The man allegedly barricaded himself inside a town hall office alongside two staff members before he covered himself in ‘flammable liquid’ – this is a breaking story

A man has held two people hostage and doused himself in gasoline inside a town hall in Germany.

The perpetrator entered the building in Lengerich before barricading himself inside an office alongside two members of staff. He then started pouring “flammable liquid” on himself and brandished a lighter.

An evacuation was triggered and a major operation was launched, with multiple streets closed off.

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The traditional Changing of the Guard ceremonies at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, which sees marching soldiers in bearskin hats and heavy uniforms and horses take part, has been halted

The traditional Changing of the Guard ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle have been axed for the rest of the week amid sweltering temperatures.

The ceremonies, which take place most days outside the royal residences, see visitors gather to see soldiers in their heavy bearskin hats and red tunic process to and from buildings to the sound of a military band, with horses taking part.

However, with temperatures in London and the Windsor area set to reach up to 39 °C in the coming days, leading the Met Office to issue a risk to life red weather warning, Changing of the Guard ceremonies tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday have been cancelled. It also did not go ahead today.

The Army In London, which puts on the ceremonies, said they had to be cancelled in order to protect soldiers, horses and spectators, who watch the spectacle.

It explained in a statement: “Due to forecasted excessive temperatures this week, including a red heat alert mid-week, there will be some important changes to Ceremonial Operations across London and Windsor.

“The well-being of our soldiers, military working horses, and the public who gather in large numbers to watch these events is always our priority. In line with advice from the Met Office and other Government agencies, who are recommending a reduction in travel and outdoor activities, the following changes are in place this week: There will be no ceremonial Guard Changes in Windsor or London on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.”

Meanwhile, the heatwave has also meant changes to the usual guarding of royal buildings and at other locations, such as Horse Guards Parade.

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The statement added: “On Wednesday, the King’s Life Guard at Horse Guards will change without ceremony at 0800 to avoid heat stress to the horses.

“While soldiers are on Guard, you may notice they have been moved to shaded positions and are changed more frequently — this is normal practice in hot weather.

“We know this is a busy and popular time of year to visit, and we’re sorry if this is disappointing. Thank you for your understanding, and please do follow the Met Office advice to stay safe in the heat.”

The Household Troops – or Guards – have protected the Sovereign since 1660 and have been patrolling outside Buckingham Palace since Queen Victoria made it her official residence in 1837.

During the Changing of the Guard ceremony, also known as Guard Mounting, the Old Guard – the soldiers currently on duty – line up in front of the Palace and are replaced by the New Guard, which arrives from Wellington Barracks. The New Guard is accompanied by a Band or Corps of Drums.

It comes as a ‘heat-dome’ is settling over western Europe and could bring temperatures of nearly 40C by Wednesday, with this latest heatwave expected to surpass the record for June of 35.6C set in Hampshire in 1976.

A red weather warning for extreme heat covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham was issued by the Met Office from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday. The temperature could come close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3 °C, which was measured in July 2022.

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “The Met Office is flagging 39C as a headline maximum temperature on Thursday, most likely for somewhere in London or the South East.

“It is possible we could see temperatures higher than 39 °C if the final values are at the upper end of our narrow range.”

Daryl Berman has been found guilty of murder, after her first trial collapsed

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A woman who stabbed her husband to death in their kitchen lied to police and paramedics about his injuries.

Daryl Berman, 72, claimed David Berman, 84, fell onto a ‘little paring knife’ she had used for her lunch.

Mr Berman suffered a fatal chest wound during the incident at their home on Butterstile Lane, Prestwich, Greater Manchester, in March last year.

Prosecutors said Berman deliberately stabbed her husband ‘for a reason known only to her’, reports the M.E.N..

She insisted throughout two trial her husband’s injuries, and death, were ‘accidental’. Jurors in an earlier trial were unable to reach verdicts.

On Tuesday (June 23), following a week-long retrial at Minshull Street Crown Court, jurors found Berman guilty of murder.

The court earlier heard Berman called 999 at 1.55pm on March 13, 2025, to report that her husband was injured. He was pronounced dead at their home at 2.39pm.

Prosecutor Michael Brady KC said it was only later that a senior pathologist was called in as another doctor was ‘troubled’ by the injury.

Home Office pathologist Dr Philip Lumb reported that the stab wound had ‘typical features of a homicide’.

He claimed that though it was not impossible, an accidental fall was ‘very unlikely to have caused the fatal wound’.

Mr Berman was also found to have a ‘defensive’ wound to his finger. The couple’s 27 year marriage had been ‘loving and mutually supportive’ and that there had been no record of domestic violence or involvement with police.

Berman was described as a ‘very supportive and loving wife’

Prosecutors said Mr Berman’s family noticed usual aspects of the defendant’s behaviour in the days following his death.

“Although there is no set way to respond to and deal with grief in the days following David’s death, members of his family noticed how matter of fact and emotionless the defendant was,” prosecutor Michael Brady KC said.

Mr Brady told jurors Berman’s explanation that her husband’s injury had been caused accidentally was initially accepted by police.

The court heard Mr Berman had been diagnosed with dementia, used a walking stick and had been suffering with a ‘shortness of breath’ in the 10 days prior. “However, he had been in the best health his family had seen for some time,” Mr Brady added.

Earlier in the day on March 13, Mr Berman had been with his daughter and great granddaughter at a play centre, the court heard. Jurors were told Mrs Berman called 999 that afternoon and gave CPR under the instructions of the operator.

Jurors heard that in response to being asked what happened, she said: “I don’t know. I was in the other room. He’s carried a tray in. And all I can see is the tray. I think there was a knife.

“I don’t know whether the little knife that was there has gone into him and stabbed him. I really don’t know what’s happened.”

The first paramedic to arrive saw Mr Berman lay on his back on the kitchen floor, it was said. After a police officer arrived and spoke with Mrs Berman, she is said to have told him: “You don’t think I’ve murdered him, do you?”

Prosecutors said the officer also spoke with Mr Berman’s son, who said his father was ‘clumsy’ and was ‘always falling’.

Mr Berman’s death was not initially treated as suspicious, but it was five days later when the pathologist carried out a post-mortem examination that concerns were raised, the court heard.

Mrs Berman was arrested on suspicion of murder later that evening, jurors were told.

During an interview with police, she told officers she and her husband had both had lunch in the lounge and that Mr Berman had offered to take her tray into the kitchen.

She told police: “And he obviously walked into the kitchen, and I heard what sounded like a stumble or a fall. And straight away I said ‘oh my God, David, what’s wrong?’. He said ‘it’s okay I’ve slipped’.

“And I sort of almost immediately heard another sort of bang, and a sort of groan. So I got up. I screamed and I ran into the kitchen.

“And I found him face down. He was making the most peculiar sound, I sort of looked down, moved his head a bit. And I thought ‘what on earth is all this gravy? We don’t have gravy’. And it was the amount of blood, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.

“I got the shock of my life because I didn’t know where it was coming from. I just… I just couldn’t understand. And I was screaming, I said ‘David, David’… I said ‘you can’t go like this’.”

Giving evidence in her defence, she repeatedly broke down in tears.

Asked how she felt after being told he had died, she wept: “I was scrambling, I didn’t know what I was doing. I went into the kitchen on quite a few occasions because I just wanted to be with David.

“I took the sheet off his face and lay down next to him and cradled his head and told him I loved him.

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“I didn’t want to leave him, I wanted to lie next to him. It was the last thing I could do.”

“The suggestion is that you murdered your husband of 27 years, did you?,” Mr Hayton said. “Why would I do that to the man I love? No,” Mrs Berman replied.

“How do you explain how he came to die?,” the barrister asked. “I have absolutely no idea, I wasn’t in the room.”

In cross examination by Mr Brady, he said: “Are you lying to this jury?”

“No, I’m not… everything I have said is the truth,” she replied.

“Because you stabbed him and you are responsible for his death?” the prosecutor said. “No I would never do that to the man I loved. It was the worst day of my life,” Mrs Berman added.

Berman was remanded into custody and will be sentenced on July 3.

READ MORE: ‘I caught Jeffrey Donaldson lying over the years’ – Edwin Poots

READ MORE: Mourners asked to wear bright colours at funeral for six-year-old Kourtney McCormick

Sazeeda Ismail, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Daryl Berman stabbed her husband of 27 years in the chest and intentionally caused his death.

She lied to paramedics, police and family members when she claimed Mr Berman had accidentally sustained his fatal injuries.

“The jury saw through her lies and convicted her of murder, due to the strength of the prosecution’s case. My thoughts are with David Berman’s loved ones at this very difficult time.”

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie made an emotional appeal to viewers Tuesday to come forward with any information about her missing mother, a day after news organizations said a ransom note received months ago had indicated that she was dead.

“We are in agony, and we cannot be at peace. … We love our mom. We’ll never stop looking for her,” Guthrie said at the “Today” desk in New York, holding a tissue in her left hand.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, who lived alone, was reported missing from her Tucson-area home on Feb. 1. The FBI released video more than a week later from a camera outside her front door showing a masked stranger. Her blood was found on the porch, but the case remains unsolved.

Some media outlets had previously reported receiving ransom notes in the days after Guthrie’s disappearance but had not disclosed the details while the investigation was at an early stage. Guthrie’s family was aware of the notes.

Tucson TV station KOLD said Monday that it had received two notes, one demanding millions in Bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie’s return and another that said she had died. Separately, CNN cited law enforcement sources in reporting on the contents of the notes.

CNN said a note indicated that those who kidnapped Guthrie did not mean to kill her but that she died shortly after her disappearance.

“I don’t have any comment on this story. I’m not involved in our coverage,” Savannah Guthrie said Tuesday, referring to NBC News. “But I can’t pretend I’m not here. And since I am, I want to just take the opportunity to ask people — really to beg people — to come forward. Somebody knows something.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department referred questions about the ransom notes to the FBI, which declined to comment.

Volunteers and search teams scoured the nearby desert terrain filled with cactuses, bushes and boulders in the weeks after Nancy Guthrie vanished. A group recently conducted a search near the Arizona-Mexico border but didn’t report finding her.

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings occasionally appeared in social media videos earlier in the saga, urging the public to come forward with tips. She asked people to “raise your prayers with us” and acknowledged that her mother might be in heaven dancing “with our daddy.”

Adrian Dunbar, who stars as Ted Hastings, confirmed filming was put on hold following riots in Belfast earlier this month.

He revealed the disruption during an interview on RTE Radio 1, saying the unrest was linked to the scenes of violence in Northern Ireland.

Adrian Dunbar reveals why Line of Duty’s series 7 paused filming

Adrian said: “We did have to pause for the riots and that wasn’t great.

“There’s a lot of stuff being stirred up in Ireland at the minute and there’s a lot of social media stirred a lot of pots here, and a lot of idle hands sitting around were able to get out of the street.

“I think the demonstration that happened a few days later by the people of Belfast shows you what the real sentiment is here towards immigrants and this is just a small minority of people who are allowed to get on the street, so it was really unfortunate.”

Martin Compston injured on set of Line of Duty

The actor also revealed that his co-star Martin Compston was hurt on set during filming after an incident involving an airsoft gun.

On TV and film sets, airsoft guns are used to replace real weapons.

Despite these setbacks, Dunbar said the biggest challenge so far has been the weather.

He said: “In between the showers, it’s going pretty well – there’s a lot of showers coming in, we’re getting drenched to tell you the truth.”

Line of Duty, created by Jed Mercurio, last aired in 2021, with series six thought to be the show’s conclusion until producers confirmed it would return for series seven.

The sixth series ended with ‘H’ being unmasked as Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells, played by Nigel Boyle.

However, recent reports suggest that twist may not be the end of the story.

Top 10 best British TV series

A source told The Sun: “There was genuine anger about the way series six ended and that was part of the reason that a seventh outing was ordered.

“But this is the first time that there’s been any news on whether they’ll bring back the ‘H’ storyline – and devotees will be thrilled to hear Jed will be giving them just what they want.

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“Although there is still likely to be a new villain introduced into the new season, just as there has been with every series since the show was launched.

“But the incoming baddie’s storyline is likely to be intertwined with that of ‘H’ in a sensational double-whammy.”

The new series is expected to air in 2027.

Which Line of Duty character is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.

Councils across Wales have made amendments to bin collections this week due to the weather forecast. Some councils have also suspended some collections to help keep crews safe while working during the hot weather.

Cardiff council

Waste and recycling collections will be starting earlier than usual and Garden Waste collections will be suspended this week .

From Tuesday to Friday, collections will begin at 5am.

Caerphilly council

Please ensure all bins are placed out for collection by 4:30am on your scheduled day.

Bridgend council

Collections are expected to start at around 4.30am and all residents are advised to put their waste and recycling out the night before their usual collection date.

Newport council

Collection crews for both recycling and general waste will start working from 5am from Tuesday 23rd until Friday.

If your collection day is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, ensure your waste is ready for collection by 5am.

Wrexham council

Put out your bins or recycling early (ideally the night before), so everything is ready for collection by 6am.

Torfaen council

Make sure you put your bins out to collect the night before your collection day or no later than 6:00am.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council

There were some delays in collecting green waste recycling yesterday, leave items at the kerbside and the crews will be back to collect it as soon as they can.

As the week continues there could be more delayed collections – leave items at the kerbside as crews are working outside of standard working hours to catch up when needed.

Naeth Port Talbot council

Waste and recycling collection teams will be starting earlier (4:30am onwards) than usual for the rest of the week. There may also be some disruption and changes to service delivery for other services, including street cleansing, drainage and highway works.

Merthyr Tydfil

Place your waste and recycling receptacles out at your collection point by 6am on your scheduled collection day.

Blaenau Gwent

Crews will be out at an earlier time from 6am today and for the next few days – so please make sure your receptacles and any bulky waste items are out ready.

Powys council

Starting to collect from 5am.

Monmouthshire council

Please ensure your bins are placed out for collection the night before your scheduled day, or no later than 6:00am.

Gwynedd council

To ensure your collection is not missed, residents are asked to put out their bins, carts, and other containers the night before.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A former Oklahoma death row inmate who was released from incarceration after nearly three decades is scheduled to be back in court as his case proceeds to a retrial for a 1997 killing that put him on the brink of execution three times.

Richard Glossip’s initial conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, and he was released on bond by a state judge last month. Tuesday’s hearing will determine whether his case goes straight to retrial or if he will be given a new hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has said the state would seek to retry him on a murder charge but would not pursue the death penalty again.

Glossip had been sentenced to death over the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, who was beaten with a baseball bat in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.

The Supreme Court ruled last year that prosecutors’ decision to allow a key witness to give testimony they knew to be false violated Glossip’s constitutional right to a fair trial.

Glossip has maintained his innocence and has drawn support from Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures. Van Treese’s family had asked the Supreme Court to leave Glossip’s conviction and sentence intact.

During Glossip’s time on death row, Oklahoma courts set nine different execution dates for him. He came so close to being put to death that he ate three separate last meals. In 2015, he was even held in a cell next to Oklahoma’s execution chamber, waiting to be strapped to a gurney and die by lethal injection.

Rockpool Rookies, by Australian photographer Matty Smith, was the recent overall winner of the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 competition. Taken in a shallow rockpool on Sealion Island in the Falklands, the split-level image captures two southern elephant seal pups during their earliest encounters with the sea.

Once weaned from their mother’s milk, elephant seal pups are abruptly left alone on shore to navigate life for themselves. Many gather in the island’s shallow rockpools, where they begin to take their first dip in the cold waters.

“I watched dozens of them clamber over one another in shallow rockpools, awkwardly learning to swim,” Smith said. “I’d come here for this moment, to witness and photograph their first solo lessons in life.”

The photograph came together on Smith’s first evening on the island. “The sky ignited with colour,” he said. “I donned my dry suit and rushed into the water, capturing a handful of frames before the light vanished.”

Main image by Matty Smith

Customers are being encouraged to ditch the hosepipe during hot weather

The arrival of the summer solstice (June 21) means that astronomical summer is now well and truly upon us. And with temperatures rising across the East once more, Anglian Water has appealed to residents across the region to conserve water where they can.

“As we look forward to a warmer end to this week, we need our customers’ support to keep taps flowing,” said Dr Geoff Darch, Head of Strategic Asset Planning at Anglian Water.

“As always, our teams are working round the clock to keep taps flowing across our region, but during hot weather like this, we see a much higher demand for water, which puts pressure on our networks,” he explained.

While Anglian Water’s resources are still currently secure, the last few months of hot and dry weather – following on from record-breaking dry and warm weather in 2025 – have outweighed the rainfall seen in the winter and more recently in June, meaning that some sources in the region – including in Cambridgeshire – are experiencing below normal levels.

With this in mind, Dr Darch said he would like residents to consider altering how they use water sooner rather than later: “Please think carefully about your water usage and use less water now, to help make sure that you and your community have enough water to go around.”

Anglian Water has outlined a number of ways people can help to conserve water:

• Ditch the hosepipe: A hosepipe uses around five times more water than a watering can. So a simple switch can keep plants healthy without overwatering them.
• Love your brown lawn: Lawns are tougher than most people think and can easily survive a few days of sunshine. If it desperately needs a drink, make sure to reuse rain or bathwater rather than wasting drinking water;
• Reuse the pool: Paddling pools use a lot of water. It is easy to use less water by not filling it up completely and by scooping out any bugs and leaves before covering it with a fitted bed sheet to keep it fresh for another use;
• Hold off washing the car or patio: Please pack away the pressure washer until the hot weather’s over. Washing a car, patio or decking uses a lot of clean, treated water;
• Make domestic water work twice as hard: If rinsing food for dinner or a BBQ, don’t let it drain away. Instead collect it in a bowl or jug and use it to feed indoor or garden plants.