“People have called us heroes but to be honest I’d like to think most people would’ve got stuck in and helped if they could.”

The ‘North Belfast knife attack hero’ has recalled the moment he tackled the suspect with his son’s hurling stick, fearing for the victim’s safety.

Maitiu Mág Tighearnán intervened during the knife attack in the Kinnaird Avenue area of North Belfast on Monday night, June 8, to rescue the victim, Stephen Ogilvie.

Sudanese man Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, charged with the attempted stabbing murder of Mr Ogilvie, threats to kill an NHS radiographer on the same day and possession of a knife.

He has been remanded in custody for four weeks. The court heard that the 44-year-old victim had lost his left eye and received deep cuts to his head, face and back.

32-year-old Mág Tighearnán and a friend said they jumped out of their car to rescue Mr Ogilvie as he lay on the ground. The pair had stumbled across the horrifying incident by chance as they took a short-cut to a petrol station.

Mr Mág Tighearnán, from West Belfast, who had been driving, told the Daily Mail: “I turned into Kinnaird Avenue and I could see another car stopped in the middle of the road a little further up. The woman driving then began reversing at speed as though she was trying to get away from something.

“She stopped as I approached and I drove round her, and as I did so we could see what looked to be two men fighting in the street, with one on top of the other. This was late at night and so we thought we better go and break it up. Andre was in the front passenger seat and he jumped out first.

“He’s trained in Brazilian jujitsu and so he approached them to separate them, but as he got closer he saw the knife. It looked to be a serrated steak-knife but with a broken handle. He shouted to me that the man attacking the other had a knife and to get something to help.”

At this point, Mr Mág Tighearnán said he thought someone was going to lose their life: “I’d taken my son to hurling practice earlier that evening and so I’d got out of the car, gone to the boot and grabbed his hurling stick. Instinct took over and I ran over and I smashed this guy over the head with the hurling stick. Right on the flat side, about three times. As hard as I could.

“Andre was a few seconds behind and he came running in and tried to subdue the attacker with an ankle-hold so he could free the victim. I hit this guy again, hard, but it didn’t seem to phase him. He did stumble back, though and dropped the knife. I think another man who’d been watching came in and kicked the knife away.

“We were trying to roll the attacker onto his stomach to subdue him but he was struggling. The police then arrived and four officers took over before armed tactical support turned up.”

Mr Mág Tighearnán, who runs his own removal company, added that the victim, Mr Ogilvie, was “still conscious but weak with all the blood loss”.

“When he was taken away, he looked to have a horrible injury to his eye. The knifeman was led away by six officers but they were still struggling with him. I’m glad we intervened when we did. It was pure chance that we’d gone that route to the petrol station.

“People have called us heroes but to be honest I’d like to think most people would’ve got stuck in and helped if they could. I just hope the victim pulls through and manages to recover as best he can,” he added.

Maitiu’s proud partner, Aoife O’Reilly, described him as “very, very humble”, adding, “I couldn’t be prouder of Matt. This is my partner and the father of my child who stood in and hopefully saved a man’s life last night.”

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched to ‘buy a pint’ for Maitiu, reaching over £20,000 in less than 24 hours, with the organiser, Niall Donnan, saying he has been told that Maitu wants to share some of the funds with the victim.

Maitiu wrote online that he had stumbled on the attack ‘by chance’ and that he ‘got out to protect a young lad’ when he saw what was happening and that the police had yet to arrive.

If you would like to donate and buy a pint for the ‘knife attack hero’ please follow this link.

For the latest on this developing story follow our live blog here.

Vasily Belokurov is one of three winners of the 2026 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics. The award is for “uncovering the fossil evidence of past mergers proving that the Milky Way galaxy” was built through the continuous collision and merging of smaller objects.

No matter the time or vantage point, from a pre-Neolithic cave to a post-lockdown London high-rise, the predictability of the night sky has always been humanity’s symbol of permanence and reassuring stability.

Yet this apparent calm is deceptive. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, emerged from chaos and turbulence, and its constellations are full of migrants, exiles and survivors. Right now, it has begun to stretch and distort again, pulled by a massive companion and heading for an inevitable collision.

How can I be so sure? As a galactic archaeologist, my job is to reconstruct the past of our galaxy and read the signs of its future.

Instead of digging through soil, I use the laws of dynamics and stellar evolution to sift through hundreds of millions of stars – searching for the most ancient and chemically peculiar among them, interpreting their orbits and piecing together the events that shaped the Milky Way. One ancient encounter left scars so deep that, billions of years later, they still define the galaxy around us.

I want to understand what governs the lives of these massive cosmic systems: which changes are nature – the slow internal evolution of a galaxy disc – and which are nurture, imposed by collisions and mergers.

Questions about the source of dark matter underpin it all. This is the invisible substance whose gravity holds galaxies together, but whose true identity remains one of the greatest unsolved puzzles in astrophysics.

The Milky Way is the one galaxy where stellar motions can be measured in extraordinary detail. This allows cosmologists including myself to construct our most precise map yet of dark matter: how far it reaches, how dense it is around the Sun, what shape it has and how smooth or lumpy it may be. If we can build this map in enough detail, we may begin to understand not just where dark matter is, but what it is.

A cataclysmic collision

Our work has been transformed by a revolution in open sky surveys. From 2000, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey showed what becomes possible when vast astronomical datasets are made public, enabling discoveries far beyond the goals for which the survey was first built.

And since 2014, Gaia, the European space telescope, has taken this transformation to another level by mapping the positions and motions of nearly 2 billion stars, turning the galaxy into a vast archaeological record. No ruins, no shards and no bones – only stars that hold the clues.

The clearest giveaway that something cataclysmic took place long ago in our galaxy is the migrants we observe: stars that were not born in the Milky Way.

While native stars mostly travel together, circling the galactic centre in the great rotating flow of the disc, migrants cut across that order. They slide past the locals, plunge into the inner galaxy, then fly back out to its outskirts, again and again.

These unusual orbits go hand-in-hand with unusual chemistry. Most of the migrant stars are less enriched in heavier elements than the locally born population. Their chemical composition is a sign of a slower rate of evolution that is typical of a dwarf galaxy.

This makes the migrants doubly valuable. They are both fossils of the Milky Way’s violent past, and probes of its outer regions, travelling where the local stars rarely go.

How the Milky Way was rewired

One of the central ideas in the theory of cosmic structure formation is that galaxies grow hierarchically. Smaller galaxies fall into larger ones and are torn apart, leaving their stars behind as migrants.

In the Milky Way, the largest ancient structure of this kind is known as Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus. It is the remains of a vanished galaxy that collided with our own between 8 and 11 billion years ago (the “sausage” refers to a pattern in its stars’ motions).

The Milky Way also did not go through that crash unscathed. The collision rewired and reshaped it.

Some of these changes are easily visible in the data. Stars from the old disc were splashed into our galaxy’s halo, becoming exiles in the place where they were born. A new posse of star clusters were also acquired.

At the same time, we think something even more momentous was taking place. The encounter changed the orientation of the Milky Way’s disc, and its alignment with the dark matter halo.

While dark matter is too diffuse to dominate our Solar System, in the outer galaxy it is the main gravitating mass – moving, streaming and, in the standard picture, clumping into a hierarchy of lumps.

Around the Milky Way, this dark matter forms a vast halo, much larger than the luminous part of our galaxy. We often imagine this halo as a sparse, round cloud, but Gaia has helped show this picture is too simple.

The dark halo can be stretched out of shape by a major encounter. Like a ship beginning to list, the Milky Way started to lean – not suddenly, not visibly, but over billions of years.

A new galactic dance

Unusually compared with many galaxies of similar mass, the Milky Way was allowed ample time to recover from the shock of the “sausage merger”. No other cosmic cataclysm appears to have shaken our Galaxy since, letting it settle into a quiet, uneventful life. That is, until now.

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), currently our galaxy’s most massive companion, is already pulling at the Milky Way, disturbing its halo again. In an echo of what happened some 10 billion years ago, the Milky Way is being drawn into an accelerating dance with this neighbouring dwarf galaxy, recoiling in response to the LMC’s approach.

This is a dance that only one galaxy is likely to survive intact. A new chapter of migration, survival and adaptation has begun.

None of this spoils the beauty of the night sky – it deepens it. The calm band of light above us is not a symbol of permanence, but the visible reminder of a long survival.

The Milky Way has been broken, rebuilt and is now being disturbed again. Its stars remember the past; their motions reveal the future. What looks eternal is, in truth, a moment in a much longer story.

It has been closed since 2023

A section of the Wales Coastal Path located in Neath Port Talbot looks set to remain closed after “significant ground instability issues” which the local council say risks public safety.

The news came after a group of councillors from the area launched an online petition in May calling for urgent action to re-open sections of the path around Baglan, Briton Ferry, and Sandfields West.

It was started by Labour opposition members who called for the Welsh Government and local council to repair and re-open these sections as soon as possible. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter.

This followed an open letter from 20 members of the local Labour group in Neath Port Talbot to the Welsh Government cabinet minister for rural resilience and sustainability, MS Llŷr Gruffydd.

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In it they said the “prolonged closure” of the path had gone on for several years and was becoming a matter of growing frustration and disappointment for residents who previously used it for walking, cycling, and enjoying the natural environment.

They added the closure had affected active travel connections in the borough as well as tourism, health, and local wellbeing.

The latest petition called on Neath Port Talbot Council to formally write to the new Welsh Government for urgent intervention and a clear restoration plan.

It also requested that Welsh Government secure funding in order to repair the path as well as publishing a clear timetable for its reopening.

The petition, led by councillors Josh Tuck, Carol Clement-Williams, and Suzanne Paddison, said: “The Wales Coastal Path is one of our nation’s greatest assets – a world-renowned route that should be a source of pride for communities across Wales.

“Yet for several years major sections around Baglan, Briton Ferry, and Sandfields West have remained closed, fenced-off, and left to deteriorate.

“This unacceptable situation has denied local people access to an important walking and cycling route, damaged tourism and local businesses, and undermined community wellbeing.

“Residents across Neath Port Talbot are increasingly frustrated by the lack of visible progress, the absence of a clear timetable for restoration, and the continued neglect of a nationally-important coastal route.”

However a spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Council said while they were supportive of re-opening the route in principle it was not currently feasible to do so safely or sustainably.

They said: “While acknowledging that the local authority receives funding via Natural Resources Wales to maintain the Wales Coast Path (WCP) the current position as relates to the closure of a section of the WCP in the Baglan/Briton Ferry area is not due to how funding is allocated.

“The route was closed in 2023 following significant ground instability issues, including the formation of sinkholes, which presented an unacceptable risk to public safety.

“While grant funding can support initial works the local authority must also consider long-term maintenance, ongoing safety risks, and legal responsibilities, particularly where the route crosses privately owned land and is not recorded as a registered public right of way as shown on the definitive map.

“While the WCP is recognised as an important route within the county borough the safety of the public is paramount and it is unfortunate therefore that the local authority is unable to re-open this section of the route at this time.

“The local authority remains supportive in principle to the re-opening of the route, however based on the constraints identified through discussions with the landowner, Natural Resources Wales, and Welsh Government it is not currently considered feasible to do so safely or sustainably. The agreed diversion will therefore remain in place at this time.”

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The father of Stephen Ogilvie has issued a plea to those spreading disinformation as his son remains in ICU

The father of a knife attack victim in North Belfast has made an urgent plea to those peddling misinformation online, urging them to ‘Please stop’. Stephen Ogilvie lost an eye and sustained further severe injuries following the assault on Kinnaird Avenue on June 8.

Hadi Alodid, 30, of Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court on Wednesday, facing charges of attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, threatening to kill an NHS radiographer, and possession of a knife.

UUP leader Jon Burrows revealed on the morning of June 10 that he had spoken with Stephen Ogilvie’s father, who confirmed his son remains in ICU but is in a stable condition following the attack.

Widespread violence and disorder broke out across Belfast and several other towns in Northern Ireland on Tuesday night in the wake of the North Belfast incident, reports Belfast Live.

Mr Burrows confirmed that the victim’s father had a personal message he wished to convey. He said: “I want to thank Mr Ogilvie for taking the time to speak with me at such a distressing time for his family.

“His son remains in the ICU following the devastating injuries he sustained, but is stable. The injuries inflicted upon him are truly shocking, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his entire family.

“The victim’s father has also asked me to pass on a direct appeal to those spreading disinformation online: please stop. This has shockingly included false posts on social media at various times that his son has died.

“This is causing immense additional distress to a family already going through an unimaginable ordeal. I echo that appeal wholeheartedly and urge everyone to act with decency and respect for this family.

“I offered my full solidarity and support to the whole family today.”

Mr Burrows continued: “I will be meeting with the Secretary of State tomorrow, where I will be raising issues directly related to this case.

“It is important that those in political leadership engage with issues like immigration, the security of our borders and the protection of all our citizens, whilst also standing unequivocally on the side of law and order. I also appeal again for parents to ensure their children are not out on the streets and involved in disorder.

“Tomorrow I will be asking the Secretary of State to meet the family of Stephen Oglivie in the coming days.”

In a previous statement released via Independent Councilor Stafford Ward, Stephen’s relatives emphasized that they “want to make it clear that overnight unrest is not welcome”.

The family also commended locals who intervened to help the victim and requested privacy from both the public and media.

“We are aware of the tensions and talk of protests following this incident. We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward.

“We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work. We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility,” the family said.

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For millions of 90s TV viewers, Dean Cain embodied the ideal man. 

With his movie-star looks, Princeton education, and starring role opposite Teri Hatcher in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Cain became one of the decade’s biggest heartthrobs, helping turn the Man of Steel into appointment television for an entire generation. 

At its peak, the show attracted more than 15 million viewers per episode and made Cain a household name.

Three decades later, however, the actor’s public image looks very different.

What did Dean Cain say about Milly Alcock?

This week Cain found himself at the centre of fresh controversy after appearing to endorse a social media post mocking new Supergirl star Milly Alcock. 

The backlash began when an X user questioned how Supergirl could have pierced ears if her skin was bulletproof. Another user then replied with an image comparing Alcock to Cha-Ka, a character from the 1970s TV series Land of the Lost.

Cain responded: ‘Dang it… I laughed.’ 

Backlash quickly followed, with many fans pointing out how disappointing it was to see a former Superman actor appearing to join in with a joke at the expense of a 26-year-old actress about to inherit one of DC’s most iconic roles. 

Many ritics accused Cain of participating in misogynistic appearance-based mockery and undermining a younger performer, with one writing on Reddit: ‘She is like the most conventionally attractive woman ever. We can’t win,’ while another replied: ‘THIS. RIGHT. HERE. They just hate women. Period.’

And the backlash did not prove to be a learning experience for Cain.

Since Sunday, the MAGA-supporting actor has replied to or reposted at least 30 posts related to the Supergirl controversy, interspersing them with messages attacking Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner and praising President Donald Trump’s appearance at Monday’s NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden.

The incident is only the latest chapter in a long and increasingly divisive transformation.

How did Dean Cain become famous?

Before Hollywood came calling, Cain looked destined for an entirely different career.

Born Dean George Tanaka in 1966, he excelled academically and athletically, playing football at Princeton University before briefly signing with the Buffalo Bills. A knee injury ended his football ambitions and pushed him towards entertainment instead. 

After a series of commercials and guest appearances, he landed the role that would define his career in 1993.

As Clark Kent in Lois & Clark, Cain embodied a softer, more romantic Superman, becoming a fixture on bedroom walls and magazine covers throughout the decade.

The role remains his most famous achievement, despite subsequent appearances in projects including Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and later a return to the Superman universe in Supergirl. 

He also became a major heart throb and source of tabloid intrigue, including a six-month relationship with fellow ’90s sex symbol Pamela Anderson at the beginning of her Baywatch run.

He also, famously, dated Brooke Shields during his time at Princeton.

In recent years, however, Cain has become almost as well known for his political views as for his acting.

What are Dean Cain’s political views?

The actor, who has publicly supported Donald Trump, has increasingly used television appearances and social media to weigh in on culture-war issues. 

He said in an interview with Variety: ‘I love President Trump. I’ve been friends with him forever. Trump is actually one of the most empathetic, wonderful, generous people you’ll ever meet.’

He also joined the board of the National Rifle Association, a pro-gun lobby widely accused of preventing gun-sense legislation aimed at halting school shootings, and became a regular voice in conservative media circles. 

Did Dean Cain really join ICE?

Perhaps the most controversial moment came in 2025 when Cain announced he was joining ICE, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

In a video posted to social media, he encouraged others to sign up too, saying the agency was helping to ‘save America’ and support immigration enforcement efforts. 

He said: ‘I am a sworn law enforcement officer, as well as being a filmmaker, and I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it. So, I joined up,’ he said.

‘Since President Trump took office, ICE has arrested hundreds of thousands of criminals, including terrorists, rapists, murderers, paedophiles, MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers…you name it. Very dangerous people who are no longer on the streets.’

He then went on to encourage others to sign up too, pushing how people could ‘earn lots of great benefits and pay’.

As the theme music of Superman played, he told followers: ‘You can defend your homeland for great benefits’. He then cited a $50,000 (£37,000) signing bonus, student loan repayment, enhanced retirement benefits, and special pay.

Dean then added that ICE was ‘helping save America and remove the worst of the worst from America’s streets’.

‘I like that, and I voted for that. They need your help to protect our homeland and our families. Join today if that’s something that’s tickled your fancy…because we need you.’

The move generated widespread criticism online, with many pointing to what they saw as a contradiction between Superman’s long-standing status as an outsider seeking acceptance and Cain’s support for an agency frequently criticised by immigration advocates.

Some critics also highlighted Cain’s own experiences with racism after he was cast as the Man of Steel in the 1990s.

In a previous interview with Variety, the actor recalled being targeted with racist abuse shortly after landing the role.

‘It was 1993 and I remember a fan going, “We wanted Superman, not Sushi Man”,’ Cain said, referencing a comment about his Japanese heritage.

Cain’s biological father was a Japanese-American serviceman, and the actor has previously spoken about navigating prejudice throughout his career. Despite the remark, he insisted he wasn’t offended.

‘For the love of God, he’s a Kryptonian. He could be green. Does it matter,’ he said.

For some former fans, those comments only deepened the irony. As one social media user put it: ‘To make it worse, he’s literally talked about receiving backlash and being given racist nicknames for being a half-Asian Superman actor. And yet here he is endorsing and actively participating in those same systems of bigotry and shaming.’

What did Dean Cain say about new Superman films?

Ironically, some of Cain’s most controversial comments in recent years have centred on the very character that made him famous.

Ahead of the release of James Gunn’s Superman reboot last year, the actor criticised the director’s description of the character as an immigrant story, accusing Hollywood of making the iconic hero ‘woke’.

Speaking to TMZ, Cain asked: ‘How woke is Hollywood going to make this character?’

He continued: ‘How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times?’

The comments came after Gunn described Superman as ‘the story of America’ and ‘an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country’.

While Cain acknowledged the character’s origins, he argued there needed to be limits to the comparison.

‘We know Superman is an immigrant – he’s a freaking alien,’ he said.

‘The “American way” is immigrant friendly, tremendously immigrant friendly. But there are rules.’

He added: ‘There have to be limits, because we can’t have everybody in the United States. We can’t have everybody, society will fail.’

The remarks sparked backlash online, with critics pointing out that Superman has long been interpreted as a metaphor for the immigrant experience, dating back to the character’s creation by the sons of Jewish immigrants in the 1930s.

The remarks prompted debate among comic-book fans, many of whom pointed out that Superman has always been, quite literally, an immigrant from another planet.

Now Cain finds himself embroiled in another DC-related controversy just weeks before Alcock’s debut as Kara Zor-El in the upcoming Supergirl. 

Whether it’s supporting ICE, embracing polarising political causes, or laughing along with jokes aimed at younger actors, Cain has spent much of the last decade alienating sections of the audience that once adored him.

And for some former fans, the sight of yesterday’s Superman taking shots at tomorrow’s Supergirl feels like the saddest twist of all.

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A United States Hercules military plane has been tracked heading westwards across the Atlantic before it suddenly turned around after apparently declaring an emergency and returned to Cardiff

A US military plane has turned around after appearing to declare an emergency and returned to Cardiff Airport.

The USAF C-130H Hercules was tracked heading westwards across the Atlantic before it suddenly turned around for unknown reasons and landed at 1.15pm.

It is understood that the plane transmitted a 7700 code, indicating there is a general emergency, but at this stage it is unclear the reason.

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport plane made in the United States by Lockheed Martin.

Designed to carry troops, cargo and casualties for medical evacuation, the aircraft is able to take off and land on rough unprepared runways.

When a pilot enters the four-digit emergency code 7700 into their transponder, it immediately alerts air traffic control that the aircraft is in distress and requires priority handling.

The exact nature of the incident is unclear as it acts as a “catch-all” for any emergency situation that isn’t a hijacking (7500) or radio failure (7600).

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A study of 2,000 men found 92% would urge a friend to visit the doctor – but almost half would delay seeking medical help for their own men’s health issues

A survey of 2,000 men revealed that most would urge a friend to visit their GP, with 40% having stepped in when a pal refused to seek help. Of those, 22% said they’ve had to intervene on more than one occasion. Yet 47% admitted to delaying an appointment themselves for exactly the same symptoms.

Just 14% seek help as soon as they notice something is wrong, with 40% typically waiting weeks before booking a GP appointment. More than half (52%) confessed they frequently wait until symptoms become impossible to ignore before seeking medical attention.

Worryingly, almost a quarter (23%) of those who delayed seeking help said their condition later turned out to be serious.

Reasons for postponing an appointment ranged from hoping the problem would resolve itself, to feeling it wasn’t severe enough to warrant a trip to the doctor. Others were put off by lengthy waiting times (21%) or claimed they were simply too busy (18%). Some also felt they needed to “tough it out” (18%).

The research was commissioned by health test provider Medichecks, which has teamed up with former footballer and broadcaster Chris Kamara to urge men to open up more about their health.

The brand has transformed the Trent Navigation Inn in Nottingham into its Well Man Arms Bar, welcoming men to watch football while weaving health discussions into their everyday conversations.

Chris Kamara said: “Football fans can spend hours debating who’s in the starting eleven, whether the manager got it right or who’s coming in during the transfer window. But when it comes to their own health, a lot of blokes go completely quiet.

“What struck me from the research is that nearly every man would tell a mate to get checked out if something didn’t seem right, but many won’t take their own advice.

“We’re brilliant at looking after our mates, but not always so good at looking after ourselves. I know from my own experience how easy it is to brush things off and think, ‘I’ll deal with it later’, the problem is, later can sometimes be too late.

“If we can get even a few men to stop putting things off, book an appointment, get a health check or simply talk to someone about something that’s worrying them, that’s a win in my book.”

The findings also showed that 73% of men believe outdated masculine stereotypes, such as the expectation to stay stoic and suffer in silence, are to blame for many feeling unable to seek the medical attention they need.

Yet attitudes appear to be shifting, with just 17% of those polled, via OnePoll, now admitting they wouldn’t open up to a friend, teammate or family member if something was troubling them.

And once they do make it to their GP, only 13% would feel uncomfortable discussing their concerns with a healthcare professional.

Dr Natasha Fernando, medical director at Medichecks, added: “One of the most striking findings from the research is the disconnect between how men look after others and how they look after themselves.

“The issue often isn’t a lack of awareness, it’s the tendency to put our own health at the bottom of the priority list. The reality is that many serious health conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, can develop silently with few obvious symptoms.

“That’s why being proactive about your health matters so much, whether it’s booking a GP appointment, having a conversation with a healthcare professional or getting a health check.”

Murder for Two is a breathtaking, madcap romp that will leave you struggling to keep up as an astonishing pair of actors take silliness to a whole new brilliantly barmy level.

Lucy Keirl and Tom Babbage in Murder for Two (Picture: Tony Bartholomew)

The Octagon really does need to install seatbelts for this production where the humour is so rapid, the switch from one character to another is like lightning and where the audience is clinging on for dear life.

This is a real runaway train of a show which relies on the magnificent Lucy Keirl and Tom Babbage to prevent it from running into the buffers.

Originally written as a murder mystery, this production offers an added twist to the award-winning show.

Set in a BBC radio studio in 1959, the scheduled programme has been cancelled at the last minute and the two studio technicians bring to life a musical murder mystery as a last minute replacement.

Somehow it manages to send up just about every genre you can think of from film noir and the Hollywood musical to the golden age of radio.

A leading literary figure is shot dead at home just before his birthday party. A hapless wannabe detective arrives on the scene to be confronted by an eccentric line-up of party guests who all appear to have a motive. Poirot and Marple never had to deal with anything like this that’s for sure.

The Octagon’s ‘in the round’ setting is perfect for this production with props galore turning the radio studio into the murder victim’s home.

Tom Babbage plays Marcus the beat cop with ambitions, aided by an invisible assistant (obviously). He’s the fulcrum around which the whirlwind that is Lucy Keirl revolves.

Lucy Keirl in Murder for Two (Picture: Tony Bartholomew)

It’s unlikely you will ever see another performer work as hard as she does during this play flipping from one character to another in an instant. There’s a French ballerina, a German psychologist, a couple who constantly row, a widow who dreams of Broadway stardom, an innocent girl with a passion for criminology, three surviving members of a boys’ choir (you don’t want to know what happened to the others) and a slightly deranged fireman. I suspect I’ve missed some off the list but you get the gist.

There are no costume changes, new characters are introduced simply by a new accent – some of which are deliberately and hilariously bad -and an immediate change of stance. It’s such a physical performance as she constantly changes posture to seemlessly move from one of this motley crew to another.

In lesser hands this show could become a total car crash. It is so frenetic, so surreal at times and so plain daft at others, the audience could be left wondering what on earth they had come to.

But this inspired duo pull it off remarkably. It may look to be on the verge of spiralling out of control but you know they are in total command.

There is a discipline and precision that you can only sit back and admire.

They interact with the audience, some of the gags are spontaneous and they have licence to improvise which they both seize on with gusto. And they are clearly having just as much fun on the stage as the audience is having in watching them.

Lucy Keirl and Tom Babbage in Murder for Two (Picture: Tony Bartholomew)

As if all the total nonsense wasn’t enough, the show is also a musical with a grand piano taking centre stage. Both actors are consummate players, often at the keyboard at the same time, and the comedy songs and their antics around the piano are one of the joys of the show.

There are elements of the great silent comedies, with Tom Babbage’s facial expressions worthy of any of the great clowns. There is slapstick, sound effects galore and rubber chickens – it’s just not like any other play.

Murder for Two is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Be warned it is a celebration of daftness; it is silly, it is anarchic and even has elements of pantomime thrown in.

Subtle it is not. Logical it is certainly not. But what a hoot! It is inspired lunacy from two comedy actors who surely deserve some sort of recognition for their efforts.

Murder for Two runs until Saturday, June 27. Details from www.octagonbolton.co.uk

England, meanwhile, face Costa Rica at the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, in their final warm-up match today. That should include the four late-arriving Arsenal stars, before the squad fly out to their World Cup base in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 13. You can follow all the latest news and updates from across the tournament – including insight and analysis from Dom Smith in the States – with our rolling news live blog below!

The beautifully-crafted work of art can be seen in the Merchant Adventurers Hall on Fossgate, bringing together royal history, British heritage, and Yorkshire pride.

The piece was designed to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III while also honouring the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Historic York hall’s new stained glass honours King Charles III and the late Queen Elizabeth II. (Image: Merchant Adventurers)

The new window tells a story that bridges past and present, serving as both a tribute and a celebration. It captures a significant moment in the nation’s history and reflects the continuity of the Crown through two historic reigns.

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Beyond its royal connections, the design showcases the rich diversity of Britain’s natural world. Intricate stained-glass details celebrate native flora and fauna, weaving together elements that reflect the beauty and character of the British landscape.

Merchant Adventurers Hall in York. (Image: Submitted)

Visitors with a keen eye will also discover a number of distinctly Yorkshire touches incorporated into the artwork, including a tribute to York’s famous Tansy Beetle, a rare and much-loved local species.

The window has been brought to life by the York Glaziers Trust, renowned for their expertise in traditional stained-glass conservation and creation. The team has meticulously crafted each element of the design, ensuring a work of exceptional quality and lasting significance.

The window features a tribute to York’s famous Tansy Beetle, a rare and much-loved local species. (Image: Merchant Adventurers)

Dr Marie Groll, director of York Glaziers Trust, said: “The York Glaziers Trust has been privileged to work with colleagues at the Merchant Adventurers Hall on this new window, which is a celebration of nature and of the monarchy.

“Our in-house stained glass designer Anna Milsom has used as her inspiration the flora and fauna found in the gardens surrounding the Hall, bringing the outside in. We hope there is much hidden in the window to delight visitors to the Hall.”

The design of the new window features the diversity of Britain’s natural world. (Image: Merchant Adventurers)

The Governor of the Merchant Adventurers Hall, Professor Sarah Brown, said she was delighted with this addition during her year of office.

“The artistry and craft of the stained-glass artist has changed little since the Hall was built in the middle of the fourteenth century.

“Stained glass remains at the heart of the heritage and culture of the city of York and it is a very fitting medium in which to pay tribute to the late Queen and the accession of His Majesty the King in a building which remains central to the celebration and promotion of business, enterprise and creative entrepreneurship.

“This sensitive evocation of the garden in which the Hall sits will bring pleasure and delight to our members and our visitors alike.”

The window will provide a lasting legacy within the Hall, enriching the historic building while commemorating a defining chapter in modern British history.