Four astronauts have returned to Earth after hurrying to the International Space Station (ISS) five months ago to relieve stranded test pilots of Boeing’s Starliner.
Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast on Saturday, a day after departing the orbiting lab.
“Welcome home,” SpaceX Mission Control radioed.
Splashing down were NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for the two NASA astronauts assigned to Starliner’s botched demo.
Starliner malfunctions kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at the space station for more than nine months instead of a week.
NASA ordered Boeing’s new crew capsule to return empty and switched the pair to SpaceX. They left soon after McClain and her crew arrived to take their places. Wilmore has since retired from NASA.
Before leaving the space station on Friday, McClain made note of “some tumultuous times on Earth”, with people struggling.
“We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,” she said.
McClain looked forward to “doing nothing for a couple of days” once back home in Houston. High on her crewmates’ wish list: Hot showers and juicy burgers.
It was SpaceX’s third Pacific splashdown with people on board, but the first for a NASA crew in 50 years. Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s company switched capsule returns from Florida to California’s coast earlier this year to reduce the risk of debris falling on populated areas. Back-to-back private crews were the first to experience Pacific homecomings.
Carol Lee Scott was the actress behind the iconic character Grotbags, who was a regular on our TV screens in the 1980s and 1990s
It was the children’s television catchphrase that millions of youngsters mimicked throughout the 1980s, gleefully shouting it whenever visitors arrived: “There’s somebody at the door! There’s somebody at the door!” And with it came an outrageous green witch, a peculiar pink windmill packed with children, and the notorious TV puppet-and-handler partnership of Rod Hull and Emu.
The television programme that spawned this memorable phrase was ITV’s Emu’s World, whilst the bizarre green witch in the flowing cape whom we adored despising was Grotbags – portrayed by actress Carol Lee Scott. She resided in a fortress called Gloomy Fortress, and clumsily attempted to wield her magical abilities over the youngsters, whilst also maintaining control of her minion Croc by striking him with her bazazzer, a parasol-shaped wand topped with a pointing finger.
But what happened to the performer behind such a legendary character? Carol, who entered the world in Somerset in 1942, launched her career following her relocation to London, performing vocals in neighbourhood pubs whilst working days at a music shop. She subsequently joined the holiday resort Pontins, entertaining guests for 19 years whilst simultaneously performing at working men’s clubs, reports OK!. In more recent news, a man, 30, put shoulder pain down to gym aches, then doctors asked where he’d like to die.
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Grotbags was portrayed by actress Carol Lee Scot(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
For Carol, a summer engagement in Cleethorpes resulted in an encounter with Rod Hull, who had been commissioned to create a fresh television programme. Carol first graced screens in 1982 with her appearance on Emu’s World, alongside a timid crocodile, a robotic butler, and a sycophantic manservant. The show enjoyed several series runs.
In 1991, Carol lent her voice to the animated spin-off Rod ‘n’ Emu, and later starred in her own self-titled TV programme in the early 90s and Emu’s All Live Pink Windmill Show. She became a staple on the pantomime scene but, regrettably, succumbed to cancer eight years ago, on 4 July, 2017, at the age of 74.
Her niece Gina Mear took to Twitter to announce her passing, writing “My dear aunty Carol passed away yesterday, RIP #Grotbags, I will miss you.”
She appeared on several TV shows with Rod Hull and his naughty puppet, Emu(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The heartfelt tweet was accompanied by two photos: one showing Carol in her iconic green Grotbags makeup with what appeared to be relatives, and another capturing a more personal moment at home with her niece and an adorable baby. The post resonated with fans, quickly spreading across the internet as many paid tribute to the entertainer.
One fan praised her portrayal, commenting “Carol Ann Lee was truly amazing as #Grotbags just the right amount of scary for young children,” Another shared their sorrow: “I’m so sorry for your loss. Grotbags was a fantastic part of my childhood. She was my favourite part of The Pink Windmill.”
A third admirer expressed their condolences, saying: “Sad to hear the passing of Carol Lee Scott who played #Grotbags on TV. Genuinely scary/entertaining to the young me. A great actress. RIP.”
Carol was also a pantomime regular(Image: Daily Mirror)
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The entertainment world rallied around the family of Carol Lee Scott during this tough period, with tributes pouring in. Comedian Rufus Hound shared his condolences, saying: “Very sorry for your loss. An icon for folk of my generation. Thank you for her.”
It could be in the near future that the Royal Family will get to enjoy a very happy event – but it could prove awkward for warring brothers Prince William and Prince Harry
Princes William and Harry
A royal wedding is seemingly on the cards after a much-loved member of the family announced he is engaged.
Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips revealed he popped the question to his girlfriend Harriet Sperling after a year of dating, with his fiancé being spotted at several high profile events, including Royal Ascot.
Peter’s uncle King Charles is said to have been delighted with the news as was his close cousin Prince William and his wife Kate. Although no date is believed to have been set for any nuptials yet, many have wondered who might bag an invite, especially as Peter is thought to be close to both estranged brothers, William and Prince Harry. It comes after news that Prince Harry will ‘never be forgiven’ by two major royals despite reconciliation hope.
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Peter and Harriet at Royal Ascot last month (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
And for former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, it could prove awkward when it comes to a guest list, but predicts there could be a surprise.
She explained to the Mirror: “It seems that Harriet is already a hit in the Royal family. It was quite an accolade for her to be invited to join the carriage possession at Royal Ascot, and she was seen chatting animatedly with the King.
“Given that both she and Peter are divorced, I suspect their wedding may be a fairly low-key civil ceremony. But Peter is very popular in the family and so the reception could well be at Windsor Castle or another royal residence.
“As with all weddings, there will be a conundrum about who to invite. Peter was always very close to both William and Harry. During the difficult times he has been something of a buffer, for example, walking between them at the funeral of their grandfather, Prince Philip.
“However, it’s going to be awkward for him to invite them both to his wedding. On the other hand, both William and Harry attended the funeral of their uncle, Lord Fellowes, and even though they were in the same church and then the same room it seems they did not speak. So, anything is possible.
“All things considered, it might be better for Peter and Harriet to have a quiet wedding with just a few friends and family present.”
The couple at Wimbledon last month(Image: Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)
Peter, 47, was previously married to Autumn Kelly, with whom he has two daughters Isla and Savannah. He also dated long-term partner Lindsay Wallace before they split last year and he later found love with Harriet, an NHS nurse.
In April 2024, it was revealed that Peter had split with previous girlfriend Lindsay, who were said to have amicably separated with work commitments proving a stumbling block for the pair.
His split with Lindsay came four years after it was announced Peter and ex-wife Autumn had called time on their marriage after 12 years – marking a tumultuous time for his love life.
Peter married his first wife Autumn back in May 2008 in a grand ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, with guests including the late Queen and Prince Philip as well as his cousin Prince Harry. Although Prince William was unable to make it, the Princess of Wales was invited, despite being unmarried at the time – and it is believed the wedding marked the first time she met the late Queen.
The couple spent time living in Hong Kong through Peter’s previous job with the Royal Bank of Scotland and eventually settled back in the UK with their two daughters Savannah, 14, the late Queen’s oldest great-grandchild and Isla, 13.
However, towards the end of 2019, the couple separated and revealed they had taken the difficult step in an emotional statement in 2020.
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When they married in 2008, the couple raised eyebrows when the pictures from the wedding were sold to a magazine for a large sum.
And Jennie added: “I imagine Peter has learnt his lesson from his first wedding, when he sold the picture rights to a magazine for £500,000. It did not go down well with the Queen or the palace, who said it had been ‘a serious error of judgement’.”
Thousands of people have marched in Sicily to protest against a government plan to build a bridge that would connect the Italian mainland to the Mediterranean island, and would be the world’s longest single-span bridge.
Some 10,000 demonstrators marched in the Sicilian city of Messina on Saturday to stage their opposition to the 13.5-billion-euro ($15.7bn) infrastructure project.
Residents are against the proposed Strait of Messina Bridge project over its scale, earthquake threats, environmental effect, and potential mafia interference.
The idea to build the bridge has been debated for decades. This week, however, it saw a major step forward when a government committee overseeing strategic public investments approved the plan.
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini called it “the biggest infrastructure project in the West”.
Salvini cited studies estimating the project would create up to 120,000 jobs annually and help stimulate economic growth in lagging southern Italy, as billions more are invested in surrounding road and infrastructure improvements.
Critics, however, are not convinced, and angered that about 500 families would have to be expropriated for the bridge to be built. Salvini says such families will be compensated.
“The Strait of Messina can’t be touched,” protesters shouted as they marched in Messina. Many carried banners that said “No Ponte” (No Bridge).
Mariolina De Francesco, 75, sits on a sofa in her house [File: Yara Nardi/Reuters]
“They could offer me three times the value of my house, but that doesn’t matter to me. What matters is the landscape. They must not touch the Strait of Messina,” Mariolina De Francesco, a 75-year-old resident of Messina whose house lies near the site of one of the bridge’s planned 399-metre- (440-yard-)tall land towers, told The Associated Press news agency.
“Our lawyers will take action, and we will stop them. That’s guaranteed.”
The proposed bridge would span nearly 3.7km (2.3 miles) with a suspended section of 3.3km (more than 2 miles). It would surpass Turkiye’s Canakkale Bridge by 1,277 metres (1,400 yards) to become the longest suspension bridge in the world.
Preliminary work could begin in late September or early October, pending approval from Italy’s Court of Audit. Full construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion planned between 2032 and 2033.
The bridge would reduce the time to cross the strait by ferry, usually up to 100 minutes, to 10 minutes by car. Trains would save 2.5 hours in transit time, Salvini said.
The project could also support Italy’s commitment to raise defence spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) targeted by NATO, as the government has indicated it would classify the bridge as defence-related. Italy argues that the bridge would form a strategic corridor for rapid troop movements and equipment deployment, qualifying it as “security-enhancing infrastructure”.
Environmental groups, however, have lodged complaints with the European Union, citing concerns that the project would affect migratory birds.
Italy’s president has also insisted that the project remain subject to anti-mafia legislation that applies to all large-scale infrastructure projects.
A drone view shows Lake Ganzirri, part of the planned site for the construction of a suspension bridge along the Strait of Messina, connecting Sicily to mainland Italy, with construction expected to be completed by 2032, in Messina, Italy [File: Yara Nardi/Reuters]
Anthony Joshua could receive a career-high pay day to fight Jake Paul as their teams continue to hold talks over a bout in 2026.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, says it is likely the fight could be the Briton’s next.
Joshua is a two-time heavyweight world champion with 32 professional fights, while American Paul, who rose to fame on YouTube, has 13 bouts to his name.
“At first I thought it was a publicity stunt from Jake and now the more I speak to them the more I actually understand – Jake Paul thinks he can beat Anthony Joshua,” Hearn told BBC Sport.
“This is a step too far. So be careful what you wish for, because this isn’t a game.
“This isn’t YouTube. This isn’t Disney. This is the danger zone.”
Both teams denied conditions could be part of the fight, like when Paul fought long-retired and then 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November.
That contest had bigger gloves and a maximum of eight rounds, each limited to two minutes.
Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bardian, who set up MVP with 28-year-old Paul, says he is “not worried about safety at all”.
“This would be pursued as a straight up professional fight,” said Bidarian.
“I think there’s certainly an experience gap between the two of them in terms of where they’re at in their career.
“From my prospective, Joshua’s an active heavyweight.
“The likelihood of Anthony Joshua being able to land a heavyweight punch is much higher than what Mike Tyson had.
“I want to give Jake as much time as possible to improve on his boxing skillset to be able to effectively neutralise that main attribute of Anthony Joshua.
Hearn also acknowledged the fight would face criticism should it be made.
In Japan, there was a timely reminder of the dangers of the sport as super-featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari died from injuries he sustained in a bout earlier this month.
Paul has fought many ex-MMA fighters in boxing, has competed at cruiserweight and his single loss was to Tommy Fury.
While the American has insisted becoming a world champion is his ultimate goal, there are few in the sport who would say that is possible.
“Do I think he’ll go and win world titles? Nope, never,” Hearn said.
Bidarian likened the potential match-up to when ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou crossed into boxing.
“Anthony Joshua fought Francis Ngannou. Francis Ngannou first fought Tyson Fury who many says is a better boxer than Anthony Joshua and went all 10 rounds,” Bidarian said.
How much could Joshua earn from a Paul fight?
Hearn and Bidarian both said the fight would probably take place at a stadium in the United States.
As many as 72,000 people watched Paul and Tyson at the AT&T Stadium in Texas while Joshua has staged six of his fights at different stadiums in the UK.
The main motivation for Joshua is the prospective fight purse, which Hearn said could exceed his previous paydays.
Joshua’s purses have never been made public or verified but his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in 2022 earned him reportedly as much as £40m.
“Probably right up there [as his biggest fight purse],” Hearn said.
“[Usually] the more dangerous the fight, the bigger you expect the purse to be, or to reflect that.
Made In Chelsea’s Ryan Libbey has shared an update on his wedding with fiancée Louise Thompson, what kind of day they are planning and which famous face will be best man.
Made In Chelsea’s Ryan Libbey has shared an update on his wedding with fiancée Louise Thompson(Image: Instagram / louise.thompson)
Ryan Libbey has confirmed he is finally set to marry partner Louise Thompson, seven years after he proposed to the reality star in Los Angeles. The couple put a pause on wedding planning as they welcomed their son, Leo, in November 2021, and have had a tough few years since following Louise’s traumatic childbirth – which saw her almost lose her life.
But Ryan has now revealed to Mirror that the big day is back on, with planning in full swing: “We’ve registered our intent to marry. The process has officially started. We’re still deciding – either something small like a town hall wedding and party, or abroad.”
With Louise’s famous brother Sam Thompson living right next door to the couple in West London borough Chelsea, the pair have struck up a close-knit bond. But will Sam get the Best Man spot in the wedding? “He’d probably assume so,” laughs Ryan as he keeps the answer coy. Continuing: “We’re very close now. We live next to each other, hang out all the time – even just us two having chats about life.” If they need any wedding inspiration, it comes after Mel B’s ‘spiritual’ Moroccan wedding with non traditional dress.
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The couple are parents to three-year-old son Leo(Image: Ryan Libbey/Instagram)
Ryan and Louise are in a positive place now, but have only just come out the other side following Louise’s post-natal troubles. After her traumatic birth which included an emergency C-section and saw Louise almost lose her life twice, she was in hospital for a prolonged stay and left with life-long health implications, alongside PTSD from the experience.
Due to the physical and mental impact, Louise was unable to fully bond with her son, leaving Ryan as the sole caregiver for Leo. “It took chunks out of me,” he says of the experience. Ryan explains, “Louise was unwell and away from parenting for the first 10 months, so I was Leo’s sole caregiver. I hit a low point – possibly depression. I didn’t realise it until family pointed it out.
“Eventually, I had to take a four-day break to reset. It was hard but transformative. We’ve matured as a family and I’ve become passionate about men speaking openly about emotions.”
Now, Louise has struck up a close bond with Leo and the family are finally on a normal track, something Ryan is feeling thankful for. Describing his relationship with Louise as ‘stronger than ever’, Ryan shares what the secret has been to getting to this positive place: “One word: communication. I had to learn all about love languages. Louise’s love language is about quality time and words of affirmation, whereas mine is acts of service,” he says.
Ryan has a close bond with Louise’s brother Sam Thompson, and revealed whether he’ll be best man at the wedding(Image: INSTAGRAM)
“I stopped trying to fix everything. Once I did that, everything changed. We’re in a much better place now. Despite the challenges, we’re stronger than ever.”
And if there is ever anything to iron out, Ryan says they do so in the form of “public therapy”, or in other words, their podcast; He said, She said.
“Louise says she learns a new thing about me in each episode. Nothing is scripted – we hit record and talk real life. It started with parenthood but evolved into relationships and lifestyle. People now recognise us from the podcast more than TV. That authenticity cuts through. It’s like public therapy.”
Now, being a dad feels much more natural to Ryan these days, too. “It took me two years to accept my role as a dad. The first two years were chaotic. But now, at three years old, he’s got this amazing personality.”
Alongside being a dad and a husband-to-be, Personal Trainer Ryan still loves working in fitness, where his bread was buttered before giving reality TV a go. And in his newest project, the dad-of-one has teamed up with Powerade for its ‘Pause Is Power’ campaign, which encourages the public to take a pause from their daily routines.
Ryan has been using this pause, and his fresh love for running, to get himself into a new comfort zone. “Running hasn’t always been my thing. It wasn’t something I was drawn to. But after everything with Louise’s health I needed an outlet,” he says.
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“I was invited to do the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert, which was way out of my comfort zone. The race is meant for elite athletes, but I threw myself into the process. It gave me a new outlet. Since then, I’ve enjoyed running more.”
