Health walks are free, easy local walks, lasting no longer than an hour.

A recruitment campaign is currently underway to find more walk leaders to assist friendly walking groups across Lanarkshire.

Get Walking Lanarkshire is looking for volunteers who enjoy walking and would like to help others become more active.

Health walks are free, easy local walks, lasting no longer than an hour. No previous experience is needed, just a friendly nature and the availability to lead a walk on a regular basis. Free training will be provided.

Get in touch for more details by emailing getwalkinglanarkshire@northlan.gov.uk or phoning 07903 358424.

More info is available on South Lanarkshire Souncil’s Get Walking Lanarkshire page. The health walks programme can also be found on www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/getwalking

Get Walking Lanarkshire is a partnership project between NHS Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Council and Walking Scotland, which is the umbrella organisation for health walks in Scotland.

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world where girls are officially banned from secondary and higher education.

Shakiba recounted that “15 August, when the government fell, was the worst and most painful day of my life.

“Every year when this date comes I feel as if an old wound opens again and a new feeling of defeat fills my heart.

“That day I felt that many of the dreams I had carried inside me for years were suddenly taken away.”

Though Shakiba has managed to finish her secondary education online – “a very important victory” – she says her life-long goal of becoming a pilot feels impossible.

“Whenever I looked at the sky I imagined myself flying an airplane and seeing the world from above. I wanted to fly freely and experience a world without limits,” she said.

The Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, was asked by the BBC about education for girls in Afghanistan, specifically referencing a Unicef report stating that around 2.6 million girls in the country are now unable to attend school beyond Grade 6.

Amir Khan Muttaqi replied that “it is not correct to say everything is banned for women”, adding that “right now, three million girls are going to schools and madrassas [religious centres focused on Islamic teachings]”.

When asked how religious schools can produce doctors in the country, Muttaqi said: “Women are not totally restricted on all walks of life… Only one small part (of their affairs) is restricted until further notice.”

By ERIN DEBORAH WAKS, TRAVEL WRITER

Published: 17:34 BST, 14 August 2026 | Updated: 19:29 BST, 14 August 2026

Set your alarms bright and early on Sunday morning – a travel expert has advised it’s the best time book a holiday and save some money while doing it.

With the August bank holiday weekend around the corner, families across the UK may be hoping to lock in a spontaneous getaway that won’t blow the budget.

A travel expert has analysed booking trends to pinpoint the predicted best moment to buy for travellers still looking for a great last-minute deal.

Chris Bradshaw, who has worked in the travel bookings industry for over 30 years, is both a director and travel bookings expert at AttractionTickets.com. 

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The estimated best days to book your last-minute August bank holiday break for maximum savings are Sunday 16 and August 23 at 6am. 

He explained: ‘By the time August rolls around, you might think there’s no point in booking a holiday because everything is too expensive. 

When is the best day – and time – to book an August bank holiday break? An expert reveals all…

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Top tips from a pro

• Best day to book: Sunday 16 and 23 August
• Best time to book: Around 6am
• Avoid: Fridays, when fares tend to spike due to demand

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‘There’s a misconception that all prices are astronomical this month, but this isn’t always the case if you know where and how to book. 

‘Despite many people thinking airline prices simply go up and up, they actually continually update fares and availability based on public demand. 

‘This means there are still plenty of opportunities for a good deal out there – and I know of a few tips for the August bank holiday deals specifically.’

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Sundays consistently stand out as one of the best days, value-wise, to make a booking. 

This is likely due to airlines refreshing inventory over the weekend, Chris said. 

Booking on a Sunday can save 23 per cent in comparison to Friday bookings – which is a lot of money, especially if you’re holidaying as a family.

The timing of your booking is important too. 

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While it’s not guaranteed, many flight providers release fresh fares early in the morning. 

‘If I wanted a good deal, I’d be online at around 6am to find the best ones before booking activity increases,’ Chris said. ‘This is likely going to give you the best chance for finding a good offer.’

There’s also a booking window for travellers seeking the best fares for upcoming holidays

Lastly, there is a secret last-minute travel window that gets great deals. 

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Between eight and 23 days before departure is when you are likely to find the most competitive fares.

This applies to long-haul destinations specifically.

Chris says: ‘With all of these insights in mind, my prediction would be that both Sunday 16 and 23 August sit in the perfect timeframe for a deal in the run-up to the August bank holiday. 

‘Whilst I have to stress that nothing is ever guaranteed, they are the dates I’d be utilising myself if I wanted to seize the opportunity for a cheaper last-minute bank holiday break.’

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Millions were sent into panic tonight as an emergency alert appeared unexpectedly on their phones.

At around 7pm, people across England and Wales received a notification, warning against lighting anything that could spark a wildfire, including barbecues, campfires, and fireworks.

It read: ‘There is a very high risk of wildfires nationally. Residents, landowners and visitors should not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks.

‘Even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire, placing lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk.

‘Follow official updates and report signs of fire immediately by calling 999. Search gov.uk/alerts for more information.’

Louise Haigh, the First Secretary of State, said Friday’s message was ‘the most extensive use of the UK’s emergency alert system in response to an active incident’.

Haigh added that the government ‘took the decision’ to issue the alert ‘in response to the continued risk proposed by wildfires’.

She said it ‘reflects the seriousness with which the government is acting to safeguard people and property’.

‘During this period of extreme heat, we are asking people to take simple steps to limit the risk of further fires.

‘By following the safety guidance, everyone can play their part in protecting local communities and supporting our frontline services who are working around the clock to keep people safe.’

The alert follows the outbreak of several major blazes, including a wildfire in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, where 19 homes were destroyed.

Communities were also left ‘devastated’ in Stoke-on-Trent after fires gutted houses and forced people to flee. Some of them lost ‘everything’.

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The government sent that alert to millions of us on our phones across England and Wales, warning against setting light to anything that could spark a wildfire, including barbecues, firepits, and fireworks.

It comes after a fire broke out on the outskirts of York that spread for 1km.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said its crews from Acomb, Malton, and York crews were called to Kirk Balk Lane, Claxton at 2.15pm today (August 14) after a wildfire was seen.

Luigi Mangione confessed to shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel as he pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges.

The 28-year-old admitted to gunning down Thompson, 50, in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to a conference on December 4, 2024.

‘I shot Mr Thompson and he died,’ Mangione told the judge on Friday. ‘I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death of bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.’ 

The confession came as the Maryland native pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death. 

Federal murder charges against Mangione were previously dropped, but he faces a state trial on charges of murdering Thompson next month. 

Thompson’s grieving family came face-to-face with Mangione for the first time at the hearing.

They watched as Mangione revealed that ‘after years of enduring pain from a broken back,’ he learned about the UnitedHealthcare investor conference.

Mangione said he traveled to Manhattan and emailed the company, posing as an investor managing $58 billion and received information about the location within an hour, then printed a gun with a 3D printer.

Federal murder charges against the 28-year-old were previously dropped, but he faces a state trial on charges of murdering Thompson next month

Both stalking charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for December 18.

While there is no formal plea deal in place, the judge said there is a letter with a sentencing guideline suggesting a minimum sentence of 292 months, or over 24 years.

The Thompsons issued a statement after the hearing, calling for Mangione to face a strong punishment.

‘Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family. While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable,’ the family said.

‘Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.’

Outside the courthouse, federal prosecutors emphasized that Mangione does not have a plea deal, and they will seek the maximum sentence.

‘There can be no celebrity in assassination. Mangione attempted to send a public message through violence, but the message that emerges today is very different,’ Jamie McDonald, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said.

The shock plea comes just weeks before Mangione is slated to go to trial on state murder charges.

The 28-year-old admitted to gunning down Thompson, 50, in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to a conference on December 4, 2024

Thompson’s grieving family, including his widow Paulette Thompson, came face-to-face with Mangione for the first time at Friday’s hearing in New York City

Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024

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Immediately after the hearing, Mangione’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the state charges because of New York’s double jeopardy laws.

‘Today is a solemn and significant day. With today’s guilty plea, Mr Mangione has accepted full responsibility for the death of Brian Thompson arising from the events of December 4, 2024, outside of the UnitedHealthcare investor conference here in Midtown Manhattan. It was a single, tragic event. Yet he’s being prosecuted twice for the same conduct,’ Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said.

‘Mr Mangione has been unfairly treated since the outset in every way and has successfully fought off terrorism charges and the death penalty, while also fighting – at the same time – two simultaneous prosecutions in two jurisdictions, who are trying to punish him twice for the exact conduct.

‘He’s been treated differently from every other defendant charged with this offense in New York.’ 

Federal and state governments can prosecute for the same conduct because they are considered independent of each other, but under New York state law, double jeopardy can come into play when a prior prosecution for the same conduct ends in a conviction by guilty plea or a resolution at trial.

Retired FBI special agent James Gagliano suggested Mangione made the move so he could spend his sentence in a cushy federal prison rather than a state facility.

‘What is confounding to all of us is why the Southern District would be doing this without working with the state because the only thing that can be the possible outcome here is, Luigi Mangione’s attorneys are trying to get him to the comfy confines of FCI Otisville and avoid Sing Sing, Attica, Clinton or places like that in the state system,’ Gagliano told Fox News.

Immediately after the hearing, Mangione’s legal team (above) filed a motion to dismiss the state charges because of New York’s double jeopardy laws

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Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania

‘They will file a motion to dismiss based on double jeopardy, so there won’t be a trial on Sept 8th,’ he shared.

Mangione was in court earlier this week on Tuesday, where the judge ruled that the jury for his state trial will be anonymous because of the high-profile nature of the case.

Since his capture, Mangione has gone on to attract a large fan base, mainly of women, who show up to court in support of the alleged killer.

An online defense fund for him has raised more than $1.5 million since his arrest in December 2024. He has also received a significant amount of fan mail and emails while locked away inside Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.

For his trial, jurors’ names and personal information will remain a secret from the public, the judge ruled, adding that both the defense and prosecution need to come up with questions for prospective jurors.

That questionnaire will determine how much possible jurors know about the case, their experience with the law, and more factors, NBC News reported. The judge will have the final say on what they are asked.

The judge also acknowledged the number of people expected to be allowed in the main courtroom and what should be done about the large crowd.

More than 80 news outlets, including independent journalists and major publications, are set to cover the trial.

Surveillance video of the killing showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind.

Police say ‘delay,’ ‘deny’ and ‘depose’ were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. 

Two people have died following a light aircraft crash in north Wales.

The aircraft was found in a remote location close to Trawsfynydd, near Porthmadog, Gwynedd, with the two people on board pronounced dead at the scene, North Wales Police said.

The force received reports shortly after 12:00 BST that a light aircraft travelling from an airfield in England had not arrived at Caernarfon Airport as scheduled.

Multi-agency air and ground searches were carried out until the aircraft was found.

A team of investigators have since been deployed by the Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB).

Ch Supt Owain Llewellyn said it has been a “challenging search operation”.

“Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those involved in this tragic incident,” he said.

He added that his force would support the AAIB in its investigation to “ensure the circumstances leading to this incident are fully understood”.

He added: “I am grateful to all of the agencies involved for their professionalism and dedication.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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The BBC show has been a TV staple for 20 years, with a number of familiar faces having hosted including our own Christine

For 20 years, The One Show has been welcoming some of Britain’s biggest names to its famous green sofa – and plenty of those presenters have gone on to have fascinating careers of their own.

Since the BBC programme first hit screens in 2006, viewers have seen a revolving door of familiar faces take on presenting duties. Some became long-standing favourites, while others spent just a short time on the show before moving on to new opportunities.

Now, as The One Show celebrates its 20th anniversary on Friday night with Alex Jones and Roman Kemp at the helm, some former presenters have returned to mark the special occasion.

But what have the stars who once hosted the show been doing since they left? Here’s where seven former One Show presenters are now.

Adrian Chiles

Adrian Chiles was one of the original presenters when The One Show launched in 2006. He initially hosted alongside Nadia Sawalha before becoming closely linked with Christine Lampard, with the pair eventually leaving the BBC for ITV in 2010.

Since his One Show days, Adrian has continued to work across broadcasting and journalism. He remains a familiar voice on radio and has also established himself as a successful newspaper columnist, regularly writing for The Guardian about subjects including football, everyday life and his own experiences.

In 2026, Adrian returned to The One Show as part of its 20th-anniversary celebrations, giving viewers the chance to see one of the programme’s original faces back on the sofa.

Nadia Sawalha

Nadia Sawalha has a special place in The One Show’s history as one of the programme’s original presenters.

She joined Adrian Chiles when the show launched as a four-week trial in August 2006, with the pair fronting the programme as it tested out its mix of interviews, topical stories and features from around the UK. However, when The One Show returned for a full series the following year, Nadia was replaced by Myleene Klass, who was later replaced by Christine Lampard.

Nadia was already a familiar face to viewers, having played Annie Palmer in EastEnders before moving into presenting. But it was her work on Loose Women that would become one of the defining parts of her television career.

Christine Lampard

Christine Lampard, formerly Christine Bleakley, became a household name during her time on The One Show after joining in 2007.

She quickly became a popular part of the programme, particularly through her presenting partnership with Adrian Chiles. The pair later made the move to ITV together, where Christine went on to build a successful career in daytime television.

The Newtownards native is now best known as one of the regular presenters on Loose Women, having initially appeared as a guest anchor before becoming a permanent member of the presenting team.

Christine has also become a familiar face on Lorraine, regularly stepping in to host the ITV daytime programme.

Away from the cameras, she is married to former England football manager Frank Lampard. The couple married in 2015 and have two children together.

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Matt Baker

Matt Baker spent nine years on The One Show and became one of the programme’s most recognisable presenters during that time.

After leaving in 2020, Matt continued his television career, particularly through programmes centred around the countryside, farming and rural life. He has also remained a familiar face on Countryfile.

But his career has increasingly expanded beyond presenting.

Matt is Creative Director of Big Circus Media, the production company he co-founded, and is involved in developing, producing and directing programmes.

His work behind the scenes has given him the opportunity to take a more hands-on role in creating television, while he continues to work on projects that reflect his long-standing passion for the countryside and family-friendly programming.

Jason Manford

Jason Manford’s time on The One Show may have been brief, but his departure did little to slow down his career.

The comedian joined the programme in 2010 before leaving later that year to concentrate on his comedy work.

Since then, Jason has become one of Britain’s best-known stand-up comedians, while also building an impressive television and acting career. His credits include Ordinary Lies and presenting roles on entertainment programmes such as The Royal Variety Performance.

He also hosted the BBC game show Unbeatable in 2021, although the programme was not recommissioned.

Comedy remains his main focus, with his A Manford All Seasons tour continuing across the UK in 2026.

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Jermaine Jenas

Jermaine Jenas successfully swapped the football pitch for the television studio after retiring from professional football.

The former England and Tottenham midfielder built a career as a football pundit before joining The One Show, where he became a permanent presenter in 2021. He was also a regular contributor to Match of the Day and other BBC sports coverage.

However, his broadcasting career came to an abrupt end in August 2024 when the BBC terminated his contract following complaints concerning workplace behaviour and messages sent to female colleagues.

He subsequently lost his roles on both The One Show and Match of the Day. In June 2026, he appeared on Good Morning Britain for a major interview in which he discussed the impact the events had had on his career and personal life.

Ronan Keating

Ronan Keating is perhaps best known for his music career, but the Boyzone star also became a familiar face on The One Show.

He joined the programme as a regular presenter alongside Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas, bringing his experience as a performer to the BBC sofa.

Although his stint as a regular presenter ended in 2023, music has remained at the centre of his working life.

Ronan has continued performing as a solo artist and reunited with his Boyzone bandmates in 2026 for shows at London’s Emirates Stadium, which were billed as the group’s farewell performances.

For Ronan, then, life after The One Show has largely meant returning to where his career began – on stage and behind a microphone.

The One Show airs weekdays at 7pm on BBC One

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Across Europe, running a home – whether you need to keep it cool in the summer or heat it during winter – usually means burning imported gas. That wastes energy and creates carbon emissions, contributing to climate change. The European Commission’s new electrification action plan aims to end that era, mapping out a drive to double electricity’s energy share from 23% to 46% by 2040.

“I have always looked forward to the day that our energy system is based on electrons, not molecules,” said Vangelis Tzimas, who heads an energy policy unit at the European Commission’s science service, in response to this news.

Electrons, not molecules. It sounds abstract, but for homes, it is the difference between a house that burns something and a house that doesn’t.

Buildings consume 40% of all the energy Europe uses, most of it for heating with gas boilers, so this is where this shift will succeed or fail. I measure energy performance as part of my work, through sensors in Irish social housing, and the data points to four reasons why electricity is superior to gas.

The most persuasive one is efficiency. A gas boiler burns fuel and gives you, at best, one unit of heat per unit of gas. A heat pump delivers three to four units of heat per unit of electricity.

A heat pump, essentially a fridge running in reverse, gathers warmth from the outside air and keeps working even in freezing weather. Run it the other way and it cools your home too, which matters more with every record summer.

So why doesn’t every house already have a heat pump? It’s expensive to buy one, and even to run it. Before government grants, installing a heat pump costs around £10,000 in the UK and close to €30,000 (£26,000) in Germany. In contrast, a new gas boiler will only set you back roughly £2,500.

This massive price gap isn’t about the technology. Steep labour costs, high VAT, and a shortage of installers mean the same machine costs twice as much across borders.

These upfront costs are being tackled through subsidies and low-interest loans. In the UK, the government introduced a clean heat market mechanism to try and increase competition and drive down prices of heat pumps by 2027. To fund the transition in the EU, the European Investment Bank is spending €75 billion on grids, storage and heat pump manufacturing.

Upfront bills form half a heat pump’s lifetime expense, but running costs are the real hurdle. Because EU electricity costs three times more than gas, a heat pump’s impressive efficiency is entirely cancelled out at the meter. In the UK, where electricity is 4.3 times more expensive, this greener technology actually costs more to run.

This difference between electricity and gas prices, called the “spark gap”, is partly because taxes are significantly higher for electricity than gas. The European Commission is finally imposing a legal obligation on EU governments to tackle this pricing accident. They are being asked to shrink the gap by 2030 to no more than 2.5 for households, by reducing the tax for electricity; allowing VAT cuts on heat pumps, electric cars and home batteries; and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies after 2030.

Britain has started to close the price gap too. The 2025 autumn budget shifted most green levies off electricity bills and into general taxation, which trimmed the ratio to around 4.3 from 4.7 in April 2026.

These strategies are the right way forward, because countries where the gap is smallest already sell around three times as many heat pumps as those where it is widest.

If the spark gap falls to 2.5, to match a 90% efficient gas boiler, a heat pump needs to generate 2.25kW of heat per kilowatt of power. UK data shows every unit tested beat that benchmark, meaning owners should save money in the long run. Once the spark gap is reduced, the heat pump will become a cheaper way to cool or warm a house.

The European Commission electrification plan puts emphasis on heat pump installations that allow heat-recovery ventilation. These can capture up to 90% of the warmth from outgoing stale air and transfer it to incoming fresh air — meaning heat you already paid for gets reused. The aim is to nearly double heat pump installations that allow heat recovery from 2.4 million a year in 2025 to 4 million by 2030.

The second reason why electricity wins is your home’s carbon footprint. Every time you burn gas, CO₂ exits the flue. An electric home burns nothing. Its emissions depend on how the electricity was made, which is improving every year: around 70% of Europe’s electricity already comes from home-grown clean sources.

That phrase “home-grown” is the third reason, and the one that finally motivated European politicians to commit to change. Molecules must come from somewhere, and for Europe that mostly means abroad; anyone who watched their bills after the 2022-23 gas crisis knows how much that dependence costs.

Electrons can be made at home, from our own wind, sun and water. The European Commission estimates that its plan could cut gas imports by more than 70% and shave up to €260 billion a year off Europe’s fossil fuel import bill by 2040. After which, the prices can be set by the EU’s own investment decisions, not by wars on the other side of the world.

Everything must work together

The final reason is the benefits from energy-efficient homes. It is now four years that I have been monitoring Irish social housing – a mix of new apartments and older dwellings that had a deep energy retrofit (a comprehensive, whole-building upgrade to radically improve energy efficiency).

My sensors record their electricity consumption, indoor temperature, humidity and air quality around the clock. The data shows that homes are more energy-efficient when different measures complement each other: insulation and the fixing of drafty air leaks, correctly sized heat pumps that suit the space, ventilation that keeps air fresh without throwing warmth away.

But even the best kit only goes so far. How we set the thermostat, use appliances, and time our energy use during lower cost off-peak windows matters just as much as hardware efficiency. Occupant behaviour alone can cause heating energy use to vary threefold. This means that our daily choices can result in savings that almost match major technical upgrades (albeit delaying dinner and bath times isn’t a reality for families with young children).

Smart meters make those choices visible. Home energy monitoring apps make it easier for households to shift power-hungry chores to off-peak hours. Add rooftop solar into the mix, and buildings transform from passive energy consumers into localised mini power stations. According to European Commission scientists, rooftop solar on Europe’s 271 million buildings could meet 40% of the continent’s long-term electricity needs.

That is the quiet promise inside “electrons, not molecules”. It’s a system that’s immune to gas shocks that can continue cooling you through heatwaves. Europe has simply decided to make it everyone’s normal.