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Families urged to check on cost of summer days out as new VAT cut comes into force

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Daily Record

The government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme runs until September 1.

Lanarkshire families are being urged to check whether summer days out, children’s meals and family tickets have become cheaper before paying full price, after a new VAT cut came into force across the UK.

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The government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme runs until September 1, cutting VAT from 20 per cent to five per cent on eligible children’s meals in restaurants, children’s and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, exhibitions, shows and concerts, and admission tickets to certain family attractions including theme parks, zoos, aquariums, museums, soft play centres and adventure parks.

The change is designed to reduce the cost of family days out during the school summer holidays, when many households face higher spending on childcare, food, travel and keeping children entertained.

But Thomas Drury, money-saving expert at The Investors Centre, says families should not assume every price they see has automatically been reduced.

He added: “This is a useful summer saving, but families need to understand how it works. The VAT cut applies to eligible activities, but the important question for consumers is whether the business has passed that saving on in the price they are charging.

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“Parents should not just see a family ticket or children’s meal and assume they are automatically getting the benefit.

“It is worth checking the booking page, asking the venue, and comparing the final price before paying.”

The government says the full VAT saving could mean around £20 off family tickets to a theme park, £17 off a wildlife park, £11 off an aquarium, £6 off a farm attraction, £2 off soft play, £1.50 off children’s cinema tickets and £2 off children’s meals.

Mr Drury added: “If each one [trip/visit] is slightly cheaper, that can add up. But only if families actually check where the saving is being passed on.”

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Newspaper headlines: ‘Spanish border crisis’ and ‘iron chancellor’

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The headline on the front page of the reads: "Spanish border crisis is 'wake-up call' for UK."

The Daily Telegraph reports, external that Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering plans to exempt rapists, from the government’s early release scheme from prisons in England and Wales. The paper understands that no final decision has been made, and the option is part of a list under review, ahead of an announcement early next week.

In his interview with the Times, external, Chancellor John Healey hinted at benefit cuts when he said that the UK’s “inexorably rising welfare bill must be controlled”. Healey also echoed the prime minister in declining to commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, saying a “target date” will instead be set at the next spending review in 2027.

The Guardian says, external Andy Burnham has been warned he faces the first revolt of his premiership, after indicating he would support fresh drilling in the North Sea. Many Labour MPs are, according to the paper, worried about how that will sit with an electorate alarmed by this summer’s soaring temperatures, drought and wildfires. The Guardian quotes the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who warned on Friday that every new fossil fuel project makes “tomorrow’s heatwaves more dangerous”.

The Financial Times leads, external on the influx of migrants into the Spanish territory of Ceuta, saying right-wing leaders including US President Donald Trump have seized on the incident. The paper notes that the 60,000 people who crossed into the exclave is five times the daily peak set in 2015 when hundreds of thousands of refugees entered Europe via Turkey. Ministers in the UK are under pressure from the Conservatives and Reform UK to strengthen Britain’s borders, according to the Daily Mail, external. Nigel Farage is quoted saying: “This is a battle for our civilisation.” The Daily Express, external, also leading on the story, cites a Conservative MP, Katie Lam, as describing the crisis as a “wake-up call”.

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The Daily Mirror reports, external that grieving families are calling for a public inquiry into the actions of a funeral director in Hull, who mistreated the remains of dozens of people. Robert Bush was jailed for 20 years. The paper’s headline is, “Never Again”.

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Last Train Home festival returns to Darlington this Autumn

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Last Train Home festival returns to Darlington this Autumn

The festival will run over three days with events on Thursday, September 3, and Saturday, September 5.

There will be a variety of live music, industry talks, and comedy.

What’s happening?

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Thursday, September 3

Location: Darlington’s Hopetown Museum

Headliner: George Boomsa

Hailing from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, George blends folk-rock influences, country motifs, and rhythm & blues to create his rich, unique sound.

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Support Acts: Before Close and The Mist Calls

Saturday, September 5

Location: Darlington Hippodrome

Headliner: Chartreuse

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Location: The Hullabaloo

Headliner: Lucia and The Best Boys

Location: The Forum Music Centre

Headliner: Benefits

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Hailing from Teesside, their uncompromising spoken-word lyrics, sonic rage, electronic dance wall of sound has seen them tour the globe receiving critical acclaim across national press and radio.

Also on the festival line-up are Leazes, Polyvinyl, Lizzy Esau, Empty Page, Nano Kino, Bitchfider General, Central Arcade, Eve Simpson, Robyn Banks, Risco, Callum Pitt, The Callows, Katie Grace, Labyrinthine Oceans, Wench, Anna Karila, and more.

What else is on?

The festival will also be hosting a festival within itself called the Hilarity Bites.

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On the same ticket, this stage provides a barrel of laughs all day.

You can pop in and out or spend all day there.

It welcomes hilarious comedians Silky, Rob Mulholland, Gavin Webster, Devin Gary, Maxine Wade, Anna Thomas, The Halls Of The Ridiculous, Ray Bradshaw, and more.

What time will it finish?

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Doors open at 1pm and the event will finish at 10:15pm.

The festival is programmed to finish in time for festival goers to catch the ‘last train home’.

Festival organisers say this is to make the event more accessible and encourage festival goers to choose a greener transport option.

How much are tickets?

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Tickets are £25 plus a booking fee online or £30 on the door.

An advance group-booking discount is available.

Is there an age limit?

Admission policy is 14+ years.

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Any under-18s must be accompanied by a grown-up.

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Daniel Kinahan: “I am being scapegoated and I am going to jail for the rest of my life”

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Belfast Live

The Irish mob boss also told podcaster James English in a prison interview of the moment a Hutch assassin pulled a gun on him

Mob boss Daniel Kinahan believes the Irish courts will lock him up for the rest of his days when he is brought back from Dubai to face justice in the Republic.

“I think I have already got life in prison,” he told podcaster James English in a behind-bars phone interview in his Dubai prison cell.

Mr English, who previously interviewed Kinahan in 2022 before the Dublin mobster and key allies were sanctioned by the United States, released a portion of his interview with him on Friday – ahead of his extradition from the United Arab Emirates to Dublin to go on trial.

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Kinahan, 49, is expected back from Dubai imminently after he lost his final appeal against that extradition – which means the way is now clear for him for him to be sent to Ireland for trial.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has already ruled that Kinahan – head of the €1.5billion drugs and crime cartel that bears his family name – is to be charged with serious gangland offences here.

It is understood he is to face charges of directing a crime gang – an offence that can see anyone convicted of it jailed for life.

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In the excerpts from the interview, published on Mr English’s Instagram account on Friday afternoon, Kinahan says he believes he has already been convicted – even though is trial has not even started yet.

He tells Mr English: “I think I have already got life in prison, James.”

He adds that he believe a deal has been done to get him back from Dubai quicker than normal extraditions.

“I think there is a deal being done, you know,” he says.

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And he adds: “I think we’re going to go through the dance now and the circus and the character assassination even more now of me and my family.”

Kinahan also raises the absence of Gardaí from the Regency Airport Hotel in north Dublin in February 2016 when the Hutch gang attacked a boxing bout he was at in an effort to murder him and colleagues. That attack saw the Hutch mob kill ally David Byrne – and miss Kinahan by seconds.

Gardaí have faced repeated criticism for not having officers there – even though some media were present because they knew Kinahan would be attending.

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Kinahan echoes that criticism, as well as slamming the slow reaction of the force to the attack.

He says: “There are so many things that happened and there is so much dirty things that I think it is time to start to come out now.

“Regarding the Regency, it took over 20 minutes for them to respond, there was no police there.

“They talk about, I’m a big mafia boss and this imaginary cartel that they created and there is no police at the Regency when there is a publicised boxing event on there.

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“There’s four different reporters there, ready to take pictures.

“Police didn’t respond, (they are) two minutes away and the police didn’t respond for over 20 minutes.”

He says: “People need to connect the dots now and start looking into this because once they unravel what is happening there it is going to unravel and it is going to be a snowball effect for all other corruption that has been going on over the last two, three, four decades.”

He also spoke about the moment a Hutch gunman pulled a gun on him during the attack – and how he managed to escape.

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He said: “I seen him actually pulling the gun from the back of his waist and just pulling his hand up and then I just ran through the door.”

Kinahan also said he believes he has been scapegoated.

He said: “I believe I have not been an angel in my life and I don’t think anyone has been an angel. The person who points the finger has three fingers pointing back at themselves.

“I don’t want to play like I am a martyr and people believe he is innocent, he is a conspiracy theorist.

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“But yeah, I believe in a way I am a scapegoat and anyone that looks into this so-called feud that they say they have created, then you will see, you will see things yourself if someone has the time to look into it.”

Before the US sanctions hit him and his father Christy and brother Christopher, Kinahan had been making inroads on his plan to become boxing’s Mr Fixit – and was trying to make himself a supremo in the game by facilitating major deals.

That plan collapsed after he was targeted by the Americans – and he said he feels he could have made a difference in the sport.

He said: “I think I would have done a lot of good for boxing because I was not in boxing to launder money as they say – I never did that whatsoever.

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“I think I would have given a lot back to boxing and helped a lot of people, you know.”

He also said he cannot understand how the media in Ireland can repeatedly write about him and call him a gang boss.

“That is a question that I would like to know,” he says.

And, when asked who is the most interesting person he has met, he replied: “I would say one of the most interesting people I spoke to, just for a short time, was (director) Guy Ritchie, without a doubt.”

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Billy’s fate ‘confirmed’ in Emmerdale as Joe is questioned | Soaps

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Billy's fate 'confirmed' in Emmerdale as Joe is questioned | Soaps

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Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle) was left for dead on the floor of the depot in Emmerdale. But who did it?

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Who would want Billy, who would barely hurt a fly, lying in a pool of his own blood?

The timing is certainly interesting – it happened right after Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) allegedly just missed witnessing Billy and Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) almost share a kiss.

He’s been suspicious for a while that something was going on between them given Dawn’s raging jealousy at Billy’s relationship with Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham), but would Joe do this?

Caleb Miligan (William Ash) knew all about the moment and when Joe confronted him about his illegal car parts business, Caleb hit him where it hurts by revealing what he saw between Billy and Dawn.

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How much does he remember? (Picture: ITV)
Dawn standing in Home Farm in Emmerdale
Olivia Bromley is leaving her role as Dawn Taylor (Picture: ITV)

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Joe immediately vowed revenge, just as Dawn left Billy a voicemail. What should happen next? Billy is found bludgeoned on the floor.

Kerry (Laura Norton) and Jai (Chris Bisson) made the discovery at the depot, and Jai leapt into action to call an ambulance.

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Kerry jumped into a different kind of action – hiding the counterfeit goods. Priorities.

Billy’s loved ones were told that he had suffered a brain bleed. The detective investigating the incident then arrived and didn’t hesitate to tell everyone that he believes Billy was the victim of an attack.

Joe Tate standing in the depot office in Emmerdale, with his hands in his jean pockets.
Fingers immediately point at Joe (Picture: ITV)

Caleb made a great deal of effort to tell the copper that Joe had motive having just discovered Billy and Dawn’s kiss.

At the hospital, Joe tried to convince his partner that he’s an innocent man, but it seemed as though he was lying when the detective arrived and arrested him for GBH.

In scenes that will air soon, Billy’s life remains in serious danger.

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In the police station, Joe is questioned after spending the night in a cell. If Billy doesn’t wake up, will DS Byrne charge Joe with manslaughter or murder? Even though the troublesome Tate says he didn’t do anything?

Billy tries to kiss Dawn in Emmerdale
Billy made a move that ultimately changed everything for him (Picture: ITV)

Meanwhile, Gabby discovers that Dawn and Billy kissed.

If Billy wakes up, the only thing we know for certain is that it’s crystal clear he no longer wants to be with Gabby.

What will happen if Billy wakes up and confirms that Joe definitely did attack him?

How will that impact Dawn’s upcoming departure from the show?

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Former Coronation Street star Arianna Ajtar announces engagement

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Manchester Evening News

She shared a glimpse of her diamond ring on social media while celebrating with friends.

A former Coronation Street star turned fashion boss has announced her engagement. Arianna Ajtar played a model called Olivia Radfield on the cobbles between 2018 and 2019.

The 30-year-old’s character and her family were wrapped in drugs, insurance fraud, and theft storylines that landed Corrie stalwart Sally Metcalfe in prison. She launched her own fashion brand Mars The Label in 2016 from Manchester and it has been reported the firm had an eight-figure turnover in 2022.

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Arianna posted a selfie to Instagram on July 27 that showed off her engagement ring. The post, which includes snaps of her and former Love Island contestant Mary Bedford, includes the caption ‘celebrating love with my favourite people’.

She ended the post with a ring emoji and a white heart, which commenters also used to congratulate her. Arianna appears to have kept her relationship private, with no posts of her fiance currently on her Instagram profile.

In reply to a comment, she revealed she had been taking her engagement ring off when taking selfies to keep the news under wraps. One friend commented: “My most beautiful girl in her best era yet.”

Another said: “I have never seen anyone’s outfit and hand look this good.” A third said: Ah, we’ve launched our wifey. You deserve the world. Love you.”

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Arianna replied: “FINALLY can stop taking the ring off for selfies now the bandage has been ripped off.”

The Bolton-born business owner first appeared on Coronation Street in May 2018 where her character Olivia met Rosie Webster at Underworld underwear factory. The pair discovered a bag given to her by agent Antoine Reese was filled with drugs so the pair swapped the majority of the bags with Sally Metcalfe’s icing sugar.

Her dad, Duncan, had a larger role in the soap and stole charity money and framed Sally for the crime, landing her in prison. He and his wife, May, faked her death for an insurance claim but When Sophie Webster suspected them she questioned Olivia.

Olivia had been told that Sally’s husband Tim Metcalfe was to blame for May’s death but eventually his lies unravelled when May returned to visit him. According to fan site Corriepedia, Arianna’s last episode on the cobbles was on January 14, 2019.

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Gwyneth Paltrow, 53, makes shocking TikTok debut as she posts clip of herself TOPLESS in bed

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Gwyneth Paltrow has extended her social media presence by joining TikTok

Gwyneth Paltrow has extended her social media presence by joining TikTok.

The 53-year-old Oscar winner, who was recently criticized for appearing in an Israeli ad, appeared topless in two clips shared in her introductory post, which is a montage of her filming in various locations.

She stripped off while lounging in a bed with luxurious white sheets, seemingly wearing nothing but gold-rimmed aviator eyeglasses and coordinating gold earrings.

In another outtake, the Marty Supreme actress soaked in a bathtub with her blonde hair pulled back as she modeled black-framed aviators.

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Paltrow recited different versions of the phrase, ‘One second, I’m just doing a TikTok,’ in several scenes.

She teased her arrival on the platform by posting the video via an Instagram Story with the caption: ‘Apparently I’m on TikTok now.’

Gwyneth Paltrow has extended her social media presence by joining TikTok

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The 53-year-old Oscar winner appeared topless in two clips shared in her introductory post, which is a montage of her filming in various locations; pictured in March

The 53-year-old Oscar winner appeared topless in two clips shared in her introductory post, which is a montage of her filming in various locations; pictured in March

Paltrow delivered the ‘one second, I’m just doing a TikTok’ line in multiple languages.

She recited it while in a helicopter, on a boat, in a garden, and on a private jet. 

The blonde beauty, who is the nepo baby of the late director Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, runs the wellness and lifestyle brand Goop.

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But last year she returned to the silver screen, appearing in the table tennis drama Marty Supreme.

In 2024 Paltrow and Timothee Chalamet made headlines when photos of them kissing on the movie set went viral.

In December 2025, ahead of the film’s Christmas Day release, she stopped by Good Morning America to discuss her role in the Josh Safdie-directed project.

‘I play a retired movie star in the film, who Timothee is sort of… tries to… I think he tries to get her sheen to rub off on him in more ways than one,’ she told hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos.

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Recalling the reactions to the widely spread images of her lip-locking with Chalamet, she said, ‘You should have seen my mommy group chats when the paparazzi pictures came out of us kissing in the park. All the moms were pretty stoked.’ 

She stripped off while soaking in a bathtub

She stripped off while soaking in a bathtub 

She teased her arrival on the platform by posting the video via an Instagram Story with the caption: 'Apparently I¿m on TikTok now'

She teased her arrival on the platform by posting the video via an Instagram Story with the caption: ‘Apparently I’m on TikTok now’

In early June the entertainer drew ire from fans when she appeared in a campaign promoting a housing development in Israel.

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The advert showed her waking up in a high-rise apartment building and getting ready for the day, all while listing the benefits of living near a park.

‘There’s a reason the world’s most iconic buildings are by a park,’ she says in the video, as she tells a driver to take her to ’51 Park’ – a luxury residential development in the affluent Israeli city of Herzliya.

Her partnership with the real estate group Aviv Melisron divided social media users, with several people accusing her of supporting the country’s war in Gaza and Lebanon.

Paltrow shares daughter Apple, 22, and son Moses, 20, with ex-husband Chris Martin, 49.

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She has been married to TV producer Brad Falchuk, 55, since 2018. 

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Russian missile attack on Ukrainian capital kills at least 3, wounds over a dozen

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Russian missile attack on Ukrainian capital kills at least 3, wounds over a dozen

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At least three people were killed and over a dozen others injured after Russia launched an intense barrage of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Kyiv overnight into Saturday, local authorities said.

A five-story residential building in the Solomianskyi District was damaged by falling debris with people believed to be still trapped inside and a fire in the courtyard, said Vitalii Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv in a post on Telegram.

People were also reportedly trapped in another residential building the Shevchenkivskyi district, after a partial collapse on the first and second floors, Klitschko said.

Elsewhere in the capital, warehouse buildings were on fire in the Darnytskyi district, he said.

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The attack came just two days after a large-scale Russian ballistic missile and drone attack across Ukraine killed 10 civilians and wounded more than 50 others and saw a Russian missile enter Polish airspace.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pressing Ukraine’s need for more Patriot anti-ballistic missile defense systems to counter missile attacks from Russia with the U.S. and other Western partners.

Late Friday, the Ukrainian leader said he had spoken to U.S. Vice President JD Vance and discussed the meeting earlier this week in Washington with President Donald Trump which he described as “positive and productive.”

“The Russian air strikes on our country continue and air defense, specifically interceptors for Patriot systems against ballistic missiles, remains a top priority,” Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram Friday.

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At a NATO summit in Ankara in July, Trump said the U.S. would give Ukraine a license to make Patriot systems but he appeared to move away from that commitment on Friday during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland, saying he had not yet made a final decision on the matter.

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Ceuta latest: Italy’s Meloni suspends Schengen travel with Spain after 60,000 migrants cross into enclave

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Ceuta latest: Italy’s Meloni suspends Schengen travel with Spain after 60,000 migrants cross into enclave
Hundreds of migrants cross into Ceuta enclave

Italy is suspending the EU’s border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain in response to the mass influx of 60,000 migrants into Ceuta.

Rome’s interior ministry said on Friday that ​it ⁠had also agreed with Paris to strengthen controls along the Franco-Italian land border to try to prevent any undocumented migrants ⁠from crossing.

“This is an extraordinary measure, adopted to safeguard national security and prevent possible repercussions for our Nation.” Ms Meloni said, adding that the measure will only remain in place for the time necessary.

Thousands of migrants have entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in the past few days, with Spanish troops deployed to battle the growing crisis on the border.

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At least 57 people died while attempting to cross. Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a “serious humanitarian crisis.”

Italy does not share a land border with Spain but the measure – which looks certain to anger Madrid – will impact people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries, meaning they will need to show a passport to gain access.

Ceuta, along with Melilla, another Spanish autonomous ‌city in northern Morocco, represents ​the European Union’s ‌only land border ⁠with Africa.

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Migrants return voluntarily to Morocco

Tens of thousands of migrants who crossed into Spain’s tiny Ceuta territory returned voluntarily to Morocco on Friday.

At least 57 migrants died on the journey.

Ceuta’s president put the number of migrants at 60,000, which was equivalent to 70 per cent of the territory’s population. But most of them soon went back, the Spanish government said, after the sudden arrival of so many people sparked a humanitarian crisis.

Migrants wade through the water near the border with Morocco as they attempt to enter Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta
Migrants wade through the water near the border with Morocco as they attempt to enter Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta (AFP/Getty)

Some migrants swam several miles through the sea and faced down authorities who tried to turn them back with water cannons, tear gas and warning shots.

Spanish police and military personnel deployed on the streets of the city began redirecting the flow of migrants back to Morocco.

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Shweta Sharma1 August 2026 03:44

Children made deadly crossing alone without telling parents

Hundreds of children – many of them unaccompanied – are believed to have crossed from Morocco into Ceuta in the past 24 hours, it has been reported.

One of them was 12-year-old Hamsa Silman, who swam to Tarajal Beach and said he had come to help his mother from Spain.

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“There was no need to ask whether he was a minor,” an El Pais reporter on the ground wrote.

“He hugged the friends who had made the crossing with him and called his father, who had known nothing of the journey. The man was crying on the phone screen.”

Hadiya, 16, had told her mother that she was “just going out for a walk at night with a friend”.

The teenager emerged from the sea after spending three hours paddling with the help of an inner tube.

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Alex Croft1 August 2026 03:00

How many migrants have returned voluntarily?

Roughly half of the 60,000 people who had crossed into Ceuta have already made their way back voluntarily, the Spanish government said.

Spanish police and military personnel deployed on the streets of the city began redirecting the flow of migrants back to Morocco.

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The interior ministry, which initially refused to share estimates from the border, released its own figures shortly after Ceuta leader, Juan Jesus Vivas spoke, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco in the past 24 hours.

It added that 25,000 had already returned to Morocco, with hundreds more going back by the hour.

(AFP/Getty)

Alex Croft1 August 2026 02:00

Spain’s border crisis could become ours, UK shadow minister says

The UK’s shadow home secretary has warned Spain’s border crisis could “rapidly become our border crisis” after an estimated 60,000 migrants have poured into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.

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Conservative MP Chris Philp called on the Spanish government to “expel” the people who had entered Ceuta, and urged the them “not allow any onto the Spanish mainland”.

“If these illegal immigrants do make it to Spain, then the EU’s borderless Schengen zone means there is nothing to stop them coming straight to Calais and trying to get a boat across the Channel here. Spain’s border crisis could rapidly become our border crisis,” he said.

“That’s why the Conservative policy is to leave the ECHR enabling all illegal immigrants to be deported with a week or arrival – with no asylum claim, no human rights claim and no court hearing.

“Then illegal immigrants like these circulating in Europe wouldn’t bother to cross to the UK.”

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Alex Croft1 August 2026 01:00

Smugglers ‘deceive so many young people and lead many to their deaths’

Smugglers have been blamed for the Ceuta migration crisis, with Pedro Sanchez warning that they “deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths.”

The Spanish prime minister said they had misinterpreted a recent ruling from the Supreme Court, which then triggered the mass surge.

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“It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday,” Sánchez said.

Alex Croft1 August 2026 00:00

Russia ‘using Ceuta crisis to sow destabilisation’ across Europe

Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out an “intensive propaganda campaign” using pictures from Ceuta to “sow destabilisation”.

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Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha‎ claimed that Ukrainian analysts have identified more than 1,500 publications on a pro-Russian network, led by Pravda and RT.

“For years, Moscow has used migration and other sensitive topics to stoke fear and destabilise European countries,” he wrote on X.

Alex Croft31 July 2026 23:01

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Border surge linked to Supreme Court ruling

A recent ruling from Spain’s supreme court, which concluded that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be summarily deported, has been linked to the border surge in Ceuta.

Pedro Sanchez said migrant smugglers misinterpreted the ruling, which triggered the surge.

“It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday.”

Harriette Boucher31 July 2026 22:00

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Europe faces border crisis as 60,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours: ‘Absolute chaos’

The Independent’s Maira Butt writes:

Europe faces a fresh border crisis after around 60,000 migrants from Morocco crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.

At least 43 people died as border security struggled to deal with the sudden influx, with extraordinary footage capturing the huge crowds making their way into Spain’s North African territory.

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Harriette Boucher31 July 2026 21:15

Social media rumours, economic hardship fuel migrant surge into Ceuta

As 16-year-old Moroccan Ayoub El Abyad scrolled through Instagram videos showing migrants crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, he and his cousin, then still a 12-hour drive from the border, decided to try their luck.

“Migration is about improving our lives. We agreed we would try the idea of crossing and trust in Allah,” El Abyad told Reuters in Ceuta, after completing the journey by hitching rides with two drivers.

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El Abyad was one of roughly 60,000 migrants who entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco this week, in the biggest surge in recent history.

In Morocco, where deep-seated anger towards poor public services and rampant poverty spilled over late last year into major protests, many young people spend years waiting for a chance to cross the border in search of better prospects.

A quarter of Moroccans aged ⁠between 15 and 24 are not in education, employment or training, official data show.

When reports spread on social media about a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier in July that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be immediately turned back, many saw an opportunity.

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And calm seas at this time of year make swimming ⁠a more feasible option for migrants, said Mauricio Valiente, director of Spanish refugee charity CEAR.

“I came here to seek a better future,” said Dounia Kherradi, a waitress from Lqliaa, a centre of last year’s protests. “My salary is not enough to take care of my parents and I have a daughter… may God help us.”

Harriette Boucher31 July 2026 20:30

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In pictures: Migrants cross into Spain’s Ceuta enclave from Morocco

(AFP/Getty)
(AFP/Getty)
(AP)

Harriette Boucher31 July 2026 19:45

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Kemi Badenoch urges Burnham to end Labour’s oil and gas drilling ban as BP says it’s selling up in the North Sea

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Kemi Badenoch has said the PM must 'stop faffing' around and grant oil and gas drilling licences

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Andy Burnham was yesterday urged to reverse Labour’s oil and gas drilling ban ‘before it’s too late’ as BP put its North Sea business up for sale in a major blow to Britain.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the PM must ‘stop faffing’ after the energy giant said it was pulling out of its UK oil and gas fields after six decades.

BP’s decision is the most significant example yet of how the North Sea industry is being crushed by the tax burden imposed by a series of governments and increased by Labour.

It came as a sucker punch to Mr Burnham a day after he signalled his party was ready to soften his opposition to new drilling in the region.

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The reversal came after mounting concern that Net Zero policies championed by former energy secretary Ed Miliband were leaving Britain exposed – at a time when oil and gas supplies from the Middle East are being choked off, pushing up bills.

And yesterday the squeeze on pockets became even tighter as petrol prices reached their highest in more than three-and-a-half years.

Amid the Iran oil crisis, the RAC said the average price of a litre of petrol at forecourts reached 160.0p – the highest since November 2022. That is compared with 132.8p per litre when the conflict began on February 28.

Mr Burnham finally admitted this week that the North Sea was a resource that ‘we can’t ignore’ at a time ‘when people are struggling’.

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Kemi Badenoch has said the PM must ‘stop faffing’ around and grant oil and gas drilling licences

It contrasts with the confrontational approach of Mr Miliband, who earlier this year attacked BP over its soaring profits, describing them as ‘morally and economically wrong’.

But despite the new PM’s positive noises, oil and gas producers are still grappling with a tax rate of 78 per cent. 

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Dr Brian Gilvary, a former BP finance chief who is now chairman of INEOS Energy, yesterday said the punitive charge, coupled with the ban on drilling ‘has effectively shut down investment’.

And new BP boss Meg O’Neill decided she could not wait any longer to act. 

Ms O’Neill said the FTSE 100 giant would have to focus on its ‘highest-value opportunities’ and that the North Sea business ‘will be better positioned as part of another company’.

BP said it was launching a process to market the division – employing 1,100 people – ‘for a potential sale’.

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Yesterday, Mrs Badenoch said: ‘Andy Burnham must stop faffing about and allow new oil and gas licences before it’s too late.’

BP’s move came as ministers continue to dither over whether to green light two new North Sea projects – oil field Rosebank and gas field Jackdaw. 

Andy Mayer, energy analyst at the think-tank Institute of Economic Affairs, said Mr Burnham ‘has so far offered the industry vibes, not new decisions’ and ‘has self-evidently not impressed one of Britain’s largest companies’. 

David Whitehouse, head of North Sea trade body Offshore Energies UK, said BP’s decision was a ‘significant moment’ and ‘should prompt serious reflection’.

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Man goes missing from hospital with ‘contagious condition’

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Dean Hesketh, 51, was last seen leaving Royal Preston Hospital on Tuesday, July 28 at 11.16am – police urge anyone who spots him not to approach

Police are appealing for help in locating a missing man who may be carrying a contagious illness, after he disappeared from a hospital. Dean Hesketh was last spotted leaving Royal Preston Hospital on Tuesday, July 28 at 11.16am.

The 51-year-old is also known by the names Tim, Dean or Anthony Gledhill. He is described as 5ft 4in tall, with black hair and blue eyes.

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Dean has a slim build and was last seen wearing a khaki green and black jacket, black trainers and a Lyle and Scott jumper, reports LancsLive.

He was also wearing a surgical mask when last seen and has known connections to Preston, Penwortham and Blackpool.

Officers are continuing their enquiries to locate him, but concern for his welfare is growing. Police are urging members of the public not to approach Dean if he is spotted, as he may be carrying a contagious health condition.

Anyone who catches sight of Dean should dial 999 immediately to ensure he is found safe and well.

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Those with any information or footage that could assist in establishing his whereabouts are urged to call 101, quoting log 1051 of 28th July.

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