The 32-year-old charges of disorderly behaviour, common assault and possession of a bladed article

A man accused of assaulting his brother on a West Belfast while carrying an axe is to be barred from returning to the neighbourhood, a judge has ordered.

Michael Mongan, 32, appeared at the city’s Magistrates Court in connection with the alleged attack outside their homes in the Mill Race area on Thursday.

He faces charges of disorderly behaviour, common assault and possession of a bladed article – namely an axe – in a public place.

Police went to the scene amid reports of a man outside the street shouting and making threats. The victim was allegedly punched after he challenged the suspect. Officers also recovered a hatchet from the area.

A PSNI constable did not oppose Mongan’s release from custody under a series of conditions.

But defence solicitor Adrian Harvey disclosed: “This incident involves his brother, they live in the same street so he couldn’t go back to that address.”

Granting bail and adjourning the case to June 24, District Judge Alan White barred Mongan from contacting the injured party or entering Mill Race.

The judge also ordered: “He will reside at an address to be approved by police [outside west Belfast].”

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Ryan McLaverty grabbed her by the throat and started strangling her and also threatened to harm her pet tortoise

A 32-year old man who assaulted his mother and brother was handed a 14-month sentence today.

When he is released from custody, Ryan McLaverty will spend an additional 20 months on supervised licence.

As she passed sentence on McLaverty at Belfast Crown Court, Judge Laura Ievers KC said domestic abuse was a “scourge in our society” and branded his behaviour as “appalling.”

With an address on the court papers as ‘no fixed abode’, McLaverty was sentenced for four offences committed last June.

He admitted charges of non-fatal strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his mother as well causing criminal damage to items of hers, while he also pleaded guilty to assaulting his brother.

At around 8.50pm on June 24, 2025 the injured party was in her home when her son McLaverty, who has been staying with her few a few days, arrived at the property after he had been drinking.

McLaverty started yelling at his mother then punched her to the head. He then poured beer over, grabbed her by the arms and trailed her into the hallway.

After she asked him to leave, McLaverty dragged his mother up the stairs and started damaging items in her bedroom.

Following this, he grabbed her by the throat and started strangling her and also threatened to harm her pet tortoise.

McLaverty then took his mother’s phone and went into the bathroom and at this point she was able to run down the stairs and out to her neighbour.

After McLaverty’s brother received a call from a neighbour about the assault on their mother, he went to his mother’s house.

The defendant was aggressive and when asked to leave by his brother, McLaverty punched him to the head.

The incident spilled out into the garden, where McLaverty’s brother detained him until police arrived.

Following his arrest, McLaverty was interviewed by officers the following day when he claimed he couldn’t remember what had happened.

Despite this, he subsequently pleaded guilty to the four charges.

The court heard that McLaverty has 46 previous convictions, some of which are for prior offences against his mother and brother.

In a Victim Impact Statement she made last December, McLaverty’s mother outlined how the incident has resulted in her experiencing nightmare and how she has sought counselling.

In her statement, she said: “The physical injuries have settled but the psychological scars still have not healed.

“The most difficult part of this to accept or to understand is the fact that it was my own son that did this to me.

“He is my own flesh and blood and I find it so difficult to come to terms with the fact that someone I have loved so much would want to inflict such harm and pain upon me.”

Defence barrister Michael Boyd said that whilst his client struggled to recall what happened on the evening in question, he has since expressed genuine remorse.

He added that McLaverty had a history of mental health and addiction issues.

Mr Boyd also spoke of the “significant period of time” his client has been on remand and revealed that whilst in custody McLaverty is attending AA and has enrolled in a number of programmes.

Judge Ievers noted the steps McLaverty is now taking “towards rehabilitation”, the remorse he has expressed and the insight he has shown towards his victims.

Addressing McLaverty as he stood in the dock, the Judge told him: “This was an appalling state of offending against your mother in her own home.

“She’s been helping you in providing a roof over your head and you further attacked your brother when he came to her aid.”

Judge Ievers imposed the sentence and told McLaverty the longer period on Probation would enable him to “benefit from structure and support to ensure effective rehabilitation and to manage the risk you pose.”

She added: “Please do not squander this opportunity.”

In addition to the 34-month sentence, the Judge also imposed a five-year restraining order which bans McLaverty from contacting both his mother and brother either directly or indirectly.

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Marseille could choose to cash in on Mason Greenwood this summer with his future in Ligue 1 in doubt, but Manchester United may not get the windfall they were expecting from a deal

Manchester United will receive a portion of Marseille’s profits should they choose to sell Mason Greenwood this summer, but the windfall could be far less than the Reds will have expected. The 24-year-old broke through the Carrington youth system in 2018, going on to score 35 goals in 129 games.

However, following allegations and charges of rape in 2022 – which were dropped the following year – Greenwood joined Getafe on a season-long loan in 2023, his future in Greater Manchester under speculation. The forward was then sold on to Marseille the following summer for around £26.7million, with United inserting a sell-on clause into the deal.

It means that United reserve the right to take 40 per cent of Marseille’s fee on Greenwood’s sale, should they choose to part ways with him. With 48 goals and 17 assists from 81 appearances since making the move to France, the Bradford-born forward should command a hefty fee for his services.

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However, Marseille could be forced to shift Greenwood on the cheap this summer, given UEFA’s warning over compliance with financial regulations. As per AP, Marseille have been threatened with a one-year ban from European competition and an £8.6m fine should they fail to meet their football earnings target in 2026/27.

That could force the club to take action in terms of moving on some of their biggest stars to ensure that they don’t fall foul of the ruling, Greenwood included.

It is suggested that Roma are the most interested party in the forward this summer, with reports surfacing that the Serie A stalwarts had tabled an offer of £34m.

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That included a £4.3m paid loan, a £21m option to buy, and £8.6m in bonuses. However, Marseille are said to be unconvinced by the offer, with Corriere dello Sport claiming that the club command at least £47m for Greenwood.

That’s still £5m cheaper than the £52m release clause that will be a part and parcel of Greenwood’s contract from July 1, but Roma are understood to be hesitant to pay the full asking price.

In a separate case, Roma were fined £5.2m for missed financial targets of their own in a previous round of settlement talks, impeding their transfer business slightly this summer given that money could have been used for the purchase of Greenwood.

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Should Marseille get the £47m fee they are asking for, United would receive a windfall of £18.8m due to the clause in his current deal.

However, should Marseille hold off and wait for an activation of his £52m release clause which takes effect next month, the Reds would be around £2m better off.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The 93-year-old Take That-obsessed grandma, who has been dubbed ‘Super Fan Nan’, will be attending both Etihad Stadium shows tonight and tomorrow with her family.

“You never stop being a fan just because you get older,” Joyce, from Halifax, explains.

She hasn’t missed a Take That in more than ten years, but she never got to the see the Circus tour the first time round. Her and her granddaughter Amanda Laycock have been thinking up their outfits of choice ever since getting tickets to this weekend’s show last September – and they’ve gone all out with their custom-made jackets and hats all fitting in with the Circus theme.

“I know we are lucky to even be able to see them once on this tour, but it’s going to be so special to see it with my gran,” Amanda adds.

“Take That have been a soundtrack to our lives in so many ways. Now Grandma gets to see it with me in person too. Manchester – bring on the Circus!”

Cybersecurity experts say criminals are increasingly targeting internet users through fake adverts, cloned websites and bogus customer service pages designed to look legitimate in search results.

And according to privacy experts, the biggest danger is that many victims are already stressed, distracted or desperately trying to fix a problem when they search online, as reported by creatorzine.com.

Peter Nguyen, privacy expert at Protect My Data, warned scammers are no longer relying solely on suspicious emails or text messages.

Instead, he said fraudsters are increasingly “waiting for people in search results”.

Peter said: “The most dangerous searches are often the ones people make when they are panicked, annoyed or in a hurry.

“If someone is trying to find a bank number, pay a fine, chase a parcel or claim a refund, they are already in problem-solving mode.

“That is when scammers have the advantage.”

Experts warned that searches for bank customer service numbers are among the riskiest – particularly when people fear fraud on their account or a bank card has stopped working.

Fake banking support pages can look almost identical to genuine websites and, in some cases, fraudsters even pay for adverts so their pages appear above official results on Google.

Peter warned victims may then be tricked into handing over security details or transferring money into so-called “safe accounts”.

He said: “No genuine bank will ever ask you to transfer money to protect it.”

Tax refund searches are also increasingly being targeted by scammers, especially during self-assessment periods or when people believe they may be owed money by HM Revenue and Customs.

Fraudsters often create convincing fake government-style websites offering rebates or urgent refunds while requesting bank details, National Insurance numbers and card information.

Drivers are also being warned about fake Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, ULEZ and parking fine payment pages that often request small charges designed to expose card details.

Peter said many victims wrongly assume low-value payments are harmless.

He said: “Someone may think, ‘It’s only £2.99’, but that small payment can expose their card details.”

Parcel delivery scams are another growing problem as online shopping continues to boom.

Fake courier websites posing as Royal Mail, Evri and DPD are often designed to steal personal information and payment details under the guise of rearranging missed deliveries.

Travel-related searches are also increasingly being exploited during busy holiday periods and flight disruption.

People searching for airline refunds, cancellation numbers or hotel booking support may unknowingly land on fake customer service pages operated by scammers.

Cybersecurity experts have also warned against downloading software from unofficial links found through search engines, including antivirus programs, printer drivers, browser updates and PDF converters.

In some cases, victims may unknowingly install malware or spyware onto their devices.

Peter urged internet users to slow down before clicking on any search result involving money, passwords, personal information or government services.

He added: “The simple rule is this: if the search involves your money, identity, password, device or a government service, slow down.

“Do not click the first result just because it is at the top.”

It has taken three years for the station to be built

Transport bosses have given the final seal of approval for the new Cambridge South railway station. It means the planned public opening has been given the green light to go ahead later this month.

Trains will start stopping at Cambridge South – situated beside Europe’s largest medical research facility – from June 28.

It will welcome up to nine trains per hour from Cambridge, with direct services to destinations including London King’s Cross, London Liverpool Street, Birmingham New Street, Brighton, Gatwick Airport, and Stansted Airport. Services will be run by Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink, and CrossCountry.

The station has had its opening pushed back twice. The first was in February last year, followed by a sub-contractor entering administration resulting in a second delay.

GBR Anglia has been working with the independent safety regulator for British railways to ensure the station is fully compliant.

Emily Heria, senior sponsor on behalf of GBR Anglia said: “Gaining the authorisation from the ORR to open Cambridge South is a massive achievement and reflects all the hard work done by everyone involved in the project.

“We are all so excited to open the new station on Sunday 28 June and can’t wait to welcome our first customers and see their reaction to their new railway station. We hope they will be as proud of their new station as we are to have built it.”

Brooke Taylor-Said appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court on Thursday, June 18, for sentencing.

The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of arson in December last year when he first appeared in the dock.

Taylor-Said, who has been remanded at HMP Forest Bank since his arrest, appeared in the dock wearing a grey Nike T-shirt.

The court heard on October 26, 2025, that Taylor-Said set fire to a mattress at a property on Coronation Gardens, Radcliffe, using a lighter, then fled the scene.

A resident in the block of flats called emergency services shortly after 9pm on that night after they heard a smoke alarm going off and could smell a “bonfire type of smell”.

Emergency services arrived at the address at 9.20pm and saw a burnt mattress and duvet.

There was also smoke damage to the hall, bathroom, and kitchen.

At 11.20pm, Taylor-Said’s mother rang emergency services to inform them she had not seen her son.

The court heard she told them her son admitted to setting a fire, and he was “having difficulties persuading the local authority to allow him to move to another property”.

Taylor-Said returned to the property at 1.30am, was arrested, and taken into custody.

The court heard he said: “My head is a mess, I’m going to prison.

“I didn’t mean to endanger any lives.”

He gave a no comment police interview, and the court heard that “when asked what his plan was, he said he wanted to die”.

The court heard there had been two psychiatric reports before sentencing and that Taylor-Said was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression and had a history of hospitalisations before the offence.

He was a crack cocaine and ketamine user, the court heard, and “a very vulnerable” and “immature” young man who was “most certainly being exploited by others”.

Although the court heard he presented “much better today”, was taking his medication, and had gained qualifications in maths and English while in prison.

The court also heard “he’s extremely sorry”.

“He’s taking his medication, and he’s well.

His mother made “responsible calls” and has had “interest and concern about her son throughout”, the court was told.

HHJ Lester-Ashworth, sentencing Taylor-Said, told him he would have a one-third reduction in his sentence due to entering a guilty plea early.

She told him his accounts were “inconsistent”, in part due to drugs and alcohol, as he had told his mum the council would not let him move address, but told others he had intended to harm himself by setting the fire.

HHJ Lester-Ashworth told Taylor-Said she found there was an “insufficient” connection between his mental health and the offence.

She told the court he removed himself from danger once the fire was lit and had tried before to return the keys to the property to a housing officer.

HHJ Lester-Ashworth said: “I accept that at the time you were vulnerable.”

Taylor-Said was sentenced to 39 months in custody, but with the one-third reduction, he will serve 26 months in prison.

The time already served in custody counts towards this sentence.

No order for costs was made, and HHJ Lester-Ashworth told him: “Do not be defined by this conviction, you have many positive traits.”

Staff at The Black Swan at Burn Bridge, near Harrogate, took to Facebook to report on Thursday’s re-opening.

The pub, owned by Star Pubs, closed last June when the former tenant decided not to renew the lease.

The new management team of the Heineken-owned pubco commented: “Wow, what a fantastic and successful evening it has been here at The Black Swan!

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“We’ve loved welcoming you all through our doors and are so grateful to everyone who came to visit us. Thank you for your incredible support—it truly means the world to us.

“We’ve had a wonderful first evening and have enjoyed meeting all of you!”

The post added: “This is just the beginning, and we look forward to continuing this journey with you all. Here’s to many more great memories, good times, and shared moments at The Black Swan.

“Thank you again, and we can’t wait to see you soon!”

Star Pubs has stated that it plans a major revamp of the pub, details of which can be found at: https://www.starpubs.co.uk/pubs/black-swan-burnbridge.  

It’s 50 years since the intense heat of the 1976 drought hit the UK.

The country’s worst drought for 200 years, and one of the most severe ever, left reservoirs dry, cracked land, and melted tarmac on roads. For 15 consecutive days, temperatures hit 32°C in parts of the country. The record temperature for a June day was equalled, and still stands (for now).

What became known as the “drought of the century” resulted in the UK’s driest 16-month period for more than 200 years.

In that summer of 1976, people struggled to go to work on public transport in searing heat, wildfires sprang up in paper-dry woods and forests, farmers battled to save their harvests , and it was reported that 400 spectators were treated for heat exhaustion at Wimbledon in one day.

Weeks and weeks without rain led to national appeals to save water. An emergency powers bill, announced on July 3 1976, gave the government extra power to ration water use.

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In south-east Wales, Yorkshire and north Devon, people queued for water at standpipes in the street, while other areas experienced interruptions to their water supply. Meanwhile, food prices went up as farmers’ crops and garden vegetables died in the hot weather.

But the public of 1976 learned to cope with these unusual weather conditions, and per-person use of water dropped from an estimated 190 litres per day in 1972 to 95 litres in 1976. This was a generation with direct or family experience of the hardships of the second world war – including following government restrictions on food, clothing and fuel rationing, which finally ended in 1954.

Some of them had also experienced extreme weather in preceding decades, such as the significant droughts of 1949, 1955 and 1959 – as well as the “great freeze” of 1962-3, which caused an estimated 90,000 excess deaths.

These experiences, plus a public that was generally more trusting of government policy, meant compliance with restrictions was high.

What would happen today?

The environment, the economy and society have all changed since 1976. But drought risk is increasing.

The UK’s population has grown from 56.2 million in 1971 to 69.5 million in 2025. By 2021, one in six residents of England and Wales were born outside the UK, an increase of 2.5 million since 2011.

In 1976, 78% of the UK population lived in urban areas, increasing to 83% by 2024 – or from 43.7 million in 1976 to 57.6 million in 2024. This is also a population that experiences less time spent in nature than previous generations.

But compared with 1976, the UK is now more likely to experience higher summer temperatures, protracted heatwaves and drier soils.

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Our array of washing machines, dishwashers, power showers, pressure washers and paddling pools means we have come to expect water to be in our taps, regardless of what is happening to the weather and environment or our rivers.

When taps do not run, there is considerable frustration and anger, as has been experienced in the South East Water region during 2025 and ’26. Importantly for any government struggling to deal with a drought, trust in privatised water companies is low. This follows legal cases over sewage spills, worries about declining water quality, and perceptions of failing regulation.

During the UK’s 2018 heatwave, trust and willingness to act was seen to be dependent on the belief that water companies were also doing their part to reduce water consumption. But a 2023 survey by Ofwat on customer trust in these companies found 47% of respondents felt their water provider put the interests of its shareholders and owners first. Trust fell to the lowest level in a decade.

Around 60% of households now have a water meter, compared with none in 1976. But while smart meters are good at identifying leaks and tracking water use, reports suggest many consumers do not yet check them regularly to reduce use.

Another challenge is how to reach the public with updates and requests to reduce water use. Communicating about a drought is very different to 1976, when news channels were limited to BBC TV and radio, ITV and independent radio and print newspapers.

News is now widely consumed through social media as well as other media channels. But misinformation also spreads quickly through social media.

How can the UK prepare?

In preparing for the next major drought, the first and fundamental change required is to stop thinking of the UK as a wet country. London, with 690mm of annual rainfall, is drier than Rome’s 878mm and Paris’s 720 mm.

We, as consumers, should also start to think about how we do or don’t value water in our everyday actions. It’s important that households understand, and reduce, how much water each uses. If nothing changes, by 2055, the nation will need up to an additional 5 billion litres of water per day.

A 2020 survey found that 46% of respondents believed their household used less than 20 litres a day, while 17% said they consumed between 20 and 39 litres a day, and 15% thought they used 40 to 59 litres. The reality is between 135 and 150 litres per person, per day.

The biggest challenge for any current government and the water sector generally is likely to be gaining public trust in heeding national requests to save water.

New policy proposals for infrastructure investment, improved regulation, greater fairness and enhanced environmental resilience aim to reset confidence in the water sector as a whole. But as water bills rise to pay for this investment, and if issues around water quality and sewage pollution continue, it may not reset the balance of public trust.

Nonetheless, we should all also start to value water more, and use less, in order to adapt to a climate where intense droughts are an increasing risk in the UK.