Ballymena riots condemned as ‘racist thuggery’ as homes set on fire in second night of violence

Homes and cars have been set on fire during a second night of violence in Ballymena as police condemned the unrest as “racist thuggery”.

Dramatic scenes unfolded overnight in the Northern Ireland town as rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and glass bottles at police officers.

Rioters smashed windows and damaged the doors of homes in Clonavon Terrace, where disorder first broke out on Monday at a peaceful protest.

Two homes, which suffered significant smoke damage, remained sealed off on Tuesday. Damage was caused to a nearby property while a woman and two children were still inside and the windows of several business units were smashed in the area.

The violence originally flared at a vigil in support of the family of a teenage girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the town at the weekend. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court on Monday, charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter.

Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it had made a third arrest in connection with their investigation into the serious sexual assault on Monday evening, a 28-year-old man who was unconditionally released from police custody following questioning. They continued their appeal for more information.

Riot police were deployed around the Clonavon Terrace area on Tuesday night as hundreds of people gathered in the Co Antrim town. PSNI vehicles formed barricades on some roads while riot police wearing armour and carrying shields stood nearby.

Police fired less-than-lethal rounds at some of those gathered and also used a water cannon to disperse the crowd. Calm was restored to the town around 1am, the force said, but they reported sporadic disorder in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus, with some incidents in north Belfast.

The scenes of violence, which left 15 police injured and two police vehicles damaged on Monday, were described as “racist thuggery” by a senior officer.

The peaceful vigil began on Monday around 7.30pm, heading towards the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena. Police were present due to the large number of people who had gathered when a number of masked individuals broke away from the gathering and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties in the Clonavon Terrace vicinity.

Members of the crowd turned on to police and attacked officers with petrol bombs and masonry as the disorder continued in the nearby vicinity of Galgorm Street, Linenhall Street, as well as Larne Road Link near the Braid.

North Antrim MP Jim Allister said on Monday that he had spoken to the family of the victim of the alleged sexual assault, who had said they did not want to see violent scenes.

“Sadly the narrative has been diverted, and it has been diverted by those who wrongly and foolishly involved in violence and made the story something that what it otherwise should be.”

A 29-year-old man has been charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested during disorder in Ballymena on Monday night. The man, who is due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on 3 July, has also been charged with disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage as the force are “actively working to identify those responsible for last night’s racially motivated disorder in Ballymena and bring them to justice.”

Mr Henderson said the force had a significant operation in place over the coming days in case there was any repeat of the disturbances on Monday night in the Co Antrim town, calling for the attacks to be “loudly condemned by all right-thinking people”.

“Any attempt to justify or explain it as something else is misplaced,” he said at a press conference at Ballymena police station.

He added that members of the minority ethnic community “felt fear” and that the policing operation in Ballymena aimed to reassure the community.

“I would strongly urge anyone who was involved in yesterday’s disorder to reflect long and hard about their actions, they will have consequences,” he said.

Mr Henderson said that police officers from England and Wales will be brought to Northern Ireland if needed to help the PSNI in the wake of the Ballymena disorder.

He said: “Should I need any additionality, I’m absolutely assured that my colleagues in policing in England and Wales, the National Police Operation Centre, stand fast and ready to support should we need that support.”

The senior officer said police did not have specific intelligence that there would be a repeat of the violent scenes, but said a significant policing operation would be in place.

Downing Street said there could be no justification for the violence in Ballymena.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The disorder we saw in Ballymena is very concerning.

“Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers while they continue to protect local communities,” they said. “PSNI and the justice system must be allowed to carry out their jobs and our thoughts are with the victims of the assault as well as the police officers who were injured.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said there is “no justification” for attacks on police officers or vandalism in Ballymena.

“The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland,” he said in a social media post. “There is absolutely no justification for attacks on PSNI officers or for vandalism directed at people’s homes or property.”

Even if Farage did become our next prime minister it won’t be for long

It was curious timing. Just as Reform produced record local election gains and a surge in the opinion polls – with Nigel Farage suddenly being taken seriously as a possible next prime minister – the Reform Party itself was spiralling into utter chaos.

Zia Yusuf, a Muslim businessman, sensationally quit as party chair after describing new Reform Runcorn MP Sarah Pochin as “dumb” when she challenged Keir Starmer over the legality of women wearing the burqa in the UK during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The next day, the party stalwart posted on X that he no longer believed that “working to get a Reform government elected” was “a good use of my time”. Later, Farage said Mr Yusuf had “snapped” after receiving a “tirade of personal racist abuse” on social media, suggesting Yusuf was “burnt out,” and blaming the “very hard extreme right” for the abuse.

Yet, within 48 hours, Yusuf was making a dramatic U-turn: rejoining the party and reclaiming leadership of the new, Donald Trump-inspired Doge team – a task force that claims to champion taxpayers by cutting waste. Yusuf was not the first member of Reform to be caught in a spiral. In March 2025, after legal allegations emerged, Farage suspended the whip from MP Rupert Lowe, and three branch officers in Great Yarmouth promptly resigned in protest.

Today, Dr David Bull – a doctor-turned-TV-presenter of the paranormal series Most Haunted Live! – was unveiled as the new chair of Reform UK to replace Yusuf, and so the Reform show trundles on.

However, on closer inspection, Reform’s internal disarray suggests it is suffering from some of the same symptoms of a wider disorder that has afflicted some of the new far-right parties across Europe. Firstly, the veneer of unity collapses at the slightest provocation, revealing leadership struggles and competing factions that undermine any coherent strategy. Secondly, there is an almost slavish fixation on Trump-style showmanship, assuming the same crude “pound-shop Maga” theatrics will be enough to hide the cracks and win over voters in Europe.

But when they get to power, those cracks are there for all to see.

Strategic misjudgements and internal disputes have become particularly evident in the aftermath of the May 2025 local elections. While Reform won huge victories in May’s local council elections – gaining control of nine councils and minority control in a further three – reports of shambolic governance have already emerged.

Across the 12 Reform-controlled councils, 33 meetings have been cancelled or postponed within the first nine weeks since the election. Opposition councillors are reporting that organisation and productivity have been a “shambles” since the election, with some claiming the Reform representatives “do not know what they’re doing”.

Organisational chaos is verging on farce, with newly elected councillors displaying a startling ignorance of basic procedures – reportedly abruptly cancelling meetings and making some curious choices.

One glaring example comes from the deputy leader of Durham County Council, Darren Grimes. Grimes has insisted that scrapping so-called “wasteful” EDI programmes should now be a central aim – adopting similar Trump-style rhetoric. Yet the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts local authority spending at £72.3bn in 2024–25, of which the £22.8m devoted to EDI roles accounts for just 0.03 per cent.

Across Europe, other newly formed parties elected on emotive, racialised slogans rather than credible and costed economic policies have also unravelled under scrutiny.

In the Netherlands, the conspiracy-minded PVV leader Geert Wilders, who secured 23.5 per cent of the vote for his far-right Freedom Party in the 2023 general election and cobbled together a coalition, has abruptly withdrawn his party. From the start, it was a coalition characterised by infighting and power struggles, and after months in office, the government had barely made any concrete plans. Support for the PVV has since plunged from almost 50 per cent a year ago to trailing behind the Green-Left-leaning GroenLinks–PvdA alliance at 30 per cent.

Similarly, Greece’s far-right landscape shows how chaotic these new disruptor parties become once they seize power. Over the past six years, four new parties – Greek Solution, Spartans, Victory, and Voice of Reason – have all emerged, yet today only Greek Solution remains relevant.

In 2024, Spartans collapsed after the Supreme Court confirmed it was led by convicted neo-Nazi Ilias Kasidiaris. Ultra-religious Victory fizzled out thanks to its all-consuming focus on US-style culture-war skirmishes that hold little sway in Greece. Voice of Reason plummeted from 9 to 7 per cent in the polls and then to under 2 per cent.

From the Netherlands to Greece and back to Britain, the far right’s playbook remains the same: charismatic leadership, superficial unity, single-issue zeal, and fragility once they gain real power due to a lack of viable policies and meaningful experience of government.

Reform under Farage epitomises this dynamic. His decades-long presence suggests gravitas, but he has always specialised in disruption rather than delivery. With Ukip, he rattled the Tories into a 2016 Brexit referendum; once that box was ticked and the Brexit Party left the European Parliament in 2020, his influence vanished almost overnight, revealing the hollow core of his political project.

However, circumstances have shifted dramatically. Last week’s polls put Reform an astonishing 8-10 points ahead of Labour – a margin that would have been unthinkable in 2016 or 2020. Farage’s dogged persistence has clearly paid off. This surge owes as much to a changing media environment as to voter disillusionment. The BBC – once wary of fringe parties – now treats Reform as a serious contender, sanitising its narrative and obscuring the turmoil at its core. That hesitancy echoes last year’s public apology when the corporation retracted its description of Reform as “far right”.

Most importantly, Labour’s 2024 victory has ushered in even more voter disillusionment. Keir Starmer’s failure to seize the moment and his government’s missteps in judging the public mood have only deepened a sense of drift. Labour’s inability to tell a positive story is creating the perfect opening for an insurgent force with little more than outrage to offer.

Meanwhile, the Tories, collapsing under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, have begun desperately echoing Reform’s rhetoric – so much so that whispers of a future merger are already circulating.

Reform’s recent organisational chaos has so far failed to deter voters weary of austerity, government U-turns, and a polarised environment. The party may lack a coherent manifesto or disciplined apparatus, but in an atmosphere of frustration, mere opposition suffices. Its strength lies in the grievances it amplifies – and that dynamic is poised to reshape Britain’s political landscape long after the current spectacle has faded.

But the most pressing question is whether Farage can ever translate Reform’s rise into real governance at a local or national level. On current evidence, even if he did become prime minister, the spiral of chaos suggests it might not last long. As we have seen in Europe, when parties of opposition become the establishment, they are prone to spectacular displays of self-destruction. If they are handed the reins and fail to deliver anything but internal rifts and inexperienced personnel, the whole edifice quickly comes tumbling down. One grave misstep could condemn Reform to the same ignominious fate that felled Ukip and Farage’s Brexit Party.

Time will tell whether the “Nigel Party”, as Reform is often dubbed, is ever handed the chance for the rest of us to find out.

Dr Georgios Samaras is an assistant professor of public policy at the School for Government and Policy Institute, King’s College London. His upcoming book ‘Who Rules the Land of Denial?’ will be published by Palgrave Macmillan and Springer Nature in September 2025

England battered and booed as Senegal expose the flaws Tuchel must fix

Managing England, as Thomas Tuchel is fast discovering, is harder than it may seem. A chastening week took a turn for the worse, culminating in the boos that followed his first defeat. It is a moot point whether losing to an accomplished Senegal side is actually a better result than only beating Andorra 1-0 but, a year from the World Cup, England looked anything but potential winners. It was a momentous occasion instead for Senegal: when Cheikh Sabaly scored the injury-time third goal, they celebrated becoming the first African team ever to beat England. They did not merely overcome them. They outclassed them.

Outpassed, outrun and outwitted, England encountered opponents who were quicker of foot and mind, cleverer and more coherent. That can’t all be attributed to Tuchel, in just the fourth game of his reign, but this was a snapshot of familiar England weaknesses. They lost their way after taking an early lead, lacked control in midfield and looked less than the sum of their parts. They were dismal and dreadful.

Rarely a man to keep his emotions under wraps, Tuchel was visibly irritated. His quixotic moves compounded their difficulties. If friendlies offer a chance to experiment, if he needs to get to know his new charges, if there is an element of trial and error, some of the choices that backfired felt odd.

Even the most successful arguably illustrated their problems. Dean Henderson was the first goalkeeper to concede in Tuchel’s tenure, but a string of saves illustrated that England at least have a fine alternative to Jordan Pickford. His best stops came in the opening quarter of an hour, blocking Nicolas Jackson’s shot with his legs and parrying his Crystal Palace teammate Ismaila Sarr’s header. Yet he was overworked, his defence shambolic at times.

Tuchel had argued that fielding an all-Chelsea centre-back pairing would help subdue Jackson. They did not, though the debutant Trevoh Chalobah made several timely interventions. Levi Colwill fared worse, while Habib Diarra surged behind left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly for Senegal’s second goal.

Yet neither was embarrassed quite as much as the senior citizen in the back four. While Kyle Walker’s evening included a guided deep cross that, somehow, Anthony Gordon steered wide from four yards, he offered evidence his 96th cap should be his last. Senegal’s equaliser was an indictment of Walker: as Jackson hooked the ball across the penalty area, he was too slow to react as Sarr stole in to finish.

It should scarcely be news that Walker has lost his speed. A booking for a late challenge on El Hadji Malick Diouf was a case in point: Walker would have got their quicker if he still had his pace. Tuchel had seemed to ignore Walker’s performances in his final few months before leaving Manchester City when selecting him. Trent Alexander-Arnold, left unused on the bench, may wonder how he was deemed an inferior option.

In midfield, meanwhile, Conor Gallagher was particularly poor in possession. England’s formation strayed dangerously close to a lumpen 4-4-2, making it easier for Senegal to outmanoeuvre them. The exception came when Harry Kane dropped deep; at times, he came so deep he materialised behind much of the midfield, doing his impression of a quarterback, an east London Andrea Pirlo, looking to release Gordon, who began with energy and intensity but faded.

Kane had started his night in familiar terrain and fashion. Tuchel made 10 changes. One name stayed the same: Kane started and marked a fourth cap under Tuchel with a fourth goal in that time. A tap-in was testament to his predatory instincts, even if much of the credit belonged to Eberechi Eze, for winning the ball from Lamine Camara, and Gordon, whose shot was parried into Kane’s path. A 107th cap took him past Sir Bobby Charlton; Kane now has as many goals as Charlton and Geoff Hurst combined.

But England are yet to get goals from many of their other attacking talents under Tuchel. When Kane went off, the German initially played without a specialist striker; a slight, perhaps, for Ivan Toney, who was confined to a late cameo, as Morgan Rogers and Eze operated in central attacking roles, with neither as an out-and-out centre-forward. One substitute thought he had equalised, Jude Bellingham celebrating what seemed a leveller, only for his volley to be disallowed because Colwill had handled. Another substitute almost brought England level twice. The Nottingham Forest favourite Morgan Gibbs-White was bright and prominent on home soil as Edouard Mendy made two fine saves, denying him and Bukayo Saka.

But no sooner had Gibbs-White come on than England were behind, Diarra shooting through Henderson’s legs. And another England replacement inadvertently set up their third goal, Curtis Jones losing the ball and Camara, in redemptive fashion, powering away to find Sabaly.

After three wins for England came three goals in a loss. Senegal are much the best side they have faced under Tuchel, but they could face far better again next summer. To say this bodes badly is an understatement. The rest of the world’s nations are unlikely to be quaking in their boots.

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These disabled children died alone in their beds in the same care home. Now police are investigating

Three disabled children died in similar circumstances at the UK’s largest brain rehabilitation centre for children despite warnings about care failings, The Independent can reveal.

Five-year-old Connor Wellsted died in 2017 at The Children’s Trust’s (TCT) Tadworth unit in Surrey, having suffocated when a cot bumper became lodged under his chin.

Six years later, in 2023, Raihana Oluwadamilola Awolaja, 12, died when her breathing tube became blocked, and Mia Gauci-Lamport, 16, died after she was found unresponsive in her bed.

Inquests into all three deaths uncovered a litany of failings and identified common problems in the children’s care at the home where multiple senior directors earn six-figure salaries.

Now, police have launched a fresh investigation into Connor’s death.

Coroners who investigated their deaths criticised staff for failing to adequately monitor the children – all of whom had complex disabilities and needed one-to-one care – and for not sharing the full circumstances of how they died with authorities.

The families of the children, who were all under the care of their local council, are demanding that the government and the regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), take action.

Speaking to The Independent, Connor’s father, Chris Wellsted, said: “How many more children are going to die because of their incompetence? CQC failed, NHS England failed. The government failed. Every organisation that should have been investigating the children’s trust. It’s a disgrace.”

Surrey Police first investigated Conor’s death in 2017, but no further action was taken. The force has now admitted that it failed to deploy a detective inspector to the scene, which is protocol following the sudden death of a child – something it admitted “was a failing on our part”.

It said it would review the investigation to decide if further inquiries into his death are needed. It is not reinvestigating Raihana and Mia’s deaths.

Connor, from Sheffield, who had neuro-disabilities as a result of a brain injury following a heart attack after birth, was found dead in his cot at TCT on 17 May 2017 after he became trapped under a cot bumper.

Following an inquest into his death, the coroner, Karen Henderson, ruled TCT had “misled” authorities about the circumstances of Connor’s death, initially telling the police, coroner and pathologist that the cot bumper was found on Connor’s chest. Staff also failed to preserve the scene and did not tell police that he had already been dead for hours when staff found him unresponsive in the morning.

The staff also failed to declare that Connor’s death was sudden and unexpected, which meant police did not send a detective inspector to the scene, as they typically would.

In December 2024, the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman criticised the CQC for failing to take enforcement action against TCT over his death after it concluded it wasn’t necessary.

The outcome of a complaint made in 2018 about the police’s handling of the investigation has now prompted the force to reinvestigate.

A letter confirming the fresh probe and seen by The Independent reads: “I can confirm that Surrey Police are relaunching a crime investigation into the circumstances of Connor’s death in order to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed.”

A key concern over Connor’s death, which was also brought up in probes into Raihana and Mia’s deaths, was that he had no direct supervision overnight, other than staff opening the door or watching him through a glass window.

Raihana, who was from Essex, had complex disabilities as a result of a premature birth and needed round-the-clock care, died after being found unresponsive at TCT on 1 June 2023.

She had been left unattended for 15 minutes, during which time her tracheostomy tube was blocked. Ms Wilcox said that if she had been “appropriately observed” this would have been recognised and resolved, and that, “on the balance of probabilities, she would not have died at this time”.

She said: “This failure to adequately observe her was a gross failure in care by the nursing staff. This was compounded by the lack of sufficient staff on the unit where Raihana lived to provide proper one-to-one care.”

Raihana’s mother, Latifat Kehinde Solomon, had previously raised concerns about her daughter’s care after finding that she had been left unsupervised.

Making a ruling that Raihana died as a result of natural causes contributed to by neglect, Ms Wilcox warned: “There may be a culture of cover-up at Tadworth Children’s Trust.”

She added that the trust had carried out a flawed investigation into Raihana’s death, had blamed an “innocent individual”, and as a result, had avoided highlighting systemic failures in the running of the home.

Mia Gauci-Lamport, from Bracknell Forest, had Ohtahara syndrome, a severe epilepsy syndrome, and required 24-hour care at TCT.

She had been at the home since 2020, and in September 2023 she was found dead in her bed. She should have had in-person checks every 15 minutes, but staff used a video camera to check on her.

An external investigation, by consultancy firm Bluebox Associates, seen by The Independent, found TCT did not carry out its obligations under law to inform Mia’s family of the circumstances of her death.

During the inquest, the local authority lead for Mia’s care said the council was concerned by “discrepancies” in the reports from TCT regarding when Mia was found and when the ambulance was called.

Mia’s sister, Paige Gauci Lamport, 24, told The Independent that details of her care only came to light during her inquest. They included concerns that Mia was under the care of a private doctor, paid for by TCT, who was also employed by Great Ormond Street Hospital, when she should have been assigned a specialist NHS team.

Concluding Mia’s inquest, Coroner Karen Henderson, who also investigated Connor’s death, raised concerns that her previous warnings about TCT’s failings appeared to have been ignored.

She said: “The lack of a robust and adhered-to care plan for night observations for Mia mirrors the same concern in the PFD [Prevention of Future Deaths] report I issued following the inquest touching on the death of Connor Wellsted at TCT in 2022.”

Mia’s sister has called for action from the government to prevent further deaths: “When will this end? When are they going to finally take some action?”

“Ijust think one child, an accident, two, a coincidence, three is a pattern. I think more action needs to be taken. I think people with disabilities don’t have a voice, really.”

“I just think they [The Department of Health and Social Care and CQC] have a duty to make sure that these kids are being looked after… I just think because they are disabled kids and they don’t have a voice, it’s just easy to pass it on.”

In response to the deaths, Mike Thiedke, chief executive of TCT, said the trust was “determined to learn and improve, not to hide or minimise if something has gone wrong”.

He said that where the trust had not met its own high standards, it had acknowledged and apologised. He added the trusts had since adopted a new patient-safety approach that involves families.

Commenting on the fresh police probe into Connor’s death, he added: “The Children’s Trust continues to send our most heartfelt condolences to Connor Wellsted’s family. We understand that Surrey Police are conducting a review of how Connor’s death has been handled, including by the police. We will make ourselves available to the police and cooperate fully.”

Lucy Harte, deputy director of multi-agency operations at CQC said:“Our sincere condolences go to the families of Connor, Mia and Raihana. The impact of such a loss is deep and profound. The importance of understanding what happened and what can be done to keep people safe in the future can’t be overstated.”

She said the CQC had provided detailed responses to the coroner’s concerns for Mia and Connor and was reviewing its response to Raihana’s inquest.

The Department of Health and Social Care would not comment directly on what action should be taken concerning TCT but said it would expect the CQC to use its powers where providers are failing to give adequate care to patients.

Inside the OceanGate disaster and how hubris led to tragedy

It’s the popping that sends shivers down your spine in Netflix’s new documentary about the doomed Titan submarine. Pop… pop, pop. This is the sound of the vessel’s hull disintegrating, individual strands of carbon fibre snapping apart as the unbearable weight of the Atlantic Ocean heaves in on all sides. As Titan: The OceanGate Disaster shows, these audible omens of catastrophe were repeatedly and unforgivably ignored, until finally the submersible imploded on 18 June 2023, killing all five passengers on board.

When news first broke that the tourist expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic had gone missing off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, the story quickly spiralled into a round-the-clock media frenzy. One channel (NewsNation) even had a ticking countdown to the moment the vessel would run out of oxygen. Over the four days the submersible was missing, the tragedy transformed into a spectacle, with endless memes, conspiracy theories, and glib commentary overshadowing the real human cost.

For documentary filmmaker Mark Monroe, the viral nature of the coverage was as unsettling as the tragedy itself. “I was, just as a casual observer of news, kind of horrified at the whole idea,” he tells me. “I don’t subscribe to any aspect of social media. I think it’s a bad thing. So it became this kind of focal point for some of my anger over social media, in the way that the story became so swept up in everyone’s reaction to it.”

Monroe, the writer behind Oscar winners The Cove (2009) and Icarus (2018), and nicknamed Hollywood’s “documentary whisperer”, joined the Netflix project when he heard the producers had secured a key figure: David Lochridge. Lochridge is an ex-Royal Navy diver and became OceanGate’s chief pilot and director of marine operations until he was sacked in 2018. “He’s the reason I’m here,” says Monroe. “He was front and centre in terms of the building of this company.”

Over the course of the documentary, Lochridge paints a picture of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who went down with his ship on Titan’s final voyage. “He wanted fame, first and foremost, to fuel his ego,” says Lochridge. One of the most alarming moments in the film comes when we learn how Rush informed Lochridge, moments before a dive to the Andrea Doria shipwreck off the Massachusetts coast, that he would be piloting the trip on another of OceanGate’s submersibles himself. During the chaotic and near-deadly trip, Rush ventured far too close to the wreck, and the craft became surrounded by debris. He eventually and reluctantly ceded the controls to Lochridge, who steered them to safety; however, their relationship was irreparably damaged.

“The dynamic changed,” Lochridge says in the film, before describing how he was dropped from communications with other OceanGate executives. The final nail in the coffin came when Lochridge was allowed to carry out his own inspection of Titan, which was supposed to be ready for its maiden voyage. He uncovered a host of safety issues and was promptly called into a meeting where Rush informed him that his services were no longer required.

“To me, he was a very unique individual, a person of privilege, a person with a long history within his own family of movers and shakers, of people who had a dynamic impact on the culture,” Monroe tells me of Rush. The CEO was born into a wealthy family in San Francisco and studied engineering at the prestigious Princeton University in New Jersey. As shown in the documentary, his lineage could be traced back to two signatories of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton and Benjamin Rush. “When you’re of that upbringing where it feels like you need to do something in life, and then you say you’re going to take an experimental submersible using material never before used to the Titanic, and year after year, you have yet to accomplish that… They talk about the pressure of the ocean as you go down, the atmospheres. I think there’s an intense pressure when you’re a person like that who says you’re going to do something.”

Titan was distinctive because it was made of carbon fibre, which is lighter and more cost-effective than traditional alloyed steel used for submarines. If Rush could prove the material would work, why not build a whole fleet of Titans, ferrying high-net-worth tourists paying $250,000 a pop to the bottom of the ocean, like the Jeff Bezos of the sea? The problem was: he couldn’t. The OceanGate Disaster shows how Rush repeatedly flouted regulations, either bending them to his will or ignoring them outright. Relatively early on in the process, he decided that Titan did not need to be “classed”, meaning certified to industry standards by an independent body. Classification experts, the CEO insisted, did not understand his technology.

On Titan’s first deep ocean test, Rush was supposed to take the submersible down to a depth of 4,200 metres – 400 metres below the depth of the Titanic wreck. Extraordinary footage from inside the vessel shows Rush growing concerned at the intensifying popping sounds as he reaches 3,938 metres. “Close enough,” he mutters to himself before abandoning the test and returning to the surface, where he triumphantly declares the mission a success. “I could’ve easily gone to four [thousand metres], but for what?” he tells his crew. For Monroe, showing moments like this were vital to illustrating “the consequences of the decision-making over a period of about a decade”, he says. “That was where I thought the drama of the film is: the step-by-step decisions that were made that add up to this situation.”

Of all those decisions, the fatal tipping point appears to have been on Titan’s 80th dive, when a “loud bang” was heard on board the vessel. To avoid costly shipping, the submersible was kept in sub-zero temperatures in Newfoundland, rather than being sent back to OceanGate headquarters in Washington to check for cracks in the hull. “I told Stockton, ‘Don’t do that,’” says Tony Nissen, OceanGate’s former director of engineering, in the documentary. “Once we build this, it cannot go freezing. If water gets in there and you sit it out in freezing conditions and that water expands, it breaks [carbon] fibres.”

Of course, what happened on Titan’s next dive needs little explanation. Indeed, just 10 minutes at the end of the film are dedicated to the final moments of the submersible’s existence. Instead, the focus shifts to those who lost their lives and the families who were left behind. British aviation billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. “There’s a cold inevitability about the story. We all know where it’s going. We all know the ending,” Monroe admits. “But that ending affects the people who are still here, and that’s why we’re telling the story; those are the people that I wanted to talk to.”

Monroe’s film is less about deep-sea exploration and more of a critique of those who believe the rules don’t apply to them. He compares Rush to a tech CEO, invoking Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook motto (abandoned in 2014), “Move fast and break things.” “There is an ambition in our culture led by a lot of Silicon Valley types that you can do things differently,” says the director. “You can change the way the world works. The rules don’t apply to you. But as I like to say, there are rules of physics, there are rules of engineering, there are rules of nature, and those do apply to us. And so I don’t know how safe it is to move fast and break things when other people’s lives are at stake.”

The Facebook founder’s infamous slogan is eerily similar to Rush’s braggadocious comments during Lochridge’s exit meeting: “We’re doing weird s*** here and I am definitely out of the mould. There’s no question. I’m doing things that are completely non-standard.” As The OceanGate Disaster shows, standards exist for a reason.

‘Titan: The OceanGate Disaster’ is out now on Netflix

The 7 best outdoor adventures in Sydney and New South Wales

Whether you’re lacing up your hiking boots, throwing on a wetsuit to catch some waves, or hitting the wide-open roads of New South Wales (NSW) by campervan, this Australian state is home to some of the country’s most exciting outdoor adventures – all easily accessible thanks to Qantas’ extensive domestic network.

Flying into Sydney with Qantas is the ideal way to experience a slice of Australia before you’ve even landed. And with onboard wellbeing perks, plus the option to book more discounted domestic legs using Qantas Explorer, it really is the savvy traveller’s best way to explore Australia.

Here are seven next-level outdoor adventures in NSW, and the best way to get there.

Sydney might be a modern metropolis, but it’s also home to an extraordinary natural playground, the star attraction of which is Sydney Harbour National Park. This protected area weaves through the city’s coastline, offering walking trails, secluded beaches, and panoramic views that blend wild bushland with iconic urban landmarks. Away from the National Park, you can paddle a kayak at dawn beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge, go on a cycle tour and sunset cruise around Manly and North Heads coastal cliffs, or follow the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk for sweeping ocean views and refreshing swim spots.

Just a 90-minute trip from Sydney by road, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains is an endless landscape of towering eucalyptus forests and striking sandstone cliffs as far as the eye can see. There are few places quite as grand as this so close to a city. Don your hiking boots and traverse spectacular scenery to Wentworth Falls or take on the Grand Canyon Track – a 6km loop of dramatic cliffs, fern-fringed valleys and thundering waterfalls with lookouts to match. If you’re an early riser, watch the sunrise at Echo Point, where the Three Sisters rock formation is lit up by the glow of first light.

Wildlife lovers need to head north to Port Macquarie for some of the best marine encounters on the east coast. Humpback whales are almost guaranteed from May to November, and dolphins can be spotted all year round. For front-row views, jump on a whale-watching cruise, or pitch up with a picnic on a headland and watch the breaching giants from afar.

Swap the sandy beaches for subtropical rainforest in Coffs Harbour’s hinterland in Dorrigo National Park, where winding roads serpentine through flourishing banana plantations, dense palm-filled forest and endless rolling hills. The region’s cycling trails range from casual loops to more challenging rides with jaw-to-the-floor sea views.

Aussies love their surfing, and Byron Bay is the epitome of surf culture Down Under, with beaches to suit all skill levels; from the gentle swell at The Pass to barrel-laden breaks at Tallows. If you’ve got any stamina left, soak up the view from Cape Byron Lighthouse post-surf – the easternmost point of mainland Australia.

With over 8,000 islands to its name, Australia offers the ultimate in island adventures. Lord Howe is one of them, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed pristine island, where only 400 visitors are allowed at any one time. You’ll find rare birds, kaleidoscopic coral reefs, and Mount Gower, offering one of the best day hikes in the country, with epic coastline views and dizzying drops.

For those who need more than a beach stroll to get the heart pumping, grab a kayak and explore the Sapphire Coast from the water in Merimbula. Glide over crystal-clear waters, past secluded coves, pristine beaches, and the untouched beauty of surrounding national parks. Keep an eye out for dolphins and other marine life as you paddle. Once back on shore, refuel with the region’s famous fresh oysters and enjoy a refreshing dip at Bar Beach.

Book your flight to Sydney today at qantas.com and start your Australian adventure.

Liverpool make Wirtz breakthrough as Man Utd eye swap deal

The transfer window has officially, briefly, shut after the first mini opening ahead of the summer’s Club World Cup. The window closed last night at 7pm BST but that won’t stop clubs negotiating deals over the coming days, ahead of its reopening on 16 June – Club World Cup teams can register players for the knockout stages from then onwards.

So far this summer there has been plenty of activity in the Premier League with Matheus Cunha, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jeremie Frimpong, Liam Delap, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki among the biggest names to switch clubs.

Arsenal want to get in on the action and hope to bring in Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Arteta has sanctioned talks with RB Leipzig over striker Benjamin Sesko in their ongoing pursuit for a No 9.

Chelsea have been rebuffed in their efforts to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, and have walked away from a potential deal for AC Milan and France No 1 Mike Maignan before the Club World Cup.

Manchester United have already secured Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m, and are negotiating with Brentford over Bryan Mbeumo with Viktor Gyokeres also on the list of wanted strikers.

Manchester City have captured Ait-Nouri from Wolves, while also agreeing a fee to sign AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and signing Lyon’s Cherki.

And Liverpool have finally made a breakthrough in their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.

You can sign up to DAZN to watch every Club World Cup game for free, while all the latest updates, rumours and done deals from what promises to be a chaotic transfer window will be covered in the blog below:

FTSE 100 close to record high as stock markets open

The FTSE 100 closed just short of a new record high yesterday, but Wednesday brings a new set of factors which may sway investor sentiment, including Rachel Reeves detailing her spending review, which is expected to included £5bn in cuts.

Final results are due from the likes of Revolution Beauty – under the microscope with Frasers recently – while overnight markets in Asia reacted by pushing higher after another day of trade talks in London between Washington and Beijing.

Further reaction is expected to the news of the FCA giving the Pisces stock market for private companies the go-ahead, while speculation around the Bank of England preparing to lower interest rates once more next week also arose following lowered employment data and slowing salary growth.

Here’s all the latest news around business, money and the stock markets today: