Why DO microwave meals have such a long shelf life?

People had some, er, interesting responses to the news

The rumour mill is accelerating to breakneck speeds as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham all strive to land major signings in the summer transfer window. Arsenal want Vinicius Jr and are prepared to make him the best-paid player in club history to get a deal done, while the Gunners have also been handed a new boost in their pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes amid reports he has fallen out of love with the Toon, and learned exactly how much it would take to land Bradley Barcola.

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N.’s migration agency is warning that criminal networks have been trafficking hundreds of thousands of people — many of them educated English speakers — to work in online scam centers, and the caseload is growing.

The International Organization for Migration says victims are often lured by fake job advertisements — mostly through social media — promising work abroad, only to get locked up, have their identity documents seized, and forced through violence, threats and “debt bondage” to participate in the online scams.

“We’re seeing so many more of these cases emerge right now,” IOM Director-General Amy Pope told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday. “We’re seeing victims from over 80 different countries being trafficked into the scams.”

‘They’re recruiting people who often speak English very well, who often have graduate degrees, some level of education,” Pope said, adding that the cases are “specifically playing out across Asia.”

The migration agency cited estimates from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime that losses across east Asia, Australia, and New Zealand reached as much as $114 billion last year, and “scam compounds” across the region could hold hundreds of thousands of trafficked workers.

IOM said it had assisted over 3,500 such victims of forced criminality between 2022 and 2025, people who originated from nearly 40 countries: people from Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Bangladesh were most affected.

A mother and a boyfriend she had known for only a matter of months have been found guilty of murdering her two-year-old daughter.

Little Isabelle Welsh suffered a ‘campaign of violence’ at the hands of Alexandra Walker, 26, and warped paedophile Harrison Simpson, 22, who was also found guilty of sexually assaulting the young girl.

In the weeks before her death in September last year, Isabelle suffered 21 broken bones before a final ‘massive head injury’ was inflicted upon her, consistent with being ‘violently shaken’ and her head ‘impacting a hard and unyielding surface such as a wall or hard floor.’

When it became clear Isabelle was gravely ill, rather than call an ambulance, Walker smoked a cigarette and then used Google to search: ‘Why would my toddler be bleeding?’

An hour later she called her stepfather who immediately told her to dial 999. Despite an ambulance arriving within a minute, Isabelle could not be saved.

In court, Walker blamed Simpson for the injuries. Simpson declined to give evidence but his barrister claimed that it was Walker who was responsible for Isabelle’s death.  

Teesside Crown Court heard that Walker and Simpson met on Facebook Dating in the summer of last year but within a short time he was living at her house in Thornaby, Teesside.

The pair would drink and some cannabis together but Simpson began showing an unhealthy interest in Isabelle, prompting Walker to search the sex offenders’ register for his name and question whether he was a paedophile.

Despite her concerns, they continued to socialise and Isabelle was left alone with Simpson on the morning of her death.

When Walker surfaced from bed to care for her daughter after a night of heavy drinking, she was seriously ill.

After deliberating for more than seven hours, jurors found Simpson and Walker guilty of murder and child cruelty.

Simpson was also found guilty of assault by penetration of a child under 13. Walker was cleared of the same charge. The pair stood passively in the dock as the verdicts were read out.

Ms Justice Norton thanked the jury for their work on such a ‘difficult’ case. The pair face life imprisonment when they are sentenced on Thursday. 

The verdicts mean jurors believed that Walker was present in the early hours of the morning, while she and Simpson had been up drinking, when the fatal blow or blows were struck to Isabelle. 

Isabelle’s mother, Alexandra Walker, has been convicted of murder at Teesside Crown Court

Also found guilty of murder over Isabelle’s killing was Harrison Simpson, 22

During the trial, they were shown video footage of Isabelle playing at home before the weeks of alleged cruelty began.

In one clip she was seen charging around on the sofa at her mother’s home, leaping care-free from one side to the other.

And in another clip she runs up and down the small back garden clutching a red witch’s hat to her head and laughing as it falls to the ground.

But within days of the second clip being filmed, Isabelle’s life changed when she became the subject of prolonged abuse, injury and neglect from Simpson and Walker.

The court heard there had been opportunities to save her from her tormentors, with medical professionals handing the youngster back to her mother.

Just 11 days before her murder, Isabelle was reluctantly taken to hospital by her mother from the family home in Thornaby, Teesside.

Accident and Emergency staff at North Tees Hospital in Stockton, County Durham, did not want to allow Isabelle to leave with her mother after she was brought in with a spiral fracture to her leg, fearing potential abuse. 

Walker had waited two weeks to seek medical treatment.  

But doctors on a paediatric team overruled their concerns and said there was no evidence of abuse.

Less than a fortnight later she was brought in again with fatal injuries.

A health visitor was contacted because of the hospital’s concern about Isabelle – but she cleared Walker on the basis of a phone call.

Prosecutor Richard Wright told the court: ‘Without actually visiting Isabelle or checking on her welfare, the health visitor concluded the call and noted that she had no concerns.

‘Of course, she could not have known that the fractured leg was just one of numerous broken bones that Isabelle had suffered, nor that she was days away from sustaining a catastrophic and fatal head injury.

‘But then you may think that a telephone call to Alexandra Walker was never likely to tell her any more than Walker wanted her to know.’

Outside court, Isabelle’s father, Josh Welsh, said justice had been done and that his daughter’s murderers deserved whole-life sentences.

Asked what she meant to him, Mr Welsh said: ‘My little girl… my whole life has been shattered, my whole family.

‘My sisters and brothers have lost their niece.

‘It means the world to me that we have justice for Isabelle.’

This is a breaking news story. More to follow… 

They said Walker prioritised her new relationship over the safety of her daughter, allowing Simpson to spend time alone with Isabelle despite suspecting he was a paedophile.

Simpson claimed he had no motive for harming Isabelle, while Walker said she did not hurt her daughter and was unaware of any abuse.

Jurors reached their verdicts after about six and a half hours of deliberation.

Simpson was unanimously found guilty of murder, cruelty and sexual assault of a child.

Walker was convicted of murder by a majority of 11 jurors to one and of cruelty unanimously.

She was found not guilty of sexually assaulting her daughter.

Ms Justice Norton said each murderer would get a life sentence, with the minimum term they would have to serve before being eligible for parole to be set by her on Thursday.

The judge thanked jurors for their work in the upsetting and distressing case.

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The BBC cookery competition is returning for its 21st season

A Gladiators star and former EastEnders actor have joined the Celebrity Masterchef 2026 line-up.

The show’s 21st series was officially announced by the BBC on Monday morning (July 27). It will air as usual on BBC One and on the iPlayer.

Last year’s edition of the popular cooking competition was won by drag artist Ginger Johnson. Ginger, real name Donald Marshall, triumphed over fellow finalists Alun Wyn Jones and Dawn O’Porter in a stunning season finale.

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Teasing what to expect from the new season, a BBC spokesperson said: “A spokesperson teased: “The red carpet rolls into the MasterChef kitchen for a glittering line-up of celebrities from the worlds of music, drama, comedy, sport and showbiz.

“This 21st series warmly welcomes singers and sports stars, actors and authors, to comedians, entertainers and presenters, all with the aim of cooking their way to becoming Celebrity MasterChef 2026 Champion.

“Five weeks of extraordinary challenges await in a competition that will push the celebrities beyond the comfort of their showbiz jobs. Acting the part won’t cut the mustard and singing for your supper will not equal success.

“The only thing guaranteed is that just one of them will be left standing at the end, where their sparkling career will lead them to the shiny prize – the iconic Celebrity MasterChef trophy.”

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On Monday (July 27), the BBC revealed that the first episode will consist of The Wanted’s Jay McGuinness, weightlifter and Olympic medallist Emily Campbell, Final Score presenter Jason Mohammad, Love Island’s Shakira Khan and comedian Joe Pasquale.

Keeping the announcements coming, the line-up for week two was revealed on Tuesday morning (July 28). Leading the second batch of contestants is Emily Steel, best known as Dynamite on Gladiators.

The Manchester native is a former swimmer, competing at a national level until she was 15 years old. She went on to become a full-time elite CrossFit athlete, who previously broke the under 20s 64kg snatch record at the British age group weight lifting championships.

Revealing why she’s joined Celebrity Masterchef, Emily said: “I love experimenting with recipes and ideas. I find it so enjoyable cooking for other people – I’m really into presentation, and I always want to pair my food with a mocktail or nice drink.”

Also taking part in week two is actress and comedian Donna Preston, former Royal Ballet dancer Eric Underwood, and Tom Simons, who goes by TommyInnit on YouTube and boasts a staggering 15 million subscribers. Rounding out the cast is actor Nitin Ganatra.

Nintin is best known for playing Masood Ahmed on EastEnders. Fans last saw the good-natured postman in February 2019, when the character left Walford for a new life in Australia.

Masood is best remembered for his significant romances, including his turbulent marriage to Zainab Masood, whose marriage was filled with arguments, reconciliations and plot twists. When last mentioned, he was said to still be in a relationship with Jane Beale.

Speaking about why he joined Celebrity Masterchef, Nintin said: “I’m doing it for my mum who I was extremely close to. She was the best cook in the world. Food is first in our family. The first question she always asked was, ‘what do you want to eat?’ I’m a vegetarian and pre-diabetic; therefore, I have recently undergone a food revolution where I have explored cooking to utilise it in the healthiest way.”

A massive shopping mall has collapsed with “many people trapped inside”, according to local news reports.

There was also an explosion at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town, local fire services said, with reports of injuries and multiple people being transported to hospital.

Around 200 people were said to have taken refuge in the parking lot following the blast, which appears to have taken off the exterior wall of the building, leaving the steel framework exposed.

Footage also shows what appears to be a hole in the partially-collapsed roof of the mall.

A staff member from a store on the second floor told NHK: “There were six employees in the store at the time, but the explosion occurred after everyone had evacuated outside, so none of them were injured.”

The mall covers 224,000 square metres and is home to supermarkets, restaurants, clothing stores, a movie theater, and a hot spring facility.

Morrisons has announced an expansion

Morrisons has revealed a substantial expansion affecting 300 stores in the UK.

It is related to its quick grocery delivery service spanning hundreds of convenience outlets. An additional 300 Morrisons Daily shops throughout England and Wales are set to partner with the Snappy Shopper platform.

This development will enable more shoppers to purchase groceries and household necessities from their neighbourhood store via the rapid-delivery application. The complete Morrisons Daily convenience selection will be on offer, encompassing everyday staples, fresh produce, Morrisons Savers items, own-brand products and multibuy deals, according to creatorzine. com.

Shoppers placing orders exceeding £35 will receive complimentary delivery. This growth comes amid increasing adoption of the service throughout the Morrisons Daily network, where basket sizes have hit an average of £31.

The upcoming stage of the rollout is anticipated to conclude by August.

Charlotte Exell, group online director at Morrisons, said: “We’re pleased to expand our Snappy Shopper partnership across our Morrisons Daily stores, making it even easier for customers to shop with us.”

She added that the initiative would provide additional households across England and Wales with access to home delivery of Morrisons’ fresh food and grocery selection.

Branches implementing Snappy Shopper’s technology will additionally be capable of processing orders submitted through the Foodhub platform, offering another avenue for local shoppers.

Nash will continue handling deliveries, with JetGo remaining the preferred last-mile delivery partner.

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Mike Callachan, chief executive of Snappy Shopper, explained that the expansion demonstrated the partnership’s success to date and its ambition to bring swift grocery delivery to additional communities.

He added that pairing Morrisons Daily’s convenience product range with Snappy Shopper’s platform would enable participating retailers to connect with a broader customer base and boost their online sales.

Andy Burnham has been warned by Labour‘s Left that they could revive their rebellion against ‘punitive’ benefits cuts.

Since taking office, the Prime Minister has said Britain ‘must get really serious’ about curbing welfare spending.

But he has been told by Labour MPs not to ‘ignore the lessons of the last Parliament’ when his predecessor, Keir Starmer, faced a mass revolt over proposed changes.

The former PM was forced into a humiliating climbdown last summer on his plans to restrict access to disability benefits.

Sir Keir wanted to tighten rules for claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in an effort to save billions of pounds from Britain’s ballooning welfare bill.

A huge rebellion from his own MPs derailed his plans, with Sir Keir instead ordering disability minister Stephen Timms to undertake a major review of PIP.

Ahead of Sir Stephen publishing his final review in the autumn, Mr Burnham has suggested he is ready to make a renewed case for benefits changes to his party.

Kim Johnson, a member of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs, told the new PM not to ‘revive the failed politics of welfare cuts instead of asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share’.

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showed there were four million claimants entitled to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) at the end of April

The Liverpool Riverside MP told Bloomberg she was concerned that Mr Burnham’s appointment of John Healey, the former defence secretary, as his Chancellor ‘signals a return to a “warfare, not welfare” approach’.

‘If the new leadership believes it can revive the failed politics of welfare cuts instead of asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share, it will be repeating not only Keir Starmer’s mistakes but 14 years of Tory austerity,’ she added.

‘If the first instinct of a new leadership is to target disabled people and low-income families rather than challenge the wealth and inequality at the top of society, then nothing has been learned.’ 

Ms Johnson added that it would be ‘absolutely mad to ignore the lessons of the last Parliament’ and forget that Labour MPs ‘made our opposition to welfare cuts crystal clear’.

She warned Mr Burnham would face the ‘same resistance’ if he opted for the same approach.

John McDonnell, another member of the Socialist Campaign Group who was Labour’s shadow chancellor during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party, said any future welfare reform ‘must be based upon a strategy of providing positive support to people rather than punitive sanction’.

He said it would otherwise not be backed by Labour MPs and the party’s wider membership.

‘I believe Andy Burnham gets that and my hope is that those around him appreciate it too,’ the Hayes and Harlington MP added.

Asked on Tuesday if he is ready to do battle with Labour MPs on welfare reform, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I want to reform the welfare system in a way that puts work and opportunity at its heart.

‘I believe that we owe young people in particular more than an income, we owe them a future too.

‘It’s changing the system to put work and opportunity and a good future at its heart that drives me every day, and is also the best way to control the welfare bill in the longer term.’

The number of people in England and Wales claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the main disability benefit, has now passed four million for the first time. 

The number of claimants has roughly doubled since 2019, with spending on PIP forecast to rise to more than £41billion by the end of the decade.

PIP is intended to help with everyday tasks and extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability.

It has been revealed that teenagers claiming PIP for conditions such as anxiety receive £100 a week more than part-time workers on a minimum wage.

In an interview with the BBC at the weekend, Mr Burnham said: ‘I think we’ve got to get really serious as a country at getting the welfare bill down.’

Pressed on how he might attempt to cut the ballooning benefits bill, the PM added: ‘It’s about changing the nature of the support and making some of the support conditional upon people taking opportunities that are presented in front of them.’

Mr Burnham on Tuesday vowed to tackle Britain’s youth employment crisis – although he declined to set a deadline for cutting the number of jobless 16 to 24-year-olds.

The PM said he is ‘on a mission’ to halt the rise in the number of young people not in education, employment or training – so-called NEETs.

But he added: ‘When precisely I can get there is a hard thing to say right now.’

He pledged his intent to tackle the NEETs crisis as he unveiled plans to open up new technical education routes to 14-year-olds.

Latest data, published in May, showed the number of young people aged 16-24 neither working nor learning surpassed one million for the first time since 2013, reaching 1.01 million in the three months from January to March.

An interim report by former Labour minister Alan Milburn, also published in May, warned the figure could rise to one in six by 2031 and that Britain risks leaving behind a ‘lost generation’ of young people ill-prepared for work.

The White House has posted a Rick and Morty-inspired video starring Donald Trump and JD Vance, a day after the show’s co-creator acknowledged a debt to the commander-in-chief.

The 36-second clip, captioned “Hop in… best dimension yet,” parodies the cult Adult Swim cartoon’s opening title sequence, with Trump standing in for the cantankerous scientist Rick and Vance for the impressionable sidekick Morty.

The president and his deputy race out of the executive mansion, briefly wave to a rally crowd and then outrun a red-eyed space dragon in their flying saucer.

On the way, they pass hard-nosed border czar Tom Homan arresting a literal illegal alien, the Artemis II rocket and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose face falls off to reveal that he is really a robot.

The bizarre post comes after one of the show’s co-creators, Dan Harmon, admitted that aspects of Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama had provided inspiration for his new spin-off cartoon, President Curtis, giving Rick and Morty’s fictional commander-in-chief his own spotlight.

Interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter about the new project, Harmon said: “The conversations about Obama and Trump were inevitable.

“Curtis has a naïveté that you could overlap with Trump, who is like, ‘I’m an outsider, and I consider this job simple, and I don’t care about the bureaucracy of it.’ On the Obama side, it’s the charmer and the guy who gets organic joy in being liked – that whole rock star aspect of Obama.

“But mostly just more legendary aspects of presidents from the past, all Serpentor’d into a test tube baby that then becomes our version of maybe Martin Sheen in The West Wing, where it’s our fantasy president, warts and all.”

Not everyone was amused by the White House’s clip, however, with former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene responding on X: “People can’t afford gas, groceries, rent, and healthcare and this is the weird embarrassing crap the official White House account is putting out.”

Liberal commentator Harry Sisson similarly said: “wtf… we just want health care and not whatever the hell this is.”

The video appeared as Trump himself engaged in another eccentric posting spree over on Truth Social, in one instance sharing an AI meme of himself traveling through time to save George Washington, seen hanging from Mount Rushmore in tribute to another film, Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959).

In another post, the president depicted a huge concrete border erected between the U.S. and Canadian borders to satirize the latest trade tensions between the two countries.

In a third, he appeared with John F Kennedy standing on the White House Lawn, as though the two men had posed together for an official picture, despite the fact that Trump was just 17 years old when the Kennedy assassination took place.

Other posts provided provocative hints that he intends to run again for a third term in 2028, a subject he also joked about at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night, and rebuked Senate Republicans for lacking “spine,” with one depicting Trump in a white lab coat pointing sternly towards a skeleton.