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Pneumonic plague outbreak hits Siberia as lab worker, 28, dies after breaking test tube and 200 people she was in contact with are put in quarantine
A 28-year-old laboratory technician, Darya Shipilova, has died after contracting pneumonic plague in Siberia. Reports say she may have caught the disease at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute after breaking a test tube; the case has prompted quarantine measures and a regional public health response. Shipilova was admitted to hospital on 29 September and died two…
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Southport mother jailed over £4m counterfeit goods operation on Instagram
Megan Carney-Borrowman, a mother-of-four from Southport, was sentenced to four years and three months for running a £4 million Instagram counterfeit luxury goods operation. Working with her husband Jordan, her mother Sandra, and businessman Adam Yaffe, she sold fake Chanel, Burberry and Versace items to thousands of followers. The case illustrates how online platforms can…
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Canadian cancer patient says MAiD offer drove her to seek care in Seattle
Kristin Logan, a 46-year-old Canadian-American, says she felt pressured towards Canada’s medical assistance in dying programme after being diagnosed with stage-four ovarian cancer in 2023. Before she had seen an oncologist to discuss treatment, she received information about MAiD; she says this reinforced a sense that the health system expected her to die. Her account…
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Australian grandmother loses A$850,000 retirement fund in impersonation scam
An 81-year-old Australian grandmother lost her entire A$850,000 retirement fund after scammers posed as economist Stephen Koukoulas and drew her into a supposed investment group. The case shows how convincing online impersonation scams can exploit trust and leave victims facing severe financial and emotional consequences. Linda Codling was contacted on WhatsApp in January and initially…
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Second Israel game won’t be a friendly – Hallgrimsson
Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in last week’s Nations League fixture, but Israel captain Manor Solomon responded with inflammatory comments, claiming his country is “10 times better” than Ireland’s. Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has warned that Sunday’s second match will not be friendly, with tensions clearly escalating following the heated exchange. The fixture is set against a…
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Suffolk pub offers black Labrador owners a free pint after minister’s remarks
The Trowel and Hammer, a rural pub in Cotton, Suffolk, is offering black Labrador owners a free first pint on Sunday after Nature Minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter described a nostalgic image of country pubs, warm ale and black Labradors as a far-right vision. The offer has drawn attention to a dispute over how rural life is…
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Flash floods kill 102-year-old woman and prompt 90 rescues in Spain
A 102-year-old woman died and 90 people were rescued after flash floods struck Madrigueras, in Spain’s Albacete province. The flooding turned streets into fast-moving rivers, swept away and piled up cars, and left people trapped in their homes, highlighting the danger posed by sudden torrential rain. The floods began at about 6pm, and water inside…
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Suffolk couple sue former owners over alleged sewage flooding history
A hospital consultant and his partner are suing the former owners of their £625,000 Suffolk home, alleging they were misled about a history of flooding and sewage problems. They say they would not have bought the house had they known that heavy rain could cause sewage to back up into the property and garden. The…
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UK authorities examine bets on HSBC and Lloyds failing amid manipulation fears
US-based prediction market Polymarket has begun accepting bets worth $77,507 on whether major banks, including UK lenders HSBC and Lloyds, will fail by the end of the year. The revelation has triggered alarm from UK authorities and lawmakers who fear the betting mechanism could incentivise market manipulation, insider trading, and trigger the kind of rapid…
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J.J. Abrams’ Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Nightmare Officially Finds a New Streaming Home
10 Cloverfield Lane began streaming on Peacock in the United States on 1 October, giving the acclaimed science-fiction thriller a new streaming home. Its tense, confined story follows a woman who wakes in a bunker after a car crash and must decide whether the man sheltering her has saved or abducted her. Mary Elizabeth Winstead,…