Conor Meechan, who has been attending a wedding at the luxury Crossbasket Castle Hotel, told the court he was at a loss to explain his actions.

A wedding guest who told two terrified women he had a ‘sexual attraction to gingers’ has been spared jail.

Conor Meechan, 34, was at the luxury Crossbasket Castle Hotel in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, when he entered a neighbouring bedroom.

Meechan kissed one woman on the cheek which left her scared he would carry out more sexual acts.

The second woman said she was engaged, to which he replied, ‘Oh s*** are you?’ and then stated he would return and winked towards the women.

During the altercation, both women texted each other with one stating, ‘What the f*** is going on, I wish he would leave’. He was reported to hotel staff who ordered him to leave the five-star venue.

When challenged over his actions, he replied: “I’ve not done anything wrong, I have only had three beers.” He was reported to police and an investigation led to him being arrested.

Meechan, of Pollock, Glasgow, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted two charges of sexual assault.

Sheriff Maria Kicinski ordered him to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work and put him under supervision for a year.

Depute fiscal Cameron Murdoch told the court: “The accused entered the bedroom and made comments on their appearance and called them pretty and gorgeous.

“He stated to them that he had a thing for gingers, and one of the witnesses began laughing out of nerves.

“He then sat down next to the witness and asked her her name and immediately thereafter kissed her, but she turned her head, and he kissed her on the cheek, which caused her to feel frightened that he would carry out other sexual acts.

“The accused remained in the room and began speaking to the other woman, who politely engaged the accused, but he made sexual comments to both women, similar to those he had a sexual attraction to gingers and redheads.”

Laura Kiernan, defending, said: “He is at a loss to explain his actions and he cannot explain why he did this.

“He is a hard-working man who has his own business and is somebody who is not deemed to pose a serious risk to the public and can be managed in the community.”

Sheriff Kicinski said: “I have taken into account of all of the facts of this case which are obviously a concern but it is reassuring to read that they are a concern to you as well.

“This is not the way you normally behave which is also reassuring and there is an alternative to a period of imprisonment.”

Meechan, a roofer, was placed on the sex offenders’ register for a year.

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There are popular superheroes. There are titans of the box office. And then there’s the amazing Spider-Man. More than twenty years after Spidey swung into movie theatres for the first time, few could have seen just how enormous his cinematic appeal would still be two decades on, as audiences are still prepared to turn up in frankly ridiculous numbers whenever Peter Parker swings back onto the big screen. Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man might well be the most beloved superhero of all time at this stage, because Spider-Man: Brand New Day has barely started its theatrical run, and records are already tumbling.

In just one day of previews, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has generated more than $74 million, including $3.75 million from earlier screenings hosted by Amazon Prime, which is miles ahead of second place. Current estimates have the film’s preview haul potentially finishing closer to $75 million, around 20-25% above the previous record held by Avengers: Endgame and, even more remarkably, advance ticket sales are already reported to have surpassed $200 million, overtaking Endgame for the largest pre-sales total in box office history.

All of this means an absolutely enormous domestic opening on the table, while projections now have Brand New Day targeting $350 million or more across its opening weekend, which would put Holland’s fourth solo Spider-Man movie within touching distance of Endgame’s seemingly untouchable $357.1 million domestic debut. For comparison, No Way Home opened to $260.1 million in 2021 after generating an estimated $78 million in advance sales.

Is ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Worth Seeing?

All of this has happened along with critical acclaim from critics, with many hailing it as the best Spider-Man film since the heady days of Sam Raimi‘s direction. Opening-night audiences awarded Brand New Day an “A” CinemaScore, while Rotten Tomatoes has a critics score of 91% from 267 reviews, and an audience score of 98% from over 5,000 ratings.

Collider’s Charles Ridgely hailed it as the “best Spider-Man movie in 20 years”, adding that there “is a lot packed into Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and at over two hours and 20 minutes, it is on the longer side for a standalone Marvel movie, but somehow, it never feels needlessly overstuffed”.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Brand New Day brings Holland back as Peter Parker alongside Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds. The cast also features Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Michael Mando as Scorpion and Tramell Tillman as Bill Metzger.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theatres.

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Release Date

July 31, 2026

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Runtime

145 Minutes

Director

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Destin Daniel Cretton

Writers

Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee

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Producers

Amy Pascal, Kevin Feige, Rachel O’Connor, Avi Arad

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The average price of petrol in the UK has reached 160p a litre, its highest level since the Iran war began on 28 February, according to figures from the RAC.

The motoring group puts petrol at 159.97p a litre and diesel at 178.97p. Diesel remains below its 15 April peak of 191.54p a litre, set as pump prices climbed to their highest level in more than two years.

Pump prices fell after the US and Iran agreed a framework deal in June to end the conflict. In early July, the RAC said, average petrol sank to a low of 150.59p a litre and diesel to 164.52p. Both have risen since the collapse of the peace talks.

Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said the price of diesel was likely to reach 185p a litre “in the next few weeks, barring any major oil price reduction”.

The price of fuel tends to track the wholesale price of oil, and analysts say every $10 (£7.44) per barrel increase in the oil price pushes up pump prices by roughly 7p a litre. Because transporting oil is a slow process, wholesale price movements take about a fortnight to show at the pump.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, was about $70 a barrel before the conflict and peaked above $120 as the fighting disrupted oil supplies across the Middle East. It fell back to near $70 in early July after the framework deal was signed, climbed above $100 when the talks collapsed, and now trades at around $90.

Generally speaking, news of further conflict has driven the price up, while hopes of an end to the war have pushed it down.

Despite the rises, petrol and diesel remain below the levels reached in the summer of 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when petrol hit 191.5p a litre and diesel 199p.

The conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes. Experts warn that even if a deal is agreed to reopen the strait, it will take time before normal levels of shipping resume, and the impact of the war could continue to affect the global economy for months.

The UK is heavily reliant on oil and gas imports, with the majority coming from the US and Norway, and pays the price set on the global market. Although the UK produces some oil in the North Sea, most of it is exported for refining elsewhere.

Fuel retailers have denied accusations of price gouging during the conflict. The official markets regulator said it had “not seen evidence of retailers actively changing their pricing strategies to take advantage of the crisis”.

A government scheme called Fuel Finder lets drivers compare the cost of fuel at petrol stations across the UK. Luke Bosdet, head of policy at the AA, said the group had been surprised at the speed at which prices had fallen and put it down to the scheme.

On 20 May, the then prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said a planned 5p increase in fuel duty due in September would be postponed until 31 December because of the conflict.

Amy Ingham

Amy Ingham is a reporter at Business Matters, covering UK business news with a focus on breaking news, business policy, late payments and insolvency. She joined the magazine in 2026 after completing the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism at Harlow College’s journalism school. Her recent reporting includes British Steel’s nationalisation and its impact on SME suppliers, the decline in late payments by large firms, and Insolvency Service director disqualifications. Reach her at aingham@cbmeg.co.uk.

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One of athletics’ greatest modern rivalries is set for another chapter as India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s defending Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem prepare to go head-to-head in the men’s javelin throw final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow tonight.

While medals are at stake, the contest carries an added layer of intrigue. Every meeting between the two Asian superstars has become one of the most anticipated events in global athletics, with fans from both sides of the border eagerly awaiting another battle between two of the finest javelin throwers of this generation. 

Another chapter in one of athletics’ biggest rivalries

Over the last few years, Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem have elevated Asian javelin throwing to unprecedented heights.

Their rivalry has been defined by mutual respect rather than hostility, but every competition involving the duo inevitably captures global attention. Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian competitions and now the Commonwealth Games have all witnessed memorable contests between the two.

This time, Arshad enters as the defending Commonwealth Games champion, while Neeraj is chasing another CWG gold to add to his already glittering résumé.

Although qualifying positions will count for little once the final begins, both athletes know that a single throw could decide another high-profile India-Pakistan sporting contest.

Neeraj looks to peak when it matters

Neeraj qualified comfortably for the final despite not producing his best throw during qualification.

The Indian star recorded 79.61m to finish fifth overall, opting for a measured approach rather than pushing for maximum distance under difficult conditions at Scotstoun Stadium.

The Olympic champion has often shown his ability to save his best performances for major finals, making him one of the favourites despite finishing outside the top three in qualification.

Joining him in the final are fellow Indians Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh, giving India three representatives in the medal round.

Arshad ready to defend his Commonwealth crown

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem also advanced to the final and will be determined to retain the Commonwealth title he won four years ago.

The Pakistani thrower has repeatedly proven himself on the biggest stages and remains one of Neeraj’s strongest challengers whenever they compete.

Nadeem’s only win over Neeraj came at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the Pakistani thrower produced an Olympic record 92.97m effort to claim gold. Neeraj settled for silver after registering a best throw of 89.45m.

World-class field promises thrilling final

While the spotlight will naturally fall on Neeraj and Arshad, the competition extends well beyond the South Asian rivals.

The final features an exceptional lineup that includes:

Anderson Peters (Grenada) – former world champion

Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago) – reigning world champion and Olympic medallist

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (Sri Lanka) – qualification topper

Douw Smit (South Africa)

Ben East (England)

Keyshawn Strachan (Bahamas)

Chinecherem Nnamdi (Nigeria)

Cameron McEntyre (Australia)

With multiple international medal winners in the field, the battle for the podium is expected to be one of the highest-quality athletics finals of the Games.

Who will compete alongside Neeraj Chopra in the final?

Neeraj Chopra will be joined by fellow Indians Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh in the 12-man final. The field also features Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Grenada’s Anderson Peters, Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, South Africa’s Douw Smit, England’s Ben East, Australia’s Cameron McEntyre, Nigeria’s Chinecherem Nnamdi, and the Bahamas’ Keyshawn Strachan.

Where to watch the live telecast of the men’s javelin throw final in India?

The live telecast of the men’s javelin throw final will be available on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil, Telugu and Kannada), and DD Sports in India.

Where to watch the live streaming of the men’s javelin throw final in India?

The live streaming of the men’s javelin throw final will be available on the SonyLIV app and website in India.