‘I grabbed hold of my gate and I held on tight, preparing for the force. Then the force of the water hit me.’

A man has described the moment he heard an explosion reminiscent of an earthquake, before a “wall of water” came gushing through his home, taking him along with it and ripping his back door off its hinges.

Steve Mordecai and his wife are one of several families who were evacuated from their homes on Thursday afternoon after a quarry explosion led to flooding in the village of Gwaelod-y-Garth on the edge of Cardiff.

According to residents, water came gushing through the village at Heol Berry and Heol y Nant minutes after an explosion was heard at the nearby Breedon Group quarry.

The owners of the quarry have said they are aware of the incident but are unable to comment further as of Thursday afternoon.

Residents have described the explosion, which happened at around 2pm, as being like an “earthquake”. Moments after the explosion the quiet streets in the village were flooded with water.

Steve told WalesOnline: “I heard the bang and the house shook, so I went out into the garden to make sure that everything was okay. As I walked towards the field, towards my gate, I looked up and I saw this wall of water – brown dirty water – with wood in it and leaves and everything.

“I was shocked. I have seen some things in my life but this shocked me – in a drought area too.”

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Recalling the shocking moment the water rushed towards him, Steve said: “All of a sudden I just grabbed hold of my gate and I held on tight, preparing for the force. Then the force of the water hit me and pushed me backwards from the gate. I was floating.

“I could feel the pebbles and the stones and the leaves and sticks going past me and within less than a minute it was about three feet high.

“The gush of the water ripped my back door off its hinges. The water was all into our utility area and in the kitchen. It went straight through into the living room and right out through the front door.

“We have had electrics turned off. We had the police come over to see if we want to move for a couple of days. But no, we want to stay here because upstairs is still okay.”

Explaining what his plans are, Steve continued: “What we will do now is take the carpets up, move everything out and squeegee the floor. I have a few gas heaters I can turn on to try and dry the place out.”

In footage taken by WalesOnline walking through Steve’s house, you can see the dregs of the water, which was above knee height, stained onto his walls. The water level inside his utility room remains above ankle height.

Steve said the force of the water was so powerful it pushed over his fridge freezer and ripped his back door off its hinges.

The floors on the ground floor of his home are laced in thick brown mud, with all indoor and outdoor furniture ruined. The damage caused is estimated to be thousands of pounds. The vegetables and flowers Steve had been growing have also been destroyed.

He said: “Obviously my garden is ruined. All my vegetables, all my flowers. It’s all gone. In the greenhouse, everything’s gone. My tomatoes, courgettes, everything.”

There are several other families affected in similar ways – either sorting through the wreckage or being placed into emergency accommodation.

Gareth Spencer, a resident of Heol Berry, has described feeling “devastated” at the wreckage he and his neighbours are faced with.

“It was a massive blast, it shook all the windows, [it was] really, really loud – probably louder than normal I’d say, for this area, even though we get blasts from time to time.

“There was no warning, no prior warning. Sometimes there is a siren that goes off – didn’t hear that.

“I came out about five to 10 minutes later to a massive gush of water and mud coming down the road. There was so much of it, it was terrible actually.

“When I came out to see the other residents’ houses it was a hard watch I have to say. It shouldn’t be allowed to happen.

“There are young families on this street who have gone on holiday, as it’s the school holidays. They’ve gone away and now they are going to have to come back and deal with this. I mean, it’s really sad, seeing all the water gushing out of their houses.”

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Police and the fire service remain at the scene on Thursday evening. A South Wales Police spokesperson said: “Officers are currently in attendance to the area of Gwaelod-y-Garth, Taff’s Well, following flooding.

“A road closure is in place at the junction of Heol Goch and Main Road. Please avoid the area to allow the emergency services to deal with the incident.

“Discoloration of the water may appear in multiple streams and rivers downstream of the flooding, we urge people to stay away from the water whilst this incident is ongoing.”

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A spokesperson for Breedon Group said: “We are aware of an incident that took place at our Taff’s Well Quarry this afternoon. Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities while engaging with the local community as we respond to the situation.

“Our priority is supporting the response and we are not in a position to provide any further comment at this time.”

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham will give all mayors of city regions in England a share of income tax revenue for the first time, as part of his drive to transfer power from Westminster to local leaders.

Burnham will also allow mayors of English strategic authorities to keep some cash from business rates collected in their areas, and gain greater control over services such as housing, transport, skills.

The government has not yet decided the exact portion of taxes mayors will be given, with more details to be announced when Chancellor John Healey delivers his first budget in the autumn.

Critics said the plans lacked detail and could lead to areas with weaker economies losing out on funding.

But Burnham said the move would “make good” on his pledge to “bring power home” to “every postcode in the country”.

“Under our plans, more of the taxes raised in a community will stay in that community,” the prime minister added.

The power to raise and control tax revenues is highly centralised in the UK, making the country an outlier by international standards.

The share of national taxes collected at a local level in the UK is 5.8%, the lowest in the G7, according to the OECD, external, a global policy forum.

That share is far below that of other countries with large economies such as France (20.4%), Japan (36%), and the US (45.7%).

As it stands, mayors of strategic authorities in England receive most of their funding from central government grants.

During his time as Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham pushed for greater control over tax revenue, rather than having to rely on government grants.

The UK government had already been exploring whether a share of revenue from national taxes could be distributed to metro mayors, before Burnham became prime minister earlier this month.

But in a major speech on devolution in June, Burnham said he would “oversee the biggest rebalancing of power our country has ever seen” if he became prime minister.

Burnham has put devolution at the heart of his plan for government, arguing that metro mayors are best placed to boost economic growth across the country.

The parents of the toddler who was found alive in a hospital morgue after drowning in an Arizona pool won’t be charged over the incident, it has been revealed. 

Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was found floating face down in the pool in Gilbert around 5.30pm on February 8 while his family watched Super Bowl LX inside, a police report reviewed by the Daily Mail previously detailed. 

The 18-month-old was pulled out of the pool by his mother and father, Alexus and Angelo Fiordilino, before being rushed to Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. 

He was pronounced dead by Dr. Aryan Toosi about an hour later, but around 11pm, the little boy was found alive inside the hospital’s morgue by a medical professional, police said.

The Gilbert Police Department recommended that Alexus and Angelo face negligence charges, but Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell determined a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt is unlikely, the Associated Press reported. 

‘The family had multiple childproof locks and safety measures in place, and multiple adults were present in the home, all of whom believed someone was watching the child,’ Mitchell said Wednesday.

‘Additionally, the investigation found no evidence that the parents exhibited any obvious signs of impairment.’ 

The news comes just weeks after the Daily Mail revealed disturbing details from the incident, including that police officers repeatedly warned the doctor that the child was still breathing. 

Vincent’s parents had realized their baby son was missing after the couple went into the garage ‘to talk’ before heading to the backyard couch to watch television, investigators detailed.

Alexus, 29, soon realized they had not seen their son for a while before they searched and found him in the water. 

His mom pulled him out and started to perform CPR while someone else called 911, the report stated. 

After first responders arrived, they transported him to the hospital. Dr Toosi soon declared the toddler dead, despite police repeatedly warning him that he was breathing. 

An officer recalled hearing a nurse say ‘I have a pulse’ before other hospital staffers helped her ‘in attempting to revive Vincent’, the report stated.

That cop then walked into the room where Dr. Toosi was talking with the boy’s parents, and informed him of what he overheard, investigators said.

The officer claims the physician then responded sharply. 

‘Toosi arrogantly told me he was the doctor, he has a medical degree, he went to medical school for a reason, and to let him do his thing,’ he stated in the report. 

The news comes just weeks after the Daily Mail revealed disturbing details from the incident, including that his parents allegedly smoked weed in the garage of their $750,000 home when he wandered into the pool

Alexus and Angelo were then told to say their final goodbyes to their child, but within hours, they were told he was actually alive, officials documented. 

Vincent was then airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for treatment.

An MRI confirmed that he suffered extensive brain damage and will need lifelong care.

A hospital spokesperson previously told the Daily Mail: ‘This is a heartbreaking situation. We immediately conducted a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.

‘Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot discuss details. We continue to work with the family and their representative. Patient safety and exceptional care is our highest priority.

An MRI confirmed that he suffered extensive brain damage and will need lifelong care

The family plans to take legal action against Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, their attorney said earlier this month, AZ Family reported. 

Dr Toosi has held an osteopathic physician license since 2023, according to state board records. 

He previously completed his emergency medicine residency at Michigan’s Sparrow Hospital in 2022.

Toosi’s attorney, Scott Holden, previously told the Daily Mail his client had no comment about the incident. On Thursday, Holden said: ‘We continue to have no comment.’ 

Charlie vanished from Lucy and Hannah Robertson’s home in 2016. They looked everywhere for him but felt he’d probably never come back. But then, 10 years later, he did.

For many families having a pet is like having another family member, so when anything happens to them it can be devastating. Sisters Lucy and Hannah Robertson were “heartbroken” in 2016 when their three-year-old cat Charlie went missing.

As an outdoor cat Charlie would spend the days roaming the streets where the family lived at the time, but one day in April 2016 – after recently moving to a new area in Abercarn – she never returned home.

Desperate to get their beloved pet back, Lucy, then 20, and Hannah, then 27, posted on social media asking if anyone had seen Charlie.

Thinking that she may have tried to get home to their old residence, the family spent months looking for Charlie and asking neighbours and people who lived in the area if they had seen her, but it never led to any leads.

Lucy, now 30, said: “When she went missing we searched for her for months and months and kept posting on Facebook but nobody came back to us. It was heartbreaking. We were scared that she had been knocked over or that she wasn’t around anymore.”

What the family did not expect was to get a call a decade later to say that Charlie had been found safe and well, and yet that’s exactly what happened.

On Wednesday, July 29, over 10 years after she went missing, the sisters got a call to say the “impossible” had happened – Charlie, the now 13-year-old tabby, had been found.

A veterinary practice in Abercarn called Lucy and Hannah to say that a cat had been brought in and traced via her microchip to the sisters who were shocked to find that it was in fact Charlie.

A resident in the area had taken Charlie into the vets after finding her living in nearby bushes and feeding the supposed stray for four weeks.

Reuniting with her beloved cat after 10 years, Lucy said: “She recognised us straight away which was lovely because we didn’t expect that. She doesn’t look much different at all, she looks exactly the same as the old photos we have of her. We’ve brought her back home to Newport where we live now.”

Hannah was also in “disbelief” when the vets told her the news and cried when she was reunited with Charlie.

July 24 – July 30, 2026

This photo gallery, curated by photo editor Anne Marie Belgrave highlights some of the most compelling images worldwide published by The Associated Press in the past week.

“The positivity and hearing little stories of how we made a difference to women is what keeps us going”

Breastival, Northern Ireland’s award-winning festival celebrating breastfeeding, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, a free event will take place at Drumglass Park in South Belfast on Saturday, August 1 during World Breastfeeding Week.

The festival began in 2016 when Dr Jennifer Hanratty gathered 37 breastfeeding mothers, babies, fathers and supporters to the lawns of Belfast City Hall to take part in the Global Latch On.

In the months that followed, Hanratty developed the idea into Breastival alongside co-founder Jennie Wallace, creating a positive space for breastfeeding families to connect, learn and be supported.

In 2017, at the first official Breastival, organisers expected a few more people to take part, and were totally surprised, in the best way possible, when more than 500 people registered, maxing out the space that had been hired in the MAC.

This made it the largest gathering of breastfeeding women in Northern Ireland, growing every year since.

This year’s event runs from 12pm to 4pm and includes a Big Latch On at 12.30pm, alongside a mums market, a baby disco, circus performers, messy play, baby reflexology and a community tent hosting NHS specialists, voluntary support groups, local charities, and the milk bank.

Breastival founder Dr Jennifer Hanratty said: “Breastival started with my own experience of finding support, friendship and plenty of craic from other mothers when I became a parent.

“Their kindness inspired us to create something that would help other families feel equally welcomed and supported. Ten years on, Breastival is still powered by that same spirit of community. Its success belongs to the countless volunteers, supporters, healthcare professionals and advocates who help women every day to achieve their goals.

“We’ve persevered through challenges, pivoted to online festivities, hybrid events and now returning to the all-important real-life festival. Seeing families gathering together, feeling supported and more confident – it is just magic to be able to bring that to life every year. The positivity and hearing little stories of how we made a difference to women is what keeps us going.”

“Most women in Northern Ireland want to breastfeed and many more are now feeling supported and confident to continue breastfeeding for as long as they choose. Rates of breastfeeding at six and 12 months have more than doubled in the past ten years. We are so proud to have played a part in that positive change by making breastfeeding visible and celebrated as part of everyday life in Northern Ireland”

Breastival’s 10-year anniversary is being supported by TV presenter and mum-of-two Holly Hamilton.

She sadi: “Breastfeeding my two children is something that has always been really important to me. I know it’s a journey that not everyone can go on and it’s not always a choice, but for me it’s something I’ve really enjoyed.

“My best piece of advice is to find someone else who has been through it, because it can be lonely. The start of the journey is often just you at two or three o’clock in the morning, and those first few days are the hardest.

“That’s why the work being done by Breastival is so important. Looking around and knowing there are other women who feel the same way, who’ve gone through it or are currently going through it, makes such a difference. Having that support is invaluable.”

Breastival was created to help improve women’s experiences of breastfeeding by making breastfeeding visible, valued and supported as part of everyday family life.

Breastival has welcomed over 10,000 people to the festival over its first nine years, and organisers are aiming for their biggest turnout yet at this year’s tenth anniversary event.

Dr Jennifer Hanratty added: “While much has changed over the last decade, our vision remains the same: a society where every woman who wants to breastfeed feels supported, valued and confident in her choice, where communities champion breastfeeding and policies make it easier for families to achieve their goals.”

Free tickets to the event are available at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/breastival-2026-tickets-1989689944184

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter here

New citizenship approvals in the Chicago area are on track to decline by more than 80 percent this year, after the city saw one of the Trump administration’s largest and most aggressive military-style immigration crackdowns in late 2025.

In a typical year, the Northern Illinois District Court is home to about 20,000 to 30,000 new approvals, peaking at nearly 33,000 in 2022, according to an ABC 7 analysis of federal data.

This year, just 3,765 people have become citizens, the outlet found.

“When I saw the numbers that you had shared…I was floored,” local immigration attorney Kathleen Vannucci told the station.

“The administration does not want to see high numbers of new citizens, and so I think this is a result of what their overall goal [is],” she added.

“For years, the Biden administration prioritized rubber-stamping aliens’ applications for U.S. citizenship with minimal vetting. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, under the leadership of President Trump, is implementing rigorous screening and vetting processes across the country,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement to The Independent. “USCIS will not take shortcuts in the naturalization process.”

The Trump administration has pursued a range of actions to make it harder to become a U.S. citizen, including attempting to pause most asylum cases, stripping temporary protected status from people inside the U.S., denying more citizenship applications, and pushing to make new applications feature higher fees and a harder civics test.

The White House has also pursued once-obscure or unheard-of measures, including denaturalizing existing citizens, reinstating “neighborhood investigations” for applicants and campaigning to eliminate the constitutionally protected right to birthright citizenship.

In the case of the Chicago area, these legalistic changes played out while the administration sent masked federal agents into city streets over the fall as part of the controversial 64-day “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Agents were accused of using excessive force, carrying out racial profiling, launching tear gas without warning, aiming rubber rounds at reporters, then deceiving a federal court about their conduct, which the administration denied.

Ahead of the operation, Trump threatened that the city was about to “find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” and posted an AI image of him in a fake movie poster for “Chipocalypse Now,” a reference to the classic Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now.

The White House also pushed to deploy the National Guard on Chicago streets over the objection of local officials, though the Supreme Court ultimately blocked the plan.

In Chicago and beyond, the Trump administration has sent immigration agents near spaces previously considered off limits under “sensitive locations” policies, such as schools, hospitals and religious settings.

Critics of such tactics warn they keep even legal immigrants from accessing important community spaces and government institutions.

As The Independent reported last year, deportation fears have turned once-thriving immigrant neighborhoods into “ghost towns.”

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Bonnie-Leigh Spence, from Consett, was diagnosed with stage four Rhabdoid Sarcoma shortly after her fifth birthday in December 2024.

The aggressive childhood cancer is so rare that it affects only eight children a year in the UK.

After a brave battle with the cancer, Bonnie sadly died aged six on Wednesday (July 29) surrounded by her parents and siblings.

Bonnie’s family L-R Ian, Alistair, Bonnie, Jessica, Caroline Spence (Image: ANDY FUTERS PHOTOGRAPHY)

Though her life was heartbreakingly short, Bonnie’s family say she packed more love, laughter and unforgettable memories into her six years than many do in a lifetime.

Bonnie celebrated her sixth birthday in Disneyland Paris- somewhere she had always wanted to go (Image: FAMILY)

Announcing Bonnie’s death, her family said: “The most beautiful girl to grace our world has passed on into heaven.

“Our Bonnie was the light of our lives and the world will forever be a darker place without her.

“You put up the biggest fight you could, but your little body was just too weak.

“We promise to always keep your memory alive.”

Bonnie-Leigh Spence (Image: ANDY FUTERS PHOTOGRAPHY)

Her mum, Caroline, added: “We just want to say how much we miss her. How happy, bubbly and smiley she was.

“She lit up the world and leaves a very big hole in both our lives as well as her siblings.

“She passed very peacefully in no pain, surrounded by her siblings and parents.

“We also want to thank everyone who has supported us, donated experience days or family days as well on our GoFundMe.”

Bonnie, six, was described as the ‘happiest little girl’ (Image: ANDY FUTERS PHOTOGRAPHY)

Knowing time together was precious, Bonnie’s family filled her final months with extraordinary memories.

She travelled to Disneyland for a “magical” Christmas trip and went on to enjoy a string of “unforgettable” experiences, including becoming a mascot for Rangers FC and walking out with Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães before a Champions League match against PSV.

Bonnie and her sisters in Disneyland L-R Ada, eight, Jennifer, nine, Tammy, eleven, Bonnie, six (Image: FAMILY)

She was also featured on American national television, helped switch on Durham County Council’s Christmas tree lights and celebrated her sixth birthday surrounded by those she loved most.

One of the moments that meant the most came in June, when Bonnie was able to return to school for a short time after months away from the classroom.

Bonnie with the doll that was specially made for her from America, that got her featured on American news (Image: FAMILY)

She had not regularly attended since February 2025 but, after 12 weeks of trying, was finally able to go back.

Her family said she was excited to make friends and “try and be a little bit normal”.

As her illness progressed, Bonnie spent more time at home with her family, watching her favourite Disney films alongside her siblings and cherishing every moment together.

A GoFundMe set up to help Bonnie and her family create lasting memories raised more than £36,000.

Bonnie’s dad, Iain, an ex-Army HGV driver, and her mum Caroline, an NHS midwife, both put their careers on hold to care for their daughter full-time.

The family first discovered Bonnie had cancer after a small bump appeared on her arm.

She went to hospital where it was initially believed to be a sprained arm.

Bonnie later had her left arm amputated above the elbow and went through gruelling rounds of chemotherapy to shrink tumours in early 2025, but unfortunately, Bonnie’s family were told on December 16 that it would be her last Christmas.