An academic who was at the centre of a high-profile plagiarism row has resigned as a professor of sociology at the University of Cambridge after being placed under investigation.

The university, which consistently ranks at the top of higher education league tables, said its inquiry into Professor Jason Arday, who became its youngest black professor in 2023, had begun “following new information”.

The university said the inquiry would examine his academic qualifications and honorary appointments.

A series of media reports have alleged he plagiarised his PhD thesis and other research.

In a letter addressed to colleagues published on the Good Law Project’s website, Professor Arday said: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement.

“The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”

In an interview with The Times, he had denied the claims, saying: “I am accountable for the mistakes I’ve made. I hold myself accountable and other people should hold me accountable.

“We’re talking about academia here. I didn’t murder somebody. I think the cruelty that I’ve experienced and the positioning of me as this kind of liar and fantasist is totally unacceptable.”

A new university statement says: “The University of Cambridge has begun an investigation following new information about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments. In order to ensure a fair process, we will not comment further until this has concluded.

“Separately, there remains a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our misconduct in research policy. This is consistent with our previous statement on the matter.

“While we are fully aware of the public commentary and concerns around this matter, it remains vital that any process is thorough and adheres to both university policies and employment law.

“We also fully recognise that there is a person at the centre of this situation and we continue to provide support to him.

“We are aware that Jesus College, Cambridge, will be taking their own steps in relation to some of these matters.”

A Jesus College spokesperson said: “Parallel to the University of Cambridge’s investigation into Professor Arday, Jesus College is launching its own process. Professor Arday’s college fellowship is linked to his university role and we will fully support the university.

“Professor Arday remains a fellow during this process. We recognise that this is a very difficult time for him and his family, and ask that they are treated with compassion and respect.”

Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to her country in December, despite facing the death penalty there for crimes against humanity.

Hasina, who denies the charges, was tried in absentia after fleeing to India during an anti-government uprising in 2024.

On the second anniversary of being ousted, Hasina said in an audio broadcast to a crowded press club in Delhi that she “had to go back”, but wouldn’t announce her exact plans or dates yet.

Her Awami League party has been falling apart and Indian officials have been facing pressure to extradite her after a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death last year for ordering lethal force to be used on protesters.

Hasina’s virtual meeting with reporters at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Delhi was her first meeting with the media since she was toppled after 15 years in power.

She delivered a speech over an audio link and then took a handful of questions.

“I know that they may put me in jail or they may kill me, anything may happen, but still I have to go back,” she said.

In the address she alleged that several organisations had turned the 2024 student protests into a “violent movement”, without providing any evidence.

She has always rejected the charges on which she was convicted as politically motivated. But UN investigators found evidence that she and her government tried to cling to power using systematic, deadly violence.

In audio of one phone call verified by BBC Eye, Hasina was heard authorising the deadly crackdown on demonstrators. Prosecutors used the recording as crucial evidence in convicting her.

The UN estimates up to 1,400 people were killed, most by gunfire from security forces, during the protests, which started as a student-led movement against quotas in government jobs and turned into a mass uprising.

The 78-year-old fled Dhaka as tens of thousands of demonstrators held protests and stormed government buildings, including her official residence, plunging the country of more than 170 million into crisis.

Soon after she was toppled, an interim government took charge. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party came to power after elections in February this year, with its leader Tarique Rahman now prime minister.

His government had already warned local mediase not to publish or broadcast Hasina’s comments. After her address, it said it was “outraged” India had allowed her to take part in a public meeting with the media.

“Our people have firmly resolved that our nation will never again go back to the dark days of fascism and that Bangladesh will never be a client state,” a foreign ministry statement said.

Hasina’s presence in Delhi has strained relations with Bangladesh, which wants her extradited, a request India says it’s examining.

Martha Stewart has claimed Meghan Markle was ‘talking about’ her family’s trip to the UK to see King Charles while at a dinner party. 

The cooking legend, 85, said she recently attended the event in California, which the Duchess of Sussex also went to, and the pair briefly spoke. 

It came days after Meghan and Prince Harry arrived home from a trip to Britain with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, having gone to visit the Duke’s father, the King. 

‘I had dinner with Meghan Markle the other night. We were both guests at a dinner party in California. And she had just gotten back from the palace,’ Stewart told People. 

‘I didn’t talk to her really more than to say a couple words, but I know she was talking about it.’ 

The cookbook author also commented on how she felt about Meghan ‘stepping into [her] space’, following the launch of the Duchess’s cooking show, ‘With Love, Meghan’. 

‘If you’re an actress, it’s hard to then transition to a princess and then from a princess into a homemaking guru on a television show,’ Stewart said. ‘It doesn’t sort of follow. So go from there.’ 

It is not the first time Stewart has passed comment on Meghan’s arrival into the cooking world, with the star previously saying she hopes the Duchess ‘knows what she’s talking about’. 

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, pictured on her cooking show, ‘With Love, Meghan’ 

‘Authenticity, to me, is everything, and to be authentic and knowledgeable about your subject matter is extremely important,’ Stewart told Yahoo Lifestyle. 

She also claimed she didn’t ‘mind’ the idea of having successors. 

The Daily Mail has contacted Meghan’s representatives for comment.  

Meghan yesterday posted a new clip of her dancing to a happy birthday song wearing a tiara-like headband to celebrate turning 45. 

The Duchess uploaded a series of videos from her special day on Instagram, showing her bopping to the music and laughing as she and Harry put paper hats on their two dogs, Pula and Mamma Mia. 

In the clips, Meghan shares a rare glimpse of herself in casual attire as she sports white pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt branded with the words ‘It’s giving Mrs’. 

A birthday song plays in the background, while Harry laughs and says ‘oh dear’ from behind the camera. 

Her Instagram story then flicks to a second video showing the couple’s two dogs wearing paper hats – with the duke and duchess laughing as the pets appear less than impressed by their accessories. 

The hats slip on and off the dogs, before Harry repeats ‘oh dear’ and Meghan chuckles, adding: ‘Oh no, okay, let’s take it off. I’m sorry.’ 

Meghan thanked her followers ‘for the birthday love’ yesterday as she celebrated turning 45 by jumping into a pool

The Duchess also posted a new clip of her dancing to a happy birthday song to mark her turning 45 – white wearing a tiara-like headband 

The clips came hours after Meghan marked the occasion by sharing photos of herself jumping into an outdoor pool while holding balloons – as she thanked her followers for ‘the birthday love’ on social media. 

Her lifestyle brand As Ever also congratulated the mother-of-two with a snap of Meghan wearing a designer striped shirt from Céline and white Anine Bing ‘Brie’ jeans.

The company’s social media post also included a throwback photo of a young Meghan sporting pigtails and a white turtleneck, seated in what looks to be her childhood bedroom. 

To mark the duchess’s birthday, the brand wrote on social media: ‘Happy birthday to our founder, @meghan. Lighting No. 084 to celebrate!’ 

The caption referenced a candle sold by the brand, which appeared alongside other As Ever products in one of a quartet of photos posted to celebrate Meghan’s special day.  

Professor Jason Arday has resigned from the University of Cambridge just hours after it launched a probe into his ‘qualifications and appointments’.

Critics have accused the 41-year-old of copying significant chunks of his PhD thesis from earlier research published by another student, leading him last week to admit to a series of errors in his work. 

But he has insisted he is not a ‘liar and fantasist’ after doubts were raised about his seemingly sensational list of personal achievements, which included running 600 miles in six days and raising millions of pounds for charity. 

Prof Jason Arday became a poster boy for diversity as the university’s youngest ever black professor, but is now facing questions about both his academic record and a series of dazzling anecdotes from his past. 

Announcing he was quitting Cambridge on Wednesday evening, he lashed out at the ‘unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack’.

Prof Arday added: ‘While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement. 

‘The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.’

He went on to say: ‘This decision should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in scholarship or in the values that first brought me to Cambridge. Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me. 

Jason Arday became a poster boy for diversity as the university’s youngest black professor, but is now facing questions about his academic record and bizarre claims

‘It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.’

Just hours earlier Cambridge University confirmed it had ‘begun an investigation following new information about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments’. 

‘In order to ensure a fair process, we will not comment further until this has concluded,’ it added.

‘Separately, there remains a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our Misconduct in Research policy. This is consistent with our previous statement on the matter.’

Claims about the provenance of his PhD paper were followed by the discoveries of seemingly fanciful boasts about his achievements over the years.

Among the most bizarre was his claim he appeared in the TV series Seven Up, given it was first broadcast two decades before his birth in 1985. 

And it was today reported that the professor of sociology of education falsely claimed to have written a book entitled Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse.

It was confirmed the supposed book never hit the shelves and was abandoned by Palgrave Macmillan several years ago.

The publishers accepted his proposal for the book, but it was never made public. Palgrave Macmillan failed to say why.

Cambridge University has been standing stoically behind its flagship professor, previously arguing he is the victim of a ‘vile campaign to undermine his credibility’, but today appeared to change tack.

The university added: ‘While we are fully aware of the public commentary and concerns around this matter, it remains vital that any process is thorough and adheres to both University policies and employment law.

‘We also fully recognise that there is a person at the centre of this situation, and we continue to provide support to him.’

Jesus College confirmed shortly after that it had started its own probe into the professor’s behaviour. 

A spokesperson said: ‘Parallel to the University of Cambridge’s investigation into Professor Arday, Jesus College is launching its own process. 

‘Professor Arday’s College Fellowship is linked to his University role and we will fully support the University.

‘Professor Arday remains a Fellow during this process. We recognise that this is a very difficult time for him and his family, and ask that they are treated with compassion and respect.’

Footage has emerged from a talk the professor gave in 2022 in which he claimed to have appeared in the TV series Seven Up (Pictured: The original Seven Up show which aired in 1964)

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Support among university staff seemed to be waning after the name of Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, the president of Wolfson College, Cambridge, disappeared from an open letter supporting him. 

The letter, started by Left-wing campaign group Good Law Project, accused ‘Right-wing newspapers’ of trying to ‘smear’ Prof Arday with ‘fake accusations of plagiarism’.

Dame Ijeoma had previously been the second-named signatory on the letter, but her name is no longer visible on the open letter’s web page.   

She was one of three Cambridge college principals whose name appeared on the letter, which begins: ‘We, the undersigned, are appalled by the sustained and malicious attacks on the academic integrity of Professor Jason Arday.’

Another of the signatories was Lord Woolley, who had listed his job title as principal of Homerton College. But although his name remains on the open letter, his academic role has been removed. 

Multiple other universities have distanced themselves from Prof Arday after he claimed to have held academic positions there, including Ohio State University, Durham University and the University of Glasgow. 

The Department for Education said that the new Secretary of State, Lucy Powell, would not be intervening in the row. 

But Ms Powell was left red-faced after it emerged that her own adviser handed Mr Arday a role at her charity last year.

Special adviser Sarah Waite, appointed this week, said she was ‘thrilled’ to welcome him as a Patron of Get Further, a charity that gives extra tuition to disadvantaged pupils.

In a statement on its website, Ms Waite added: ‘We are delighted to have such an inspiring advocate join us in this important work.’

She founded the charity in 2018, after a period working in the Department for Education’s social mobility team, before returning as a special adviser two days ago. 

The Labour Party became further entangled in the row today after it was revealed that Mr Arday stood as a candidate for the party in Croydon. He won 953 votes in the Purley and Woodcote ward of the council in 2018, losing to the Conservatives.

Raised in south London by working-class immigrants from Ghana, the professor said he was diagnosed with autism, dyslexia and ‘global development delay’ at a young age, and was non-verbal until the age of 11. 

He has described only learning to read and write at 18, but went on to enrol in a BTech course before studying for a degree in PE and teaching, followed by two Master’s and, ultimately, a PhD from Liverpool John Moores University.

He taught at four universities prior to Cambridge but his elevation to such a high-profile institution sparked scrutiny, which led to allegations of plagiarism in his 2015 PhD thesis last year.

Liverpool John Moores University cleared him of academic misconduct, but there have been calls for a fresh inquiry after critics uncovered scores of ‘plagiarised’ passages in his work.

The Daily Mail last week revealed the professor’s remarkable claim he had been on Seven Up, a landmark show which has followed the lives of the same group of people every seven years from the age of seven since 1964.

Footage from a talk Prof Arday gave in 2022 showed him telling the University of Bath’s Race Equality Taskforce: ‘I was part of a programme which doesn’t really exist any more, but was called Seven Up at the time.

‘Seven Up is basically when they follow you over the duration of your life, so they follow you at seven, 14, 21. I was pulled out of the project when I was 14.’

Seven Up was first broadcast two decades before Professor Arday was born in 1985.

The original 14 participants would have been born in 1956 or 1957. The Seven Up project is scheduled to end this year.

He also would have been too old to have featured in a series launched in 2000 by the BBC – Up Millennium Generation – which followed individuals who were seven years old at the turn of the millennium.

In response to inquiries from the Daily Mail, Professor Arday said that when he talked of ‘Seven Up’, he didn’t mean ‘Seven Up’ the famous TV series, which followed children at seven-year intervals in the format he described. He said that in fact he was referring to ‘a local community and parent-led initiative developed around the Ubuntu principle that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.

‘It was organised by Black women to support Black mothers raising children with complex learning needs.’

He asked that we attribute the quotes to ‘a source close to Professor Arday’.

‘The reference to “Seven Up” was used informally as a shorthand illustration of the concept. It was not intended as a literal comparison and should be understood in the context in which it was made. Attempts to present the phrase in isolation risk creating a misleading impression of both the initiative and Professor Arday’s comments,’ Professor Arday said.

A BBC spokesman on Sunday confirmed Professor Arday had ‘nothing to do with our films’.

Search teams backed by military helicopters recovered the bodies of renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja and three other missing climbers on Wednesday following an “exceptionally challenging and technically demanding” operation.

This brings the number of bodies recovered from Broad Peak to seven nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member international expedition, officials said on Wednesday.

Search teams brought down three other bodies on 1 Aug. The bodies will be transported to a military hospital in Skardu when weather conditions permit, local officials said.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Alpine Club of Pakistan announced that “the bodies of Nirmal Purja, (Chinese climber) Zhong Wang, Nima Sherpa, and Kilu Sherpa have been successfully recovered and have now arrived safely at Base Camp”.

A recovery team of Nepali and Pakistani rescuers led by mountaineer Mingma G had set out from Base Camp on Wednesday morning and reached above the 5,000-metre mark, where the bodies of Purja, Nima Sherpa, and Wang Zhong had remained stranded.

Major General Irfan Arshad, the president of the Alpine mountaineering club, said: “I extend my sincere gratitude to the dedicated ground recovery team, led by Mingma G and supported by Sirbaz Khan, Abid Baig, Sherbaz, together with Dipen Gurung and Pemba Chhewang Sherpa whose courage, professionalism, and selfless commitment made this recovery possible under extremely difficult conditions.”

Alpine Club, however, said that three climbers still remain missing.

It was reported earlier that Nepali climber Nawang Thindhu Sherpa’s body remained stranded in a hazardous area above 6,000m.

“We remain committed to supporting all possible efforts to locate and recover them, whenever conditions allow, so that they too may be returned home to their loved ones,” ACP said.

“The recovered climbers will now begin their final journey home to their families.”

Ten climbers from five countries were killed when a massive avalanche swept through Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region on 30 July.

The group, including Purja, was making a summit push on the world’s 12th-highest mountain when the avalanche struck between Camps II and III.

The victims included elite Sherpa guides, experienced high-altitude climbers and clients pursuing long-held mountaineering ambitions from Nepal, Oman, China, Pakistan and the United States.

Pakistan foreign minister Ishaq Dar expressed condolences to the families of those killed, saying he was deeply saddened by the tragedy and Pakistan remained committed to the ongoing operation in coordination with the embassies of Nepal, Oman, Britain and the United States.

Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude and rapidly changing weather.

A Chinese climber died last year after being struck by falling rocks while descending K2, the world’s second-highest mountain

It was a scene not dissimilar to one penned by EastEnders scriptwriters. In an astonishing video, Shane Richie, one of the BBC soap’s biggest stars, launched a furious and expletive tirade at staff working at a Tesco petrol station in Essex after they told him to stop vaping on the forecourt.

Richie, who plays the lovable rogue Alfie Moon, was seen drunkenly shouting ‘f*** off’ and ‘I don’t give a f***’ when he was informed by the employees that it was dangerous.

Fans of EastEnders might assume he too would be read the riot act by BBC bosses.

However, on-set sources say not, which has left some of his younger co-stars ‘furious’ and have accused the show’s chiefs of ‘double standards and favouritism’ as they believe they would have been punished, or even sacked.

Instead, Richie, who was previously married to Loose Women panellist Coleen Nolan, has been allowed to take part in a stage show called the Prat Pack tour later this month alongside Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley and Joe Pasquale, and appear in pantomime as Muddles in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs alongside Steps star Faye Tozer in Southend in December.

My source says: ‘Senior bosses are sticking by Shane for now, they have been in contact with him and they have even offered him words of wisdom. Shane was on the front page of a red top newspaper where he was shouting because he couldn’t vape, it was atrocious.

‘BBC bosses hate it when their soap stars are in the headlines for anything other than their acting. If it wasn’t one of the legendary stars , they would have most certainly been dragged in and reprimanded for their behaviour.

‘Thankfully for the bosses who are not regarded to have treated him fairly, Shane is due to leave the show soon for his stage show and panto work, which was planned with the approval of management months ago.

‘It has acted as a safety barrier for EastEnders and relieved bosses don’t have to be seen to be taking immediate action but this has caused a lot of upset amongst his co-stars who are furious that he has been allowed to just get away with it.

‘It stinks of double standards and the bosses having favourites, there is a lot of anger behind the scenes on EastEnders right now.’

EastEnders insiders say that younger cast members claim there are different rules for them compared to stars considered to be the ‘favourites’ by soap bosses and Richie’s tirade has reignited the chatter.

Indeed, the likes of Jessie Wallace, 54, who plays Kat Slater and Steve McFadden, 67, known for his role as Phil Mitchell, have both engaged in much off-screen drama yet are both still cast members.

Meanwhile, Melissa Suffield, 33, who played Lucy Beale, exited the show under a cloud when she was a teenager for alleged ‘unruly behaviour’ and underage drinking.

‘Some younger actors are extremely annoyed as they know if it was them in this situation, there would not even be a discussion with bosses, they would be dismissed on the spot for bringing the show into disrepute. They just know they would be sacked.’

Another angered source tells me: ‘Perhaps [Richie] could focus on his actual job like the rest of us have to. We can’t all get months off at a time to take on lucrative offers for panto and tours.

‘There’s a real split at the moment but Shane’s a favourite so few are willing to speak up for fear of reprisals. Others have been sacked for less.’

The actor was later arrested and charged with drink driving after swearing at staff members

Fans of EastEnders might assume he too would be read the riot act by BBC bosses after his petrol station tirade 

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Father-of-five Richie was brought on as Alfie Moon in 2002 by then executive producer Louise Berridge at a time when the show was facing criticism from viewers for its ‘doom and gloom’ storylines.

Cheeky-chappie and serial charmer Alfie was an instant hit with EastEnders’ then nightly viewership of 12million and he played the role until his first exit in 2005. He subsequently returned in 2010 where he took over the iconic Queen Vic pub with his on-screen lover Kat Slater. He made another comeback in 2022 and has remained on screen until now.

‘There’s little sympathy for Shane at Elstree,’ my mole continued. ‘People who earn nothing compared to him are expected to feel sorry for him because he’s struggling with his workload but yet he’s the one taking on extra work for extra money.’

After the petrol station rant, the actor was arrested and charged with drink driving.

Richie, 62, will face the magistrates’ court in Colchester next month – which comes after something of a colourful past.

Having begun his career as a bluecoat entertainer in Pontins Holiday Camp on the Isle of Wight, he revealed in his 2003 memoir how he had sex with six women at the same time in a chalet while in the role.

He also cheated on Coleen, the mother of his two sons Shane Jnr and Jake, with dancer and actress Claire Taylor between 1990 and 1999. The affair led to the end of their marriage.

Richie has been married to his second wife, actress Christie Goddard, since 2007 and they have three children together, Mackenzie Blue, 20, Lolita-Belle 18, and 15-year-old Romani-Skye.

EastEnders insiders say younger cast members claim there are different rules for them compared to stars seen to be the ‘favourites’ by soap bosses, such as Richie’s Alfie Moon

Despite his arrest, Richie’s plans to appear in both a stage show next month and a Christmas panto remain in place, giving rise to allegations of ‘favouritism’ among the EastEnders cast

Shane Richie with his first wife Coleen Nolan at the National TV Awards, London, in 1997

Three years ago he revealed he had been through therapy for his temper after growing up with an abusive father and said he barely touches alcohol now.

Richie made his terrestrial television debut on BBC One in 1990, starring as a comic on sketch show Up To Something.

Despite his reputation as something of a ‘badboy’, Richie has enjoyed an illustrious career, winning roles in musicals such as Boogie Nights and Grease where he played lead character Danny Zuko in the London revival of the 70s romcom. (During this time he risked the wrath of the law by giving free tickets to touts, who then went on to sell them for Richie at a profit).

He has also hosted game shows Don’t Forget The Lyrics for Sky, Lucky Numbers, Win Your Wishlist and Reflect for the BBC.

‘Shane has a real naughty past,’ says my source. ‘And he behaved badly at the petrol station yet in 2026, he’s still allowed to get away with it.’

One local said the community was ‘sold a vision of a well-rounded community with social infrastructure’ but ‘are now being presented with yet another block of retirement flats’

Locals have been left feeling angry over proposals for retired living apartments after being “promised” a pub or local facility. If approved, the proposals would see land off Back Lane, north of Holiday Inn Express in Cambourne, developed into 58 retired living apartments.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Planning Committee is due to consider the proposals at a meeting on August 12, 2026. Cambourne Town Council, who reminded the community of the upcoming meeting, said the application has “attracted significant interest and objections from members of our community”, adding that the Committee’s decision will be “an important one for Cambourne”.

The plans, submitted by McCarthy Stone Retirement Lifestyles Limited, propose to deliver 58 apartments for people of retirement age and above. Of the 58 apartments, 39 would be one-bedroom and 19 would be two-bedroom units.

The four storey apartment building would feature a communal homeowners lounge, guest suite and reception area. The development would also deliver a refuse store, mobility scooter store room with charging points and communal landscaped gardens.

If permission is granted, a total of 38 car parking spaces would be provided for residents, staff, and visitors within the development.

The site, about nine miles from Cambridge, is centrally located within the town on the main approach from the A428. McCarthy Stone claims the scheme would aim to provide “much needed” retirement accommodation to the local area.

A planning document says: “The provision of retirement accommodation will enhance the diversity of developments in the area, while benefiting from the numerous local services and amenities.”

However, not everyone is in support of the proposal as dozens of objections have been lodged on the planning website. One local said: “We DO NOT require any more retirement homes in Cambourne. We need facilities for families. Restaurants, pubs, shops and a decent high street.”

Another objector wrote: “There is a lack of amenities and social gathering space in Cambourne as it is. Building more residential property on remaining space further diminishes the opportunities to create space that works for a large majority of residents in Cambourne.

“This land was designated for a pub and restaurant. Amenities that would create employment and a social hub in the centre of Cambourne.”

Another local claimed the land was “earmarked for the greater community use” adding, “we have been promised a community facility here for a long time”.

Additionally, another objector said: “When Cambourne was first planned, residents were sold a vision of a well-rounded community with social infrastructure to match its growing population. Part of that vision included the provision of a second public house on this key gateway site. This wasn’t just a nice-to-have – it was a vital promise made to support a sustainable, connected, and socially thriving town.

“Instead, we are now being presented with yet another block of retirement flats, despite there already being developments in Cambourne, many of which are still under-occupied.

“There is no proven need for additional retirement housing of this type in the area, especially when the broader community lacks basic leisure, hospitality, and gathering spaces. The demand is not for more housing, but for places where residents – of all ages – can come together.”

This is the full statement released by the Met Police just after 3.30pm, following this afternoon’s incident in Covent Garden.

The force said: “Four men – aged 34, 39, 42, and 52 – were found with stab wounds and assessed at the scene by paramedics.

“They were taken to hospital where two remain with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening or life changing.

“The other two victims have since been discharged.

“At around 12:27hrs on Wednesday, 5 August, police were called to reports of stabbing on Endell Street, Covent Garden.

“Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.

“A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault.

“She was taken to custody where she remains.

“Police remain in the area, with a scene in place on Endell Street and the surrounding areas in Covent Garden.

“Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD3449/05AUG.”

The scene has since been cleared, with all police cordons lifted.

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 18:27 BST, 5 August 2026 | Updated: 19:11 BST, 5 August 2026

Multiple people have been killed after a mass shooting broke out in a secluded North Carolina neighborhood, police said. 

Shots rang out around 8.30am on Wednesday at a home in Prospect Hill, a quaint community located in Caswell County that is about 45 miles outside of Greensboro. 

Deputies with the Caswell Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the scene. 

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) confirmed that several people were killed, but did not comment further. 

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Police said there is no threat to the small community at this time and that it is believed to be an ‘isolated incident.’ 

All three agencies have since gathered outside of the home, WRAL News reported.  

No victims have been identified and there is no information on a possible suspect. 

It is unclear if the people involved in the deadly shooting knew each other.  

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The Daily Mail contacted the agencies for comment. 

Shots rang out around 8.30am on Wednesday at a home in Prospect Hill, a quaint community located in Caswell County that is about 45 miles outside of Greensboro

No victims have been identified and there is no information on a possible suspect. It is unclear if the people involved in the deadly shooting knew each other

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Caswell Sheriff Tony Durden said the NCSBI has been processing evidence at the scene and conducting interviews. 

His agency is working on notifying the victim’s next of kin, Durden said. 

The incident remains under investigation.  

This is breaking news… updates to follow.  

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You search online for a pair of trainers. Minutes later, similar shoes appear on social media feeds. A shopping site offers a limited-time discount and suggests a matching jacket. This is no longer just an advert shown to millions of people. Increasingly, artificial intelligence is helping decide not only what you see, but which sales pitch is most likely to persuade you.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in online shopping, researchers like me are asking whether these systems are merely making shopping easier, or quietly encouraging us to buy far more than we need. At the same time, a growing body of research suggests that more mindful shopping habits may offer one of the few effective ways for consumers to stay in control of their decisions.

Advertising has always tried to influence consumers. While mass marketing delivered the same message to everyone, AI can build detailed profiles from our interests and online behaviour, continually adjusting recommendations based on what we search for, click on or leave in an online basket.

On online shopping sites this might mean product recommendations linked to a recent search. On social media, it could be a sponsored post resembling content already holding your attention.

Personalisation can be genuinely useful, reducing the effort involved in finding relevant products. But it also allows advertising to become more adaptive. And potentially more persuasive.

That persuasion works because it reduces the mental effort involved in shopping. Instead of comparing hundreds of options, we are presented with a shortlist that feels relevant. Familiarity, customer reviews and scarcity messages such as “only two left” create a sense of urgency.

Of course, AI didn’t invent these techniques. One-click payment, limited-time offers and personalised recommendations have long been features of online retail. What AI changes is the speed and precision with which companies can learn which combination of messages works best for each person. Experimental research suggests that these kinds of online “dark patterns” can produce small but measurable increases in impulse buying.

Research suggests AI may make this influence even harder to recognise. A 2025 peer-reviewed experiment involving 179 participants found that many people struggled to identify advertising embedded within AI chatbot conversations, often interpreting promotional content as helpful advice rather than advertising.

A more recent 2026 preprint involving 2,012 participants reached a similar conclusion. Researchers found that conversational AI steered users towards sponsored books far more often than conventional search rankings, while most participants did not recognise the promotional influence. Because the study has not yet been peer reviewed, its findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution.

When convenience turns into extra consumption

The concern is not that AI removes our ability to choose freely. Rather, it can shorten the gap between wanting something and stopping to consider whether we actually need it. A recommendation arrives at exactly the right moment, perhaps accompanied by a discount or a reminder that an item is nearly sold out. Decisions that once involved reflection can become almost automatic.

That matters not only for household budgets but also for the environment. Every unnecessary purchase requires raw materials, manufacturing, packaging and transport. In Europe, around 20% of garments bought online is returned, while an estimated 22% to 43% of returned online clothing is destroyed.

So, how can consumers respond without abandoning the convenience that AI-powered shopping offers?

One increasingly discussed approach is mindful consumption. Rather than shopping on autopilot, it encourages people to become more aware of what is influencing their decisions and to pause long enough to consider whether a purchase reflects a genuine need or simply a well-timed temptation.

A 2025 study found that people with higher levels of trait mindfulness tended to report lower levels of impulse buying overall. But a brief mindfulness exercise did not reduce immediate buying urges or behaviour. Awareness is therefore not a magic switch.

Putting the pause back into the purchase

In my research with a colleague, mindful consumption begins with three ideas: noticing what influences our decisions, considering the wider consequences of what we buy, and recognising when enough is enough.

This kind of mindfulness is not about meditating before buying a pair of shoes. Psychologist Ellen Langer has long argued that mindfulness can simply mean actively noticing what is happening around us and questioning familiar habits.

Applied to shopping, it means interrupting the automatic purchase. Before buying something unplanned, ask yourself: did I want this before I saw the recommendation? What need will it actually meet? How often will I use it?

It can also help to create small moments of friction. Leave an item in your basket overnight instead of buying immediately. Turn off retail notifications. Remove stored payment details. Shop from a list rather than an endless stream of recommendations. Check whether a recommendation is sponsored and compare it with alternatives outside the platform making the suggestion.

Responsibility, however, should not rest solely with consumers. As AI-powered marketing becomes more sophisticated, platforms should make it easier to distinguish advertising from advice, explain why recommendations are appearing and avoid exploiting people’s vulnerabilities.

AI’s greatest power is not that it forces us to buy. It is that it makes temptation more personal, more timely and easier to accept. Mindful consumption restores something digital shopping increasingly removes: a genuine moment to decide whether wanting should become buying.