Hundreds of passengers were left stranded after Bristol Airport was forced to close when thunderstorms knocked out communications with air traffic control.

The airport suspended all arrivals and departures on Monday night after an electrical storm damaged both its ground radar and communication systems.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Bristol Airport said: “Following the earlier electrical storm, Bristol Airport remains closed to arriving and departing aircraft whilst engineers investigate a fault with Air Traffic Control systems. Customers should contact their airline with any specific flight queries.”

The closure led to the cancellation and delay of dozens of flights, disrupting travel plans for passengers heading to destinations across the UK and Europe.

Engineers worked overnight to restore the affected systems and flights resumed on Wednesday morning. However, disruption continued, with some services delayed and a number of flights originally scheduled to depart on Tuesday rescheduled for later on Wednesday.

Passengers have been advised to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport.

The pact leaves it to Iran and Oman, in conjunction with other Gulf states, to “define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz”, although it states this must be “in line with the applicable international law”, which upholds freedom of navigation.

England will be confirmed as group winners if they triumph in their first-ever competitive meeting with Ghana and Panama do not beat Croatia in Toronto later on. The Black Stars also made a winning start in Group L, with Caleb Yirenkyi’s goal securing a dramatic last-gasp victory over Panama. The 2010 quarter-finalists are out to cause a major upset tonight, led by Manchester City star Antoine Semenyo and now coached by ex-Manchester United assistant Carlos Queiroz.

Anne Diamond told TRIC Award attendees that her co-star Eamonn Holmes is ‘not very well’

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Anne Diamond has provided fans with an update on Eamonn Holmes’ health following his absence from this year’s TRIC Awards. Speaking from the stage at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, she informed attendees about the presenter’s situation.

She told the audience: “There are a couple of people who would love to be here but can’t. Eamonn Holmes is not very well at the moment but he is doing well, he is recovering and we hope he will be back with us very soon.”

GB News secured the Award for Best News Programme for the fourth year running. Last year, Belfast-born Eamonn collected the accolade for Best News.

However, as he proudly accepted the trophy on behalf of GB News Breakfast, he faced jeering from sections of the audience.

Having used a wheelchair ramp to reach the stage, Eamonn thanked the production crew and viewers. Yet, the occasion was tarnished by audible jeers from certain attendees after GB News Breakfast’s victory was announced, reports the Mirror.

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Despite the divided response, the Northern Irish broadcaster delivered a heartfelt tribute to fellow presenter Charli Peters, who had previously claimed the News Presenter award for his investigative reporting on grooming gangs across the UK.

He also honoured a colleague, though the conclusion of his address became uncomfortable when an audience member shouted for Eamonn to ‘get off’. Although it remained unclear whether Eamonn caught the heckling, he wrapped up his speech on a positive note, saying: “For the thousands of people who voted, that is brilliant for us so we say thank you, thank you, thank you, to anyone who did bother to vote.”

His most recent absence comes as the GB News host, 66, continues to grapple with health challenges which have confined him to a wheelchair. In April, Eamonn experienced a stroke, though he reassured supporters at the time that he was alright.

Back in 2016, Eamonn also went under the knife for both hips to ease persistent hip, leg, and back discomfort. However, while recuperating, he tumbled down the stairs at his residence and broke his shoulder.

He subsequently developed a debilitating viral infection. At the time, he linked it to pressure from a tax row with HMRC.

The infection triggered a severe rash across his face and posed a risk to his vision. In May 2022, he experienced serious spinal complications that resulted in bladder and bowel difficulties and a nine-day stint in hospital.

Then in November 2022, he took another fall at his Surrey property, fracturing his shoulder once more, necessitating further surgery. He remains committed to pursuing different treatments, including spinal injections and weighing up stem cell replacement therapy, as part of his continuous battle to restore mobility.

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More than 300 schools across England and Wales are planning to be either partially or fully closed on Tuesday and later this week because of the weather.

Others are also closing early on Wednesday and Thursday to protect children from the heat, with some pupils being told they can wear PE kit rather than full school uniforms for those days.

The Department for Education does not itself “normally advise schools to close” and instead issues guidance on how best to manage high temperatures.

There will also be travel disruption for those travelling by car, rail and air, the Met Office warned.

On the National Rail network, passengers have been urged against undertaking non-essential travel and to make sure they are carrying water.

GTR – the UK’s largest train operator – said it will suspend the Gatwick Express from early afternoon on Wednesday and Thursday. The airport will still have services via Thameslink and Southern trains.

The operator will also implement safety speed restrictions across the next two days, with fewer trains on Thameslink, Great Northern and Southern lines.

GTR passengers can get refunds for tickets they have bought for Tuesday and the next couple of days if they will no longer be travelling.

Avanti West Coast also said it would run fewer train services between Tuesday and Thursday, while Chiltern Railways has reduced its services by more than half over those three days.

National Rail explained that heat can cause a number of issues including overhead lines expanding and rails buckling.

The RAC said it is anticipating breakdown assistance will “increase significantly as temperatures peak”, adding that it was already dealing with 10% more breakdowns than usual for this time of year.

Meanwhile, ceremonial guard changes in London and Windsor have been cancelled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in a bid to reduce risks for the military personnel, horses and the public.

Less severe amber weather warnings are in place until Thursday for parts of south and central England and parts of Wales.

Tuesday’s hot and humid weather was prefaced by thunderstorms in the early hours, with some 29,000 lightning strikes recorded in the south, the Met Office said.

The storms caused flash flooding and travel disruption across parts of England, with the London Fire Brigade reporting that it responded to 400 calls overnight.

Emergency services said two house fires in London and one in Bristol were believed to have been caused by lightning strikes.

There were also power outages in south-west England, with hundreds of homes briefly without electricity on Monday evening, according to the National Grid.

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Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

She was seen writhing on the ground, desperately trying to kick off her trousers

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A woman is in hospital fighting for her life, after her clothing appeared to catch fire in a busy street.

Emergency services in Edinburgh were alerted to the incident outside flats in the St Leonards area on Monday at around 12.10pm.

The woman suffered serious injuries and was rushed in an ambulance to hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

Footage seen by the Daily Record, but too distressing to publish, shows the woman writhing on the ground and desperately trying to kick off her trousers as flames envelope the bottom half of her body.

Bystanders, including two Royal Mail workers, try to extinguish the fire by striking her with clothing and a blanket, reports the Daily Record.

A woman appears in the frame and races towards them and throws water at the flames but it makes little difference.

The clip ends with the woman lying on the pavement as the locals continue to try and put the fire out.

Firefighters arrived at the scene and confirmed that they extinguished the flames before leaving the area with police.

It remains unclear how the fire started but police say there are no suspcious circumstances.

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A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 12.10pm on Monday, 22 June, 2026, police were called to a report of a seriously injured woman outside flats on St Leonards Street, Edinburgh.

“The woman was taken by ambulance to hospital where medical staff describe her condition as critical. There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. Enquiries are ongoing.”

A spokesperson for the SFRS said: “We received reports of a fire at Carnegie Court Corner on Bowmont Place at 12.10pm on Monday June 22.

“Two appliances were mobilised and extinguished the fire. The incident was left with Police Scotland.”

From hot towel shaves to threading and waxing, Jason Webb offers both traditional and modern barbering from Evolution Grooming on Longfield Road.

The business first began on North Road in 2016 but outgrew its original home and decided to move to its current site after three years.

The dad-of-one, who has lived in Darlington all of his life, had a number of jobs before getting into the trade, working at Fenwicks Family Butchers and running the restaurant at the Hall Garth Hotel before qualifying in 2014. 

And now, the 40-year-old and his team at Evolution Grooming are hoping to scoop the top spot of the Echo’s Best Barber Shop competition for 2026. 

The Northern Echo Best Barber Shop 2026 (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

“It is always quite massive for us [to be nominated for an award] because there is so much competition”, Jason told the Echo. 

“It is just nice for all of us, it is not just me, it is the team that is with us. It is nice that our hard work is recognised.”

It comes as Evolution Grooming prepares to celebrate its tenth birthday in July: “We try to offer as much as we can.

“I found that when I started, people were coming for hair cuts and going elsewhere for other things. We now do everything from waxing to hot towels.” 

Jason admitted that competition for barber shops in the town is growing, but that customers keep coming back: “We have managed to keep a steady loyal client base. 

“Things changed after Covid – we were walk-ins only before. Our clients preferred [booking] so we stuck to appointments.” 

Jason also works with Darlington College to help deliver training to students – and gets students in for work experience whenever he can. 

Evolution Grooming is one of ten named in our competition this year, with others including J. Maddison Barbers, on West Auckland Road, and LJ Barbers, on Duke Street.

You can read the full shortlist here: Northern Echo’s Best Barber Shop 2026 finalists revealed

To vote for Evolution Grooming, simply complete the form your The Northern Echo newspaper and return it to: The Northern Echo Best Barber Shop 2026, LOCALiQ House, 1 Dalston Road, Carlisle, CA2 5NP. 

Voting will close on Wednesday, July 8.  

The U.S. is easing its restrictions on Iran’s World Cup team, allowing the squad to travel into the country two days before its next match, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

The team will still be required to leave after Friday’s match in Seattle, a department spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the Iran Football Federation confirmed that the team will leave its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday for Seattle.

“This was planned on our end,” Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, told The Associated Press. “We were going to look at how the first two movements went, and if they went smoothly, we would extend the extra day in light of the longer travel time.”

The policy change was first reported by NBC News and comes as officials from both countries negotiate over how to end the war in Iran.

Iran’s squad has complained about the travel restrictions levied on the team, and the challenges it has faced since the outbreak of war. Iran originally sought to move its group stage matches to Mexico, with whom it has diplomatic ties. The team’s base camp was relocated from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana. Several team officials and members of the support staff have been barred from traveling into the U.S. with the team.

For the first two matches, in Los Angeles, the team was not permitted to travel until the day before, which Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei repeatedly said put the team at a disadvantage. The team had less than 24 hours on the ground before its noon match Sunday. “Right now we need recovery more than anything,” Ghalenoei said through a translator after the 0-0 draw against Belgium. “The conditions have been extremely hard for us.”

It’s not uncommon for teams to travel a day before the match, and it’s in line with FIFA regulations, which state that “each team shall travel from its team base camp to the match venue one day before matchday (MD‑1) and in exceptional cases on MD‑2, and shall return to their team base camp after the match (on MD/MD+1).”

But Iran had asked for more time to acclimate to host cities and recover after matches, especially for the 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) trip to Seattle. The team has scheduled a Thursday training at the University of Washington.

“We don’t ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams,” Iran national team player Alireza Jahanbakhsh said Sunday. “Hopefully we can bring everyone who is involved and help us with us.”

The Iran team has also said it experienced difficulties entering and exiting the U.S. each time it made the 127-mile (204-kilometer) flight between Tijuana and Los Angeles. The typically short trip took five hours the day before its first match against New Zealand, team captain Mehdi Taremi said.

Hours before Sunday’s match against Belgium, U.S. Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told Fox News the Iranians had “tried to get somebody in yesterday” who had direct ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In a statement, the soccer federation vociferously pushed back, calling the claim “an outright and undeniable lie.”

It’s unclear whether Iran’s upcoming opponent, Egypt, will also be allowed to arrive in Seattle two days early. After its 3-1 victory against New Zealand in Vancouver Sunday, Egypt asked to fly directly to Seattle. FIFA denied that request, citing a lack of security resources to accommodate the last-minute demand. Egypt returned to its base camp in Spokane, Washington, a 45-minute flight from Seattle.

Egypt’s national team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

___

AP Sports Writer John Marshall contributed reporting. AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

A teenage boy has been arrested, after a body was found during the search for a missing 14-year-old called Lilly

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A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder, after a body thought to be that of a 14-year-old girl was found in a park in Wales.

The discovery was made on Monday, June 22, at around 10pm, in the Duffryn Park area of Blaina.

Formal identification is yet to take place but the body is believed to be that of a missing girl called Lilly. Her family have been informed of the development.

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder, Gwent Police say.

The teenager, from the Blaenau Gwent area, is currently in police custody, reports the Mirror.

A large police presence remains in the area while officers work to establish how the girl died.

Pictures show a police cordon at the scene at Pilgrims Park in Blaina, Abertillery, on Tuesday morning.

Emergency services have been working at the park since around 10pm on Monday, Wales Online reports.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Steven Thomas, said: “We continue to have a significant police presence in the area and understand the concern amongst our communities at this time.

“Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and we currently have one person in police custody being questioned.

“I’m asking anyone with information to please come and speak with us, you can do this in person, or you can contact us on the usual channels.

“I’d also encourage people not to speculate online as this is a live investigation and such comments can have an impact on our ability to bring anyone, found to have committed a criminal offence, to justice.”

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Floral tributes have been left at the scene by members of the public, with one message reading “Rest in peace Lilly”, accompanied by a heart drawing.

Gwent Police appealed for information to find the missing teenager on Monday afternoon (June 22), saying she was last seen on High Street, Blaina, at around 6.50pm on Saturday, June 20. The girl was described by the police as white, around 5ft6in tall, of medium build and long black hair.

She was last seen wearing a long black dress and black sandals and was known to have links to areas in Brynmawr, a town just north of Blaina.

Local Councillor Lisa Catherine Winnett said the community is “totally devastated” with the “unimaginable” outcome. Ms Winnet said: “My thoughts and prayers are with Lilly’s family at this devastating and awful time.

“I hope police work promptly now to find the perpetrator. We are a close-knit community here in Blaina and the impact this has had on all of us is immense.

“Since Lilly was reported as missing there have been extensive searches by family, friends and members of the community. On Monday, police had drones searching and helicopters.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in the searches. This outcome is totally unimaginable for us all.”

Anyone holding information about this incident is asked to contact the police quoting 2600197059.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Gwent Police says it has referred the incident to the IOPC in line with normal procedures.