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NewsBeat

New HMRC August 2026 deadline warning for UK workers

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Wales Online

HMRC is pushing ahead with its tax overhaul

Sole traders and landlords are confronting a crucial deadline as HMRC presses forward with its contentious transformation of the tax system.

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The tax authority is urgently attempting to dispel “myths” surrounding its Making Tax Digital (MTD) scheme following evidence that vast numbers of those impacted have still not registered – mere weeks before their initial submission falls due. In a message posted on social media, HMRC delivered a stark reminder to the self-employed emphasising that every three months they must use compatible software to submit digital records of income and expenditure.

The statement continued by clarifying who is impacted. Crucially, anyone enrolled in MTD must send an update for each income source, including self-employment and property income.

Millions dragged into ‘digital’ net

The reform impacts sole traders and landlords with a combined turnover exceeding £50,000 annually – with HMRC calculating that 864,000 people would be caught in this opening phase, all obliged to submit their first quarterly update via HMRC-approved software by August 7.

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However, early indications suggest many are being taken by surprise. Statistics reveal that just one week after the system launched, only 250,000 people had registered – and the overwhelming majority of those, almost 170,000, had enrolled through tax agents and accountancy practices rather than registering personally.

Campaigners worry the actual number of those yet to sign up could reach hundreds of thousands. Perhaps anticipating difficulties, the Chancellor acted last year to ease the impact, confirming that no penalties would be imposed for late quarterly submissions during the 2026/27 tax year — a concession viewed by detractors as an implicit acknowledgement that the system’s implementation has been disorganised.

A long and troubled road

Making Tax Digital is not a recent initiative. The scheme was originally subject to consultation back in 2016, forming part of HMRC’s ambition to modernise its handling of taxpayer information.

Certain aspects of the programme, including MTD for VAT, have been operational for years, yet the income tax component has been continually delayed following numerous postponements owing to its intricacy.

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Under the regulations finally coming into force this year, the era of the shoebox stuffed with crumpled receipts is drawing to a close. Taxpayers brought within the regime must abandon pen-and-paper bookkeeping and instead record every transaction electronically, submitting running totals to HMRC four times a year rather than completing a single annual return.

Officials maintain the reform is intended to provide taxpayers with a clearer, more current understanding of their liabilities. According to HMRC’s own guidance, once a quarterly update has been filed, users will be able to see an estimate of their tax bill for their self-employment and property income in their software or in their HMRC online services account.

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The key dates

The first cohort – those already trading with income above £50,000 – must have started keeping digital records from 6 April 2026.

The critical dates that follow are:

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  • August 7, 2026 – deadline for the first quarterly update
  • November 7, 2026 – second quarterly update
  • January 31, 2027 – last “old style” Self Assessment return, covering 2025/26
  • February 7, 2027 – third quarterly update
  • May 27, 027 – fourth quarterly update
  • January 31, 2028 – first year-end declaration filed directly through MTD software, covering 2026/27

A second wave of taxpayers, with lower turnover thresholds, will be dragged into the system in the following two years.

Penalties on the horizon

Although there is a grace period for late quarterly submissions this year, taxpayers have been cautioned against becoming complacent. From next year, a new points-based penalty system comes into effect, similar to driving licence endorsements – accumulate too many points for missed deadlines, and a fixed financial penalty will follow.

Accountants have urged their clients not to leave matters until the eleventh hour, cautioning that mistakes made in the first submission can carry through every subsequent filing, as each quarterly update builds cumulatively upon the last rather than being treated as a standalone return.

For the time being, HMRC’s message to those affected is straightforward: get registered, ensure your software is in order, and don’t let August 7 catch you off guard.

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Sri Lanka prison clash death toll rises to 26 as investigations begin

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Sri Lanka prison clash death toll rises to 26 as investigations begin

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The death toll in Sri Lanka’s prison clash rose Tuesday to 26, including seven prison officials and 19 inmates, while the government announced that three separate investigations into the incident are underway.

The unrest at the prison in Negombo, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the capital, Colombo, started between inmatse on Sunday and turned violent on Monday after the inmates attacked the guards who intervened. Officials said the inmates even tried to break through the main gate, but were stopped.

On Tuesday, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara called it a “tragic incident” and added that another 77 persons — 23 prison officials and 54 inmates — are still being treated in hospitals.

The Minister did not specify the cause of the deaths and the nature of the injuries.

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Three different probes are underway into the incident, Nanayakkara told parliament, adding that a committee led by a retired judge is being set up in addition to the police probe and an internal investigation by the prison department.

He said the investigations will look into what led to the clashes, “whether there were any security lapses or the congestion in the prisons caused this, and our responsibility is to prevent such incidents happening again.”

The first clash erupted between two rival gangs connected to the illegal drug trade, Nanayakkara said. Once order was restored on Monday evening, the inmates who led the violence were transferred to other prisons, he said.

On Tuesday, local television channel Hiru showed hundreds of relatives gathered outside the prison and hospital, seeking information about their loved ones. The relatives were crying and pleading for information.

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Security around the prison has been heightened with additional army troops and armed tanks also being deployed.

Sri Lankan prisons are highly congested, with more than 39,000 inmates crowded into a system with a total capacity of just 10,000.

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Harry Wilson to Leeds United announcement update issued as statement imminent

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Wales Online

The 29-year-old is on the move after his contract with Fulham expired last month

Harry Wilson’s move to Leeds United is set to finally be confirmed, nearly two weeks after a deal was agreed to bring the Wales star to Elland Road.

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The 29-year-old saw his contract with Fulham expire at the end of June, following a fine campaign that saw him score 10 Premier League goals, grab seven assists and be named the Craven Cottage side’s official Player of the Season. While his form won him several admirers, including Everton and Aston Villa, it was Leeds who won the race for his signature.

It was announced last month that Daniel Farke’s side had secured a deal to bring Wilson in as a free agent, with the attacker reportedly agreeing a four-year contract with a higher salary.

But fans have been made to wait to officially welcome the Welshman to the club, with his unveiling as Leeds’ first summer signing yet to take place.

However, that looks set to change very soon, with Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth revealing that the club are set to officially announce Wilson’s arrival within the next couple of days.

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Asked by a fan on Monday whether the deal would be announced that day, Smyth wrote on X: “Not today. Middle of the week I think.”

He added the deal was all but done, with the contract agreed and other formalities completed, as he added: “It’s over the line.

“It’s basically just media duties and announcement now. Which happens this week.”

The anxious wait comes after Leeds saw a deal to sign Wilson collapse on the final day of last summer’s transfer window, when a deal sheet was not completed before the 7pm deadline.

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However, there isn’t believed to be any cause for concern this time around, with the 69-cap Wales international set to join Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and Daniel James as the latest member of the club’s Welsh contingent.

He could also join goalkeeper Karl Darlow at the club, if the goalkeeper agrees a new deal to stay with Farke’s side having seen out his own contract.

Manchester United and Everton are believed to be interested in Darlow, with the uncertainty over his future affecting Leeds’ pursuit of Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who is reported to have turned down offers to move to Elland Road.

The Yorkshire club are also pursuing a deal for midfielder Julian Brandt after his departure from Borussia Dortmund, while Juventus centre-back Lloyd Kelly is also a transfer target.

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Farke’s side were also in negotiations with Southampton over a potential move for midfielder Shea Charles, but that pursuit looks to have ended.

Instead, Leeds are now believed to be in talks with Parma over a possible deal to sign midfielder Mandela Keita.

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Brit, 20, fighting for life after devastating lads’ holiday quad bike crash in Zante

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Daily Record

Bradley Belhomme’s distraught family are desperate for answers

The family of a 20-year-old man left fighting for his life following a quad bike crash have issued a desperate plea for help.

Bradley Belhomme, from Salford, Greater Manchester, suffered catastrophic head injuries during a lads’ holiday to Zante, in Greece, after a collision with a coach last Friday (July 3), his loved ones said.

Bradley had flown out to the party hotspot with a group of friends on Thursday (July 2).

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The party had rented quads to ride on on the Greek island when disaster struck and he was involved in the serious crash while riding with another friend, who was also hospitalised, reports the M.E.N..

The 20-year-old, who is ‘loved by everyone,’ is now in intensive care and in a coma after being transported to a hospital in Attica, in Athens, mainland Greece, his family has said.

His mum Leanne Rabbetts said: “He went on the holiday on Thursday and everything was fine. I spoke to him when he arrived, but then on the Friday afternoon I got the call saying there had been a crash.

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“I was thinking ‘what the hell happened?’. I had to ring the hospital in Zante at the time, but they couldn’t give me much information.

“Then I got another call that night saying he was being moved to Athens because of the condition he was in.

“He has serious head trauma so he’s getting better care there. I flew out on Sunday as soon as I could and have been here every day. We can only spend half an hour with him.

“The doctors tried to bring him out of a coma yesterday but he wasn’t responding. Then they tried again to wake him up today [Monday] and he had two fits.

“They don’t know if it’s a bleed on the brain, so he has to have an MRI scan to see what has happened and the damage to his brain, but he isn’t responding at all at the moment.”

Leanne said they believe that Bradley had travel insurance for the trip, but that they have not yet been able to confirm details about this and do not have access to his phone. They say have also been in touch with the British Embassy for support.

“All I really know is that he’s been on a quad bike with his friends, and they’ve all rented them.

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“As he’s turned around a corner, I’ve been told there’s been a crash with a coach. We didn’t know how serious it was until we got here.

“His friend he was sharing a room with stayed with him in hospital in Zante and came to Athens when he got transferred, but obviously they couldn’t stay with him.”

READ MORE: TikTok linked crimes in Scotland soar as sinister Tamo Junto gang spread terror

READ MORE: Woman stole thousands from bosses and transferred cash to family members

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Appeals have since been shared across social media from friends, with fundraising events and walks also organised by members of the local community and friends to help raise money to pay for hospital bills in the interim.

“Because of the head trauma, we don’t even know when he will be able to come home or the situation,” Bradley’s uncle Adam said.

“We can’t do anything. We are just waiting for the scan and trying to make sure everything is covered at the moment, because if the insurance is invalid it’s a big bill.

“At the moment the main thing is Bradley and making sure he is okay and eventually getting him up and home.

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“The local community and friends have all donated and have been brilliant. Bradley is a loveable lad who has gone away to have a lads’ holiday and enjoy himself. He’s a hardworking boy and unfortunately, being young, you often make the wrong choices.

“It’s all questions and no answers at the moment. And out here there’s a huge language barrier.

“He’s in intensive care and we have to wear full PPE to see him for just half an hour. We are like a fish out of water.”

You can donate to the GoFundMe here.

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Explosions rock Damascus as France’s Macron visits Syria

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Shootings at school and home in northeastern British Columbia leave 10 dead, including shooter

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday as France’s president met with his Syrian counterpart in a landmark visit.

Emmanuel Macron had entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel. Syrian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident.

Syrian media reported that Macron was staying at the Four Seasons. The French president’s office said he was safe and that his meeting with al-Sharaa was continuing. Macron is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since al-Sharaa came to power and his visit comes before he heads to a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria. He arrived in the country Monday night with an economic delegation, and is scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding with his counterpart as the battered country tries to lure investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war.

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State media, citing an unnamed security official, reported that the two blasts in the heart of the capital were caused by explosive devices. A large plume of smoke could be seen from the site. The area is on a busy street in Damascus and is near the headquarters of the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum.

Footage widely circulated on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and blood stains on the street.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. No group immediately claimed responsibility.

The incident comes days after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20.

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The explosions are a blow for al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar Assad in 2024.

He has since pushed to assert full control and bring stability in war-torn Syria, appeal to minorities skeptical of his Islamist-led rule, and win the support of Western governments who were skeptical of his past leadership of the former al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule.

While Syria’s new rulers have wrestled with violence involving different groups in the country as they work to assert control, the capital has largely been peaceful during the turbulent period.

The conflict in Syria killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. Syria’s infrastructure lies in ruins, and while other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges, the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and lift millions out of poverty.

Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron met with members Syrian civil society, though his office did not give details on who.

___

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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report from Paris.

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Erika Kirk attends hearing for Tyler Robinson, suspect charged with husband’s murder

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Erika Kirk leaves the Fourth District Courthouse, Monday, July 6, 2026, in Provo, Utah, after a hearing for Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk

Kirk was addressing a crowd from under a tent on 10 September as part of his American Comeback tour of college campuses, during which he invited attendees to debate him.

A shot rang out as he was speaking about gun violence; Kirk slumped over to the side.

Chris Bagley, one of four law enforcement witnesses expected to take the stand during the week-long hearing, had been stationed on a building above and realised from the noise that it had come from a rifle, not a handgun.

In court on Monday, he described a chaotic scene of people shouting and running and told the court that he was informed by law enforcement that a shooter had been taken into custody.

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But he said he discovered suspicious evidence leading him to believe it might not be the right suspect.

Bagley said he found a screwdriver and an impression in gravel on a roof indicative of a sniper and then viewed security footage showing an individual dropping down and escaping from the area.

He described a telling impression the suspect had left behind.

“I could see the disturbance of gravel; to me, it looks like a sniper pad, a person that has been laying in a prone position, and you’ve got markings of elbows, knees and feet – where somebody was in the line of sight of where Charlie’s tent was.”

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Robinson’s defense attorney Kathryn Nestor voiced several objections throughout the testimony, asking him about staffing, planning and surveillance on the day of Kirk’s event.

Another witness, David Hull, told the court he’d been working as an agent with Utah’s State Bureau of Investigation at the time of Kirk’s shooting. He testified that he reviewed surveillance video from the day of the shooting and saw Robinson “on campus … approximately four times throughout the day”.

Hull testified that Robinson appeared at the school twice before the attack, then again at the time of the shooting – then returned that evening, hours after Kirk’s death.

Prosecutors also played home surveillance footage from a neighbourhood near campus which they say shows Robinson parking his gray Dodge, then returning later and driving away.

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The hearing is set to continue all week and will examine evidence and witnesses in the case to determine whether prosecutors have enough to present it before a jury at trial.

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The Odyssey Premiere Red Carpet Photos: Zendaya, Tom Holland And Anne Hathaway

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The Odyssey Premiere Red Carpet Photos: Zendaya, Tom Holland And Anne Hathaway

Between its action-packed story, the epic scale of its production and its early glowing reception, we’re hardly stuck for reasons to get excited about Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey.

And that’s without even getting into its absolutely stacked cast.

The British director’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer is absolutely jam-packed with A-listers, which means we’re in for a truly star-studded press tour in the lead-up to the movie’s release next week.

Excitingly, most of them were present and correct at the world premiere of The Odyssey, which took place in London’s Leicester Square on Monday night.

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Matt Damon takes the lead as Odysseus in the new film, which also features a number of Nolan regulars including Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie and Inception’s Elliot Page, whose appearance in The Odyssey marks his first time collaboration with the Oscar-winning filmmaker since his transition.

Joining them are several exciting newcomers to the Nolan-verse including Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o, as well as newlyweds Tom Holland and Zendaya, Mia Goth, musician Travis Scott and Samantha Morton, whose performance has already been singled out for praise.

Ahead of the film’s release, check out all the red carpet photos you need to see of the cast (and other famous guests) from The Odyssey’s premiere on Monday night below…

Anne Hathaway

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Matt Damon

Lupita Nyong’o

Zendaya

Tom Holland

Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas

Robert Pattinson

Charlize Theron

Travis Scott

Elliot Page

Samantha Morton

Himesh Patel

Mia Goth

Benny Safdie

John Leguizamo

Corey Hawkins

Ludwig Göransson

James Blake and Jameela Jamil

Aaron Pierre

Reece Feldman

Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock

Adapted from Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey centres around the king of Ithaca, Odysseus, and his perilous journey home at the end of the Trojan war.

The Odyssey will sail into cinemas on Friday 17 July. You can read our quick guide to everything you need to know about the much-hyped big-screen epic here.

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World Cup 2026: Is Balogun the scandal that could bring down Infantino?

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino points during to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match between France and Iraq.

Uefa laid down new battles lines on Tuesday, when voicing strong opposition to the Balogun decision.

European football’s governing body said Fifa had “crossed a red line” and described it as an “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision”.

But this was not the first time Uefa has crossed swords with Fifa.

In May 2025, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin led a group of European delegates in staging a walk-out during a break at the Fifa Congress.

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Infantino had been on a diplomatic tour of the Middle East alongside Trump and arrived two hours 17 minutes late.

Uefa has looked to score political points during the World Cup, too.

No sooner had Artan landed at home in Somalia last month than Uefa announced he had been invited to referee the Uefa Super Cup between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa on 12 August.

And throughout this year, Uefa has been eager to point out how cheap Euro 2028 tickets are compared to the World Cup. It will not introduce hydration breaks, or red cards for players who cover their mouth.

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Infantino, remember, came from Uefa. For many years he was the man who presented the Champions League draws.

He may not quite be persona non grata there these days – he gave a speech at the Uefa Congress in February – but there is clear friction.

Taking all this into account, Infantino’s position must surely be in doubt?

On the contrary. Infantino is popular with many federations around the world – and a lot of that is down to Fifa’s development of the game.

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Infantino’s Fifa Forward programme has funded football projects across the globe, and he has created opportunities through the expanded World Cup.

Sixteen extra nations now qualify – the vast majority from the confederations with less depth. Europe only got three of the additional spots.

This World Cup has shown that, below the top level, Asia and Concacaf have a lot of work to do to be competitive.

But Infantino has provided the dream, the hope that nations who never before could play at the World Cup might just get there. Like Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

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Despite all the criticism over the 48-team format, it gave Cape Verde the chance to live their dream.

And it will allow less traditional football nations to grow their game and get stronger – and surely that is a positive for football around the world?

The catch?

Tournaments like the World Cup, and the huge ticket prices, pay for these projects.

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This year, Fifa is expected to bring in $9bn (£7.9bn)

Uefa may oppose much of what Fifa and Infantino stand for, but European football is the rich man of the game. Largely, it can fund itself.

The rest of the game depends on Infantino and the money Fifa generates.

There are 211 countries within Fifa. Each gets a vote on the presidency, with 106 needed to win an election.

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Let’s look at the maths.

In April, Conmebol – the South American confederation – said its 10 countries would back Infantino.

Three weeks later, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) confirmed unanimous backing from its 54 member associations.

Shortly afterwards, the Asian Football Confederation’s 47 nations followed suit.

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Infantino already has 111 votes. He cannot be beaten.

Even if Uefa thought it could muster a candidate capable of mounting a challenge, the race is already run.

Infantino was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023. It would take something truly remarkable for anyone to stand against him, let alone beat him in 2027.

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Mel C reveals she was almost kicked out of the Spice Girls for telling Victoria Beckham to ‘f**k off’ in a row about hair at the 1996 BRITs

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Mel C has revealed that a row with Victoria Beckham at the 1996 BRIT Awards nearly led to her being kicked out of the Spice Girls (pictured with the band)

Mel C has revealed that a row with Victoria Beckham at the 1996 BRIT Awards nearly led to her being kicked out of the Spice Girls.

The singer, 52, was one of the members of the band alongside Victoria, Geri Halliwell, Mel B and Emma Bunton during their rise to fame in the late 1990s.

Mel has now shared that she was involved in a clash with Victoria where she told the designer to ‘f**k off,’ and she feared she was going to ‘lose everything’ after learning her bandmates were ‘disgusted’ by her comments.

Victoria has distanced herself from the Spice Girls in recent years, and she failed to join the group for their reunion tour in 2019.

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Mel shared the story of the clash on The Louis Theroux Podcast, after detailing how she felt like the band would ‘police’ each other to avoid any members from going ‘off the rails.’

Louis then revealed: ‘Early on, you had an incident which you talk about at the ’96 Brit Awards. Because you were just now talking about policing each other, and there was a moment where you were policed by the band mates. 

Mel C has revealed that a row with Victoria Beckham at the 1996 BRIT Awards nearly led to her being kicked out of the Spice Girls (pictured with the band)

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‘They felt, and it sounds so trivial, you’d taken your hair out, so you no longer had a ponytail, and this was before you even had released any music, but you were at the Brits, so you were under scrutiny, and your fellow band mates thought, “What are you doing? You’re f*****g with, uh, the look, the look of the band. We’ve all got certain hair that we have.” 

‘And they criticised you, and you told one of them to f**k off, and then the next day they all came on very heavy, sort of telling you like that was, you were out of line, your behaviour was disgusting.’

Mel then shared: ‘I went into terror because I thought I was going to lose everything. You know, those dreams as a child, which now were a possibility, I might have f*cked it all up.

‘And I thought it was very trivial as well because, to put some more meat on the bones of that evening, it was the Brit Awards in 1996, which fall around February time. So, we hadn’t released anything. Nobody in the public knew us. 

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‘But in the industry, people had started talking, and we were there, signed to Virgin Records, and we were sitting on a table with Lenny Kravitz, obviously, we were these young girls so this was an amazing night for us. We had a great night. 

‘We had a few champagnes. […] We were going to find our car and whatever the, the situation was where I just turned around and said to Victoria, “Oh, f**k off.” 

‘Unbeknownst to me, go home, go to bed, wake up the next morning, and I was in a lot of trouble. I was living with Mel B at the time. 

‘We were living in Watford, and Geri also lived in Watford, and they were both there when I got up. And yeah, they were just disgusted with my behaviour.

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‘You know when you’ve had a night out, and you wake up in the morning, and you’ve got beer fear, right?. You think, “Oh, f*ck, I know what I did last night.” 

The singer was one of the members of the band during their rise to fame in the late 1990s (the band are pictured without Mel B at Emma Bunton's birthday bash last year)

The singer was one of the members of the band during their rise to fame in the late 1990s (the band are pictured without Mel B at Emma Bunton’s birthday bash last year)

‘I didn’t even have that. I just woke up going, “Oh, last, last night was fun,” where I had completely brushed off that situation. 

‘But obviously, it had really affected people in a way I hadn’t realised. So I was in trouble, and then Simon wanted to speak to me, and I was told in no uncertain terms if anything ever happened like that again, I would be gone. 

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‘So that completely freaked me out, one, because I didn’t realise I’d done anything that terribly bad, and two, because my actions may have led to me losing everything I’d ever wanted, you know?’

Mel previously shared that she is still holding out hope for a Spice Girls reunion, and said she’d love to see the band headline Glastonbury Festival.

It follows rumours that the Spice Girls are set to virtually reunite on stage in the form of holographic avatars, like those seen in the ABBA Voyage show in East London. 

Victoria said on SiriusXM radio this week: ‘I think it would be a great idea. The principle of it would be great. We were talking about it at dinner, but we’ll see.’

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 Addressing the rumours, Mel responded: ‘That would be an amazing thing for us to do, for that legacy to be able to live on, but personally, I want to see us on stage together. 

‘I think we need to do some more live stuff, while we still can. There’s so many opportunities, we could do Glastonbury, we could to the Sphere [in Las Vegas], there’s lots of things I’d like to do and I’m working on them.’

She added of her own tour following the release of her new album: ‘I am doing a world tour, I haven’t done a world tour for over 20 years, but the impact of this record has allowed me to go international again.

‘I love performing, anyone who knows me [knows that]. It just doesn’t stop and I’m having the time of my life. 

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‘Once I get up there, honestly, it’s given me so much energy, it reminds me of why you do it. The people who appreciate your music, it’s the best thing.’

Melanie recently reunited with Scary Spice Mel B on stage as she promoted music from her album, with the duo performing Spice Up Your Life. 

Listen to the full interview on The Louis Theroux podcast, available whereever you get your podcasts. 

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Explosive devices blow up near hotel where Macron is staying in Damascus

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Explosive devices blow up near hotel where Macron is staying in Damascus

Explosions occurred in the Syrian capital of Damascus near a hotel where French president Emmanuel Macron was due to be staying.

Roads ‌were sealed off and security ‌measures were implemented after ‌the blast. Images of the scene show a plume of black smoke and multiple fires as locals gather round

A witness ⁠heard explosions in the vicinity and smoke was seen rising, according to Reuters news agency.

The French president did not hear any explosions while on his way to meet Sharaa, the Elysee palace said.

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Smoke and fire rise at the site where explosive devices blew up near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to be staying
Smoke and fire rise at the site where explosive devices blew up near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to be staying (Reuters)

Macron was received by the Syrian president soon after the explosions occurred, according to Syrian state TV, making him the first major western leader to visit the war-torn country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visited in April but Macron is the first leader from western Europe or North America to do so.

The French president’s visit comes during a period of relative calm in the Middle East after the monthlong war in Iran and Lebanon.

France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of their meeting at the People's Palace in Damascus
France’s President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of their meeting at the People’s Palace in Damascus (AFP/Getty)

He will travel next to Ankara, Turkey, for the Nato summit, where Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa is also expected to attend and hold a high-profile meeting with US president Donald Trump.

“I have come to express France’s commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors,” Macron said in a post on X. “Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace.”

France supports all those who can “contribute to build a new Syria” in line with the aspirations expressed since the 2011 Arab Spring, Macron’s office said, referring to a period of widespread uprisings across the Middle East that called for political change and reform.

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Macron will “engage directly with diverse Syrian people” after he meets with al-Sharaa, his office said.

More follows on this breaking news story…

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‘I felt nine months pregnant – but I wasn’t ready for what doctor’s told me’

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Manchester Evening News

Becky Small, 33, says she was twice misdiagnosed by GPs before finally getting her terrifying diagnosis after visiting A&E

A mum of three who suffered bloating so severe it felt as though she was “nine months’ pregnant” claims she was misdiagnosed by two GPs before to being told she had stage four cancer.

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Becky Small, 33, a logistics manager from Hampshire, noticed “severe bloating” in her abdomen in April, describing it as feeling “really hard” – uncomfortable enough to disrupt her sleep.

She also experienced pain on the right side of her back. She visited a GP who examined her, requested a urine sample and prescribed anti-inflammatory medication.

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When her condition showed no signs of improvement, Becky went to a different GP at another practice, who she claims didn’t carry out any tests and “didn’t even feel” her stomach before prescribing medication for suspected gastroenteritis – an infection of the intestines.

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By early May, Becky described her abdomen as “rock solid”, leading her to attend A&E. There two doctors “examined (her) properly” and were “shocked” that neither blood tests or CT scans had previously been done.

That same evening, Becky was told that doctors had discovered two lesions on her ovaries and one on her kidney, and her immediate thought was that she was “going to die”.

After a biopsy, Becky finally received her diagnosis of stage four metastatic ovarian cancer on June 1, before starting chemotherapy four days later.

Becky’s husband Paul, 34, has been one of her biggest supporters, especially when they told their two eldest children, Logan, 10, and Harley, eight, about her cancer diagnosis.

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As for their daughter, Iris, four, Becky said she knows her mother is unwell, but she is “too young to understand” what cancer really means.

Becky said: “My daughter starts school this year and that is the bit that scares me the most – that I’m not going to see her start school. I just want to be a mum to my kids and to be a wife to my husband.”

According to the NHS, the main symptoms of ovarian cancer can include bloating, pain in your tummy or the area between your hips, no appetite and increased urgency or frequency of peeing, along with back pain.

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The bloating was getting bigger

Despite a diagnosis at 16 of polycystic ovaries which made later conceiving her children difficult, Becky said she has always been “quite a fit and healthy person”, and going to the GP was “very rare” for her.

So, when she started experiencing bloating on April 22, she initially thought it might just be linked to her polycystic ovaries.

She said: “My stomach was going really hard all the time. I couldn’t fit any trousers on and it was just really uncomfortable. I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t even roll over in bed because it was so painful and so big.”

Becky said she visited a GP on April 27, who examined her abdomen and believed it might be inflammation, so he asked her to do a urine test which later came back as clear.

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She said she was also prescribed medication to help reduce the suspected inflammation and was told it should “go down within a couple of days” – but Becky said she saw no improvement “whatsoever”.

“The bloating was getting bigger,” she said.

On April 30, Becky saw a different GP and she claims the doctor did not carry out any tests or examine her abdomen.

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Instead, she said she was prescribed medication for gastroenteritis and was told she should be “back to normal” within a week.

By May 5, Becky said: “My stomach was rock solid, it was uncomfortable and it was painful. The only way to describe it was like I was nine months’ pregnant. I couldn’t breathe or walk properly too.”

‘Thinking that you’re going to die is a horrible feeling’

Becky took herself to A&E that morning, where she was examined by two doctors and had a cannula – a fine tube – inserted, before she had blood taken and a CT scan.

She said: “Two doctors actually examined me properly and were shocked that I hadn’t had tests done.”

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By that same evening, Becky said she was taken into a side room and made aware that doctors had found two lesions on her ovaries and one on her kidney.

Becky said: “My three children are my world, so thinking that you’re going to die is a horrible feeling.”

A biopsy on May 20 confirmed nine days later that Becky had stage four metastatic cancer, with an oncologist specifying on June 1 that it had originated on her ovaries.

Becky said she was in and out of hospital during the wait between the conversation on May 5 and the initial cancer diagnosis on May 29.

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“It was a hell of a long wait,” she said.

Becky said she has had two sessions of chemotherapy since June 5 and is thankful she is yet to experience “any major side effects”.

She will have four more rounds of chemotherapy, to be completed by September, as well as a full hysterectomy – where the womb and cervix is removed – in August.

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For now, Becky said she does not want to know her prognosis because she wants to “enjoy what time” she has left without worrying that she “may not wake up in the morning”.

Paul and Becky decided against telling their youngest child about her mother’s cancer diagnosis because she is “too young”, but Becky said telling their two eldest children was “the hardest conversation” she has ever had in her life.

She said: “I was in hospital at the time. We were just honest with them and said if they have questions or they want to talk, then they can.”

A fundraiser has since been launched to help support Becky and her family financially while she goes through treatment.

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Becky said the donations will allow her family to make memories like “going to the park and having an ice cream”.

She added: “It’s just things I want them to remember if I’m not here.”

Looking back on her cancer journey, Becky said: “I think I probably should have pushed to have extra tests done.

“If they had just run some more tests before, then I may be further along than where I am now.

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“If I hadn’t taken myself to A&E, then I probably wouldn’t be here now.”

Becky believes ovarian cancer is “silent and deadly”, so she is urging young women in particular to watch out for the symptoms and get tests if they have any concerns.

She said: “I don’t want other women or even my own daughter to have to go through what I’m going through.”

You can donate to Becky’s GoFundMe here.

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