A beloved rollercoaster has taken its final riders after nearly seven decades of operation.

The Mad Mouse at Arnolds Park Amusement Park in Iowa, US, officially retired on Wednesday, July 29, bringing an end to the attraction’s remarkable 67-year history.

The theme park paid tribute to the classic ride in a Facebook post, thanking it for the “laughs, thrills and memories” it had provided generations of visitors.

“Over the years, this classic ride has created countless memories for generations of guests and kept our maintenance team busy with plenty of repairs along the way,” park officials wrote. “Thank you, Mad Mouse, for the ride.”

The rollercoaster first opened in 1959 at Bell’s Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before being moved to Joyland Amusement Park in Lubbock, Texas, in 1976.

Arnolds Park acquired the ride in 2019, giving it what CEO Jon Pausley described as a “last hurrah”.

The compact coaster became known for its sharp hairpin turns and intense thrills, with Pausley saying riders tended to either love it and ride repeatedly or decide once was enough.

But keeping the ageing attraction running had become increasingly difficult.

Natural wear and tear meant the Mad Mouse required frequent repairs, maintenance and welding. Each welding job also required inspection and certification, sometimes forcing the ride to close for several days.

Park bosses ultimately decided that the ride’s footprint and frequent downtime no longer made sense during its short, 100-day operating season.

As the attraction is dismantled, at least one of its cars will be preserved at the Arnolds Park Museum. Other parts will be sent to Little Amerricka Amusement Park in Wisconsin, home to the last remaining Mad Mouse of its type.

The ride’s removal will make way for a new attraction scheduled to open at Arnolds Park in 2027.

With its Netflix extended look coming up, a reader ponders how GTA 6 will affect the rest of the games industry and if it’ll be for good or ill.

After years of rumours and trailers, that look amazing but don’t really tell you anything, we’re finally getting to get a proper look at GTA 6 with the Netflix show they just announced for later in the month. Obviously, I’m going to watch it, and I imagine it’ll be mind-blowing and pre-orders will go up by one trillion percent. GTA 6 is going to make more money than any other video game before it’s even out.

I don’t know whether it’s going to deserve that level of success, it’s hard to imagine that anything could, but that hardly matters now. People are hyped and money is already changing hands.

We already know that every other publisher (except maybe Nintendo) is terrified of releasing anytime close to GTA 6 but what I’m wondering is what happens afterwards? There’s plenty of games scheduled for January and February, including some big name ones, but do they really think the coast will be clear by then?

I see two ways that the launch of GTA 6 can go. The good one (for everyone and not just Rockstar) is that it’s a big hit, it’s a good game, and it raises up the profile of video games in general. Everyone is reminded how fun single-player games are (because I think that’s what it’s going to be at first, before the online is turned on).

Gaming seems to have been on a downward spiral ever since Covid, especially with all the layoffs and the total lack of new IP. So my hope is that GTA 6 makes gaming seem exciting again, not just for ordinary people but the moneymen that seem to have abandoned it recently.

That’s the best case scenario, as far as I see it, while the alternative, or at least one of them, is that only GTA 6 is successful. GTA 5 is already massively more successful than any other game ever made, except Minecraft and Roblox, but the rumour is that GTA 6 will also have fan-made content as well. And if it doesn’t it should do and I bet they put it in eventually anyway.

At that point you’re looking at a game that’s going to be so massive that most casual gamers would never even consider the idea of buying or playing anything else again. After all, that’s almost the point we’re at already with live service games.

If you can make a survival horror or a racing game or whatever within the tools of GTA 6 then what’s the point of making, or people buying, Resident Evil or Forza Horizon? That’s what publishers are already worried about with Roblox and they’re only lucky there that it looks so janky and it’s mostly used by kids.

Given how good the graphics are on GTA 6, if you’re able to make anything you want in it – or even just a wide variety of things with a modern day setting – then the whole concept of there being other video games, as we’ve always known, it could be risk.

Maybe the worst thing here is you can’t really blame anyone. Rockstar is being greedy not supporting physical discs (something I bet they organised with Sony) but it’s not their fault GTA 6 is so popular or the graphics are so good. They haven’t achieved their success in any kind of unfair way. Other publishers have had 13 years to make a rival to GTA 5 and no one’s even tried.

Even so, I don’t think anyone could pretend that having GTA 6 become the only game anyone ever plays is anything but a bad thing. Even if that’s an exaggeration, and older gamers still play other games, it seems a very unhealthy situation. Sometimes you can be just too successful.

By reader Si

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: When video games make the horrors of nuclear war seem real – Reader’s Feature

MORE: How Sony can soften the blow of a digital-only future – Reader’s Feature

MORE: Why does nobody like racing video games anymore? – Reader’s Feature

The incident reportedly happened at the Sainsbury’s in Ramshill Road, Scarborough, at about 10.20pm on Thursday, July 30, North Yorkshire Police said.

A force spokesperson said officers want to identify a member of the public “who is believed to have intervened during an incident after a suspect allegedly made threats towards members of staff at the location”.

“The individual may have important information that could assist our enquiries, and we would like to speak with them about what they witnessed,” they said.

The police spokesperson said it is “also believed they [the witness] might be a victim of a crime”.

They urged anyone with information to email nabiel.galab@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone 101.

Information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via its website.

Quote reference 12260146831 when providing information to police or to Crimestoppers.

Forty-two properties in Sutton-on-the-Forest are without power due to the unplanned outage on Saturday (August 8), Northern Powergrid said.

The company said its team has identified what caused the outage and expects power to be back on for most of its customers by 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

Read next:

Louise Lowes, Northern Powergrid’s director of customer service, said its teams will work “as quickly as possible to get your power back on”.

“We know that power cuts can be really difficult,” she said, adding: “We’ll do our best to support you and get your power back on as soon as we can.

“In the meantime, if you need help, tell us – we are here to listen and support our customers whenever they need us.”

She urged anyone who needs further support to phone Northern Powergrid on 105.

By DANIEL MATTHEWS, US SENIOR SPORTS WRITER

Published: 01:57 BST, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 02:53 BST, 9 August 2026

Lionel Messi has returned to his hometown of Rosario following the death of his father, Jorge.

Messi missed Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup clash with Monterrey to fly back to Argentina where, according to reports in South America, the 39-year-old will attend a private memorial service. 

Jorge Messi – who also served as his son’s agent and business manager – died at the age of 68, two months on from the family revealing he had been rushed to hospital with an ongoing ‘health situation’.

He reportedly passed away in a hospital in Rosario, close to the family home, at around 10pm local time on Friday August 7.

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In the absence of their captain, Inter Miami players honored Jorge Messi by wearing black armbands, while fans paused for a moment of silence before kickoff. Earlier on Saturday, the team had posted a tribute which read: ‘Our hearts are with our captain, Leo, and the entire Messi family.’

Against Monterrey, stand-in captain Rodrigo De Paul – Messi’s international teammate – scored the opening goal and then pulled off his jersey to reveal another which read: ‘Messi 10’

Lionel Messi has returned to his hometown of Rosario following the death of his father, Jorge

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The soccer legend’s father, pictured at the 2022 World Cup final, died at the age of 68 

Rodrigo De Paul paid tribute to the Inter Miami captain during Saturday’s clash with Monterrey

In the first official statement, Messi’s first team Newell’s Old Boys wrote in Spanish: ‘Club Atletico Newell’s Old Boys bids farewell with deep sorrow and grief to Jorge Messi, who passed away at the age of 68 in the city of Rosario.’ 

The club continued: ‘Jorge was the pillar and the person who supported with vision, rigor, and affection the career of the greatest player of all time alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini.

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‘His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel, from his beginnings at Malvinas to the pinnacle of world football glory. Thank you for teaching him to love these colors.’

Later on Saturday, both Barcelona and the Argentina national team added their own tributes.

‘Stay strong, Leo Messi and family. We are with you in this difficult moment. We send you our most heartfelt embrace,’ Argentina wrote on X.

A spokesperson for FC Barcelona, meanwhile, said in a statement: ‘The President and the Board of Directors of FC Barcelona express their deepest condolences on the passing of Jorge Messi, the father of former Barca player and legend Lionel Messi, and, on behalf of the entire Barca family, extend their condolences to the Messi family.

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‘FC Barcelona thanks Jorge Messi for his commitment to our Club, for entrusting us with the beginnings and the most glorious years of his son Leo’s football career. May he rest in peace.’ 

A UK university has opened a new government-funded laboratory to help train the next generation of biomedical scientists to work in the NHS and life sciences sector.

The £2.5 million facility at the University of Essex, which includes a dedicated cancer diagnostics laboratory, was funded by the Office for Students.

The investment aims to strengthen training in subjects critical to the UK’s future workforce.

The Bioscience Skills Training and Research Laboratory (BioSTAR-Lab) aims to give students hands-on experience with equipment and techniques used in modern healthcare and life sciences laboratories.

Students studying biomedical science, biotechnology, cancer biology and related degrees will use the laboratories to carry out their research projects.

The facility also includes specialist microbiology and molecular biology laboratories where students will analyse tissue samples, study infectious diseases and use molecular techniques.

Professor Terry McGenity, head of the School of Life Sciences, said: “Here at Essex, we are dedicated to providing a rounded education that is inspired by our world-leading research, which equips our students with the understanding, skills and experience they need to launch their careers in nationally important sectors.

“Hands-on, lab-based research projects provide a transformative experience for our final-year undergraduates and masters students.

“They allow all our students to become part of the research process by carrying out their project alongside experts, where they apply what they’ve learned, and develop critical understanding of a particular area, as well as new technical and analytical skills.

“This new facility will place us at the forefront of training students to be skilled and versatile critical thinkers, who will be ready to work in the NHS and life-sciences sectors.”

The university said the investment comes at a time of growing demand for skilled life scientists, with more than 300,000 people already employed in the sector in the UK.

The lab’s opening comes as the University of Essex launches its first undergraduate biotechnology degree, reflecting growing demand for graduates in a sector that develops vaccines, medicines and diagnostic technologies.

Professor Silke Paulmann, executive dean of the Faculty of Science and Health, said the lab “brings together education, research and real-world application, creating opportunities for students to develop the expertise that will drive future advances in diagnostics, treatments and public health”.

“It will help strengthen the talent pipeline that underpins innovation, economic growth and better health outcomes for communities across the UK,” she said.

The performance on Friday evening (August 7) opened the Saltburn Folk Festival.

Saltburn Sirens performed a series of folk and classic pop and rock songs alongside the other performers at the Saltburn-by-the-Sea viewpoint.

The inclusive choir is led by Mimi O’Malley, who runs Saltburn School of Music, and is also a director of the festival.

“Folk music, and music in general, has been part of my family history for as long as I can remember,” Mimi said. “I grew up going to folk festivals and volunteering with my family, and I have performed at Saltburn Folk Festival over the years.  

“It feels really special to come back in a different role, bringing a wonderful group of local singers into the festival and having the opportunity to perform at such an iconic location. It felt like a proud celebration of Saltburn and everything our brilliant group has accomplished.”

There will be a range of free events across the weekend, including “singarounds” through the town, pop-up dancing and puppetry.

Elinor Creaby-Attwood, Saltburn Folk festival’s artistic director, said the events are “community led and open to all”.

“Folk is about storytelling, and it encompasses the tales we tell, the characters we create, the things we make, and the traditions passed between the generations,” Elinor said.

For more information, visit www.saltburnfolkfestival.com/family-festival

Taking place on Saturday and Sunday (August 8 and 9) from 10am to 4pm, the events will give visitors the opportunity to watch archaeologists at work.

Visitors can speak to members of the archaeology team and enjoy a range of family-friendly activities throughout the day.

There will also be stalls highlighting the area’s history, wildlife and conservation, with organisations including the Lancashire Wildlife Trust Peat Partnership, Horwich Heritage and Woodland Trust volunteers taking part.

Those wanting to take part in the excavation itself will have the chance to do so, with around 100 places available each day on a first come, first served basis.

Tickets will be handed out from the event ticket stall on the hour between 10am and 3pm.

Parking is recommended at Walker Fold, Lower House or Wilderswood car parks.

The walk to Two Lads takes between 30 and 90 minutes and includes a steep incline, although guided buses to the dig site will also be available for visitors who would prefer not to make the walk.

On Saturday only, three free guided bus tours will depart from Horwich Leisure Centre and Smithills Hall at 10am, noon and 1.15pm.

The 10am and 1.15pm departures include around an hour at the excavation site, while the noon departure is a bus-only tour for visitors who wish to remain on board.

Advance booking is required for all bus tours.

A number of explanations have been put forward for the reason that two stone cairns stand at this imposing place (Image: LDR)

The excavation is part of the Two Lads restoration project, which began on August 3 following changes to the original plans after public consultation.

Rather than restoring the monument to a single point in its history, the project will preserve features from several stages of the cairns’ evolution, reflecting the site’s long and varied past.

Events and communications officer for the Smithills Estate, Eddee Endley, said: “It’s clear that people feel a strong connection to Two Lads cairns.

“The restoration project has generated significant interest, and we look forward to delivering a diverse events programme to share the local importance of the cairns and the surrounding landscape of Winter Hill.

“Although the archaeological dig ends on August 14th, we intend to continue hosting guided walks and events to celebrate the cairn’s restoration.

“We also hope to deliver educational sessions with local schools throughout autumn 2026 and 2027 to further increase knowledge and connection to Two Lads and moorland ecology.”

For the chance to learn more about the history of the iconic landmark and discover the story behind its restoration, the Smithills Estate this weekend.

To find out more, visit the Woodland Trust North Eventbrite page (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/two-lads-restoration-archaeological-dig-viewing-and-stalls-tickets-1993473252160)

With the Iran war draining U.S. weapons stockpiles, the Pentagon is reportedly leaning hard on defense companies to bump up production — and fast.

In a memo on Wednesday, Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg gave companies three weeks to lay out how they would “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities.”

“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg added in the memo, which was obtained by The Washington Post. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.”

The Independent has contacted the Pentagon for comment.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.

The Met Office has forecast a fifth UK heatwave with temperatures set to reach 36C in East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday.

Parts of the UK are bracing for a fifth heatwave next week, with temperatures forecast to soar as high as 33C on Sunday.

Yellow heat health alerts came into force at 9am on Saturday as the mercury climbed throughout the day, hitting up to 28C across the South and South East, and reaching 27C across much of central England.

According to the Met Office, Sunday will bring spells of rain to Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, with isolated showers possible in the South East.

However, the rest of the country will remain largely dry and sunny, with most people experiencing temperatures well into the high 20s.

With yet another heatwave on the horizon, health officials have issued warnings about the risks of taking certain medicines in hot weather, including ibuprofen, as they can make it harder for the body to stay hydrated, regulate temperature or cope with sun exposure.

Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said: “Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), commonly used to treat acid reflux and heartburn, have also been linked to a very low risk of a lupus-like skin reaction triggered by sun exposure, and common painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen may also increase sun sensitivity.”

The Met Office warned that southern and south-eastern regions could see the mercury climb into the 30s, with the South East potentially reaching a scorching 33C. According to the Fire Severity Index, any wildfires that break out on Sunday across almost all of east and south-east England are likely to be exceptionally severe.

“Exceptional” severity represents the index’s highest possible rating.

The Met Office data, which takes into account rainfall, temperature and humidity, is used by agencies to assess how severe a fire could become should one ignite. It does not, however, indicate the likelihood of wildfires breaking out.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts covering the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.

These yellow heat health alerts are set to remain in place until 9pm on Tuesday.

They caution that the scorching weather is likely to impact the wellbeing of the general public and place additional strain on healthcare services.

The Met Office has warned that heatwave conditions are expected to return next week, with temperatures of up to 36C forecast in parts of East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday.

Two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June resulted in more than 2,800 excess deaths, while two further heatwaves in July have contributed to drought and wildfires.

The National Trust is urging people to sign a petition calling on the Government to make tackling climate change a national mission.

This follows a series of wildfires across the UK in recent weeks, with significant blazes recorded at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, Headon Warren on the Isle of Wight, Llanwonno in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, and the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. Reservoir levels across England have fallen to 69%, dropping from 72% the previous week and sitting nearly 12 percentage points below the long-term average for this time of year, the Environment Agency announced on Friday.

Levels stood at 85% at the end of June, which matched the typical average for that period, but have been steadily declining in recent weeks.

Five reservoirs are now classified as having “exceptionally low” levels: Blagdon in Somerset (54% full); Clywedog in Powys, which supplies water to central and north-west England (62%); the Dove group of reservoirs in Derbyshire (74%); Hanningfield in Essex (60%); and Wimbleball in Somerset (50%).

Last month was the driest July for England and Wales since records began in 1836, according to provisional data published by the Met Office.

Nineteen counties across England recorded virtually no rainfall – 1mm or less – throughout the entire month, Met Office figures reveal.