The fire service were called to the blaze at 7am on Wednesday

A person was airlifted to hospital as over 100 firefighters dealt with a “dust explosion” fire in Omagh.

The fire service were called to the blaze in the Bankmore Road area of Omagh, after receiving a call around 7am on Wednesday morning. Over 100 firefighters and 15 appliances were sent to the scene with it taking nearly 12 hours to deal with fire.

One person was taken to hospital by the air ambulance due to injuries they sustained in the incident.

A NIAS spokesperson said: “The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 07:21 on Wednesday, April 1, following reports of an incident in the Bankmore Road area, Omagh.

“NIAS dispatched one Emergency Ambulance and the Charity Air Ambulance with HEMS on board, to the scene.Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, 1 person was taken to Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.”

Firefighters remained at the scene into the evening with the fire being dealt with at 6.13pm.

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) Western Area Commander David Doherty said: “The large fire at a commercial premises at Doogary West Industrial Estate, Bankmore Road, Omagh has now ended. The initial call was received at 7.19am this morning, Wednesday 1 April 2026.

“Firefighters worked tirelessly throughout the duration of the incident to bring the fire under control and prevent further spread.

“At the height of the incident over 100 Firefighters and personnel were involved in the operational response with Appliances from Omagh, Fintona, Newtownstewart, Strabane, Dromore, Irvinestown, Clogher, Castlederg, Enniskillen, Northland, Maghera, Magherafelt, Dungannon, Cookstown and Central Fire Stations, including 2 Aerial Appliances from Northland and Knock Fire Stations, 2 Water Tankers from Pomeroy and Belleek Fire Stations, 1 High-Volume Pump from Northland Fire Station, Specialist Rescue Teams from Central Fire Station and a Command Support Unit from Strabane Fire Station.

“We would like to thank the public for their patience whilst we dealt with this incident.

“The cause of the fire is believed at this stage to be accidental ignition due a dust explosion from a hopper and the incident was dealt with by 18:13pm on Wednesday 1 April 2026.”

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A fire on Wednesday caused the evacuation of a historic building owned by Wayne State University in Detroit.

Video from TV stations showed thick rolling clouds of black smoke near the top of the 14-story Maccabees Building, a nearly century-old building designed by Albert Kahn, along Woodward Avenue, just north of downtown.

The fire on the 11th floor was contained, Wayne State said on social media, and no injuries were reported. Authorities said it likely began in the heating and cooling system.

Wayne State has owned the building for more than 20 years and has offices there, including the Computer Science Department and African American Studies. But it is not generally known as a place for classes.

The Maccabees was the home of early radio and TV studios, including radio broadcasts of “The Lone Ranger,” starting in the 1930s, and “The Green Hornet.”

Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) is going to face more than Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) based trouble in the coming months, as Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill) is returning to Emmerdale.

The character was introduced to us last year. He arrived in the village looking for Robert and when he eventually laid eyes on him, Kev made a comment that allowed us to discover he’s Robert’s husband.

Kev rocking up was so badly timed, as Robert had just got back on track with Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller). A flashback episode allowed us to learn that Kev and Robert tied the knot in prison after spending months developing a secret relationship.

As we got to know Kev, it became clear that the complex character had a possessive streak and was absolutely terrified about losing Robert. Behind bars, Kev had told Robert that he was dying, and also stabbed himself when he learnt about Robert’s attempt at appealing against his case.

Robert ended his relationship with Kev because he couldn’t continue pretending to be in love with him, while seeing Aaron. When reality hit Kev that he had lost Robert, he held him, Aaron and Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) hostage in Mill Cottage flat with a sword.

Kev headed out of the village but made a return towards the end of last year. He had been captured by John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), who was busy creating a plan to get rid of Robert so he could be with Aaron.

Kev ended up alerting Aaron to the imminent danger and fled the Dales once more. Even though Kev is unpredictable and intimidating, fans of the ITV soap really enjoyed getting to know him.

The character is set to head back to the Dales in the not too distant future. When he arrives, it becomes clear Kev has been very busy as he’s launched a new business venture – and it’s set to stir up trouble for the locals.

Judging by the picture in this article, Kev appears to be starting a new pop-up café., It’s called A Slice of Kev-en, which honestly makes me want to get up off my chair and applaud.

As he gets settled back into Emmerdale, Kev will also have to decide whether or not to tell Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches) that he is his biological father.

Discussing the return, producer of the show Laura Shaw said: ‘Both Chris and the character of Kev made a massive impact on the show last year, so Chris is most definitely back by popular demand. With Kev’s son, Lewis, in the village still unaware of who his father is, it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of unfinished business and drama ahead.’

Chris Coghill added: ‘I’m really pleased to be returning to Emmerdale, I had a brilliant time last year. Kev is a complex character that I love playing.

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‘He has psychopathic tendencies but also an energy and vulnerability that I think makes him pretty unique. I’m properly looking forward to getting back at it.’

MORE: Robert’s big dream in tatters already in Emmerdale as two people betray him

MORE: Joe takes on Robert after delivering cutting blow in Emmerdale spoiler video

MORE: Emmerdale to change forever as decades-long era comes to an end

Spanish police have discovered a tunnel in ‌the North African exclave of Ceuta, to smuggle tons of hashish from Morocco into Spain.

Police said the structure, concealed beneath an ​industrial warehouse, extended over three levels, ‌including a descent shaft, an intermediate chamber for pallet storage, ​and the tunnel itself.

Authorities seized 17 ‌metric tons of the drug, €1.4 million (£1.2m) in cash, and arrested 27 people ‌in connection with the operation.

The tunnel had a rail system and underground crane used to transport the hashish.

Spain is a major entry point for hashish, which is derived from cannabis resin, into Europe.

Ceuta, along ​with the Spanish exclave ⁠of Melilla to the ⁠east, surrounded by Morocco, forms the European Union’s only land border with Africa.

Hashish is usually trafficked into Spain by ⁠sea using speedboats.

Read more from Sky News:
Paintings ‘worth millions’ stolen from museum in Italy
Israel passes controversial death penalty law

In 2023, Spain ​accounted for 68% of all resin ​seizures in the EU, according to the ​latest data from the EU drugs ⁠agency.

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Smugglers have sometimes used unconventional methods to bring other drugs into Spain.

In the northwestern region of ⁠Galicia, submarines or semi-submersible vessels have been used to transport cocaine from South America, ​underscoring Spain’s role as a transit hub.

A border collie separated from her owner during a hiking accident was found alive at the base of a waterfall in a remote New Zealand region after nearly a week of searching, rescuers said.

The dog, Molly, 4, was located on Tuesday near the Southern Alps, close to where she was last seen.

Molly had gone missing after her owner, Jessica Johnston, fell nearly 55m during a hike in rugged terrain in the Arahura Valley on 24 March near the town of Hokitika.

Ms Johnston survived the fall and was airlifted out with serious injuries, but Molly disappeared in the chaos, leaving little hope she could endure the harsh conditions alone.

Despite the odds, a small helicopter team – made up of experienced volunteers – decided to try.

According to The Guardian, Lillian Newton, safety manager and pilot with Precision Helicopters, who helped coordinate the mission, said she couldn’t shake the feeling that the dog might still be out there. Ms Newton from Precision Helicopters said she had a “a gut feeling” that Molly was still alive.

Funding quickly became the first hurdle. Helicopter searches in such remote areas are costly, and there is no official system in place to cover animal rescues in the wilderness. So Ms Newton and her team turned to the public.

Precision Helicopters is not a formal rescue service and was not involved in the initial operation to evacuate Ms Johnston. However, after learning about her survival and the missing dog, Ms Newton moved quickly to organise a search.

“We rang Jess and made sure she was okay for us to put it to the public,” Ms Newton said.

“The goal was to get $2,400 and some volunteers that were experienced to come along.”

Within hours, donations poured in from across the country, allowing the team to mobilise.

The terrain they were heading into was far from forgiving. As Ms Newton described it, the area was “extremely remote, rough, bushy and wet”.

Dense vegetation, constant rain, and steep alpine conditions made the search both technically demanding and physically draining.

“Looking for Molly was a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. This terrain is extremely isolated, extremely rough. We have thick bush, and we have the most rainfall in New Zealand,” Ms Newton told Outside magazine.

“It’s wet, it’s cold, and it’s rugged and gnarly. We said dog prayers the night before flying with our own dogs.”

Using thermal imaging equipment and years of rescue experience, the team flew directly to the area where Ms Johnston had fallen. To their surprise, that instinct paid off.

“They went directly to the spot where the owner, Jessica, had fallen. And much to our surprise, Molly was there,” Ms Newton said.

The pilot, Matt Newton, who is the owner of Precision Helicopters, said the dog was finally identified through thermal scanning.

“We were just making our way up the river to the most likely location where we felt that she would be, which is where Jess, her owner had fallen two weeks ago. We had the thermal equipment, and she came up on the screen glowing red hot,” he said, according to RNZ.

“As we got closer, we could see it was actually her because other things can glow like possums and deer and goats and shammies and stoats and who knows, but it was the dog. We were stoked. Yeah, absolutely stoked.”

Molly had been stranded in a narrow, slippery area beneath the waterfall, surrounded by moss-covered rocks and constant spray. Reaching her required careful manoeuvring.

As the helicopter hovered low, a crew member climbed out to retrieve her. Food helped gain her trust, and within moments, she was safely lifted aboard.

“I’d say she’d been scragging the odd possum and I’m sure she wouldn’t have killed any kiwis. She knows the rules there because she’s been kiwi trained. I’m pretty sure she’s been munching on the odd possum and she’s in pretty good condition, considering.”

Meanwhile, Ms Johnston – who had been recovering from serious injuries – was still grappling with the uncertainty of her dog’s fate. She had suffered a split elbow and extensive bruising from the fall, making the wait even more difficult.

In a message shared on social media, Ms Johnston expressed her gratitude to those who helped make the search possible.

“I’d like to give the biggest thank you to all that have taken the time to donate with both funding, volunteering and sharing her posts,” she said.

“I’m absolutely blown away with the support everyone has given her so far from the kindest of strangers. Obviously devastated I’m not in a physical state to provide help on the ground. But with the support that’s been given a lot can be achieved for those that can. Incredibly grateful for how much was raised in a short period.

“Thank you for helping bring my Molly back home.”

Dyfed-Powys Police had referred itself to the independent police watchdog following an incident involving a firearm in Milford Haven over the weekend

A Welsh police force will carry out an internal investigation despite referring itself to the police watchdog after an officer fired a gun in a residential street in Pembrokeshire, it has been confirmed.

The officer – from Dyfed-Powys Police – discharged a shot from a firearm while at the scene of an incident in Bunkers Hill, Milford Haven on Saturday evening, March 28. Police were in attendance after receiving reports of disorder in the area, and one person was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill.

Police confirmed that “while at the scene an officer discharged a single shot from a firearm at 6.32pm”. They added: “The firearm was not directed towards an individual and no injuries were sustained by anyone present.”

Dyfed-Powys Police voluntarily referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

The IOPC confirmed that it was notified by the force about the incident and that it would assess whether further action was required.

On Wednesday, April 1, it was confirmed that Dyfed-Powys Police would itself carry out an investigation into the firing of the weapon, rather than it be investigated externally.

A spokesman for the IOPC said: “We received a referral from Dyfed-Powys Police in connection with this matter on Sunday (March 29).

“After assessing the information provided by the force, we have decided that an investigation is required and that it is appropriate for that to be carried out locally by Dyfed-Powys Police.”

According to the IOPC it is common for police forces in England and Wales to investigate complaints internally, even if those complaints are formally referred to the police watchdog.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk’s space exploration company has filed preliminary paperwork to sell shares to the public, according to two sources familiar with the filing, a blockbuster offering that would likely rank as the biggest ever and could make its founder the world’s first trillionaire.

A SpaceX IPO promises to be one of the biggest Wall Street events of the year, with several investment banks lining up to help raise tens of billions to fund Musk’s ambitions to set up a base on the moon, put datacenters the size of several football fields in orbit and possibly one day send a man to Mars.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly about the confidential registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SpaceX did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Exactly how much SpaceX plans to raise has not been disclosed but the figure is reportedly as much as $75 billion. At that level, the offering would easily eclipse the $29 billion that Saudi Aramco raised in its 2019 IPO.

The offering, coming possibly in June, could value all the shares of SpaceX at $1.5 trillion, nearly double what the company was valued in December when some minority owners sold their stakes, according to research firm Pitchbook, before an acquisition that increased its size.

Musk owns 42% of the SpaceX now, according to Pitchbook, though that figure will change with the IPO when new owners are issued shares. In any case, he is likely to pierce the trillion dollar mark because he is already close, with a net worth estimated by Forbes magazine at $823 million.

In addition to making reusable rockets to hurl astronauts and hardware into orbit, SpaceX owns Starlink, the world’s largest satellite communications company. The company also recently brought under its roof two other Musk businesses, social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and artificial intelligence business, xAI, in a controversial transaction because both the seller and the buyer were controlled by him.

SpaceX has become the biggest commercial launch company in its industry, responsible for sending payloads into orbit for customers across the globe, but has also benefited from big taxpayer spending. That has raised conflicts of interest issues given that Musk was the biggest donor to President Donald Trump’s campaign and is still a big backer.

In the past five years, SpaceX won $6 billion in contracts from NASA, the Defense Department and other U.S. government agencies, according to USAspending.gov.

Among current SpaceX owners is Donald Trump Jr, the president’s oldest son. He owns a shares through 1789 Capital. That venture capital firm made him a partner shortly after his father won the presidency for a second time and has been buying up federal contractors seeking to win taxpayer money ever since.

The White House and Trump himself have repeatedly denied there are any conflicts of interest between his role as president and his family’s businesses.

Footage has emerged which appears to show a US journalist being kidnapped in Iraq.

The kidnapping occurred in Baghdad on Tuesday, according to Iraqi officials, who said efforts were now under way to locate the reporter and the perpetrators.

The journalist has been named as freelancer Shelly Kittleson by one of the publications she worked for.

Middle East crisis: Follow the latest

Here is everything we know about the incident so far.

What happened?

The kidnapping took place on 31 March on Saadoun Street in central Baghdad, before the perpetrators headed southwest towards Babil province.

Iraqi security officials said two cars had been involved.

An alert was subsequently circulated to all checkpoints, leading to a pursuit during which one of the vehicles reportedly crashed near the town of al-Haswa.

The other car, carrying Ms Kittleson, fled the scene.

Footage appears to show a car pull up alongside Ms Kittleson as she stands on a street corner in central Baghdad.

She is approached by two men, one who gets out of the car and another who was walking alongside it.

There then appears to be a brief struggle as they bundle her into the back of a vehicle.

Moments later, the car speeds off.

Hussein Alawi, an adviser to Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, said Ms Kittleson had been wanting to enter the country via the al-Qaim crossing from Syria on 9 March but was turned back because she did not have a press work permit and because of security concerns due to “the escalation of the war and aerial projectiles over Iraqi airspace as a result of the war on Iran”.

She later entered the country after obtaining a single-entry 60-day visa to Iraq issued to allow foreign citizens stranded in neighbouring countries to “transit through Iraq to reach their home countries via available transport routes,” Mr Alawi said.

Following the incident, Iraq’s ministry said one suspect had been arrested and efforts were now underway to locate Ms Kittleson and the kidnappers.

It said security forces had launched an operation “acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations”.

It is not immediately clear if the kidnapping is related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Who is Shelly Kittleson?

According to her X profile, Ms Kittleson is an award-winning journalist of more than 15 years, reporting on the Middle East and contributing to outlets such as Politico, Foreign Policy magazine and the BBC World Service.

One of the outlets she contributed to, Al-Monitor, released a statement on Tuesday saying they were “deeply alarmed by the kidnapping”.

In a short statement, the publication said: “We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.”

It went on to call for her “safe and immediate release”.

What has the US said?

In a statement, the US state department said it was aware of the incident and insisted “the Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans”.

It added that “due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time”.

Assistant secretary Dylan Johnson wrote on social media that the state department had previously warned “this individual of threats against them” and said it would “continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible”.

Read more from Sky News:
French vote to ban teens from social media
Woods pleads not guilty to driving under influence

Mr Johnson, who blamed the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah for the kidnapping, added: “Iraq remains at a Level 4 Travel Advisory and Americans are advised not to travel to Iraq for any reason and to leave Iraq now.”

The BBC Radio 2 host was taken off air suddenly leaving colleagues and fans shocked

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Scott Mills has released a statement addressing the historic ‘allegation’ against him.

This is after The Mirror revealed he has been sacked by the BBC over sexual offences against a ‘teenage boy’.

The DJ was taken off air last week suddenly after hosting his last show on Tuesday, 24 March. Colleagues were reportedly shocked including fellow BBC Radio 2 host Jeremy Vine, who was “taken aback” by the news.

The Mirror reports the statement, released through his lawyers, read: “The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me.

“An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.

“Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.

“I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss.”

The Mirror revealed that the former BBC Radio 1 and 2 DJ was questioned in 2018 over the historical allegations of serious sexual offences, but the investigation – which began in 2016 – was closed in 2019 after the CPS deemed there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. The allegations are reported to have happened between 1997 and 2000.

The Metropolitan Police said that the teenage boy at the centre of the investigation was under 16. On Wednesday April 1, The Mirror revealed that the BBC was forced to terminate Mills’ contract after receiving compelling new information.

Bosses were left with “no choice” after being passed fresh details about the Radio 2 star’s alleged conduct. The BBC has since confirmed they knew of information relating to the police investigation.

They pledged that they were “doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time.” In the last week, Mills was removed from top broadcasting role while the BBC assessed the information, and was then told his contract was terminated at the weekend.

The BBC have since claimed they knew about the investigation into Mills in 2017, the corporation admitted, but “acted decisively” after receiving “new information” in the weeks prior to his sacking.

A BBC spokesperson said: “Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many. We also recognise there’s been much speculation in the media and online since Monday.

“We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved. What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him.

“As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values, and terminated his contracts on Friday March 27.”

The BBC added: “Separately, we can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time.”

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With the average price of a gallon of gas topping $4 nationally, some federal and state officials have talked of temporarily reducing motor fuel taxes to provide relief to motorists.

So far, Georgia and Utah are the only states to suspend all or part of their gas taxes as the war in Iran has pushed fuel prices higher. Others are considering it. But there are a variety of reasons that policymakers may not relax gas taxes, including concerns about government finances, doubts about the action’s effectiveness and uncertainty about how long the war will last.

Here’s a look, by the numbers, at the debate:

2 states

The two states to suspend gas taxes this year took significantly different approaches. Georgia’s 60-day suspension of its 33-cent-a-gallon gas tax took effect once Republican Gov Brian Kemp signed it into law on March 20, making it the first state to act since the war started. Three days later, Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law temporarily trimming 6 cents off the state’s 38-cent-a-gallon fuel tax. But the six-month reduction won’t begin until July 1.

38 cents

Retail gas stations have charged consumers an average of 38 cents per gallon above wholesale prices over the past five years, according to Jeff Lenard, a spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores. Their profits after expenses often are less than half that, he said. Meanwhile, the daily price for a barrel of oil has swung dramatically during the war with Iran — sometimes by the equivalent of around 40 cents a gallon, Lenard said.

Why do those numbers matter? They highlight the complexity of setting gas prices. When a gas tax is suspended, motorists may not see an equivalent reduction in retail prices. That’s made Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hesitant to repeat a gas tax suspension he approved when prices last spiked in 2022.

“Our ability to influence the fuel prices are really marginal at best,” DeSantis said in March, adding: “I don’t think the consumer really felt relief.”

61 cents

California charges a nationally high gas tax of 61 cents per gallon, with additional fees on top of that. The tax contributes to California’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices, which averaged $5.89 a gallon on Wednesday, according to AAA. Several Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates have called for suspending the gas tax. But the proposal hasn’t gained traction in the Democratic-led Legislature, where some are concerned about how to make up for the lost revenue.

$100 million

Republicans in Maryland pushed for a 30-day gas-tax suspension. But their attempts were rejected by the Democratic-led General Assembly. A spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said a one-month suspension could have blown a $100 million hole in the state’s transportation budget even as officials already were cutting spending and shifting money to make up for a projected shortfall in the state’s overall budget.

A better approach would be to end the war, said Moore spokesperson Ammar Moussa, adding: “The best way to bring prices down is to address the source of the pain.”

Since the war began on Feb. 28, Trump has repeatedly has said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict.

$330 million

Whether states have the money to make up for lost fuel taxes is a pivotal question. Georgia is dipping into its surplus. In Connecticut, Democratic state Senate leaders have suggested that Gov. Ned Lamont could tap into the roughly $330 million remaining in an emergency fund meant to respond to federal government actions to help offset a proposed one-month suspension of the state’s 25-cent-a-gallon gas tax.

“The fund was created precisely for situations like this: when federal actions create hardship for Connecticut families,” Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney and Majority Leader Bob Duff said in a statement.

A spokesman for the Democratic governor said Lamont is willing to work with lawmakers on “a smart and strategic pause to the state’s gas tax.”

$800 million

Gas taxes generally pay for building, expanding and repairing roads and bridges. Unless funds are shifted from elsewhere, suspending a gas tax means less money for transportation projects, including some that may already have been budgeted.

In South Carolina, the state gas tax provides about $800 million yearly, helping to fund nearly $7 billion of projects ranging from safety improvements on two-lane roads to a massive overhaul of interstate interchanges. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster worries that major projects would take longer and cost more if tax revenue were cut. He dismissed the suspension of gas taxes as a “sort of knee-jerk reaction.”

“We’d like them all to be lower and lower,” McMaster said, “but that’s one we should not take any money out of.”

___

Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins, Susan Haigh and Brian Witte contributed to this report.