Monaghan born Thomasina Tobin and her husband Patrick died near Valencia on Tuesday

The Irishwoman and her husband found dead in the jacuzzi of their Spanish holiday villa died from cardiac arrest, it has emerged.

Reports say postmortems show Thomasina and Patrick Tobin suffered fatal heart stoppages when they became trapped in the jacuzzi at the villa near Valencia.

One theory is that both cardiac arrests were brought on by physical exhaustion in the struggle to save themselves – while another is that one of them was electrocuted and the other died when they fought to rescue them.

“Preliminary analyses indicate that the victims suffered cardiac arrest brought on by acute stress following physical exhaustion and the desperation of the moment,” the respected Valencia newspaper Las Provincias newspaper said on Sunday morning.

The couple, who were married with two teenage children and were living in London, died in the freak accident at their holiday villa at Cullera, near Valencia, last Tuesday.

Mrs Tobin, née McArdle, was a quantity surveyor who was originally from Castleblayney in Co Monaghan. She was 51. Her husband Patrick, 48, was from New Zealand.

They are believed to have spent up to two weeks at the villa in the upmarket residential estate called Cap Blanc in Cullera when the tragedy happened.

They were both found dead in the jacuzzi by their two teenage children, who then raised the alarm.

Homicide cops initially investigated their deaths as there were marks and scratches on both bodies – but foul play was quickly ruled out.

Instead, police are now investigating the theory that they died in a freak accident while they enjoyed the outdoor jacuzzi in their holiday rental.

It has now emerged that on Saturday, police examined the jacuzzi for the third time – but on this occasion they had an industrial expert on hot tubs with them.

The expert joined the Guardia Civil team at the request of an investigating magistrate – as judges lead such probes in Spain.

The expert was tasked with analysing the power of the suction fittings in the jacuzzi – to see if they trapped one or both of the victims in the hot tub.

Las Provincias said investigators are probing the theory that the tub’s hydro-massage system cause a strong suction effect that suddenly trapped Mr and Mrs Tobin in the water.

It says investigators believe the couple then fought desperately to save themselves.

The paper says: “According to the first investigations, the excessive suction force would have imprisoned the couple inside the bathtub, which triggered a situation of extreme anguish and desperate physical effort to free themselves from the hydraulic grip.

“The autopsy findings almost definitively reinforce the theory of accidental entrapment. “Preliminary analyses indicate that the victims suffered cardiac arrest brought on by acute stress following physical exhaustion and the desperation of the moment.”

It also said the post mortems showed the scratches on their bodies were not as a result of third party violence – but stemmed from them trying to save each other.

The paper also said that another possibility is that one victim may have suffered the cardiac arrest due to electrocution from a suspected fault in the tub and the other died trying to save them.

Mrs Tobin was a member of the highly respected McArdle family from Castleblayney, but had been living and working in London for around 20 years.

Her father is Tommy McArdle, who is a well-known playwright, actor and producer – and who spent many years directing RTÉ’s drama Glenroe.

He is famous for working with his brother John, who is also a writer and actor.

Both brothers also played football for Monaghan.

Mrs Tobin was a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and worked as a Chartered Surveyor.

Major projects she worked on in the UK included the Ritz and Shard building, both in London.

The Department of Foreign Affairs previously confirmed to the Irish Mirror it was aware of the incident and confirmed it was providing consular assistance in the case of one Irish citizen.

Initial reports said both Mr and Mrs Tobin were Irish, but it was later established that he was from New Zealand.

A spokeswoman told the Irish Mirror : “The Department is aware of this case and is providing consular assistance in the case of the Irish citizen concerned.

“As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases.”

The couple’s two young children reportedly alerted the homeowner after finding their bodies at their rented villa near Valencia at around 5pm local time on Tuesday.

Relatives from Monaghan flew out to be with the couple’s devastated children on Wednesday morning.

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The 17-year-old man was rushed to hospital after the incident but no information is available on his injuries.

A teenager has been rushed to hospital after reportedly being stabbed on a Glasgow street.

Officers were called to Kerr Street in the Bridgeton area of the city at around 10.25pm on Saturday, August 29.

A 17-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment but no more information is available on his injuries.

A source told Glasgow Live that “two men were chased down London Road by five men” before fleeing into a car park where the teen was stabbed.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.25pm on Saturday, 29 August, 2026, we were called to a report of a male injured in Kerr Street, Glasgow. The 17-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish more details and trace those involved. Anyone with information should contact 101, quoting incident number 3739 of August 29.”

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By HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER and MICHAEL PAVITT, SPORTS REPORTER

Updated: 16:45 BST, 30 August 2026

Emergency services were called to Balmer Hill in Gainford at 8.10pm on Saturday (August 29) after a car had driven there and gunshots fired at the home.

A 46-year-old man is in hospital in a ‘critical, but stable’ condition with birdshot injuries to his abdomen.

A 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and both remain in custody.

(Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The boy has also been arrested on suspicion of theft, failing to stop and driving without a licence, police said.

Pictures from the scene show holes the door where shots were fired, with the front window smashed through and shards of glass strewn across the ground on the driveway.

Neighbours described the street as ‘quiet’, with one saying: “Nothing ever happens here.

“A couple of weeks ago some milk was pinched from a doorstep and there was hell on, but it’s a quiet place.

“I feel safer now with the police here.”

(Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Police officers were seen at the cordon surrounding the house on Sunday (August 30) and CSI teams in white overalls were working inside and outside the home, filling large brown evidence bags.

A spokesperson for Durham Police said: “An investigation has been launched after a man was shot in Gainford last night.

(Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

“Emergency services were called to an address in Balmer Hill just after 8.10pm following reports that suspects had driven to a house and fired at it from their car before making off.

“A 46-year-old man suffered birdshot injuries to his abdomen and was taken to hospital. His condition has been described as critical but stable.

“No one else at the address was injured and officers remain at the scene today.

“A 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

“The boy has also been arrested on suspicion of theft, failing to stop and driving without a licence. They both remain in custody.”

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “We were called to an incident at a private address in Gainford, Darlington at 8.10pm on Saturday, August 29.

“We dispatched one ambulance crew, one duty officer, one clinical team leader and were supported by Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).

“One person was taken to hospital by road.”

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting incident reference 479 of August 29.

HOHENFELS, Germany (AP) — On a moonless and rainy night, a group of soldiers emerged from a ramshackle building meant to resemble a church. The alpine terrain loomed over them as they quietly set off for the tree line of the German countryside a short distance away.

The soldiers are members of the Polish special forces and are taking part in an exercise designed only months ago that simulates moving through enemy lines, traversing miles of enemy territory and launching a drone strike on a key enemy location.

Initially designed by the Army’s Green Berets for U.S. special forces, the exercise that began Friday is informed by and simulates many of the challenges that Ukrainian troops have experienced in their conflict with Russia. It is the first time a NATO ally like Poland has undertaken the training, and it comes at a time when tensions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and NATO countries have escalated.

“We’re using lessons learned from Ukraine,” an Army Green Beret officer assigned to the training complex said Thursday. “All of those effects that we’re seeing either Russia or Ukraine having to overcome — we’re doing our best to replicate.”

The Associated Press received rare access to both the training ground and the troops conducting the exercise, which has only been conducted twice before, both times this year, by two different Green Beret teams.

The drill highlights the focus that some parts of the U.S. military have on learning the latest techniques in drone warfare, pioneered by Ukraine during its 4 1/2-year effort to repel Russian forces. It also shows how the U.S., its NATO allies and Ukraine are working together to counter the threat of possible further Russian action in coming years even as the Trump administration has warned of troop drawdowns in Europe.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe went to Moscow this week to warn Russia not to attack NATO countries, The Wall Street Journal reported. Russia has the appetite to conduct sabotage and cyberattacks against NATO countries, but Putin wants to avoid a direct confrontation, according to three Western officials, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

How special forces are learning to sneak behind enemy lines to deploy drones

During the exercise in Germany, a senior enlisted soldier familiar with the training scenario at Joint Multinational Readiness Center Hohenfels — about an hour’s drive southeast from Nuremberg — said the plan is to run it several times a year. The officer said he expects most, if not all, of the 32 NATO nations to express interest in sending their troops to try the exercise.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity in line with the U.S. military’s longstanding policy of not publicly identifying individual members of special forces units.

President Donald Trump stirred confusion among NATO allies by going back and forth on drawing down U.S. troop levels in Europe, and the administration has launched a force review on next steps. And last week, the Army’s top officer shuttered a unit that specialized in drone warfare.

But overall, there is growing interest in tapping Ukraine for its expertise on modern warfare and, specifically, drones.

In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country was helping five countries in the Middle East and Gulf region counter Iranian drone attacks launched during the war with the United States, while the U.S. and European countries were among those requesting support.

Meanwhile, the number of mysterious drone incursions in Europe have grown, including as recently as this month, when a pair of drones were spotted over a German military base and a drone carrying explosives was found at a key cargo airport in Germany.

___

Associated Press writer Emma Burrows in London contributed to this report.

By LIZ HULL, NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT

Published: 16:17 BST, 30 August 2026 | Updated: 16:25 BST, 30 August 2026

A man arrested on suspicion of the murder of a seven-year-old girl and her aunt who died in a house fire has been released without charge.

Cleveland Police said the 31-year-old would face no further action but stressed that detectives were continuing to question a second man in connection with the alleged attack, which led to the deaths of Natalie McDonald, 34, and her niece, Valentina Foster.

On Saturday he was named as Jaden Wright, 23, during an appearance in court in relation to separate offences of grievous bodily harm and intentional strangulation.

Magistrates in Teesside were told Wright, of Middlesbrough, was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the house fire, in the Grangetown area, on Wednesday.

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He was subsequently charged with the GBH and strangulation offences which relate to another alleged incident in Grange Farm Road the day before, on August 25, the court heard.

Prosecutors said the unnamed complainant in the separate case was living in a tent when she was allegedly attacked by the defendant.

She was taken to hospital where it was found she had injuries including a fractured eye socket.

Magistrates agreed to an application for Wright, of King George’s Terrace, to be remanded into police custody.

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Valentina Foster, seven, and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, died in the fire on Wednesday

Police officers at the scene of the Grangetown house fire last Wednesday

Dressed in a grey T-shirt, Wright sat in the glass-fronted dock for the 30-minute hearing next to a single security officer.

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He did not enter a plea and spoke only to confirm his name and personal details.

Wright is due to appear again at the same court on Wednesday, September 2.

Four other people were injured in the house blaze, including a 48-year-old woman who remains in a ‘critical but stable’ condition at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and a 27-year-old man, who is undergoing treatment at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Two teenage girls were also treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and were subsequently discharged.

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On Friday, police said the property remained unstable and work will be carried out on the building over the coming days to make the site safe, which will also allow emergency services access inside.

They also confirmed the fire was not being linked to a fatal collision on the A66, which killed seven people, including two serving police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough. 

Officers initially said they could not rule out a link with wider gang violence that broke out in Teesside after the smash, which also killed five young men in a VW Passat who had been driving the wrong way up the carriageway.

Pedro Neto 7: 12 of this, half a dozen of the other. Going forward, he was superb, using his natural attacking instinct to be a danger with his delivery and getting at Kadioglu, while his goalscoring knack was on show as he ghosted in to double the home side’s advantage. He was skinned for the visitors’ goal, however, showing that he still has plenty to learn if he is to master this new role.

The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Interior has released on X.

It reads: “Press Statement on the Ongoing Search and Rescue Operations for the Passenger Ship Taking on Water Off the Coast of Girne

“On August 30, 2026, information was received that the passenger ship named FILOJET, which was en route from Girne Port to Taşucu Port with 259 passengers and 8 crew members on board, had begun taking on water 4 miles off Girne Port and was in danger of sinking.

“Following the receipt of the report, search and rescue operations were initiated in the area.

“As part of the search and rescue activities; 4 floating units affiliated with the T.R.N.C. Coast Guard Command and the passenger ship named AKGÜNLER 3 were assigned to the region, while 5 floating units and 2 Coast Guard helicopters were dispatched to the area by our Coast Guard Command.

“Additionally, 6 naval units have been assigned by the Naval Forces Command to support the operations being conducted in the region.

“The search and rescue operations are being meticulously continued in coordination among the relevant units.

“It is respectfully announced to the public.”

Dolly Parton has been laid to rest after a private funeral, her family has confirmed.

Her death was announced by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, in an Instagram video posted August 25. The musician’s publicist confirmed Parton’s cancer diagnosis to the Associated Press later in the day, but did not give further details on her illness.

Dolly’s niece, Lainey Parton, shared a touching tribute to her aunt August 29, confirming the Queen of Country had been laid to rest the day prior.

“I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words,” Lainey wrote of her “Aunt Granny.”

“From the time I was little, my granny always had a way of making me feel like I was enough. She never made my dreams feel too big or made me feel like I couldn’t do something. She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself.

“Most people can think of at least one bad memory with everyone in their family. I honestly can’t think of one with her.”

Lainey went on to thank fans and supporters for their love, and ended with a final message to Dolly: “Thank you for always believing in me, loving me, and making me feel like I could do anything.”

Dolly had made it clear before her death that she wanted a “small, private service” for immediate family, the singer’s team shared in a statement.

That service was held at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville. She was buried next to Carl Dean, her husband of 60 years who died in March 2025.

Aside from wanting a small service, Dolly did reveal one major detail about her funeral arrangements to fans more than a decade before her death.

“There’s a song called ‘If We Never Meet Again.’ It’s an old country-gospel church song that talks about if we never meet again this side of heaven, I will meet you on that beautiful shore,” she told Entertainment Weekly in a 2014 interview.

“‘Where the charming roses bloom forever and where separations come no more.’ That was my daddy’s favorite. We did sing it at his funeral, and I would like it to be sung at mine.”

It is unclear if there was a live rendition of the song at her funeral; however, Parton has duetted with her goddaughter, pop star Miley Cyrus, on a number of occasions in the past.

Richard Cassidy, 79, stabbed David Parish 14 times at his home in the Borders.

An OAP who murdered a fellow pensioner he believed had sexually abused a woman has died in jail. Richard Cassidy, 79, stabbed David Furnish 14 times in the savage attack at this home in the Scottish Borders in February 2016.

The former soldier was sentenced to 17 years in prison at the High Court in Glasgow in June of 2017. The Scottish Prison Service announced Cassidy died at HMP Shotts on June 26.

Cassidy suffered a heart attack and stroke while in custody but prison bosses have yet to reveal the cause of death. The court heard that after the murder, Cassidy himself contacted the police and handed himself in.

Cassidy’s defence lawyer Brian McConnachie explained that Cassidy went to visit Parish, 74, at his home and tried to get a confession out of him but had no plans of killing him.

He said the killing was a “moment of madness”, but he described the circumstances as “unique”. McConnachie said most people found it “hard to understand” that the then-70-year-old would be capable of murder.

The defence lawyer said: “He had never been in trouble in his life before this incident. He lived a fulfilling life until what he describes as a moment of madness in February 2016.”

However, the judge, Lord Summers, described the murder as “particularly brutal” with 14 stab wounds inflicted on the victim.

Lord Summers said Cassidy showed premeditation on the day of the attack, and referred to a social work report that found he had received Special Forces training while in the Army on how to infiltrate groups by befriending them.

When passing sentence the judge explained he took into account Cassidy’s lack of previous convictions and what he had reportedly been told about Farish as he passed a life sentence with a minimum term of 17 years in jail.

No charges had been brought against Mr Farish.

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