Firefighters were called and attended

A van burst into flames in the centre of a Cambridgeshire town. Firefighters were called to the fire this morning (March 23) around 5am.

Crews arrived to find a van on fire on High Street in March. The crew extinguished the blaze and returned to their station by 6am.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 4.58am on Monday (23) a crew from March was called to a fire on High Street in March.

“Firefighters arrived to find a van on fire. Wearing breathing apparatus they extinguished the fire using hose reels and returned to their station by 6am.”

The spokesperson confirmed that the caused of the fire was accidental.

This is the moment an air traffic controller admitted he ‘messed up’ after a plane crashed into a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

Flight 8646 smashed into the port authority vehicle as it was barreling down the runway at 30mph just before 11.40pm.

The pilot and co-pilot died in the crash, which sheared the nose of the Jazz Aviation jet operated on behalf of Air Canada off.

The controller, who instructs pilots on how to land safely, was moments before responding to a request to cross the runway by ‘Truck One’.

Audio captured by LiveATC.net showed the worker saying: ‘Just stop there, please. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. Truck one, stop. Stop, Truck one.’

The controller, who appeared to be working ground and directing aircraft, then instructed an incoming flight to go around the runway.

He tells the Air Canada flight to ‘hold position’, adding: ‘I know you can’t move. The vehicles are responding to you now.’

Another voice says ‘man, that wasn’t good to watch’, before the controller replies: ‘I know, I was here. I tried to reach out to ’em…

‘We were dealing with an emergency earlier and I messed up.’

The other worker replied: ‘No man, you did the best you could.’

Around 72 passengers and four crew members were on board Flight 8646, which was travelling from Montreal to LaGuardia.

It was going down the runway at 131mph, according to flight-tracker website, FlightRadar24.

Port Authority officials confirmed the ‘Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle’ was en route to a ‘seperate incident’.

The airline cautioned that the passenger manifest is ‘subject to confirmation’.

There will be no flights into or out of LaGuardia Airport today 2pm local time (6pm UK time), with 400 journeys cancelled so far.

The travel hub sees nearly 900 departures and arrivels every day.

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

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Bank holidays vary depending on where you live

All of the UK’s bank holidays have been confirmed by the Government for the rest of 2026. Between the different nations, dates for bank holidays can vary so it’s important to check you know when they’re taking place, depending on where you live.

Easter weekend is when the next batch of bank holidays will take place and it includes Good Friday, April 3, and Easter Monday, April 6, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, only Good Friday is recognised as a bank holiday in Scotland – not Easter Monday, Chronicle Live reports.

Recently officials set out the remaining bank holiday dates for this year via X, the social media platform previously called Twitter. Several posts specify that UK-wide bank holidays will take place on Good Friday, as previously noted, along with Mondays May 4 and 25.

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All UK nations will also observe bank holidays on Christmas Day, December 25, and Monday, December 28 (as a substitute Boxing Day). Meanwhile, Monday, July 13, represents the Battle of the Boyne bank holiday for Northern Ireland, while in Scotland, Monday, August 3, marks the Summer bank holiday. The rest of the UK – England, Wales and Northern Ireland – will observe this year’s Summer bank holiday on Monday, August 25.

On Monday, November 30, Scotland alone will commemorate the St Andrew’s Day bank holiday. And, as revealed last month, Scotland will enjoy an additional bank holiday this year.

Buckingham Palace said in February: “To mark the achievement of Scotland’s men’s football team competing at the Fifa World Cup for the first time in 28 years, we consider it desirable that Monday, the fifteenth day of June in the year 2026 should be a bank holiday in Scotland.

“Now, therefore, we, in pursuance of section 1(3) of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, do hereby appoint Monday, the fifteenth day of June in the year 2026 to be a bank holiday in Scotland.”

Complete list of UK bank holidays for 2026

England and Wales

• Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
• Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
• Monday, April 6 – Easter Monday
• Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
• Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
• Monday, August 31- Summer bank holiday
• Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
• Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)

Scotland

• Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
• Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
• Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
• Monday, June 15 – World Cup bank holiday
• Monday, August 3 – Summer bank holiday
• Monday, November 30 – St Andrew’s Day
• Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
• Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)

Northern Ireland

• Tuesday, March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
• Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
• Monday, April 6 – Easter Monday
• Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
• Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
• Monday, July 13 – Battle of the Boyne (substitute day)
• Monday, August 31 – Summer bank holiday
• Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
• Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)

For more of today’s top stories, click here.

Two people, 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, and an unnamed University of Kent student, have died following the start of the meningitis outbreak. Thousand of people have been vaccinated against the disease.

The number of cases of meningitis linked to an outbreak in Kent has dropped as thousands of young people in the area are vaccinated against the disease. Confirmed cases have fallen from 23 to 20, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in an update on Sunday morning, after they were downgraded following further testing.

Meanwhile, suspected cases under investigation have also fallen from 11 to nine, meaning the total number of cases is 29, down from 34 on Saturday. Two people, 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, and an unnamed University of Kent student, have died following the start of the outbreak.

But now a doctor has explained why a national lockdown in an effort to halt the spread of the meningitis is not on the cards. Dr Ahmed, who has almost half a million followers on TikTok, where he describes himself as “healthcare Gordon Ramsay”, said he recognised people are concerned about the outbreak, but issued a note of caution.

“Ok, untwist your panties, put them back in the drawer, and listen,” he said. “Yes, the meningitis outbreak now involves 29 people, and two of them have died, and a nine-month-old child is struggling for their life in ICU. It is very scary.

“But at the same time we have seen one of the fastest national healthcare responses from the government [in] the last decade, with over 6,000 courses of antibiotics and over 25,000 courses of vaccines given out to people who are at risk.”

He added meningitis spreads “very differently” from a virus such as Covid-19, and said a national lockdown is “very unlikely” for two reasons.

“Number one, meningitis needs very close contact and sharing utensils and vapes, things that would normally have body fluids on them, in order to spread from person to person,” he said. “It does not just spread over long distances through the air.

“And number two, this kind of outbreak is not entirely unexpected. The UK has three to 400 cases of meningitis B in a year that break out in small outbreaks like this. What is unprecedented about this outbreak is that the outbreak can be traced to literally one single location, and the fact that it’s meningitis B, something that we don’t routinely vaccinate our young teenagers for.”

Calling on people to “keep calm”, he concluded: “So yes, while it’s very scary that it can just start symptoms within two days and then kill someone within another couple of days, it just doesn’t have the characteristics that will allow for a national outbreak and a lockdown.”

NHS Kent and Medway said more than 9,078 meningitis B vaccines had been handed out as of Saturday evening while 12,595 antibiotics had been administered.

What is meningitis?

The NHS describes meningitis as “an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord”. It says the condition can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers, and young adults.

The organisation warns meningitis can be very serious if not treated quickly, and can cause sepsis, which can be fatal. It can also result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

It is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection – bacterial meningitis is rarer, but more serious, and it is this type of the disease which the two people in Kent died from. Infections can be spread by sneezing, coughing, or kissing, and is usually transmitted by people carrying the virus or bacteria in their nose or throat, but who are not ill themselves.

What are the symptoms of meningitis?

The NHS says symptoms of meningitis can develop quickly and in any order. Someone with meningitis may not develop all these symptoms. They can include:

• a high temperature (fever)
• being sick
• a headache
• a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it
• a stiff neck
• a dislike of bright lights
• drowsiness or unresponsiveness
• seizures (fits)

The beach forms part of a picturesque walk along the coast

A posh seaside town under two hours from Cambridge has untouched sands waiting to be discovered. Although Cambridge has much on offer with its fine architecture and breadth of history, there are no sandy beaches in sight.

Luckily, beaches are not far away. One with beautiful untouched sands is at Burnham Overy Staithe. Around two hours from Cambridge, this is a secluded beach on the north Norfolk coast.

A path to the beach stretches over around a mile, making it the perfect place to take a leisurely stroll or quick stop on the way to somewhere else. The well-kept sands are a beauty to see.

For anyone wanting a beach stop that isn’t overcrowded, this beach is also the perfect place for that. Once people have seen the beach, a visit to the picturesque town of Burnham Overy Staithe is also worth the trip.

Previously, this town has been named as one of the “poshest” in the UK by The Telegraph. It’s close to Burnham Market and Sandringham, and it’s also a major sailing hub.

While visiting the town, people can see the Burnham Overy Staithe windmill, which dates back to 1816. There are plenty of cute places to eat and drink, such as the community pub known as The Boathouse.

This is described as a “popular spot for lunch and coffee”. There are also plenty of places to walk in the town and beach, as the beach forms part of the North Norfolk coast circular walk.

On the National Trust website, it said: “Wander through Burnham Overy Staithe near Brancaster, and enjoy beautiful sights of the North Norfolk coast and its wildlife. This circular route follows part of the Norfolk Coast Path and passes through Holkham National Nature Reserve.

“There’s the opportunity to visit Burnham Overy Town, St. Clement church with its Norman tower, and catch sight of the Tower Windmill along the way.” With the weather getting warmer, this posh town and beautiful beach may be worth a visit.

Living under the threat of bombardment is terrifying. Barely an hour passes in Tehran without the sound of an explosion. Nowhere feels safe.

We moved quickly and didn’t stay in one place long. Police stations and checkpoints were being targeted, it seemed. We passed through those as quickly as we could. At night we watched explosions light up the sky, air defence fire opening up in reply.

That is what Iranians are coping with day by day, night by night.

We were only the second international news team allowed into Iran since the start of the war, for a week joining a few others already based there.

It was difficult to get into the country and to reach Tehran, and once there, it was hard to operate and dangerous.

Iran war latest: Tehran tells Donald Trump to ‘try respect’

We took the risk so we could ask two questions that can’t be answered outside the country: How is Israel and America’s air war on Iran affecting its people? And what does its government, battered but not beaten, plan to do next?

At the sites of one airstrike after another, the answer to the first question was tragically clear.

Innocent civilians are bearing the brunt of the Israeli-American campaign, and increasingly so.

Read more:
Inside Iran’s children’s wards after US-Israel airstrikes
Iranians out in strength as thousands attend funeral

Like the pensioner whose daughter was at home in their block of flats when it was hit by missiles. They blew the block apart, and the one opposite, as well as whatever their attackers were targeting. Her body was found in the rubble three days later, he told us through furious tears.

The term precision targeting loses much of its meaning up close. In this case, a centre belonging to the Basij paramilitary volunteer force seemed to have been destroyed – but a lot else besides, an entire city block to be precise.

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Inside Iran’s children’s wards

In a hospital, we were confronted with heart-wrenching tragedy. Four-year-old Anita lay dying in intensive care. She has severe head injuries after her home was caught in an airstrike. Her mother Zeebar cried over her comatose child, telling her: “We are waiting for you, we are waiting for you.” Doctors say Anita is not likely to wake up.

Downstairs, Fatima stood over her grown son, who had received a chunk of shrapnel in his arm, sent flying three blocks, he said, from another airstrike as he had left for work.

“This war must stop,” she told us. “It is innocent civilians being hurt.”

Regardless of what is being targeted, and however precise, the bombs being dropped on a densely populated city will cause civilian casualties.

In January, in Tehran and across the country, people were being shot at by their own security forces when weeks of protests were suppressed.

Thousands were killed, shot dead by the security forces, say activists and human rights groups.

Whenever I mentioned this to government supporters or officials, they blamed foreign agents for stoking the unrest.

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Thousands attend Iran funerals

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The tension we felt in the city goes back to that crackdown too. We were able to operate freely in the places where we were given permission to film, but few people were prepared to go on camera. Off-camera though, people were more open.

One man talked with contempt for the “extreme” nature of the authorities and hoped it would change after the war.

Which brings us to the second question we had come here to ask. What of the government and what it does next? We were not there long, and only in one city, but for now at least, Iran’s leadership appears confidently in control.

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Dominic Waghorn’s final thoughts after a week reporting in Iran

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Suppressing unrest is, of course, easier in a time of war.

But the air campaign may be helping the government too. Many Iranians see it as an attack on them and their country as much as the state. When you are living in mortal fear of your family and home being obliterated from the skies, it is hard not to take it personally.

Israel’s attack on Iran’s major South Pars gas field, for instance, was condemned by one Iranian we spoke to. Why attack that, he asked. For many, an attack on the gas field is an attack on everyone in Iran, regardless of their political affiliation.

The government has fervent supporters too, lots of them. They were out in force in the street for the funeral of Ali Larijani, a top government figure buried with others. Tens of thousands attended.

As we stood among them, the limitations of Israel and America’s ambitions became more glaring.

If you assassinate the leaders of people whose religion embraces martyrdom, this is what to expect.

Iran has a long tradition of honouring the virtues of resistance and no surrender. Iranians are reared on stories of foreign treachery. Their government is drawing on all that to reinforce its support.

Iran seems to have been waiting for this war for years. Its leadership is hydra-headed, programmed to replace itself. It has so far proven surprisingly capable of responding to attacks with speed and strategy despite its enemies’ claims it has been decapitated.

We left with a sense they are bracing themselves now for a long war. For the ordinary people, that means weeks, if not months, more terrifying uncertainty and the risk of death and injury. For their leaders, it means projecting defiance, digging in and outlasting the enemy.

The classic BBC documentary Driving School that made Maureen Rees from Cardiff a household name can still be enjoyed

Long before the phrase ‘reality TV’ was popularised by early 2000s shows like Big Brother, Popstars and Survivor, there was a television docusoap that captivated the nation – BBC’s Driving School.

Driving School paved the way for the fascination with programmes documenting real-life situations, even turning one of its participants into a star.

Debuting on the BBC in 1997, Driving School was a fly-on-the-wall documentary following a group of learner drivers around Bristol and South Wales. Despite being produced on a shoestring budget, it was aired during primetime and gave rise to one of the first reality TV celebrities, Welsh icon Maureen Rees.

The series was conceived and directed by British film and documentary maker Francesca Joseph, with narration provided by Quentin Willson, who would later host the similar programme, Britain’s Worst Driver.

A quarter of a century after its premiere, all six episodes were made accessible on BBC iPlayer and viewers can still enjoy the episodes, reports the Mirror.

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On IMDb, reviewers have lauded Driving School as “hilarious” and a “milestone” in television. One reviewer noted: “It’s largely forgotten now but this series marked a change in TV documentaries.

“It was conceived as a simple documentary about the trials and tribulations of teaching people to drive but as the footage came in it became apparent that the stars of the show were the learners not the instructors. Maureen Reese (sic) rapidly became the pupil that everyone tuned in to see. Each week we wanted to see what danger she would encounter.”

They continued: “A small milestone in the story of TV.”

Another commented: “Doesn’t anybody remember this documentary? It was hilarious! In fact, most of it doesn’t even stick in my mind but I remember Maureen Rees as the mad welsh woman always arguing with her husband and nearly decapitating everyone else on the road. Plus, she failed her driving test about 8 times! It really was a good watch.”

The popularity of Driving School resulted in a four-part celebrity edition which was broadcast in 2003 to support Comic Relief. Presented by Mel Giedroyc, famous faces taking part included Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates, television legend Paul O’Grady, EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy and Big Brother star Jade Goody. They discovered live during the Red Nose Day appeal whether they had been successful. None of them had.

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Meanwhile, Maureen from Cardiff, now 84, went on to enjoy a television career and even released a pop single. She presented the short-lived Really Useful Show, in which she learned car maintenance and appeared as herself in the sitcom Barbara, as well as travelling to the US to be interviewed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In 2001, she appeared as a chapel woman in the coming-of-age film Very Annie Mary, which was set in Wales.

In 2004, she participated in the Channel 5 series Back to Reality, a programme featuring former reality TV stars. She made it to the final day, finishing as runner-up to Princess Diana’s former lover James Hewitt.

Maureen released a single, a cover of Madness’ Driving in My Car, which reached number 49 in the UK Singles Chart, with the video featuring her driving Betsy, her powder-blue 1990 Lada Riva estate.

Driving School is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

Comedian and Taskmaster host Greg Davies will host the 2026 Bafta Television Awards.

Nominations will be announced on Tuesday at midday ahead of the May 10 ceremony at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London.

Davies’ breakthrough role was headteacher Mr Gilbert in E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners, and he hosts Sky’s quiz show Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Channel 4’s Bafta-winning Taskmaster.

The actor, himself nominated for a 2013 Bafta Television Award for playing Ken in the BBC’s sitcom Cuckoo, said: “I see the whole event as an opportunity to wave a flag for this beloved medium and, with the exception of one commissioner, two execs and a co-star that I have personal beef with, I will do everything I can to ensure it’s a night of warm celebration for all.”

Davies, 57, said he was “thrilled” to take on the role.

Emma Baehr, executive director of awards and content at Bafta, said: “His sharp humour, warmth and energy will set the stage for an unforgettable night honouring the very best in British television.

“The ambition, craft, and sheer range of talent on-screen and behind it continues to raise the bar.

“We can’t wait to shine a spotlight on the creatives who defined 2025’s standout programmes.”

Last year’s awards attracted an audience of 2.5 million on BBC One and iPlayer.

They are partnered with P&O Cruises for the fourth year running and the cruise line’s Memorable Moment Award is the only one that the public vote for.

Voting is open for six nominees, including when Jamie, played by Owen Cooper, snaps at the psychologist in Netflix’s Adolescence, and when Alan Carr won The Celebrity Traitors on BBC.

Also up is the “I didn’t make it, did I?” line in Channel 4’s Big Boys, and when police are warned of an ambush plot to silence a key witness in the BBC’s Blue Lights.

Voters can also choose Bob Mortimer and Richard Ayoade’s speed date in Prime Video’s Last One Laughing, and when Byron leaves for Brighton to start university and introduces herself as Paris, in the BBC’s What It Feels Like For A Girl.

The victim, named locally as Scarlett Faulkner, was found by emergency services on Saturday with catastrophic head injuries.

A mum who was savagely attacked on a roadside has been left fighting for her life. The victim, named locally as Scarlett Faulkner, 20s, was found by emergency services on Saturday with catastrophic head injuries.

The scene, on the R494 at Birdhill, Co Tipperary, remained cordoned off by Gardaí, on Sunday, reports Irish Mirror. The R494 roadway – a short distance from the lakeside towns of Ballina and Killaloe, located between Nenagh and Limerick – was closed in both directions to allow Garda forensic investigators conduct a technical examination at the scene.

Ms Faulkner, who is in her 20s, is believed to have been attacked by one or a number of people who were armed with weapons. She was left for dead at the side of the road at around 5.30pm on Saturday. The injured lady is understood to be a respected member of a Traveller family from Limerick city.

Gardaí were working on several theories as to the background of the assault including that Ms Faulkner may have been travelling in a car that was rammed by a group in another vehicle, dragged from her car, and attacked with implements at the side of the roadway.

Ms Faulkner was initially attended to by HSE paramedics at the scene and then airlifted by a Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) Saturday evening. Doctors continued to monitor her at UHL where she underwent scans as her devastated family maintained a vigil.

Paramedics transferred Ms Faulkner from UHL to Cork University Hospital head trauma unit on Sunday where her condition remained serious. Family members posted photographs of Ms Faulkner on social media and asked that people pray that she would recover from her injuries, which Gardaí described as “critical”.

“Come on sister please you can do this. Everyone please (say a) prayer for my sister Scarlett. Love you sister,” stated a Facebook post. Another wrote in a heartfelt tribute: “I love you with all my heart, you will always be my best friend big sister. My heart is shattered in 1 million pieces.”

“God please don’t do this to us ,” they stated. “Last time I saw you was only few nights ago you came to my trailer and when you were leaving. I said Scarlett I love you please mind yourself and you hugged me and kissed me in the jaw you said stop worrying ill be back.”

Another posted: “Could everyone please say a prayer for my cousin Scarlett Faulkner that she makes a full recovery amen.” And, another post read: “Plz god beautiful mother Teresa and saint pio and saint Anthony this girl Scarlett Faulkner will be ok.”

Appealing for witnesses, a Garda spokeswoman said: “Any road users who were on the R494 between Birdhill and the M7 motorway between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday, 21st March 2026 and may have camera footage (including dash-cam) are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí. Investigations are ongoing.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station on (067) 50450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

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