Author: Darren Smith

A search and rescue operation is under way after two Bell firefighting helicopters, each carrying two crew members, collided during aerial wildfire operations near Psatha, west of Athens, Greece’s fire department has confirmed. Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling wildfires west of Athens, prompting an immediate search and rescue response, Greece’s fire department has said. The Bell helicopters, both leased by the fire service, had been deployed to tackle a blaze in the Psatha area of the Attica region when the collision occurred. Each aircraft was carrying a crew of two, meaning four people were on board across the two…

A rapidly spreading blaze known as the Old Trails Fire triggered the highest level of evacuation orders across parts of Spokane County, Washington, on Saturday, as Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency and forecasters issued a rare warning for explosive fire growth. Families across Spokane County, Washington, scrambled to flee their homes on Saturday as the fast-moving Old Trails Fire sent plumes of smoke into the sky and stalled traffic along evacuation routes. Local emergency management officials issued Level 3 evacuation orders, the highest level available, for several areas in the region, warning residents to leave immediately given…

Kenneth Jouppi, an Alaska bush pilot now in his 80s, has spent more than a decade fighting the state’s confiscation of his $95,000 Cessna after a passenger tried to smuggle beer into a “dry” village, and his case will now be heard by the US Supreme Court. A veteran Alaska bush pilot’s decade-long battle to reclaim his aircraft from the state is finally headed to the US Supreme Court. Kenneth Jouppi, now in his 80s, was convicted of a misdemeanour alcohol transportation offence after a 2012 flight to the remote village of Beaver, one of Alaska’s “dry” communities where alcohol…

Multiple people were injured and carried away on stretchers after overcrowding caused a crush at Ghana Party in the Park, forcing organisers to shut down the annual north London festival early, while police moved quickly to dismiss circulating claims that anyone had been stabbed. Ghana Party in the Park, an annual celebration of Ghanaian culture in north London, was brought to an abrupt halt on Saturday after overcrowding at the entrance caused a crush that left several attendees injured. The event, held at Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet and also known as ShattaFest UK, was closed on the advice of…

The High Court has dismissed a legal challenge brought by campaign group Sex Matters against police guidance that allows transgender suspects to request a strip search by an officer of the opposite biological sex, provided both parties genuinely consent, with the group now seeking to appeal. Transgender suspects will continue to be able to request a strip search by an officer of a different biological sex, after the High Court rejected a legal challenge to police guidance permitting the practice. Mr Justice Linden ruled on Friday that the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and British Transport Police (BTP) had acted…

Reported posts circulating on social media allege a blast at the Balzi Rossi restaurant near Kudrinskaya Square in central Moscow on 1 August, with claims of several deaths and injuries, though no official Russian authority or major news agency has yet confirmed the incident. Reports of an explosion at a restaurant in central Moscow began circulating on social media on the afternoon of 1 August 2026, alongside reported claims of deaths and injuries. The posts describe a blast at the Balzi Rossi restaurant, sometimes referred to as a cafe, near Kudrinskaya Square, close to one of the city’s Stalin-era “Seven…

Forecasters at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say this year’s El Niño event could rank among the strongest on record, with marine biologists warning it may carry sharks, venomous sea snakes and a host of unusual ocean species far beyond their normal range and closer to popular coastlines. Marine scientists are warning that this year’s developing El Niño could bring an unusually high number of sharks, venomous sea snakes and other rarely seen marine species into waters where they are not typically found. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast that the weather pattern will intensify…

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez shared an Instagram video unveiling his summer playlist as the Spanish army worked to remove tens of thousands of migrants who had crossed into the exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, prompting sharp criticism online alongside renewed debate across Europe over border security. Spain’s socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, posted an Instagram reel revealing what he called the “soundtrack of my summer” at the same time as the Spanish army was deployed to Ceuta to respond to a large-scale crossing of around 60,000 migrants from Morocco. At least 77 people are known to have died amid…

Chelsea have completed the signing of Danny Welbeck from Brighton on a two-year contract, bringing the 35-year-old former England striker’s six-year spell at the Seagulls to a close as Alonso’s side continue reshaping their squad during pre-season. Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Danny Welbeck from Brighton on a two-year deal, ending the 35-year-old former England international’s six-year association with the Seagulls on undisclosed terms. The move comes as Jordan Henderson, 36, also prepares to join Chelsea after cancelling his contract at Brentford. Welbeck, who scored 13 Premier League goals last season, is expected to link up with his new…

Elizabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old charity worker from Edinburgh, had reportedly been seen talking to homeless people in Athens days before her body was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase, as Greek detectives investigate whether she was killed by someone she knew while trying to help them. Greek police are investigating the death of Elizabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old humanitarian worker from Edinburgh whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned car park in the Kypseli district of Athens on 18 July. Known to friends as Lisa, Ms Ross had reportedly been seen speaking with homeless people near the derelict site…