The Full Moon in Aquarius aligns with Jupiter, dialling up the creativity, drama and fun. Say yes to unexpected offers today.

Leo, Scorpio and Sagittarius, expect the unexpected today and celebrate your wins. Don’t fall into the trap of all work and no play.

Let your hair down and be in the moment. This cosmic placement encourages excitement and pleasure, so revel in it.

Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Wednesday July 29, 2026.

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Aries

March 21 to April 20

Today could be dramatic in a very positive way, leading to feelings of happiness. The Full Moon and Jupiter align, so anything fun and enjoyable will be pleasantly exaggerated. A new hobby could be the perfect way to challenge yourself and expand your horizons, too. A budding romance could bring out the best in you, or a new friendship could blossom fast.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

You may receive the applause you truly deserve under today’s fortuitous skies. You’ll be in the spotlight for all the right reasons, and your family will be thrilled to celebrate with you. Even so, an edgy angle hints that when it comes to spending money, don’t throw it away on idle luxuries. Venus in Virgo encourages you to invest in honing your best skills and talents.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

Good news and fabulous feedback can bring you fresh recommendations and sizzling options. Today’s powerful lunar phase in your travel sector flings the doors wide open to bold plans and bigger adventures. Perhaps some of the opportunities you are now seeing have been hiding in plain sight, and you’ll be ready to embrace them with open arms and a big heart.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

A welcome payment or small windfall could show up, bringing hope and enabling you to invest in plans and projects that may bring a good return. You might even hear some good news about your personal income too. There could be an urge to splurge, so pause before you pay out. Wondering whether to trust your instincts? Balance them with the facts for the best results.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

You’ll feel on top of the world as Jupiter in your sign aligns with the Full Moon in Aquarius, sending feelings and supportive vibes sky high. Your exuberance makes you more appealing, and there’s a chance of an instant attraction. Even so, it’s good to keep your feet on the ground. Choose your social activities wisely too, by investing your energy in the right contacts.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

You may gain an important insight that helps a crucial piece of the puzzle fit into place. The Full Moon and its link to Jupiter in a private zone can be a call to listen to those inner nudges and moments of heightened awareness. Feeling burnt out? It could lead to action that changes the pace for the better. Career-wise, try to avoid giving yourself too many goals to go for.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

If you’ve been working hard, then you’ll be ready to swap responsibility for fun and pleasure. A dynamic blend of energies, including a lively lunation, suggests that happiness is enhanced by friends, social outings, and the dreams calling to you. Fresh opportunities can show up as a result. Are your beliefs holding you back? Might it be time to adopt healthier attitudes?

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Professional achievements and family celebrations could become entwined for positive reasons. A project or career goal could reach a happy conclusion and have an equally upbeat effect on your home situation. Expansion and fresh possibilities can lead to stronger foundations. Attending a get-together? Avoid sharing something that’s meant to be secret.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

The Full Moon in your sector of talk and thought ties in with Jupiter, your personal planet, in your adventure zone. Something new and quite different is on the horizon, and you may be immediately drawn to it. In fact, it could be just the challenge you’ve been waiting for. Just don’t tell everyone about it, as someone may want to rain on your parade. Keep it to yourself.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

An important financial matter may be coming to a conclusion, and today’s lunation can mark the high point just before everything is signed and sealed. With Jupiter in the field, you’ll get the support you need from those in a position to help you. Keen to get away from it all? Don’t give yourself so much to do that you can’t take the break you need. Simplify your schedule.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

The Full Moon in your sign puts you in the spotlight, highlighting your personal success and achievements. Supportive relationships and positive alliances can help you finish what you’ve started and so make progress with new plans. The Venus-Mars angle suggests being practical with spending and investing. Your enjoyment will double if you do, Aquarius.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

Important events may be happening out of the spotlight, behind the scenes, influencing your inner world and revealing what your inner wisdom has been trying to tell you. With Jupiter in your lifestyle zone, the insights you gain now could be applied in practical ways to improve your wellbeing and productivity. Mind, domestic tensions could lead to urgent conversations.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

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MORE: Full Moon in Aquarius horoscope: The one thing your star sign needs to stop settling for

MORE: Daily horoscope July 28 2026: Today’s predictions for your star sign

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The roadworks are set to last around a year

Human skeletons have been discovered during major city centre roadworks. Roadworks have been ongoing on the Queensgate roundabout in Peterborough since the start of July as part of the City Link project.

The project is a £65m scheme to upgrade the city’s railway station and connect the city better. As a result, lane closures are in place on the roundabout and these will be in place for around a year.

While carrying out the works, seven human skeletons have been found within the roundabout area. A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: “Seven human skeletons have been found on land deep within the Queensgate roundabout, which is currently being developed as part of the City Link project.

“An archaeologist believes that these remains date from a cemetery which existed on this site during the Mediaeval period and later developed in the Victorian period.

“We have obtained an archaeological licence and appointed an archaeologist to ensure the skeletons are reburied in line with national guidelines.”

Due to the discovery, the council warns that the roadworks could be delayed up to four weeks. However, it is looking at options to reduce the delay in later phases of the project.

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Around 4,000 holidaymakers have been evacuated from a popular French beach resort as a massive wildfire continues to rage towards missile and rocket factories in the country’s southwest.

Officials ordered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks to be cleared in the surfing hotspot of Lacanau, around 35 miles west of Bordeaux, as firefighters battled what has become France‘s largest wildfire since 1949.  

The latest evacuation comes as France and Spain battle the worst wildfires in living memory, with more than 360,000 people forced from their homes across the two countries and almost 100,000 hectares of land destroyed. 

France evacuated 4,000 more people on Tuesday as it braced for worsening conditions, while Spain’s prime minister said there was ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ in his country’s own fight. 

Firefighters in France and Spain were battling to contain the blazes before the arrival of a fourth heatwave of the summer brings scorching temperatures.

Flames have torn through vast swathes of forest in both countries, incinerating properties and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

In a sign of progress, Spain’s interior ministry said it would end evacuation orders for 13 municipalities on Tuesday afternoon, without providing details of how many people were covered.

But in France, Marielle Mourgeon was among 4,000 people forced to cut holidays short in the seaside village of Lacanau, near Bordeaux, after authorities ordered campsites to evacuate as a precaution.

A firefighter amid smoke rising from hotspots at Le Grand Crohot amid drought conditions following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France

This photograph shows smoke from the wildfire on the west of Bordeux, seen from the Arcachon bay in Gujan-Mestras, southwestern France on July 28

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‘At first I thought my husband was joking, with the blue sky and the fires dying down,’ she said.

Conditions are set to worsen as a fresh heatwave hits western Europe this week, with temperatures climbing again in France from Tuesday and Spain from Wednesday, according to meteorologists.

French firefighters were ‘on the offensive’, commander Eric Pitault insisted, standing beside a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula.

Over the past six days, the largest French wildfire since 1949 has raged west of Bordeaux, forcing more than 220,000 people to flee and destroying 240 homes.

The prefect’s office said that, while there were flare-ups overnight, these were under control and the burnt area had not increased.

But a massive fire erupted this afternoon close to an important army base just 15-miles from the centre of Bordeaux.

A thick black plume of smoke was seen rising over Camp de Souge, a vast French military site near the town of Saint-Médard-en-Jalles in Southwest France.

The fire is believed to have erupted around 1pm this afternoon and spread quickly through the verdant pine forests surrounding the 2,800 hectare camp, home to the 13th parachute dragoon regiment (13th RDP).

Emergency services – including fire crews from as far a field as Paris, the Pyrenees and the town of Carcossone, south of Toulouse – raced to the site, which is classified as ‘high-risk’ due to decades of buried, unexploded military ammunition.

Firefighters use controlled burning to halt a wildfire that continues to spread near Cebreros, Spain, on July 28, 2026

A helicopter crew member looks out as firefighters and their engines line a road in an attempt to suppress a fire burning near Ares, during wildfires in the area of southwestern France, Tuesday, July 28, 2026

An A400M was deployed as an aerial water bomber and dropped red-coloured flame retardant on the burning forest below.

The aircraft is capable of dropping 20 tonnes of retardant in under ten seconds while flying at an altitude of 45 meters and a speed of 230 km/h.

Four Canadairs, two Dash aircraft, three Air Tractors, and two water-bombing helicopters were also deployed to stop the inferno spreading and the local farmer switched on irrigation channels watering a neighbouring corn field to dampen the soil.

In tense scenes, several other plumes of smoke were seen billowing from woodland in the distance.

Temperatures hit 34 degrees in Bordeaux today and are predicted to soar to as high as 40-degrees tomorrow, prompting fears of more fires.

The raging inferno, which has so far burned an area four times the size of Paris, has destroyed 240-homes and caused more than 260,000 people to be evacuated from their homes in one of the biggest devastations of land since the Second World War

Strong winds have fanned the flames from forests on the Cap Ferret peninsula eastwards towards Bordeaux, some 25-miles away, in a matter of days.

A gendarme helping to secure the military land close to the fire told the Daily Mail: ‘The fire has been burning since early this afternoon, it’s believed to have spread south from Saumos.

Residents smother embers with dirt to prevent reignition after a wildfire was brought under control near La Adrada, 95 kilometres west of Madrid, on July 28, 2026

View of a burned area near Cebreros, Avila province, 90 kilometres west of Madrid, Spain, on July 28, 2026

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Raphael Fohanno, 18, looks at his burnt family home near a forest affected by a wildfire, in Biscarrosse, Landes department, amid drought conditions, a new heatwave warning, and water shortages across much of France, July 28, 2026

‘It’s particularly worrying because this is a military training ground and close to the Camp de Souge. There is a fear that landlines and other possible explosives have been buried under the soil over the years.

‘It’s a very sensitive site and so it’s a very dangerous situation unfolding.’

Camp de Souge is a well-known historical site in France, where some 256 resistance fighters were executed by German forces during the Second World War.

In Spain, the worst of the fires have been west of Madrid.

Despite the looming heatwave, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared: ‘We are indeed turning the tide, and we can begin to see light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against these fires.’

Fernando Casado, mayor of Robledo de Chavela, a village at the northern edge of the blaze, was more cautious.

‘It is true that at night it is a sleeping kitten, but during the day it can be a mighty lion. The next few hours are crucial.’

Outside Aldea del Fresno, on the eastern edge of the fire, evacuated residents queued in their cars hoping to be allowed back to their homes and pets.

They were among 60,000 people forced to flee fires that have consumed 77,000 hectares in Spain, an area almost the size of New York City.

Galia Borisova, a 55-year-old domestic helper, wanted to reach her animals in nearby Picadas but was having to wait.

An aerial view shows a massive cloud of smoke from wildfires above the Gironde basin near Bordeaux 

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A forest fire rages in Saint-Jean-d’Illac, some 20 miles from Bordeaux

Exha handout photo made available by SDIS 33, the official fire and rescue department for the area of Gironde, of firefighters taking a break in a forest

This was the scene in Portugal today as firefighters battled huge flames near the village of Rabaca in Castanheira, Guarda

Wildfires left parts of La Vall d’Uixo looking like a wasteland. The town is around 30 miles north-east of Valencia, Spain

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‘They say there’s so much smoke that you can’t breathe, even with a mask. And I believe it, because you could see it from here,’ she said.

Europe has been gripped by successive heatwaves and a major drought this year, which scientists have attributed to human-caused climate change.

Extreme heat has parched vegetation that had grown vigorously during wet weather earlier in the year, creating tinderbox conditions.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said ‘the climate alarm is blaring from every direction’ and called for a quick end to fossil fuels.

While the focus is currently on western Europe, the EU’s crisis management chief warned conditions elsewhere on the continent could see new fires.

‘Extreme conditions are looming for Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, in addition to France, the Iberian Peninsula… where the situation is expected to worsen, including in Portugal starting today,’ commissioner Hadja Lahbib said.

Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET announced a new heatwave starting on Wednesday and lasting until at least the end of the week, with temperatures forecast to hit 42C in the northeast and 39C in the centre.

MeteoFrance also forecast more hot weather of up to 40C from Tuesday with dry wind.

Near the French surfing hotspot of Le Grand Crohot, an AFP reporter saw violent gusts of wind whipping up flames as firefighting aircraft attempted to extinguish a rekindled fire.

Firefighting commander Matthieu Jomain warned that the conditions were similar to those when the fire started.

‘It’s evidence of the precariousness of the situation,’ he said.

With a fresh heatwave expected to hit western Europe this week, firefighters are racing against time to bring the infernos under control.

French firefighters were ‘on the offensive,’ insisted commander Eric Pitault, as he stood in the middle of a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula.

Authorities ordered the evacuation of nearly 4,000 people from campsites, tourist residences, holiday villages and leisure parks around Lacanau on France’s Atlantic coast.

Over the past six days, the wildfire near Bordeaux has affected 103,000 acres, forced 220,000 people to flee and destroyed 240 houses.

The prefect’s office said that while there had been flare-ups overnight in the north of the peninsula, these were under control and the burnt area had not increased.

Outside Spain’s Aldea del Fresno, on the edge of the vast fires burning west of Madrid, evacuated locals queued up in their cars in the hope of returning to properties and pets.

They were among 60,000 people forced to flee by fires that have consumed 190,000 acres, an area almost the size of New York City.

An application lodged with City of York Council would see a pergola built in the back garden of Fulford’s The Saddle Inn, along with the installation of new lighting, seating, flooring and fencing.

The inside of the pub would also be redecorated and its kitchen and toilets would be upgraded if the plans are approved.

Pub operator Admiral Taverns’ application stated the works would boost the viability and improve the appearance of the well-established community facility.

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Plans would see an outbuilding demolished behind the Main Street pub to make way for the pergola.

Festoon lighting and new timber seating would be installed along with a 2m-high fence around its car park which would also be extended.

Resin floor would be added to the seating area and existing paving stones made good, with new timber planters also included in the plans.

The redecoration of the inside of the pub’s would include new flooring, lighting and artworks.

Plans for the Saddle Inn include changes to its outdoor area (file photo) (Image: Pexels)

Admiral Taverns’ application stated the works would be appropriate in the area which has designated conservation status.

Plans stated: “The Saddle Inn is an attractive two-storey public house in Main Street, Fulford.

“It is considered that the proposal will help with the vitality and viability of this well-established community facility, while enhancing the visual aesthetics of the Fulford Village Conservation Area.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Recent fighting with Iran used up more of the U.S. military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile interceptors, potentially putting American troops at more risk if hostilities resume, a new analysis says.

Shrunken inventories of Patriot and THAAD interceptors may force the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies to take more risks to conserve those air defenses, according to the analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. For example, it said, American forces may launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the chance of one getting through.

“That percentage may not go up a lot, but it goes up a little,” said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and now senior adviser at CSIS who co-authored Monday’s report with research associate Chris H. Park.

The issue came into sharp relief when the U.S. military announced Tuesday that it had intercepted “multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.”

The nation’s advanced weapons stockpiles have become a flashpoint in the five-month-long conflict, along with the threat to the lives of American service members, heightened gasoline prices and increasing costs to taxpayers. The war has been unpopular with many Americans and is posing political problems for President Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections.

Recent fighting adds to anxieties over weapons stockpiles

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Trump that the state of the country’s munitions stockpile could have an impact on military operations in Iran, a U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations, said the message was delivered as part of Caine’s regular duties of providing military advice and options to Trump.

The Pentagon, however, pushed back against concerns that its capabilities have diminished.

“America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement Tuesday. “We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.”

While renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran had been paused in recent days before Tuesday’s attempted strikes, the Islamic Republic is capable of launching deadly attacks. It fired missiles and drones at a base in Jordan on July 17, killing three U.S. troops. Another American soldier was killed a day later in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone, bringing the war’s toll to 18 U.S. service members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers last week that the war has cost an estimated $37.5 billion. The Pentagon is asking Congress for $67 billion to replenish the military in the wake of the war, which would include funding for more high-end munitions, such as Patriots and THAADs, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors.

Democrats in Congress often cite the use of such finite weapons as a damning metric against the war, which Trump launched without congressional approval alongside Israel on Feb. 28.

It also has raised concerns that the U.S. military would have diminished firepower in any potential future conflict with China. CSIS warned in May that it could take at least three years to replenish stockpiles of Patriots, THAADs and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Saving missiles reduces chances of interception

The latest estimates from CSIS for Patriot and THAAD interceptors are based on budget documents and other publicly released information.

The number of Patriot interceptors fell from 2,330 before the war to 1,030 when the April ceasefire took effect, CSIS estimated. Following the recent fighting, the stockpile is now estimated to be between 759 and 827, a decrease of at least 65% since before the conflict began.

The number of THAAD interceptors fell from 452 before the war to between 232 and 262 at the start of the April ceasefire, CSIS said. The U.S. was able to replenish some of the inventory to between 234 and 278 interceptors. But the stockpile is still at least 38% smaller than it was before the conflict.

Cancian said the concern is that lower inventories could influence the U.S. military’s doctrine for shooting down incoming drones and missiles. The specifics are typically classified. But as an example, Cancian said American forces could start firing off two interceptors instead of three.

“It reduces the chances of interception, but you save a missile,” Cancian said.

Another possibility is that American forces hold off firing any interceptors if an Iranian missile is expected to miss its target and strike an area free of people and infrastructure.

“They may just let it go and accept the fact that there might be some small amount of damage,” Cancian said.

___

Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

It has been quite a week for Evans and Welsh gymnastics in general with drama, disappointment and delight in equal measures.

She was part of the Wales women’s team that just missed out on a medal in the team event.

The quintet had been part of the second rotation and led the competition before the final four teams performed.

The television cameras kept panning to the Wales team in the crowd, who could only sit and wait to see if they had won a medal, before they were denied a bronze by England.

Then Evans, alongside Emily Roper, went for individual all-around glory.

She was second after two of the four disciplines before she had a terrible beam routine, which included a faltering start and falling off halfway.

That dropped her to seventh and only a miracle on the floor would see her rise back to the top three.

Evans ended up sixth. It left her distraught and you hoped that would not be the defining image of her Games.

She pulled out of the uneven bars on Monday as she rested a shoulder injury.

“I just watched the competition, had some food and chilled and watched the Love Island final,” said Evans.

She watched the 20-year-old Roper identical twins provide one of Wales’ stories of Glasgow so far in winning bronze medals within a couple of hours of each other.

Abigail beat Emily to the the third podium position in the vault. Emily brushed aside the disappointment of finishing fourth to return to claim bronze in the uneven bars, with the iconic image of her sister cheering her from the stands.

A first Welsh women’s vault for 32 years, a first bars medal in history. And immense exposure for the 20-year-old twins they never expected, with numerous interview requests for them and their parents from around the world.

A married ex-Wall Street executive has been sentenced to 30 years after admitting to drugging and raping multiple women in his upscale Manhattan apartment, keeping chilling planning notes to document his decade-long predatory rampage. 

Edward Gene Smith, 50, admitted to attacking his victims at his luxury apartment opposite Central Park, as well as amassing a stash of more than 9,000 child sexual abuse images, as part of his twisted spree.

Prosecutors said the Harvard-educated bigwig, who was most recently a Citigroup managing director, hid ‘behind the façade of a well-educated bank executive’ to prey on and lure in his young victims.

Smith also kept chilling spreadsheets and planning notes on just how many drugs to administer – and would then record some of the assaults to share with online groups who took pleasure in drugging their partners, according court documents. 

‘His disdain for his victims is palpable and he is unrepentant. The defendant is a serial rapist who used his money, access and affluence to drug and rape young women,’ prosecutors said during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday. 

‘The women were young and many were from foreign countries or faraway states and had previous sexual trauma. They were not momentary lapses in judgment, these were well-thought-out crimes.

‘Why the defendant has done this is utterly unexplained.’

Smith’s reign of terror came crashing down in late 2024 when he was arrested on a six-count indictment for drugging and assaulting various women. 

He ended up pleading guilty to only four counts: drugging a victim with intent to rape her, enticing another victim to travel to New York for sex, receiving child pornography and obstruction of justice.

In one incident, he admitted to luring a victim to his luxury apartment at Central Park South in April 2023, where he laced her drink with the sedative Klonopin and then raped her while she was unconscious. 

He recorded the attack and then shared the footage with an online group dedicated to sharing clips of incapacitated or unconscious women in sexually exploitative positions. 

The moneyman also copped to repeatedly drugging and sexually assaulting a college student who he had convinced to relocate to New York City. 

Once she arrived, Smith spent months controlling her finances and social life, as well as threatening her to ensure she complied with his demands, court filings show. 

But prosecutors say his crimes were even more widespread – and that he allegedly confessed to preying on other victims too. 

Smith allegedly paid one victim $2,500 to spend two nights with him back in 2015. Years later, he drew up a chilling spreadsheet titled ‘girl retrospective’ that laid out a fresh plot to allegedly drug her all over again, according to court papers.

‘Alcohol and drink kit: DRUGS!! 4 capsules full of dissolved k [Klonopin] 2mg,’ his notes allegedly read, followed by a reminder to ‘ask about other porn work she’s done.’ 

Smith married his wife, Heather, in 2012. He is a stepfather to several of her children. The couple have a shared home in South Carolina

The Harvard-educated bigwig hid ‘behind the façade of a well-educated bank executive’ to prey on and lure in his young victims to his apartment opposite Central Park, prosecutors said

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In the fall of 2021, he allegedly targeted a 17-year-old victim on Seeking.com, telling her ‘I want you to stay a virgin until you come up’ as he waited for her to turn 18. 

When she eventually arrived in New York, he spiked her Long Island Iced Tea and then sexually assaulted her, prosecutors alleged. 

Unbeknownst to the teenager, Smith had allegedly posted her photos and contact information on a website advertising prostitution services. 

Then, in a chilling escalation, the predatory banker allegedly drove her to a Manhattan apartment where she was forced to have sex with a man in his 50s, before Smith pocketed the cash himself, the court documents state.

Smith is also said to have allegedly encouraged her to recruit her own underage sister and friends for sexual encounters with him. 

In addition, FBI investigators found Smith had collected more than 9,000 unique files of child sexual abuse material dating back to 2012 that had been organized across multiple devices.

Ahead of his sentencing, Smith sensationally tried to blame his crimes on his autism diagnosis – arguing it left him unable to properly perceive the emotional impact of his actions on his victims. 

Prosecutors, however, blasted the excuse as ‘an offensive smear to those in the autistic community.’ 

‘He is a sexual predator, a serial rapist, an avid CSAM collector, and someone who has demonstrated no respect for the humanity of anyone else,’ prosecutors wrote in a submission to the court.

‘Society needs protection from him. His victims deserve justice.’

Investigators uncovered a note stored on his phone listing out packing items for a trip with one of his victims, including ‘klon’- a reference to the sedative Klonopin

After his home was raided by the FBI, Smith paid a woman more than $2,500 to sign a fabricated letter attempting to clear his name. He also later texted her: ‘Please delete these messages from your chat!’

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In one incident, he admitted to luring a victim to his luxury apartment at Central Park South in April 2023 where he laced her drink with the sedative Klonopin and then raped her while she was unconscious

Ahead of his sentencing, several victims said Smith’s predatory behavior had left them with lasting trauma as they begged the judge to impose the harshest punishment. 

‘Knowing that there may still be images or videos of me somewhere – circulating, stored, or shared without my knowledge – is a never-ending source of anguish,’ one victim said. 

‘Edward Smith didn’t just commit a crime; he stole my life. When he targeted me as a minor, drugged me, and raped me, he didn’t just hurt me, he shattered my sense of reality,’ another added. 

‘I have spent years in therapy trying to survive the wreckage he left behind. His behavior was atrocious, predatory, and calculated. I have had to fight for every inch of my recovery, while he has faced no consequences for the trauma that still haunts my daily life.’ 

Smith, who studied particle physics on a full scholarship at Harvard, built a two-decade career in high finance, working his way through Oliver Wyman, State Street, Santander and BlackRock.

He landed at Citigroup in 2021 as a managing director, earning a $400,000 base salary with a $1 million target bonus. 

A Citi spokesman said Smith was fired as soon as the bank learned of the initial probe in 2024. 

‘We moved to terminate Mr Smith immediately upon learning about law enforcement’s initial investigation, well before the allegations of this depraved behavior came to light,’ the spokesperson said. 

‘We cooperated with law enforcement as they sought justice for the victims of these heinous crimes.’

In his private life, Smith and his wife, Heather, married in 2012.  

In pre-sentencing memos, his attorneys had begged for leniency on the basis that his wife, who has several children from a prior relationship, was planning to file for divorce once the court proceedings were over. 

The couple had been spending large amounts of time apart ever since Heather relocated from New York in 2018 to help care for a grandchild with cerebral palsy. 

The government has moved to seize and force the sale of the couple’s shared home in South Carolina to help pay restitution to his victims. 

More than 700 wildfires have so far been recorded this year across England and Wales, with the figures not accounting for blazes such as the one in Cairngorms, Scotland

The risk of wildfires “remains elevated across the UK” as more than 200 incidents have been recorded in the last 12 days.

If fires started in London, the South East or East of England during the heatwave, the blazes could be exceptionally severe due to the hot, dry conditions. An amber heat-health alert has been issued again by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) covering the East Midlands, the East and South East of England and London.

The warning came into force today and will stay in place until Thursday, with the hot temperatures posing a threat to health risks, particularly for those in vulnerable age groups like the elderly. A total of 706 wildfires were reported to fire and rescue services across England and Wales so far this year.

Of those, 208 incidents were recorded in less than a fortnight, between July 16 and 28, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said. The figures, however, do not account for wildfires across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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This means blazes like the one in Cairngorms in Scotland, which firefighters have been battling for two weeks now, were not included in the statistics. The incident, which saw families being ordered to leave their homes, shows “how quickly wildfire activity can increase during prolonged periods of hot and dry weather”.

Fire chiefs warned that wildfire risks “remains elevated across the UK”, as NFCC explained eight live wildfire incidents are currently being monitored. Firefighters in Derbyshire continue to “make progress at the major wildfire incident at Tintwistle Moor”, where 60 crew members were sent today.

Still, figures across England and Wales remain lower than the 788 recorded by this time last year. However, NFCC warned that “continued dry conditions, combined with warmer temperatures and harvesting activity in many rural areas” were creating conditions in which fires can start and spread rapidly.

Images showed widespread brown grass across Blackheath in London, with parched dry grass present in many parks in the capital following the hot weather. It comes as Royal Parks staff were advised not to leave deckchairs under trees over fears branches will fall during hot weather.

Countries across Europe are also burning as large-scale wildfires have hit parts of Spain, France, Greece and Italy. This led to evacuations and significant damage, along with sustained pressure on emergency services, who are now struggling to fight the enormity of the fires.

The NFCC said UK wildfires are typically smaller and different in nature to those seen in southern Europe, adding, however, that the “long-term effects of climate change are increasing the likelihood of larger, more complex and more resource-intensive wildfire incidents occurring”.

Phil Garrigan, chairman of the NFCC, said: “More than 200 wildfires in just 12 days shows how quickly the risk can escalate when hot, dry conditions take hold. The scenes we’re seeing across parts of Europe are a stark reminder of what a changing climate means for fire and rescue services.

“We are not seeing fires of that scale in the UK today, but the science tells us we should expect larger, more frequent and more complex wildfires in the future. That’s why we need continued investment in specialist wildfire capabilities, including aerial firefighting support, so we’re prepared for the risks ahead.

“But prevention remains our strongest defence. Most wildfires are avoidable, and we’re asking everyone to take extra care during the hot weather to help keep their communities safe.”

Fire chiefs said many wildfires are caused by everyday human activity, adding that “disposing of cigarettes safely, avoiding the use of disposable barbecues in open spaces and taking litter home can significantly reduce the risk of fires starting”. This month has been 3C above average across the UK, provisional Met Office data shows.

This means July 2026 could be among the hottest three or four months of July on record.