Author: Darren Smith

A new survey has revealed that parents spend the equivalent of almost three full working weeks each school year driving their children to extracurricular activities, adding further pressure to households already grappling with rising back-to-school costs. Parents are losing a staggering number of minutes every year ferrying their children to activities designed to keep them active and engaged, according to a new survey. Soccer, baseball, music lessons, dance, chess and visits to friends’ houses all form part of the typical family routine, and a survey conducted by Talker Research has now totalled up the time parents spend behind the wheel…

Three maintenance workers were left dangling 70 feet above the ground in Rio de Janeiro after ferocious winds sent their suspended platform crashing repeatedly into a high-rise tower, before they managed to scramble to safety through an apartment balcony. Three terrified workers were left clinging to a suspended platform 70 feet above the ground after powerful winds sent it slamming repeatedly into a high-rise building in Rio de Janeiro. The men were battered by gusts topping 62mph as their platform, known as a gondola or Building Maintenance Unit (BMU), was hurled violently against the Apple Bali tower at the Barra…

Rosie O’Donnell has reflected on her infamous 2007 on-air clash with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, describing their fractured friendship as the most difficult relationship from her time on The View, while naming Joy Behar as her favourite co-host and closest remaining friend from the show. Rosie O’Donnell has revisited her explosive falling-out with former The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, describing it as the most “problematic” relationship from her time on the daytime talk show. Speaking to People, the 64-year-old comedian, who appeared on the programme across two separate stints, from September 2006 to May 2007, and again from September 2014 to February…

Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot is set to turn down a lucrative approach from Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli to replace Matthias Jaissle, who is departing for Newcastle, as the Dutchman remains focused on securing a top job in European club football. Arne Slot is preparing to reject a lucrative offer to manage in Saudi Arabia, with the former Liverpool head coach determined to remain within European club football. Al Ahli had identified Slot as their top target to replace Matthias Jaissle, who is set to take over at Newcastle United, and were reportedly ready to make him a formal…

Official figures show more than 70,000 prisoners in England and Wales have been released early under the Government’s emergency SDS40 scheme, introduced in September 2024 to relieve severe overcrowding across the prison estate. More than 70,000 prisoners have been released early from jails in England and Wales under a Government scheme designed to tackle prison overcrowding. According to figures published by the Ministry of Justice, 70,066 inmates had been freed under the policy by the end of March 2026. The scheme, formally known as Standard Determinate Sentence 40 (SDS40), was introduced as an emergency measure on 10 September 2024, just…

Four people have died after being found aboard an overcrowded boat during a French rescue operation in the English Channel, on a day that saw around 500 migrants make the crossing to the UK across 11 separate boats. Four migrants have been found dead on a small boat in the English Channel this morning, French coastguard authorities have confirmed. The deaths occurred during a rescue operation after the vessel, which was overcrowded, got into difficulty, with other passengers on board rescued. The tragedy came on one of the busiest days for Channel crossings this summer, with GB News confirming that…

The Metropolitan Police will not pursue action against Green Party leader Zack Polanski over an Instagram image he shared showing a T-shirt referencing Nigel Farage’s execution, it has been reported, following calls from Reform UK for him to be arrested. The Metropolitan Police will not be taking action against Zack Polanski over a social media post that showed a T-shirt appearing to depict the execution of Nigel Farage, it has been reported. The Green Party leader had faced calls for his arrest after sharing the image, which Reform UK said it had reported to police as an incitement to violence.…

Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, shot and killed his wife Amanda and their six children before setting fire to their Grand Haven Township home and turning the gun on himself, in what Ottawa County authorities have ruled a murder-suicide, just weeks after he lost his job. A Michigan father shot and killed his wife and six children before setting their family home ablaze and taking his own life, authorities have confirmed. Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, killed Amanda, 39, and their six children, aged five to 15, inside their $750,000 home in Grand Haven Township on Friday, before starting fires at multiple points inside…

Influencer Danny Karne, known online as “Danny Lambo,” has faced widespread condemnation after posting a video filmed at a Kent hotel in which he and a group of friends joked about the recent murder of Ann Widdecombe, using an artwork depicting a woman lying on the ground as the centrepiece of the clip. An influencer and his friends have sparked outrage after footage emerged of them joking about the murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe, who was killed at her Devon home on 8 July. The video was filmed and posted by Danny Karne, who goes by “Danny Lambo” online…

The US Department of Energy has authorised emergency measures to activate backup power sources across 17 states as extreme heat pushes the electricity grid to its limits, placing around 20 million Americans at risk of potential blackouts. Around 20 million Americans across 17 states are facing the threat of potential blackouts as extreme heat continues to strain the region’s power grid. In response, the US Department of Energy has authorised the operator serving parts of the affected states to activate normally idle backup power sources. The order applies to the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which manages the electric grid across…