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life.’

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He added, ‘These claims are absolutely and categorically false.’

Germany has said Russia was responsible for last month’s drone attack at Leipzig’s airport.

A drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany, close to Ukrainian cargo planes, on 4 August.

It failed to explode as the detonator was apparently faulty, and investigators suspect a second drone collided with a cargo aircraft nearby. A third drone was reportedly found near the airport 10 days later.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the Leipzig airport attack followed the “well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe” and the assumption was that Germany would be targeted again.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused Germany of planting evidence to blame Moscow for the attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport.

Putin did not provide evidence for the accusation.

Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in Berlin said the allegation that Russia was responsible was “absurd”.

Dobrindt said examination of the equipment used along with intelligence findings proved Russian involvement in the attack.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who was standing beside Dobrindt at a press conference in Berlin, said he would order the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn, and the contract for the Russian House in Berlin will also be terminated – which many observers have said has been used for espionage and to spread Russian propaganda.

He also announced tighter entry controls for Russian nationals and vowed to increase pressure on Moscow’s shadow fleet – old tankers used by Russia to circumvent Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Wadephul said he had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev. He was seen arriving at the foreign ministry shortly after the announcement.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, said Moscow would respond in a “mirror-image” fashion to Germany’s measures while the Russian embassy described the measures as an “unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations”.

“Berlin is sponsoring terrorism”, Zakharova told the German Press Agency in reference to its military and economic support provided to Ukraine.

There have been previous suggestions that the Goethe-Institut in Moscow would have to cease operations if the Germans went through with closing Russian House.

Security experts had speculated that Russia may have been responsible, however Russia has always rejected claims of involvement.

Leipzig/Halle Airport in the east of the country is used by Germany’s military and Nato allies for the transport of military goods and also serves as a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines – which carries most of the country’s aerial cargo.

The head of Nato, Mark Rutte, said the organisation “stands in full solidarity with Germany”.

“The evidence is clear. And I welcome the measures announced by Germany in response,” he wrote on X.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X: “We are united in our resolve to stand against Russian aggression. We will deter anyone who seeks to undermine our freedom and security.”

She added that the EU was preparing additional sanctions against Russia.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Russia was “escalating tension across the whole region”. Polish prosecutors are investigating whether foreign intelligence services were involved in a fire at a factory making drone components on Monday.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Russian attempts to undermine our united resolve and our willingness to support Ukraine are futile and doomed to fail.”

Germany is one of several Nato member states to have reported drone sightings at airports, military and industrial sites over the last year.

Berlin has until now been tight-lipped about who may have been behind the Leipzig attack, except to say “foreign powers” may have been involved.

US media had already reported that American officials had linked the incident to Russia.

Berlin has warned that the country is the “daily target” of hybrid warfare, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned last week that those who carried out hostile acts against Germany would “pay a price”.

The government is looking to boost the powers of its intelligence services, which have long been criticised as relatively toothless, to counter such threats.

Germany is a key backer of Ukraine with Merz forthright in his support for Kyiv.

However an MP in Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) party said the measures so far taken against Russia “fall far short of what is required” and Moscow “just laughs” when its ambassador is summoned.

“From a self-proclaimed leading nation, I expect courage and resolve, not self-deterrence and appeasement,” said Roderich Kiesewetter.

It is not hard to imagine why Ukrainian cargo planes at a key German logistics hub might be in Moscow’s sights.

But this announcement comes at a delicate moment for Merz’s government.

A key state election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt could propel the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) into power at a state-level for the first time.

The AfD, which is Germany’s biggest opposition party, wants to stop sending support to Ukraine and reopen ties with Russia.

In a separate development, German police said they were investigating the discovery of improvised explosive and incendiary devices at a power substation in the eastern state of Brandenburg on Tuesday.

A power line was damaged, which caused a temporary outage. It is not known who planted the devices.

By SOPHIE CHURCH – POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 22:45 BST, 1 September 2026 | Updated: 03:08 BST, 2 September 2026

Andy Burnham was dealt an underhand blow on Tuesday as his predecessor Keir Starmer resigned as an MP.

In a move that left Westminster reeling, Sir Keir tendered his resignation as Labour‘s MP for Holborn and St Pancras on the day Parliament resumed after the summer break.

And in a further headache for Mr Burnham, Sir Keir’s shock resignation saw Green leader Zack Polanski poised to challenge Labour in the resulting by-election.

The ousted former PM had previously said he would remain on Labour’s backbenches until the next election, but in a final parliamentary U-turn said on Tuesday that now was ‘the right time’ to resign.

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Sir Keir issued a statement saying he would now focus on ‘international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world’.

This came as the new Prime Minister returned to Westminster on Tuesday to face the scrutiny of MPs after a summer spent courting voters.

Andy Burnham was dealt an underhand blow on Tuesday as his predecessor Keir Starmer resigned as an MP

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Sir Keir tendered his resignation as Labour ‘s MP for Holborn and St Pancras on the day Parliament resumed after the summer break

The Greens on Tuesday suggested Mr Polanski would now run for the London constituency after months of speculation about his designs on becoming an MP

But Sir Keir’s resignation wrested attention away from Mr Burnham as he tried to win over MPs after the parliamentary break.

And he now faces a tough contest to hold Holborn and St Pancras against an emboldened Green Party – which made record gains in May’s local elections in London thanks to Labour’s vote crumbling.

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The Greens on Tuesday suggested Mr Polanski would now run for the London constituency after months of speculation about his designs on becoming an MP.

When asked about the Green leader’s intentions, a Green Party spokesperson said: ‘Zack has always made it clear he would like to be a London MP. London has been his home for over 20 years.’

This followed Mr Polanski saying in April he would ‘almost certainly’ run in a future by-election in the capital – and even eyeing up Sir Keir’s seat.

In an interview with la Repubblica, he said: ‘If there’s a by-election in London, I’ll almost certainly be running depending on where it is.

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He added this could include Holborn and St Pancras ‘if Keir Starmer is going anywhere’.

Mr Polanski in June suggested he would be willing to co-operate or form a coalition with a Labour government led by Mr Burnham.

Commenting on the chances of a Green win in North London, director of polling firm More in Common Luke Tryl said: ‘For Labour, this will be a real test of whether Burnham can actually unite the left in a real election and save their urban strongholds.

‘For the Greens, it’s a test of whether or not Polanski can recover from recent stumbles and recapture his momentum of early spring.’

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Politics professor at the University of Manchester Robert Ford wrote on X: ‘The seat has exceptionally high shares of non-white voters (66 per cent), graduates (51 per cent) and young ppl (47 per cent aged 16-39) – all groups that have swung Lab to Green in recent years.

‘This could be a humdinger of a by-election.’

This comes as Andrew Feinstein, an independent who came closest to beating Sir Keir in Holborn and St Pancras in the last general election, suggested on Tuesday he would do a deal with the Greens to deny Labour victory.

He wrote on X: ‘We must ensure that all progressive forces in Holborn & St. Pancras unite in order to deliver an MP who represents us & will work for us.

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‘An MP who is the antithesis of everything that Starmer stands for.’

Both Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe on Tuesday confirmed they would stand candidates for the upcoming by-election for Reform and Restore Britain respectively.

The disturbing full details of Below Deck star Nathan Gallagher’s sustained and brutal attack on his co-star and girlfriend expose just how close he came to killing her.

The Daily Mail yesterday revealed the 28-year-old Irish reality TV personality has fled the country to avoid facing justice before the Australian courts.

When his assault was finally revealed only last week – after being kept secret for nine months since his arrest – Gallagher insisted he’d been unfairly shamed.

In a self-pitying statement to Rolling Stone magazine, he told the world no-one should judge him because they hadn’t ‘heard the full story surrounding what happened’.

Well, here it is.

Police facts reveal the real grim truth about how he tried to strangle and suffocate her, aggressively asphyxiating her while he straddled and blocked her from breaking free.

And he did it to the mother of his son – as the child lay on the bed alongside her.

Gallagher, 27, and Gael Cameron, 29, were in her apartment in Melrose Park, 12km north-west of Sydney CBD, on Boxing Day night last year.

The facts say that Gael Cameron (pictured)  ‘tried to pull away and [Gallagher] persisted continuing to cover her mouth so that the victim was unable to breathe’

Gael Cameron (centre) arrived at Sydney’s Burwood Local Court on Tuesday to give evidence against her former partner and Below Deck co-star Nathan Gallagher

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The couple had drunk about a bottle of wine and were in a relationship described by NSW Police as being ‘on-again, off-again’.

The Australian met Gallagher, a lad from an Irish fishing village who loved boats, in mid-2024 when they were hired as deckhands on season nine of the reality TV show, Below Deck Mediterranean.

They would feature in the following two seasons which charted ‘their reconciliation, transition into parenthood and Nathan’s yachting career’ versus his relationship with his partner and child, the Bravo show notes say.

As midnight rolled over that Boxing Day, the couple ‘engaged in a verbal argument’, police alleged.

Ms Cameron went into the bedroom and asked Gallagher to sleep in the other room, but he ignored her, ‘entered the bedroom, the argument renewed and he became violent,’ according to police.

Court documents reveal how the sustained assault unfolded between 3am and 7am, mostly in the bedroom of Ms Cameron’s unit. 

Referring to Ms Cameron as the ‘victim’, the police facts state what happened next is that Gallagher ‘used one hand to cover the mouth and nose of the victim’.

‘The victim tried to pull away and [Gallagher] persisted, continuing to cover her mouth so that the victim was unable to breathe at certain points,’ the court documents state.

Police facts describe how Nathan Gallagher strangled and tried to asphyxiate Gael Cameron (pictured together) in her Sydney apartment as their six-month-old son lay next to her

Gael Cameron (pictured at court on Tuesday with two supporters) was held down and choked by her former partner and Below Deck co-star Nathan Gallagher

During the sustained assault, Gael Cameron (pictured) tried to scream and tell Gallagher that she could not breathe but he became ‘increasingly aggressive’

Ms Cameron then tried to scream and tell Gallagher that she could not breathe but he became ‘increasingly aggressive’. 

‘During the struggle, the victim has fallen to the floor of the bedroom between the bed and the wardrobe trying to break free from [Gallagher]… while trying to hold on to the edge of the bed where their six-month-old son was lying,’ the facts add.

‘[Gallagher] continued to restrict the victim’s breathing by holding both hands over the victim’s mouth. 

‘Ms Cameron began screaming and she believes Gallagher did not want her to be heard by the neighbours. 

‘While preventing the victim from breathing and making noise, [he] held the victim down on the bedroom floor, wrapping his legs around the victim to better control her.’

During the struggle, she used her left elbow to strike Gallagher in the mouth in an attempt to get him off her, ‘however this only angered him further’.

‘[He] placed both of his hands around the victim’s neck applying enough pressure which made her unable to breathe,’ the court documents add. 

‘The victim used her legs to try and kick him off her and scream for help. Gallagher used an open right palm and struck her on the left side of the jaw. 

Nathan Gallagher was a no show at court, but police facts reveal that he ‘placed both of his hands around the victim’s neck applying enough pressure which made her unable to breathe’

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Ms Cameron and Gallagher had an on-again, off-again relationship which finally ended after he brutally assaulted, choked and restricted her breathing during an attack in her home

‘This caused pain and swelling.’ 

Ms Cameron tried to break free and grabbed her son to run out of the room, but Gallagher blocked her trying to leave. 

She then ran to the bathroom where Gallagher cornered her and ‘used both hands to grip the neck of the victim and whilst applying force lifted her up. 

‘(Ms Cameron) was unable to breathe during this time,’ police told the court.

‘After some time, he has held the victim from behind, holding her wrists and wrapping his arms and legs around the victim, holding her down on the bed.’

When Ms Cameron woke up the following morning, Gallagher continued the argument, and blamed her for causing it. She then picked up her son and fled the apartment to go to her brother’s home. 

Police were called and found her ‘highly distressed and emotional’. They saw ‘bruising along her legs, arm, left side of her face, swelling to the face and a laceration inside of her lip consistent with a blow to the face’. 

Gallagher was arrested and police told the court he admitted holding Ms Cameron down, wrapping his arms around her, and that during a struggle, she fell to the floor.

Gael Cameron, 30, suffered bruising and lacerations in the assault by her now ex-partner and former Below Deck co-star Nathan Gallagher

Nathan Gallagher, 27, and Gael Cameron, 29, were in her apartment in Melrose Park (pictured), 12km north-west of Sydney CBD, on Boxing Day night last year

He ‘categorically denied choking the victim or covering her mouth in any way, or punching her’. 

‘He admitted holding her down and wrapping her up, but claimed it was to calm her down,’ the court documents stated.

Ms Cameron turned up to give evidence at court on Tuesday, looking sombre and supported by two companions, believed to be family members, but there was no sign of Gallagher.

His no-show for the scheduled hearing came despite telling Rolling Stone he had ‘contemporaneous video footage from the night in question’.

He also claimed he had ‘messages and other records, which I believe provide important context and show events that have not been publicly reported,’ he told the magazine.

He also said there were ‘other matters surrounding the relationship that I have never discussed publicly, including circumstances surrounding the breakdown of our relationship’.

Gallagher claimed it involved ‘financial matters relating to the purchase of an apartment in Sydney’.

‘I don’t believe it is fair for one version of events to be presented publicly as though it is the complete story,’ he added.

Nathan Gallagher has previous form for not showing up at court on violence charges. There are now two police warrants for his arrest, in NSW and in Ireland

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By failing to appear as legally required, the judge convicted him in his absence without ‘his side of the story’ being aired, and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The now-convicted woman-basher has now lost his opportunity to present whatever  mitigating factors he might have claimed existed for his violent outburst.

It was also revealed there is another warrant for his arrest in Ireland, issued in April last year.

Just like in Sydney, he had failed to appear in court there to face a charge of assaulting a man and causing him harm. 

When India’s power demand surged at the height of summer, the country struggled to meet evening needs as air conditioners ran longer amid hotter nights. Despite this demand, some renewable energy providers were told to limit their output because the country had more clean electricity available than its grid could safely handle.

In the last 15 months, India curtailed nearly 11 terawatt-hours of solar generation — enough electricity to power about 10 million homes, according to government data and research by energy think tank Ember. That solar power went unused even as extreme heat and poor monsoon rains drove up demand for power in India for cooling and pumping groundwater for agriculture.

India, the world’s most populous country and one of the largest emitters of climate-polluting gases, is rapidly adding clean energy, especially solar, to its power mix. However, it can’t use all the clean power it could generate because of insufficient transmission and storage capacity and the technical difficulty of shifting between fossil power and renewables.

Energy experts say that contradiction points to the next big challenge for India’s energy transition. Building solar and wind farms is no longer enough. India also needs more transmission lines to move electricity across the country, batteries to store renewable power until it is needed and a more flexible power system that can quickly adjust as wind and solar output rises or falls.

“We’re in a stage where some of the biggest hurdles in renewables are starting to hit us,” said Neshwin Rodrigues, an energy analyst at Ember.

Clean power gets switched off despite record demand

India has more than 300 gigawatts of clean power capacity, more than half its total installed electricity capacity. But coal still produces most of the country’s electricity.

Experts said the main reason for this is curtailment — when a wind or solar plant could produce electricity but is ordered to reduce or stop generation as the grid cannot take the power.

Rodrigues said that when solar generation surges in the afternoon, it’s difficult for coal units to reduce their output because they are relatively inflexible and cannot ramp down quickly without compromising efficiency, increasing costs or risking operational problems.

Trying to make thermal power plants flexible and adapt to increasing supply from clean energy sources “is like asking an elephant to dance,” said Vinay Pabba, CEO of Hyderabad-based renewable energy company Vibrant Energy.

Pabba said curtailment results in losses for clean power developers. “We get paid only for what we put on the grid,” he said.

The high concentration of renewable generation in western India has also meant that transmission lines in that part of the country get congested quickly. The western states of Gujarat and Rajasthan account for nearly 50% of India’s solar power capacity.

“When solar peaks, usually in the afternoon, there is a limited pipe to evacuate it,” said Pabba.

Another risk of not building storage quickly is that dirty fuels get used more. “Without enough storage, India risks keeping coal plants running even when cheap renewable power is available,” said Vibhuti Garg, South Asia director at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

While a solar or wind farm can sometimes be completed within two years, building new power lines can take a minimum of three years, according to energy experts.

India has achieved only about 80% of its annual transmission construction targets over the past five years, research by Ember has found.

Spreading more renewable development across other parts of the country, while adding more wind and smaller local solar projects, could reduce pressure on crowded transmission corridors and make the electricity supply more balanced throughout the day, said Disha Agarwal, an energy analyst at the New Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water.

Agarwal said the challenge is likely to become more difficult as renewable capacity keeps rising.

India is aiming for 500 gigawatts of clean electricity capacity by 2030. Also, Indian policymakers expect nearly 70% of India’s installed power capacity to come from nonfossil sources by 2036.

Batteries could help save power for when it is needed

A study released earlier this month by the India Energy and Climate Center at the University of California, Berkeley, found that renewable power backed by batteries can provide electricity with reliability approaching that of conventional power plants at a price researchers said is lower than the price of power from new coal-fired plants.

Batteries make it possible to store solar electricity when it is abundant in the afternoon and discharge it after sunset, when demand remains high.

But India’s storage sector remains far smaller than what planners said will eventually be required.

“If we try to increase the solar installations without solving for energy storage, it is only going to lead to curtailment,” said Ankit Mittal, CEO of battery storage company Ingro Energy.

Mittal said India is trying to transform several parts of its electricity system simultaneously as power demand rises. “Things that were supposed to happen over decades” are now happening at once, he said.

The government said in July that it had about 3 gigawatts of battery storage and 7.4 gigawatts of operational pumped-storage capacity. It expects India’s storage needs to reach about 74 gigawatts by 2032.

“If high quality energy storage projects are not built, we could be adding an additional layer of risk to grid operations while also decelerating our nation’s ability to achieve our energy transition targets,” said Avinash Rao, CEO of Mahindra Susten, a leading renewable energy company in India.

Rodrigues, the energy analyst, said batteries can be built much more quickly than major transmission infrastructure, making them one of the fastest options for easing some immediate constraints.

Industry stakeholders said that few, if any, foresaw the incredible increase in demand happening as the country’s transportation and other major sectors electrify and data centers are built.

“None of us saw it coming. If we had seen it coming, we would have probably planned our way around it,” said Pabba of Vibrant Energy.

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Sibi Arasu can be followed on X at @sibi123. Reach him at sarasu@ap.org.

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