The First Minister pledged to meet Mark Sommerville, who was diagnosed with MND in October 2023 and told he had just 18 months to live.

John Swinney has vowed to meet a campaigning dad living with motor neurone disease who is determined to help find a cure.

The First Minister pledged to meet Mark Sommerville, who was diagnosed with MND in October 2023 and told he had just 18 months to live.

The father-of-four, from Uddingston, Lanarkshire, has since set up the Mark Sommerville Foundation to campaign for greater research funding and support for those living with the life-limiting disease.

Swinney’s comments came in response to a question raised by SNP MSP Stephen Bonar during First Minister’s Questions last week.

He said: “My constituent, Mark Sommerville, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2023, a rapidly progressive and cruel illness which, for Mark and so many others, means they simply do not have time to wait for slow-moving systems and delayed decisions.

“Our manifesto made welcome commitments on MND, but progress in terms of specialist care and support for clinical research demands meaningful focus as soon as possible.

“So can the First Minister outline what he will do to ensure progress is made, and will he meet with the Mark Sommerville Foundation and hear directly about the challenges being faced, and the promising work the foundation is already undertaking to support those living with motor neurone disease?”

Agreeing to meet Mark, Swinney said: “I’d be very happy to meet with the Mark Sommerville Foundation, and the Health Secretary will also take a keen interest in this issue, so I welcome very much the points that have been raised by Stephen Bonar.

“It is vital that where individuals have a diagnosis as challenging and as devastating as motor neurone disease, that we have in place the support services and assistance to aid those individuals and their families as quickly as possible.

“The government is trying to ensure that, through the funding we’ve put in place via the NHS Research Scotland Neuroprogressive Disease Network, we will be able to provide enhanced levels of support.

“Some of the learning from the Mark Sommerville Foundation will also be helpful to us in advancing these issues.”

Last month, we revealed how Mark met officials from the Department of Health and Social Care, alongside Glasgow MP Dr Zubir Ahmed, to call for new drugs to be brought to market.

Mark, 45, said: “Those with MND don’t have time to wait. We need help now.”

Mark has teamed up with Tony Lockett and Andy Whiting from biotech firm Nevrargenics, who are behind a drug they believe can not only halt the progression of MND but reverse damage already caused by the disease.

Their lead drug, Ellorarxine, has been approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to begin its first clinical trial involving patients with MND and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Following the meeting, the MHRA invited Mark to take part in its ongoing patient engagement work.

Mark has also been praised by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recognised his campaigning efforts alongside those of rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield, whose best friend Rob Burrow died from MND at the age of 41.

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Man United are close to announcing their first piece of business in what is set to be a busy summer transfer window.

During a World Cup summer, Manchester United cannot afford to waste time when it comes to adding to their squad. Last year, the Reds made good progress in their rebuild, and this summer brings a different challenge.

A return to the Champions League means United must add quality depth to the squad if they want to compete across four competitions next season.

United’s first step towards doing that is all but confirmed. The Reds agreed a deal with Atalanta for their midfielder Ederson this week. Ederson has been on the club’s radar for a long time and a return to the Champions League, coupled with upheaval at Atalanta, meant this was the perfect time to strike.

The Reds are still wanting to add at least one more midfielder to their squad. A ‘plug and play’ replacement for Casemiro is expected this summer with the likes of Carlos Baleba, Mateus Fernandes, Elliot Anderson and Aurelien Tchouameni all on United’s radar. But midfield is not the only area that needs strengthening.

While serving as interim head coach, Michael Carrick was asked about the possibility of signing a left-sided winger. “I think you’re always looking at the balance of the team and the squad to give you the utmost flexibility, so it’s definitely something to look at, for sure,” he said.

Pressed again, he added: “Quite possibly [United should sign a left winger].”

If he was asked today about signing a left winger, Carrick would likely remain coy, but the evidence speaks for itself.

Matheus Cunha performed well in his debut season at Old Trafford. Under Amorim, he was deployed in his more favoured position as one of two No.10s.

When Carrick arrived, the controversial 3-4-2-1 system was scrapped for a more traditional 4-2-3-1. This clearly worked a treat, but stretched United to their limit.

For most of this year, Cunha has been the only available left winger. Patrick Dorgu did brilliantly on the left wing but an injury picked up at Arsenal halted his momentum.

Next season, Carrick will want Cunha to provide options across the attacking midfield roles. With Rasmus Hojlund’s departure now confirmed, the Brazil international may even be asked to provide competition for Benjamin Sesko.

Therefore, a new left winger will be high among United’s priorities. Fortunately for them, one player has come as close to issuing a come-and-get-me plea as you can get.

Rafael Leao has confirmed he wants to leave AC Milan this summer. After scoring ten goals this season, the 26-year-old believes now is the right time for a new challenge.

Leao has already set his sights on where he wants that challenge to be based. “I already won two trophies in Italy and have been there for a while,” he told Sport TV in Portugal ahead of the World Cup.

“The league is evolving, but for my style of football, I think the Premier League or La Liga would make more of my talent, as a player. If a Premier League opportunity were to come along, I would be very happy.

“I think that I can put my talent up against the players there, who are of a very high level. Playing in that kind of a league really gets the best out of a player.”

If those comments don’t get United’s recruitment team to pick up the phone to Leao’s agent, nothing will. The winger may not have been at his best last season, but when he is, he has proven why United should sign him.

Leao isn’t afraid to run at defenders and, unlike some wingers who have failed in the Premier League, he possesses good strength. If they wanted to sign him, United would be confident of getting the deal done.

Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot would provide Leao with familiarity in the dressing room. Plus, the opportunity to follow in Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps, someone who he has described as an ‘idol’, could tip the scales in favour of the Reds.

Adding Leao, alongside Ederson, to the team would represent a good start to the transfer window and set the standards for further signings.

CAIRO (AP) — Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait that were intercepted early Saturday, Bahrain’s government said, and called on Tehran to halt attacks on Gulf neighbors that test a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East conflict.

Iran said that it targeted American military assets in both countries, after the U.S. attacked surveillance facilities on Qeshm Island and near Sirik that Iran said were used to protect borders and “ensure the security of navigation in international waters.” Tehran called the attack a ceasefire violation.

Later Saturday, U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces had shot down two Iranian attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest exchanges came as the Trump administration presses Iran to make a deal to end the war, which has strained the global economy and threatened a hunger crisis in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries.

The U.S. military said earlier that it had shot down several Iranian missiles and drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf Arab allies, and struck some of the Islamic Republic’s coastal surveillance radar sites in response.

“The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” U.S. Central Command said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted the Ali Al Salem air base, which hosts U.S. forces in Kuwait, and the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

The U.S. military said there were no reports of harm to U.S. personnel.

Earlier in the week, Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s main airport, killing one person and wounding dozens.

The U.S. military kept up its blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s grip on the strait, a crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments. Energy prices have spiked, posing political problems for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Republican Party before the midterm congressional election.

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Trump increasingly appears to be boxed in. U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement a week ago to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Trump, however, has called for unspecified changes, and Iranian officials have shown no public sign of agreeing to the deal.

The fighting in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have seized large swaths of the south while saying it targets the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, also challenges efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has demanded that any lasting truce extends to Lebanon.

The Trump administration has touted the latest ceasefire agreed to earlier in the week by the Lebanese government and Israel after U.S.-brokered talks in Washington. However, Hezbollah has rejected the agreement.

Ratcheting up financial pressure

Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Iranian sanctions expert at the Treasury Department, said it’s significant that the U.S. is signaling it could allow Gulf countries to access some of the $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets stored abroad.

Iran had been seeking some of the funds as part of a deal, and rather than offering Tehran that concession, the U.S. is pressuring them to move quickly.

“So the U.S. government is saying: ’Hey, not just that we’re not going to give you these funds. As a matter of fact, we’re going to take these funds from you, and we’re going to help Gulf states to take it,” Maleki said.

Allowing Gulf states to use the frozen assets would also bolster U.S. ties there, he said. It would send a clear signal that America is sticking with its partners as they’ve sustained attacks and repercussions from the war.

However, Maleki said some Gulf states may be reluctant to use the funds out of concern that they could face retaliation from Iran for doing so.

___

Michelle L. Price reported from Bridgewater, New Jersey. Munir Ahmed contributed to this report from Islamabad.

Three locations face disruption from next week with temporary traffic restrictions in force.

On Monday, June 8, restrictions will be in place on Kyme Street in the city from 8am to 5pm.

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Works on Dale Street will also start on Monday, June 8, and are expected to finish on Friday, June 12, during working hours from 8am until 5pm. 

St Saviour’s Place will also be affected from Tuesday, June 9 to Friday, June 12.

The following week, three more sets of works will begin.

Mill Lane in Heworth, Precentors Court, and High Petergate will all see restrictions from Monday, June 15 to June 19, operating from 8am to 5pm each day.

Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time as expected delays are anticipated.

The national campaign, led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Air Ambulances, is calling for all major trauma centres and specialist hospitals to have guaranteed 24/7 on-site helipad access.

Without this critical infrastructure, air ambulance patients often face delays as they are transferred by road from nearby landing sites.

Dr Andy Curran, medical director at NWAA, said: “When someone is critically ill or injured, every minute matters.

The national campaign is being led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Air Ambulances (Image: Supplied)

“Our crews bring advanced lifesaving care directly to patients, but the journey doesn’t end there.

“Patients need seamless access to specialist hospitals.

“Where on-site helipad access isn’t available, avoidable delays can occur at one of the most critical points in a patient’s journey.”

NWAA covers more than eight million people across the North West, from Carlisle to Crewe, operating three helicopters and four critical care cars around the clock.

The lack of consistent hospital helipad access affects major trauma centres in the region, including Manchester Royal Infirmary, Salford Royal Hospital, Aintree University Hospital, and Royal Preston Hospital.

The campaign argues that hospital helipads should be recognised as essential NHS infrastructure.

It calls for national action to make 24/7 on-site helipad access standard across major trauma centres and specialist hospitals, alongside improved planning and policy to safeguard future provision and ensure consistent safety standards.

Dr Curran said: “Our crews are here for patients in their most critical moments, often when time is the difference between life and death.

“In a region as large and diverse as the North West, fast access to specialist hospitals is vital.

“By improving hospital helipad access, we can help ensure patients are transferred directly into the further care they need, without unnecessary delays.”

Research supporting the campaign found that more than half of major trauma centres, children’s hospitals, and other specialist sites across the UK do not have reliable 24/7 on-site helipad access.

The charity is encouraging people across the North West to support the campaign (Image: Supplied)

In these cases, air ambulance patients must be transferred by road from nearby landing sites, losing valuable time.

Additional figures show that 37 per cent of hospitals either lack an operational helipad or do not have 24/7 access, while more than a quarter of existing helipads are not fully operational or safe for round-the-clock use.

NWAA, which responds to an average of 11 missions each day, receives no government or NHS funding and relies entirely on public donations to raise over £18 million annually.

The charity is encouraging people across the North West to support the campaign and raise awareness of the vital role helipads play in emergency care.

Gunfire erupted Saturday near a busy street festival in Ohio, wounding at least 12 people and sending some eventgoers scrambling for cover while others rushed to help the victims.

No suspects were in custody hours afterward, Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said, and officials urged people who were at the festival to come forward with any photos or videos on their phones for possible leads.

The shooting happened near the Old West End Festival, an annual gathering of live music and home tours.

Heffernan said it appeared that at least two people fired weapons and they were “probably shooting at each other.”

Two of the victims were in critical condition, Heffernan added. The ages of the victims ranged from 14 to 61, with most of them in their early 20s.

“I am deeply concerned about the situation in Toledo tonight,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence.”

Multiple videos posted to social media showed people running amid the sound of gunshots and emergency officials tending to others who appeared wounded.

Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said it was difficult to get to the hospital due to closed roads and traffic from people leaving the festival, but emergency responders were able to transport all patients from the scene within an hour.

Kevin Berry was sitting in the neighborhood arboretum listening to live music with friends when he heard a handful of gunshots ring out.

“Everybody hit the deck,” he said.

When Berry looked back up, he saw a gun being tossed to the ground less than 50 feet (15 meters) away from him. Officers who were already on site for the festival responded immediately.

Berry, who has medical training and served in the Navy, walked around looking for anyone who might need help and saw at least five people with gunshot wounds.

“The folks who were hit were spread out around the arboretum area,” he said.

The Old West End Festival is a two-day celebration in Toledo’s historic district that includes live music, food vendors, home tours and shopping. Berry described it as the “kick-off to Toledo’s summer festival season.”

George Kral, safety director for the city, said officials were discussing with organizers whether it would continue through the weekend.

“This is one of the most iconic festivals in Toledo,” he said, “and it’s a shame that something like this had to ruin it.”

Rory McIlroy had made inroads before rain brought an early halt to proceedings

Persistent rainfall brought an early halt to proceedings on day three of the Memorial Tournament, with the leading players having managed just five holes before abandonment.

Second-round leader JT Poston and Ryan Gerard held a one-shot lead on nine under par at Muirfield Village when officials called off play following a second weather interruption on Saturday.

Sam Burns sat third on eight under, while Tommy Fleetwood was in a tie for fifth on four under having navigated his opening six holes at level par.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who started the day at one over, had reached one under after 16 holes – matching the score of world number one Scottie Scheffler, who had completed 14.

Action was scheduled to resume at 7.30am local time on Sunday morning in Dublin, Ohio, with the fourth round set to commence at 11am, featuring players departing in threesomes from two separate tees.

McIlroy, competing in only his sixth regular PGA Tour event of the season, had barely begun at the first when the initial suspension was called.

After a break lasting approximately one hour and 45 minutes, he regained his composure to roll in a birdie at the first before adding another stroke with a 15-foot putt at the par-three fourth.

Dropped shots at the par-five seventh and subsequently the ninth hampered his momentum approaching the turn, though he recovered with two further birdies at the 13th and 15th before play was suspended once more.

Scheffler had been finding it difficult to reach par in his attempt to claim the title for a third consecutive year, and his third round began with a bogey. The golfer bounced back with two consecutive birdies before adding an eagle at the par-five seventh.

Another birdie at the 10th took him to four under for the round, though bogeys at the 12th and 14th pegged him back.

At the top of the leaderboard, Poston had navigated his opening five holes at level par after a birdie at the second was negated by a dropped shot on the fourth. Gerard had pulled level following two birdies, which were counterbalanced by a bogey five at the third.

Justin Rose made amends for Friday’s disappointing 76, moving into a share of ninth place on two under. Through 15 holes of his third round, he stood at three under par.

Shane Lowry (nine holes), US PGA champion Aaron Rai (eight) and Alex Fitzpatrick (eight) and were all positioned on one under par.

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Pope Leo XIV’s weeklong visit to Spain has brought him to a once-staunchly Catholic country that has long been in the throes of waning religious practice. ____ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) teamed up with Northumbria Police to carry out searches at three addresses in Newcastle.

The targeted strikes led to the seizure of £14,000 in cash and the arrest of men, aged 18, 22 and 26, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.

Money mules, many recruited through social media, help organised criminals to launder their illegally gained money.

Criminals will ask those involved to receive money into their bank account and then transfer it into another account, paying the “mule” by allowing them to keep a small sum.

Still from a National Crime Agency video warning of the dangers of so-called ‘money-muling’ (Image: National Crime Agency)

NEROCU Detective Sergeant James Woodcock: “Most people think that being a money mule is quick and easy money and a victimless crime, but you couldn’t be more wrong.

“By helping organised criminals launder money, you’re contributing to child and sex trafficking, supplying and distributing drugs, supporting modern-day slavery and protecting those who run these operations.”

NEROCU officers and staff regularly speak to university and college students, target suspects, gather intelligence and work with partners and banks to strengthen the approach to tackling money mules and the wider impact of organised crime.

Det Sgt Woodcock added: “More and more of these criminals are using platforms like Snapchat, Instagram or gaming platforms to target young teenagers and recruit them as money mules.

“If your child has a game console or phone with social media apps, then please take the time to speak to them about money-muling.

“It can severely impact their future and poses a real risk to them.

“When someone is caught, their bank account will be closed, and they will have problems getting student loans, mortgages, mobile phone contracts and credit in the future.

“They could lose their job, relationships and face arrest for money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.”

Tell-tale signs that someone might be involved include them suddenly appearing to have extra cash, buying expensive new clothes, top-of-the-range mobile phones and gadgets, with little explanation as to how they acquired the money.

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They may also become more secretive, withdrawn or appear stressed.

More information is available via https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/moneymuling, on the National Crime Agency website.

Anyone worried that someone close to them may be caught up in money-muling, can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or by report it directly to their local police.