‘We believe all relevant agencies must learn to recognise warning signs for domestic homicide long before they reach such a tragic stage’

The family of a woman killed by her son before he took his own life, issued a statement hoping that “lessons will be learned” following the inquest into his death.

Kenneth McClean-Flanagan died after he killed his mum, Karen McClean- Flanagan, and girlfriend, Stacey Knell, on March 20, 2021.

A inquest into the 26-year-old’s death heard that he had been at his grandfather’s house in Newtownabbey, where he stayed in an out-building, with his girlfriend when he left and drove to his mum’s property.

There he barged past her partner, locked himself in her flat with her and stabbed her. The inquest heard that her partner attempted to enter the flat and witnessed part of the attack.

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After this, Kenneth left the property and drove back to his grandfather’s house. He was later found dead by armed police officers who attended the house. During a search of the property, officers discovered the body of Stacey Knell.

The inquest heard from a number of witnesses including Dr Doran, a general practitioner at the practice Kenneth was registered to. She submitted call logs from the five years prior to his death that showed complaints of addiction and mental health issues.

Dr Doran said there were times Kenneth, who had a history of cocaine and heroin use, had expressed suicidal thoughts to mental health teams when under the influence but retracted this when he sobered up.

She also said that Kenneth could not get dual support for his mental health complaints due to his addiction problems and was never formally diagnosed with a mental health condition other than depression and anxiety. The GP said she was frustrated that community mental health teams would not see Kenneth until he was able to address his addictions.

A toxicology report showed that Kenneth may have been under the influence of cocaine at the time of his death.

A statement from a representative of the McClean-Flanagan family following the hearing said: “As a family, on Karen’s behalf we hope that the coroner’s findings will ensure that all relevant agencies learn the lessons that were so painfully missed, out of respect for our family and the Knell family.

“We found the inquest process to be especially difficult without legal representation, but are thankful to those who have helped us get through it this week. We believe it is important that a spotlight continues to be shone on these failures, and that it will drive meaningful change.

“We believe that all relevant agencies must learn to recognise warning signs for domestic homicide long before they reach such a tragic stage, to prevent any other families from suffering losses as devastating as ours and the Knell family’s.”

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Dave Calfe, general secretary of Aslef, the train drivers’ union, said: “We are deeply concerned by reports of a collision between two trains near Bedford. Our thoughts at this moment are with all the staff and passengers on board. Thank you to the emergency services for their ongoing work responding to this incident.”

Griddled boneless chicken thighs are simple (and the thigh is the juiciest bit) and always more satisfying than you think they’ll be. You want a hot sandwich? Griddle a chicken thigh, pressing it down to get some char marks on the flesh, and stuff it into a roll with mayo (to which you’ve added gochujang, the Korean chilli paste) and some cold lettuce and cucumber. Pour a beer. You’ll be happy. 

Here, griddled thighs are dressed with shallots softened in white balsamic vinegar, oil and lemon juice.

Requires marinating time

Marcus Rashford’s future remains up in the air following his loan spell with Barcelona and the England forward has now been told his chances of sealing a blockbuster move elsewhere

Marcus Rashford remains an option for Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window — but the German giants are not actively considering a move at this stage.

The England star’s future remains uncertain following a productive loan spell with Spanish giants Barcelona. The Catalans had an option to sign Rashford permanently for £26m but chose not to activate that option, which has now expired.

However, it has been reported that they could yet still attempt to thrash out a fresh loan deal, although United are not expected to be receptive to another temporary switch.

In the meantime, Rashford sees his future away from Old Trafford, with talks set to be held with United chiefs following the end of the World Cup.

According to Bild, German giants Bayern Munich have had Rashford on their list of potential additions this summer. They had even made contact with his representatives after they were beaten to the signing of Anthony Gordon by Barcelona.

There are however concerns at the Allianz Arena. It is suggested that Bayern are currently prioritising a move for PSV forward Ismael Saibari. There are also worries over the wage that Rashford would likely demand in the Bundesliga, which makes a deal unlikely at this stage.

Speaking this month, United icon Rio Ferdinand has urged the Red Devils to re-consider their position on Rashford’s future. He said: “Manchester United might have to reevaluate Marcus Rashford’s situation.

“It seems like he has matured; the time away from the club may have done him the good that he needed, and it has cleansed both parties. Is it time to shake hands and come back?”

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He also argued that Rashford’s time at Barcelona might have given him fresh perspective over his responsibilities. Ferdinand added: “He was given a role at Barcelona, told he would be an impact player at times, to come on and change games. At England, that is his role, and that’s a huge asset to the squad in this competition.”

Away from his future, Rashford enjoyed a dream start to the 2026 World Cup, having scored in England’s 4-2 win against Croatia. Speaking about the forward, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel said: “Marcus is pushing and pushing and pushing and training on the highest level.

“I’m very happy for [Rashford] that he got this relief and I hope he stays hungry for the next one and the next one because he was absolutely impressive through the last 17 days and really deserved his goal.”

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Dave Calfe, general secretary of Aslef, the train drivers’ union, said: “We are deeply concerned by reports of a collision between two trains near Bedford. Our thoughts at this moment are with all the staff and passengers on board. Thank you to the emergency services for their ongoing work responding to this incident.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Janeese Lewis George paves a path to the mayor’s office in Washington, D.C., she’s told voters they could have it all.

Her unapologetically expansive, left-wing agenda includes subsidized or even free childcare, increased down payment assistance for homebuyers and community resources to reduce crime, plus a promise to aggressively confront President Donald Trump’s attempts to reshape the nation’s capital.

“People are tired of hearing what government can’t do. They want to hear what government can do,” Lewis George said in an interview before the city’s primary, where she defeated her Democratic opponents and positioned herself to win the general election in November in a city dominated by Democrats.

Lewis George’s victory signals a break with a quarter-century of centrist governance in Washington, and it puts her in the vanguard of democratic socialists who have ascended in urban politics over the last year. Zohran Mamdani toppled Andrew Cuomo, the scion of a political dynasty, on his way to becoming New York City mayor. Katie Wilson won an upset victory to lead Seattle last fall. And this month, Nithya Raman clinched a spot in the November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

All of them are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA. The political organization has seen its membership ranks swell from a few thousand to more than 100,000 nationwide over the last decade after an influx of younger Americans joined following the presidential bids of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, also a self-described democratic socialist.

There’s little sign of national coordination among the candidates, and it’s unclear whether voters are gravitating toward their promises of improved government services, their vows to fight the Trump administration or their critiques of capitalism.

But from coast to coast, confrontational progressives are advancing in mayoral races. City leaders can draw outsized attention for their successes and failures, and democratic socialists will be under pressure from residents to deliver on their vows for a new kind of governance. Whether that translates to national politics is a next test for their movement.

“They are all channeling a displeasure with a status quo and a serious desire for economic populism that the establishment Democratic Party hasn’t been preaching,” said Eric Stern, a Democratic strategist with Fight Agency, a political consulting firm that strategized Mamdani’s mayoral campaign.

Stern added that Democratic voters appeared more willing to support the most progressive candidate in mayoral races rather than in contests for the U.S. House. Candidates like Mamdani and Raman, Stern said, are “daring voters to dream and fall in love not just with the individual candidates but also the political process as a whole.”

A rising left navigates America’s urban challenges

The trend of progressives surging in urban areas may have limits for its broader impact on Democratic politics. Democratic mayors in cities including Atlanta, Houston, Miami and San Francisco won on relatively moderate platforms in recent years.

Progressive have also faced noteworthy challenges. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was endorsed by the city’s DSA chapter during his 2023 mayoral run but has since faced criticism from both moderate and liberal local leaders on issues such as immigration, the local budget and public safety. Recalls and public pressure ousted progressives elected to district attorney offices in multiple jurisdictions over the last five years, when criminal justice reform efforts ran into dissatisfaction over public disorder following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump’s hardline immigration and law enforcement tactics have also become a challenge for liberal cities. The president’s agenda poses an especially serious threat to Washington, D.C., because of its status as a federal territory.

“Maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis,” Trump told reporters this month when asked about the potential election of a democratic socialist as the district’s mayor. “We won’t put up with it.”

But progressives hope the current wave of anti-Trump furor in deep blue cities across the country will help buoy the chances of those on the hard left.

“It’s not folks looking for the leftmost option so much as looking for a candidate who’s gonna be on their side,” said Ravi Mangla, speaking for the left-wing Working Families Party. The party often endorses the same candidates as the DSA and is readying to target more mayoral offices in the country’s biggest metropolises this fall and in 2028.

“It’s less about whether you are on the right or on the left so much as whether you are willing to punch up at the powerful,” he added.

Mamdani and Lewis George are both self-described “sewer socialists” who emphasize the need for responsive government services rather than critiques of market economics. The phrase recalls the socialist Gilded Age mayors whom critics derided as too preoccupied with managing public works projects.

The term’s revival is partly a strategic move to align leftist ideas with concerns over affordability and the economy, voters’ top concern in the midterm elections, and shift the public perception of democratic socialists from firebrands who support radical policies to independent-minded public servants.

“This is absolutely a change election and I’m excited to bring the change that people want, which is really putting people first in the city and having the moral clarity and courage to stand up to Trump,” Lewis George said.

For voters the ‘socialist’ label did not seem to matter

While conservatives have used the “socialist” label to attack Democrats as extreme or incompetent, some D.C. voters appeared ambivalent before Tuesday’s primary.

Several lifelong residents said they believed Lewis George was a “fighter” but didn’t think she’d have much of an impact on the local economy, given the city’s status as a federal district.

“I go back and forth on my own labels and whether I am supportive of that movement or not, but I am supportive of making D.C. more affordable,” Owen Fitzgerald, a University of Maryland graduate student, said of his support for democratic socialism.

Fitzgerald voted for Lewis George because she would stand up to Trump and said he’d first learned of her campaign from friends in his neighborhood. But he didn’t know she was a democratic socialist until he saw news reports describing her with the label.

“It sends a cultural message to this administration that the people who are surrounding them in the capital are opposed to their platform, opposed to their political agenda, and I think that it will send a message, both nationally and internationally,” Fitzgerald said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing three people, as the Trump administration wages a monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.

The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 211 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed a boat speeding through the water before being struck and bursting into flames.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

Senators on Thursday demanded that the Pentagon release “unedited video” of the strikes. They have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars. The U.S. military’s first strike in early September drew particular concern from some lawmakers and those who study military law.

Two men on the boat initially survived the attack that killed nine others, and they were clinging to the wreckage when the vessel was struck again, killing them. The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, insisting it was done “in self-defense” to ensure the boat was destroyed and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

But some legal scholars said a second strike killing survivors would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not.

The Pentagon’s watchdog said in May that it plans to look into whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the strikes. However, the evaluation is focused specifically on what’s known as the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle and not on the legality of the strikes, the inspector general’s office said.

The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning for parts of southern and eastern England and south Wales.

The warning, external is valid for Monday and Tuesday and warns of temperatures peaking at 35C (95F).

The nights will also be hot, remaining above 20C in some locations.

The developing heatwave is likely to have widespread impacts on people and infrastructure.

It brings the risk of impacts to health, especially for vulnerable people, and the danger of sunburn and heat exhaustion in the wider population.

People travelling to coasts, lakes and rivers are being warned to stay safe in and around water.

Some travel delays and disruption are also likely.

This is only the sixth amber extreme heat warning that has been issued by the Met Office since they were introduced in 2021 – and the first since August 2022.

A more severe red warning was also issued in the July of that year.

It is separate from the amber and yellow Heat Health Alerts that had already been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Those alerts, valid for regions of southern and eastern England until Tuesday, warn of significant impacts to health and social care services – with a likely increase in deaths among elderly and vulnerable people.

In contrast, this Met Office warning suggests that the heat will have effects on the general population.

The Met Office has created a pollen forecast that shows the pollen count the next five days with it being very high in London, the South East, the East of England, and East Midlands today (Friday, June 19).

By Tuesday, June 23, the pollen count across all areas of England will be very high aside from in the North East and Northern Ireland as well as certain parts of Scotland where it will be high.

While there is no cure for hay fever and you cannot prevent it, there are a few tips you can use to try and help improve any symptoms you might suffer from.

What does the NHS recommending doing to help hay fever?

The NHS says: “Hay fever is a common allergy that causes sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes. You cannot cure it, but there are things you can do to help your symptoms, or medicines you can take to help.”

Keeping doors and windows closed in your home can help stop pollen getting in. (Image: Getty/seb_ra)

The NHS suggests that you should shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to get rid of any pollen.

If you are staying inside, you should keep your windows and doors shut and vacuum regularly or dust with a damp cloth.

If you are going outside, you can use Vaseline around your nostrils to help trap the pollen or wear “wraparound sunglasses, a mask or wide-brimmed hat to stop pollen getting into your nose and eyes”.

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You can also speak to a pharmacist for advice on antihistamine drops, tablets or nasal sprays that might ease your symptoms.

The NHS says you should see a GP if “your symptoms are getting worse” or if “your symptoms do not improve after taking medicines from the pharmacy”.

How do you cope with hay fever throughout the spring and summer? Let us know in the comments below.