As a former senior intelligence officer, I have learned to pay attention to the oddities, the small, unexplained details that make the hairs rise on the back of your neck. So when a US C-17 Globemaster was spotted flying from Latvia into Moscow last week, my curiosity was immediately piqued. When it emerged that the passenger was no routine diplomat but John Ratcliffe, the director of the CIA, I sat up properly.

CIA chiefs do not drop into Moscow for a fireside chat. The last comparable visit was by William Burns in November 2021, sent in a last-ditch attempt to warn Vladimir Putin off invading Ukraine. He failed.

That is why Ratcliffe’s sudden journey matters. In intelligence, unusual movement is rarely meaningless, and this one had ‘warning’ written all over it.

Ratcliffe’s chilling message to Putin? Keep your hands off the West, especially the Baltic states. US intelligence has been hinting at Russia possibly planning a ‘limited incursion,’ or at least plotting to test the West’s red line of land invasion.

At the same time, Russia is raging at the UK, warning that Britain is ‘playing with fire’ after Andy Burnham travelled to Kyiv to allow Ukraine to produce long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles from British blueprints. Moscow talks of ‘catastrophic consequences’ and says it will strike our military installations – with a drone factory near RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk firmly in its crosshairs, as The Mail on Sunday reports today.

Finland has raised the alarm, warning that Putin is unleashing ‘hybrid attacks’ across Europe – explosive drone strikes, arson at European munitions plants and sabotaging critical infrastructure to cripple military aid to Ukraine. Poland is going a step further by training 400,000 Poles in the art of conflict survival.

Putin is getting increasingly desperate, and it is widely reported that he is planning to feed a staggering 600,000 new recruits into his frontline meat-grinder. Concern is growing that he may strike out at the West to deflect attention from his failures in Ukraine and the growing impact of Ukrainian strikes in Russia on the Russian people.

My concern has grown with the lack of any substantive commentary from the Americans on Ratcliffe’s visit and the casual way in which Donald Trump downplayed its significance, calling it ‘semi-routine’ and ‘nothing unusual’.

Russia has been equally dismissive. The Kremlin says invasion warnings are ‘scare stories’.

Simple fact: This is not routine and it is highly unusual. Something is happening, we just don’t know what… yet. So does it mean British troops in Estonia could find themselves staring down the barrels of Russian tanks? No.

Putin may be reckless, brutal and desperate, but he is not yet suicidal. He does not have the troops, armoured vehicles or equipment to take on Nato in a war while his army is being chewed up in eastern Ukraine. No intelligence points to a Russian build-up on the Baltic frontier. No massing of armour. No field hospitals. No logistics surge.

So what are we likely to see? Russia is already at war with Europe, just not in a way most people recognise. Over the past year the Kremlin’s campaign has been ramping up, testing reactions, seeing how far it can push but not attacking in a conventional military way, rather in the grey zone – cut cables, jammed GPS, drones over military bases and critical infrastructure, railway sabotage, warehouse fires, cyber strikes and disinformation.

It is war by nuisance, intimidation and deniability: Cheap enough for Moscow to repeat, ambiguous enough to avoid a Nato military response, and serious enough to force European governments to divert troops, police, intelligence officers and money away from Ukraine and back into their own streets, ports, railways and skies.

Instead of relying solely on professional intelligence officers, Moscow is increasingly using proxies, criminals, extremists, migrants or disposable agents recruited online to set fires, photograph military logistics, damage railways, or plant devices.

Its attacks in Europe nearly tripled between 2023 and 2024. Putin likely feels he has got away with it and is emboldened to do more.

If he lacks troops for a conventional assault, could desperation drive him to the nuclear button? That question keeps intelligence chiefs awake. Western agencies monitor Russia’s nuclear forces with obsessive attention. Moscow’s Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, already used against Ukraine, could be fitted with a nuclear payload. The usual doomsday chorus insists Putin may reach for a tactical nuclear weapon on the Ukrainian front. I do not believe he will.

Moscow talks of ‘catastrophic consequences’ and says it will strike our military installations – with a drone factory near RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk firmly in its crosshairs, writes Philip Ingram

He understands the one thing nuclear theorists sometimes forget: Once you put a nuclear warhead on a battlefield missile, you are no longer playing at intimidation – you are gambling with Armageddon, and the political consequences would be enormous.

His allies China and India would recoil. The wavering states of the global south would edge away. He would look reckless and isolated.

Nato’s response would almost certainly be conventional, not nuclear – closing the skies over occupied Ukraine, smashing Russian forces in occupied territory and making clear that Moscow had crossed the ultimate red line. For Putin, this is not escalation dominance. It is lose-lose.

But Putin does have one nuclear card to play, and almost no one is talking about it. He could launch a tactical nuclear-armed missile at a remote part of Russia and call it a ‘test’. The message would be unmistakable: Kyiv could be next. Or Poland. Or Estonia.

It would be theatre, not war, but white-hot radioactive theatre designed to terrify Western capitals into doing exactly what he wants: Turning support for Ukraine into pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept peace at any price.

There would be next to no military reprisal from the West for a device detonated over Russia. More sanctions may follow, but Putin may calculate that they are worth the political mayhem a nuclear explosion would cause.

If it moves the dial on Ukraine in Putin’s favour, that would be sold as victory. For the West, it would be surrender dressed up as diplomacy. Let us hope that this was not the reason for Ratcliffe’s mercy dash to Moscow.

 Philip Ingram is a former colonel of the British Army.

Chinese university student Fleming Cheng found the political books he had only glimpsed online in a Hong Kong bookstore last year.

Before visiting Greenfield Book Store, Cheng had only managed to see the books’ covers online after bypassing Beijing‘s internet censorship using a VPN. At the store, he picked up a title offering a critical account of China. He stood there devouring dozens of pages from another, about a pro-reform Chinese leader who fell from power for sympathizing with the protesters during the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement in 1989.

Cheng said he saw perspectives diverging from the mainland’s official narrative.

“A space of freedom,” he said.

Hong Kong’s independent bookstores, many of them tucked away from busy streets inside buildings, have long offered a refuge and a window to a freer world for some mainland Chinese readers seeking ideas suppressed at home.

But these spaces now are under threat following a wave of bookseller arrests over alleged sedition under a 2024 national security law. Critics say their plight reflected the city’s broader crackdown on dissent that began after Beijing imposed a separate 2020 security law. Authorities say the two laws are vital to stability.

Greenfield was one of four bookstores targeted by police in just four months. Although bail was granted, the 50-year-old shop in July announced it would close at the end of its lease. Another bookstore, Have A Nice Stay, set up by former journalists, had announced plans to shut down Sunday, citing “elusive red lines” and financial challenges, even before its booksellers were arrested on the same day as Greenfield’s.

“If the Hong Kong government desperately tries to bring every aspect of the city into close alignment with the mainland, or even to the point where the two become indistinguishable, that would be a tremendous loss for us mainlanders too,” Cheng said.

Booksellers under pressure

Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China in 1997, was once known for its freedoms of publication and expression.

But in 2015, bookseller Lam Wing-kee and four others affiliated with Causeway Bay Books disappeared. The store was known for selling politically sensitive titles. Lam later told reporters he was held by Chinese authorities, providing explosive details that contradicted official Chinese accounts. Gossipy books about Chinese politics soon dwindled on Hong Kong’s shelves.

After the 2020 security law, leading activists were arrested and civil society groups disbanded. Titles about the Tiananmen crackdown and works by pro-democracy politicians were pulled from public libraries. At the city’s annual book fair, some smaller book businesses were barred from exhibiting, and a pro-Beijing newspaper labeled an independent book fair a form of “soft resistance.”

Despite the pressure and increased official inspections, many pressed on, with some continuing to organize activities alongside selling books.

But the arrests hit Book Punch in March, Hunter Bookstore in June, and Greenfield and Have A Nice Stay in July. The authorities accused the booksellers of selling seditious publications, according to government statements and media reports.

Cautious booksellers say they struggle to interpret the rules

Authorities say statements with “seditious intention” to incite hatred against or the overthrow of the governments of China and Hong Kong are prohibited. But they have not specified the books they consider as “seditious,” leaving observers to find clues in news reports quoting anonymous sources.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang said the law is clear about what constitutes seditious intent and reiterated there would be no banned book list. He said booksellers should ensure the titles they sell do not harm national security, just as those selling food need to ensure the food won’t cause a stomach ache or be poisonous.

A bookseller, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government retribution, said they struggled to judge what was seditious. Still, they became more cautious about whether to sell certain books on China’s modern politics. Their landlord was also reviewing whether to continue to rent the space to them after being harassed.

In an emailed reply, the government condemned any “smearing” and false remarks regarding the work in safeguarding national security. It said the security laws clearly stipulate that human rights, freedoms of speech and publication should be protected.

The offenses linked to seditious intention expressly protect expression of opinions or even criticism against government policies, it said.

Spaces for refuge and companionship

University student Iris Wang from neighboring Guangdong sensed tighter control over Hong Kong. To her, Hunter encouraged people to think, instead of just selling books like its mainland peers. She bought a postcard about being courageous and a manga there.

Some mainland readers also visit the stores for non-political reasons, such as for their niche books or simply for their calmness.

Hong Konger Brian Leung found companionship in independent bookstores, saying each had its own character. When arrests happened at the shops he visited, he said he felt something he cherished and that Hong Kong deserved was being rejected.

“Part of what I have grown used to in Hong Kong is lost again,” he said, adding that the bookshops have not “incited” him because readers can judge for themselves.

Concerns over Hong Kong’s access to Taiwanese books

In Taiwan, widely seen as the freest publishing hub for Chinese-language books, some publishers have filled the gap as restrictions deepened in Hong Kong after the 2020 security law took effect. Some readers fear one day Taiwan cannot send books to Hong Kong as freely as before.

Taiwan’s publishers released six times as many books about Hong Kong between 2020 and 2024 as in the previous five years, according to Cheng Tsu-Bang, a sociology professor at Tunghai University in Taiwan.

“The publication of books seems to have become a very important medium of communication between Taiwan and Hong Kong, or a medium of mutual support,” he said.

In July, Taiwan’s broadcaster FTV reported that a logistics firm stopped taking orders to ship books from Taiwan to Hong Kong bookstores under investigation. It also demanded a full book list before delivering to other Hong Kong premises, the report added.

One Hong Kong author who moved to Taiwan and has published books there is Lee, who spoke on condition of not using their full name out of fear of government retribution.

Lee has written about Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, saying the independent bookstores served as a bridge to bring works about Hong Kong to the city and connect diaspora writers to their home.

The writer compared the collapse of civil society to a boulder rolling downhill, crushing things in its path. Lee said bookstores were a small flower field where people could breathe and try to safeguard what remained.

“It’s now like being told very directly and cruelly that perhaps this borrowed time is coming to an end,” Lee said.

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Roger Federer was brought to tears numerous times during his induction speech at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.

As sunset crept in at Newport’s grass horseshoe court at the entrance of the Hall, the 45-year-old Federer, dressed in a tan suit, strolled up to the stage for his speech, kissed and hugged his wife, Mirka, who had just introduced him, and realized what a challenge it was going to be.

“Oh man,” were the first words from the first man ever to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles. “This is very high level and a tough act to follow.”

He joked: “I don’t know if you have been practicing secretly” before praising his wife’s presentation of the 274th Hall of Famer.

Federer was inducted along with Mary Carillo, a broadcaster and former player, who was presented by Hall of Famer Billy Jean King.

Federer, called the “Swiss Maestro” during the Hall’s first red-carpet show, which began on center court about 90 minutes before the start of the induction ceremony, told the crowd that he “was a little stressed to be honest.”

During his nearly 30-minute speech, Federer, who showed fluid movement and a quick approach to the net with a solid one-hand backhand that earned him a record 237 consecutive weeks as the world’s No. 1 player in the ATP rankings, chocked up a handful of times.

It began to get tough for him about halfway through, when he talked about his childhood hero, Stefan Edberg, when he said these are “happy tears.”

Then he was brought to tears again when he spoke about his longtime coach Severin Luthi, before he wanted to thank Mirka for helping him on his journey.

“Now the Mirka part,” he said, pausing before breaking into tears. “Oh gosh, this such a mess.”

He tried to joke, but the tears took over like a quick return at the net.

“I need tissues and sunglasses, everything to protect me right now,” he told the crowd, fighting back more tears.

But, like rallying in winning one of his five consecutive U.S. Open titles from 2004-08 or reaching 10 straight Slam finals, which he won eight, Federer closed by thanking the ball boys and encouraged players to keep taking the game new levels.

Federer, who celebrated his 45th birthday three weeks ago, won eight Wimbledon titles and is only one of eight men with a career Grand Slam. He captured six Australian Opens and one French Open, in 2009.

“I’m thrilled to have made the journey here,” he said. “It’s amazing to see yourself in a place like this. To immerse yourself in the history of the sport means a lot to me.”

Carillo, inducted as a contributor, is a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

King said: “She has earned her spot in sports journalism and she has earned her spot in Newport.”

Carillo, 69, was touched standing in front of a handful of Hall of Famers.

“To walk through these gates here in the company of you people, that was beyond my dreams,” she said.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Russia is poised to attack Britain – and has singled out a drone factory and a missile company as ‘legal targets’, it was claimed last night.

A senior adviser to Vladimir Putin warned that the ‘highest levels of the Russian government’ were considering a ‘hybrid attack’, such as sabotage or arson, rather than an ‘outright military strike’ that would unleash a response from Nato.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Andrei Fedorov, a former deputy foreign minister of Russia, described the UK as ‘evil number one’. 

Among the Kremlin’s targets is a drone factory owned by a British-Ukrainian firm, Ukrspecsystems.

Details of the company’s premises next to RAF Mildenhall, in West Suffolk, were made public in April alongside five other European firms that make weapons and drones for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

On Saturday night, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘The reckless rhetoric and attempts at intimidation we have seen from the Kremlin in recent weeks reflects the weakness of Putin’s position and we will not be intimidated.

‘This has been a bad year for Putin. The front line has barely moved. Russian casualties continue to mount. The Russian people are paying a heavy price for Putin’s war.

‘It is also in our national interest that Putin’s aggression must not be rewarded. The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I are working together to mobilise support for Ukraine ahead of winter.’

Details of Ukrspecsystems’s premises next to RAF Mildenhall, in West Suffolk, were made public in April alongside five other European firms that make weapons and drones for Ukraine 

It is understood Putin is angry with Prime Minister Andy Burnham for giving Ukraine blueprints for long-range Storm Shadow missiles

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The threat comes as: 

• Bosses of British defence companies have been warned they could be targets of Russian hybrid attacks;
• A pro-Kremlin war channel suggested that a Nato base in Estonia with at least 900 British troops should be attacked;
• One of the assassins of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko plans to hold an anti-UK exhibition opposite the British embassy in Moscow;
• Britain’s ambassador to Russia told officials not to confirm if British weapons are going to Ukraine to prevent an escalation by Putin.

On Saturday, Elisabeth Braw, an expert on the Atlantic Council thinktank, said that the point of hybrid attacks is that they put a country like the UK in a dilemma about how to respond.

She said: ‘I call hybrid threats the defender’s dilemma because it really is the defender’s dilemma.

‘How exactly are you supposed to hit back because if you were to use military means, then you would really cause World War Three.’

Fedorov, 71, said that the Kremlin would not launch an outright military strike against Britain, a Nato member, because it could lead to the Western alliance launching a collective military response against Russia.

But he added: ‘The UK is evil number one. After the information that UK-made drones were used against Russian oil refineries, this has become a big anger [sic] in Russian society.

‘Various experts are calling to punish by strike [sic] the UK, and it will be supported by the majority of Russian citizens.’

He said that Putin and his cronies were angry Andy Burnham had handed Ukraine blueprints for long-range Storm Shadow missiles, which have been used previously to strike inside Russia.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

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Andrei Fedorov said the Kremlin would not launch an outright military strike against Britain because it could lead to Nato launching a collective military response against Russia

The missiles – which have a range of 350 miles – are manufactured by the British arms company MBDA, which employs 4,000 people and has its headquarters in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Fedorov said of MBDA: ‘Many experts in Moscow are saying yes, it’s a legal target. Absolutely.’ 

Throughout last week, Russian officials, including the Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, threatened Britain with attacks, in response to Mr Burnham’s visit to Ukraine.

The warnings came despite an unannounced visit to Moscow by the head of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, last Tuesday, where he reportedly warned Russia not to attack a Nato country.

Ms Zakharova said: ‘Andy Burnham’s government understands where this will lead. They should understand this is playing with fire and that the consequences could be unpredictable.’

The MoS has also been shown an official memo by Nigel Casey, Britain’s ambassador to Moscow, which he sent to Foreign Office staff after Mr Burnham’s visit.

In the memo, he says Russia is losing its ‘narrative’ on the Ukraine war, which is leading it to ‘step up’ hybrid warfare across Europe.

He adds: ‘In this period of escalation in the war, UK officials, whether speaking on or off the record, [should] stick firmly to our policy of neither confirming nor denying whether UK-supplied weapons are used by Kyiv inside Russia. 

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain will ‘not be intimidated’ by the Kremlin. (Pictured: Mr Streeting Streeting in front of a building damaged by Russian strikes in Ukraine)

‘Any comments which appear to confirm Russian accusations risk unnecessarily elevating already substantial risks to UK national security.’

At a briefing in London last week, Western officials warned that Russia is poised to launch more hybrid attacks across Europe as Ukraine gains the upper hand in the war.

One said: ‘The Russian appetite to conduct hybrid operations is very clear. Our assessment is that Putin wants to avoid a direct confrontation with Nato.

‘We need to remain vigilant around hybrid threats. Relations are at a very low ebb between us and them.’

Former Tory security minister Tom Tugendhat said: ‘These are the desperate words of a regime that is losing the war it started. We will not be bullied. The UK will continue standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.’

Nick Timothy, the Tory MP for West Suffolk, whose constituency hosts Ukrspecsystems, said: ‘People in Suffolk, like the British people as a whole, will never be intimidated by Russian threats.

‘Our support for Ukraine – which is the victim of unprovoked Russian aggression – will remain as strong as it has always been.’

Last night, it also emerged that a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, ATO Donetsk – a favourite of Russian troops – called for attacks on the Tapa Nato base in Estonia, where 900 British soldiers are stationed. 

In a broadcast, the channel said: ‘We won’t fly over Britain, but the Tapa military base houses about 900 British troops, equipment and ammunition depots.

‘It’s only 150km [93 miles] from Russia. The Baltics are a very convenient target for a show trial.’

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Russia has launched several hybrid attacks against the UK. 

In March 2024, a warehouse in Leyton, East London, storing aid for Ukraine, was burned down. The culprits were hired by Russian mercenary group Wagner.

And in June, two men were jailed for a number of arson attacks of homes and a car linked to former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Ukrspecsystems declined to comment and MBDA could not be reached.

Additional reporting: Mark Nicol

Litvinenko assassin’s anti-Britain campaign ‘Poison killer’ heads UK hate campaign

A Kremlin assassin who poisoned defector Alexander Litvinenko with a radioactive chemical in London is now spearheading an anti-British campaign in Russia.

Andrey Lugovoy was one of two spies sent to Britain in 2006 to kill Mr Litvinenko – a former Russian Federal Security Service officer who became a fierce Putin critic.

Lugovoy, 56, who denies the poisoning and is now an ultra-loyalist Putin MP, is leading the campaign against Britain. He last week told Russian TV his aim is to portray the country as a ‘truly terrifying… enemy’.

Lugovoy will hold an anti-British exhibition later this year in a building opposite the UK’s embassy in Moscow highlighting ‘colonial crimes’.

It will be titled ‘Britlag’ to pun with the Russian word gulag.

The assassin who poisoned defector Alexander Litvinenko (pictured) is now spearheading an anti-British campaign in Russia

Salmonella can cause unpleasant symptoms but there are ways you can avoid the infection.

Ian Budd, lead prescribing pharmacist at Chemist4U, said: “Salmonella is a group of bacteria comprising more than 2,500 different strains, although only some are responsible for causing food poisoning in humans.

“While most infections are relatively mild, they can sometimes lead to serious illness, particularly in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

“In recent days and weeks, the UKHSA has announced that an outbreak affecting seven countries has led to one death and 34 hospitalisations in the UK.”

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed 207 cases between August 11 last year and August 1 this year, with 199 in England, six in Scotland, one in Wales, and one in Northern Ireland.

It said the outbreak “may be linked to eggs imported from outside of the UK.”

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said there is “no evidence that UK-produced eggs are affected”.

While eggs could be the issue in this case, the pharmacist reminds Brits that salmonella can be found in a number of other food products, including chicken, pork and even fruit.

Budd added: “Similarly, if any fresh fruit or vegetables have come into contact with the bacteria, they can also present a risk to you.”

What are the symptoms of salmonella?

You can expect salmonella symptoms to typically develop between a few hours and a few days after exposure.

They can include diarrhoea, cramps in the stomach, nausea, vomiting and a fever.

Ian Budd adds: “While these symptoms usually only last from 4-7 days, it is vital that you seek medical advice if diarrhoea or vomiting lasts for more than two to three days without improving, you have blood in your stool or have a prolonged high fever.”

The NHS explains that symptoms can sometimes start after “a few weeks.”

You can read more about salmonella and when you need to call 111 or 999 via the NHS website.

How do you get salmonella?

Contaminated food that hasn’t been cooked correctly can cause salmonella, but you can also get it by drinking contaminated water or by being in close contact with infected animals.

How you can avoid salmonella

If you want to avoid salmonella, there are a few things you can do.

Budd suggests: “As salmonella bacteria is most commonly spread through contaminated food products, one of the best ways to avoid contracting it is through proper food preparation and hygiene.

“When cooking food, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands before preparing food and after handling raw meat or eggs.

“Make sure to cook foods all the way through and always avoid cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods.

We have published a news story on the latest investigations into an outbreak of #Salmonella Enteritidis.

Full story: https://t.co/5xG7Tnl6gj pic.twitter.com/ZFriCC3bWb

— UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) August 27, 2026

“Similarly, regularly washing food, utensils and chopping boards with hot water will minimise the possibility of contracting salmonella.

“As well as practising good hygiene, remember to check the temperature of your fridge and ensure you are following the sell by dates on your produce.”

What to do if you think you have salmonella

Make sure you’re staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.

The pharmacist also advises adding oral rehydration sachets or solutions to replace electrolytes you may have lost through vomiting and diarrhoea.

He added: “Avoid any spicy or fatty foods as these can increase feelings of nausea and make sure not to drink fizzy drinks or fruit juice as these can worsen diarrhoea symptoms.

Recommended reading:

“If the symptoms of salmonella are causing you pain and discomfort, you can also take paracetamol, making sure to check the information leaflet first before taking.

“If you are at higher risk of complications, such as if you are pregnant, elderly or have a weakened immune system, you should seek medical advice if you begin to feel unwell.

“As mentioned, if you are experiencing blood in your stools, persistent symptoms, prolonged high fever or signs of dehydration such as dizziness, dry mouth, or passing very little dark urine, please seek medical advice.”

What do you do to reduce your risk of getting salmonella? Let us know in the comments.

Every day on Criminal Record we will be bringing you a round-up of the biggest crime stories of the day.

If you love to read about crime in Scotland – this is the place to be every day.

Here’s what has been making the news across the country on Saturday.

Irish gang looting wealthy Asian families

An Irish crime clan are targeting wealthy Scots in sophisticated gold heists using metal detectors to find the loot and wipes to remove any forensic trail.

The gang are behind a spate of robberies which have netted them hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of gold and jewellery from Asian families in Glasgow’s south side.

The masked and gloved criminals carry out break-ins, often lasting less than 10 minutes, using metal detectors to find the valuables and then cleaning fluids and wipes to scrub surfaces of fingerprints or DNA.

In the most recent raids the gang targeted 10 luxury homes in the affluent Glasgow suburb of ­Whitecraigs, where properties can sell for £1million and more.

A retired businessman, who asked not to be named, spoke of his shock at falling victim to the gang and released CCTV of their terrifying raid. He said: “My wife went out at 1.15pm and they must have been watching the house.

READ MORE: Irish crime gang loot Scotland’s wealthiest Asian families in gold and jewellery heists

Revenge porn fiend sends pics of pal’s ex to neighbours

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A vile fiend posted revenge porn pictures of his friend’s ex to her neighbours. Arkadiusz Lis sent letters which included a snap of the victim showing full frontal nudity and her phone number in the wake of a split with his pal.

Lanark Sheriff Court heard the victim was “horrified” when she opened the letter and discovered several neighbours had been sent the same image by post.

Lis, 42, from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, also admitted sending the woman a text threatening to disclose “intimate images” of her. The sicko was ordered to carry out community service as a “direct alternative” to prison.

Fiscal depute Jack Muir told the court: “It is a picture she had taken. She was horrified to open the letter. The telephone number associated with the text message was associated with the accused. He was arrested at Glasgow Airport.”

READ MORE: Cruel revenge porn fiend sent nude pictures of pal’s ex to her neighbours

Woman’s face left ‘like something from horror movie’

A woman mauled by a dog she had known since it was a puppy says she faces years of surgery after the “terrifying” attack left her with devastating injuries.

Samantha Redding, 20, had been around the Spanish mastiff crossed with a bear-headed Akita, which belonged to her friend’s father, since it was young and says she had never known it to be aggressive.

But during a brief visit to the house in January, the huge dog suddenly latched onto her face. Samantha remembers little of the attack beyond seeing the animal coming towards her, hearing it growl and feeling excruciating pain.

“I went to my friend’s dad’s house to get her but she’d already left to meet me at my house,” Samantha, from Falkirk, said. “I was only in the house for about 10 minutes and I was getting ready to leave.

“I went to pick up my bag and the dog latched onto my face… My face looked like something from a horror movie.”

READ MORE: ” My face was like something from a horror movie” Scots woman opens up on dog attack hell

Rangers legend’s daughter slams abusive husband

The Daughter of Rangers legend Gordon Smith has spoken out after her tarot reader husband was convicted of abusing her and blocking her from seeing her family.

Libby Smith married ‘psychic entrepreneur ’ Colin Stevenson in a ‘secret’ wedding ceremony in 2023 before holding a lavish reception with her famous dad by her side and Corrie star Helen Flanagan as a bridesmaid.

But Stevenson was sentenced to community service this week after admitting abusing the 37-year-old mum-of-three over a period of almost three years – starting just weeks before their marriage.

The 43-year-old was banned from contacting Libby after admitting behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards his ex at Lanark Sheriff Court – including preventing her family from visiting her and their newborn child.

READ MORE HERE: Rangers legend’s daughter hits out after abusive tarot reader husband convicted

Cops seize drugs and cash in dawn raid

Drugs and cash were seized by police following a dawn raid at a number of properties in Perth. Warrants were executed at properties on New Row in the city centre on Thursday morning, August 27.

Following a search of the properties by police, a quantity of drugs, cash and other items were seized. No further details as to the value or type of drugs seized was released by police.

In a video shared on social media, police can be seen preparing for the raid around the corner from one of the properties. Some officers are wearing protective clothing and can be seen with tools to break in if necessary.

Once ready, the group of nine officers cross the road and make their way down the street towards their intended target. Enquiries into the find are ongoing.

READ MORE: Drugs and cash seized in dawn raid at Perth properties as video shows police presence

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The Met Office warns of showers across the country on Monday as the downpours continue to fall this bank holiday weekend

Showers are set to continue on Monday, with chances of potential hail and thunder to persist this bank holiday weekend.

According to maps by the forecaster 107 areas will be hit by showers as scattered patches of blue cover much of the nation throughout the day.

The wet conditions follow a soggy Sunday, as showers could turn heavy and thundery impacting festivalgoers according to the Met Office.

Monday will be drier and brighter, but still with some showers.

Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick said: “On Sunday there will be some scattered showers around to start, mostly across Scotland, Northern Ireland might see some.

“The South East could remain dry, but by the evening they will probably start to see some showers, they also could be heavy and thundery.”

The Monday is expected to be drier, however there is still high chance of rain across the UK.

According to the Met office weather maps showers will start at around 8am in the South West, with much of Wales also seeing downpours.

As the day continues there are scattered spells of rain across different areas of the country.

By midday the majority of the rain is concentrated in the North West and North East of England, having slightly dispersed from the South.

Areas including Lancaster and Darlington are set to be soaked.

In the afternoon as far north as Yorkshire will also see some showers, with Scarborough forecast rain at 4pm.

Then as the evening comes in, the rain appears to hit the Midlands with Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough experiencing showers at 10pm.

Honor Criswick added: “It will probably be quite dry first thing on Monday, some showers across western areas, some heavy showers mostly across north Scotland.

“For many areas it’s going to be turning drier and brighter, a better end to the day compared to the start.

“On Monday there will be some showers around but probably less heavy thundery ones and a few more brighter spells, it’s still probably worth taking a waterproof if you’re at a festival.

“Monday will also see maximum temperatures in the early 20s.”

Areas forecast rain on Monday:

1. Looe
2. Tavistock
3. Chulmleigh
4. Dulverton
5. Minehead
6. Weymouth
7. Blandford Forum
8. Tenterden
9. Dover
10. Canterbury
11. Margate
12. Bath
13. Cirencester
14. Swindon
15. Didcot
16. Oxford
17. High Wycombe
18. Aylesbury
19. Chepstow
20. Llantwit Major
21. Maesteg
22. Merthyr Tydfil
23. Ystradgynlais
24. Llandeilo
25. Llandovery
26. Lampeter
27. Aberystwyth
28. Llanidloes
29. Newtown
30. Barmouth
31. Llanwddyn
32. Welshpool
33. Church Stretton
34. Ludlow
35. Worcester
36. Wellingborough
37. Stamford
38. Peterborough
39. Norwich
40. Hunstanton
41. Skegness
42. Horncastle
43. Louth
44. Caistor
45. Gainsborough
46. Mablethorpe
47. Grimsby
48. Hull
49. Hornsea
50. Driffield
51. Malton
52. Bridlington
53. Pickering
54. Scarborough
55. Ripon
56. Skipton
57. Burnley
58. Preston
59. Settle
60. Lancaster
61. High Bentham
62. Blackpool
63. Whitby
64. Ambleside
65. Broughton In Furness
66. Brough
67. Moffat
68. Langholm
69. Jedburgh
70. Hawick
71. Peebles
72. Cumnock
73. Lauder
74. Biggar
75. Edinburgh
76. Cumbernauld
77. Stirling
78. Kinross
79. Perth
80. Brechin
81. Glasgow
82. Aberdeen
83. Hartlepool
84. Bradford
85. Cambridge
86. Colchester
87. Brighton
88. Ipswich
89. Manchester
90. Liverpool
91. Warrington
92. Leek
93. Macclesfield
94. Buxton
95. Stoke-on-Trent
96. Uttoxeter
97. Birmingham
98. Northampton
99. Exeter
100. Milton Keynes
101. Bournemouth
102. Nottingham
103. Grantham
104. Loughborough
105. Wolverhampton
106. Bolton
107. Wigan

Nine areas were covered by Environment Agency flood alerts, meaning floods are possible, as of Saturday night.

The wet weather comes after continued hot weather across the UK, which coincided with extremely dry conditions.

The Met Office has previously said the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record after five heatwaves, with temperatures of up to 38.1C recorded in London.

Marion McMillan was 17, pregnant and unmarried, when she made her first trip to England from her home in the south-west of Scotland.

It was 1966 and she was sent by her family to a maternity home run by the Salvation Army more than 150 miles away, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The young mum spent nine months with her baby – a beautiful boy with “gorgeous wee black hair” – before he was taken from her.

She begged staff to let her keep him. “I said ‘please help me keep my baby, don’t let them take my baby, please’ and he was gone,” she told a new BBC documentary, Stolen Babies.

Warning: This story contains racist language and descriptions of sexual abuse and violence

It tells the stories of some of the 250,000 women who were forced to hand over their newborns for adoption between 1949 and 1976.

They were powerless against the will of the state, social workers and religious organisations, and the system which supplied infants to adoptive families.

“Let’s face it, we were working class unmarried girls having babies that were being adopted by middle class women,” another victim, Ann Keen, told the programme.

For years many of the women kept their ordeal – their shame – secret.

In July, outgoing prime minister Sir Keir Starmer issued a formal apology to those mothers, telling them: “The shame is not yours… the shame is ours.”

Norway’s new king Haakon VIII has addressed the nation for the first time after succeeding his late father Harald V as monarch. 

Haakon, 53, spoke to the Norwegian people on Saturday in a speech broadcast live from the Royal Palace in Oslo – where his father lies in state – in which he thanked him ‘for everything he was and everything he did’.

King Harald V, who is a cousin of King Charles III, died on Friday aged 89 following a brief stay in hospital where he was being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a disorder that causes red blood cells to be destroyed at an abnormally fast rate. 

Speaking for the first time since his ascension, former crown prince Haakon eulogised his father as a loving parent and dedicated monarch – and thanked the people of Norway for their outpouring of compassion in the wake of his death. 

‘Dear Dad,’ he said: ‘Thank you for being such a good father to Märtha and me. Warm and reassuring. You were also a gentle and funny grandfather. 

‘A loving and thoughtful husband. A generous father-in-law. A brother and uncle whom everyone loved spending time with.

‘I’m going to miss him. I’ll miss his laughter. His good-natured way of dealing with people and situations. My father always made those around him feel at ease.

‘And that means – in the ultimate sense – being willing to risk everything, even one’s life, for Norway’s freedom and independence.’ 

King Harald of Norway, cousin of King Charles III, died at the age of 89 after a brief stay in hospital

Speaking for the first time since his ascension, former crown prince Haakon eulogised his father as a loving parent and dedicated monarch

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A gallery of photos of the Norwegian Royal Family are displayed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Royal Palace, where Haakon gave his first speech as monarch

King Haakon and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra met with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Toril Marie Oie on Friday in the wake of Harald’s death

 Haakon and Ingrid also received the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit, at the Royal Palace on Friday

Wearing a sombre black suit and sat beside a picture of his late father, the new king continued: ‘As king, my father represented Norway and the Norwegian people with pride and joy, through visits around the country, at events here at the royal palace, and while working on Norway’s behalf around the world.

‘We are in mourning. At the same time, it brings us comfort and strength to know that so many are mourning with us.

‘It has been a powerful and moving experience to see the Palace Square filled with people, flowers, messages of condolence, and candles. Thank you so much.’

Haakon – now officially His Majesty King Haakon VIII – came to the throne almost immediately following his father’s passing.

He and other senior members of the Norwegian Royal Family rushed to Harald’s bedside at the national hospital in Oslo on Thursday after his health ‘deteriorated’ as a result of an infection. 

In a statement announcing his passing, Norway’s Royal Court said: ‘It is with deep grief that we announce that His Majesty King Harald has passed away.

‘King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Friday, August 28 at 6.35am.’

On Friday, King Charles extended his ‘deepest and most heartfelt condolences’ to the Norwegian Royal Family following the death of his ‘dear cousin’. 

King Harald V ruled Norway for 35 years – becoming the country’s oldest reigning monarch in 2024

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Harald is pictured with his widow, queen dowager Sonja, and the late Queen Elizabeth II in London. On Friday, King Charles extended his ‘deepest and most heartfelt condolences’ to the Norwegian Royal Family following the death of his ‘dear cousin’

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere was seen looking at floral tributes outside the Royal Palace following the death of King Harald

Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway Olav Fykse Tveit was pictured laying flowers at the Palace Square 

The pair were second cousins once removed, sharing great-great-grandparents Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark. 

King Charles said: ‘As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades.

‘The Queen and I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Queen Sonja and all her family, as Britain shares in Norway’s grief at this time of such heartbreaking loss.’ 

Throughout Friday, thousands of mourners descended on Oslo to pay their respects to the late king, placing flowers, flags and condolence cards outside the royal palace

Flags were flying at half-mast throughout the country, as portraits of Harald – who ruled for 35 years – in gala uniform were displayed everywhere, from metro stations to public buildings. 

Across Norway, churches and city halls were also opened specially so people could light candles, and write their thoughts about the deceased king in condolence books.

New king Haakon – the only son of Harald and now queen dowager Sonja – shares two children with his wife Mette-Marit, 22-year-old Princess Ingrid Alexandra and 20-year-old Prince Sverre Magnus. 

Ingrid is now second in line to the throne, meaning she would be the first female monarch in Norway for more than 600 years if she were to become queen – the last being Queen Margaret I, who died in 1412. 

Hundreds of people gathered on the Palace Square after the bier with King Harald drove in a procession from the chapel at the National Hospital through Oslo

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Norway’s Royal Palace lowers a flag to half-mast following King Harald’s death

Lighted candles and flowers were laid in front of the palace

Flowers and children’s drawing lay outside the Royal Palace square as mourners gathered to pay tribute

Mette-Marit (pictured) has faced increased scrutiny following the release of the Epstein Files, which revealed she stayed at Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach residence in 2013 – after he was convicted for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14

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In June, Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby (pictured), was convicted on two counts of rape and jailed for four years 

However, Haakon’s ascension to the throne has not been without controversy.  

In recent months, the new monarch’s wife, Mette-Marit, 53, has faced intense scrutiny following the release of the Epstein Files, which revealed she stayed at paedophile Jeffrey Epstein‘s Palm Beach residence in 2013 – after he was convicted for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.

The new queen claimed this year she had been misled by the late sex offender as she sought to contain the fallout. 

Fresh scandal also came in June when Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, was convicted on two counts of rape and jailed for four years following a six-week trial that laid bare allegations of violence, drug abuse and sexual misconduct. 

An Oslo court also found him guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, issuing threats and committing traffic offences, although he was acquitted of two other rape charges. 

The 29-year-old had been charged with sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024. 

The conviction marked a fall for Høiby, who grew up in the public eye after his mother married the then Crown Prince Haakon in 2001 when he was just four.

Although he does not hold a royal title or carry out official duties, he has long been closely associated with the Norwegian Royal Family.

King Haakon also faces additional drama drama with the upcoming arrival of a second reality TV show by King Harald and Queen Sonja’s eldest daughter, Princess Martha Louise, and her ‘shaman’ husband, Durek Verrett. 

The couple’s first Netflix show, Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, took an ‘intimate look’ at the love story between Martha Louise and the Hollywood ‘half-reptilian and bisexual’ shaman.

The film followed the couple as they ‘navigated a swirl of controversy’ and prepared for their wedding, which took place in the picturesque small town of Geiranger in 2024.

In a move dubbed ‘Norway’s Megxit’, Martha Louise relinquished her royal role in November 2022.

Eyebrows were raised when the princess first began dating Verrett, who holds some controversial and pseudoscientific views, including that cancer in children can be caused by ‘being unhappy’.

The couple were introduced by friends in 2019 and have claimed to have known each other in a past life, specifically from ancient Egypt.

Their latest reality TV venture adds to what has been – and what is continuing to be – one of the toughest periods for the Norwegian throne in modern times.

The Irish rap trio headlined the Gallery Stage at Leeds Festival – leading a politically-charged crowd chant targeting the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been the subject of a expletive-laden chant by Irish rap trio Kneecap during their set at Leeds Festival on Friday night.

The group previously found themselves embroiled in controversy over a pro-Palestinian chant at Glastonbury last year, which prompted an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police.

The Belfast-born trio headlined The Gallery stage on Friday, August 28, where they reportedly incited the crowd into chanting: “Andy Burnham’s a w*****”, Yorkshire Live reports.

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Earlier this week, the Prime Minister made his inaugural official visit to Northern Ireland, declaring that a referendum on a united Ireland “is off the table.”

He went on to cite Brexit and the independent Scottish referendums as examples of “risks that come from those situations and take a long time to heal, as reports the Mirror.