BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Wiza Bondele goes to work every day at a hospital in Congo with one goal in mind: to slow the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record.

At an Ebola treatment hospital in the eastern Ituri province, the epicenter of Congo’s ongoing outbreak, Bondele disinfects contaminated areas, checks visitors’ temperatures and enforces handwashing protocols — work that puts him at risk of getting infected.

But like hundreds of other front-line health workers, including burial teams and drivers, Bondele says he has been working without pay since the outbreak was declared in mid-May in one of Congo’s most remote and conflict-hit regions.

Poor welfare for front-line workers has been a key source of concern in the outbreak. The payment issues and attacks on health teams and facilities have forced some health workers to walk off the job, disrupting critical care in the outbreak that authorities say continues to spread at an alarming rate and faster than efforts to track it.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials, a risk Bondele is well aware of.

“Sometimes patients are bleeding or vomiting blood. We clean and disinfect those places,” the 29-year-old infection control worker told The Associated Press while on duty. “With risks like that, we deserve salaries.”

Confirmed cases in the outbreak have exceeded 4,000, including over 1,800 deaths, according to the latest government data. It is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, behind the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that recorded more than 28,000 cases, including over 11,000 deaths. Another from 2018-2020 killed at least 2,200.

This outbreak has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.

Workers continue despite financial strain

A veteran of Congo’s 2018 Ebola response, Bondele returned when the virus resurfaced, believing his experience could help protect his community in Ituri, which accounts for nearly 90% of the Ebola cases.

Instead, he found himself among many workers who have continued reporting for duty without receiving the monthly salary of $510 that Bondele said they were promised.

Officials have told them that the outstanding payments will be made, he said. Workers have registered their numbers to get paid through mobile money transactions, signed attendance sheets and waited for payment notifications, but only some were eventually paid.

Bondele said even colleagues who were paid have told him they have not received the full amount.

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Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has not yet followed transfer instructions previously laid out by Paul Scholes

Michael Carrick has not sanctioned any major sales so far this summer at Manchester United. This is despite United hero Paul Scholes recommending eight stars be sold.

Carrick is currently taking charge of his first pre-season and there are just a few weeks until the Premier League returns. With only three first-team signings made so far in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow, more additions are expected.

However, there has yet to be a major exit from the club, aside from Casemiro’s departure. In April, Scholes was asked for a series of United stars who were surplus to requirements and of the eight players he listed, only one appears set to leave as things stand.

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Joshua Zirkzee was among the players that Scholes believed should be sold and the former Bologna forward is edging closer to a return to Italy. La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Zirkzee is willing to join Juventus, who are pursuing a loan arrangement with an option to buy.

Scholes and Carrick spent seven seasons together in United’s midfield during their playing days. However, whilst the pundit’s suggestion to move on Zirkzee may materialise, the other seven stars Scholes mentioned could all remain part of United’s squad next term, with Carrick’s response clear.

The 51-year-old stressed the importance of United revamping their defence. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Scholes said of Leny Yoro: “I think he’s struggled, me. I think there’s something in there, I think he needs a bit of time, but if you had to make a choice now, I’d probably sell him.”

He also argued that the shift away from ex-boss Ruben Amorim’s three-at-the-back system would have implications for Noussair Mazraoui. Mazraoui has been linked with a departure this summer, though he remains part of Carrick’s side. Highly-rated defender Yoro has also expressed a desire to make his mark at United next season.

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Turning to midfield, Scholes felt Manuel Ugarte would depart and the Uruguayan was linked with a move before picking up an injury at the World Cup. Mason Mount also featured on Scholes’ eight-man list, though the England international has caught the eye during pre-season.

Additionally, Scholes felt the moment had arrived to say goodbye to Harry Maguire, who continues to have a key role at United. He said: “I’m thinking about a Manchester United team you want to win the league and the Champions League and that’s where United should be aiming. I’m not sure you’d do that with Maguire.”

Elsewhere, United have held an interest in Newcastle United full-back Lewis Hall in the transfer window. Focusing on the left-back position, Scholes previously urged the club to offload long-serving Luke Shaw due to doubts about his reliability, despite him having featured in every Premier League fixture last season. He was equally prepared to let Patrick Dorgu leave.

Scholes said on Dorgu: “They brought him in as a wing-back and he’s not really played much there. I’d probably sell. I’m not sure what position he is. Again, if you keep him then he’s just a squad player.”

Overall, of the eight players Scholes recommended be sold, only Zirkzee appears set for an imminent exit. There has been little speculation regarding the remaining seven of Yoro, Mazraoui, Shaw, Dorgu, Mount, Ugarte and Maguire.

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From a small YouTube channel with barely 50 subscribers to a cushy jail cell curtesy of pipe bomb plot, Dan Laponder has had an unusual rise to infamy. A founder and former president of the the Mad Dogs Motorcycle Club, Laponder is well known among bikers.

He was one of the lead figures when the gang broke away from Blue Angels – Scotland’s oldest motorbike outlaw gang – in 2023. That move sparked conflict between the two tribes who have remained at war ever since.

Violent confrontations have seen several bikers injured – including former Mad Dogs president Mark “Bruni” Brown who has been forced to step away from gang. Two years ago, Laponder planted a pipe bomb under a rival’s father’s van amid the feud and he was subsequently jailed for nine years.

As the gang war between the two groups wages on, just who is Dan Laponder? Daniel McMillan Laponder, now 45, was originally a member of the Blue Angels and he rose to become a leading figure within the gang.

He was always destined to be a key figure in the biker gangs of Britain – his younger brother David followed as he became a member of the Sons of Hell biker gang in Tameside. In November 2020, David was sentenced to nine years behind bars after striking Daniel Gibbons – the president of the Warrington branch of the gang – over the head with a meat cleaver eight times during a ‘frenzied attack’.

In February 2023, he opened a YouTube channel – easy entry locksmith – which he used as “a record of my locksmith training”. The videos, which include “drilling a yale lock”, “snapping a lock” and “practice opening a car with non destructive entry kit” show Laponder testing his skills.

He barely speaks in the videos which show different locksmith techniques and were published between April and November 2023. It was around this time that he led the split from the Blue Angels.

The exact reason for the unceremonious break is unknown but Laponder took a bunch of bikers with him to found Mad Dogs Motorcycle Club. Two further videos entitled “digger driver vibes” and “digger v dumper driver race” and published on his YouTube channel in 2024 show Laponder driving construction vehicles.

All told, his 24 videos have racked up 22,200 views and he has drawn a whopping 51 subscribers. In May 2024, Laponder thanked killer John Bingham for “a very generous financial contribution” to the club.

Bingham, who had been cleared of murder after admitting stabbing love rival Alister Milroy to death in 2013, leapt from a car before threatening a female motorcyclist in a road rage incident. With the two gangs separated, they began a brutal war which has led to serious injuries, fire attacks and even a pipe bomb plot.

Laponder’s part in the feud has landed him a cushy life in jail after he was sentenced in November 2024. The then 43-year-old targeted David Rollo senior’s work van outside his home in Lennoxtown on June 8 that year.

Mr Rollo’s son is a member of the Blue Angels and Laponder chose the vehicle as his target during the gang feud. An off duty firefighter was alerted after the van was spotted on fire.

He attended to assess the situation and, underneath the van, he observed a device – a pipe bomb – made up from bottles, a copper pipe and RF receiver with an antenna. The bomb squad was quickly alerted and the area locked down as experts worked to defuse the device and make it safe.

Laponder was linked to the pipe bomb after DNA and fingerprints were recovered from the bottles and tape. A forensic investigation on the device found that it comprised of petrol and ball bearings with a remote activation attached to it.

At the time, he was living on a barge in Kirkintilloch and police attended his home on July 3 where he was found with a loaded side-by-side, double barrel, break action shotgun. When quizzed by officers, Laponder stated: “I’m not a Blue Angel anymore, I retired a year ago.”

Laponder was asked about the bomb and replied: “Link the dots, we’ve been getting attacked all the time. What is a remote detonator? It goes off with a remote, perhaps it was a shot across the bow.”

A garage linked to the Mad Dogs Motorcycle Club was raided and two remote firing systems similar to the one used in the bomb attack were recovered. Laponder pleaded guilty on October 15, 2024, to a charge of wilful fire raising and a charge under the Firearms Act 1968.

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He was sentenced to nine years behind bars the following month and his since been incarcerated at HMP Greenock. Despite his convictions, Laponder last month claimed his “window” for a low-security transfer is just months away. If so, he would be moved to HMP Castle Huntly near Dundee.

The low-supervision facility, set on a 15th-century castle estate, allows inmates deemed low-risk more freedom to go into the community to prepare them for release. In a social media post from his cell, Laponder boasted about his easy life behind bars, revealing he has penned a tell-all book about his crimes to set the record straight, recorded an acoustic album, and been handed a plum job mentoring new inmates.

He said: “My window to go to open prison is in six months, so that is my focus… I’ll be back on top soon enough.”

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The post added: “Well it’s coming up on two years I’ve been in prison. Time has gone by quite fast, probably because I have kept myself busy. Sooooooo what have we achieved in prison?

“I’m competent now on the guitar and I’m getting better by the day, I’ve been practicing for hours ever day learning scales, chords, progressions, different picking techniques so I’m happy where I am. I can play a few tunes on the harmonica but I’ve only got one in the G so only a couple of my own songs I can play both at the same time.

“My own songs I’ve written around 100 of, I’ve got some in the Koestler awards this year and we started recording an album up at music class using a desktop studio. It sounds good though lol. It’s just acoustic right now but in my head there’s loads going on, I’ll need to wait until I get out and find musicians to help me bring it all to life.

“I’ve written two books, one is a tutorial on how I taught myself guitar and the other is a short story of how I came to be in here, I thought people would be interested to hear the truth. I’ve got some poems down but most of my folders are full of scripts for a social media channel idea I have.

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“Talking about ideas I’ve got some inventions to patent when I get out. Last year I won an award for a painting I done but I’ve not been painting much I’ve got five of my own hanging up in my cell, them and some pics of Razor Candy, I started learning Spanish and Sign Language.

“I’m still finding time to smash the gym no one has knocked me off the board yet. The jail made me peer mentor so when new prisoners come in I show them around and tell them how everything works.

“I do miss my wee man terribly though. My window to go to open prison is in 6 months so that is my focus so I can get home to see him.

“Home? I have no home! I need to start all over again. I ain’t got a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, mans got skills though I’ll be back on top soon enough. Hey – I can always go busking now, anyway hasta luigo for now.”

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‘I hope my life saves another.’

Kiena Dawes’ last words before ending her life were a plea for her abuser to be held accountable for the ‘torture’ he put her through – and for no other women to be failed in the way she was.

But while Ryan Wellings was eventually found guilty of assaulting Kiena and subjecting her to prolonged domestic abuse, he was cleared of having any ‘criminal responsibility’ for her death.

High profile trials like Kiena’s ending in not guilty verdicts on manslaughter charges have led families, campaigners and even police and lawyers to call for a new law to ensure perpetrators are held responsible when their abuse leads to a person ending their own life.

Kiena’s Law would see the creation of a new standalone offence for domestic abuse-
related suicide.

Campaigners are also calling 
for coercive and controlling behaviour to be included within the ‘dangerous offender’ framework, allowing courts to impose extended sentences.

Kiena’s mother, Angela Dawes, backed calls for a law in her daughter’s name, saying: ‘My girl didn’t want to die. My girl wanted to live. But she lived in fear.’

Nobody in England or Wales has ever been convicted by a jury of manslaughter in relation to domestic abuse victims driven to suicide.

That is despite the grim fact that women in abusive relationships are now more likely to kill themselves than die at the hands of a current or former partner.

In its latest annual report, the Domestic Homicide Project, a programme led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), recorded 150 suspected domestic abuse-related suicides in England and Wales.

That is up from 98 suicides in the previous 12 months, and significantly higher than the 80 recorded intimate partner homicides.

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Yet figures show only 3% have resulted in any kind of prosecution.

When it comes to manslaughter, there has been just one conviction – that of Nicholas Allen, who pleaded guilty and was jailed for 10 years in 2017.

Kiena’s Law

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw in partnership with charity Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA), hosted a conference in Blackpool last month to launch a petition calling for Kiena’s Law and address concerns about the link between sustained domestic abuse and suicide.

He told Metro: ‘If you can imagine the pain, the anguish, the trauma that somebody must be in for them to be in such circumstances that they feel that taking their own life is the only escape from the abuse they’re enduring, it is horrendous.

‘We believe that the courts and the judicial system need to have the power in those circumstances to get justice for the victims, and there needs to be a greater deterrent for perpetrators.’

Frank Mullane, founder of AAFDA, said law change is critical if perpetrators are to be properly held to account.

He told Metro juries are ‘struggling’ with the link between domestic abuse and suicide and the legal concept of ‘causation’.

Defence teams are also being left free to ‘exploit any mental health difficulties the deceased may have had – even though some or all of those difficulties may have been caused or contributed to, by the abuse’.

‘Causation’ and the link between domestic abuse and suicide

In simple terms, causation is proof that a defendant’s conduct contributed to a victim’s death in a ‘significant’ way.

Several problems arise from that in cases of domestic abuse-related suicide.

They include the victim likely being nowhere near the defendant when they die and the suicide being seen as a ‘choice’ freely made by the deceased.

Another obvious difficulty is the absence of the victim’s voice from the witness box.

In that void, defendants can point the jury in the direction of myriad other issues to explain why they may have taken their own life, minimising the effects of their abusive behaviour and avoiding accountability for it.

Jurors are then left with what can appear to be a choice between either the abuse or the victim’s mental health as factors behind the decision to end their life, rather than an appreciation of how the two are intrinsically linked.

Dr Anne Lodge, a senior lecturer in law at Teesside University, told Metro: ‘Too often, suicide is treated as a completely independent choice of the victim.

‘But where someone has been subjected to years of coercive control, their autonomy may have been so eroded that they no longer see any other way out – they may be effectively stripped of their freedom to make choices.

‘That’s something the law needs to recognise.’

Tim Woodhouse, suicide prevention researcher at the University of Kent, found that one in three suicides in the county between 2018 and 2024 were impacted to some extent by domestic abuse.

If that number was applied nationwide, it could mean as many as 1,000 domestic abuse victims are taking their lives each year.

Mr Woodhouse told Metro: ‘Being physically abused, sexually attacked and emotionally tortured, week after week, month after month, is clearly exceptionally damaging to anyone’s mental health.

‘It’s made even worse when the person abusing you is someone you once loved.

‘So, on the one hand, it’s easy to understand why such a high number of victims are killing themselves, but we are just beginning to understand that these tragic deaths actually happen for a number of different reasons.

‘Some victims have been beaten so badly in the past that believe that they are going to be murdered by their perpetrator, so they attempt suicide as a way of controlling the way they die – even though they don’t actually want to stop living.

‘Others attempt suicide because they believe the lies that their perpetrator tells them, for example that their family and friends hate them and the world would be a better place without them it.

‘Finally other victims feel so isolated, trapped and helpless, that they simply can’t see another way of making the abuse stop.

‘Many of the victims in this group will have reached out to services like the police, the family court, domestic abuse charities and social services but not got the support they needed to make the abuse stop.’

In 2022, a coroner ruled that Jessica Laverack, 34, ended her life at her home in East Yorkshire after suffering domestic abuse.

Hers was the first inquest to make clear the link between domestic abuse and suicide.

Phyllis Daly, Jessica’s mother, told the Blackpool conference coercive control ‘leaves few visible signs, but can destroy a victim’s life’.

‘Jessica stated that she felt she had no escape and her life wasn’t her own anymore,’ she said. ‘She was trapped, miserable and fearful.’

She added: ‘Sustained domestic abuse that ends in suicide is not incidental. It’s a foreseeable outcome, a preventable outcome, and accountability has to follow.’

‘I didn’t want to end my life – I wanted the fear to end’

Dr Lodge said: ‘Many victims already have existing vulnerabilities, whether that is previous trauma or mental health difficulties.

‘Those factors can be used by the defence to argue that the abuse was not a sufficient or significant enough cause of the suicide.

‘This narrative potentially downplays the devastating impact prolonged coercive control can have and makes it harder to hold perpetrators criminally responsible for manslaughter.’

The conference got a harrowing glimpse of what a jury might hear if a victim could give evidence at their own manslaughter trial.

One survivor bravely spoke publicly for the first time about how she contemplated ending her life.

‘When people hear the words domestic abuse, they often imagine bruises, broken bones, black eyes,’ she said.

‘But abuse is rarely defined by one incident. It took years and a whole new vocabulary – gaslighting, stonewalling, coercive control – before I fully understood what had happened.’

She added: ‘People often think suicide is about wanting to die. For me, it wasn’t.

‘I didn’t want to end my life. I wanted the fear to end. I wanted the intrusive thoughts to end. I wanted to feel safe again.

‘There is a profound difference between wanting a life to end – all the things you love – and desperately wanting unbearable pain to stop, because when you’re in so much pain you can’t feel anything anyway.

‘No joy, no pleasure, no hope. You’re not living anymore anyway.

‘When someone dies after domestic abuse, we often ask “why did they take their own life?”

‘Perhaps we should begin by asking a different question – “what happened in the years before they died?”’

Local MPs Chris Webb and Lorraine Beavers pledged to campaign for Kiena’s Law in Parliament.

And Jess Phillips, the former minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls (VAWG), told the conference ‘justice is evading us’ currently but insisted the issue is ‘a fundamental part’ of the government’s VAWG strategy.

Ministers are ‘keen to look at what the solutions are in this space’, she added.

A Government spokesperson said: ‘We are committed to halving violence against women and girls, and our thoughts remain with all those who have lost loved ones as a result of domestic abuse.

‘We have now introduced better protection for victims by strengthening the management of offenders convicted of controlling and coercive behaviour.

‘The Law Commission is currently reviewing homicide law, including the use of manslaughter offences where abuse may have driven someone to suicide.’

‘Girls shouldn’t have to die to be heard’

During Wellings’ trial, the jury heard he was an ‘entitled, aggressive bully’ who would regularly slap and ‘rag’ Kiena by her hair.

He also threatened to use a drill to take her teeth out and ‘make her look like Katie Piper’ by throwing acid in her face.

More than once police were called, but Wellings threatened Kiena that she would have their daughter taken off them if she told them what was happening, so she declined to help prosecute him.

A final assault ‘broke’ Kiena, leaving her needing hospital treatment. This time she did make a statement to police and her tormentor was arrested.

He then broke his bail conditions but was not locked up, leaving her feeling let down by police.

Four days later she killed herself.

In her suicide note, she wrote: ‘The end. I fought hard, I fought long. I went through pain no-one could imagine.

‘I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I had dreams. I had a future at one point. That was taken away from me.’

But Wellings’ defence team described Kiena as a ‘very troubled young lady’ who ended her life not because of him, but because of ‘multiple factors’ including the loss of her father.

They also pointed to the fact she had made several attempts to end her life in the past, before she met Wellings.

Mr Mullane said: ‘Kiena’s Law represents an opportunity to recognise the devastating and sometimes fatal consequences of coercive and controlling behaviour, improve accountability and help prevent future deaths.

‘We owe it to Kiena and to every family affected by domestic abuse-related suicide to make that change.’

Mrs Dawes added: ‘Girls shouldn’t have to die to be heard, and my daughter had to die to be heard.

‘Nothing is ever going to bring my baby back, but if we can change things moving forward, I’d hate to see another family go through what we’ve been through.’

You can sign the petition Kiena’s Law: Recognise domestic abuse–related suicide in law by clicking here.

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

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Mark “Bruni” Brown says he is turning his back on the biker world after he was hacked at by masked assailants following a string of attacks.

A biker gang boss has quit after he was ambushed by machete thugs in a bloodbath on the M74.

Mark “Bruni” Brown – president of the Mad Dogs Motorcycle Club– was riding with fellow bikers when they were set upon by 12 thugs armed with bats and swords on the motorway, near Lesmahagow on Sunday.

After undergoing reconstructive surgery on his hands in hospital this week, he told the Record he has quit the biker gang over fears his family will be caught up in the violence.

The 63-year-old said: “I was driving on the motorway when I noticed one of our bikers had broken down.

“We stopped to help and the next thing I knew, masked men were hacking at me with machetes.

“My wife is terrified – I can’t go on living like this.

“I have left the Mad Dogs now and need to think about my family.

“Enough is enough. I won’t be back on the road with any motorbike club and just want to put this all behind me.”

Bruni revealed he has been targeted several times after he left rival biker gang the Blue Angels Motorcycle Club three years ago.

He continued: “I don’t know if it was Blue Angels who attacked me.

“Ever since I left Blue Angels my home has been petrol bombed, my car was torched, and now this.

“I’ve been in hiding due to threats on my life. We had to leave our home a year ago.”

Bruni and other Mad Dogs members were returning to Scotland from a weekend partying in England when they were set upon.

Armed thugs had been travelling in four vehicles and left the cars to attack the bikers who are regularly seen wearing leathers emblazoned with 1% logos, in reference to outlaw motorcycle gangs.

A red Mazda car used in the attack was later recovered in Ayrshire.

Earlier this week a social media post on a Mad Dogs Motorcycle Club page issued a defiant message and said they would not be forced off the road.

The now deleted post read: “A bit of background to what has been going on with the dogs. This is NOT rumours or bulls***, just straight facts.

“To set it straight YES we were attacked on the M74 motorway by 12 masked and heavily armed cowardly cardboard gangster puppets with swords, bats and anything they could grab as a weapon.

“Here’s their version, ‘We are all in hospital and some of us are dead. Clearly not, you incompetent cowards. You know what, we’re still standing and always will be!

“We have the same rights to drive on the roads as anyone else, doing what we want to do, but some people just can’t handle the fact we’re still here and growing stronger.”

The post was accompanied with pictures of Bruni but he told the Record it was nothing to do with him.

He was released from hospital on Thursday morning and claims injuries to his hands left him unable to pick up a phone.

He added: “This Facebook post was written as if it were speaking on my behalf but nothing could be further from the truth.

“Whoever put the message out there is just putting a target on my back.

“I was furious when my wife told me about it.

“Most of the injuries I suffered were defence wounds on my hands and I had two operations over the past week.

“I’m not able to hold a phone never mind post on ‘defiant’ messages on social media.

“I am waiting to find out if the surgery was successful, but if not I am facing amputation.”

Police are probing the M74 attack and asked motorists with dashcam footage to come forward.

Detective Sergeant Craig Wait said: “We believe this was a targeted attack on the group of motorcyclists and it’s vital we trace the people responsible.

“One man has been seriously injured as a result of the attack and many others, including members of the public who witnessed what happened, have been left shaken.

“I’m appealing to anyone with information to come forward.”

The attack comes weeks after Mad Dogs members were struck by a car outside a pub in Renfrewshire. Bikers were mowed down outside Lorimers boozer in Bishopton, after they had left a meeting on July 11.

Police said they were treating the incident as attempted murder.

The Mad Dogs MC gang broke away from Blue Angels – Scotland’s oldest motorbike outlaw gang – in 2023 and the two tribes have remained at war.

Mad Dogs founder and former president Dan Laponder is serving a nine-year jail term for blowing up a van linked to a Blue Angels rival. Laponder had been a leader of the Blue Angels but left and formed the Mad Dogs.

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In June 2024 the van used by Blue Angels member David Rollo’s dad was blown up near his home in Lennoxtown, Dunbartonshire. Fire crews found the pipe bomb lying underneath.

Police traced Laponder to a barge where he was living in Kirkintilloch and he told them about a shotgun he had inside. Laponder’s DNA and fingerprints were recovered from a bottle and duct tape used in the making of the pipe bomb.

Bruni then took over as President of the club but they have been repeatedly attacked over the past two years by the Blue Angels.

Last August violence erupted at the funeral of crash victim Gordon Luke, 71, at The Hurlet Crematorium in Barrhead, Renfrewshire.

Several men wielding machetes were said to have jumped from vehicles and attacked Mad Dogs members, leading to a 65-year-old grandad and men aged 44 and 30 being hospitalised.

In April of this year a fire on Edison Street in Hillington was linked to the feud but no injuries were reported.

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A council has said the decision to cut down the tree was a ‘last resort’

Residents in part of St Ives have been left feeling “deeply upset” after a 200-year-old tree was chopped down. Huntingdonshire District Council insist that the tree felling was a “last resort”, as the tree was causing “structural damage” to three nearby homes.

However locals say they were not told about plans to cut down the tree, and feel that a prominent part of their street has been lost. Local resident Rod Izatt’s friend told him that the mature oak tree in the Crescent, St Ives had been felled at the end of July. Rod went to see the tree for himself and was upset to see it had been cut down.

He shared a photo of it to Facebook and it gained over 170 comments, with many residents sharing their upset towards the loss of the tree. Rod and other residents feel they were not informed about the tree being cut down and he feels the street has lost a prominent sight.

He said: “My major concern is that this tree was over 200 years old – many people are deeply upset. With global warming and flooding occurring more, we need to change our focus from trees being obstacles to trees being solutions. They are living entities and support thousands, if not millions of species of wildlife.

“Essentially by cutting down this tree, we are breaking that link in nature. We need our woodlands, and that comes down to single trees in the end.”

Huntingdonshire District Council made the decision to fell the tree as it was causing “structural damage” to three nearby homes. A HDC spokesperson said: “We understand why people are upset by the loss of this mature oak tree.

“The tree was removed following a complex insurance subsidence claim affecting three neighbouring properties. Independent investigations concluded that it was a significant contributing factor to ongoing structural damage.”

The council spent three years trying to find options to retain the tree, however “no viable alternative was identified”. They added: “Although the tree appeared healthy, healthy trees can contribute to subsidence due to soil conditions and moisture demand.

“Removal was therefore a last resort, based on the evidence gathered and the need to prevent further damage to the affected properties.”

Nicole Kidman radiated a blissful glow when she was spotted holidaying in the Greek islands, as romance rumors continue to swirl about her and a private equity mogul.

Having split from her husband Keith Urban last year, Kidman was glimpsed last month sunning herself on holiday in Italy with the dashing tycoon Michael Reinstein.

Days later, she was seen beaming in Los Angeles while sitting in a car with Reinstein, who was said to have picked her up at the airport after a flight from New York. 

Now, Kidman, 59, has jetted back to Europe, where she was spotted indulging in a boating trip off the coast of Mykonos with her Lioness co-star Zoe Saldana, 48, on Wednesday.

A broad smile played across Kidman’s face as she strolled onto the vessel and enjoyed the sea breeze amid the fever-pitch speculation about her love life. 

They even opted for a sartorial match, draping their enviably svelte summer bodies in white outfits perfectly suited to a day luxuriating in the sun and surf.

Kidman was spotted indulging in a boating trip off the coast of Mykonos with her Lioness co-star Zoe Saldana, 48

She stunned in a white crochet dress perfectly suited to a day luxuriating in the sun and surf

The Eyes Wide Shut star had slid her statuesque physique into a knit sundress, accessorizing with a gleaming pair of cat-eye shades.

Her tortoiseshell sunglasses complemented her strawberry blonde hair, which she let cascade freely over her shoulders, framing a luminous complexion.

She and Saldana, who also serve as executive producers on the Taylor Sheridan series, proved their social bonds are as strong as their professional ones on the trip.

The ladies were pictured laughing it up and even dancing on the dock.

Saldana opted for a casual t-shirt teamed with a stylish tennis skirt, sweeping her hair back into a tight bun and warding off the rays with pink sunglasses.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actress added a pop of contrast to her ensemble by slinging on a black cross-body purse in the shape of a heart.

While Kidman appeared to be stag for her latest waterborne excursion, Saldana was accompanied by her husband of 13 years, Italian movie producer Marco Perego.

Perego had slipped on a flowy set of white linen trousers and a light denim shirt, leaving a few top buttons undone over his sun-bronzed chest.

A broad smile played across Kidman’s face as she strolled onto the vessel and enjoyed the sea breeze amid the fever-pitch speculation about her love life

She and Saldana, who also serve as executive producers on the Taylor Sheridan series, proved their social bonds are as strong as their professional ones on the trip

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Kidman carried a straw hat in her hand

She accessorized with a gleaming pair of cat-eye shades

Her tortoiseshell sunglasses complemented her strawberry blonde hair, which she let cascade freely over her shoulders, framing a luminous complexion

Saldana opted for a casual t-shirt teamed with a stylish tennis skirt

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Her hair was swept back into a tight bun and she warded off the rays with pink sunglasses

While Kidman appeared to be stag for her latest waterborne excursion, Saldana was accompanied by her husband of 13 years, Italian movie producer Marco Perego

Perego had slipped on a flowy set of white linen trousers and a light denim shirt, leaving a few top buttons undone over his sun-bronzed chest

Kidman walked alongside her pals 

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Saldana threw her hands up in the air while flashing a bright smile on her face at one point 

After stepping off the boat and doing some shopping, the ladies also met up with the former Vogue Editor Edward Enninful for lunch at Nammos Beach Club.  

Kidman’s display of lighthearted tranquility comes amid claims that Urban is heartbroken at her allegedly having moved on with a new man. 

According to New Idea, the 58-year-old country music star was ‘absolutely devastated’ by claims Kidman had begun a romance with Reinstein.

The Oscar-winning actress was reportedly seen looking affectionate with Reinstein during a recent outing, with photographs appearing to show the pair holding hands and sharing a kiss.

An insider claimed the images came as a painful blow to Urban, who had allegedly continued to hope that he and Kidman might one day repair their relationship.

‘Up until now, the door had been firmly closed on his relationship with Nicole,’ the insider alleged.

‘But now he still had hopes there might be a chance at reconciliation. He’s absolutely devastated and is going through that feeling of deep loss all over again.’

The source further claimed that seeing Kidman apparently moving forward had prompted the Blue Ain’t Your Colour singer to reassess his own romantic future.

‘Seeing Nicole seemingly moving on is permitting him to do the same,’ the insider said.

Urban is nevertheless said to be wary of entering a high-profile relationship, with the source claiming he would prefer to keep any future romance private.

She wore red netted ballet flats 

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The actress rocked a heart-shaped purse 

They appeared to dance on the dock 

The ladies also met up with the former Vogue Editor Edward Enninful for lunch at Nammos Beach Club

‘Don’t be surprised if Keith steps out with a ‘revenge romance’ of his own,’ the insider alleged.

‘He knows he has to move on.’

Kidman and Urban were married for nearly two decades and share two daughters. 

It comes after Nicole was seen getting cozy with the private equity businessman in exclusive photographs obtained by the Daily Mail. 

The Hollywood actress was seen sipping on an Aperol Spritz while sitting poolside with the silver fox in the Italian Riviera. 

The pair shared lighthearted conversations and at one point, Reinstein was seen playfully lifting up her hat, which protected her from the bright sunshine.

A source close to Kidman told the Daily Mail, ‘After everything she went through with Keith, she deserves to find happiness.’ 

The insider added, ‘She never thought her marriage wouldn’t work out and she tried as best as she could to keep her family intact.’

‘Her daughters are her best friends, and she seems really content in her life. She’s so easy to get along with and kind. She keeps her personal life extremely private.’

In June, reports surfaced that Kidman was romantically linked to a ‘high-profile businessman.’ 

According to online gossip site DeuxMoi, the pair have been taking things slow. 

A source told DeuxMoi at the time that ‘the relationship has been quietly developing for the past few months and the pair have been keeping things extremely low-key and largely out of the public eye.’

The Moulin Rouge! actress had also been joined by daughters Sunday Rose, 18, and Faith, 15, during the Italian getaway. Kidman shares the teenagers with Urban.

Last year in September, the Oscar winner and Urban’s separation came to light following 19 years of marriage, with the divorce being officially finalised in January.

Having split from her husband Keith Urban, 58, last year, Kidman was glimpsed last month sunning herself on holiday in Italy with the dashing tycoon Michael Reinstein (pictured) 

Urban is said to be heartbroken after learning that his former wife has reportedly moved on with a new man; The exes pictured in 2022

It came after the pair had hit a rocky path in summer 2025, with the separation being reportedly a long-term development, according to Daily Mail sources.

Not long after ringing in the new year, the former couple reached a settlement agreement to finalize the divorce.

During an interview with Variety in March, Kidman opened up about the split and how she is now ‘moving forward.’

‘What I’m grateful for is my family, and keeping them as is, and moving forward. That’s that.’

The Big Little Lies star added, ‘I’m staying in a place of, “We are a family,” and that’s what we’ll continue to be. My beautiful girls, my darlings, who are suddenly women.’

When questioned if she was ‘doing all right’ after the split, the actress replied, ‘I am, because I’m always going to be moving toward what’s good.’

Geri Halliwell left fans stunned as she revealed her very unlikely friendship with Hollywood royalty Meryl Streep on Thursday.

The Spice Girl celebrated her 54th birthday with The Devil Wears Prada icon, 77, as she posted selfies from their ‘special day’ on set of Only Murders In The Building.

Geri gushed meeting Meryl was ‘a moment she will always treasure’ after the actress planted a kiss on her cheek.

She wrote on Instagram: ‘The best birthday present ever. ❤️ Spending my birthday with the extraordinary Meryl Streep was a moment I’ll always treasure. Thank you, @onlymurdershulu, for making it so special. ✨’

Geri has joined the cast of Only Murders In The Building for its sixth season, alongside Meryl, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez.

Geri has previously acted, having played herself in musical comedy film Spice World (1997) and more recently featured alongside Orlando Bloom and David Harbour in sport film Gran Turismo (2023).

Fans went wild for the unlikely pairing and wrote in Geri’s comments: ‘Wow wow WOW!!!’, ‘ICONIC’, ‘This is epic!’,

‘This is blowing my mind’, ‘Omggg, Geri and Meryl Streep!? This is so cool!!! Love you both’.

Geri gushed meeting Meryl was ‘a moment she will always treasure’ after the actress planted a kiss on her cheek 

The Spice Girl celebrated her 54th birthday with The Devil Wears Prada icon, 77, as she posted selfies from their ‘special day’ on set of Only Murders In The Building

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It comes after Mel C admitted she had words with Geri when her Spice Girls bandmate turned up to her wedding in a white dress. 

Sporty Spice Mel, 52, married model Chris Dingwall in a ‘perfect’ Lake District wedding in the grounds of The Country House Cumbria last month.

While Victoria Beckham was forced to miss Mel’s big day, her other bandmates Geri, Emma Bunton and Mel B were all guests.

But Geri’s decision to wear white, her signature colour, raised eyebrows among fans, prompting newlywed Mel to address the drama during a new interview. 

Speaking on Australian radio station Kiis1065, Mel gave her verdict on her guests’ dress choices, admitting: ‘I did have a little chat with Geri because it is her favourite colour. 

‘She wears it every day. But she had a beautiful floral dress on and it was white white… I did have a little giggle with her about that.’ 

Mel gushed about her ‘beautiful weekend’ during the chat but did admit she missed Victoria, who had designed her stunning wedding gown. 

Victoria missed out on her friend’s nuptials as they clashed with the World Cup final in New York, which she attended with her FIFA ambassador husband David. 

Addressing speculation that she was upset Victoria chose football over her friend, Mel insisted: ‘Victoria was very disappointed to not be there. She was with David in New York and it was the football final.

‘She tried to get out of it – she isn’t the biggest football fan, she won’t mind me telling you – but the family were there and David had commitments, being an ambassador for FIFA.

‘Of course she made my gorgeous dress and she was messaging me on the day. I actually saw her when I was in Ibiza so we had a little catch up. We were giving her updates and sending her pictures.’

It comes after Mel C admitted she had words with Geri Halliwell when her Spice Girls bandmate turned up to her wedding in a white dress (Geri pictured in her signature white at Ascot in June with husband Christian Horner)

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Sporty Spice Mel married model Chris Dingwall in a ‘perfect’ Lake District wedding in the grounds of The Country House Cumbria last month (pictured on their honeymoon)

Despite being in New York, Victoria’s influence on her best friend’s wedding was unmistakable in Melanie’s effortlessly elegant dress. 

Mel added that she included several Spice Girls references in her big day, revealing there were multiple tracks from the girlgroup on her playlist, and she even walked back up the aisle to a rendition of 2Become1.

In a host of photos released by Vogue, Melanie was seen getting her dress fitted, and walking hand in hand with her new husband Chris. 

Melanie told Vogue: ‘The spark was immediate,’ she said. ‘I was 49 when I met Chris and I was in a really good place. We had a date in Australia, and it’s been difficult to separate us ever since.

‘He’s been such a beautiful addition to mine and my daughter’s life. Because, you know, I’m a single mum. My daughter is 17, and we’re pretty resilient the two of us, we’re a team. For anybody coming into our world… it was going to be tough, and he just fits perfectly. It’s a beautiful dynamic.’

Melanie met Chris, thought to be in his 40s, in 2023 on the exclusive dating app Raya.

She admitted she originally thought she was finished with romance following her split from previous long-term partners, including Thomas Starr.

But during a night out at the pub, her friends convinced her to download the app, turning the search for a partner into a game they jokingly dubbed ‘boy Bingo’.

The couple first had a legal ceremony in Australia and one particularly sentimental detail was also unveiled, with Melanie incorporating a special Australian touch into her sleek ivory gown, which featured a dramatic open back and minimalist silhouette.

The Spice Girl had the words ‘Sydney’ and ‘7.6.2026’ embroidered in blue into the inside of her wedding gown as her ‘something blue’, commemorating the date and place where she and Dingwall officially became husband and wife.