For me, burnout came on gradually – but when I was done, I knew I was done.

For 15 years I was the editor-in-chief of Hello! magazine, and for most of that time I thrived on the pace and glamour.

But towards the end, I felt permanently wired and exhausted – both frayed at the edges and drained of energy. I’d successfully ignored the stress and poor sleep for so long, I no longer knew what it was to feel ‘normal’.

By the time it came to a head – in a pool of tears in a London hotel room after hosting a big event and waking to the ping of emails, texts and endless demands on my time – I was physically on my knees, my heart beating so hard I could almost hear it.

I remember gazing at the two unanswered FaceTime calls from my young children from the night before and feeling suffocated by guilt. I longed for a different life.

A doctor signed me off for six weeks. I went home to my husband and two boys, who were then aged eight and six, feeling relieved, anxious and uncertain. What would I do now? Who was I without a job title that defined so much of my working life?

The short-term answer was the school run, some gentle exercise and lots of evenings in. Slowly, my nervous system calmed and my sleep improved. Week after week, I felt my energy return.

I began to reflect on the endless round of royal and showbiz news I’d loved for so long, and realised it wasn’t exciting me the way it used to. Interestingly, the world didn’t spin off its axis when I admitted this to myself.

When I went back to work part-time, with a new job description, plans for a complete reinvention of my working life bubbled at the back of my mind; I couldn’t shake off the desire for something new.

If you’d told me that would include competing in one of the toughest fitness races in the world at the age of 50, however, I’d have said you’d got the wrong woman. I might even have laughed in your face.

At school I was never a ‘sporty girl’ and, until my 40s, I thought trainers were only for pairing with a dress and fresh manicure (Adidas Gazelles, naturally).

In fact, when my friend Petra, who happens to be a personal trainer, decided to enter me into a Hyrox race in London as an off-the-wall present for my 50th, I had to Google the word Hyrox. Flowers would have been fine.

But reinvention after burnout has to be physical as well as mental. Something about entering my 50s sharpened my desire to prove I could be strong again – strong and taut in my body, and strong in my choices about starting a second chapter not solely defined by work. More prosaically, I had also begun to notice some wobbly bits around my midriff and under my arms. It made me think upping my fitness with some gentle weight-lifting would do me good.

Oh how naive I was. Nothing about Hyrox is gentle.

We all know that smug middle-aged friend who swears by Tough Mudder or runs half marathons. Hyrox takes it up a gear or three.

A wholly indoor race, Hyrox is made up of eight 1km runs, with each one followed by a functional strength workout that feels like it was designed to break the spirit.

You run and then do SkiErg, for example – a downward pull yanking on handles like you’re cross-country skiing through treacle. Then another run before Sled Push – heaving a weighted metal sled across the floor while questioning all your life choices. Ditto, Sled Pull – the same idea, but pulling it with a heavy rope.

At the end of the next run, you find 80 burpees waiting for you, where the chest touches the floor followed by a puke-inducing, frog-like leap. Next comes a 1km row, then a Farmer’s Carry, aka lugging 16kg kettlebells around a circuit like you’re bringing in the world’s heaviest Waitrose shop.

This is followed by walking lunges with a 15kg sandbag on your shoulders (basically a metaphor for midlife). The punisher comes last – squatting and throwing a weighted ball at a target while praying it doesn’t smack you in the face… 100 times.

You do all this against the clock, surrounded by some of the fittest people you’ve ever seen – the kind who were born doing planks.

If it sounds like torture – and it sort of is – that hasn’t stopped Hyrox becoming a worldwide phenomenon since its invention in 2017, spanning 85 cities across 30 countries, with 650,000 participants last year alone. So fashionable has it become, it nowadays dominates the social media feeds of anyone with even a passing interest in fitness – for both good and bad reasons.

This year it has dominated headlines after Australian world-record holder Joanna Wietrzyk suffered bowel incontinence mid-race and continued to compete covered in faecal matter. The decision to allow her to continue – and ultimately win – sparked widespread debate about hygiene, athlete welfare and race management, particularly as other competitors were required to use equipment after her. Critics have also bemoaned its eyewatering price tag, the standard of judging and the accusations it can be a ‘toxic’ environment. 

Yet people keep pouring into the sport, despite the gruelling setup – and indeed gruelling recommended training regime – and its push-to-the-limit mentality.

The former Hello! magazine editor says she hasn’t dropped any weight at all – but her waistline is noticeably tauter, her arms are sculpted and she is stronger than she was at 30

If Hyrox makes even the most dedicated weekend warrior mum blanch. If it defeats even the most puffed up Mamil (Middle-aged Men In Lycra), how on Earth would I fare? Petra had bought us entry to the Hyrox race at the Olympia exhibition centre in west London, and the only saving grace was her suggestion that we compete in the Open Doubles category – a team of two version, where you and your partner complete the full race in tandem, but sharing the workouts as desired.

When she handed me that ticket, maybe she saw what I didn’t yet: that I needed a challenge that wasn’t career-based; something to get me out of my head and into my body. Saying yes also meant instant kudos with my husband and two sons, now aged 12 and ten, who were far more impressed their mother was going to do a Hyrox than they have ever been looking through the commemorative issues of Hello!. Doing it for them spurred me on during the toughest training sessions when the old me might have given up.

By the time I started preparing for Hyrox at the start of this year, I was already moving into a better place mentally. I’d re-trained to become an accredited life coach, and felt happier and more creative than I’d been for years.

Perhaps my sunnier outlook explains why I started my training with such naive enthusiasm. I had no idea what I’d signed up for.

Hyrox was at the end of March, but much of January was in the end knocked out by a persistent chest infection. Even my husband thought I should probably drop the idea then. But I was determined, obsessed even, with the ‘road to Olympia’. And with each session in the gym, I could feel it: my legs were getting stronger and my lungs were, well, screaming less loudly than before.

Training for Hyrox turned Rosie into the kind of gym-obsessed woman she once side-eyed – those who talk about ‘splits’ before 7am

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Training three times a week over five weeks was enough to see the beginnings of abs appear at my waist and more muscle tone and definition elsewhere. At 50, I’m not chasing a lithe model body, but strength and agility – the version of myself who can do anything she puts her mind to.

I’m also reaping the benefits of boosting my muscle mass, which drops with age, and counteracting many of the biological shifts driven by declining oestrogen during perimenopause.

Training for Hyrox turned me into the kind of gym-obsessed woman I once side-eyed – those who talk about ‘splits’ before 7am.

Suddenly I was waking at 6am, marching into my local Hyrox class like a woman possessed, fuelled in equal parts by determination and the quiet terror of humiliating myself at Olympia. I became that person who knows exactly where her deltoids, quads, glutes, hamstrings and even those shy little obliques are – because I could see them.

In case you’re wondering, your obliques sit along the sides of your waist, running diagonally from your ribs down toward your hips. They’re the muscles that give you that sculpted, athletic ‘V’ at the sides of your torso – the ones you suddenly start noticing in the mirror when you’ve been doing a crazy amount of working out.

There was a flicker of guilt about how much time I was investing in training, but it was drowned out by the pride of watching my body change shape. My confidence for race day grew, as did the admiration of the small men in the house – when we sat down to watch Gladiators, I was able to seriously contemplate how fast I might make it up the travelator.

Every gym session felt like a tiny act of rebellion against who I used to be, and a big vote for the woman I was becoming. Physical reinvention wasn’t an abstract concept anymore; it was in the mirror, flushed, sweaty, slightly unhinged – yet unmistakably happier for it.

On the day itself, my nerves were intense. Much of the Hyrox equipment wouldn’t look out of place in a military fitness camp and the marshals are just as strict, dishing out time penalties for every below-par lunge or wall ball that doesn’t quite hit the target.

Then there’s the noise – booming dance music, sleds clattering and crowds erupting in waves.

Once acclimatised to the scale of the event, I necked a banana for pre-race sustenance and we joined a warm-up station. Then we were at the start line, a dark tunnel, following our wave of female pairs (each race is divided by sex, age and ability levels). I tried not to feel intimidated by the number of sculpted bodies and French plaits around me.

Before long, the smoke guns erupted and we were off. After the first few exercises and 1km runs, I seemed to find a steady flow – grateful to be doing this with a partner. But then the chest-to-floor burpee jumps – always my worst station – made me feel horribly nauseous. I kept going through gritted teeth.

Each run came around fast and my heart felt as though it was about to break through my chest. It was time to dig deep, while Beyonce’s hit Run The World (Girls) pumped out of the speakers, giving me a much-needed boost at the 5km mark.

There were moments in the weighted lunges when my thighs were burning so badly, the old me would have screamed: ‘Enough!’ But I thought of how proud I’d make my boys if I finished, and ploughed through it.

The wall balls were pure pain. But before my brain had time to catch up, I was throwing the last ten at the digital target. I found a final burst of energy after that as Petra grabbed my hand and we pounded to the finish line together. We crossed it in one hour, 26 minutes – a highly respectable time I am very proud of.

My legs were jelly, heart hammering, but I couldn’t stop grinning, knowing that just a few years ago, I’d have found this impossible.

In an age of fat-jabs and the return of the emaciated twiglet aesthetic, my aim was never to be thinner. I haven’t dropped any weight at all – but my waistline is noticeably tauter, my arms are sculpted and I am stronger than I was at 30.

Best of all, I’m now the Mum Who Can Do Anything according to my boys. That feels fantastic.

Completing a Hyrox was the perfect challenge at this point in my life, when I have reinvented my career, beaten burnout and started my sixth decade. I don’t feel late to the party – I feel like I’m just getting started.

Vietnamese crime gangs have been involved in human trafficking and the operation of large scale cannabis farms across Scotland for almost 20 years. Their victims are smuggled into the UK from the south east asian country with the promise of a new life and then forced to work on the farms which generate millions for the criminals.

They then remain trapped there unable to leave or return home. Most of the farms operate out of rented flats or houses with the owners usually unaware of what is happening.

One of the most exploited groups are young people. Earlier this month the Daily Record revealed how scores of Vietnamese children have been trafficked north of the border and then sexually abused in the last seven years.

We reported how Police Scotland have received 342 referrals since 2020 of cases where youngsters from the south east asia country have been kept in slavery. Thirty one involve children being sexually exploited, usually through prostitution or escort work.

Trafficked young people are often made to work in flats or “pop up” brothels providing sexual services. The figures released under Freedom of Information showed that most child trafficking cases since 2020 were in Edinburgh with 74, Glasgow with 72 and Ayrshire with 49.

In the first six months of this year there were 19 child trafficking cases recorded with three linked to sexual exploitation. The young people can be forced to work in cannabis farms, nail bars and car washes.

Some are made to work for adult Vietnamese who have been smuggled into the country cooking and cleaning. As well as sex work trafficked children often end up working illegally in the hospitality industry in kitchens.

Others can be made to work in the construction industry or for removal or logistics firms. Those forced to work in cannabis farms are normally held there unable to leave while they grow the plants.

Trafficked children in Scotland can also be made to work on fishing boats or in remote hospitality locations. In the article modern slavery expert Kieran Walsh, who has previously worked with the Salvation Army said:”The trafficking of Vietnamese people both children and adults has been going on for a considerable time as evidenced by your figures.

“Vietnamese organised crime groups can be quite ruthless in how they carry out their activities in trafficking children for illegal and immoral purposes, Either through forced labour or sexual exploitation.”

While Karen Miller of the anti slavery charity Restore Glasgow commented: “We are horrified to see these latest figures. As a Glasgow-based anti-trafficking charity we are naturally aware that trafficking happens under our noses all the time, but it’s still shocking to contemplate the figures when you remember that each of these numbers is a frightened, exploited child.

“Vietnam is one of the top two source countries for victims of trafficking in the UK, supplying unwilling workers to the ubiquitous dodgy nail bars and the cannabis industry. Cynical trafficking gangs will recruit people from rural areas including children, because they lack the education and street smarts to understand the danger of these “job offers”.

A “powerful and shocking” true crime drama special is perfect for ITV Unforgotten fans.

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Netflix viewers are “absolutely fascinated” with this true crime special that investigates a “harrowing” 43-year-old Linslade murder.

Unforgotten on ITV follows DI Sunny Khan (played by Sanjeev Bhaskar) and DCI Jess James (Sinead Keenan) as they dig up long-buried secrets in the hope of solving historical murders. Filming for season seven has reportedly wrapped up but the new series isn’t expected to air until 2027 but in the meantime, there is an ideal alternative on Netflix.

The Real Unforgotten has quickly soared into the streamer’s Top 10 most watched list following the 2025 docu-series’ Netflix release last week. Much like the hit ITV drama, The Real Unforgotten takes a look at a real-life cold case from 1981 with the show following the new investigation for six years.

In the early 1980s, Carol Morgan was found bludgeoned to death in the store room of the corner shop that she ran with her husband Allen Morgan in Linslade, Bedfordshire.

The case was first treated as a botched burglary but key leads were missed during the early investigation which meant that the killer was never found.

But in 2018, the cold case was re-opened with the two-part true crime doc following what the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Units did next.

Fans have been flocking to X and IMdB to share their thoughts with The Real Unforgotten being labelled as “absolutely fascinating” and “heartbreaking”.

“The Real Unforgotten is such an upsetting watch. People are so evil”, someone posted. A second remarked: “The Real Unforgotten, a documentary on Netflix, is so bizarre and frustrating”, as a third described it as “very powerful and shocking”.

Someone else who lives in the Linslade area shared: “So interesting watching this and so sad it’s taken this long for justice. Also very strange it being right on my doorstep.”

As a fellow viewer added: “Having watched the series Unforgotten several times now, it’s actually refreshing to see a real-life cold case worked in detail and real time, warts and all.”

The Real Unforgotten is available to watch on Netflix.

Almost half of people who discontinue injectable weight-loss medicines cite cost or insurance barriers, new research has found.

International research led by Ulster University is exploring why some people stop taking injectable weight-loss medicines and what support could help patients use the treatments safely and successfully over the longer term.

Ahead of World Pharmacists Day tomorrow, researchers from Ulster University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Coleraine campus are investigating the real-world experiences of people using weight-loss injections, including the challenges that can lead some patients to discontinue treatment.

Medicines such as GLP-1 receptor agonists have rapidly changed the treatment of obesity, but staying on treatment can present challenges for patients, including side effects, uncertainty about what to expect, the cost of medicines and difficulties accessing ongoing support.

The research comes as demand for weight-loss medicines continues to grow. A recent report from The Food Foundation estimates that up to eight million people in the UK are taking, have taken or are considering taking weight-loss medicines, while more than two million people have paid for prescriptions themselves.

Real-world evidence shows that around 50% of patients prescribed GLP-1s for obesity discontinue their treatment within the first 12 months. Among those who stop, financial barriers, including cost and insurance coverage, are reported as the leading reason, accounting for almost 48% of discontinuations, followed by gastrointestinal side effects at around 15% and supply shortages at 12%.

Sharing their experience of taking GLP-1 weight-loss medication, one person said: “When I started the injections, the weight came off, but some of the side effects hit hard. I didn’t know if what I was experiencing was normal or how long it would last, and without clear guidance on how to manage it, I was about to stop treatment early. Having a pharmacist talk me through what to expect would have helped.”

The findings highlight the importance of understanding what happens after a patient starts treatment and whether better support could help people manage challenges before they decide to stop.

Led by Dr Mohamed Elnaem, Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at Ulster University , the international research is being carried out through the University’s Global PharmEd Optimise Research Network, with collaborators across Northern Ireland, Turkey, Spain, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt and Jordan.

Dr Elnaem said: “Weight-loss injections are changing the way we approach obesity treatment, but prescribing a medicine is only part of the story.

“We need to understand what happens once people begin taking these medicines in their everyday lives, what challenges they face, why some people stop treatment, and what support they need to continue safely.

“Our research is about moving beyond the headlines and understanding the real experiences of patients. By working with researchers internationally, we can explore challenges that are shared across different healthcare systems and understand where experiences may differ between countries and communities.

“Ultimately, the solutions need to be tailored to the needs of individual patients and communities. We hope our research will help identify practical, evidence-based approaches that can improve how these medicines are used and the support available to people taking them.”

The researchers are particularly interested in how patients experience treatment outside clinical settings and the role that pharmacists and other healthcare professionals could play in supporting them.

Under the Global PharmEd Optimise Research Network includes research exploring the use of digital health and emerging technologies in healthcare, including artificial intelligence readiness.

Dr Elnaem said: “Digital health, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies have the potential to bring healthcare and support closer to patients, particularly those who may face barriers to accessing traditional services.

“But we need to make sure these technologies are introduced safely, sustainably and based on evidence.

“That is why developing the next generation of pharmacists and researchers is also an important part of our work.”

The researchers hope their work will help bridge the gap between advances in medicines and patients’ everyday experiences, ensuring people receive not only the right treatment, but the right information and support to use it safely.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

A video of the crash shared on social media appears to show the two pilots ejecting from the aircraft before it nosedives, crashes and bursts into flames.

The footage shows a plume of smoke and fire erupting as the aircraft hits the ground, appearing to narrowly miss residential properties.

Kay – who hosts the BBC’s Security Brief – described footage of the pilots ejecting being caught on camera as “quite remarkable” and said the pilots’ ejection seat was “one of the big lifesavers in this whole story”.

He said there are two options for ejection that can be taken in a T2 jet – which usually involves an experienced pilot trainer and a student.

One option involves both pilots ejecting individually by pulling a black and yellow ring placed between their legs on the jet, the second option is called “command ejection” where one pilot ejects both seats, with whoever sitting at the back going first.

According to Kay, once the pilot decides to eject the seats, it sets off a miniature detonation cord (MDC), a thin explosive line that is used to shatter the canopy of a jet in the event of an emergency.

“The aircraft seat is designed for the pilot to be able to eject at zero speed and zero height, and that will allow enough time for the parachute to inflate, and then the pilots hit the ground,” he added.

“As far as I’m aware this is the first known case of this variant, the T2, ejecting pilots out of it,” he said, adding that the safety record for these jets is “obviously very good”.

Today, Saturn and Neptune begin their retrograde, from now until December. Don’t rush things, even if you’re tempted to.

Sagittarius, Scorpio and Libra, the day before you will be filled with healing and deep thought. This will help you have greater clarity surrounding your wider purpose in life.

Big realisations and conclusions will be drawn, if you give them the time to surface. Don’t run away from introspection.

Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Thursday September 24 2026.

Like checking your horoscope every morning? You can now sign up to our free daily newsletter to get a personalised reading for your star sign delivered straight to your inbox.

To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

With the Sun newly arrived in your opposite sign, who you feel drawn to and who you don’t, can become a big theme for the next month. The shimmering energies of Neptune in your sign suggest not jumping to conclusions if you meet someone new. Neptune heightens sensitivities, but it can also blur our reality. Certainly not a time to over idolise anyone.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

Whilst you may want to support the causes and people you are most invested in, do look to direct your energies carefully for the rest of this week. Your good intentions may be challenged by lower vitality, or a feeling of overwhelm. Even if you are someone who usually feels like pitching in and doing your bit, take moments to enjoy some personal quiet time.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

Your creative instincts are boosted hugely for the rest of this week. There is no restriction on where this can shine through, be it through playing or listening to music, the arts, photography, or film. You may also find someone in your friendship group more intriguing. This could be purely platonic, but if it is more than that, your imagination can be at full blast.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

With Saturn and Neptune in retrograde through to December, now joined by the healer Chiron, your worldly activities are powerfully in focus. This can be a time of gaining greater recognition, but also of potentially questioning what you are doing and considering changes. You could feel particularly conscious now of balancing home strands with work.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

What starts as a seemingly everyday conversation could turn into something more thought-provoking. You can find yourself very receptive to new ideas, to discussing, and exploring history, philosophy, or far-away places. Then again, if you have been drawn instinctively to a particular destination, it can call out to you in a powerful and alluring way.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

The Sun is asking you to think carefully about what you value, not just in terms of everyday finances, but your own personal worth, and what the things you hold dear are. As he moves to the end of this week and opposes the dreamy Neptune, how this relates or connects to others can come up. If you meet someone with a business idea, do check it out very carefully.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

You are likely going to feel a stronger desire to take a firm grip on your life direction. Good for you if so, but you may encounter someone who could subtly deflect or even drain you. This may not be intentional or sinister, but more because their energy, or how you connect with them, makes it difficult for you to keep your boundaries as firmly in place as usual.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

If you get an opportunity over the next few days to enjoy a healing treatment, such as a holistic therapy, a spa day, or a gentle walk in nature, enjoy it. Whilst being productive can give us a strong sense of personal satisfaction, occasionally letting go of worldly routines and expectations can feed our bodies and our souls. Look to pamper yourself, Scorpio.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Your passion for wider vistas through what you read, your interests, and your appreciation of lots of different strands of knowledge mean that you can be open to flexing into new interests and going with the flow. This more mutable part of your nature is something that no other Fire sign has. From now through to the weekend, this can shine through brightly.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

Even if you are a home lover, your appreciation of where you live and a quiet, peaceful environment could be to the fore. Then again, if you are not feeling settled, the Sun’s passage through the worldliest part of your chart, and link to the idealistic Neptune, could inspire you to reimagine what you’d prefer. Practicalities need to align to your vision though.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

People might focus on your appreciation of unique approaches, but with the stoic Saturn as your co-ruler, you also have a strong appreciation of tradition. What is undoubtedly true is that you are a communicator. Your talent for sharing ideas can be amplified now, but you can still combine a generous dose of common sense together with your inspiration.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

Your mesmeric co-ruler Neptune gives you a perceptive appreciation of situations that some don’t have. You can absorb atmospheres so instinctively and pick up unspoken communication very skilfully. At times however, this dreamy vibe can make it harder to concentrate. Through to the weekend, try to stay focused, especially around finances.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Head here for this week’s tarot horoscope reading, and see what the cards have in store for you!

Check out the tarot horoscope reading for the month of September here.

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Police officers who Tasered a disabled 92-year-old in his care home after he prodded a woman with a butter knife may have contributed to his death, an inquest has heard.

Alarm bells sounded at the Park Beck Residential Care Home in East Sussex after one-legged dementia sufferer Donald Burgess flicked food at a worker on June 21, 2022.

A series of events that unfolded within 83 seconds of two police officers arriving would see the pensioner hospitalised, dying 22 days later from contracting Covid-19.

Police had been called to his seaside care home after reports Mr Burgess had refused to put down the butter knife.

An inquest hearing into his death was told PC Stephen Smith, 51, and PC Comotto, 34, first ‘shouted’ at the vulnerable pensioner before ‘screaming’ at him.

When he still failed to drop the knife he was hit on the arm with a police baton by PC Smith who then sprayed almost a whole can of pepper spray into the pensioner’s face.

PC Comotto then fired her taser hitting the pensioner in the chest and causing Mr Burgess to groan: ‘I’m dying.’

Mr Burgess, a widower, was arrested, handcuffed and driven from his care home to a police station.

A series of events that unfolded within 83 seconds of two police officers arriving would see the pensioner hospitalised, dying 22 days later from contracting Covid-19

Sussex Police officers PC Stephen Smith (left) and PC Rachel Comotto (right) are seen leaving Westminster Magistrates’ Court, London

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But his condition quickly deteriorated and he was immediately transferred to hospital.

The pre-inquest hearing was told Mr Burgess was treated for a Urinary Tract Infection before being recommended for discharge from hospital.

However, Park Beck Residential Care Home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, refused to take him back.

As a result, the 92-year-old was left waiting in hospital for a suitable care home place to become available and subsequently contracted Covid.

Mr Burgess suffered a cardiac arrest and died at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings in July 2022 – 22 days after the care home incident.

The pensioner, who had suffered from multiple health conditions including diabetes and carotid artery disease, had been a resident at the home since 2018. He died just weeks after celebrating his 93rd birthday 

Today Jesse Nicholls, the lawyer for the family, said: ‘This is a case where an elderly and vulnerable man was subjected to considerable force by the police officers and would not have been in hospital if that force had not been used.’

Mr Nicholls said the actions of the two officers may have caused ‘physiological stress’ which could have had a ‘causative’ effect on his death.

He added it wasn’t ‘sustainable’ to suggest Mr Burgess died due to ‘natural causes’.

Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC previously said Mr Burgess was sitting in his wheelchair holding a small serrated cutlery knife when the officers entered the room

Mr Nicholls said the context was Donald Burgess was a very vulnerable amputee wheelchair user who was suffering from dementia.

After the care home called the police, the two officers arrived at the front door and immediately made their way to Mr Burgess’s room, Mr Nicholls said.

He claimed the two officers very quickly caused a huge escalation.

Within just one minute and 14 seconds, they had discharged the Taser at the wheelchair-bound man.

Mr Nicholls said: ‘A substantial amount of that time is taken up by shouting and then screaming at him as he was sitting unmoving in his wheelchair. When he attempts to speak they shout over him so he can’t be heard.’

He said PC Smith then hit Mr Burgess with the baton before emptying almost a full can of PAVA spray into his face.

Mr Nicholls said: ‘Asked how he was feeling he replied: “I’m dying” and is then immediately handcuffed in those circumstances’.

He said that on body-worn video footage PC Comotto could then be heard laughing and someone asking if there was any PAVA spray left in the can.

Mr Nicholls said the position of Sussex Police that it was ‘coincidental’ Mr Burgess’s death occurred so close in time to the care home incident was wrong and violence he suffered may have had a ‘causative’ effect on his death.

A post-mortem later ruled his cause of death was ‘bronchial pneumonia with cardiac disease’.

East Sussex Coroner Michael Spencer has adjourned the hearing and will decide at a later date on whether to hold a full inquest.

Following the incident PC Smith was charged with two counts of actual bodily harm while PC Comotto was charged with one count.

Last year both officers were cleared of charges of assault after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

At the trial Paul Jarvis KC, prosecuting, told jurors the officers had chosen to ‘use force first and ask questions later’.

He said instead of trying to calm the situation down they inflamed it, using force that was unjustified and unlawful.

The hearing has been adjourned until December 15.

A 19-year-old college wrestler from California has fallen to his death while hiking near a waterfall in Yosemite National Park, according to reports.

Ryan George’s wrestling team at Santa Rosa Junior College, about an hour’s drive northwest of San Francisco, announced the tragic news in a Facebook post Monday.

“This past weekend we received the tragic news that Ryan passed away at Yosemite National Park, following an accident,” the team wrote.

The Press Democrat, a local newspaper, reported that George was hiking with friends near Illilouette Falls on Sunday when he slipped and fell to his death. The waterfall is roughly 370 feet tall and flows all year long.

“If you knew Ryan, you know he was one of the most genuine, positive people you could ever meet,” his wrestling team said. “He had this way of lighting up a room, making you feel welcome, and bringing out the best in everyone around him. Always smiling, always encouraging, always full of life.”

Details surrounding George’s death, such as what led to the fall and the aftermath, are unknown. The Independent has reached out to the National Park Service and the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

George got into wrestling during his freshman year of high school. He was a football player at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa and was too heavy to join the wrestling team. But that didn’t stop him.

“He worked really, really hard and he got his weight down,” Ian Hesz, who was George’s high school wrestling coach, told The Press Democrat.

George won an individual North Bay League title at Montgomery High, and then earned All-American honors last wrestling season as a freshman at Santa Rosa Junior College, according to the outlet. On Friday, just days before his death, George earned second place at the Dave Pacheco Invitational meet at Sacramento City College.

“It was good watching him find what he loved,” George’s older sister, Jaida, told The Press Democrat. “He was always playing and wrestling when he was a kid.”

The siblings’ father died when George was a baby and their mother died just weeks ago, according to the outlet.

In a GoFundMe page created on behalf of Jaida, a loved one wrote, “In July, we lost our Beloved Taji and now, just 2 months later, her daughter Jaida is facing another heartbreaking loss with the passing of her Little Brother Ryan Jr. this past Sunday.”

“She is grieving the loss of two people she loves deeply, while also facing all that comes with losing family members so unexpectedly, on top of it all being a New Mommy to her precious Son who is only 2 months old,” read the fundraising page, which generated more than $9,000 in donations by Wednesday.

Donald Trump raised a few eyebrows as a somewhat surreal red-carpet ceremony was put on for Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military base in Maryland on Wednesday for Xi’s arrival.

Video caught Chinese officials looking on as U.S. Marines smoothed out a red carpet for the Chinese president, who descended the stairs and was greeted by his U.S. counterpart, clad in a long winter coat and leather gloves in the 65-degree weather.

The pair, along with their spouses, then stood beside each other awkwardly as the national anthem was played, cannons fired in a salute, and a military jet soared loudly overhead — causing Trump to visibly wince while Xi placidly watched the plane pass overhead.

“[I]t is 64 degrees at Joint Base Andrews right now and yet Trump is wearing gloves are he greets President Xi,” wrote journalist Aaron Rupar.

“Trump — it’s YOUR airshow. How do you get scared?” asked Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who played video of Xi’s arrival for his viewers.

The ceremony was a major departure from the typically more reserved setting in which U.S. presidents meet leaders of major U.S. geopolitical rivals, like Russia and China. But Trump has broken protocol on that front before, including when he rolled out a red carpet for Russia’s Vladimir Putin when the latter visited Alaska in 2025.

By comparison, Joe Biden waited to greet Xi until the Chinese president arrived at the site of their summit in San Francisco in 2024. Like Trump, Biden greeted Xi with a military guard and red carpet — though not one carted out to the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews.

Generally speaking, American presidents (other than Trump) typically eschew tarmac greetings for foreign dignitaries. The recent visit to the United States of British monarchs King Charles and Queen Camilla followed standard protocol — Trump greeted them at the White House.

Xi’s visit comes as the U.S. and China remain at odds over a number of trade issues including AI and semiconductors, and on both topics the U.S. president has been accused by his domestic critics of being too lax with Beijing. Ahead of Wednesday’s arrival ceremony, Trump faced criticism from a Republican senator typically closely aligned with the White House over putting on a “lavish” welcome for the Chinese president.

“Had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States, based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party,” Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker said in a speech delivered on the Senate floor.

He added that Trump, “during every minute of dialogue,” should remember that “his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America.”

The senator’s criticism is a rarity on Capitol Hill, but the rebellious nature of GOP members has grown in recent weeks as the president’s approval ratings have remained at record lows and his war in Iran has plummeted to dangerously low popularity levels.

Calls on the Hill and from Republican candidates nationwide for the war to end have grown, while Trump continues to make threats about wiping out the entire country of Iran.

Xi’s visit to Washington comes as his American opposite is facing political turmoil within his Republican Party coalition and facing a potential wipeout for the GOP in the upcoming midterm elections.

The previous week in D.C. was capped off by Trump’s decision to ban MS Now, CNN and Politico from the White House. Journalists were stripped of their White House hard passes and shown to the door as they attempted to enter the premises over the weekend and on Monday, and the three organizations filed a lawsuit to block the ban. On Wednesday, TV networks including Fox News, NBC, ABC and CBS (which make up the remainder of the TV press pool) continued to boycott coverage of White House events in solidarity with their excluded colleagues.

As a result, Trump’s ceremony was largely absent from cable news shows on Wednesday, depriving the president of an audience to look presidential in front of as he battles an image problem and the frustrations of Americans who continue to face a serious cost-of-living crisis.

Experts have warned a ‘worrying trend’ continues after a wasp spider was found in Cheshire for the first time

A wasp spider has been reported in Cheshire for the first time, which experts have warned marks a “worrying trend” as a result of climate change.

The large yellow-and-black spider, nicknamed ‘Wendy’ by the zoo team, was spotted during a biodiversity survey of Chester Zoo’s estate and has been confirmed as the first recorded sighting of the species in Cheshire.

They have been spotted in the south of England, but not in the North West – until now. The discovery was made by Chester Zoo conservationists working with Cheshire’s local environmental records centre, called RECORD. It was subsequently confirmed by an expert from the British Arachnological Society and announced on Wednesday (September 23).

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The spider was discovered by Rosie Cooper, the zoo’s estate biodiversity assistant, while she was surveying plant species on the 205-hectare estate.

She said: “When go out into the field, it involves a lot of walking, using a mixture of apps, wildlife identifying books and our own knowledge to learn more specifics about the habitats we look after.

“I was looking out for plant species and then I saw this big, stripy, brightly coloured spider. I have what you might call a healthy respect for spiders, so my first thought was ‘woah!’ But now I think it’s really cool to have found her.”

Wasp spiders are among a number of species whose ranges are moving northwards as they respond to a changing climate.

Ruby Merriman, Chester Zoo’s Estate Biodiversity Manager, said the discovery was “really exciting” but said the movement of species was also a reminder of the impact of climate change.

She said: “Wasp spiders are slowly moving north as their southern ranges in Europe warm too quickly for them to adapt. Some conservation organisations refer to animals driven to migrate by climate change as ‘climate refugees’ – which is a good term. They are moving because of human activity, and we need to make space for them.”

Scott Wilson, head of field programmes at Chester Zoo, said these markers of climate change highlight the “major threat” it poses to biodiversity.

He said: “It’s exciting to see new species like Wendy on site, but her arrival is part of a broader, more worrying trend. Our conservationists work across the world, and we are witnessing the impacts of climate change in real time, from droughts in Chile to floods in Indonesia. It is a major threat to biodiversity.

“When mountain snows thaw unseasonably, montane forests dry out and small islands face rising sea levels, the species that depend on them must disperse or die. There is a causal link between habitat loss and climate change, and both are already driving species to extinction.

“European spiders are among many species finding it harder to persist in their traditional ranges as the climate shifts. Wendy is a reminder UK biodiversity is not immune to this.”