Syed Ahmed denies murder

A husband accused of murdering his wife has told a jury that moments before the alleged attack, he heard a voice telling him she was going to ‘smash his head in’.

Syed Ahmad, 45, is charged with the murder of his wife Anam Rafay on January 27 this year. He denies the charge and is on trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Prosecutors allege that Mr Ahmad had been ‘controlling and abusive’ towards Mrs Rafay before she died. The couple were married by way of arranged marriage in 2005 when she was 16 years old.

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In June last year, Mrs Rafay began speaking to a man she had met on TikTok, jurors previously heard.

It was said that Mrs Rafay went on to ‘fall in love with him and wanted to marry him’. In September last year she contacted a mufti, also known as a divorce mediator, in Longsight to ask about obtaining a divorce application, jurors heard.

The following October she served that application upon Mr Ahmad who replied asking for mediation. She agreed to give him ‘one more chance to change’, but he never did, prosecutors allege.

On the morning of January 27 this year, Mrs Rafay was filling up a water bottle in the kitchen when Mr Ahmad came in and picked up a kitchen knife with 15-and-a-half inch blade, jurors heard. He then repeatedly stabbed her with it, it was said.

Mrs Rafay managed to flee outside, but was allegedly followed by Mr Ahmad who continued stabbing her.

As the defendant walked back to the house, he was allegedly seen to ‘smile or smirk’ at what he had done. Jurors were told that Mr Ahmad then sent a message to the family WhatsApp group which read: “I have killed my wife.”

On Thursday, July 23, Mr Ahmad gave evidence in his defence. He told jurors that he suspected his wife was ‘speaking to someone else’ but ‘not boyfriend girlfriend’.

He said: “Mr wife was angry because my mother had posted something on social media about her being with a man to all the family. I went to my house and my wife was angry, thought I would sort this out it’s fake news.

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“I went to see my mum and brother, and he showed me videos on TikTok [of his wife and the man].”

His barrister, Mark Ford KC, asked him: “Do you accept you killed your wife?”

“I was in a psychotic episode,” Mr Ahmad said. He added that his mental health was ‘too much’ at the time, and he claimed he had gone to his GP to ask for assistance a week prior.

He said he had about an hour of sleep the night before and had argued with his wife.

“She woke up at 7am, she said going to report me to my mental health team,” Mr Ahmad recalled, wiping his eyes with a tissue.

“I woke up at 8am, it was bin day and put the bins out at around 8.05am. I then went to the lounge and then I went into kitchen and made tea, dates and cake pieces. She was doing her lunch.

“I heard visuals and sounds. I thought back to time in 2018 in Pakistan when I heard my father-in-law tell wife, he said ‘smash his head’, they were fed up with my mental health problems.

“We came back to this country and I told her. If I said anything there, they wouldn’t let her back. I told her: “your father said ‘smash his head in’” and she said he was joking. Its just a joke.”

Mr Ford KC asked: “What came into head and how it made you feel?”

“I saw them in the other room. I heard their voices. Those moments came in my mind, flashbacks. I heard my father in law say ‘smash his head open’, then I heard male voice after a few seconds saying ‘she will attack my head, she would crack my head open’. Then I went paranoid and I can’t remember anything after those words.”

“Do you have any memory of stabbing your wife?” Mr Ford questioned. “No. just flashbacks. Someone stabbed my wife, I think it was me,” Mr Ahmad said.

Asked if he recalled his comment to the police of ‘self defence’, Mr Ahmad said: “I think it was in self defence, she was going to smash my head in. it was a pre-emptive strike.”

“You are not suggesting you are acting in self defence, are you? Are you saying you attacked in self defence?” his barrister asked.

“She didn’t attack, she would have attacked. She was in the kitchen. I thought she was going to attack me with a rolling pin,” the defendant said.

“Did she attack you?” Mr Ford asked. “No,” Mr Ahmad said.

“What do you think about what you did on January 27th?” Mr Ford asked him.

“I can’t believe I did that. I love my wife too much. I have bipolar. I have two personalities, I think my other personality did that. My wife said I have bipolar. My other personality, he did that,” Mr Ahmad said.

Mr Ahmed, of Lulworth Gardens, Wythenshawe, denies murder and an alternate offence of manslaughter.

Proceeding

Kim Kardashian poked fun at her bar exam failure as she appeared in a humorous ad for her Update energy drink. 

The 45-year-old TV personality, who recently paid tribute to her late grandmother Mary Jo Campbell, made light of her previous failure to pass the test in a promo video shared to her Instagram page on Thursday. 

The reality star took the bar exam in July 2025 and publicly announced months later that she did not pass. 

At one point in the clip, Kardashian could be seen sitting inside a clear box at what appeared to be a museum. 

Some people casually walked past her until a woman approached the box to question: ‘Did she even pass the bar?’ 

Opera music that had been playing in the background came to a sudden stop as the mom-of-four turned to look at the woman and confidently replied: ‘No. I didn’t pass the bar. I raised it.’ 

The TV personality made light of her previous failure to pass the test in a promo video shared to her Instagram page on Thursday

Kardashian resumed writing in a notebook with a large stack of papers and folders next to her. A can of the Update energy drink was placed on top. 

The beginning of the ad kicked off as the media personality approached a podium to take part in a press conference. 

She wore a black leather ensemble with a plunging neckline on the front as well as a pair of stylish black shades. 

‘People are always asking about all of the work I’ve gotten done,’ the star said before pausing to dramatically remove her sunglasses. 

She then stared directly into the camera to add: ‘Not that kind of work.’ 

As cameras flashed inside a packed auditorium, Kardashian continued: ‘They always ask, “Kim, how do you do so much? Kim, how do you keep going? Kim, are they really real?”‘ 

The camera then quickly zoomed in towards her chest before she began sipping on an Update drink.

Reporters asked the star questions including, ‘Kim, why you?’ to which she answered, ‘I wasn’t aware there was an alternative.’ 

Some people casually walked past her until a woman approached the box to question: ‘Did she even pass the bar?’

Opera music that had been playing in the background came to a sudden stop as the mom-of-four turned to look at the woman and confidently replied: ‘No. I didn’t pass the bar. I raised it’

The beginning of the ad kicked off as the media personality approached a podium to take part in a press conference

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‘People are always asking about all of the work I’ve gotten done,’ the star said before pausing to dramatically remove her sunglasses.’Not that kind of work’

Reporters asked the star questions including, ‘Kim, why you?’ to which she answered, ‘I wasn’t aware there was an alternative’

Another questioned, ‘Kim, why now?’ and the star said: ‘Caffeine just wasn’t working and working is my thing.’ 

The video also cut to the All’s Fair actress sporting a voluminous, platinum blonde wig while inside a lab. 

‘Update, formulated by a team of leading experts – none of whom are me,’ she expressed. 

In the caption of the post, the reality star penned to her followers: ‘THE FUTURE OF ENERGY.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to reps of Kardashian for comment.

Kardashian became a co-founder of Update energy alongside its original founders Daniel Solomons and the Hess family. 

The drink was officially relaunched earlier this year in February and is now available to purchase in Walmart stores or on Amazon. 

Update is described to be ‘built around a functional stack of ingredients with paraxanthine at its core,’ per the official website. 

‘Update, formulated by a team of leading experts – none of whom are me,’ she expressed

Update is described to be ‘built around a functional stack of ingredients with paraxanthine at its core,’ per the official website

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The energy drinks from the brand also contain no sugar, no artificial flavors, zero calories and research-backed ingredients

Paraxanthine is a compound that is naturally produced by the human body while breaking down caffeine. 

The energy drinks from the brand also contain no sugar, no artificial flavors, zero calories as well as research-backed ingredients. 

Customers can choose from flavors such as berry, grape, peach, pineapple and mandarin. 

When it comes to Update, Kardashian recently told People that: ‘It’s about feeling good.’ 

‘Focused, balanced, and productive without the jitters or that crash later,’ she continued. 

‘That’s exactly how I think about wellness, so becoming a co-founder and helping build something that’s actually redefining what energy looks like has been amazing.’

The star further expressed that she is ‘really intentional’ when it comes to what she eats and drinks during the day. 

‘The little consistent things make the biggest difference – how I start my morning, what I eat, what I reach for during the day.’ 

Last year in November, the mom-of-four revealed that she did not pass the bar exam, which she had taken back in July 2025.

She jumped to her Instagram stories to share that she did not pass but also expressed that she has no intentions of giving up.

Last year in November, the mom-of-four revealed that she did not pass the bar exam – which she had taken back in July 2025

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‘Six years into this law journey, and I’m still all in until I pass the bar. No shortcuts, no giving up – just more studying and even more determination,’ the star penned. Above, seen in May 

‘Well…I’m not a lawyer yet, I just play a very well-dressed one on TV,’ she began, referring to her Hulu series All’s Fair.

‘Six years into this law journey, and I’m still all in until I pass the bar. No shortcuts, no giving up – just more studying and even more determination.’

She then sent gratitude to those who have ‘supported and encouraged me along the way so far.’

Kardashian concluded her statement with a positive message and stated that she nearly passed the bar exam.

‘Falling short isn’t failure – it’s fuel. I was so close to passing the exam and that only motivates me even more. Let’s Go!!!!!!!!!!’

The media personality also reached a major milestone last year as she graduated from her law school program in May 2025.

And earlier this year, it was also revealed whether she intends to take the bar exam again.

After failing to pass the test last year, sources claimed to TMZ that Kardashian did not plan to take the exam this year.

And earlier this year, it was also revealed whether she intends to take the bar exam again

The mom-of-four has also been enjoying the summer season with her children and F1 racer boyfriend Lewis Hamilton

However, insiders told the outlet that the star still has intentions to take the bar exam sometime in the future.

In the meantime, Kardashian has been focusing on other business ventures such as her SKIMS brand and working in the entertainment industry. 

Back in May, she was revealed to be one of the executive producers on an upcoming YA Netflix series titled Calabasas. 

The mom-of-four has also been enjoying the summer season with her children and F1 racer boyfriend Lewis Hamilton.  

Matthew McConaughey teasingly gave credence to the rumors that his bromance with Woody Harrelson may be genetic.

The Oscar-winning actor, 56, shared a very telling Instagram post in celebration of the Cheers star’s 65th birthday on Thursday.

‘from another mother? Happy birthday brother [sic],’ McConaughey captioned an older photo of the close friends and co-stars embracing.

It’s no coincidence that they’re starring in a new comedy for Apple TV+ called Brothers, in which they play fictionalized versions of themselves whose longtime bond is thrown into confusion after they uncover a long-buried secret: that they might actually be biological siblings.

The eight-episode, half-hour series premieres on September 23.

While McConaughey, who sparked concern with his ‘new face’ on the red carpet recently, and Harrelson haven’t taken a DNA test to confirm a biological link, they seem to suspect they might be brothers, according to Variety.

They’re starring in a new comedy for Apple TV+ called Brothers, in which they play fictionalized versions of themselves whose longtime bond is thrown into confusion after they uncover a long-buried secret: that they might actually be brothers

The rumors started when McConaughey’s mother mentioned to Harrelson that she ‘knew’ his father, hinting at a past romance in West Texas.

McConaughey was born in Uvalde, Texas, while Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas, divided by roughly 279 miles.

The best friends later pieced together that Harrelson’s father, who was involved in dozens of murders in the 1960s and 1970s, had been on furlough around the time McConaughey’s parents were getting their second divorce.

Harrelson’s father was convicted contract killer Charles Voyde Harrelson, who received a life sentence for the 1979 murder of a judge.

During childhood, Harrelson had little contact with his father, who abandoned the family when he was seven.

As an adult, he tried to rebuild a relationship with Charles, visiting him in prison until he died in 2007.

Harrelson would like to know one way or the other, but the Dallas Buyers Club star has been hesitant to dig further as it would upend his understanding of his family history and the father who raised him.

Nevertheless, it inspired the duo to create their new show, which they also executive produce and star in. 

The show’s premise reads like this, per The Hollywood Reporter: ‘After Woody’s daughter’s wedding falls apart, he loads up the family and heads to Austin for an extended stay at Matthew’s ranch.

The rumors started when McConaughey’s mother mentioned to Harrelson that she ‘knew’ his father, hinting at a past romance in West Texas

The two actors, who met in 1997 during a wardrobe test for the movie EDtv in San Francisco, have bonded over their Texan roots, projects and family vacations. Seen in Croatia in July 2022

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McConaughey and Harrelson (seen in their high school yearbook photos) were both born in Texas and have homes in Austin

‘My kids call him Uncle Woody. His kids call me Uncle Matthew,’ McConaughey said in 2023

‘But what begins as a healing getaway quickly spirals when Matthew’s mother, Ma Mac (Holland Taylor), accidentally lets slip a long-buried secret that the two friends might actually be brothers.

‘As Woody turns the ranch upside down in pursuit of the truth, Matthew finds himself juggling an entirely different identity crisis: a potential run for governor of Texas. The result is a heartfelt, chaotic, and wildly funny story about friendship, family, fame, and the messy line between myth and reality.’

The series also stars Natalie Martinez, Brittany Ishibashi, Nolan Almeida, Ella Grace Helton, Noah Carganilla, Highdee Kuan and Oona Yaffe.

Harrelson wed Laura Louie in 2008, after meeting her almost a decade prior when she worked as his personal assistant on the sitcom Cheers. They share three daughters: Deni, 32, Zoe, 29, and Makani, 20.

McConaughey has been married to Camila Alves since 2012 and they have three children: Levi, 18, Vida, 16, and Livingston, 13.

‘My kids call him Uncle Woody. His kids call me Uncle Matthew etc. etc.,’ McConaughey said on Kelly Ripa’s Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast in 2023. ‘And you see pictures of us and my family thinks a lot of pictures of him are me. His family thinks a lot of pictures of me are him.’

JERUSALEM (AP) — Bahrain activated its sirens early Friday, warning residents to shelter from detected fire hours after the U.S. military said it had wrapped up its 13th night of strikes against Iran.

The Gulf states have come under frequent fire over the past week as the U.S. and Iran exchange escalating strikes in fighting that began with a struggle over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The previous day, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, potentially widening the Iran war as international oil topped $100 a barrel.

Blasts were also reported Thursday on Iran’s Qeshm Island, home to stores of naval assets including drone boats that Iran can use to attack vessels on the Strait of Hormuz, as well as to the northwest near Andimeshk, Omidiyeh and Firuzabad. Four people were killed and five wounded in a U.S. missile attack on the outskirts of Ahvaz on the Karun River, Iranian state media said.

U.S. Central Command said the latest barrage was designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters” as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas transited in peacetime. It said the strikes ended shortly before 5 a.m. local time Friday.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi of Iraq, which has close ties to both the U.S. and Iran, was in Tehran on Thursday to call for peace and dialogue. He promised not to allow Iraqi territory to be used for attacks on Iran, his office said. Al-Zaidi met with Trump earlier this month in Washington.

Houthis threaten to shut second key shipping route

Meanwhile, the Houthis threatened to shut down another key trade route with the world economy already reeling from Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, passes through there, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt’s Suez Canal.

The Houthi attacks put at risk oil shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea and present a “double whammy” on top of the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, said maritime data and analysis firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels a day of oil exports to Yanbu via an overland pipeline as the war has bottled up the Persian Gulf.

President Donald Trump threatened “major military punishment” against the Houthis if their attacks on ships continue.

As the rhetoric escalated, so did economic fallout. The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked more than 6% to about $100 a barrel. That’s the highest level since May, before the two sides reached a preliminary peace agreement last month that has since collapsed.

Both sides dig in over Strait of Hormuz

Iran says it has the right to manage traffic and potentially charge fees in the Strait of Hormuz, which was open to all toll-free before the war. It has attacked ships using a route through the strait that is overseen by U.S. forces and intended to be outside Tehran’s control.

Trump said on social media Thursday that sanctioned Iranian funds in the possession of the U.S. will cover the expense of fixing boats damaged in the war.

“Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls,” Trump said.

It was unclear what legal mechanisms Trump would use to access and spend the funds, but he said that doing so would be “the fair and equitable thing to do.”

Suri Cruise is following in the acting footsteps of her famous parents Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes by taking on a role in an iconic William Shakespeare play.

The 20-year-old, who is majoring in musical theater at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will appear in Midsummer!, a contemporary adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, per Page Six.

Suri, whose mom has a new romance with younger man Jason Bard Yarmosky, will perform in the 90-minute production alongside other classmates at the Trust Arts Education Center’s Peirce Studio in Pittsburgh, which accommodates a maximum capacity of 175 people.

The show will play two nights, July 31 and August 1. Following these exclusive previews, the production will head overseas for a UK run at the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe from August 7 through August 31.

Though it was previously reported she was leaning towards a degree in fashion, it appears that Suri has fully embraced her thespian roots.

In her senior year at high school, she portrayed Philoclea in Head Over Heels and starred as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family: A New Musical.

The 20-year-old, who is majoring in musical theater at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylania, has the unwavering support of Holmes; the two are pictured in New York City in August 2025 

This past March, she took on the character Angel in Cosmic Microwave Background, a staged play presented at the New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh as part of its CSA: Off the Page reading series.

During her graduation ceremony from LaGuardia High School, Suri dropped her father’s surname and used Suri Noelle as a tribute to her mother, whose middle name is Noelle. So, it’s a good guess what name she will be billed as in this latest venture.

Suri and the Mission: Impossible star, 64, who is still a dedicated and active member of the Church of Scientology, remain estranged. They have not had any semblance of a father-daughter relationship for over a decade.

Holmes and Cruise divorced in August 2012 after little more than six years of marriage.

Since then, Suri has lived with her mother, who previously told InStyle her main goal has been to nurture her daughter into her own person and making sure she is ‘100 percent herself and strong, confident, and able.’

Suri has the unwavering support of Holmes, who recruited her to sing over the opening credits of her 2022 film Alone Together and said at the time that she hoped she would continue down a showbiz path.

‘I hope she always does something on my films. I always ask her… you have these projects and you become a family with people. And it’s this safe, beautiful, creative space,’ the Dawson’s Creek alum told Glamour.

An insider previously told the Daily Mail about Suri’s early days at college: ‘She is a smart girl, and she is turning into a very intelligent mature young woman. She has a very close group of loyal friends, and she knows exactly where she comes from.’

Suri appears to be headed down a showbiz path already tread by Holmes (seen on June 8) and Cruise (seen in May 2025)

Holmes and Cruise – seen here in June 2005 – were divorced in August 2012 after little more than six years of marriage

Suri – pictured with Holmes in December 2017 – lives with her mother and remains estranged from Cruise

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The Mission: Impossible star is said to be paying Suri’s annual university tuition of $65,000

Another source said Suri’s mother was ‘overwhelmed’ at the prospect of Suri being away from home: ‘Katie takes great pride in her but is also extremely over-protective.’

Cruise, meanwhile, is said to be paying Suri’s annual university tuition of $65,000.

‘Tom is indeed paying for Suri’s tuition – he has always paid for her schooling and would never stop as he is a stand-up guy,’ an insider previously revealed to The Daily Mail.

‘He has never hesitated paying his daughter’s child support and expenses. He does not go back on his word. He is fulfilling his obligation.’

Katie Price has vowed to hold her conman husband Lee Andrew to account when he leaves prison after his family denounced the incarcerated ‘businessman’.

The glamour model, 48, spoke to her sister Sophie on their podcast about her husband of seven months, who is currently locked up in Dubai‘s Al Awir prison for a second time after being hit with fraud claims. 

Days after Lee was heard reportedly trying to sell a sex tape of the couple, her sister branded him ‘a disrespectful d***head’ to which Katie insisted she would ‘delve deep’ into claims about his fraudulent activities. 

Her vow comes after Lee’s family turned against him, with his sister Kelly and friends releasing a statement about his ‘incredibly painful’ behaviour. 

In her latest podcast clip, Katie said: ‘In fact, I’m going to get Ben [the producer of Katie’s podcast] to interview him and Ben is going to delve in deep and I want to hear everything and it’s too much and I don’t like people hurting people.

The glamour model, 47, spoke to her sister Sophie on their podcast about her husband of seven months, who is currently locked up in Dubai’s Al Awir prison for a second time after being hit with fraud claims

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‘That’s all I’m saying on it, I’ve not put anything up online, so you’ve heard it here for the first time.’

Talk turned to the reports that emerged claiming a voice note allegedly sent by Lee to a friend captured him discussing a sex tape that ‘might go for a pretty penny’. 

In the alleged recording, Lee reportedly says he needs to ‘get cash quickly’ and suggests the tape could earn him £250,000. He reportedly backtracked when he learnt that it would be illegal, saying he had only been joking. 

When the sisters discussed the scenario, Sophie said: ‘I think that’s disgusting,’ to which Katie replied: ‘Can I just say something, number one I’ve not done a sex tape with Lee . He has said it in a voicenote which I sent to you but he was joking in it…

‘But besides all of this, there is so much coming out about Lee and everyone saying ‘why isn’t Kate talking’. Do you know why I’m not talking, because there is so much, I’m just not commenting anymore.

‘I commented when he went missing but he’s in prison and I will be questioning him about a lot of things when he’s out. I’m just getting on doing what I’m doing. There is so much, there is no smoke without fire.’

Sophie responded: ‘The fact that he’s even talking about you in that context to his mates is f***ing out of order and he’s a d***head’

Lee is currently languishing in jail for the second time 

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Sophie responded: ‘The fact that he’s even talking about you in that context to his mates is f***ing out of order and he’s a d***head,’ to which Katie interjected: ‘Well, it wasn’t to his mates, it was someone professional’. 

A clearly outraged Sophie replied: ‘Even worse.’

Following the sex tape scandal, Lee’s family have also spoken out. 

Lee’s family statement came from a friend on behalf of his sister. The statement read: ‘Kelly Andrews and I just want to take a moment to speak the truth. Recent information shared has brought forward evidence that has left us both shocked…

‘We are the first to admit when we’re wrong, and now that there is proof, we feel it’s important to acknowledge that. We also want people to understand that this involves Kelly’s brother, which makes this incredibly painful for their family…

‘The Lee we knew was never like this, which makes it even harder for us, as his sister and as a friend, to get our heads around everything that’s come to light.’ 

Despite the fractious nature of the situation, Katie still seemed to be seeing the good in her husband as she took to Facebook to share an image of his widely-discussed hair growth. 

Sharing an image of Lee, she placed a message over the top reading ‘My man’, while circling the side of his hair and writing: ‘Hair growth journey. Handsome husband’. 

Lee left fans dumbfounded when he left prison with a full head of hair – having gone in with a thinning thatch and discussion of having a hair transplant.  

Despite the fractious nature of the situation, Katie still seemed to be seeing the good in her husband as she took to Facebook to share an image of his widely-discussed hair growth

The US is moving special operations forces, weapons and medics to the Middle East to give president Donald Trump broader military options as he considers widening the conflict against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials.

In the past week, special operations forces have deployed to the region from US bases, according to flight-tracking data and officials. Squadrons of jet fighters have been staged across the Middle East, and bomber aircraft at bases in the US and UK are on high alert, the Journal reported.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has warned that attacks on ships in Middle Eastern waterways will be paid for by Iranian cash that he controls.

“Any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls.

“These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do”, the US president wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

Earlier, Trump said he was seriously considering restarting major combat operations in Iran, including strikes that would be bigger than the ones carried out earlier this year.

He told Axios: “They haven’t received enough pain yet.”

The professor died in January this year

An Oxford professor died at his home in Cambridgeshire, an inquest opening has heard. Professor Stephen David Baxter, 56, was a Baron Fellow and tutor in Medieval history at St Peter’s College for the University of Oxford.

Prof Baxter, who lived in Bourn, Cambridgeshire, died on January 16 this year. An inquest was opened into his death on Thursday (July 23) by Coroner Simon Milburn at Vantage House in Huntingdon.

Mr Milburn said that Professor Baxter was found dead at his home in Bourn. The coroner adjourned the case for an inquest to be held on November 10 and offered his condolences to the family and friends of Prof Baxter.

After his death in January, staff from St Peter’s College paid tribute to him. They described Prof Baxter as a “distinguished historian, a dedicated tutor and a generous colleague”.

The professor completed an undergraduate degree in modern history at Wadham College in Oxford, graduating in 1991. He later worked in London and spent three years as a research analyst with the PA Consulting Group, before moving onto Schroders in 1995.

He held many teaching positions throughout his academic career, including as a medieval history lecturer at King’s College in London. He was elected a Barron Fellow and tutor in Medieval history at St Peter’s College in 2014. In 2020, he was awarded the title of Professor of Medieval History by the University of Oxford.

Luke Lane was outside playing when a teen crashed into him with an e-bike.

A mum has demanded a crackdown on e-bike thugs after her little boy was mown down on the street.

Luke Lane, 9, was left with concussion and cuts all over his body after a teenager riding one of the vehicles crashed into him outside his house on Queens Drive in Hawick on Monday night.

The schoolboy was lad treated at the scene by ambulance crews before later being rushed to Borders General Hospital for a CT scan after suffering a bout of sickness following the ordeal.

His mum, Yvonne Dobson, told the Record that Luke was returning from a play date at a neighbour’s house when the incident unfolded.

The 35-year-old said: “I had just called him in for the night and was standing at the window watching him cross the road. A teenage boy suddenly appeared riding the e-bike at considerable speed and before I could react, it smacked into him.

“Luke went flying into the air and hit his head on the pavement. I rushed out into the street and he was lying there out cold.

“I feared the worst at that point, but when I rolled him onto his side he came to and burst into tears.

“He was given the all clear at the hospital after his scan but he is really shaken up.

“His head and pelvis are badly swollen but it could have been so much worse.

“He is at home at least but feeling really lethargic so hopefully there will be no lasting effects.

“He should be out enjoying the summer holidays but it will take him time to recover from all of this now.”

Yvonne said youths in the town have been running riot on the bikes and putting members of the public in danger.

She also told how police told her the bike that hit Luke had been modified to drive faster than the legal road-riding limit of 15mph in Scotland.

The mum-of-three is now calling for better regulation of those using and owning the vehicles and urged local parents to think twice before buying them for their children.

She continued: “The authorities need to do something to clamp down on this issue.

“People driving e-bikes should have a driving licence and be registered.

“I also want parents to know these bikes can be deadly. My child could have been killed.”

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said “We received a call at 20:01 on Monday 20 July to attend a road traffic collision on Queen Drive, Hawick. We dispatched an ambulance to the scene.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 8.05pm on Monday, 20 July, 2026, we received a report of a 9-year-old boy struck by an electric bike on Queens Drive, Hawick

“Ambulance attended, however, he did not require hospital treatment.

“A 15-year-old male youth has been charged in connection with road traffic offences and the bike was seized.

“A report will be forwarded to the relevant agencies.”

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The popular Cambridge festival was cancelled in 2025 due to ‘financial losses’

Visitors will see new changes to the format of a popular Cambridge festival as it returns after a year off due to “financial losses”. The Cambridge Folk Festival was cancelled in 2025 after losing more than £320,000 in 2024.

However, the festival will make a triumphant return to Cherry Hinton Hall on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2. This year’s event will see some changes from the previous years, as it will be held for two days instead of the usual four.

Other differences include a change to the site plan at Cherry Hinton Hall, as well as more events held up in the lead up to the bigger event. Becky Burrell, marketing and strategic lead, said some changes have been made as organisers had to be “realistic with costs”.

She said: “The site will look different. We have changed the site plan to make means of access easier. Changing the site plan has allowed us the flexibility to access the facilities easier. We still have two main stages and have bars for food and drink. It’s what people are used to, but with a new layout.”

Events including open mic nights and comedy events have been held throughout July as a build-up to the festival. Becky said these events have been “quite popular”.

She added: “Some of those have been sold out. We have yet to do the analysis, but I certainly think we have attracted new and different audiences and hopefully something for local people.”

Becky described the festival as an “institution” for Cambridge, as it has been held in the city for over 60 years. She and the rest of the organisers are “excited” for it to go ahead.

Becky said: “We feel very lucky that we have the continued support. It sold out in May, which was great. Not many people have a local festival on their doorstep. We are here to serve the residents.”