PC Matthew Blades dedicated his life to protecting others with ‘courage, dedication and selflessness’, his wife said

A heartbreaking tribute has been paid to a police officer killed in the line of duty after a devastating crash on the A66. The widow of PC Matthew Blades has described him as her “beloved husband”, “best friend” and the “most devoted father” to their two young sons.

PC Blades, 37, died in the collision in the early hours of Saturday (August 22) after a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way along the dual carriageway crashed into a marked Cleveland Police armed response vehicle.

Fellow officer Pc Tom Clough died in the incident as well when their vehicle was hit by the car carrying Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak, who all lost their lives.

In an emotional tribute released by Cleveland Police on Sunday evening, his wife said no words could honour the officer, who she said was loved “beyond words” by family and friends and whose death had left “a space that can never be filled”.

She said: “No words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt, my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys.

“He was an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle. He was loved beyond words by all his family and friends, and his loss has left a space that can never be filled.

Describing the father of two, she added that he had dedicated his life to protecting others with “courage, dedication and selflessness”, and that while he died serving the public, “his greatest legacy will always be the love he gave to his family”.

“He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness. The pain of losing him is beyond words, and our lives will never be the same. Neither will the love he gave us ever fade.

“Our children will grow up knowing what an incredible father he was and will always be, and I will carry his love, his memory and everything we shared with me always.

“He may have left this world committed to the duty he believed in, but his greatest legacy will always be the love he gave to his family.

“We would also like to express our deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all of the emergency services and to our police family who have stood beside us through the most difficult time of our lives.

“The kindness, compassion, love and unwavering support we have received as a family has meant more to us than words could ever express. Every message, visit, gesture of support and every person who has stood alongside us will never be forgotten. Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever our superhero. Our Matt and Dad”

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By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 12:25 BST, 23 August 2026 | Updated: 23:55 BST, 23 August 2026

The funerals of Jeremy O’Brien and Jack Kennedy, two of the five teenage victims of the M9 crash in Co Kildare, are set to take place

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The funerals of two young victims of the devastating M9 motorway crash last weekend are set to be held this week.

Five teenage boys lost their lives after a high-powered BMW they were travelling in veered the wrong way along the M9, colliding head-on with a family en route to Dublin Airport in the early hours of Sunday, August 16.

The BMW is believed to have been travelling in excess of 120km/h when it struck the Hyundai near Junction 3 of the M9 in Co Kildare at approximately 3am that Sunday morning.

Four occupants of the Hyundai, sisters Niamh and Alma Kinsella and Ella Hendricken, along with a young boy, suffered catastrophic injuries in the collision and remain hospitalised.

Jeremy O’Brien, 18, from Carlow, Alex McCarthy, 16, from Carlow, Joey Carthy, 15, from Athy, Kildare, Jack Kennedy, 17, also from Athy, and Kamil Pustkowski, 17, from Limerick, all perished in the crash, reports the Irish Mirror.

Three of the teenagers have already been laid to rest, with 15 year old Joe Carthy becoming the first of the five to be buried earlier on Friday.

His funeral was held at St Michael’s Church in Athy just before 11.30am, while Alex McCarthy’s service took place in Askea, Carlow, on Friday afternoon.

A small gathering of mourners also assembled in Limerick on Friday to pay their final respects to Kamil Pustkowski, who lay in repose at a local funeral home prior to a cremation ceremony. The funeral mass for Jeremy ‘Bobbles’ O’Brien is scheduled for Monday at 11am at the Church of the Holy Family, Askea, with burial to follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Carlow.

Jack Kennedy’s funeral mass will be held on Tuesday at 11am at St. Michael’s Parish Church, Athy, ahead of a private cremation later that afternoon.

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In 1804, William Blake wrote in his poem Jerusalem of England’s “green and pleasant” land. This idealised vision of English pastoral has resonated through two centuries, fusing the character of the nation with its landscape – those “mountains green” and “pleasant pastures”.

Turned into a hymn by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916, Jerusalem is sung annually at the Last Night of the Proms. It has been adopted by various English sports as an unofficial anthem, including at the Commonwealth Games. It’s invoked regularly by politicians of all persuasions. The “green and pleasant land” has become a powerful emblem for England.

In my book, A History of England in 25 Poems, I’ve traced that “green and pleasant” ideal over a millennium of English writing, as it forges ideas of English identity.

But now, a scorching summer has left this green and pleasant land in flames and we’re warned that this is only the beginning. What could climate crisis mean for our self-image as a nation, and for the stories we tell about ourselves?

Shared experience over 1,300 years

The idea of England as the green and pleasant land doesn’t begin with Blake. It’s part of 1,300 years of tradition in poetry and prose that goes back at least to the writing of the English monk, author and scholar, the Venerable Bede in the eighth century. Bede describes Britain as “an island of the ocean”, filled with green – trees, crops, pasture – filigreed with rivers and springs, and stocked with natural resources.

Since then, English poetry has been steeped in imagery of England’s green.

The 13th-century round-song Sumer Is Icumen In celebrates the arrival of spring.

The seed grows
and the meadow blossoms
and the wood springs (into leaf) now
(Groweþ sed
and bloweþ med
and springþ þe wde nu)

The two-tone call of the cuckoo echoes through the song – a joyful expression of shared experience as the familiar green of seasonal renewal returns.

The climate crisis has a communications problem. How do we tell stories that move people – not just to fear the future, but to imagine and build a better one? This article is part of Climate Storytelling, a series exploring how arts and science can join forces to spark understanding, hope and action.

England’s green is there in the flower-carpeted arbour (a leafy, flower-filled garden) of the 14th-century poem Pearl, where a father lays his head to grieve for his lost daughter, possibly killed by the plague. The arbour is “shaded with plants bright and beautiful” (“schadowed þis worteȝ ful schyre and schene”). It’s the perfect English summer’s day, recognisable to any reader – at odds with the father’s desolation at the loss of his little child.

And there’s the famous springtime of Chaucer’s pilgrims, as they ride out through “April, with its sweet showers” (“Aprill with his shoures soote”) on their way to Canterbury in The Canterbury Tales. All the familiar signs of spring – rain, sunshine, flowers and crops flourishing – inspire these pilgrims to set out on their journey.

In the late 16th century, Shakespeare gives us another evocation of England in Richard II. Here, the dying John of Gaunt describes England as a “blessed plot” and an “other Eden” – an “other Eden” that is delightful and perfect. Yet it’s often forgotten today that Gaunt is actually warning that of losing this “dear, dear land” to rot and ruin.

In search of England

Later, poets celebrate the delightful parkland of great country estates. Ben Jonson’s To Penshurst, first published in 1611, sets the model for the “country house poem”, idealising the perfect pastoral of a country estate as a microcosm of England itself, with “garden flowers”, fertile woods and meadows, and contented, obedient inhabitants under their benevolent master.

In his prose, Edward Thomas wrestled with ideas of what England is or could be.
On the eve of the Great War, Thomas experiences an unexpected moment of stillness in a halt at Adlestrop railway station. In this quiet moment, he seems to get close to it, in the misty, elegiac song “of all the birds / Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire”. Thomas writes elsewhere that he finds England only in “the little things”: in trees, birdsong, nature, green.

This tradition of English pastoral continues right up to today. In the selection of 25 poems in my book, the last words go to contemporary poet Zaffar Kunial, in his poem The Groundsman from his 2022 collection, England’s Green. The Groundsman stands us at the edge of a cricket pitch, by its overgrown boundary in the height of summer. Grasses and wildflowers wave and tangle. A butterfly flutters. The poem sweeps through time and history in the names and stories of flora and fauna, as light as skimming your fingers through summer grasses. Through his green imagery, Kunial is in conversation with William Wordsworth, John Clare, Edmund Spenser – a pantheon of English pastoral through the centuries.

But our climate is changing. This summer’s heat is a harbinger of the new normal. Green fields are yellow and parched. Plants in the UK flower around a month earlier than they did hundreds of years ago, because of global heating. Those singing cuckoos are now on the red conservation list. We’re facing future ecosystem collapse – and it’s already happening now.

If the future of England’s green and pleasant land is precarious, then so might be the stories we tell about ourselves.

Are we ready to let go of a formative national mythology? A verdant, pleasant, temperate and moderate land. A land that begets people of mildness and clemency, not extremes. A green and generative earth that brings forth flourishing and fruitfulness. Will these old emblems still hold? Without our green and pleasant land, do we know who we are?

I hope we’ll save our green England before it’s too late. I want my children to listen to birdsong in spring woodland, just as others have done centuries before them. Today, “green and pleasant” still shapes how people think and talk about England, 1,300 years after Bede. But this is about more than political arguments. Politicians, conservationists, activists – and poets – all have a part to play in helping us write this new map for our country, in a world poised at an environmental turning point.

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

Published: 22:24 BST, 23 August 2026 | Updated: 22:59 BST, 23 August 2026

President Donald Trump‘s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has met with House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries.

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The meeting between the highest ranking House Democrat and top Trump confidant, first reported on by the New York Times, took place in Manhattan ‘in recent weeks.’

The pair reportedly discussed housing, immigration and the rising cost of living during the meeting, which was arranged through a mutual friend. 

Despite their political differences, Jeffries and Kushner have worked together before, helping advance the bipartisan First Step Act criminal justice reform law in 2018. 

The meeting comes ahead of the midterm elections, as Democrats seek to regain control of Congress and Jeffries positions himself as a potential House speaker, if he can maintain control of the incoming members of his party which are set to contain a number of socialist Democrat whom Jeffries and his aligned groups did not back in their respective primaries.

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A number of progressive candidates have beat out members of Jeffries’ caucus, unseating longtime Democratic lawmakers.

Three candidates backed by socialist New York mayor Zohran Mamdani won their primaries in June, among them Brad Lander, who once ran against Mamdani for mayor and who ousted Dan Goldman as the congressman sought a third term.

Adriano Espaillat, the 71-year-old chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, was toppled by Mamdani-backed Darializa Avila Chevalier.

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Trump’s son in law Jared Kusher has been serving as an unofficial adviser in the president’s second term 

House Minority Leader Hakeem could be asked to work with the Trump administration if Democrats regain control of  the House in November

In Colorado, 29-year-old Democratic socialist Melat Kiros unseated Diana DeGette after nearly 30 years in Congress.

Throughout the first two years of President Donald Trump’s second administration, Republicans have held a trifecta in Washington, controlling the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.

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But now, Republicans face an uphill battle to keep their sweeping power as the midterm elections quickly approach.

An exclusive Daily Mail/JL Partners poll in July showed that voters said they’d vote for a Democratic candidate in the upcoming November midterm elections – by over nine points – a full point increase from a month earlier.

And even Trump himself has cast doubt on the GOP’s chance at success with concerns about whether conservative voters will show up to vote this fall – especially because he’s not on the ballot.

‘If I don’t run, will those people go out and vote, and that’s the one thing I can’t tell,’ Trump said recently.

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Despite this, Republicans are trouncing Democrats in fundraising, both nationally and in key battleground races. It’s an indication that control of Congress will be decided not by Washington insiders, but by the voters who turn out in battleground districts nationwide.

Yet again, the England men’s cricket team is picking through the wreckage of a late-night misdemeanour.

The latest stain on the game’s reputation is a result of pictures of fast bowler Brydon Carse in handcuffs and surrounded by police officers outside a nightspot in Derby. His Durham team-mate Matthew Potts is in the images, while former England captain Ben Stokes appears in the background.

If you’re keeping score, we’re now up to eight England players involved in incidents of this kind since Halloween last year.

Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, with Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue present. Ben Duckett was filmed drunk in Noosa, then Stokes and Gus Atkinson were there when a member of England’s security staff was struck in a London nightclub in June, breaching a curfew in the process.

To put it another way, there are 30 men currently on England central contracts. More than a quarter of them have been caught up in bother in the past 10 months. Of the four separate incidents, two have involved punches being thrown and another was a police matter.

In Carse’s case, the time spent in handcuffs came days after new England Test captain Joe Root called on his players to be “really good role models, good human beings”.

Root was speaking the day before England’s first Test against Pakistan, for which Carse was part of the squad. The match was scheduled to still be ongoing when he found himself in the hands of the police.

It is understood that Carse was not arrested. Both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Cricket Regulator will work to establish what happened. There are early suggestions he was denied entry back into a nightclub, or he had a drink poured over him.

Carse was also not specifically on England duty at the time. He was released from the first-Test squad to play for Durham away at Derbyshire and was scheduled to report to Lord’s for the second Test on Monday.

As of Sunday evening, he remains part of the squad for the second Test. England will take time to gather some information before a decision on his involvement is made.

Root warned his squad to “be adults” when he abolished the midnight curfew – in his first act as captain – that came into place after previous incidents. As part of that move, guidelines advising players about not drinking alcohol on the day before, during or after a game, or in public, have also been removed.

There is a duty of care towards Carse. Two years ago, the 31-year-old was banned for historical betting offences and rebuilt his career to become an England regular in all three formats. No bowler has more Test wickets for England than Carse’s 58 since he made his debut in October 2024.

But there is also a deep sense of anger and frustration within the ECB at having to deal with another error of judgement by a high-profile player. Supporters will take their own view, among them a sense that the behaviour of these players is now beyond parody.

Does someone have to be left out of a squad or given a meaty suspension for the penny to drop? This might be the opportunity for Root to stamp his authority on a new era.

Naturally, there will once again be the debate about not denying players their freedom or stopping them from enjoying a victory.

For Carse, a Saturday night out came less than 48 hours before he is scheduled to report for England. He is only a tweaked hamstring away from playing in a Test at Lord’s on Thursday.

Perhaps more damning is the kind of trouble this group of England players seem to find. Two punch-ups and a set of handcuffs. It also does not appear to have dawned on them that they are high-profile individuals, likely to attract attention, with footage finding its way to social media, as happened with Carse.

And what about Stokes, who, despite being retired, remains an employee of the ECB via his central contract.

As the former captain, should Stokes have been conscious about Carse being in that situation? What about the trouble in which Atkinson found himself alongside Stokes in June?

Three weeks ago, Stokes denied the England team has a drinking culture, but rather that the game itself has a problem. What has Stokes done to distance himself or those around him from that drinking culture?

Now there is a wait to see what happens next. The ECB only became aware of the incident on Sunday afternoon. The governing body will take a breath overnight and decide if Carse needs to be removed from the Test squad.

Perhaps, on Tuesday, director of cricket Rob Key will once again explain why the players he manages cannot keep themselves out of trouble. In the aftermath of the Stokes-Atkinson incident in June, Key denied that England have become a “national embarrassment”. He may be asked again.

Key also might be asked about the whereabouts of new Test coach Stephen Fleming, who does not take up his post until the winter. Might Carse have been less inclined to step out of line had the new sheriff been in town?

Well, here is another situation for England to manage. Only strong action will ensure there are no more.

From padel courts to retail giants to delicious food spots – lots is on the cards for NI!

There is always something new and exciting popping up across Northern Ireland, and 2026 has been no different.

From welcoming the first Sephora store on the island of Ireland to Wingstop opening not one, but three stores across the country, we love to see businesses thrive in our wee country.

We may be almost in autumn, but there is still plenty of newness on the cards for NI – from new shops to new food outlets to a new sports and fitness centre.

We have rounded up only some of the new openings we have reported on to keep an eye out for across the country:

Hollister

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Popular outlet shopping centre The Boulevard has confirmed the opening of Hollister’s second store in Northern Ireland.

Hollister, owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co, was founded in 2000 and focuses on casual apparel and accessories for teens and young adults.

Belfast Live previously reported that plans submitted to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to open a Hollister store in the former’s Peacock unit at The Boulevard.

Job postings have also appeared online, which show that Hollister is currently recruiting for staff members to join the team at the new store at The Boulevard.

So far, no opening date has been confirmed for the new store.

Mowgli

Indian street food chain Mowgli is set to open in Belfast city centre this year.

Mowgli has more than 20 restaurants across the UK, including two in London, Manchester, two in Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Cheltenham, Cardiff, and more.

The chain had said it was set to open its first location in Northern Ireland at Victoria Square this summer but no further updates have been issued on when customers can expect to be able to dine.

Branding has appeared on the unit at the shopping centre so hopefully customers will not have to wait too much longer.

House of Padel

A landmark new sports and wellness destination is set to transform a former industrial site in East Belfast following a £1.5million investment.

House of Padel has announced it will open its first Northern Ireland club in the new huge facility on Redcar Street, just off the Woodstock Road.

Set to officially open at the end of September, the club will feature six double padel courts, two single padel courts and three pickleball courts alongside a comprehensive range of fitness, wellness and social facilities.

These include a mat Pilates and yoga studio, weights room, cardio mezzanine and warm-up area, sauna, plunge pools and a health food and coffee bar, creating a premium club experience that goes well beyond traditional court hire.

Crocs

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Joining Hollister as a new retail addition to The Boulevard is global footwear giant Crocs.

It will be the first dedicated outlet store for the brand in Northern Ireland and was teased in a social media video alongside the message “Something new is stepping into The Boulevard” followed by crocodile and feet emojis.

While no official opening date has been announced, branding on the new store seems to hint that Crocs will be opening very soon.

North Face

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Another first for Northern Ireland, North Face is preparing to open its first-ever stand-alone store in the country at Victoria Square.

The shopping centre took to social media and said, “The North Face is coming soon to Victoria Square. Stay tuned for more!”

Alongside the post, hoarding has gone up outside the store on the lower ground of the centre, announcing the brand’s arrival.

It comes as the centre welcomed the opening of NI’s first Abercrombie & Fitch store last week.

Juice Jar

Juice Jar has announced the exciting plans that it is set to open another location in Belfast.

The popular juice company is opening its sixth Belfast location in the PEC at Queen’s University Belfast.

The healthy food spot has become famous for its juices, acai bowls and melts and was founded in 2019 by owner Sam Shepard.

Alongside the announcement on social media, they have let their followers know the exact opening date for the new spot. It will open on September 1, just in time for students returning to the city.

Wingstop

After only arriving in Northern Ireland earlier this year, Wingstop already has plans to open its fourth store in the country.

Wingstop opened its doors for the first time at Boucher Creasant in March this year, before opening a second store in Dundonald in May.

It opened a third store at Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon this summer and has sights on bringing their famous wings to the heart of Belfast City Centre.

‘Lemon Pepper Holdings’, the parent company for Wingstop, has submitted plans to open a store in Belfast City Centre. It is set to open its doors on Castle Place, in a unit occupied by Costa Coffee, right in the heart of the city.

La Bottega

An award-winning Italian restaurant, La Bottega, has submitted plans for a new venue on the North Coast.

La Bottega opened on Belfast’s Lisburn Road in November 2021, with owner Francesco Iaquinta’s goal being to serve up authentic deli dishes from the north and south of Italy.

Now, plans have been submitted to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council to open a La Bottega restaurant in Portrush.

The planning application seeks an internal fit-out and change of use of the first floor at 4 Castle Erin Road to form an authentic Italian pasta restaurant which will accommodate 60 diners.

Crusca Pasta Lab

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As if one new La Bottega addition wasn’t good enough, owners have also submitted plans to expand their offering in Belfast.

La Bottega submitted plans to Belfast City Council to open a second Belfast location beside Belfast City Hall on Donegall Square East.

The proposal seeks to transform the currently vacant commercial unit into a high-quality, artisanal culinary establishment designed as an “Italian Pasta Lab with a modern twist.”

Alongside the plans, a name can be seen on the proposed plans for the restaurant, which plans to operate on both a sit-in and takeaway basis. The plans suggest the restaurant’s name will be ‘Crusca’.

Orto

Pizza will not be going anywhere in a popular East Belfast neighbourhood as a new tenant has confirmed it will take over the former Greens Pizza site.

Last year, Greens announced the closure of its Ballyhackamore location after 13 years, sharing the news they would be handing the keys to new owners.

On Friday, popular Belfast pizza chain Orto revealed that it was the new owner and confirmed plans to open its fifth location in the unit, after much speculation.

Earlier this year, Orto teased a move into the east of the city but didn’t share any further information on which part of East Belfast they were setting up store.

They said the official opening date will be “coming soon”.

Hollywood Bowl

It is all happening at The Boulevard as the new multi-million-pound entertainment Hollywood Bowl complex prepares to open next month.

It will be the brand’s second site in Northern Ireland, with the popular Hollywood Bowl inside The O2 Belfast complex.

It is set to feature 21 ten-pin bowling lanes, state-of-the-art amusements and pool tables and will create over 45 new jobs when it opens in September.

Guests who visit the centre will also get to enjoy interactive darts, brand new e-karting, a live sports bar, and its famous diner featuring a selection of delicious food and drinks, including American classics such as hot dogs, burgers, shakes and signature cocktails.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter

A former Cirque du Soleil acrobat who suffered devastating injuries after falling 15 feet during a performance in front of a large crowd has sued the circus.

Mariia Konfektova, a Russian aerialist who holds the world record for most seated aerial hoop rotations in 30 seconds, was swinging on a hoop during Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA show in Portland, Oregon, in 2024 when she plunged to the ground.

Shortly after the accident, Cirque du Soleil stated that its performer was ‘recovering and being cared for by our medical and coaching team.’ 

The circus said at the time that Konfektova had fallen on her head and was hospitalized, leaving the full extent of her injuries unclear.

But a personal injury lawsuit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Thursday detailed that the aerialist suffered 11 broken bones, fractures to her lower back, wrist, skull and at least seven bones in her face, as well as a concussion and double vision. 

Konfektova is seeking $16.75 million from Cirque du Soleil. She claims that she had to undergo multiple surgeries because of the accident and that she has been left with permanent injuries, according to the lawsuit, which was obtained by The Oregonian.

The civil complaint alleged that the circus failed to provide adequate safety equipment, including mats, nets or other equipment that could have mitigated harm from a fall.

It also alleged that Cirque du Soleil ignored concerns Konfektova raised about the rigging for the hoop she fell from, and that the circus fired her when she returned to work and continued raising safety concerns after the accident. 

Konfektova suffered 11 broken bones, fractures to her lower back, wrist, skull and at least seven bones in her face, and a concussion and double vision, according to a recent lawsuit

Konfektova’s lawsuit is seeking $16.75 million from Cirque du Soleil. She alleged that she had to undergo multiple surgeries and has been left with permanent injuries 

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The lawsuit also alleged that Cirque du Soleil ignored concerns that Konfektova raised about the hoop’s rigging, and that the circus later fired her after she raised more safety concerns 

Portland Tribune editor Dana Haynes, who met the performers for a profile days before the shows began, told KOIN in 2024 that Konfektova was not provided with a net because her performance ‘started on the ground, and rose and spiraled and came back down and landed on the ground, and danced and went back up again.’

Haynes also told the outlet that conditions in the various locations the traveling circus goes to can change the way the equipment is set up, and even small changes can have a major impact on performers’ vigorously rehearsed routines. 

‘The Australian head coach told me that the hoop mechanism is off by a centimeter. Because of that, they were adjusting. Maria’s twirling, because of that centimeter, while not visible to the coach, affected her spin,’ Haynes said. 

The civil complaint stated that Konfektova was transitioning between movements when her right foot slipped. 

Her hands were touching the hoop for stability, but the aerialist was not holding on, causing her to fall to the stage, the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHA) fined Cirque du Soleil $8,070 for failing to provide safety equipment after concluding an investigation a few months after the accident. 

The circus told OSHA during the investigation that it typically requires safety equipment for performances starting at around 20 feet, the lawsuit states. Konfektova’s performance was set at about five feet below that threshold.

The lawsuit named five defendants, including Cirque du Soleil, Cirque du Soleil Nevada Newco, Cirque du Soleil Canada, CDS Canadian Holdings and Spectacle BidCo Holdings, according to court records. 

The lawsuit alleges that Cirque du Soleil failed to provide adequate safety equipment during Konfektova’s performance. An X-ray of her fractured wrist is pictured 

Konfektova’s right foot slipped as she was transitioning between movements, which caused her to fall, according to the lawsuit. Her arm is pictured in a cast

Konfektova’s performance was set at about five feet below the 20-foot threshold Cirque du Soleil told OSHA it uses before providing safety equipment, according to the lawsuit

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The civil complaint highlighted a total of 16 performers who have suffered injuries from falls during the circus’ shows and practice sessions over the past 20 years, including three who died.

One fatality occurred in Montreal in 2009, one in Las Vegas in 2013 and one in Tampa in 2018. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Cirque du Soleil for comment. 

It’s been voted one of the most romantic ruins in the country

We’ve got a lot of castles in Wales, 427 of them to be exact. All have unique settings, histories and unique appearances, so it’s hard to have a one-off preference, an immovable favourite.

In city and town centres you have the Caerphilly, Caernarfon, or Cardiff, all with their own stories and places in the history of our nation. Conwy’s ancient castle is ancient fortress with the town within and part of one of Wales’ UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

But there’s one castle that really takes my breath away each time I see it. I’ve never been more awestruck by a castle vista from the car window as with Carmarthenshire’s Castell Carreg Cennen. Bumbling round the country lanes, usually en route to or from Wright’s for my twice (or thrice) yearly Cubano – read more on that here – the view of Carreg Cennen takes my breath away each time.

I’m not over-egging it I promise. Set up on the craggiest limestone Welsh hilltop this fortress from Middle Ages has been named the ‘most romantic’ ruin by Countryfile mag readers, and The Telegraph also listed it as one of the best 10 castles in Wales to take your children. The super rural ruin is great to look at from afar and this scene is only equalled by the 360degree views from the castle itself.

Set almost 300ft above the river form which is takes its name, Carreg Cennen is a 13th century castle where you can explore the gatehouse, big towers and ruined fortifications. One of the attractions of the castle is its natural cave at the end of an atmospheric tunnel. I say ‘attraction’, I’m a wimp so I’ve never dared venture down – but it’s definitely one for spooky explorers!

In a corner of the castle’s inner ward you’ll find a set of steps leading down into the bowels of the castle. Walk down the steps, descend through a cliff-edge tunnel and keep walking through a precarious and pitch black tunnel carved into the rock for as long as you dare. According to Coflein, the online catalogue of archaeology, buildings, industrial and maritime heritage in Wales, human bones were discovered here in the early 20th century, while teeth were found as recently as 1980.

Outside of the castle grounds there are two circular walks which will sate those hiking pangs – both are signposted and the short walk is 2.7k long (1.6m) end the long route is 6km long (3.7m). Both start at the castle’s cafe. Find the route map at Discover Carmarthshire.

En route around the walk you”ll find some interesting wildlife and and rich, diverse flowers and plants. The woodland you’ll pass through is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is a good place to look for woodland birds like Wood Pigeon, Nuthatch, Blue Tit and Wren.

The castle dates back to at least the 13th century, but Roman coins discovered at the site suggest that people occupied the land centuries earlier. Its previous owners include Sir Rhys ap Thomas and King Edward I, who captured the castle in 1277.

King Edward gave the castle to a soldier named John Giffard, who had supported the king in his conflict with Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Giffard then rebuilt Carreg Cennen into the impressive structure that it became in subsequent centuries.

Under English control, the castle was attacked by Owain Glyndwr in 1403 and was damaged further during the War of the Roses later in the 15th century. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here

By the 19th century it was owned by the Cawdor family, until they sold it to the Morris family in 1963 ‘by accident’ – you can read more about that here. Today it is owned by Margaret Morris and her husband Bernard Llewellyn alongside their daughters.

The tea room is run by the family and here you’ll get a really lovely bowl of homemade cawl – round these parts it’s a thick veggie soup, other areas of Wales put lamb or beef in, depends where you’re from! Anyway, this cawl comes with bread and a chunk of cheese – it’s exactly what’s needed after a good walk. You can also get dishes with Carreg Cennen’s Longhorn beef reared nearby and there’s a good selection of cakes and hot and cold drinks.

It’s a cosy way to end your visit which, for me, starts when you see the castle emerge over the fields and trees. I’m enamoured with it from that moment and have tried to capture the view many, many times – but it just doesn’t translate – you’ll just have to visit there yourself!

How to get there

Carreg Cennen Castle is situated around five miles from the town of Llandeilo, and around 19 miles east of Carmarthen. From the village of Ffairfach on the outskirts of Llandeilo, take a right on the A476 heading east and travel down an unmarked road until you reach the village of Trap, where you will find signs directing you to the castle.

From the M4, leave the motorway at Pont Abraham roundabout and take the A483 towards Ammanford. Travel through Tycroes and Ammanford and take a left onto Wern Ddu Road. Continue north until you get to Blaengweche, where you’ll see a signpost for the castle directing you east towards Trap.

A pilot is fighting for his life in hospital after his light aircraft crashed and flipped over at an airfield.

The pilot had to be ripped out of the wreckage after the plane came down in Popham Airfield in Hampshire at 5.45pm on Sunday.

He was taken to Southampton Hospital where he is receiving treatment for his injuries.

Hampshire Police said officers had attended the scene and liaised with the Air Accident Investigation Branch.

A notice on Popham Airfield’s website states that both runways are closed ‘until further notice’.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said: ‘We were called to reports of a collision at Popham Airfield involving a single light aircraft which had overturned.

‘The pilot, a man aged in his 60s, has sustained serious and potentially life-threatening and life-changing injuries.

‘He has been taken to hospital for treatment.

‘Officers have attended the scene and have liaised with the Air Accident Investigation Branch.’

Hampshire fire service added: ‘Firefighters were called to a light aircraft crash at Popham Airfield at around six o’clock this evening. 

‘Crews from Rushmoor, Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester were alerted to the scene alongside police and ambulance teams. 

‘One casualty was released from the aircraft and passed into the care of paramedics. 

‘Firefighters made the aircraft safe, before the incident was handed over to police to manage the scene. 

‘Fire engines have begun to depart and return to station.’

South Central Ambulance said: ‘We received the 999 call at 5.43 for a microlite crash at Popham Airfield with reports of the pilot trapped.

‘Our first crew on scene arrived at 5.59.

‘Air ambulance and critical care doctors also attended. Police and Fire also attended.

‘The patient, a 62-year-old male, was freed and taken to Southampton Hospital by road ambulance.’