For more than a hundred centuries, I have sat immobile on a Golden Throne, a burned-out husk unable to feel anything beyond apathy and irritation.

Okay, that’s not actually true.

I don’t have a Golden Throne, just an office chair with a missing arm that I’ve been using for 18 months, nor am I hundreds of centuries old, although if you saw me that might surprise you.

Still the stuff about apathy and irritation? That’s pretty much spot on, especially when it comes to film and TV.

Call me a grump, but after more than ten years as an entertainment journalist, you do get to a point where you feel like you’ve done and seen it all.

So imagine my delight when last night (July 29) I got arguably the best news I’ve had all year and felt the faint pulse of hope once again.

According to the BBC, Games Workshop – the Nottingham-based miniatures company behind my favourite tabletop strategy game, Warhammer – has drafted Mike Flanagan to write an upcoming Warhammer 40,000 project.

The Warhammer Cinematic Universe (WCU) has been in the works since at least December 2022, when it was annouced that Superman star Henry Cavill was helping develop a series for Amazon Prime Video.

The last we heard was that a set of ‘creative guidelines’ had been agreed for the show, and in 2024, Cavill shared an update.

‘Together, we’ve been sifting through the plethora of incredible characters and poring over old tomes and texts,’ Cavill said in a statement on Instagram.

‘Our combined efforts have led us to a fantastic place to start our Universe, which has been agreed upon by those up on high at both Amazon and Games Workshop. That starting place shall, for now, remain a secret. Watch this space, though — more to come in time!’

According to Deadline, Flanagan is now in talks to serve as an executive producer on a 40k TV series and will also be a showrunner, writer and director for the series.

Even more excitingly, Deadline is reporting that this is the series that will star Cavill, presumably as a mighty Space Marine or Inquisitor (sorry Xenos fans, I don’t think he’s playing an Ork).

So why am I so excited? Well, I think the combination of Flanagan, Cavill and Warhammer is a match made in heaven (or The Warp in this case)

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You see, one of my biggest passions is Warhammer 40,000 (hitherto referred to as 40K), and I don’t just mean assembling and painting the miniatures (although that is the fun bit).

I love the grimdark world of 40K, where eldritch horrors, laughing gods, and cruel aliens sharpen their knives in the shadows of a hostile galaxy.

A galaxy where, out of desperation, humanity has turned itself into the most brutal and cruel theocratic regime in history, serving the Corpse Emperor of mankind seated upon his Golden Throne (He doesn”t have a broken office chair).

Where a billion lives are lost across countless worlds every day, and it’s considered nothing more than a rounding error to be noted in a bureaucrat’s files.

Sounds fun, right?

Well, honestly, I adore the stories and tales of heroism from this grimdark far future where there is only war because, as dark as things may be, there are small flickers of good in the galaxy.

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And I think Flanagan, who’s responsible for some of the best horror movies and TV series of the decade, including The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, and the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series Carrie, is a perfect fit for the 40k universe.

Why is Mike Flanagan such a good fit for Warhammer 40k

Our Deputy TV Editor Tom Percival takes a break from painting his Drukhari and Emperor’s Children to wax lyrical about Mike Flanagan’s work…

Mike Flanagan’s understanding of the uncanny and eerie is what makes him such a good fit for a 40k show.

I think this is best reflected (pun unintended) in his movie Occulus about a haunted mirror that ruins a family’s life.

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The way this film plays with people’s perceptions, slowly amping up the dread as the entity in the mirror plays with its victims, slowly driving them mad, is exactly the type of insidious tale you’d see in 40k.

Cavill, meanwhile, is a capital ‘N’ nerd who once spent a Netflix press campaign saying a chandelier looks like a Blackstone Fortress (and he was right), so I know that dweeb can be trusted to get this right.

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Sadly, there’s no release date yet for the 40K TV show, but Flanagan is working on the series; it hints that plans are in motion now in the webway of TV production.

Metro has contacted Games Workshop and Mike Flanagan for comment.

MORE: Stephen Graham’s ‘chilling’ thriller with 87% on Rotten Tomatoes climbs up Amazon Prime top 10

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Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of funeral director Robert Bush appearing at Hull Crown Court, for sentencing on 30 counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, and one count of theft from 12 charities. Bush has admitted multiple charges of fraud in relation to human remains found at the premises of his business, Legacy Funeral Directors, in Hull. Picture date: Monday July 27, 2026.

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Mel C and her new husband Chris Dingwall couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they passionately kissed in the sea on their honeymoon in Ibiza.

The Spice Girl, 52, and the Australian model, 47, married in an intimate ceremony in the Lake District and have now jetted off to the party island to celebrate with her family.

Unconventionally, Mel has taken her mother Joan and stepfather Dennis on her honeymoon with Chris, and they have been seen soaking up the sunshine together.

But the newlyweds still found time for romance, as they packed on the PDA in the sea as they kissed with their arms wrapped around each other.

It’s no surprise Chris was all over Mel, as she showcased her killer body in a tiny black bikini during their beach day.

Famously known as Sporty Spice, the singer showed off her washboard abs and ripped physique as she strolled down the shoreline.

The Spice Girl, 52, and the Australian model, 47, married in an intimate ceremony in the Lake District and have now jetted off to the party island to celebrate with her family

Unconventionally, Mel has taken her mother Joan and stepfather Dennis on her honeymoon with Chris, and they have been seen soaking up the sunshine together

But the newlyweds still found time for romance, as they packed on the PDA in the sea as they kissed with their arms wrapped around each other

Makeup free Mel wore her brunette hair tied up in a bun and shielded her eyes from the rays with a pair of stylish sunglasses.

It was revealed earlier this week that Mel’s new husband is a divorcée who separated from his ex-wife after a short marriage ‘because they wanted different things in life’.

Chris was previously wed to an actress whom he met in his early twenties.

According to insiders, Chris started dating fellow Australian Tamara Salamacha after a chance encounter in Barcelona and lived in London before travelling the world together.

Their relationship ended 15 years ago during a time in which Chris was determined to make it as an actor in Hollywood.

Chris met Mel – whose real name is Melanie Chisholm – on celebrity dating app Raya three years ago, with the pair’s first date in Sydney. 

The relationship took another turn a year later when Chris surprised Mel by proposing in July 2025 during a romantic getaway in Mallorca, Spain.

Famously known as Sporty Spice, the singer showed off her washboard abs and ripped physique as she strolled down the shoreline

Mel’s skimpy swimwear revealed her selection of tattoos

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Mel and Chris cooled off with a dip in the sea but things heated up while they were in there

The couple were sat with a group at a beach club

Shirtless Chris sported a pair of trunks for the swim

Mel had openly sworn off marriage for many years, believing it would never be part of her future, but has since conceded that she had a change of heart, especially since turning 50 and wanting to ‘do all the things’.

A friend of Chris’s added: ‘He maintains a very low profile, particularly with his relationships.

‘He was based in LA for many years for work and he was surrounded by all sorts of celebrities, but he kept dating and various relationships very low profile.

‘What I know of Chris, he doesn’t chase the limelight, however is very drawn to it. He doesn’t want to be centre stage and would be happy for Mel to be there, but he has always had a lure for media.’

During her honeymoon, Mel C has been sharing a glimpse of their post-wedding holiday in loved-up snaps on her Instagram page.

Channelling her sporty roots, Melanie swapped her bridal gown for an oversized T-shirt, with trainers tied to her wedding car instead of the traditional cans.

Chris sported a T-shirt with a fun take on Nike’s iconic Just Do It phrase, with the top saying Just Did It, in reference to their recent nuptials. 

Posing with the vehicle, she and Chris shared a kiss before heading to the Chinois Ibiza nightclub where Melanie performed a DJ set.

The singer shared a hilarious video from the night that showed her tossing a replica of her wedding bouquet into the crowd.

During her honeymoon, Mel C has been sharing a glimpse of their post-wedding holiday in loved-up snaps on her Instagram page 

Posing with the vehicle, she and Chris shared a kiss before heading to the Chinois Ibiza nightclub where Melanie performed a DJ set 

The singer also shared a number of clips of her incredible wedding dress, which was designed by her Spice Girls co-star Victoria Beckham – the only group member to miss the nuptials – with Mel B, Geri Horner and Emma Bunton in tow. 

Vogue’s caption read: ‘Melanie didn’t grow up fantasising about her wedding day. Then, along came Chris Dingwall. ‘I’ve had this awakening in my 50s – I’m very comfortable in my skin,’ she says… 

‘When her now husband proposed, [she said] ‘I knew immediately it was the right thing to do. When you’re my age you’re like… I actually want to experience all the things..”

Melanie showcased her extensive 90s inkings once she had slipped into her dress before being escorted down the aisle and holding the microphone to give her speech. 

After the elegant festivities, she returned to Spice Girls mode as she sported her silk palazzo pants, a cropped Adidas bomber jacket and an ab-flashing crop top. 

She wore ‘bride’ socks and Adidas superstar trainers which had the date of the wedding printed on them.  

Her glamorous guests complemented the bridal look perfectly, with Mel B opting for a shimmering champagne bodycon dress, Geri wearing a romantic floral gown, albeit in white, while Emma chose a statement pink checked Vivienne Westwood trouser suit.

The video showcased the journey to the dancefloor, with Melanie flashing her amazing abs in the crop top before hitting the DJ decks. 

In a host of photos released by Vogue, Melanie was seen getting her dress fitted, and walking hand in hand with her new husband Chris.

Melanie told Vogue: ‘The spark was immediate. I was 49 when I met Chris and I was in a really good place. We had a date in Australia, and it’s been difficult to separate us ever since.

‘He’s been such a beautiful addition to mine and my daughter’s life. Because, you know, I’m a single mum. My daughter is 17, and we’re pretty resilient the two of us, we’re a team. For anybody coming into our world… it was going to be tough, and he just fits perfectly. It’s a beautiful dynamic.

By CHASE HOPE, POLITICAL REPORTER FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Published: 14:39 BST, 29 July 2026 | Updated: 15:18 BST, 29 July 2026

President Donald Trump is threatening to ‘beat the f****** s*** out of’ Iran after US troops in Jordan were attacked.

‘[They’re] going to get a beating,’ Trump told Fox News.

Trump’s threat of escalation comes the day after the regime launched ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan in what US Central Command described as an ‘attempted surprise attack.’

The US successfully intercepted all of the Iranian missiles, according to CENTCOM.

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The US, in conjunction with Saudi Arabia, struck Iranian-backed militias in Iraq last night, CENTCOM said, saying this action was retaliation for a series of drone strikes and not the missile attack in Jordan.

Before Iran’s Monday missile attack, both the regime and the US had observed a multi-day lull in the fighting, the first pause in nearly two weeks.

Saturday and Sunday broke a string of 13 consecutive days of fighting after the breakdown of a June memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran.

The monthslong conflict with Iran has seen frequent pauses as the US tries to maneuver Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz. 

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A United States F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet takes off from an aircraft carrier on July 21

Trump, who has repeatedly threatened major escalation against Iran, takes questions in the Oval Office on July 21

Eighteen US troops have been killed and more than 600 wounded since the conflict began in February. 

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump on Tuesday, the first in-person meeting for the two since before the joint US-Israeli strikes in February.

Though there has been public friction between the two leaders, both sides said the meeting was a good one.

Netanyahu said it was ‘excellent,’ and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as ‘positive and productive.’

Yourtravelshop.com Ltd, based in Ilford, London, had organised pilgrimages for over two decades and formally incorporated in 2004.

In a notice published in the Gazette on July 26, it was confirmed the business had gone into liquidation with Donald Harper and Andrew Maak of The Insolvency Practice Limited appointed as joint liquidators as of July 21.

The company was founded in 1995 by the late Haji Bashir Bhaie Chokhawala alongside Haji Yusef Bhai Kherada of Al Khalid Tours in Mumbai.

What Happens When a Company Goes into Liquidation?

Originally a service for family and friends, it went on to serve thousands of customers each year, planning Hajj, Umrah, and Ziyarat pilgrimages to destinations around the world.

Pilgrimage packages included Ramadan Umrah trips starting at £1,200 for a two-week journey and full-month packages priced from £1,875.

The company marketed itself as providing “journeys of faith, planned with clarity, carried with care.”

It described its service as one that would “elevate minds, shape hearts, and leave imprints that last a lifetime, with spiritual devotion.”

Now, visitors to Yourtravelshop.com are greeted with a “404 Not Found” error on the ‘about us’ page or when trying to access further information about the pilgrim packages offered.

The closure follows a series of similar collapses in the travel industry this year.

Other UK travel companies that have closed in 2026

The closure of GVI follows several UK-based travel companies that have shut down so far this year.

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation this year:

• Ascend Airways (liquidation)
• EcoJet Airlines (liquidation)
• Zenith Aviation Limited (administration)
• European Cargo (administration)

Have any of the above travel company closures affected you this year? Let us know in the comments.

Some UK airports scrapped the 100ml rule for liquids, now allowing containers of up to two litres in hand luggage.

This change is due to new technology that allows passengers to keep liquids in their hand luggage.

However, this rule isn’t universal, with only seven UK airports implementing it so far.

Sadly, Manchester Airport isn’t on the list.

Travellers are encouraged to check the latest rules and requirements for their destination, including luggage sizes and passport validity.

Can you pack more than 100ml containers of liquid in your hand luggage?

If you fly from the following airports, liquids are not limited to 100ml containers:

• Heathrow
• Gatwick
• Edinburgh
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• London Southend
• Bournemouth

In fact, these airports now allow passengers to pack liquids in multiple containers up to two litres.

There is no limit on the number of containers, as long as they don’t exceed two litres.

ETIAS: What Brits need to know before travelling to Europe

Metal bottles must be emptied at all airports, so it’s worth using alternative containers for liquids to save you the job.

Which? adds: “The only caveat is that liquids in vacuum flasks must be poured out, as the new scanners can’t penetrate the double layer of insulation.”

Check your passport is valid for travel

Compare the Market has warned Brits who are going abroad to check more than their expiry date when it comes to passports.

That’s because some countries operate a strict rule where passports must have a certain amount of time left on them to be accepted into the country.

Recommended reading:

Using HM Passport Office data, the comparison site said that 705,904 British passports have less than three months remaining before they expire.

Countries in the EU’s Schengen Area require UK travellers to have a passport that is valid for at least three months after their planned departure from the Schengen Area.

These passports are still valid, as they haven’t passed their expiry dates, but some destinations ask visitors to adhere to additional validity requirements, so it’s crucial you know the rules before going away.

Do you prefer the new liquid rules at UK airports? Tell us what you think in the comments.

It marks the fourth boutique from the brand now available in Glasgow.

There’s been a new addition to the Glasgow Fort. Popular jewellery brand Lovisa opened its the doors to its latest boutique in the major shopping centre today (July 29).

Located between Specsavers and FORTY, the new outlet will offer shoppers affordable, catwalk-inspired accessories. The opening marks the high street retailer’s fourth store across the city.

Other stores across Glasgow can be found in fellow shopping centres Braehead, St Enoch and Buchanan Galleries. It also takes Lovisa’s total stores across Scotland to 11, with other outlets found in the likes of Aberdeen, Inverness, Stirling, Dundee, and more.

Founded 16 years ago, Lovisa was created with the main aim of making fashionable jewellery more affordable. A statement on the firm’s website has described it as a “fashion-forward brand”, with 150 new styles being delivered to stores each week.

The new Glasgow Fort outlet will allow shoppers to browse a range of styles that have been inspired by some of the biggest current trends. The brand’s ‘trend spotting’ departments work to take inspiration from couture runways and street-style, creating “new, must-have styles.”

Since the opening of its first store back in April 2010, Lovisa has gone on to operate more than 900 stores across 45 countries. It reached a milestone of 100 in the UK earlier this year with the opening of its outlet located in Birmingham’s Bullring.

Excited shoppers rejoiced at the newest boutique in Glasgow Fort after the shopping centre shared the news on Instagram recently. The full post read: “Lovisa is opening at Glasgow Fort!

“Lovisa is a brand that was born out of a passion for offering fashionable jewellery at affordable prices. Lovisa is jewellery that goes with fashion and is accessible to everyone!

“Get ready to discover your next favourite jewellery pieces!”

Expressing enthusiasm, one shopper responded with: “Can’t wait! Love Lovisa.”

While a second enthusiastic Facebook user added: “Looking forward to it xx.”

It’s just the latest addition to Glasgow Fort recently, with the shopping venue opening a host of new shops over the past year. This includes a new store for popular shoe chain OFFICE – making it the biggest in Scotland.

Now spanning a staggering 5,012 sq. ft, it is double the size of the previous unit that measured 2,249 sq. ft. It can be found next to neighbouring brands Deichmann, BPerfect and River Island.

The leading Glasgow shopping and leisure centre also unveiled major expansion plans back in May. If approved, this would see it upsized by a staggering 60,000 sq.ft, bringing even more options for shoppers.

Alongside a potential bowling alley and arcade, one of the highlights would be a new M&S. The plans aim to upsize its current branch by over 32,000 sq.ft, which would turn it into a new Scottish flagship for the brand.

There’s also been a host of new openings announced for outside of Glasgow. One of the latest is a new Rituals Cosmetics boutique that is set to open in Edinburgh’s Gyle Shopping Centre sometime this September.

Ask someone today why they enjoy reading novels and they will likely say it allows them to escape real life and immerse themselves in a different world. This escapism is seen as positive, but for centuries novel reading was thought to corrupt readers for precisely these reasons.

This year is the UK’s National Year of Reading – a government-led campaign “to help more people (re)discover the joy of reading and make it part of their everyday lives”.

The campaign seeks to reverse declining levels of reading for pleasure, explored in two reports: Children and Young People’s Reading in 2025 and The State of the Nation’s Adult Reading 2024. It does not promote novels exclusively, but they are inevitably a popular choice for many readers.

Beginning from the premise that reading “expands worlds, sharpens minds and fuels creativity”, the campaign echoes ongoing research into the relationship between novel reading and personal wellbeing. For example, a 2023 study carried out at the University of Edinburgh recently showed that reading fiction promotes positive emotions, connection with others and personal growth.

At a time when we are being encouraged to read more, it is striking to consider how attitudes towards novel reading have evolved since the genre began to develop during the 18th century. In Britain, early examples were written by Daniel Defoe and Samuel Richardson. But the novel ultimately emerged from an earlier European tradition and was heavily influenced by nonfictional forms, including letters and histories.

Novel reading as guilty pleasure

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the novel was generally considered low-brow literature, often being described by critics (in some cases seriously and in others more jokingly) as a kind of poison, waste or disease.

Around the turn of the 19th century, the novel’s reputation reached an all-time low. One reason for this was that more novels were being written in Britain than ever before. This was the Romantic period – best remembered today for giving us the novels of Jane Austen, Walter Scott and Mary Shelley, who gave the world Frankenstein.

But it was also a period in which a whole raft of other novels by now-forgotten authors were produced en-masse. Austen alludes to this in Northanger Abbey (1817) when, making fun of the idea that all novels are bad, she refers to “the trash with which the press now groans”.

The number of people reading novels also increased dramatically during these years, meaning that the dangers posed by novels seemed even more threatening. Novel reading was thus a kind of guilty pleasure – people knew that it was disapproved of, but still they indulged – much like fast food or trash TV today.

In the introduction to her 50-volume book The British Novelists in 1810 – one of the earliest attempts to canonise the novel – the poet Anna Laetitia Barbauld recognises this tension:

A collection of novels has a better chance of giving pleasure than of commanding respect […] but their leaves are seldom found unopened, and they occupy the parlour and the dressing-room while productions of higher name are often found gathering dust upon the shelf.

But why was novel reading considered so disreputable?

Evolving attitudes

As Barbauld suggests, novel reading was deemed frivolous and not nearly as valuable a use of time as reading, say, a work of history or moral philosophy, which offered new knowledge and ways of understanding the world.

There was also a concern that novel readers would become so immersed in fiction that they would either no longer be able to distinguish it from real life or neglect their daily duties. In Marriage (1818), a novel by Austen’s Scottish contemporary Susan Ferrier, the heavily satirised housewife Mrs Gaffaw “reads novels” and is therefore “above managing her house”.

Within Romantic-period novels, including those by Austen and Ferrier, numerous examples can be found of readers who become overly absorbed in fiction. The consequences of this are invariably bad – often including sexual misconduct and moral decay – thereby providing warnings to other readers.

Today, a different view is taken. As one young reader cited in a recent article on the wellbeing benefits of reading fiction put it, novels provide an opportunity to “calm down and just get away from the world”. Getting lost in a novel is a good thing – one that allows time for quiet and reflection.

The same message underpins our summer reading lists, such as the one in Condé Nast Traveller magazine, in which the mark of “a great holiday read is its ability to transport and immerse you into a completely different world”.

In this sense, we have come full circle. The escapism that made novel reading so dangerous 200 years ago is now craved by 21st-century readers and hailed as a means of necessary self-regulation. Regardless of personal reading preferences, it is clear that debates on the value of fiction, and how we engage with what we read, remain central to popular culture.

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org; if you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.