A man has been arrested following the death of a Scottish woman whose body was found inside a suitcase in Athens.

The 26-year-old man, who Greek police said was a foreigner, was arrested after the death of Elisabeth-Jane Ross.

The 38-year-old’s body was discovered inside a suitcase by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of Athens on July 18.

She is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was found, though someone was reportedly using her mobile phone to send messages purporting to be from Ms Ross.

The Hellenic Police, Greece’s national force, were able to identify the victim using fingerprints.

Ms Ross, who is understood to be from Edinburgh, entered Greece on June 26 and was initially staying with friends in Piraeus.

She is then said to have gone to meet with American friends in another part of the Greek capital, but it is unclear if this ever happened.

The Hellenic Police said they analysed video footage to identify the suspect, who confessed on Thursday.

The 26-year-old man is believed to have put her body into a suitcase, taking it to the abandoned site where it was found.

In the following days, he is said to have used her bank card to withdraw money.

A replica pistol and a knife were found at the suspect’s home and police have filed a case against him for manslaughter, robbery and violation of weapons laws.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said earlier: “Our thoughts are with Elisabeth’s family during this difficult time.

“We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of the death of a Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece.

“Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland.”

Subscribe here to get the latest updates from The Independent

Lisa had initially stayed in the area of Keratsini, 5.9 miles (9.5km) west of central Athens, with Greek friends.

She had told them that on 15 July she would go to Kypseli, where her “American friends” or acquaintances were.

On Saturday Greek police said they were fast-tracking toxicology reports in order to ascertain the cause of her death, potentially “in the coming days”.

Test results can take anywhere from several weeks to a few months depending on the complexity of the case and the workload of forensic laboratories.

They were also looking to trace Lisa’s American friends, who they said were also staying in Kypseli.

First Minister John Swinney called it an “absolutely appalling case”.

A parish council is looking at ways it may be able to buy the site

A Cambridgeshire fishing lake is up for sale. Marsh Lane Lakes, known as the fishing lakes, in Hemingford Grey has been put for sale by owners Tarmac, according to Hemingford Grey Parish Council.

The parish council was notified of the sale by Huntingdonshire District Council on July 7. It was told that the owners had “given notice to dispose of the site”.

The council is looking into ways to purchase the lake. A parish council spokesperson said: “The parish council has triggered a full six-month period, running until January 7, 2027. During the moratorium, the owner cannot sell the land to anyone other than a qualifying community group.”

The council added that this moratorium does not commit the parish council to buying the site and doesn’t guarantee that a community group will buy the site. It also doesn’t fix a price or give the council first refusal of the site.

Once the moratorium ends, the owner is free to sell to anyone. The council added: “An interim steering group has been formed of residents and councillors to coordinate the campaign to save the lake for community use and the nature it safeguards.”

The council is looking for other people who may help, such as lawyers, bid writers, marketeers, web designers and more. Planning has also begun for public meetings and guided walks in September 2026.

Tarmac has been contacted for further information.

Two helicopters have crashed into each other while putting out wildfires west of Athens in Greece

Two firefighting helicopters have collided in mid-air while attempting to tackle wildfires west of Athens, Greece.

A search and rescue operation is underway to locate the crews in the ⁠Psatha area, Greece’s fire ⁠department said.

Each helicopter had two people on board.

“During the aerial firefighting operation, two BELL helicopters, leased by the fire department, with a crew of two people each, crashed in the wider area of Psatha, Attica,” the department said in a statement.

“The helicopters had taken off from the Elefsina military airport. The search and rescue operation is under way,” they added.

Parts of Greece have been hit particularly hard by the spate of wildfires that have gripped Europe this summer, with three firefighters tragically losing their lives battling blazes in Crete and the mainland earlier this week.

Nearly 500 Greek firefighters have been deployed to the region, assisted by personnel from France and Romania.

This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link . You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads – or visit The Mirror homepage .

Isabelle Welsh suffered from weeks of abuse, including suffering 21 broken bones, before she collapsed at her home in Thornaby, Teesside, in September.

Alexandra Walker, 26, and her boyfriend Harrison Simpson, 22, were convicted of murder and child cruelty earlier this week following a trial at Teesside Crown Court.

The faces of child killers Alexandra Walker, left, and Harrison Simpson, right (Image: Newsquest/Cleveland Police)

Simpson was also convicted of sexually assaulting Isabelle, while her mother was cleared of that charge.

Cleveland Police has admitted that officers failed to execute a warrant issued by Teesside Magistrates’ Court for Simpson’s arrest in March 2024, The Sunday Times reported.

The warrant was issued after Simpson failed to attend court for breaching a non-molestation order, an injunction designed to protect victims of domestic abuse.

It is understood that the non-molestation order was put in place after reports that Simpson had harassed and threatened a woman.

Isabelle Rose Welsh (Image: Family handout)

The force said in a statement: “Multiple enquiries and arrest attempts were carried out to try to locate and arrest him, but these proved unsuccessful.”

It added: “We recognise the time Simpson had an outstanding arrest warrant is far from adequate.

“A review of this was immediately conducted upon his arrest for murder.

“This review, along with a determination to continually improve our processes around suspect management, has led to a number of recent changes, such as ongoing improved visibility across the force around outstanding warrants, a comprehensive data system which tracks all outstanding warrants, and stringent oversight including a governance group led by a superintendent.”

Ms Justice Norton said Isabelle’s murder was the final act in a sustained campaign of violence, which the pair then attempted to cover up.

Isabelle Welsh playing at home (Image: Cleveland Police)

She jailed them for life with minimum terms of 28 years and six months for Simpson and 22 years for Walker, both minus time spent on remand.

Prosecutor Paul Abrahams told the court: “This was a campaign of quite deliberate extreme violence.”

Tributes placed outside the Thornaby home of Isabelle Welsh (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

Ms Justice Norton said: “Any death is a tragedy. The death of a very young child at the hands of those who should have cared for, protected, and loved her – as she no doubt loved them – is particularly distressing for all involved.”

She said the toddler sustained an unsurvivable head injury in the 24 hours before she died in hospital.

The girl was sexually assaulted around the time the fatal blow was inflicted, the judge said.

A helicopter was captured on camera exploding into flames after it hit another while fighting a raging Greek wildfire.

The two helicopters were involved in efforts to tackle fires that were spreading in the Psatha region, on the Gulf of Corinth west of Athens.

Local news site in.gr said an injured crew member from one of the vehicles was in communication with officials.

A search is taking place in a ravine for the other, which does not appear to have a functioning radio.

Both helicopters had two people on board, a pilot and a passenger who coordinated with the operations centre, the site said.

On Friday, 300 people were evacuated by sea from Porto Germeno – a popular resort a short distance north from Psatha – due to wildfires.

Local resident Minas Tzortzanis told the PA news agency: ‘A pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire.

‘There are no words to explain what has happened. Destruction. Total destruction.’

Weather conditions have played an additional role in complicating the firefighting efforts.

Climate crisis and civil protection minister Evangelos Tournas said: ‘The very strong to gale-force winds continue to create exceptionally difficult conditions.’

The turbulence has meant some aircraft are struggling to collect water and get close enough to the scene to drop it.

Today’s incident in Greece took place as several European countries face challenges from wildfires during an extremely hot and dry summer.

In France and Spain, around a third of a million people had to evacuate their homes due to rapidly spreading fires.

Others were forced to take shelter as ash and toxic smoke poisoned the sky, with enormous thunderstorms called pyrocumulonimbus clouds formed as a result.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: George and Amal Clooney forced to evacuate £6,000,000 home in France as wildfires spread

MORE: Final text of British woman found dead in suitcase ‘said she wanted to be alone’

MORE: Aerial images reveal just how close wildfire came to engulfing holiday park

By NOOR QURASHI, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 15:09 BST, 2 August 2026 | Updated: 15:21 BST, 2 August 2026

Two helicopters have crashed into each other while fighting wildfires in Greece.

Emergency services were called after the aircraft collided in the Psatha region, west of Athens.

The BELL helicopters were each carrying two passengers and had taken off from the Elefsina military airport.

Hundreds of firefighters were today battling wind-fuelled fires near Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth, northwest of the capital.

Advertisement

Authorities said strong winds made the fire spread more quickly and made it unpredictable for firefighters.

‘The situation is extremely hard, especially today. We have really strong winds, gusts exceeding 73 kph (45 mph). The direction of the fire can’t be determined easily,’ doctor and firefighter Giorgos Doulas said.

The fire department’s deputy spokesman Yiannis Artopios told state TV ERT that the wind was so strong that firefighters on the scene ‘couldn’t even open their vehicle doors’.

Nearly 500 Greek firefighters have been deployed to the region, assisted by emergency crew from France and Romania. 

Advertisement

Two helicopters have crashed into each other while fighting wildfires in Greece

The aircraft are seen plummeting to the ground following the collision

The aircraft were both carrying two passengers and had taken off from the Elefsina military airport

Advertisement

Over 100 homes have been destroyed amid gale-force winds that have fueled flames in the area.

A military firing range is among the sites affected. 

 

This is a breaking news story. More to come

Advertisement

At least three people were killed and seven others were injured in a shooting at an In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday, according to police and local officials.

The suspected shooter — an unidentified male — is dead, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a press conference. He described the scene as “tragic” and “chaotic.”

Joshua Palmer, a city spokesperson, told The Independent that the number of victims may rise. “We want to emphasize that that number may change,” Palmer said. “That was just the first number we got.”

An “active shooter incident” was first reported at 4:29 p.m. ET at the In-N-Out on Blue Lakes Boulevard North. Police urged people to avoid the area, saying roads nearby would be closed as officers responded.

Shelter-in-place orders have since been lifted, Palmer said.

Hicks said the FBI is assisting the investigation, adding that information about the suspect and his motivations are expected to be revealed in the coming days. It was not immediately clear if the suspect was included in the fatality count.

Twin Falls, a city of about 56,000 people, is located roughly 130 miles southeast of Boise. There have been over 300 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, according to the Mass Shooter Tracker.

Advertisement

Here’s a brief timeline of what happened

Here’s a brief breakdown of what happened:

• An “active shooter incident” was reported at 4:29 p.m. ET on Saturday at the In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho.
• Soon after, police urged people to avoid the area as officers responded to the scene.
• Videos circulating on social media appear to show multiple men with firearms outside the restaurant.
• A city official told The Independent shortly before 8 p.m. that three people had died and two more were injured, noting that these figures were likely to change. He said the threat was neutralized.
• Soon after, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks announced in a press conference that the shooter — an unidentified male — had died.
• Hicks said that an investigation is currently underway to determine the shooter’s identity and motivation, and that victims’ next of kin are being notified. The FBI is assisting, he said.
• More information is expected in the coming hours and days, Hicks said.

Read more

Brendan Rascius2 August 2026 02:39

FBI reports 42 per cent increase in active shooters in 2025

The US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation reported 34 active shooter incidents in 2025 compared to 24 2024 – a 42 per cent increase.

However, it said that 2025 remained below the five-year average of 43 incidents per year.

Advertisement

Nearly 68 per cent of incidents involved planning and preparation by the shooter, an increase from 58 per cent in 2024.

The FBI recorded 7 “mass killings” and 166 casualties in 2025 linked to active shooters, with 47 civilians killed.

Rebecca Thomas2 August 2026 14:00

Advertisement

Photos show aftermath of Idaho shooting

Photos show the aftermath of Saturday’s shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Police and emergency services were gathered around the fast food resturant.

The shooting took place around 4:29 on Saturday, 1 August.

Three people have died, and two were injured in the shooting.

Rebecca Thomas2 August 2026 12:30

Witnesses heard shots from the kitchen

Witnesses to a horrifying shooting on Saturday described hearing shots from the restaurant’s kitchen and having to flee to their cars.

Advertisement

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down.

Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said, also via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

Rebecca Thomas2 August 2026 11:30

Advertisement

Other restaurants nearby to the shooting closed during incident

A shelter-in-place order for the area was put in place as the shooting unfolded but later lifted, and roads were being reopened as the shooting investigation continued, Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer said.

A nearby Chick-fil-A said it was closing Saturday as a precaution.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Chick-fil-A Twin Falls will be closed for the remainder of today,” the restaurant said.

Advertisement

Magic Valley Mall nearby was closed and people inside were told to stay put, a public safety employee there said earlier Saturday afternoon.

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 10:30

Twin Falls In-N-Out had opened just one week before shooting

The In-N-Out branch in Twin Falls that became the scene of Saturday’s shooting opened just about a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the company’s recent expansion to Idaho.

Advertisement

Twin Falls, a city of about 56,000 people, is about 130 miles (205km) southeast of Boise and about 75 miles (120km) north of the Nevada border.

“We are heartbroken,” California-based In-N-Out’s chief operating officer Denny Warnick said in a statement Saturday.

“Our prayers go out to our Customers, our Associates, and all of their families. We are working with the Twin Falls Police Department to assist in the on-going investigation.”

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 09:30

Advertisement

Video shows shooter dressed in black carrying long rifle

Police were still trying to determine the shooter’s identity and motive, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said in a news conference earlier Saturday.

“We believe the threat to the community is over,” Hicks said. “It was a very chaotic scene.”

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Advertisement

Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer said investigators were still interviewing witnesses to the shooting. The restaurant is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when it happened around 2 p.m.

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 08:10

Number of people injured rises to seven in In-N-Out shooting

The number of people injured in the shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho has risen to seven, while the death toll remains at three, according to a spokesperson for the city’s administration.

Advertisement

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer said. He did not know if the suspect was included in the fatality count.

Officials were still working on notifying the family members of victims and so were not yet releasing the names, ages or other details about the people hurt in the shooting, Palmer said. Some of the people injured are in critical condition, Palmer said.

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 06:56

Advertisement

Witnesses describe fleeing in panic: ‘I left my car there’

Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother went to In-N-Out for lunch Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant. At first Dodaro thought there might have been a fire, but then a man directing traffic in a reflective vest said there was a shooter.

“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Dodaro told The Associated Press.

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

Advertisement

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 05:47

Twin Falls In-N-Out had only been open for one week before the shooting: report

The In-N-Out in Twin Falls had only been open for one week before the mass shooting took place there on Saturday, CNN reported.

An In-N-Out executive told NBC News he was “heartbroken” by the shooting.

Advertisement

Brendan Rascius2 August 2026 04:35

Asteryth Sloane was a talented musician

A talented young Cambridge composer considered a child prodigy has died at the age of 26. In Asteryth Sloane was named as the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year by Cambridge Youth Music in 2016.

Asteryth, who was blind from the age of two, changed music into Braille so it didn’t stop them pursuing their passion. Their five-minute composition Passiflora, which took eight hours to change from Braille music into musical notation, won the prestigious award in 2016.

Asteryth studied at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). They completed both a Bachelor of Music in composition, graduating with a First, and then studied a Master’s degree in composition and musicology, graduating with a distinction.

Their website described them as a “therapist, composer, writer, book-nibbler, collector of words, lover of stories and wild spaces”.

The RNCM has since paid tribute to Asteryth. A college spokesperson said: “Their unique compositional methods and creativity led to a number of accolades, including winning the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year Competition in 2016, the senior category of the BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers’ Competition in 2018 for their piece Elegy for Aylan, and a commission from the Royal Philharmonic Society to mark Classic FM’s 25th birthday celebrations.

“Performed by ensembles including VOCES8, Paraorchestra, and the BBC Singers, Asteryth’s music is known for its responses to the beauty and fragility of the living Earth, as well as themes of identity and spirituality. Their musicological work explores the power of listening to bring us into more intimate and ethical relationships with sound, as well as the rights of sound and sound sources.”

A spokesperson for the Royal Philharmonic Society said: “We are sorry to learn that the composer Asteryth Sloane has died. We were proud to commission Asteryth to mark Classic FM’s 25th birthday celebrations in 2017, and we have since enjoyed hearing their imaginative music performed by ensembles such as the BBC Singers, Paraorchestra, VOCES8 and CoMA.

“A blind composer with a unique compositional method and verve, we pay tribute to Asteryth’s creativity, and urge music-lovers to continue listening to and performing Asteryth’s music, ensuring it continues to resound.”

More recently, Asteryth trained as a therapist.

The annual race took attracted more than 3,000 runners on Sunday (August 2), taking on two laps of a 5k route through the town.

However, many runners were left disappointed, saying they did not receive a finisher’s medal after crossing the line as organisers had ran out.

Darlington Council’s website states that “anyone who completes the 2026 Darlington 10k will receive a medal and a T-shirt”.

The Northern Echo has contacted the council for comment.

It is currently unclear how many runners were affected by the shortage, although those finishing around the one-hour mark are among those saying they did not receive one.

The council confirmed on Saturday (August 1) that more than 3,000 people had signed up for the race, describing the figure as “one of the highest sign-up rates the race has seen”.

Several took to social media to express their frustration.

One runner took to Facebook to express their disappointment – claiming they were told there were no medals remaining when they reached the finish lie, and that they were made to sign a sheet so one could be posted out at a later date.

Despite the disappointment, many runners praised the atmosphere, sharing photos and congratulating fellow competitors on completing the course.