A woman whose best friend died after unknowingly drinking methanol-laced shots on holiday has praised a new government campaign hoping to prevent it from happening to others.

Bethany Clarke and Simone White were holidaying in the popular backpacking town of Vang Vieng, Laos, in November 2024 when a night out turned fatal.

Clarke and White, from Orpington, southeast London, both became seriously ill the next day, assuming they were battling severe hangovers.

However, it turned out they had unwittingly taken shots laced with methanol.

Both were hospitalised, and while Clarke thankfully recovered, White, 28, died days later after suffering irreversible brain damage.

Lawyer White was one of six who died after consuming free drinks served at the Nana Backpacker Hostel. Two Australian teenagers, an American, and two Danish tourists made up the other fatalities.

As an inquest took place earlier this year, South London Coroners’ Court heard that Australian Federal Police (AFP) ‘advised there is no evidence that the hostel workers were involved in contaminating the drinks with methanol’. An investigation into the distillery owner and factory workers involved with production is ongoing.

In her late friend’s honour and eager to raise awareness, Clarke has since launched an online petition and had meetings with Heathrow Airport and the travel industry.

Earlier this week, the UK government backed volunteers of her ‘MethaKnow’ campaign, a new group that has applied for charitable status and aims to advocate for measures to prevent similar incidents.

Clarke said: ‘The FCDO launched their summer campaign this week, and we had a couple of the campaigners involved: Calum, who lost his eyesight, and Margaret McKie, who lost her daughter Kirsty, who both went on BBC Breakfast.

‘This coincided with the launch of our campaign, MethaKnow.

‘We wanted to make sure people could find us on socials in case anyone else has been affected and wants to reach out.’

She already believes that public awareness around methanol poisoning has changed dramatically since White died.

‘Loads of people comment all the time, saying they never knew about it.

‘I’ve had people say, “I went to Bali and saw this, so I avoided spirits.”

‘I imagine we’ve reached millions of people by now.’

Clark is ‘so glad’ the campaign is coming from a government level, having initially been unsure if that would be possible.

‘Working towards having charity status will hopefully give us more credibility with the help from the Government.’

Now, the campaigner hopes that insurers and travel companies will do more to help save the lives of their customers.

She said: ‘Insurers are going to want to avoid their customers having this problem, so if we can work with them and influence people on social media to avoid high-risk drinks, we’re doing what we can.’

On Wednesday, July 15, the Foreign Office launched its new Know the Signs campaign to warn travellers of the danger of methanol.

A total of 29 destinations now have methanol poisoning warnings on the UK government travel advice, including Laos and Vietnam.

Minister for Consular Hamish Falconer MP said: ‘No one expects a holiday to end in tragedy, yet methanol poisoning can have devastating – and sometimes fatal – consequences.

‘The courage of survivors and bereaved families in sharing their experiences will help raise awareness and could save lives.’

Falconer has urged people to ‘check the latest travel advice for your destination and act quickly if something doesn’t feel right’.

‘When drinking spirits overseas, use reputable venues, purchase sealed drinks, and avoid homemade alcohol or free shots.

‘We are working to raise awareness of the warning signs of methanol poisoning and urge anyone who suspects they may have been exposed to seek immediate medical attention, helping British nationals stay safe overseas.’

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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A 25-year-old man is due to appear in court after officers investigating an alleged spate of car vandalism incidents in Edinburgh.

A man has been arrested and charged following an extensive police investigation into an alleged spate of vehicle vandalism incidents in Edinburgh.

According to cops, the crimes had been linked to an individual dubbed “The Scratcher” by locals.

Officers executed a warrant in the capital on Friday morning, July 17, leading to the arrest of a 25-year-old man.

Following questioning, he was charged in connection with the offences and is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, July 20.

Police Scotland said the arrest follows an extensive investigation into the series of incidents, which saw numerous vehicles damaged across the city.

Officers thanked those affected for their patience while enquiries were carried out and said work is continuing to identify any further offences.

Anyone with information, or who believes they have been a victim but has not yet reported the incident, is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101 or via its website.

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The BBC’s new six-part comedy Ann Droid has caused a stir online.

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Viewers on the BBC were left emotional after watching a brand-new series air on the broadcaster.

Ann Droid is a six-part comedy that features the likes of Sue Johnston and Diane Morgan.

However, it wasn’t long before the series caused a stir online with many people rushing to share their thoughts on the how programme.

One viewer wrote: “#AnnDroid Funny, sad, incisive. Diane Morgan and Sue Johnson are brilliant. SueSueSue is a winner.” Another enthused: “#AnnDroid is my new favourite telly show.”

A further viewer posted: “Just watched the first episode of #anndroid by @Sarah_Kendall and Diane Morgan, and it is a great piece of writing and acting. Deserves to be a hit with viewers #suesuesue.”

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One fan declared: “Ann Droid is sharp, witty and gorgeously funny. Sue Johnston is brilliant as per, and if you’re a fan of Diane Morgan, it’s a real treat #AnnDroid @BBCOne”

While another concluded: “Watched episode 1 of #AnnDroid. Brilliantly funny, but also so full of emotion. It made me cry! Absolutely loved it.”

Ann Droid launched on Friday night (July 17), with viewers tuning in to watch actress Sue Johnston portray lonely widower Sue.

Worried about her health and welfare, her son Michael (Paul Ready) arranges for her to receive an AI eldercare robot, much to her displeasure.

Putting the robot, whom she names Linda (Diane Morgan), through its paces, it becomes apparent that things are far from straightforward, as viewers witnessed the robot walk in on her while she was bathing and destroy her dressing gown.

Yet no sooner had the opening episode begun than audiences took to social media in their droves, with a striking number of viewers sharing remarkably similar thoughts, reports the Mirror.

Reflecting on her role, actress Diane Morgan revealed the most challenging aspect of portraying a robot.

She said: “What was hard was that Sue got these really emotional scenes, and I’m sitting next to her, motionless. But obviously I’m hearing everything, and she’s amazing.

“There were times, sitting on the bed, where I thought, ‘I’m gonna cry, I’m gonna cry’. And I can’t cry, I’m a robot. It was really difficult.”

While the pair’s initial encounters were awkward, the episode concluded on a touching note.

Having a change of heart about returning Linda, Sue opts to keep the robot for a bit longer as she proves helpful in dealing with her isolation and bereavement, leading to an unlikely bond developing between them.

Ann Droid is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The trophy, made famous in 2004 when Gareth Southgate captained Middlesbrough to their only major silverware, will be on display in Redcar at the local Fonehouse store.

Mark Stannard, an organiser of the nationwide tour run by Sky in partnership with the EFL, said: “It’s the actual cup that Southgate lifted in 2004 when we won it.”

The tour aims to bring the Carabao Cup to smaller towns ahead of the new football season, giving fans outside major cities the opportunity to experience football history.

Sky have now also organised to display the Championship trophy on Sunday alongside the Carabao Cup, making it a must-visit event for Middlesbrough fans.

Mark said: “I’ve chosen Redcar because obviously, Middlesbrough won that trophy back in 2004. That’s the pull, I think, isn’t it?”

He believes the event will appeal to fans who might not usually have the opportunity to see such high-profile silverware.

He said: “Some people never really get to see it. And it’s nice for Redcar to have it on the doorstep because normally it’d be Middlesbrough, York or Newcastle.

“It’s a nice opportunity for the smaller communities.”

The tour will also stop by the Fonehouse Malton store on Saturday (July 18) before moving on to Redcar.

The event will allow visitors to take photographs with the trophy and enter a raffle to win a football shirt of their choice.

Mark said: “Anybody that comes into the store can get a photograph with it and get a raffle ticket to win a shirt of their choice.

“If they want a Middlesbrough shirt, I’ll get them a Middlesbrough shirt. If they want a Man United shirt, I’ll get a Man United shirt.”

The trophy tours have been especially popular with younger fans, who love to come down with their football shirts on and feel closer to their team.

The Carabao Cup will be on display at Redcar Fonehouse on Sunday (July 19) from 10am.

The summer window is really heating up as the World Cup finale approaches, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all striving to get some major transfers completed. Arsenal are poised to bid for Morgan Rogers after agreeing a deal for Christos Tzolis following Leandro Trossard’s exit, while they also remain in pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes and Julian Alvarez, plus wonderkid Andria Bartishvili. Bradley Barcola and Ezri Konsa are also firmly on the Gunners’ radar.

I was thrilled when I heard that Diane Morgan was creating a new comedy series for the BBC.

I’m a big fan of the comedian and of the channel’s plethora of sitcoms that we’re lucky to have at our fingertips – so for me, this was a winning combination.

Mandy is an iconic character and the bitesize episodes have brought me so many laughs.

And Philomena Cunk is one of Britain’s best comedic characters who asks the most wonderfully absurd questions to extremely serious academics.

Ann Droid felt like a new endeavour for Morgan, who co-wrote the script with Sarah Kendall, but it wasn’t what I expected.

Certainly, there are still elements of absurdity and the highly stylised characterisation that defines Morgan’s work.

Her quick, dry wit also shines through in the series about a grieving widow called Sue, played by The Royle Family’s Sue Johnston, whose adult son, played by Motherland’s Paul Ready, buys her an Elder Care robot to help with her needs.

It’s a poignant comment on our ageing society and the increasing need for effective social care that comes with that. The answer? An AI robot called Linda.

Morgan stars as the droid who takes responsibility for Sue’s physical and mental health in the wake of her husband’s death and her son Michael’s decision to leave home and go back to his cheating ex-wife.

Her resemblance to a robot is utterly uncanny, and hugely impressive. The attention to detail in her every movement places her miles ahead of the other actors playing AI helpers in the show, and reminds viewers why the Bolton-born comedian is such a talent.

In fact, she is so good at it, that I found myself getting increasingly frustrated with her character.

While watching, I was feeling triggered by her robotic inability to grasp certain situations, reminding me of the countless times I have begged my Amazon Alexa for ‘volume down’, only for her to fail her to understand my perfectly clear instruction.

Shamefully, I’ll say that these interactions can lead to my own poor Alexa being called some nasty names – an admission I’m not proud of…

So when Linda inappropriately blasted out ‘upbeat music’ at the wrong time, or spoke with that unnervingly consistent pitch and tone, at times I found my blood irrationally boiling.

Perhaps that’s more of a reflection on myself, and indicates I might need to engage with a bit more of a mindful approach when it comes to technology… but I don’t want to be reminded of that while watching a comedy.

This wasn’t the only thing which left me annoyed with the show.

Personally, I think Ready is one of the stand-out performers in Motherland, and while his character in that show is awkward and slightly hopeless, his comedic potential is fully realised.

In Ann Droid, his character also possesses a similar energy, but there aren’t enough funny moments to save him from just being annoying.

Andrea Valls as his unfaithful wife, Renee, was a wonderful surprise in the series.

The actor-come-TikTok star, who does hilarious sketches of the changing seasons and embodies different types of milk (you had to be there) should become a permanent fixture in British comedies.

Her ability to encapsulate a certain kind of person, in this case a BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu)-obsessed-borderline-health-conspiracist who thinks ‘proximity to old forests can cure things like arthritis and cancer’.

Johnston is also predictably fantastic, but is let down by the series itself which lacked pacing and dragged at times.

Whether it was Linda’s purposefully monotone voice, or the predictable storyline, the whole thing felt slightly one note and didn’t reach a big enough climax.

When I understood that this was more than just a silly take on robots, I was expected to be moved to tears or sternly warned of the dangers of technology replacing humans.

Instead, it felt stuck between a comedy and a drama the whole time, and I felt unsettled as a viewer deciding which it was.

Ann Droid is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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By ED HOLT

Published: 21:07 BST, 17 July 2026 | Updated: 21:57 BST, 17 July 2026

The family of Virginia Giuffre say they have been told Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor cannot be investigated over the Epstein files because he is ‘refusing to co-operate’ with acting US attorney general Todd Blanche.

Mr Blanche met Ms Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law – Sky and Amanda Roberts – as well as other survivors of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein after Republican senators threatened to scupper his confirmation as attorney general.

President Trump’s nominee for the top job spent an hour on Thursday evening at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington with the group of Epstein victims, who have blasted the White House‘s handling of its investigation into the sex offender.

Criticism has also come from Trump’s own party, with the outgoing senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis indicating he would not vote to advance Mr Blanche’s nomination until he met the survivors.

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During the meeting, Mr Roberts confronted the acting Attorney General about the investigation into Epstein’s co-conspirators.

Speaking to The Times, he said: ‘Well I said, “Let me give you an example: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.”

‘Virginia provided testimony and she provided evidence, is that not an investigative lead? He said, “Well, he won’t co-operate with me,” and he also said, “Virginia’s not here so I can’t use that testimony.” It just felt like he wasn’t willing to work with us.’

Ms Giuffre, who died last year, accused Andrew of having sex with her on three separate occasions while she was being sex trafficked by Epstein.

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Todd Blanche met Ms Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law – Sky and Amanda Roberts – as well as other survivors of Jeffrey Epstein after Republican senators threatened to scupper his confirmation as Attorney General

Andrew with Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms Giuffre, who died last year, accused Andrew of having sex with her on three separate occasions while she was being sex trafficked by Epstein

Pictured: Ms Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts who claimed Mr Blanche told him Andrew was ‘refusing to co-operate’ 

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Andrew has denied wrongdoing related to Epstein and said he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre and he has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

The former Duke of York is also being investigated by Thames Valley Police for alleged misconduct in public office during his time as trade envoy.

It came after documents released in the Epstein files suggested Andrew forwarded confidential government itineraries and commercial reports to Epstein.

The Daily Mail has approached Andrew for comment.  

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By DANIEL MATTHEWS, US SENIOR SPORTS WRITER

Published: 21:12 BST, 17 July 2026 | Updated: 21:47 BST, 17 July 2026

Bryson DeChambeau was embroiled in a furious exchange with rules officials during the second round of The Open in a clash over a two-shot penalty.

In astonishing scenes at Royal Birkdale on Friday, the American could be seen shouting animatedly at officials as they argued over whether he improved his lie on the fifth hole.

DeChambeau shot a second-round 66 to haul himself up to second in the leaderboard before he was carted back to the fifth to discuss the incident.

After a prolonged, emotional argument, the LIV Golf star was still chuntering as he was driven back toward the clubhouse. 

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It was still unclear at that point if he would be penalized for improving his lie by trampling down the rough near his ball to aid his backswing. 

But before long, DeChambeau’s score on the official leaderboard was changed to 68, confirming that he had been given a two-shot penalty.

Bryson DeChambeau is in a spirited discussion with the rules official at the 5th hole talking about his possible two-stroke penalty. 😳 pic.twitter.com/Cq2aCrTqIT

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) July 17, 2026

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Bryson DeChambeau was embroiled in a dramatic argument with rules officials at The Open

The LIV Golf star was taken back to the fifth hole to discuss whether he improved his lie

The ruling meant he carded a triple-bogey seven on the fifth hole and, at the end of the dramatic saga, he sat in a tie for fifth place – three shots off the leader Lucas Herbert.

‘I’m going to hit some balls,’ DeChambeau said as he emerged from the scoring hut and reporters attempted to ask him questions.

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This is the moment a Ukrainian oligarch and his family were blown up in a bomb attack outside a luxury apartment in Monaco.

New footage released by the Ukrainian prosecutor general today shows the assassination attempt of property tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev, his mistress Anna Nasobina and their 13-year-old son on June 29. 

The attacker, believed to be Ukrainian Anastasiia Berezovska, appears to be walking ahead of the family as they approach the Sun Palace apartment building.

A bomb packed with nuts and bolts was left inside a rucksack at the entrance hall to the building just seconds before the family were about to walk through the door. 

The suspect, who matches the description of Berezovska, then calmly walks off and appears to be on the phone as a huge blast takes place behind her. 

Ms Nasobina, 46, had her legs amputated following the explosion, while both her and Yermolaiev suffered severe shrapnel wounds and burns. Their son was also wounded.

The video was recorded on a surveillance camera close to the crime scene and was released today by Ukrainian prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko. 

He said the ‘perpetrators’ had tried to delete the footage but specialist investigators had been able to restore it.  

The suspect, believed to be Ukrainian Anastasiia Berezovska, was captured fleeing the scene on CCTV

Vadym Yermolaiev, who was targeted in a bombing in Monaco, has accused Kyiv ’s military intelligence agency of being responsible for the attack

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A huge blast is captured on the footage before it cuts out 

He said: ‘Urgent investigative and procedural actions are actively ongoing to obtain new evidence in the case of an attempted murder in the Principality of Monaco.

‘Thanks to the professional work of the specialists of the Security Service of Ukraine, one of the key pieces of evidence, which the suspects tried to destroy, was successfully restored.

‘This involves a video recording from the surveillance camera, which the perpetrators had previously installed near the crime scene to obtain confirmation of the order.

‘Despite the fact that this evidence was deleted, the specialists of the SBU were able to restore it.’

Ukrainian citizen Berezovska, was identified as the prime suspect for the parcel bomb by Interpol, who called the 39-year-old ‘armed and dangerous’.

Footage from nearby surveillance cameras showed her wearing a black bucket hat and fleeing on foot across the border to France, where there are no checkpoints.

She headed into the town of Beausoleil, and then made her way to Italy, investigators believe. 

Berezovska was found dead near Kyiv on July 6. Investigators said she had been shot.

He did not provide evidence for the allegation, however.

The suspect calmly walks off before footage captured on a surveillance camera cuts out due to a huge blast

Interpol accused Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old woman from Ukraine, of detonating the bomb

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Three Ukrainian nationals including an oligarch fleeing the war against Russia were seriously wounded when a bomb exploded in the centre of Monaco (Pictured: Sun’s Palace on Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla, where the bomb detonated)

Vladyslav Reut, a current officer with Hur, was charged with her murder and appeared in court last week alongside Vitalii Zhykovych, his co-defendant.

Zhykovych worked until recently for Kyiv’s SBU security service.

Both men have denied guilt.

While Reut initially admitted to killing Berezovska, he later retracted his confession and blamed Zhykovych, whose lawyer denied the allegation.

Yermolaiev today accused Kyiv’s military intelligence agency of being responsible for the attack. 

‘Based on the investigative evidence available to us, we have no doubt that serving officers of the main intelligence directorate of the ministry of defence of Ukraine, commonly known as Hur, were directly involved in this attempted assassination,’ Yermolaiev said in a statement released by his lawyers.

Now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will likely face questions from Western allies over the alleged involvement of a serving Hur officer in the killing of the prime suspect in the Monaco bombing.

Yermolaiev, a property developer named by Forbes magazine in 2020 as the 39th richest Ukrainian, has a fortune of USD 230million (GBP 172million).

Anna Nasobina, his mistress, is understood to have lost both legs in the explosion

Vladyslav Reut appeared in a Kyiv court last week over the murder of Anastasiia Berezovska

Kyiv has sanctioned him since 2023 over interests in wine and alcohol in Russia-occupied Crimea.

He described how Nasobina had suffered ‘catastrophic and irreversible injuries’ while their son sustained burns, fractures and other serious injuries.

‘I remain in intensive care and am only now beginning the long process of recovery,’ he added.

‘This was not a warning. It was an attempt to kill not only me, but my family as well.’

The explosion was so powerful that it tore through steel railings and destroyed stone steps outside their property, he said.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Hur, denied Yermolaiev’s allegations, which he said were ‘subjective political statements’ that he said would damage the investigation into the bombing.

Positive figures have emerged through the council’s empty property relief budget, which provides rate relief to owners of unoccupied non-domestic properties such as shops, offices and industrial units.

The number of empty shops and commercial properties across South Lanarkshire is falling – in an encouraging sign for the region’s local economy.

A report presented to South Lanarkshire Council’s recent finance and corporate resources committee confirmed that fewer commercial premises are sitting vacant across the region than in previous years, with the trend expected to continue.

Positive figures have emerged through the council’s empty property relief budget, which provides rate relief to owners of unoccupied non-domestic properties such as shops, offices and industrial units.

With fewer properties requiring support, council finance chiefs are forecasting a £1 million saving on the scheme in 2026/27 — slightly higher than the £803,000 underspend recorded on the same budget last year.

Lorraine O’Hagan, the council’s head of finance, told the committee: “We have an expectation of a recurring underspend in the current year — slightly higher than what we had in the previous financial year — and again it’s due to demand and the anticipated reduction in the number of empty properties that we’re having to support as a council.”

The £1 million has been set aside in a separate budget while the council decides how best to use it, with a final decision expected later in the year. The annual saving is also expected to become a permanent feature of the council’s finances.

She said: “That recurring underspend is liable to continue from 2027/28 onwards, so we’ve also noted that as a benefit to the council’s revenue budget strategy from 2027/28.”

The committee noted that £590,000 of new investment funding has been allocated as part of the 2026/27 budget, covering galas and festivals (£200,000), third sector support (£300,000), Citizens Advice funding (£40,000) and the Community Engagement Team (£50,000). * Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

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