A mid-air crash erupted above a military site in Idaho with emergency crews rushing to the scene and a massive plume of smoke seen hovering over the area

A mid-air crash at a US air show has sent a huge plume of black smoke billowing into the sky, with witnesses reporting seeing four parachutes moments after the incident.

The collision happened during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The event sees military and civilian aircraft perform flying displays and demonstrations.

Officials said the crash took place around two miles north-west of the base, where emergency crews rushed to the scene.

Base spokesperson Antwain Hanks confirmed the crash to the Idaho Statesman.

An air show announcer told the crews were able to eject, the publication added. “We had four good parachutes,” the announcer told the crowd.

“The crews were able to eject. They’re located one mile south of where the smoke is. The parachutes came down.”

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WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaigners have launched new High Court legal action against the DWP’s decision not to compensate the 1950s-born women impacted by changes to the state pension age.

The WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaigners have reignited their fight for DWP compensation. Labour announced in January 2026 that there would be no payouts for the 1950s-born women represented by WASPI and other campaign groups.

WASPI has fought for more than a decade to secure compensation for the generation of women affected by their state pension age rising from 60 to 65 and subsequently to 66, aligning it with men’s. Their argument centres on inadequate notification from the DWP about the change.

They claim many women remained oblivious until the last minute, with their retirement arrangements shattered when they discovered their state pension would not commence for several additional years. In rejecting compensation, the Government argued that the majority of women were aware of the change, and earlier notification letters would have had minimal impact.

This position came despite the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman examining the matter and concluding there was ‘maladministration’ by the Government. The watchdog proposed payments between £1,000 and £2,950, reports the Express.

New legal challenge

However, WASPI has revealed it is pursuing fresh legal proceedings against the DWP’s refusal to provide compensation. They are seeking a judicial review of the decision at the High Court. Angela Madden, chair of the WASPI campaign, said: “The Government has had every opportunity to do the right thing for WASPI women. Instead, they have made a political choice that risks alienating voters in hundreds of marginal seats across the country.

“Labour MPs have seen the electoral data. They know WASPI women have the numbers to unseat them. Yet ministers continue to ignore the independent Ombudsman, their own backbenchers, and millions of voters.”

A fair compensation amount

Hannah Martin, women’s pensions expert and founder of www.richretiree.com, backs the campaign and believes the WASPI women are deserving of compensation. She said: “I believe they should be awarded compensation. But it’s difficult to ascertain what is a ‘fair’ amount, as the financial impact hasn’t been the same for every woman.

“A flat payment scheme would be much simpler to administer, however this could lead to some women still being left out of pocket, and others receiving more than they lost. Some kind of simplified graduated scheme would be fairer.”

When asked whether the WASPI women stand a realistic chance of ultimately securing compensation, she said: “That’s a tricky question to answer, given Keir Starmer’s change of stance on the issue. In 2018 he rightly said WASPI was ‘a real injustice’ and that ‘we need to do something about it.’ And yet, when given the opportunity to act on these words as Prime Minister, he backed out, blaming lack of money.

“That said, I would never underestimate a determined, angry group of women. The WASPI women are undeterred in their campaign and they appear to have a considerable amount of support backing their legal challenge.”

Numerous individual MPs have previously declared their backing for the WASPI cause. Several political parties have likewise long championed compensation, amongst them the Liberal Democrats, the SNP and the Green Party.

All three parties achieved notable victories in the recent local elections. Ms Martin expressed her hope that this would strengthen support for the WASPI cause, saying: “It’s certainly an emotive issue that impacts and touches a significant number of people across the UK. But politicians have a habit of championing popular issues when campaigning, only to back away from action once they are in a position to actually make a change – as we have already seen with Keir Starmer.”

Ms Madden said: “After losing nearly 1,500 seats in the recent local elections, the [Labour] party now has a clear choice: listen to WASPI women and compensate them fairly, or face the consequences at the next General Election. We will not be ignored, and we will not give up this fight.”

Earlier in May, the country’s tourism minister, Olga Kefalogianni, said the Greek government did not want visitors to be “burdened” by bureaucratic procedures when entering or leaving the country.

She confirmed at the time that British visitors would not face biometric checks at the border at any time during the summer season.

However, European and Greek authorities have now clarified that suspension of the system is permitted only during periods of high passenger traffic at specific entry points and does not apply to any country or nationality.

In response to a question from The Associated Press on Thursday (May 14), the Foreign Ministry said: “We have not received any further update or clarification as to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure.”

This won’t just affect Brits, but any non-EU (European Union) nationals who have to go through the biometric scanners.

Greece insists it has “successfully started the full operation of the Entry-Exit System”.

However, in practice, it suspended biometric checks on UK visitors in early April after long queues built up at Corfu airport.

Private tour operators fear additional airport checks could discourage travel from the UK to the EU, and widen the disparity with EU citizens, who can move within the bloc without passport checks

What are the new EU entry/exit system rules?

BBC News reports that back in April, the EU completed the introduction of its controversial new digital border procedure, known as the “entry-exit system”, or EES.

It requires short-term visitors from outside the EU and the European Economic Area to register biometric data each time they enter or leave the Schengen free travel zone.

Recommended reading:

The first time they cross the border, this is meant to include fingerprints and a facial scan, with one of those being checked each time they go through passport control.

Although the system is working well in some parts of the EU, there have been serious difficulties in others, with some passengers experiencing queues of up to three hours.

Have you experienced long delays travelling to Europe due to biometric checks? Let us know in the comments.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — When Charles Wandfluh voted in Louisiana’s Republican primary over the weekend, he could only conjure the unflattering image of a panicked rodent when talking about Bill Cassidy’s desperate attemp t to cling to his U.S. Senate seat despite opposition from President Donald Trump.

“He’s just a squirrel running around the tree, chasing nuts to find whatever he can get to benefit him,” said Wandfluh, 57, in a suburb of New Orleans.

Cassidy’s scramble was in vain, and his defeat on Saturday demonstrated the near-impossibility of a political future within the Republican Party without Trump’s acquiescence. Despite outspending his rivals, Cassidy finished third in the primary, falling short of even making a runoff. The outcome was the latest and perhaps most spectacular failure by a Republican who tried to cross Trump and get away with it.

Even within a party notorious for its political contortions during the Trump era, Cassidy stood out. As a doctor, he overlooked Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine activism to support his nomination as Trump’s health secretary, only inevitably to clash with Kennedy once he took the job.

Cassidy was also unable to repair his relationship with Trump five years after voting to convict him during his impeachment trial over the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Although Cassidy tried to assure Republican voters that he remained committed to Trump’s agenda, that did not satisfy their loyalty to the Republican president.

“He was trying to portray himself side by side with Trump, like he has worked with Trump on this and that,” Wandfluh complained. “I’m like, ‘You voted to impeach the guy!’”

Trump’s endorsed candidate

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, endorsed by Trump, and state Treasurer John Fleming, a former Trump administration official, will compete for the Republican nomination on June 27.

“There is no greater endorsement than the endorsement of President Trump,” said Letlow, who was first in the voting Saturday. “We’ll always be singing that from the mountaintops.”

Trump liked what he heard, posting on social media that it was a “great victory speech tonight by Julia!!!” The president stomped on Cassidy’s electoral grave, describing the senator as ungrateful for previous support.

“His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” Trump wrote.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who feuded with Trump in the past but has since become a model of loyalty to the president, had no sympathy for his vanquished colleague.

“What’s the headline? Trump’s strong. Those who try to destroy Trump politically, stand in the way of his agenda, are going to lose,” Graham said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “You can disagree with President Trump, but if you try to destroy him, you’re going to lose. Because this is the party of Donald Trump.”

Purging the party

Graham once described Trump as a “kook” who was “unfit for office,” and he appeared to break with Trump after the Jan. 6 riot by saying “enough is enough.” But Graham did not vote to convict Trump during the impeachment trial, unlike Cassidy and six other Republican senators.

Four of them — Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania — did not run for another term afterward.

Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, who remains in office and is a vocal Trump skeptic, won reelection in 2022 when Trump was out of office. There also is Maine’s Susan Collins, who has faced Trump’s wrath but not a primary challenge as she runs for a sixth term in November. As a Republican senator from a state won by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the last presidential election, she remains crucial for her party’s control of Congress.

Trump’s grip on his party is noteworthy given his lame-duck status — he is constitutionally prohibited from running for a third term even though he has mused about it — and his low poll numbers. He is presiding over lingering inflation, economic dissatisfaction and an unpopular war with Iran, yet Republicans remain largely in lockstep with him.

As he approaches the back half of his second term, Trump appears to be finalizing a wholesale makeover of the party that he began a decade ago, and his appetite for retribution does not appear to be waning.

Earlier this month, he successfully dislodged five Indiana state senators who opposed his redistricting plan. On Tuesday, he is backing a challenger to U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s primary. Massie angered Trump by opposing his signature tax legislation over concerns about the national debt, pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and opposing his decision to go to war with Iran.

Over the weekend, Trump suggested that he could next target U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado because of her support for Massie.

“Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my Honor to withdraw that Endorsement, and endorse a good and proper alternative,” Trump said, although the filing deadline for Colorado candidates passed months ago.

All about Trump

After his defeat, Cassidy addressed Trump’s influence without naming him.

“Our country is not about one individual. It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about our Constitution,” the senator told supporters in Baton Rouge. “And it is the welfare of my people, and my state, and my country, and our Constitution to which I am loyal.”

But Trump’s role was central for many Republican voters.

Mark Schulingkanp, who is 46 and works in the shipping industry, said he voted for Letlow precisely to avoid the conflict that has marked Cassidy’s relationship with Trump.

“Getting federal dollars into the state is the most important thing to me, to help people with jobs,” he said. “Clearly having a senator that the president doesn’t like could cause a challenge or impede federal dollars coming to the state for roads, bridges, so many different programs.”

Jeanelle Chachere, a 66-year-old nurse, described Cassidy as a “phony” and said she voted for Letlow solely because of Trump’s endorsement.

“I’m going by what he says because I like what he does,” she said.

In a sign of how Cassidy had backed himself into a political corner, he also lost support in some quarters for going along with Trump’s demands.

Mark Workman, a 75-year-old retired physician, said he voted for Fleming to punish Cassidy for backing Kennedy’s confirmation.

“If Cassidy had stood up and blocked RFK, I would definitely have supported him because that would have been a strong, ballsy move,” Workman said. “He had the ability to stop him and he was too weak to do that.”

___

Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Ed Richardson, programme director for transport at BusinessLDN, said the disruption caused by this week’s strikes will “impact London’s reputation” as a place to invest and do business, at a turbulent time when firms are already grappling with the effects of the Iran war and political instability at home amid the government’s leadership crisis.

A street mural has been painted in honour of Bowie’s one-time performance in the Cambridgeshire city

Before some musical artists conquered the world, they played smaller venues to kick start their career. Across Cambridgeshire, there were a number of venues used by famous musicians that people may not know about.

There was the former Boat Race pub in Cambridge where Oasis played in 1994, as well as Queen who played at the Cambridge Corn Exchange. In Peterborough, there was one music venue where David Bowie played for one time only.

While it was mainly used as a dance venue, The Palais in Wentworth Street was a popular place to be. The venue was established by Wisbech promoter Norman Jacobs.

Mr Jacobs previously provided entertainment at the Corn Exchange, however his lease for the building ended in May 1964. As a result, he moved his venue to Wentworth Street with dreams of a bigger entertainment venue for people.

Throughout the 1960s, the venue was host to a number of big artists including The Kinks, The Who, The Hollies and Manfred Mann. Bowie performed at the Palais with his short-lived band, David Bowie & The Buzz, on March 10, 1966.

This was the only time Bowie performed in Peterborough. Just three years after his Peterborough performance, he shot to fame with Space Oddity.

This was during Bowie’s most famous era in the 1970s when he was his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. To mark his only performance in Peterborough, which many people may not know about, a mural has been painted in his honour.

The mural is outside the former Palais venue, and was painted by street artist Nathan Murdoch and artist Tony Nero. For anyone who didn’t know Bowie performed in Peterborough before stardom, they can go and see this new piece of street art that marks the occasion.

Countryfile star Adam Henson shared his concerns on his livestock after a ‘terrible’ spell.

Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has had his worries alleviated following a “terrible” spell for some of his animals.

The farming broadcaster provided an update on his lambs after his farm endured a “hideous” drought the previous year.

During one segment in Sunday’s edition of the BBC show, Adam opened by saying: “Improving biodiversity is only one part of the challenge on the farm. We’re also trying to breed livestock that can thrive with fewer inputs.”

He went on to explain: “These are our rams, and last year, we set off with a bit of an experiment, we brought in two new breeds, the Romneys, the white-faced ones, we got two mature rams in there, and they were to breed replacements, so they go on to our yews and we keep their daughters.

“They came from a flock where they’d been concentrating on working out that those lambs need less wormers that you’d put into the gut of the animal to kill the stomach worms. They’re expensive to use but they are also a little bit damaging to the environment,” reports the Express.

“The other rams over there are the Hampshire Downs, and for the Hampshire, it is all about meat production, but for them, last year’s lambs, it was a difficult trial, because we had a terrible drought with very little grass.

“This year, we’ve got to work out whether they’re producing the quality of lamb we need to be able to send into the markets.”

Adam continued by explaining how Hampshire Downs had been introduced to rear lambs that thrive solely on their mother’s milk and grass, eliminating the requirement for manufactured feeds, thereby reducing costs and environmental impact.

Following last year’s challenging drought conditions, Adam and his livestock manager Sam are examining this year’s outcomes.

Adam said to Sam: “Last year, we had that hideous drought, I was feeding hard food to the yews and lambs which is very unusual, it got quite difficult to judge.”

Sam replied: “They really go backwards, it was a tough time, there was nothing we could do.”

He added: “It was a tough time so fingers crossed, we have a fairly stable year weather wise, that would be great, so they’ll thrive.”

Observing some of the flock, Adam noted how one set of twins appeared “tremendous”, while Sam expressed that he was “really impressed”.

“They’ve absolutely grown over the last few weeks,” he remarked, describing the Hampshires as “beautiful to look at and really lovely to work with”.

Adam concluded: “I’m glad they’re looking well, perfect!”

Meanwhile, in another segment of the programme, Adam introduced a new arrival to his farm, an adorable young pony.

“She’s huge!” Adam exclaimed upon first seeing the Suffolk Punch, a rare horse breed.

“Every foal that we can get that’s fit and healthy is very, very valuable to the breed,” he explained.

“She’s got such long legs and she’s only 17 days old!” He added: “Aren’t you beautiful? It’s alright, your mummy is nearly there!”

Adam remarked upon the “beautiful” connection between the mare and her foal, noting: “She seems pretty relaxed,” before revealing the foal’s name as Hera.

He explained: “Hera is a Greek Goddess and lady of protection, so I need to do a bit of work with her, she’s still quite nervous. It’s lovely to have her… little Hera there, she’ll be a superstar.”

Countryfile airs Sunday at 6.15pm on BBC Two and iPlayer.

With the regular season now complete, Cardiff are the only Welsh side still standing after securing a place in the United Rugby Championship play-offs.

It has been another bruising campaign for Wales’ four professional regions — Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets — who have had to contend with financial uncertainty, off-field turmoil and significantly smaller playing budgets than many of their URC rivals.

Yet despite the challenges, there have still been standout performers across the Welsh game.

Here is the best combined regional XV from the 2025-26 season.

15. Angus O’Brien (Dragons)

The 31-year-old has arguably been the Dragons’ best player this season and his strong form has led to many pundits calling for his inclusion in the Wales squad.

O’Brien’s kicking game has been second to none this season, while his ability to act as a second playmaker coupled with his distribution has been a key part of the Dragons’ resurgence this term.

The talented playmaker is also a leader within the group and this has arguably been the best campaign of his career.

14. Rio Dyer (Dragons)

The 26-year-old has been a model of consistency for the Dragons this season.

Dyer is strong defensively and under the high ball, while his work rate was typified by his outstanding try-saving tackle on Auguste Cadot in the Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Montpellier.

The Dragons speedster has also been a potent threat with ball in hand, scoring seven tries this season.

13. Eddie James (Scarlets)

The powerful Wales centre has been impressive all season for club and country.

James’ best position is arguably at inside centre but he has played a lot of his rugby at 13 this season.

The Wales international is a handful with ball in hand and is a serious carrier capable of making significant post-contact metres.

Next season the Scarlets coaching team need to work out a way to get the best out of James because he is such an effective weapon.

12. Ben Thomas (Cardiff)

The 27-year-old has been employed at 13 over the past few weeks but his best position is undoubtedly inside centre.

Thomas has played a pivotal role in Cardiff reaching the URC play-offs for the first time in their history.

The Wales internationals is arguably the most important player in Cardiff’s attacking game and has dovetailed well with outside-half Callum Sheedy this season.

Everything good about Cardiff’s attack tends to have Thomas at the centre of it.

An honourable mention must also go to Dragons centre Aneurin Owen who has enjoyed a fine campaign.

11. Tom Bowen (Cardiff)

The Wales U20s wing has taken to the professional game as easy as a duck takes to water.

Bowen is electric with ball in hand and is one of the deadliest finishers in the URC.

There remain areas of his game in need of improvement but Bowen has been hugely influential in attack and has scored a number of important tries for Cardiff.

His finish in the victory over the Stormers on Friday night was out of the top drawer.

10. Dan Edwards (Ospreys)

The 22-year-old is a class act and when he plays well the Ospreys tend to fire.

Edwards is a very dangerous runner who can create opportunities out of nothing with an excellent kicking game.

The Wales international is pivotal to everything that is good about the Ospreys and edges Cardiff’s Callum Sheedy to the number 10 jersey.

9. Johan Mulder (Cardiff)

The South African may not be a big name but he has been a shrewd acquisition by the Welsh club.

Mulder has been a key figure in Cardiff’s push for the play-offs and is technically very good.

The 26-year-old’s basics are excellent, while he is also a threat with ball in hand and is excellent in defence, even winning a handful of turnovers at the breakdown.

His game management is also top class.

8. Fletcher Anderson (Scarlets)

The New Zealander has been a revelation since arriving at the Scarlets from Tasman.

Anderson is one of the best ball-carrying backrowers in the URC and consistently makes significant post-contact metres.

The 23-year-old produces big moments in games and the Scarlets have done well to retain his services.

Anderson has already confirmed he is open to represent Wales when he qualifies on residency in 2030 and the Welsh Rugby Union must help the Scarlets make that a reality.

7. Dan Thomas (Cardiff)

The 32-year-old has been outstanding for Cardiff this season and it would be a struggle to find a player more consistent.

Thomas is a workhorse who puts his body on the line and does the unseen dirty work which allows others to shine.

The former Scarlets, Gloucester and Bristol Bears backrower has made more tackles than any other player in the URC this season (232), while he is a scavenger at the breakdown.

Thomas played a central role in Cardiff’s season-defining victories over the Ospreys and the Stormers of late.

Jac Morgan is the other obvious candidate but he has missed a large part of the season due to injury.

6. Aaron Wainwright (Dragons)

The 28-year-old has taken his game to another level this season for both club and country.

Wainwright is undoubtedly one of the best backrowers in the Northern Hemisphere and is a tremendous all-round player.

He has played the majority of his rugby at No 8 but we had to get both Wainwright and the Scarlets’ Fletcher Anderson into this team.

Wainwright will be a big loss to the Dragons when he joins Leicester Tigers next season.

5. Ryan Smith (Ospreys)

What a signing the Australian has been for the Ospreys.

Smith arrived last summer from Queensland Reds and has had a huge impact.

The 29-year-old is a very physical player and a dynamic carrier who rarely fails to go forward and dominates the collisions.

He is also a good lineout forward and a strong leader within this Ospreys squad.

4. Josh McNally (Cardiff)

The 35-year-old has been a key player for Cardiff since joining from Bath a couple of years ago.

McNally leads through his actions and is a player who gets through a mountain of work.

The former England international is very physical, effective at the maul and a decent carrier.

He just about edges the Dragons’ Ben Carter for a place in this team.

3. Javan Sebastian (Cardiff)

Tighthead prop is not an area of strength in Welsh rugby but Sebastian has been consistently solid all season.

The former Scotland international has done a decent job in anchoring the Cardiff scrum and gets through a lot of work around the park.

Elsewhere, the Scarlets’ Archer Holz and the Dragons’ Robert Hunt are superior scrummagers but have missed large parts of the season due to injury.

2. Brodie Coghlan (Dragons)

The 25-year-old has been outstanding for the Dragons this season and was very unlucky to miss out on a place in the Wales squad.

Coghlan is a bundle of energy and is a very explosive carrier while his work at the set-piece is also good.

He just about edges out Liam Belcher, Ryan Elias and Sam Parry.

1. Rhys Barratt (Cardiff)

The fact the 24-year-old has won a first official call-up to the Wales squad is testament to his form this season.

Barratt is a solid scrummager, but he brings so much with his work rate around the park.

He is a very explosive carrier who makes a lot of tackles and is a jackal threat, while he is also a talented ball player, as evidenced by a tremendous 50/22 in the victory over Racing 92 in January.

She said: “People are continuing to turn away from the Union, they recognise it is not in their interest, that chaos, the introspection, the looking inwards economically and having this constant debate around being part of Europe or not being part of Europe, the infighting within the political parties about who is leader, it does not serve the interests of people here.