Police were called to Osbourne Close in Hemlington on Thursday (June 25) after a man blocked himself inside and “made threats” – sparking the evacuation of dozens of residents.

A huge section of the street has been taped off, with neighbours cleared from 23 homes by gun-toting officers at the scene. 

Cleveland Police has described the incident as “isolated” and said negotiations were ongoing with the man inside the property this afternoon. 

(Image: ALEX O’LEARY)

Displaced residents have been forced to watch the 999 activity from the street amid 28 degree heat – with a rest centre set up at Hemlington Library. 

Residents have described waking up to the flurry of emergency services including several ambulances and a fire engine, at around 7.30am this morning. 

Jacqueline Howard described the armed police activity as “frightening”. 

The 65-year-old said: “I got up at about 8am, and all of the matrix police cars were here and the cordon was here. The police just told me to stay in. 

(Image: ALEX O’LEARY)

“I didn’t know how long it had been going on for. 

“I saw the bomb squad and thought that it must be serious.

“I nearly died – I thought, what the hell? I have never seen so many police. I counted about 11 officers and that wasn’t including the armed police.

“I have never seen them close up with guns. It was frightening. I don’t know how long we are going to be out here for.”

Pete, 75, had just arrived back from a trip away when he saw the police activity at 10.45am this morning: “I had to park my car around the corner.

(Image: ALEX O’LEARY)

“Everything was here and it has just gotten more and more. The bomb squad has come, armed police have come, the fire service has come.”

The dad-of-two added: “I have lived here for 41 years and we’ve had nothing like this. I have seen some things like but not on the scale, nowhere near.”

One man, who has lived on the road for 13 years, said he first came across the incident at around 7.30am: “There were just the police officers at the time.

“We were evacuated at about 7.50am, they just said to us that we had to leave. I’ve lived here for 13 years, it’s lovely.”

One 28-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “I first found out this morning when I tried to take my friend’s dog out at about 10.45am. 

(Image: ALEX O’LEARY)

“At the time, there was just one matrix van and about three or four police cars and one ambulance. It is quite a shock”

A cordon remains both at the front and rear of the home. Police officers guarded either side on Thursday afternoon while other emergency services waited on standby. 

Superintendent Paul Allen said: “At this time, we remain on the scene at Osbourn Close and negotiations with the man in the property are ongoing, our priority is to bring this incident to safe conclusion.

“We have extended the cordon; this has resulted in more properties being evacuated. Middlesborough Council has set up a rest centre for anyone who has been displaced, this can be located at Hemlington Library.

“I would like to reassure the community that this is an isolated incident, in a single property. Any specialist equipment and services, including the explosives unit, are at the scene as a precaution at this stage.  

A North East Ambulance spokesperson said: “We were called to an incident in Hemlington, Middlesbrough at 8.35am on 25 June.

“We are currently supporting the police and have three resources on scene.”

Christmas?! In June?! A sentiment likely echoed by the residents of Walford as Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) decked the halls and toasted festive cheer in EastEnders this week.

The popular matriarch, as was established last year, likes to celebrate half-Christmas with her loved ones, branding the annual event a ‘family tradition’ for her clan.

And with the past year having proven one of change for the clan – with Teddy (Roland Manookian) having gone to prison, Barney (Lewis Bridgeman) having found out that Teddy isn’t his biological dad and Nicola embarking on a romance with George Knight (Colin Salmon) – Nicola felt it was right to take the opportunity to celebrate.

Thus half-Christmas was set in motion, with No. 1 decorated on June 25 just as it would be in the middle of December.

But while the Knight / Mitchell clan were full of festive cheer, Suki and Eve Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal and Heather Peace) were worried sick that Nicola would spell the end of their adoption dream.

Eve, as viewers know, hit Nicola earlier this week after the bar owner berated Suki’s parenting skills. Nicola retaliated by revealing that Eve’s violence was captured on CCTV and thus she proceeded to blackmail Suiki for £50,000.

The blackmail couldn’t have come at a worse time for Suki and Eve, who were only just approved by an adoption panel the previous day.

In a bid to ensure Nicola didn’t take their dream from them, Suki agreed to her demands.

Harry (Elijah Hollway), however, worked out what Nicola was up to and berated her for stooping to such levels, reminding her that – after her role in bringing Eddie Knight back into George’s life – she should be trying to raise the money she needs through better methods than blackmail.

The telling off left Nicola with food for thought and thus she headed back to Suki and Eve’s, telling the couple that she doesn’t want their money.

But before Suki and Eve could get excited about being let off the hook, Nicola revealed that she has no intention of deleting the CCTV footage and will hold onto it for now – in case she needs it.

Will Suki and Eve find themselves trapped in Nicola’s web for months to come? Or will Nicola erase the footage and allow the couple to move on?

Don’t miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Advertisement

Add us as a Preferred Source

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer. 

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.

MORE: Suki and Eve join forces in EastEnders to overcome adoption issues with Ria

MORE: Glowing EastEnders star marries long-term partner in intimate ceremony

MORE: Vinny lashes out at Suki in EastEnders over heartbreaking family death

Mary Berry’s no-cook chicken recipe is the ultimate summer dish.

Britons up and down the country are currently enduring a week-long heatwave that feels akin to being roasted alive. The last thing anybody wants is to venture into their kitchen and face yet more heat while preparing dinner.

Rather than resorting to supermarket snacks or ordering a takeaway, Mary Berry has shared her ideal summer salad — simple to prepare, utterly delicious and, best of all, completely free of any cooking whatsoever.

The recipe description, as per BBC Food, reads: “Mary’s Mediterranean-inspired salad is full of good things – creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes and tender chicken in a quick pesto dressing. It’s perfect for making ahead, with a quick assembly before serving.”

This recipe serves up to six people and contains just 382 calories per serving. The dish is packed with 27g of protein and as little as 24g of fat.

Elsewhere, you can also take a look at Mary Berry’s “easy” honey chicken recipe, which makes for a perfect midweek meal. Read on below to discover how to make her no-cook chicken salad.

Mary Berry’s honey chicken recipe

What you’ll need:

• Three cooked chicken breasts
• Two large avocados
• One lemon
• Half a cucumber
• 18 baby plum tomatoes
• Four tablespoons of fresh green basil pesto
• Six tablespoons of light mayonnaise
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 25g of toasted pine nuts
• Micro salad
• Basil leaves

Method

1. To start, prepare the chicken by removing the skin and bones from the cooked chicken breasts, where necessary. Cut each breast horizontally in half, then slice into thin strips.
2. Next, prepare the dressing by placing the basil pesto, light mayonnaise and the juice of half a lemon into a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir thoroughly until fully combined.
3. Next, add the sliced chicken and stir until it is thoroughly coated in the dressing. For the best results, cover the chicken and allow it to marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight, though this step can be omitted if time is short.
4. For the following step, peel and slice the avocados, then transfer the slices to a separate bowl. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and gently toss until the avocado is evenly coated.
5. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to scoop out and discard the seeds. Peel the cucumber with a potato peeler, then cut it into thin crescent-shaped pieces. Then, halve the baby plum tomatoes lengthwise.
6. Layer the cucumber slices, avocado slices, tomato halves and pesto chicken on a serving platter or divide them between individual bowls. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. To serve, scatter the toasted pine nuts across the top of the salad and finish with a generous handful of micro salad leaves and fresh basil leaves.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve you”

A Dungiven based butchers has announced this week that it is set to close its doors in the next few days.

McKay Family Butcher, which is based on the Main Street of the Co Derry town, took to social media to let its followers know that the business was closing for “circumstances beyond our control”.

The family-run business let their customers know that their shop will close from this Saturday in this statement: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, we will be closing our Dungiven shop. Our last day of trading will be this Saturday.

“This is not a decision that has been taken lightly, but one we feel is right for our family. We would like to thank everyone for your support since we opened our doors in 1999! It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve you.”

Advertisement

They went on to thank their staff by saying: “To our staff, past and present, thank you for your efforts and dedication. It is truly appreciated. All vouchers (still in date up to 27/6/26) will be honoured or refunded. Thank you from our family to yours”

The business was established in the town in 1999, and the owners of the butchers shop have now placed the business up for sale.

Saying that the potential new owners have an “excellent opportunity to hit the ground running by taking on a successful butchers shop with huge potential.”

The owners also run a second location in Ballycastle in Co Antrim, which will remain open and unaffected by the Dungiven closure.

Customers of the business reacted to the news in the comments, saying they were “Sad to hear this news” and that the business’s closure was “a big loss to the Dungiven community”.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans who were berated by President Donald Trump over opposition to his war in Iran held a late-night vote Wednesday to try to appease him, rejecting a war powers resolution a day after a similar measure passed.

Trump harangued GOP senators face to face earlier in the day for allowing a vote to block his war in Iran on Tuesday, further escalating a feud that has diverted GOP efforts to focus on election-year affordability issues and brought much of the chamber’s business to a halt. He exchanged particularly harsh words with Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of four Republicans who had voted with Democrats on the measure.

Hours later, though, Cassidy was invited to receive a personal briefing on the war at the White House from Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff. Cassidy then returned to the Capitol to vote against a separate but nearly identical war powers resolution.

“I want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran. I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns,” said Cassidy, who lost reelection last month after Trump endorsed his opponent, in a post on X.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican who has repeatedly voted with Democrats to halt the war, voted present this time “to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace,” he said on X. The measure failed 47-50-1 just before midnight on Wednesday, and the Senate then left town for a two-week recess.

It’s unclear whether the move will be enough to appease Trump, who had called the Republicans “losers” for voting against his war and had called Cassidy a “lunatic” at the lunch after their tense exchange. But the vote was a clear signal to the president from Republican senators who still want to placate him, despite increasing tensions in recent weeks and his decision Wednesday morning to reverse himself and delay signing a housing bill that received overwhelming bipartisan support.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and a small group of his Senate GOP colleagues called Trump after the vote. Thune told reporters that the president was “pleased with the outcome.”

Trump later thanked Thune in a social media post and noted that Cassidy and Paul had switched their votes. “This vote puts Iran on notice!” he wrote.

The war powers measure blocked by the Senate on Wednesday was on a separate track from the nearly identical resolution adopted on Tuesday, which had also been passed by the House. Both votes were largely symbolic, and the measures do not carry the full force of law.

Cassidy had sharp words for Trump

Invited by Florida Sen. Rick Scott to speak at a GOP luncheon in the Capitol, Trump had signaled ahead of time that he would use the closed-door meeting to push senators to pass his proof-of-citizenship voting bill. But the conversation was more focused on Tuesday’s vote on war powers.

Most Republicans stayed quiet. But Cassidy stood up and defended his vote.

“I stood and said, ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on,’” Cassidy told reporters after the meeting. “This was supposed to last four weeks, it’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved.”

The two men “went back and forth,” Cassidy said, and he “matched his tone and volume.” Cassidy said that he eventually de-escalated, but he did not want to be bullied.

“I am voting for war powers until I get a briefing,” he said afterward.

Trump repeatedly told Cassidy to sit down, according to a person familiar with the private meeting who was not authorized to discuss it. At one point, the president called the senator a “lunatic.”

Publicly, Trump said afterward that they had “a really great meeting.” But he hinted at the discord.

“We like everyone in the room,” Trump told reporters on his way out. “I don’t like a few people, but that’s OK.”

The luncheon capped weeks of friction between Trump and Senate Republicans and added a new layer of frustration as Tuesday’s vote was the first time the Senate had adopted a war powers resolution on the Iran war. Trump made clear he was in no mood to compromise before it even started, calling off a scheduled signing ceremony on a housing bill that passed both chambers overwhelmingly this week and that GOP lawmakers were touting as an election-year achievement.

Trump reverses on housing bill

Republican senators were eager for a conciliatory meeting with the president after escalating tensions in recent weeks. But Trump upended their plans when he declared on social media just beforehand that he wouldn’t sign the legislation until they send him the SAVE America Act, his bill to require proof of citizenship for all voters.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he doesn’t know why Trump is holding the housing bill “hostage” for the voting bill that “will never pass in this Congress.”

“It makes no sense to me,” Tillis said as he walked into the luncheon.

Thune said the housing legislation, which aims to lower costs, is “an affordability issue,” and that ”eventually I hope he finds a way to sign it.”

It’s unclear if Trump might veto the legislation or if the late Wednesday night vote will change his outlook. But by rejecting a public bill signing, Republicans worry that Trump is indicating a level of indifference to voters’ affordability concerns heading into November’s midterm elections.

Trump and Senate Republicans have been at odds

Trump’s move on the housing bill is his latest reversal after weeks of being at odds with Senate Republicans.

Trump has blocked the Senate from confirming one of his own nominees, asked them to fund parts of his White House ballroom project despite opposition and forced them to defend the Iran war even as they question the strategy and endgame.

Trump has also helped whittle down his own support in the Senate after endorsing primary challengers to two GOP incumbents who were previously reliable votes for his agenda — Cassidy and Texas Sen. John Cornyn. Both men have become more critical of Trump since losing reelection.

“If we’re going to win the midterm elections, we need to get on the same page,” Cornyn said ahead of the meeting. “We’re not on the same page now, and that I think is dangerous.”

Trump pushes Thune on SAVE America Act

Trump has pressed Republicans for months to kill the Senate filibuster and focus on the proof-of-citizenship voting bill, even though Thune has repeatedly told him that neither has the votes.

While Thune remains popular in his conference and cordial with the president, he has spent much of his time lately telling Trump what he doesn’t want to hear. Thune said Tuesday that while Trump and some in their conference want to see the voting bill pass, “it’s just not realistic.”

Thune devoted weeks of floor time to the voting bill earlier this year and has said he supports it. But he has repeatedly said there aren’t enough votes to scrap the filibuster that triggers a 60-vote threshold to pass most bills in the 53-47 Senate. And Democrats are uniformly opposed to the bill.

“I think people at some point have to come to grips with that,” Thune said.

___

Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Now, however, he is back on the tennis court, and back to winning ways, having strung together two consecutive victories on the Sussex coast. He beat Marcos Giron, an American lucky loser, in his first round, and his compatriot and close friend Jack Pinnington Jones in the second round. Both were matches that his new coach Sir Andy Murray observed, with the pair’s new relationship off to the perfect possible start.

And sometime by the end of July, it will re-open at a currently undisclosed city centre location.

Partners Molly McGrath and Leon Sledmore co-founded the restaurant in November 2022 after several years in a kiosk in the city known as Sloppy Burger, which became extremely popular.

They then opened the Nine Bar next door, which also went “from strength-strength” until the pandemic hit in 2020.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Sloppy’s Bar and Kitchen opens at Acomb Wood Shopping Centre

The business continued with deliveries before becoming take-away only by operating from pub kitchens from January 2021 whilst they looked for premises. Venues they worked from included the Inn on the Green in Acomb and The Lighthorseman on Fulford Road.

The couple always had plans to open a restaurant and by chance they found their venue after a meal at the top-rated Italian restaurant Buongiorno, situated next door, attracted by its warm and welcoming staff and lovely food.

Whilst keen to start in the suburbs, Molly says the couple had always wanted to move to the city centre.

All being well, contracts should be signed next week, to allow for a relocated business to re-open “later in July.”

Molly McGrath and Leon Sledmore in front of their top-rated restaurant, which is to move. (Image: Pic supplied)

Molly told the Press: “We have had a great time here, but we had an opportunity arise. We have loved been in Woodthorpe and thank you to the locals. We can’t wait to welcome them to the new premises.”

Over the years, Sloppy’s Bar and Kitchen has gained a reputation for some of the best burgers in York. Lovers of messy food have given rave reviews on TripAdvisor and Google.

Google Awards 4.8 stars out of five, based on 134 Google Reviews.

TripAdvisor awards an even better 4.9 stars out of five, based on 214 reviews, ranking it 12th out of 798 York restaurants.

The most recent Google review awarded five stars and said: “Super friendly as soon as we walked in! Loads of choice on the menu. Our food came super quick and taste incredible! Can’t fault it. Will be back!”

The most recent TripAdvisor review also awarded five stars, praising its “amazing friendly service and something a bit different local to us!”

The review added: “Quick service, lovely friendly staff. American twist food, served hot and flavoursome. Quirky, great vibe with indie music. Great choice of cocktails.”

Have you eaten at Sloppy’s? What did you think? Will you be trying out their new venue in the city centre. Please share us your thoughts in the comments below.

Whilst most drugs disposed of from the bins are prescription medication, illicit substances are also itemised and gotten rid of

Belfast’s largest public park is to get a drugs disposal bin, which will be the only outdoor bin of its nature in the city.

Elected members at a Belfast City Council committee meeting this week unanimously approved the placement of a RAPID bin in Ormeau Park, South Belfast. Details of the exact location have not yet been decided, but council officers said there was a “deficit” of disposal facilities in the area.

The RAPID initiative, short for Remove All Prescription and Illegal Drugs, aims to remove illegal and prescription drugs, as well as so-called “legal high” substances from streets by providing drug disposal bins within communities.

READ MORE: Plan to have drug testing pilot scheme at big Belfast gigs blocked by Stormont

READ MORE: Sinn Féin attempt to have Irish signs along full length of North Belfast road branded “sectarian”

RAPID also provides information and support to individuals, families, local businesses and community organisations to raise awareness of the effects and risks of using and misusing illegal and prescription drugs.

A report for the council’s People and Communities Committee states: “The Belfast Drug and Alcohol Coordination Team have indicated that there currently exists a gap in relation to a RAPID bin in the Ormeau area and were keen to explore options alongside Belfast City Council for a suitable location within the vicinity of Ormeau Park.

“The current provision of RAPID bins within Belfast are all placed indoors, typically within a shopping centre, GP surgery or community facility. The success of a RAPID bin, that is, those with the greatest disposals recorded, are locations where there is heavy footfall, where members of the public can pass through and dispose of any drugs within a matter of seconds.”

It adds: “Although Belfast does not have any outdoor bins currently, several locations outside of Belfast have utilised bins in outdoor locations with great success, one of the most successful outdoor bins is situated with a car park in Newry, with no issues reported.

“Initial engagement with BDACT Connections colleagues suggests that the preferred location, deemed most likely to be successful, would be in the vicinity of the entrance to Ormeau Park, on Ormeau Road, facing the Ormeau Library. Other potential locations to be considered would include the alternative entrance on Ormeau Road, opposite Candahar Street, or Ormeau Recycling Centre, off Park Road.”

PSNI and BDACT staff empty the bins regularly and record the types and quantities of drugs found before they are destroyed. Whilst most drugs disposed of are prescription medication, illicit substances are also itemised and disposed of.

No personal details are collected but substances may be tested for identification or toxicity. Currently, the most successful bins in Belfast are in the Kennedy Centre and Tesco stores at Ballygomartin, City Side and Knocknagoney.

At the June meeting of the council’s People and Communities Committee, held this week, SDLP Councillor Séamas de Faoite said: “In our view we would want to try and find something that is a little bit more discreet, while making sure we are able to provide this service appropriately.

“I am certainly happy for it to be sited at Ormeau Park. Fundamentally the approach here is that they are trying to reduce the amount of needles, which I think all of us agree on.”

DUP Councillor Ruth Brooks said the value of the bins was “understated” and work had to be done around their communication and promotion. She said: “People have been confused, thinking these are needle exchanges, when they are not. I remember when these were first launched, and there was some really good marketing, it was around old prescriptions, and asked people if they had old prescriptions that were out of date, not to throw them into the bin.

“There is a stigma around bringing old prescriptions back to pharmacies. I think it would be really worthwhile if we could have a little bit more marketing on these, (including) a map of where they are, making sure that people realise this is in relation to prescription drugs that are out of date or are no longer needed. A refresh on that would be really good.”

She also asked the council to “scope out additional places within our communities where these could be dropped off.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Democrats called for investigations Wednesday into renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as the ongoing drama over the president’s problem-plagued, $16 million rehabilitation project continued to roil the capital.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate demanded answers about the saga that’s been highlighted in the news cycle for weeks, even as the White House has repeatedly blamed — without evidence — unidentified vandals for peeling paint and other problems. Six people have been arrested, President Donald Trump said, without providing details, and a local wildlife nonprofit conducted necropsies on dead ducks found near the Reflecting Pool. The president has said the pool may need to be drained once again for additional repairs.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, challenged the Trump administration over no-bid contracts for work on the Reflecting Pool, saying they were awarded to vendors with previous relationships to Trump.

National Park Service projects undertaken at Trump’s behest in the Washington area “have been marked by blatant corruption, a shocking lack of transparency, disregard for legal requirements and apparent incompetence,” Blumenthal wrote Wednesday in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Jessica Bowron, the acting Park Service director.

Advertisement

“Rushed no-bid contracts given to unqualified vendors with previous relationships to the president resulted in a reflecting pool more covered with algae than before, with freshly painted chunks of paint peeling from the bottom to float on the pool’s surface,” Blumenthal said.

The nation’s capital “will now celebrate America’s 250th birthday with an empty reflecting pool, a testament to incompetence and corruption,” he added.

Two contracts for Reflecting Pool repairs

Ohio-based Green Water Solutions was given a $1.7 million contract to install a water-purification system in the Reflecting Pool, while Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.

Both contractors have ties to Trump entities, said California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

“Donald Trump’s disastrous renovation of our national reflecting pool is his latest failed vanity project,” Garcia said, calling the projects a waste of taxpayer money.

Trump pledged to beautify the century-old Reflecting Pool ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations, draining its water and directing the bottom to be painted a color he dubbed “American flag blue.” But since the site was restored, its water has been plagued by an algae bloom and pieces of the new coating have appeared to be peeling off the bottom.

Without evidence, Trump has repeatedly blamed the peeling paint on vandalism, including a “350-foot gash” in the liner, as the administration faces a self-imposed deadline to complete the renovation before July 4th. Trump also has said the federal government would release images to substantiate his claim.

Trump said Wednesday that “sick people” had used razors and box cutters to slice portions of the lining. He wasn’t sure if the pool draining would come before or after the July 4 holiday, during which tens of thousands of people will be at the National Mall.

The U.S. Park Police posted surveillance footage Wednesday evening and asked for help “identifying the individual depicted here in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation.” The grainy, 30-second video appears to show a person kneeling down, reaching into the reflecting pool and removing something from the water. Police said it was taken Friday afternoon.

A White House spokeswoman it’s “a shame that Democrats do not think the capital of the greatest nation in the history of the world deserves to be safe and beautiful.”

Trump “generously spearheaded the restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has long been plagued with algae and leaked 16 million gallons of water per year. The president’s efforts to beautify our nation’s capital are supported by Americans across the country and should be praised by both Republicans and Democrats,″ spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said.

A spokeswoman for Green Water Solutions, also known as Greenwater Services, said Wednesday the company uses devices called nanobubblers to infuse ozone into the water to kill algae and bacteria. The process is “functioning perfectly” and the water looked clear and blue Wednesday, after rain muddled it Tuesday, spokeswoman Erin Kramer said.

“The water is clear. What is visible is the sediment on the pool floor, a natural part of the remediation process when the algae dies,” she said. In a lake or river, that sediment is absorbed, but in a pool it needs to be vacuumed, she said.

The company is owned by John Cafaro, a Trump donor who lives near Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club in Florida.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which spread blue sealant across the pool’s concrete floor, is owned by Curtis “Eddie” Wood. The company said this week it has identified some areas in the Reflecting Pool that require repairs, adding that the work will done once the pool is drained. It was unclear when that will happen.

What’s next for Reflecting Pool remains murky

Amid the calls for investigations, Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado called for Trump to personally reimburse American taxpayers for the pool renovations, which he called “a national embarrassment.”

Americans expect their tax dollars “to fix roads, support schools and protect our public lands,” Hickenlooper wrote in a letter to Trump. “They do not expect to bankroll failed presidential vanity projects. The bill for this fiasco should only belong to you, Mr. President.”

___

Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard contributed to this story.

A three year-old boy has died after becoming trapped in a car in Paris as France recorded the hottest day in its history.

The toddler slipped into the family car while his father thought he was sleeping but was unable to get out due to the child lock, public prosecutor Guirec Le Bras said.

The child’s mother was having a nap with the couple’s 18-month-old other child while the father worked in the garden shed, the prosecutor told French media.

“He apparently shut himself in and became trapped in the vehicle before being found unconscious by his parents,” the prosecutor said, adding that the mother is in hospital in a state of shock.

The death is the latest in a series of heat-related tragedies as the European heatwave claims dozens of lives.

On Monday, two young children aged two and four, died after being found in cardiac arrest inside their mother’s car in a residential car park.

Paris faced another sweltering day after temperatures in the French capital hit a June record of 40.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday – the first time in 150 years temperatures in the capital surpassed 40C.

The city’s mayor told Parisians to slow down on Thursday as the deadly heatwave disrupted power supplies, and shut schools and cultural landmarks in large parts of western Europe.

French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has activated the highest level of health services mobilisation in the face of a heatwave – which means non-urgent operations could be cancelled to focus on hot weather-related emergencies.

It is unclear exactly how many people died, but earlier this week authorities said 40 had passed away just from drowning.

Athough the heatwave is set to die down by next week, French authorities are now warning that the country could return to extreme heat in early July.

Minister for ecological transition Monique Barbut told FranceInter: “There is a strong probability that, starting the week after [some point after July 6], we will return to extreme heat… until July 14.”

Parts of southern England and Wales were facing another day of record-breaking temperatures, with a peak of around 37 C in some areas, after a new June high of 36.1 C was set in Hampshire on Wednesday.

More follows on this breaking news story…