Five-year-old Theo Chatham has been an inpatient between two hospitals since he was diagnosed with a rare condition shortly after his birth.

A five-year-old Celtic fan who has spent almost his entire life in hospital was visited by his Hoops heroes days after the team won the Scottish Premiership. Little Theo Chatham was visited by players at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children on Tuesday in what his dad Gary and mum Sarah called an “unforgettable” moment.

Theo has been an inpatient between the hospital and Forth Valley Royal Hospital since he was diagnosed with a rare condition shortly after his birth. At three weeks old, Theo contracted Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) – a serious condition that mainly affects babies that are born premature – where tissue in the bowel becomes inflamed.

Since then, he has undergone more than 200 operations, including 48 life-saving procedures. But the condition led to brain damage, cerebral visual impairment and focal epilepsy.

However, Gary and Sarah now undertaking training via the NHS to learn to attend to Theo’s needs and are finally hoping to get him home to Denny within weeks. Speaking to Glasgow Live, Sarah said: “We’re nearly at the end of our training so hopefully in the next three weeks or so Theo could be discharged and home for the first time in his life.”

Gary added: “It would be lifechanging. We’d be able to start living again and give Theo a bit of freedom.”

Tuesday’s visit by football heroes Callum McGregor, Kieran Tierney, Liam Scales, Daizen Maeda and James Forrest was a “day to remember” for die-hard Celtic fan Gary – especially as they took along the league trophy. Gary said: “These types of visits are so special.

“It brightens up the kids’ day and it brings the parents on the ward together. As soon as the lads came in the energy shifted, Theo was so hyper and a buzz was in the air.

“It was a reminder of what football is really all about. There’s no rivalry when it comes to sick children.”

He also said it was “cool” team captain McGregor remembered Theo and the family from previous visits to the hospital. Kirsten Watson, CEO of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Celtic for their continued support and for bringing the Scottish Premiership trophy to the children’s hospital yesterday.

“Seeing the players with the trophy gave the children and their families a much-needed boost, and helped to brighten their time in hospital. It was especially meaningful to welcome the players yesterday, as last year’s traditional Christmas visit couldn’t go ahead due to the winter flu restrictions.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice is acknowledging it has removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, calling the information about the prosecutions “partisan propaganda.”

The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the assault on the Capitol, when hundreds of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025, pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes during the Capitol assault, including those convicted of attacking officers with makeshift weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and crutch.

On Monday, the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund meant to compensate Trump allies who feel they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out that rioters convicted of violence will be eligible for payouts, prompting bipartisan anger in Congress.

After a journalist on Friday observed on the social media platform X that the Justice Department was “quietly” removing news releases on its website that were related to the Jan. 6 attack, including about a Texas man who pleaded guilty to assault and also faced separate state charges of soliciting a minor, the department responded through its “rapid response” account that there was “nothing ‘quiet’ about it.”

“We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the post said. “This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”

Among the releases removed from the site were those concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right extremist groups. The Justice Department, in an unopposed motion last month, asked a federal appeals court to vacate those seditious conspiracy convictions, a request that was granted Thursday. The department on Friday moved to dismiss the cases against the group members.

A ‘substantial find’

A gun and drugs have been found by detectives after a suspect was shot by armed police in Whitefield. Officers tried to stop a car on Bury New Road at around 3pm on Friday (May 23).

The driver ‘failed to stop and drove directly at officers to get away’, Greater Manchester Police previously said.

A shot was fired by a GMP firearms officer. The driver of the car was taken to hospital for an injury to his arm, where he remained on Saturday The was injury described as ‘neither life-threatening nor life-changing’.

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The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said the suspect suffered a suspected broken elbow. The 20- year-old ‘white British man ‘was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs at the scene.

In an update, GMP said its investigation continues.

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The force said officers searched an address in Radcliffe overnight and found a firearm and a ‘significant’ quantity of both Class A and Class B drugs. No further arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing.

Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop, from GMP’s Serious Crime Division said: “Our officers were met with an extremely dangerous situation on Bury New Road yesterday.

“Thankfully no members of the wider public, or officers were harmed in the incident. Despite this, our team has acted swiftly and professionally, and our investigation has progressed at pace.

“Overnight searches have led to the recovery of a firearm and a significant quantity of Class A and B drugs. This is a substantial find and it in turn prevents a potentially dangerous weapon and a significant amount of drugs from reaching our streets.

“Our investigation will progress, and we will continue to target those involved in serious and organised crime to keep our communities safe for all those who live and work across the whole of Greater Manchester.”

In a statement issued this morning, the IOPC said: “We are independently investigating following a non-fatal police shooting in Bury.

“We were made aware by Greater Manchester Police, who advised that a man was shot in the arm after a vehicle failed to stop for officers. He was taken to hospital with a suspected broken elbow.

“While firearms incidents like this are, thankfully, rare, it is important for there to be independent scrutiny to fully understand what has happened. IOPC investigators attended the scene and to the police post-incident procedures to begin gathering evidence.”

French police have suspended new EU border checks following long delays at the Port of Dover as drivers queued in sweltering heat.

More than 18,000 travellers were expected to arrive at the port through Friday and Saturday for the bank holiday getaway.

Authorities warned of delays of several hours, with queues reported for all ferry operators and at the check-in plaza for tourist traffic at the Kent port.

While processing times are down to 50 minutes at the port’s buffer zone as of midday Saturday, congestion on surrounding roads means drivers face a two-hour queue to access the port, equating to a total wait of nearly three hours.

However, passengers and motorists will be spared the additional checks after Police Aux Frontieres suspended the EU’s entry and exit system (EES) in a bid to cut wait times at the border.

In a post on X, the port said: ‘We are pleased that Police Aux Frontieres (PAF) have responded positively by invoking the Article 9 clause of the EES regulations.

‘While conventional border checks will still be undertaken, this will now enable PAF to significantly reduce the border processing time.’

The decision means travellers will be processed normally and will not have to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics.

At both the Port of Dover and the Le Shuttle terminal in Folkestone passengers and drivers pass through juxtaposed controls, allowing them to notionally clear the French border before they cross the Channel.

Under the new Entry and Exit system, third-country nationals are now required to register their passport at their first point of arrival into the Schengen area.

However, unlike at dozens of Schengen airports, EES self-registration machines are not yet operational in the UK.

Travel expert Simon Calder told Sky News that Police Aux Frontieres had attempted to register passengers manually using 11 checkpoints.

But they have now reverted to traditional ‘wet-stamping’ of passports in a bid to ease queues, which were building yesterday and this morning.

The tropical heatwave is adding to the travellers’ misery as motorists waited to board ferries to the continent, with temperatures hovering at just under 30°C in Dover.

It comes as around 3.4 million journeys are expected to be undertaken on Sunday, with a further 3.1 million trips on bank holiday Monday.

According to the RAC, six in ten drivers were not planning a leisure trip over the weekend, with just five per cent citing rising fuel costs as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s oil chokepoint.

It added the worst affected roads for congestion were likely to be the M1, M25, M5, M6, with anticlockwise journeys on the London orbital motorway expected to take twice as long as on an average weekend.

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Southampton were expelled from the play-offs on Tuesday and their appeal against the decision was rejected the following day – just 72 hours before kick-off in Saturday’s showpiece event.

Saints also admitted to spying on two other rivals’ training sessions, including Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town last month.

The Football Association has since opened an investigation of its own into Southampton over the Spygate scandal.

The club accepted what happened was “wrong” and apologised to the other clubs involved, as well as Southampton’s supporters.

After their appeal was rejected, the club said in a statement: “While we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this matter and the scrutiny that has followed, the club has consistently believed the original sporting sanction was disproportionate, a view that has been widely shared by many in the football community.”

But Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg said his trust in “doing the right thing” was restored after Saints’ expulsion.

“It’s a feeling of relief, happiness, a little bit of trust in doing the right thing and humanity,” he told BBC Radio Tees.

“The right way to do it is working hard, not doing something else when everyone will see with the evidence and everything we know.

“It is quite clear what has been done and that should never be allowed in football.”

Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic previously said the Tigers were “collateral damage” because they had to wait to find out which opponent they would actually be facing in the final.

“We can say everything is unfair in this last two weeks. You don’t know what’s going on,” he told BBC Radio Humberside.

“If you look from a Middlesbrough point of view they knew if they were successful they would play against us so I can turn the situation around but I will not do that. We will try to beat them on the pitch.”

The air ambulance landed at HMP Deerbolt, near Barnard Castle, at about 4.55pm on Friday (May 22).

A man was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital by road.

It is not known at this time whether the man is a prisoner or a staff member. His condition is also not known. The MOJ has been contacted for updates.

A North East NEAS spokesperson said, “We received a call at 4.52pm on Friday to reports of a medical incident at HMP Deerbolt. 

“We sent two ambulance crews and the air ambulance and took one male patient to Darlington Memorial Hospital for further treatment.”

The Great North Air Ambulance Service confirmed that, while they attended, they weren’t required and returned to base.

The family of three sisters who drowned in the sea off Brighton beach have said they ‘don’t have the answers’ about what they were doing there or how they entered the water.

The ‘inseparable’ siblings – Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32 and Rebecca Walters, 31, all from the Uxbridge area of London – died 70 miles from home early on the morning of May 13.

Their father Joseph paid tribute to his three daughters, saying: ‘No words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters in the prime of their lives.’

It was revealed this week that their mother, Janice Adetoro, also drowned in a heartbreakingly similar tragedy in 2010.

Janice, who had split with their father and suffered with mental health issues, walked into a park lake close to her home at the time in the West Midlands.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, their aunt Ajike Johnson said the tragedy ‘traumatised the girls’, adding: ‘They never recovered.’

Both the family and the police will be examining whether the sisters could have walked into the water as their mother had done – but stepmum Genevieve Barnaby-Adetoro dismisses the possibility.

Ajike – or Aunt Jik as her nieces called her – hopes it was a terrible accident.

‘I pray that they’ve been being mischievous, and that one of them lost their footing and the others dived in to save them,’ she said.

Genevieve told the paper the family has been retraumatised by abusive comments left by conspiracy theorists drawing their own conclusions on social media.

She said: ‘People are heartless. Some are saying, “We MUST know. We must have answers”. Hold on a minute. We are their family, and we don’t have answers.’

Holding back tears, Ajike added: ‘Don’t think we aren’t asking the questions ourselves. “Girls, why were you in Brighton? Did you just decide to go?”

‘I’ve gone over and over it.’

She said the girls ‘loved David Attenborough’ and could have decided to ‘go for a paddle’ after attending an event in Brighton for the natural historian’s 100th birthday the night before.

‘Did one fall in and the others go to help? Because they would have done – where one of them went, you always found the other two,’ she said.

Genevieve said ‘there is no comfort’ in the thought the girls died together, just how they had lived.

‘No,’ she said, adding: ‘They didn’t come into this world together. Why would they leave it together?’

A GoFundMe appeal to give the sisters ‘the loving and dignified farewell they deserve’ has attaracted nearly £40,000 in donations in its first 24 hours.

Fundraiser organiser Adesoji Adetoro wrote that it was set up on behalf of his brother Joseph and the family, adding that they are struggling to come to terms with what has happened.

‘No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone all three,’ he said.

‘While trying to process this unimaginable tragedy, my brother is now also faced with the heartbreaking task of arranging three funerals.

‘As a family, we simply want to give the girls the loving and dignified farewell they deserve.’

Sussex Police have said there is no evidence to suggest criminality or that anyone else was involved, but specialist detectives are working to gather the full facts and circumstances around their deaths.

Hundreds of hours of CCTV footage have been reviewed and inquiries made to businesses and properties around the beach area to try to track the women’s last movements, the force said.

Anyone with information is asked to come forward, particularly anyone who saw the sisters around the Madeira Drive area between 10pm on May 12 and 5.30am May 13.

Chief Superintendent Adam Hays has said the force ‘will leave no stone unturned’ in the investigation to understand what led to the ‘tragic events of that Wednesday morning’.

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Ethan Roberts, from Horwich, died unexpectedly on April 7 from what his family believe was an undiagnosed medical condition.

The 22-year-old had been preparing to begin a new chapter in his life, with plans to restart his studies at the University of Lancashire on a foundation course.

Ethan was close to his friends who came from secondary school. (Image: Olivia Kelly)

His family said Ethan, who volunteered with The Bolton Destitution Project, was known for his kindness, humour and affection towards others.

His father, Kevin Roberts, said: “He was quite a unique boy. He had characteristics of humour. He was a remarkable, unique boy, he was a caring sort, especially with children.

“He was also very well known throughout his life to hug people, and never lost that throughout growing up. We miss his hugs.”

He was about to go to university. (Image: Olivia Kelly)

Ethan had completed a diploma in social care and had also worked with the Bolton pantomime.

He volunteered weekly at The Bolton Destitution Project after first becoming involved through his grandmother, who also supported the charity.

The organisation supports asylum seekers and refugees by providing food, friendship and practical help, alongside weekly casework sessions.

Kevin said Ethan “genuinely liked helping people” and wanted to use his time to support others.

He thought a lot of his family (Image: Olivia Kelly)

He added: “He sometimes felt a bit delayed compared to some peers, felt a bit behind in doing degrees.

“He felt he wanted to do something with his time, and through his connection with family, he felt it was something important to him, but also he genuinely liked helping people.”

Ethan’s family described him as someone who stayed close to his loved ones and maintained a tight-knit group of friends from secondary school.

Kevin said: “He had a really good close group of friends that had been friends all the way through secondary school.

Ethan spent his time volunteering for his community. (Image: Olivia Kelly)

“They were typical gamer guys, communicating online. He was a remarkable lad, very close to his family in each other’s lives.”

The family said support from across the Bolton community has helped them through the weeks following Ethan’s death.

Kevin said staff and pupils connected to his former primary school, where members of the family worked, had been “absolutely supportive”.

Now, Ethan’s loved ones are hoping to continue his legacy through a fundraiser in his memory.

Adrian, the father of Ethan’s best friend Christian, is taking part in the Bolton Ironman Triathlon on June 7 to raise money for The Bolton Destitution Project.

The event will include a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.

Ethan Roberts was good with children. (Image: Olivia Kelly)

Adrian said: “For me as a dad, [I want] to raise as much money as I can to show how much he contributed and how important his life running alongside the charity is.

“The fact he is no longer here — I know he would be happy.”

A GoFundMe page has been launched to support the fundraiser.

In a message on the page, Adrian described Ethan as “a remarkable young man, full of love, care and compassion”.

He added: “This has been a devastating time for all who knew and loved Ethan, especially for Ethan’s family, who we stand with to provide support and comfort.”

More information about the fundraiser can be found on the GoFundMe page.

Leading universities have urged Shabana Mahmood to exempt outstanding students in some conflict-stricken countries from a draconian visa ban.

Some 34 universities, represented by higher-education associations the Russell Group and ResearchPlus, have written to the home secretary to plead for an exception for Chevening scholars, taking part in a government-funded programme that enables outstanding emerging leaders from around the world to do a one-year master’s degree in the UK.

The Home Office ended study visas for students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan in March, after Ms Mahmood claimed the visa routes were being abused. As a result, Chevening scholars from these countries are unable to come to the UK.

In a letter sent to Ms Mahmood, the two associations which represent the University of Cambridge, Durham, Manchester, and Imperial College London among others, said the application of the visa ban to Chevening scholars was not “fair or proportionate”, adding that applicants have “already undergone rigorous, government-led assessment”.

They hit back at the claims that the system was being abused, saying: “Our universities take their compliance responsibilities seriously and support appropriate measures to protect the integrity of student visas.

“The vast majority of international study applicants are genuine, and it is in all our interests that the system remains credible.”

They described the visa brake as a “blunt measure”, adding: “These [Chevening] candidates are selected through a global competitive process overseen by the UK government which assesses academic merit, leadership potential, and their intention to return to their home countries following their studies.”

Professor Libby Hackett, of the Russell Group and Professor Andrew Jones and Professor Sasha, of ResearchPlus, who represent the University of Oxford and the Open University respectively, described the Chevening programme as a “highly competitive and well-regarded scheme” that “played a central role in advancing the UK’s international partnerships and national interests”.

Some 22 of the scheme’s alumni have gone on to be heads of state, and 15 per cent hold prominent positions in government, the letter, shared with The Independent says.

Sasha Roseneil, co-chair of ResearchPlus and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, said: “We risk turning away tomorrow’s leaders by placing restrictions on outstanding scholars who have already passed the government’s own rigorous selection process”.

Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper reportedly appealed to Ms Mahmood for an exemption for Chevening students, with Ms Cooper concerned about the impact of the decision on vulnerable women in Afghanistan and Sudan. Ms Mahmood reportedly rejected the intervention.

According to Home Office data published this week, 10,835 people on a study visa went on to claim asylum in the UK in the year up to March 2026. Hundreds of thousands of people are granted student visas each year, and there were some 498,626 grants in the peak year ending June 2023.

The number of students who go on to claim asylum is decreasing, prompted by the fall in study visas granted following restrictions on family members coming to the UK.

The most common nationalities claiming asylum in the year up to March 2026 were Pakistani, with the vast majority arriving in Britain on legal visas, and Eritreans, most of whom have arrived illegally. This was followed by Iran and Afghanistan, with majority of these nationals also arriving irregularly, such as via small boat crossings.

The Chevening scheme offers more than 1,000 scholarships each year for promising students from around the world.

Prof Hackett said: “Chevening Scholars have shown themselves to be exceptionally talented individuals who use their education in the UK to make invaluable contributions in their home countries. We should be making every effort to attract and support these students, not creating more barriers for them.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.

The owner of the whippet said that the dog ‘is extremely lucky to be alive’ – and the sandpit has since been removed

An Ely woman said her whippet suffered life-threatening injuries at a dog field. Georgia Hewer-Heppethwaite, known as Georgia Nevada, 28, hired out Ely Dog Field in Little Downham for her whippet, Beans, on April 29.

Beans was running through the hired dog field when he fell into a closed sandpit and injured his neck. Beans jumped out of the sandpit and “started screaming like a visceral sound I’ve never heard before,” Georgia said.

“It was horrific. I just saw my husband sprinting towards him,” she added. The pair, who said it felt “like a dream” used a jumper to stop the bleeding while the vet was called. Beans was immediately taken to a nearby vet who waited outside to rush him into surgery.

Beans was in surgery for several hours. Georgia said: “He is extremely lucky to have survived. He suffered a hole in his neck just under the size of a ping pong ball.”

“We were told by the surgeons and vets that if we didn’t stop the bleeding and get him to the vet as quickly as we did, it would have been fatal,” she added.

When the accident occurred, the pair “were all over the place” but now they have “moved passed the initial emotion of it”. They called for better signage of the sand pit, which they described as a “hazard”.

Georgia, who has felt “really uneasy, upset and concerned”, wanted to see changes made to the sandpit to prevent other dogs from getting hurt. She said: “They had other dogs in the next morning.”

In response to the incident, the owners of the field said: “Ely Dog Field remains deeply saddened that any dog should ever be injured in any capacity and send our very best wishes to the dog for a continued recovery.”

Georgia said that “it is a beautiful dog park” but if owners are hoping to take their dogs there, she had warned them to “avoid that area”. “I feel like they have a responsibility as dog owners to make it safe”, she continued.

In a statement on Friday, May 22, a spokesperson for Ely Field Park said: “The sandpit has now been removed as we move forward following the recent incident. Our priority remains providing a positive and enjoyable space for our customers and their dogs.”

Ely Dog Field added that they “immediately provided all assistance that [they] could to support the owners that evening”, after being made aware of a dog being “seriously injured” while at the field.

The statement added: “We were very pleased to receive an update the following day confirming that the beautiful dog had returned home from the vets.

“In line with correct procedure, we followed due process and notified our insurers, who then took over all communication regarding the matter. The insurance company reviewed photos, videos, and a significant amount of documentation and concluded that we are not liable.”