COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Eight South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilots have been returned to flying duties following a suspension over a low-flying sweep over beachgoers as part of a July 4 event honoring servicemembers.

“Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote Friday morning on social media. “Carry on Patriots.”

The suspension followed “Salute from the Shore,” a July 4 tradition honoring servicemembers in South Carolina since 2010 that features vintage and modern military aircraft flying along the 187-mile length of the state’s shoreline, with the intent of sparking patriotism among thousands of beachgoers gathered for the holiday.

This year’s salute included F-16s with the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing out of McEntire Joint Base, as well as a C-17 from the 437th Airlift Wing based at Joint Base Charleston. For the first time, Apache helicopters joined the air parade, which also featured civilian-owned vintage planes like T-34s and T-6s.

Numerous attendees often post video on social media of the display, but this year, online images of the Apaches flying at what appeared to be a low height over crowded beaches sparked concern with the South Carolina National Guard, which launched a review of the event and temporarily suspended the eight pilots from flying duties while that was ongoing, later clarifying the suspension was “a routine, non-punitive safety measure, not a disciplinary action.”

Late Thursday night, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted on social media that the Pentagon was getting involved, writing, “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.”

South Carolina Republicans rebuked the suspension, too. Rep. Russell Fry, who represents the Myrtle Beach area, said Thursday that the pilots “should be celebrated, not sanctioned.”

Less than two hours before Parnell’s post noting the suspension had been lifted, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster — who serves as commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard — said Friday he trusted the pilots’ acumen, writing in a social media post that Guardsmen fly in wartime.

“Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina — and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary,” McMaster wrote.

Officials with McMaster’s office and South Carolina National Guard did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Friday, including whether McMaster — a longtime ally of President Donald Trump — had directly intervened. The Pentagon declined to comment beyond Parnell’s statement.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

Man United have agreed a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos after missing out on other targets.

It’s not an exact science, but the reaction of a club’s supporters when a player is sold can be a good gauge of whether they will be a successful signing.

With that in mind, the reaction of the majority of Chelsea fans to Andrey Santos’ exit can only bode well for Manchester United. Most of their supporters cannot believe they have allowed him to join United in a deal worth £50million.

There has been surprise that Chelsea have allowed Santos to leave after being patient with his development, and that United have been able to strike a deal for what has been perceived as a reasonable fee.

The bizarre thing is that the majority of United supporters on social media are not pleased with the transfer either. Some have compared it to United shopping at Tesco while their rivals have been shopping at Waitrose.

Tottenham have finished 17th in back-to-back seasons, but they have shown ambition by signing Mateus Fernandes for £85m and Sandro Tonali for £100m. Manchester City landed Elliot Anderson for £116m.

United wanted to sign Anderson before pivoting to Fernandes because of the cost of that deal. Then it became apparent that Tottenham were prepared to meet West Ham’s asking price for Fernandes.

The Reds have worked down their midfield shortlist and have landed on Santos. The Brazilian compares well statistically to United’s former priority midfield targets, but football is played on a pitch, not on a spreadsheet.

United have placed immense trust in their overhauled data department over the last 18 months. Michael Sansoni’s appointment as director of data was seen as a coup, with the data expert joining United after working as the senior performance engineer at the Mercedes F1 team.

Sansoni contributed to eight world championship-winning seasons at Mercedes, but he’s got his work cut out to help shape a United squad that would be the first since 2013 to lift the Premier League trophy.

United’s transfer strategy is not entirely based on data, but there are certain signings, like Santos, which are more influenced by the numbers than others. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were statistically attractive, for example, but they were hardly unknown quantities in the Premier League.

Although Santos does not fall into the ‘unknown quantity’ category having played for Chelsea last season, he only made 13 starts in the top flight, so there is a smaller bank of evidence to assess.

The reaction from Chelsea fans to Santos’ departure is encouraging, though. It suggests that United have secured a talented player for a fair fee, which is ultimately the club’s main goal in the transfer market.

A Chelsea fan account with over 200,000 followers on X posted: “Christopher Vivell sold us Garnacho then got Andrey Santos off us. He must be laughing again at these people he walked away from.”

United fans will have to wait to see whether Santos is a success. The concerns are understandable, given that other clubs have spent top dollar on more established midfielders, but he has the talent to be a hit.

Santos was not starting regularly at Chelsea because Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez were ahead of him. Caicedo was signed for £100m and Fernandez was signed for £115m. There is no such competition at United.

It’s also interesting to compare data radars between Santos and Aurelien Tchouameni. The latter is seen by many as a dream midfield signing, but there is not much difference between him and Santos in key metrics.

Again, it’s important to stress that football is not played on a spreadsheet, but United have looked at the numbers in front of them and identified an opportunity for a fee that they are comfortable paying.

It’s a strategy that could look like a stroke of genius 10 games into the campaign. Santos will inevitably be compared to Anderson and Fernandes, and the transfer will be widely praised if he performs as well as either of them.

There is obvious potential for United to look foolish if Santos does not succeed, although the reaction of Chelsea fans, who have watched him closely, provides optimism that won’t be the case.

The plans received nearly 50 objections

Plans for more than 300 homes on the Cambridgeshire border have been approved. Vistry Group submitted a hybrid planning application in 2024 to build up to 325 homes on land south of Newmarket Road in Royston.

The plans were proposed in two phases, with the first phase consisting of 106 homes with a public open space and access from Newmarket Road. The second phase proposed up to 219 new homes, with access from Burloes Hall Drive.

These plans have now been approved by North Hertfordshire Council. Before approval, the applicants said the vision for the site was for it to become a “highly desirable place to live, play and socialise”.

They added: “Furthermore, it will be to highlight the unique qualities of the scheme and its setting whilst providing a high quality new development with its own sense of place. It will link with the natural green spaces and be carefully integrated with sustainable urban drainage, enhanced biodiversity and high levels of visual amenity.”

Vistry also set out to create a new community that has its “own sense of identity” but has “strong links” with Royston. Homes in the first phase will be a “good mix” of accommodation, the plans said.

They will be: two one-bedroom maisonettes, two two-bedroom maisonettes, four two-bedroom bungalows, 12 two-bedroom houses, 47 three-bedroom homes, 33 four-bedroom homes and six five-bedroom homes.

The applicants said those in the homes for phase one will be provided with “good pedestrian connections” in and out of the development, as well as the surrounding area. The open space is planned to be “joyful to use, with opportunities for sitting, meeting and play on the way”.

The development will also have a woodland edge, acting as a “green frame”, providing viewpoints, parkland pockets, and exercise spaces.

Despite being approved, the plans received 48 objections. One objector, who lives in Saffron Street, Royston, said the number of homes seemed “excessive”. They added: “This will exacerbate traffic on Newmarket Road and Melbourn Street which is already very busy. In addition the infrastructure available in the surrounding area will struggle to cope.”

Another person in Aintree Road that the local infrastructure was “already struggling” and Newmarket Road was “continually congested”. They said: “We have lived in our house in Royston for over forty years and have always valued the peace and quiet and use this field and woods to walk daily as a form of escapism. The impact additional housing will have with noise and light pollution alone will make a great difference to our happiness.”

One person in Bury Plantation said they feel their home would be “overlooked” if the homes were built. They added: “The noise and disruption for endless months of building will definitely have an impact on my wellbeing.

“The wildlife will be vastly disrupted and it’s hard enough now to get a doctor’s appointment without more houses being built. There are already 2 very large developments being built in Royston, the town can certainly not take on any more with the overcrowding.”

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Western leaders came to Turkey to discuss security in an increasingly perilous world. They each left with a revolver and six rounds.

The unconventional gift from the host of this week’s NATO summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was meant to showcase his country’s growing defense industry.

But it left officials across the alliance scratching their heads. Some were forced to leave their gifts behind due to gun laws in their countries, while others donated theirs to museums.

“It struck me that ⁠my gift of maple syrup kind of undermatched,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters, adding that the firearm was now in police possession. “I would like to reassure Canadians, they keep guns away from me.”

The revolvers were engraved with leaders’ names

“An unusual gift from President @RTErdogan at the NATO Summit: a Magnum revolver with ammunition, engraved with my name,” Hungary’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on X, posting a photograph of a display box containing the revolver and six cartridges.

It was not immediately clear what he did with the gift.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union commission president, thanked Erdogan for the gift, which will be decommissioned and donated to a military museum, her spokesperson said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters that the gift bag included a note waiving export controls. Still, he left his behind to be decommissioned, because it would be illegal to import it into Britain.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever handed his revolver to airport police upon arrival. The revolvers gifted to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten were left at their countries’ embassies in Ankara and would also be taken out of service, officials said.

In Italy, the gun was logged as a gift at Palazzo Chigi — the official seat of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an official said. In Greece, officials said the firearm would be donated to the War Museum.

Croatian President Zoran Milanović said he only found out after his return from the summit that Erdogan had given him a gun. His office said it would probably be handed over to a police museum.

“I didn’t take it. I shoot from different weapons,” Milanovic said, referring to his political style.

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Erdogan’s gift to the leaders.

Reports said the gun aimed to highlight Turkey’s defense industry, which in recent decades has transformed from a major importer into an increasingly self‑reliant producer of advanced military systems, including drones and warships. It is in the process of developing its own next‑generation fighter jet.

Gun culture is deeply rooted in Turkey, and the gift hardly triggered any reaction in the country. Umut Vakfi, a foundation campaigning for gun control, says incidents of armed violence have reached alarming levels, reporting more than 2,700 last year in the country of 86 million people.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said participants at the summit were also given a more conventional gift: a copy of Erdogan’s biography, titled: “The politics of courage: Erdogan and the rise of Türkiye.”

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Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Stefania Dazio in Berlin, Colleen Barry in Rome and Elena Becatoros in Athens contributed.

It comes ahead of National Mac and Cheese Day

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Frankie & Benny’s is launching its brand-new Mac Your Meal and until July 19, diners can order any food item from the menu and add a side of Mac & Cheese for 99p, available all day, every day.

A spokesperson said: “Mac and cheese has always been one of the ultimate comfort foods, and we wanted to give our guests a fun reason to indulge. For just 99p, diners can add a rich, creamy side of cheesy goodness to any meal and make their Frankie & Benny’s favourite even better.”

The Mac & Cheese comes with cheese sauce and a golden garlic and herb crumb. National Mac & Cheese Day is celebrated on July 14.

A passenger was reportedly nearly sucked out of a cabin window in mid-air on a Ryanair plane.

Witnesses told local media the man, said to be a Serbian citizen in his 60s, was left hanging head first out of the window as far as his shoulders for several minutes, before other passengers on the flight managed to pull him back inside.

In a statement, Ryanair said its Friday morning flight from the Greek city of Thessaloniki to Germany’s Memmingen returned “shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight”.

It continued: “The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki.”

The Irish budget airline added that “a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen” several hours later.

Media reports in Greece and Germany quoted passengers describing a loud bang followed by the window breaking and oxygen masks falling from the ceiling shortly after the Boeing 737 had taken off.

They believe the window was smashed by pieces of the jet’s engine – although Ryanair has not commented on this.

“We immediately realised there had been a decompression. There were screams… for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door,” Christina, a fellow passenger, told Radio Thessaloniki.

“The masks dropped and there was a strong smell. The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn’t taken off his seat belt.”

The aircraft – believed to have been an 18 year-old-plane – was operated by Ryanair’s subsidiary Malta Air.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) later told the BBC that it “is aware of the incident involving a Ryanair group aircraft, registered and operated by Malta Air, departing Thessaloniki this morning”.

“The IAA will provide any requested assistance to the aviation safety investigation authority in Greece and the Maltese Civil Aviation Directorate, to aid their investigation,” it said.

In 2018, a passenger died when debris from a damaged engine caused a window to break on a Southwest Airlines flight in the US, and she was partially sucked out.

LONDON (AP) — British wild card Arthur Fery is facing French Open champion Alexander Zverev in the opening men’s semifinal at Wimbledon on Friday.

The 114th-ranked Fery, who grew up five minutes from the All England Club and played at Stanford University, is attempting to become the first wild card to reach the final since Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in 2001.

The second semifinal on Centre Court features defending champion Jannik Sinner against seven-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic beat Sinner in their last meeting in five sets in the Australian Open semifinals.

It’s another sticky day in southwest London, with the temperature rising to about 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius).

The women’s final on Saturday features two Czech players, Karolina Muchova against Linda Noskova.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Signage was installed outside the Trafalgar Bay in Nunnery Lane on Friday morning (July 10) advertising the chance to run the pub.

The banner encouraged applicants to “put this pub back at the heart of the community” by applying to manage the venue via runapub.co.uk – Sam Smith’s recruitment arm.

A salaried position and free accommodation are offered with the job, but no further details have yet been released.

Former Trafalgar Bay managers Sarah Walmsley and Phil Roper called time at the pub for the last time on August 15, 2022, after four and a half years in charge.

Sarah Walmsley and Phil Roper who called time at the Trafalgar Bay for the last time in 2022 (Image: Clements Hall Local History Group)

Locals praised Sarah and Phil after the pub closed with one regular, who gave his name only as Pete, saying the pair had “been brilliant” and created a “fabulous community pub”.

The Clements Hall Local History Group also praised Sarah and Phil after the closure in 2022, writing in a statement: “Their hard work and diligence over the last few years have created a wonderful community pub, which is valued by many.”

Meanwhile, signs have also been spotted outside the closed Brown Cow in Hope Street, off Walmgate, as well as other Sam Smith’s pubs in the area in a bid to reopen the venues.

The Brown Cow in Hope Street where a sign has also been installed to reopen the pub (Image: Alice Kavanagh)

York CAMRA said it is hopeful that more Sam Smith’s pubs could reopen following the death of the brewery’s chairman, Humphrey Smith, last week.

Fiercely traditional, Mr Smith resisted modernisation and his pubs hit the headlines for their strict rules: no music, no children, no televisions, no mobile phones – and strictly no swearing.

In an age of constant noise and digital distraction, his establishments offered something closer to a bygone era.

Humphrey Smith, of Sam Smith’s Brewery at Tadcaster (Image: Newsquest)

Famously reclusive, Mr Smith rarely gave interviews or had his photograph taken. Images of him from The Press archive date back to the 1980s and 1970s.

Nick Love, pub protection officer for York CAMRA, said he has no inside knowledge of goings on at the brewery, which does not speak to the media, after Mr Smith’s death.

Nick said he can only judge matters by the performance of the brewery’s London pubs, which have for several years been run by Mr Smith’s son, Samuel Smith

“There are definite indications that there has been a significant increase in activity regarding re-opening their closed pubs,” Nick said, “and also widespread optimism that some of the outdated rules imposed by Humphrey will be relaxed under the tenure of his son Samuel Smith – evidenced by the removal of rules signs in the Royal Oak in Tadcaster recently.”

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At present around half of the 300 or so pubs Sam Smith’s brewery owns are said to be empty, according to a list compiled by Tom Taverner from Malton.

There have been reports of the brewery disposing of empty pubs, with the Corporation Brewery Tap in Doncaster the Old Brown Cow pub in Bradford both recently sold at auction.

Nick said the brewery’s approach of doing business “out of the public eye” means “I don’t think we’ll get much transparency on how many pubs they choose to dispose of”.

“All we would hope and urge them to do is make sure that any pubs they deem surplus to their estate are then offered to local independent breweries and operators rather than large pub companies and, God forbid, property developers,” he added.

The new law aims to restrict vaping products to protect children and young people

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt is urging people across Northern Ireland to take part in a UK-wide consultation aimed at restricting the packaging, displays, appearance and flavour descriptions of vaping and nicotine products.

The consultation forms part of implementing the Tobacco and Vapes Act (TAVA), which became law on 29th April. This represents a significant public health achievement, designed to tackle the growing use of vapes among children and young people.

Starting from 29th October, the sale of all vapes (including those without nicotine) and other nicotine products to anyone aged under 18 will be prohibited.

The new law also grants powers to control flavours, packaging and how products are displayed, in the hope it will make these items less appealing and attractive to younger people.

The consultation is inviting the public to share their opinions on introducing plain packaging, limiting flavour descriptions and requiring vapes to be kept out of view in retail outlets.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: “The Tobacco and Vapes Act is a landmark piece of UK-wide legislation, which will undoubtedly save lives and prevent further harm from diseases, such as cancer.

“In NI, 15 per cent of all 11-18-year olds vape, with 65 per cent of those saying they vape daily. Evidence shows that a major factor in the growth of youth vaping is the way the products are displayed in shops, sometimes even alongside confectionery.

“Restricting the visibility of these products will lessen their appeal to children and young people, which in turn will reduce youth vaping and prevent future generations from nicotine addiction.

“Following public consultation, I intend to make regulations for Northern Ireland to restrict the display of vaping and nicotine products, which may include storing products out of sight, such as behind the counter or in closed cabinets.

“It is vital that we get the views from the public on the future of displaying and packaging of these products. I would encourage everyone to take the time to respond to this consultation.”

Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Michael McBride is also urging people across Northern Ireland to participate in the public consultation.

He added: “The display of nicotine products undoubtedly encourages young people to purchase these types of products. Nicotine addiction can have lifelong consequences on children, including brain development issues, leading to learning and mental health disorders.

“Vapes can be a useful tool to help adult smokers quit, but they are not risk-free and should never be used by children. We must protect future generations from serious harm. The Tobacco and Vapes Act will go a long way in addressing these issues, and we really want to hear from the public in NI. Please take part in the consultation and share your views; this will help shape future health policy.”

The consultation is seeking opinions on proposals for vapes and nicotine products, including:

• Introducing plain white packaging with restrictions on text colour, imagery, limited branding and standardised safety information.
• Restricting flavour names to only simple recognisable descriptions (e.g. “Apple”), banning concept and sensory names as well as names relating to confectionery, sweets, desserts and alcohol.
• Mandating manufacturers of vape devices to make them white, black or grey, with no images, limited branding, no cosmetic lights and screens only displaying safety information (e.g. battery level).
• Restrict shop displays in the same way as tobacco products.

The new law also grants authority to the Department of Health to create regulations regarding the display of tobacco, vaping and associated products.

Depending on the results of this consultation, the Secretary of State for Health will subsequently introduce regulations on packaging and devices.

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