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Five teenagers dead in car crash after vehicle driven wrong way on motorway

August 16, 2026 at 21:20

Five male teenagers have died and more people are seriously injured after a crash on a motorway in County Kildare, Irish police have said.

Two cars were in a head-on collision on the M9 between junctions 3 and 4 near Athy at around 3am on Sunday.

One of the vehicles was travelling in the wrong direction - southbound on the northbound carriageway of the motorway, according to police.

Gardaí confirmed the bodies of the five teenage males have been removed from the scene of the crash and taken to Naas General Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said: "My thoughts are with those injured in this morning's collision on the M9. These family members were travelling innocently when they were struck by a vehicle being driven the wrong way down the motorway.

"This horrific incident, following the recent collision on the M50, shows how irresponsible and dangerous driving on the wrong-side of the motorway is.

"That, of course, should be self-evident, but what makes this reckless behaviour even more appalling is that, in some cases, it is being done for social media likes regardless of the potentially devastating impact it might have on innocent people and themselves."

He added: "As this particular incident has been referred to Fiosrú, the Police Ombudsman, I am constrained in what I can say, but I know that Gardaí do what they can to stop such vehicles while also taking into consideration all other road users."

Four people, who were badly injured, have been taken to hospital.

They include the female driver and front passenger of the second car. They are both aged in their 30s and remain in a critical condition.

A female rear seat passenger, aged in her 20s, is in a serious condition.

The third passenger, a child, is also in a serious condition.

The M9 from junction 3 to junction 4 northbound and southbound remains closed, and a forensic investigation is set to take place.

A referral has since been made to Fiosru, the Office of the Police Ombudsman.

It said in a statement: "The referral was made following a fatal road traffic incident on the M9.

"One of Fiosru's on call team of investigators attended the scene and its independent investigation is ongoing.

"In line with its statutory remit, Fiosru's investigation relates to incidents involving contact with gardai (Irish police) where a member of the public has died or been seriously injured. A referral does not necessarily mean a garda or gardai have been accused of wrongdoing."

Officers have asked for any witnesses to come forward.

They are also appealing to those who were travelling on the M9 northbound or southbound between 2am and 3am on Sunday morning and who may have dashcam footage of the incident.

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo now deadliest in country's history

August 17, 2026 at 01:51

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has officially become the deadliest in the country's history, data suggests.

The number of confirmed cases has risen to 4,945 - including 2,325 deaths - surpassing the 2,299 who were killed during a previous outbreak between 2018 and 2020.

On Friday, the UN's humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher said "Ebola is winning in the Democratic Republic of the Congo" - adding that the epidemic was now killing one person every 30 minutes.

It had already become the country's biggest outbreak in terms of the number of cases back in July.

The proportion of people dying after a confirmed Ebola infection has risen from about 20% in early June to 46% - meaning close to one in every two cases is now fatal.

"We're still seeing many cases detected very late, when treatment is less likely to succeed, with many identified only after they die ⁠in the community," public health specialist Thomas Parisch said.

Experts say this is linked to persistent shortcomings in surveillance, case detection and access to care.

The UN has allocated an additional $30.5m (£22.5m) from its Central Emergency Response Fund to the DRC and its neighbours to tackle the outbreak.

It has also deployed a further 20 staff to the outbreak's epicentre, but Mr Fletcher has warned more may be needed to stop the spread, which has reached six of the DRC's 26 provinces.

Mr Fletcher said: "This is a wake-up call. We need speed, scale and solidarity before this virus gets even further ahead of us."

The UN's World Food Programme has also expanded its assistance to bring hot meals to additional Ebola treatment centres across the country, including the worst-hit province Ituri, which has seen more than 3,400 reported cases.

There are also concerns about North Kivu and South Kivu, as both provinces are grappling with Ebola and an ongoing conflict between the Congolese military and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.

UN spokesperson Daniela Gross said civilians' needs in the DRC far outpace the Ebola response, adding that more support is needed.

Mr Fletcher warned the UN and its partners responding to the outbreak must double the number of teams ensuring safe and dignified burials, triple treatment capacity, improve contact tracing, and deploy more experienced managers.

He added that teams need to keep providing water, hygiene and healthcare assistance to those affected by Ebola and the ongoing conflict, which is complicating the fight against the disease.

Mr Fletcher also highlighted the need for additional funding for food aid, which is only 25% funded.

"The world needs to wake up and show up," he said.

This outbreak is now only dwarfed by an Ebola epidemic across West Africa between 2014 and 2016, where 11,310 fatalities were recorded across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

It took almost five months for 1,000 deaths to be recorded during that outbreak, whereas Congo reached 2,000 deaths less than three months after the current crisis was declared.

The DRC's outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments.

A small number of experimental therapies are currently being evaluated.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, living or dead. It can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.

Amy Hunt and Dina Asher-Smith make history at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham

August 16, 2026 at 22:33

Amy Hunt has won a record fourth gold medal at a single European Athletics Championships after Great Britain and Northern Ireland won the Mixed 4x100m relay.

Hunt won the race alongside Dina Asher-Smith, Zharnel Hughes and Jeremiah Azu, while Georgia Hunter Bell continued Great Britain's stunning performance on the track, taking the women's 1500m on Sunday evening.

Hunt had already taken gold in the women's 4x100m relay, the 100m and 200m races in Birmingham. It's the first time any athlete has taken four titles in a single championships.

The closest anyone has come before was legendary Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen, with three gold medals and relay silver back in 1950.

Dina Asher-Smith, who ran the second leg in the relay, set an outright championship record, taking her eighth gold and 11th medal in all.

The British quartet set a European record, with a time fractionally under 40 seconds, finishing ahead of Germany, with Spain in third.

'Over the moon'

Amy Hunt told BBC Sport she was "over the moon", saying she had finished off the championships with "some of my best friends in the sport."

She said: "Me and Jeremiah have the same birthday, so we're kind of twins. To do it all together is incredible."

It was the first time the event had featured at the games, and Hunt said that made it more satisfying.

She said: "The first time we did that changeover was an hour ago in warm-ups. Look how smooth it was. Such professionals. When you're queuing for a roller-coaster, and you're seeing the drops, but when you get off you want to do it all again. I loved it."

Asher-Smith 'absolutely terrified'

Dina Asher-Smith revealed she was "absolutely terrified" beforehand, adding "when that gun was going, I was like, 'Dina, just relax'.

"When I gave that baton to Zharnel [Hughes] I was so happy. I can't lie. I was like 'get this out of my hand'."

Jeremiah Azu said the British team is "super strong in sprinting, and we wanted to showcase that for the British fans.

"Amy [Hunt] is on the rise. What she has done at these championships is incredible."

'Are you not entertained?'

Hughes: "We have never done this before. It was incredible. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Are you not entertained?"

Shortly afterwards Hunter Bell finished well ahead of the field in the 1500m final, winning in a time of just under four minutes, eight seconds on the last day of competition at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

Jazmin Sawyers took the silver medal in the long jump and another silver arrived in the women's 4x400m relay, won by the Netherlands.

Great Britain's men's 4x400m team narrowly lost out to Italy, who pipped Great Britain to first place in the final medals table, with 10 golds, to the home team's nine overall.

Man bitten by dog during 'altercation' dies - as police make murder arrest

August 16, 2026 at 16:13

A man who was bitten by a dog during an "altercation" has died, police have said.

The 55-year-old victim was taken to hospital in a critical condition following the incident in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on Saturday afternoon and died later that evening.

Another 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place causing injury.

The dog, a German Shepherd, that is thought to have been involved has been seized by police.

West Yorkshire Police initially received reports just after 1.30pm that an altercation had taken place on a footpath off Blacker Lane, during which the man was bitten by the canine.

The area is often used by walkers, according to officers.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Cox said: "Sadly, a man has died and it is really important that we understand the circumstances of what has taken place.

"We know that two people, one named Sophie, stopped to assist the injured man and direct officers."

Mr Cox added: "We would urge these two women to come forward to help us with our ongoing enquiries into this tragic incident.

"The initial altercation has happened in an area used by walkers and we are urging anyone who has potentially seen or heard any part of the exchange between these two men to please make contact."

Anyone with information should contact West Yorkshire Police.

Two die in Spain mudslide as Belgium battles largest-ever wildfire

August 16, 2026 at 22:04

Two women, aged 60 and 80, have been killed after torrential rain triggered a landslide in northwest Spain.

It happened late on Saturday in the village of Manzanedo de Valdueza, near Ponferrada, with pictures showing streets and cars deluged by mud.

Seven regions in the north and central region are under a yellow alert for storms and heavy rain on Sunday.

It comes about seven weeks after a huge wildfire in the Avila region west of Madrid was declared a national emergency and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.

Other wildfires in Spain, Greece, Croatia, the UK and elsewhere continue to burn, with Belgium dealing with its largest on record.

Authorities said the fire had destroyed 3,000 hectares of land by Sunday morning and was very close to the German border.

The blaze is in the High Fens nature reserve, in the country's east, and has been burning since Friday when the temperature hit 37C.

It has surpassed a 2011 fire in the same area that was previously the country's biggest.

Firefighters from Germany and Luxembourg have joined the response, alongside the army and local farmers.

Tourists have been told to leave the area but so far no properties have been destroyed.

The fire was still spreading towards a municipal forest on Sunday, said Rene Dahmen, chief engineer at the Department of Nature and Forest.

"The situation is extremely difficult," Mr Dahmen said. "We need helicopter support."

The call for help has been answered - with three helicopters and two water-bombing planes being sent from Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

EU commissioner Hadja Lahbib said Belgium had activated the union's civil protection mechanism for outside support.

"The High Fens are burning. Belgium is not facing it alone," Ms Lahbib posted on X.

The fire is just under a mile from Germany, according to authorities in the town of Monschau.

It's not currently expected to breach the border, but a little further inside Germany a separate fire has been burning in the Hurtgen forest.

The worst appears to be over and about 2,000 people in the village of Gey have been allowed home. The local government said there were no longer any open flames.

In Greece, two people died and others were injured on Sunday in fast-moving wildfires on the island of Salamina, a popular getaway for people from Athens.

Nearly 200 firefighters, 14 aircraft and helicopters have been deployed but authorities said strong winds were making the flames spread rapidly.

The fire department said the two who died are believed to have been a couple.

One person also died and 40 were treated in hospital when wildfires hit the Croatian coast overnight into Friday, destroying cars and homes in Omis.

More than 1,200 people were evacuated from the town, about 10 miles south of Split.

France is also dealing with a wildfire that began on Thursday and has burned 1,700 hectares in a pine forest in the southwest Landes region.

About 650 people have been forced to evacuate and around 500 firefighters are on the scene.

It's not far from the site of France's biggest fire for more than 70 years, which last month ravaged the Gironde region around Bordeaux and forced more then 220,000 to evacuate.

The blaze has now dissipated and tourists are being encouraged to return.

In the UK meanwhile, soldiers from the Gurkha regiment have been sent to help in South Wales, where 14 wildfires are burning.

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