JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A low-altitude flyover by two Airlink passenger jets before a rugby match at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium is being reviewed by South African aviation authorities after it drew safety concerns, officials said Wednesday.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said it had obtained flight data recordings and requested additional information from regional carrier Airlink as part of its assessment. A full report with recommendations will be issued once the review is complete.

“It is therefore critical that we interrogate this past weekend’s events … to determine if there were any safety concerns which warrant a review,” the agency said in a statement.

Airlink has withdrawn plans for another flyover at the upcoming rugby match in Soweto, according to the SACAA, which is responsible for regulating aviation safety and security.

The flyover ahead of the Springboks-All Blacks rugby match on Aug. 29 drew huge cheers from an estimated crowd of about 56,000, but also sparked a debate over the safety risks after video footage by spectators inside and around the stadium spread online.

Deandra Peters, 25, a pilot and aviation enthusiast attending her first live rugby match, said the crowd in the stadium was electrified by the spectacle in a way that was difficult to capture on video.

“You can watch the planes fly over, but you can’t recreate what it felt like to be inside a stadium full of Springbok supporters absolutely losing their minds,” she told The Associated Press. “The atmosphere was electric — the noise, the pride, the emotion. It was a very uniquely South African moment.”

Airlink on Wednesday said the maneuver had been carefully planned and rehearsed and that safety was “the first consideration at every stage of the process.” It said each aircraft had three senior captains aboard, with more than 75,000 combined flight hours across the crews.

Earlier this week, Airlink had provided the data from the airplanes’ black boxes to the civil aviation authority for review.

The SACAA said it would examine flight data to determine whether any safety concerns warranted a review.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

“The fear was that it was gone forever, so it’s great that this hasn’t been the outcome.”

A historic street sign in South Belfast that went missing a number of weeks ago has been recovered half a mile away.

The tiled Ravenhill Road sign, which is more than 100 years old, was reported missing last month after it disappeared from its installed location. The disappearance sparked concerns that the sign had been stolen, something that has happened to other historic signs in the area.

SDLP Botanic councillor Gary McKeown had raised concerns regarding the missing sign and has now said it was recovered half a mile from where it disappeared.

He said that unlike its neighbouring sign for the Ormeau Road, the Ravenhill Road sign did not have listed protection.

He said: “I’m very relieved that the old tiled Ravenhill Road street sign which disappeared a number of weeks ago has been located and recovered. The fear was that it was gone forever, so it’s great that this hasn’t been the outcome. I’m now making arrangements to return it to the council for reinstallation.

“This sign is over 100 years old, and is showing evidence of wear and tear. I brought a proposal through Belfast City Council to develop a programme of restoration and protection of Belfast’s iconic black tiled signs, which has been taken forward and just awaits funding. I’ve asked for this project to be expedited as these signs are an integral part of our city.

“I also discovered that unlike a similar sign for the Ormeau Road which was right beside this one, it doesn’t have listed protection, so I’ve got confirmation now that it will now be formally assessed for listing. Of course, it needs to be reinstalled for this to happen, so the sooner this is done, the better.”

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

Kirstie Allsopp has revealed she was rushed to hospital to undergo leg surgery after suffering a nasty fall during her family holiday.

The Location, Location, Location star, 55, has shared snaps of her bandaged foot after being airlifted to hospital while on the beach in Cornwall, following a fall on a ‘muddy step’.

Kirstie shared an image of her face covered in tubes as she prepared to undergo surgery on her leg.

The presenter told her followers she’d been enjoying a day on the beach to celebrate her birthday, and said it took ‘a whole host of people’ to help track down her location so an air ambulance could take her to the hospital.

She captioned the post: ‘Almost every year since Oscar was born we have celebrated my birthday at Meadowgate, one of my favourite places on earth. 

‘We have a picnic on the beach at Welcombe Mouth, a swim and a walk back to the house for some cake, unfortunately I slipped on a muddy patch on the steep path, and it took a whole host of people to get me to hospital. 

The Location, Location, Location star has shared snaps of her bandaged foot after being airlifted to hospital while on the beach in Cornwall, following a fall on a ‘muddy step’

‘After a little wait while poor Oscar ran as fast as he could to get help, and the @rnli_bude_lifeboat paramedics & @cornwallairamb tracked me down (I ❤️ #whatthreewords) I was given a huge amount of painkillers so I omitted to ask anyone for their social media details, but if this post is wrong I hope someone will tell me. 

‘I remember Chris and Jeremy & I think there was a Lee, and there was definitely young Jake in the ambulance. 

‘But according to Ben & the boys I have far more people than that to thank. God only knows what I was like to deal with high as a kite! 

‘Everyone at Barnstaple hospital has been amazing, kind & caring, so many lovely people doing their absolute best. 

‘They have operated on the leg and I’ll be home soon. It’ll be a boot and crutches for a while but I feel very, very lucky that it was possible to reach me and get me to hospital so quickly, and I have a job that I can do on crutches. 

‘Not a birthday I am going to forget in a hurry and again, THANK YOU to all those who have been involved in my care.’

Kirstie married property tycoon Ben Anderson in January 2025 after more than 20 years together, and they are parents to sons Bay, 20, and Oscar, 18.

The broadcaster recently looked back on her time presenting Location, Location, Location with her longtime co-host Phil Spencer, joking she was his ‘second choice’ for the job.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Kirstie paid tribute to the ambulance and hospital staff who took care of her, and said she was ‘very very lucky’ they could reach her

The presenter told her followers she’d been enjoying a day on the beach to celebrate her birthday, and said it took ‘a whole host of people’ to help track down her location after the fall

Kirstie shared a snap of the Cornwall Air Ambulance service as they made their way to her on the beach

Advertisement

The property guru showed the X-ray of her injured knee, and shared she would be ‘home soon’ after undergoing the operation on her leg

Speaking on This Morning, she said: ‘There was an Italian girl with legs up to here,’ before pointing to her upper chest. 

‘Phil really, really wanted her but the problem was, her accent was so strong.’ 

Shaking his head, Phil responded: ‘That’s not quite true,’ but Kirstie continued: ‘And then there was a really sweet girl who was an estate agent but I think that she probably was a bit intimidated by the whole thing.

‘He sort of ended up with me by default, we did a non-transmissible pilot, thank god that will never come to air – and we both thought, ‘Oh, that was fun, but we’ve got real jobs’. Then, they commissioned the show and they asked us to present it!’

The duo also reflected on the shock from both show fans and contributors alike about how involved they are in the property searching and buying process behind-the-scenes of the show. 

Kirstie and Phil joked that their photo was on a number of fridges after helping families and couples find their dream property up and down the country. 

Kirstie said: ‘It’s such a lovely thing to have a job which means that every time you meet anyone, you can have a conversation about something that really matters to them, it’s a great privilege.’

Phil added: ‘I’ve done several re-visits, which we love doing going back a few years later, and it’s really special to find a picture of us and the crew on the day that we filmed and the day we found their house.’

‘I was talking to an estate agent on Friday, I was negotiating a deal that we made, and at the end I said, ‘Keep my number, if there’s a problem, ring me’… and he said, ‘I thought it was all fake,’ Kirstie added. 

To which Phil again chimed in: ‘I had a couple, we’d done three days filming and we sat in the pub at the end of the show and we were discussing tactics and value and negotiation, and I got my phone out to ring the agent. 

‘They went, ‘Hang on, you’re not actually going to do that are you?”

Kirstie concluded: ‘People think that Phil and I end every working day in a pub, pretending to make a telephone call!’

The pair were also subject to raised eyebrows when Phil failed to attend Kirstie’s wedding back in January 2025. 

Tying the knot with property tycoon Ben Anderson in a secret ceremony at Mayfair’s Grosvenor Chapel, the star’s co-host was notably absent from the celebrations. 

However, it was later revealed the event was so heavily cloaked in secrecy that even guests were unaware they were attending a wedding until the last minute.

Phil and Kirstie said that while they are great friends of 25 years, they never socialise outside of work.

Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph, Kirstie confessed: ‘We don’t socialise, because we work so much together.’

Phil added: ‘But we’re very, very fond of each other. There’s no one else who’s been through this experience. I put Kirstie among the most important people in my life.’

The pair have been part of each other’s lives through the biggest moments as Kirstie added: ‘In the most significant parts of our lives, we’ve been there for each other. I think Phil was one of the first people I ever told I was pregnant.’

The King, speaking inside the Great Court of the British Museum, said the opponents depicted in the tapestry – the Normans and Anglo-Saxons – would have been glad to see this togetherness between France and the UK – “two great nations, which share such fundamental values”.

“The tapestry’s story is one of ambition and uncertainty, of oaths and journeys, of ships, councils, kings, comets and consequences,” said the King.

“Yet it is not merely an English story, nor only a Norman one. Indeed, from the moment of its creation, it may have brought together our two peoples.”

George Osborne, director of the museum, described the displaying of the Bayeux Tapestry as the “most ambitious exhibition we’ve ever mounted”.

President Macron said a loan of this “masterpiece” had first been proposed in the 1930s, but he was delighted that the idea had come to fruition.

He spoke of the loan of the tapestry as an example of how “we are united” and a “reminder of what our countries can do if they join forces”.

Along with the King and Queen he had a chance to see the historic embroidery in the atmospheric darkness of the British Museum.

The 70m (230ft) tapestry, originally embroidered in England but kept for centuries in France, tells the story of the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

King Charles and Queen Camilla, Burnham and his wife Marie-France van Heel, and Macron and wife Brigitte were shown key scenes in the tapestry, including the Coronation of King Harold and his death in battle.

Sending the tapestry to the British Museum had been announced by Macron during the French state visit to the UK in July 2025, as an emblem of the strong partnership between the countries.

There had been some worries that moving the fragile tapestry could risk causing damage, but French government sources said ahead of the royal preview: “The display conditions at the British Museum are ideal.”

The French authorities welcomed the way that visitors in London would see the tapestry lying flat, rather than upright, with this believed to be better for the conservation of the fibres, sewn more than 900 years ago.

It is believed the final scenes of the tapestry have been lost or destroyed, as it has not always had such careful owners. In the 18th Century, during the French Revolution, it was rescued from being cut up to make covers for soldiers’ carts.

At a state banquet hosted by King Charles in Windsor, Macron had said the missing end of the tapestry was a symbol that “in the great mural of Franco-British history, the end is yet to be written – it is up to us to do it”.

Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) finding out about his affair with Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) will be the least of Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) concerns in EastEnders after he was taken captive by an enraged Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).

Ravi, as viewers know, has been on the hunt for clues for weeks, hellbent on finding out who it is that Priya was seeing while they were separated.

After spotting a cosy moment between Priya and boss Max earlier this week the penny finally dropped for Ravi, who responded by kidnapping Max on the night of his stag do, bundling him into the Boxing Den where he intends to exact his revenge.

After years of betrayals and affairs, have Max’s sins finally caught up with him?

Elsewhere on the Square, Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) agreed to let the Hawkins clan stay at No. 1, despite having discovered that they set fire to their own home in a bid to claim on the insurance – to no avail.

And Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) struggled to hide her feelings for Max – that is, until Clive (Jason Durr) fixed the electrics at the community centre, which led to sparks of a very different kind.

With the credits having rolled on tonight’s visit to Walford, check out what Thursday (September 3) edition of the BBC One soap has got in store for you.

What happens next in EastEnders? New spoilers for Thursday, September 3

Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) eagerly awaits Max’s arrival so that the stag do proceedings can commence, unaware of the danger his dad faces just around the corner at The Boxing Den.

With Ravi having waited weeks to confront the man Priya has been sleeping with, will he exact revenge on Max? He’s made it clear on at least two occasions previously that he would kill the man in question if he ever found him, so Max is certainly in peril.

However, we know he is still very much alive come New Year’s Day – courtesy of the flashforward episode – so while death may not be on the cards at this moment in time, one can’t help but wonder just how far Ravi will go.

And speaking of Max, has Linda finally put her feelings for the lothario aside in a bid to move on with Clive? As she prepares for their date, she very much feels ready to move on – that is until Kim (Tameka Empson) lets slip that Max played a key role in saving the community centre.

When Clive shows up, he reveals that the centre is secure, with Linda left reeling as a result. Now that her wish has come true, the question is: can she and Clive move on with their lives together?

Or is Max still lingering in the back of her heart?

EastEnders airs these scenes Thursday September 3 at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.

MORE: EastEnders New Year shooter ‘confirmed’ as fans are on the case

MORE: Major EastEnders death ‘confirmed’ as new spoilers reveal what happens next

MORE: Cindy and Max’s EastEnders wedding erupts into catastrophe as secrets are blown

People from Belfast have helped fund three maternity mobile units, which are being refused entry into Gaza

A debate and proposal at Belfast City Hall about three Irish maternity vehicles sent to help pregnant Palestinian women in Gaza has descended into a slanging match over the word “genocide”.

A motion to lobby against the blocking of the maternity units turned into an intractable culture war row at the September meeting of the full Belfast City Council on Tuesday with unionists on one side of the debate, and the rest of the parties on the other.

In the end the “Mobile Maternity Units for Gaza” motion, proposed by Independent Councillor Paul Doherty, and seconded by Independent Councillor Paul McCusker, both of them former SDLP representatives, was passed, but without the support of the DUP, the UUP and the TUV. Representatives from the Gaels Against Genocide volunteer group gave a deputation at the start of the meeting on the issue.

READ MORE: Greens fail to hold up Belfast Council’s £4.6million artificial intelligence plan

READ MORE: Fleadh bliss, then back to business…Belfast Council in August

Practically, the successful motion means the council will write to all the NI Executive ministers, calling on them to make “urgent” representations to the Irish Government, UK Government and other relevant international bodies to secure the immediate and unrestricted entry of three mobile maternity units, sent by Irish volunteers Gaels Against Genocide, to Gaza.

The motion states: “This council notes with grave concern the continuing genocide and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the devastating impact on pregnant women, newborn babies and families requiring urgent medical care. It further notes that three mobile maternity units have been developed to provide safe and secure maternity and newborn care for women and babies in Gaza.

“(We) commend the extraordinary fundraising efforts of Gaels Against Genocide and communities across Belfast, the North and across Ireland which have made these three mobile maternity units possible.

“Many Belfast residents have contributed directly to this humanitarian effort, demonstrating the depth of solidarity in our city with Palestinian women, babies and families. (We are) deeply concerned that, despite these efforts and the urgent humanitarian need, the units have not been permitted to enter Gaza, and believe that humanitarian medical aid must never be blocked, and that pregnant women and babies must be protected in all circumstances.”

Representatives from the DUP, the UUP, and the TUV all said that they supported the maternity units entering Gaza, but would not support the motion over the use of the word “genocide.” On a poll in the chamber, 14 elected representatives voted against the motion, from the DUP, UUP and TUV, while all the other parties, including two independents, that is 38 councillors in all, voted to support the motion, and it was passed.

Councillor Doherty said: “This motion tonight is not about politics, it is not about creating division, it is about a basic question of humanity. Three mobile maternity units have been built, and they are ready.

“They were created for women giving birth in conditions that no woman should ever endure. As representatives of Gaels Against Genocide have clearly outlined, these units were created because their maternity hospitals have been damaged and destroyed, because medical supplies have been restricted and doctors and nurses are trying to provide care in circumstances that are almost impossible for us to comprehend.

“Above all of that, women are giving birth in the midst of a genocide. And still these units are being prevented from reaching people they were built to help. That should shock all of us, and should be absolutely deplorable.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Micheal Donnelly said: “The Israeli genocide has already claimed the lives of over 73,000 Palestinians. Over 38,000 of these have been women and children, and 21,700 specifically children.

“The denial of Palestinian national human rights has been the most totemic national democratic struggle of our era. Netanyahu and the Israeli right wing are intent on trying to annihilate the Palestinian people and the full colonisation of all their lands.”

He added: “There can be no justification for preventing life-saving maternal care from reaching pregnant women. Mobile maternity units must be allowed into Gaza urgently, safely and without obstruction.”

DUP Alderman Dean McCullough said: “I would respectfully ask the proposer if he is willing to remove the reference to genocide. It is obviously a contested term, and I appreciate members will hold very strong opposing views on it. The deputation at the outset of the council was a very sincere one, which I don’t even think mentioned genocide.

“(He could drop the word) for the sake of getting the consensus, which I think would be quite something in Belfast City Council. Because we are very clear, any right-thinking person or party wants maternity units in Palestine or any other conflict zone. If we focus on humanitarianism, we need not even debate.”

He asked Councillor Doherty to omit the word from the motion, to which Councillor Doherty replied: “No I will not accept that. This is absolutely a genocide.”

Alderman McCullough said he was “disappointed” with the reply, and added: “The loaded language, which is unnecessary, leaves us no option but to oppose that aspect. But we absolutely support the humanitarianism.”

He added: “I do not accept that Israel is committing genocide, and I reject that allegation. I appreciate the sensitivities of the subject. The International Court of Justice has not found that Israel is committing a genocide, so I will not support Belfast City Council pretending that we can make a ruling when the international court itself has not.”

TUV Councillor Ron McDowell said: “By and large the motion as it stands is a largely inoffensive motion. I don’t think anyone would be against the sentiment.” He asked: “So why will you not adopt a motion of consensus, by focusing on the things that we agree on, and dropping the political element.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Murphy made a “point of order” and asked if there was “a conflict of interest with Councillor McDowell’s speaking on the subject.” Councillor Murphy raised a “fact finding mission” by Councillor McDowell as an official guest of the Israeli government which took place last year.

Councillor Murphy said: “I am interested around when he went out to Palestine, was this issue of trying to diminish, or to not use the word genocide, discussed when he was doing that visit?”

Amidst calls across the chamber from Alderman McCullough, the Lord Mayor Róis Máire Donnelly said such declarations were “down to the individual.” Councillor McDowell said he was “looking for consensus not division” and said Councillor Murphy “lowered the tone of the debate.”

People Before Profit Councillor Michael Collins said: “I think there is something really cynical about the unionist parties trying to suggest it is all on the rest of this chamber, somehow, to get this motion over the line.

“You can nitpick on whether it is a genocide, but the Genocide Convention has deemed it a genocide, Amnesty International has deemed it a genocide, and the UN itself has deemed it a genocide.

“We know the DUP and Ron willingly go over to do meet and greets with Zionist ministers, and whoever else. We know you don’t have a problem with apartheid, with bombing innocent civilians in Gaza, and you have defended every action Israel took, and defended them to the hilt. We know you have no problem with illegal settlements.

“I don’t understand you saying you just want to be humanitarian, the reality is you have a motion before you about three maternity mobile units that are being denied access to Gaza, and you can’t bring yourself to vote for it. That is on you, it is not on anybody else.

“The party that claims to be pro-life, and chastises everyone in this chamber, can’t bring themselves to support three maternity units for babies in Gaza.”

Councillor Ron McDowell said he was “misrepresented” and added: “I have a problem with apartheid, I see something wrong with illegal settlements, I support ambulances going into Gaza, I don’t support the wording of this motion and I have to separate the two.”

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

Kim Kardashian has left some fans groaning with dismay over what appeared to be a heavily-filtered video of her 13-year-old daughter North West.

North, whose father is Kardashian’s third ex-husband Kanye West, posted a clip this week to the TikTok account she shares with her mother.

Wearing a long blue wig, trendy goth makeup and a black leather outfit, the budding musician – who is fond of experimenting with cosmetics on herself, family and friends – joyfully danced around to the classic 2006 Rihanna single SOS.

However some viewers found their attention drawn to North’s nose, sharing their scandalized reactions in the comments section.

‘Her contouring her beautiful nose is making me really upset. What is happening here??’ wrote one observer in a comment viewed by The US Sun.

‘Poor kid that she got influenced by her relatives to believe her face is not pretty enough as it is /: Bad parenting,’ sniffed another. 

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Kardashian for comment.

North, whose father is Kardashian’s third ex-husband Kanye West, posted a clip this week to the TikTok account she shares with her mother, whom she is pictured with in 2023

North was firmly defended by her fans, one of whom wrote with a set of praying hands emoji: ‘be nice guys she has the comments on.’

‘I also had a Hot topic phase,’ one giggled as another wrote: ‘Man i wish i had that budget at 13 when i had an alt phase, yall dont get it.’

Still another mounted a spirited argument in favor of the look, writing: ‘y’all obviously didn’t have an alt phase when u were 13 and it shows. imagine having an alt phase as a 13 year old with UNLIMITED BUDGET AND CONNECTIONS. of course she wants to express herself let her be. nothing about this is inappropriate.’ 

North, who has embarked on her own music career, ignited a social media firestorm when she revealed in August 2025 that she had obtained a dermal piercing consisting of two small metal balls under a knuckle of her right hand middle finger.

Dermal piercings are distinct from other piercings in that a tiny anchor hooked under the skin is used to keep the jewelry in place.

As a result, they come with risks like keloid scarring, infection and – if improperly looked after – even rejection by the wearer’s body. 

North’s mother, who has spoken often about being her primary guardian, was thus raked over the coals for allowing her to get a dermal piercing so young.

However North responded by posting a TikTok in December in which she mimed to the sound-byte: ‘Why are you crying? How old are you? Just pull it together,’ with a caption that read: ‘this is for everyone that’s mad over a finger piercing.’

Wearing a long blue wig, trendy goth makeup and a black leather outfit, the budding musician joyfully danced around to the classic 2006 Rihanna single SOS

However some viewers found their attention drawn to North’s nose, sharing their scandalized reactions in the comments section

Advertisement

North, who has embarked on her own music career, ignited a social media firestorm last year by revealing she had acquired a dermal finger piercing 

However North responded by posting a TikTok in December in which she mimed to the sound-byte: ‘Why are you crying? How old are you? Just pull it together’ 

In May she dropped a music video for her song #N0rth4evr in which she appeared to have two facial piercings that were in fact faux 

Undeterred by the brickbats her mother was receiving, North then apparently unveiled two further dermal finger piercings on her Insta Stories in January. 

Then this May, in the music video for her first solo single #N0rth4evr, she was shown strolling through a graveyard with two stick-on piercings under one of her eyes and another one placed near the top of her nose.

Much of the video was grainy and choppy, in a nod to ‘found footage’ horror movies like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. 

Her follow-up single was a collaboration with a fellow ‘nepo baby‘ – Lil Novi, the 16-year-old son of rap legend Lil Wayne and R&B songstress Nivea.

Lil Wayne and Kanye worked on a number of songs together in the 2000s, including the 2007 release Barry Bonds and the 2008 single See You in My Nightmares. 

Their children’s new effort, entitled MULA THA ROOT OF ALL EVIL, is a cacophonous piece of music with a frenetically edited music video to match.

North materializes in the middle of the video with blue hair, seemingly wearing a set of grillz as well as a pair of spiky gauntlets.

North is one of the four children Kardashian and West welcomed into the world together – the others being Saint, 10, Chicago, eight, and Psalm, seven. 

Megan Lannigan and her husband, Scott, took part after her dad, Bobby McGinty, had three heart attacks while on holiday in Florida.

A Carluke couple completed a mammoth fundraiser for a great cause last month.

Megan Lannigan and her husband, Scott, took part in the Scottish Half Marathon in August to raise money for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.

They were inspired after a “really tough year” in 2025 which saw Megan’s dad, Bobby McGinty, have three heart attacks while on holiday in Florida.

Photographer Megan said: “I was crying going over the finishing line.

“I think it’s because of all of the work you put in, the money you raise, knowing we had it for CHSS, and seeing my wee boy, my mum and my dad at the finishing line was such a mixture of emotions that just hits you. We were on such a high after it.

“We were both aiming to go under two-and-a-half hours and we managed it in two hours and 19 minutes so we’re chuffed with that.”

Megan, 33, added: “At the time of the first cardiac arrest, myself, my mum and my husband all had to provide CPR. Thankfully, all of us are CPR trained, because we knew what to do, as chaotic as it was. He went down very quickly.

“That was followed by two heart attacks, and then he was in ICU in Florida for seven days before waking up. He stayed in intensive care until his surgery.

“He had his cardiac arrest on 25 August and a triple bypass in September. By some miracle and somebody watching out over us, my dad is here to tell the tale now and has been signed off by cardiology, which is amazing.

“That bit of time is a bit of a whirlwind in my mind. He was in multi-organ failure, there were questions about flights home to the UK, we had to get my brother out to America. As a family, we made the decision that Scott and I would come home with our wee boy Mason – that was the right call for our own priorities at the time. My mum and brother stayed out there with him.”

At the same time, Megan’s uncle, Frank Robertson, died of a stroke. The family was advised by doctors not to say to Bobby as he was awaiting surgery.

Megan added: “We couldn’t tell my dad because he was so unstable and waiting for surgery. We couldn’t risk high blood pressure or the stress of it. He was asking why Frank was not messaging him back, and we had to protect him from that news until it was safe.”

As the dust settled and Bobby came home, Megan turned to running “as a form of therapy” and used Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) service to help deal with the mental impact of what had happened.

Megan said: “I read a lot of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s information online, because so much of my trauma stemmed from the CPR and the fight or flight response after my dad had gone to hospital.

“I started doing a wee run here and there when I came home to try to clear my brain. I knew there was support there for people who had given CPR, or people affected by it, not just the people who had gone through it. Reading and listening to other people’s stories, and knowing people had got through this, helped.”

Advertisement

After Bobby returned home, Megan’s thoughts turned to using her new hobby of running to fundraise. That led her to signing up for the Scottish Half Marathon.

It isn’t the family’s only fundraiser this year. Bobby, along with friends and family, is taking on the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on September 13. So far the group has raised more than £10,000 for CHSS.

Megan said: “We have both got this hobby now and we are already thinking about what we might sign up to next. It has come from a really awful time, but we have created a positive from something negative.”

And Elaine Thomson, community events and corporate fundraiser at CHSS, said: “We’re so thankful for Megan and Scott for taking part in the Scottish Half Marathon for CHSS.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with the family and friends involved in this year of fundraising for CHSS. They have been able to create a lot of great memories in 2026 from a difficult 2025.

“Watching everyone come together for one cause has been very inspiring.

“Fundraising for CHSS helps us to support the one in five people across Scotland living with one of our conditions.”

To support Megan’s fundraiser please go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/megan-lannigan.

If you’re living with the effects of a chest, heart or stroke condition or long Covid and are looking for advice and information, please contact Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0899. You can also text ADVICE to 66777 or email adviceline@chss.org.uk.

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

The Crown‘s Clare Foy was a world away from the Queen’s tweeds and headscarves tonight – the star of the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival in a bold red dress, complete with old-school movie star diamonds.

Foy, 42, plays a fictional newspaper executive at The Sun, Jules Davies, in Danny Boyle‘s Ink, which is about the mogul’s take over of the newspaper in 1969.

The actress channelled old Hollywood glamour in a custom Bottega Veneta gown and matching glasses, Christian Louboutin heels and opera gloves while making her show-stopping arrival.

She was joined at the premiere by leading men Guy Pearce, 58, who portrays Rupert Murdoch, and Jack O’Connell, 36, who stars as Larry Lamb.

Meanwhile, George Clooney, 65, was dressed to the nines in a Giorgio Armani tuxedo while his dazzling wife Amal, 48, looked a picture of elegance in a Tom Ford gown.

Foy said today that she found her adventure in the world of 1960s tabloid journalism ‘really intoxicating’ and felt jealous of reporters.

‘They had power at their fingertips,’ she said. ‘They knew what they wrote would be what people read and what people believed.’

Pearce revealed that he had reached out to Murdoch via his daughter Elisabeth, and that Murdoch was quite pleased by the casting. The film is based on a stage play which Murdoch himself came to see twice.

George Clooney, 65, and his dazzling wife Amal, 48, looked picture perfect in matching black tie outfits as they descended on the red carpet for the opening night

She was joined at the premiere by leading men Guy Pearce (L), 58, who portrays Rupert Murdock, and Jack O’Connell (R), 36, who stars as Larry Lamb

Advertisement

Pearce said: ‘I had some messaging with Elisabeth [Murdoch], his daughter, and she said ‘Dad’s very happy that you are playing him.’ But he hadn’t seen the film at that point.’ 

Director Danny Boyle said that at the time Murdoch, now 93, ‘represented at the time a breath of fresh air in what was a very rigid British society. It begins with something that’s fun and different, challenging a rigid order.’

The media was also on the mind of actor Clooney – whose father Nick is a retired news anchor and journalist. 

Clooney is in Venice to accept a Lifetime Achievement award, given before the premiere.

After posing for pictures with wife Amal he jokingly took up a place among the bank of press photographers and pretended to take pictures himself.

Clooney joked that he’s been getting nostalgic in the run up to the festival. 

He said: ‘I’m 65 years old — everything is melancholy. You brush your teeth and you’re like, ‘My teeth used to be so much better.’ Everything about getting older…’

He added: ‘I also feel very lucky. I have an incredible wife whom I love very much and she loves me. I have great kids. I think life is pretty good.’

He explained that he is working less as he gets older, and has stepped away from directing movies as it takes up too much time.

Foy channelled old Hollywood glamour in a custom Bottega Veneta gown and opera gloves while making her show-stopping arrival

Foy plays a fictional newspaper executive at The Sun, Jules Davies, in Danny Boyle’s Ink, which is about the mogul’s take over of the newspaper in 1969

Foy said today that she found her adventure in the world of 1960s tabloid journalism ‘really intoxicating’ and felt jealous of reporters

Advertisement

All eyes were on Foy as she descended on the red carpet in front of an army of photographers

Amal was a picture of elegance in a ruched black Tom Ford gown

Clooney is in Venice to accept a Lifetime Achievement award, given before the premiere

The couple wrapped their arms around each other while posing for photos

Advertisement

The media was also on the mind of actor Clooney – whose father Nick is a retired news anchor and journalist

After posing for pictures with wife Amal he jokingly took up a place among the bank of press photographers and pretended to take pictures himself

Clooney joked that he’s been getting nostalgic in the run up to the festival

He said: ‘I’m 65 years old — everything is melancholy. You brush your teeth and you’re like, ‘My teeth used to be so much better.’ Everything about getting older…’

Advertisement

Danny Boyle, Jack O’Connell, Claire Foy and Guy Pearce posed for a picture on the red carpet (L-R)

Clooney proudly posed with his Lifetime Achievement

Clooney’s co-star in that film, Laura Dern, presented him with the award last night

Alessandra Ambrosio dazzled in a ruched black gown

Advertisement

Nina Dobrev wore quirky  Giorgio Armani Privé dress

Jonathan Bailey, Giorgio Armani Global Fragrance Ambassador, chose a Giorgio Armani tuxedo

Maggie Gyllenhaal looked effortlessly chic in Celiné

‘I have two 9-year-old kids. If I act in a movie, it’s three months [away]. When I direct a movie, it’s a year. And I can’t do that anymore. 

‘I can’t pull the kids out of school anymore. I’m happy to doing this, being an actor, again. It’s fun. I’m a character actor now.’

He said that he hopes to make a new Oceans movie with good friends Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, adding: ‘As soon as we get our schedules to work, we’re going to film.’

Having become famous thanks to the TV series ER, he went on to appear in films including Out of Sight, Syriana, Three Kings, O Brother Where Art Thou and Jay Kelly, which was at the festival last year. 

His co-star in that film, Laura Dern, presented him with the award last night.

The film arrives in UK cinemas on January 8 and will be available to stream on Netflix in the US on the same day. 

It will also have a limited cinema run on December 11 in the US. 

The Venice International Film Festival runs until September 12, with stars including Robert Pattinson and Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher expected to descend on the Lido.