Police issue public warning after prisoner flees jail on Christmas Day

Police are searching for a man who absconded from an open prison in Buckinghamshire on Christmas Day.

Mahad Elmi, 27, is now considered unlawfully at large after fleeing HMP Springhill, Thames Valley Police said.

Elmi absconded from the facility, located near the village of Grendon Underwood, overnight on Thursday into Boxing Day.

HMP Springhill is a Category D prison, housing over 300 inmates.

This classification, according to the Prison Service, denotes “minimal security” and permits eligible prisoners to spend most of their day away from the prison on licence for work, education, or other resettlement activities.

Thames Valley Police said Elmi is a “black man, around 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build and has medium-length black hair, a beard and brown eyes”.

The force said he has links to south-west London.

“We are appealing for the help of the public to trace Mahad Elmi, who is unlawfully at large after leaving and not returning to HMP Springhill,” Detective Sergeant Matthew French, of Buckinghamshire’s Priority Crime Team, said.

“If you see Elmi, do not approach him and call 999 instead.

“If you have any information as to where Elmi may be, please call 101 or make a report online, quoting reference number 43250653119.”

Aftershock warning after Taiwan hit by magnitude 6.6 earthquake

People across Taiwan have reported feeling “shaking” and tremors after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit the island’s north-east coast.

The earthquake started at around 11.05pm local time on Saturday – 32 kilometres (20 miles) from the coastal town of Yilan – but was felt across the island.

Buildings in the capital Taipei shook as Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te urged residents to be alert for possible aftershocks.

One resident in Yilan County described how a building shook first vertically and then horizontally.

“It kept on shaking for a while. Then I ran out, but most people did not run out. I was scared,” he said.

The epicentre was 70 kilometres (43 miles) deep, and there were no immediate reports of widespread damage or casualties.

Local television showed hanging TVs swaying inside an office building, and spilt cleaning products and broken bottles that had fallen off supermarket shelves.

More than 3,000 homes in Yilan briefly lost power, Taiwan Power Company said, as Taipei’s city government reported isolated cases of damage including gas and water leakage and minor damage to buildings.

It designated the incident a category four earthquake, meaning minor damage is possible.

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said that a small number of its facilities in the Hsinchu science park, where it is headquartered, reached evacuation criteria due to the quake.

The weather administration warned people should be on alert for aftershocks between 5.5 and 6.0 in the coming day, but that damage from the quake should be limited because it was relatively deep and hit offshore.

A number of “high wave” advisories were issued in the Japanese regions of Hokkaido, Tohoku, Hokuriku, and Okinawa, but no tsunami alerts or warnings were given.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. An earthquake with a magnitude between 6.0 and 6.9 is described as “strong” on the Richter scale.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.

Hotel evacuated after fire breaks out in centre of Glasgow

A large fire in Glasgow city centre on Saturday evening prompted the evacuation of hotel guests and a soup kitchen.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) dispatched seven fire engines and two high-reach appliances to Virginia Street after the alarm was raised at 6.20pm.

Fire crews were met with a “well developed” blaze on the fourth floor of a four-storey building, which houses the Revolver Hotel.

A spokesperson for the adjacent House of Gods Hotel confirmed its guests were also evacuated as emergency services managed the incident.

There have been no reports of any casualties.

Glassford Street has been closed to all traffic between Ingram Street and Trongate and motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Glasgow Labour MP Paul Sweeney posted about the fire on X, saying: “Awful to see a fire break out in the roof of the Revolver Hotel and Polo Lounge.

“I hope no-one is hurt and the fire can be contained.

“The old Scottish Legal Life Building by Alexander Skirving dates from 1889 and is one of Glasgow’s earliest red sandstone commercial buildings.”

Homeless Project Scotland said its soup kitchen, which is in the area, was evacuated as a precaution.

In a post on social media, it said: “Everyone is safe. Emergency services attended.

“For safety reasons, the soup kitchen is now closed until further notice while the situation is assessed.”

Revolver Hotel has been contacted for comment.

Meghan and Harry lose 11th publicist in five years

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s chief communications officer has stepped down after less than a year in the job.

Meredith Maines, who started working for the Sussexes in March 2025, is believed to be the eleventh publicist in five years to exit the role after the couple stepped back from their roles as working royals and relocated to California in 2020.

A statement from Ms Maines read: “After a year of inspiring work with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Archewell, I will be pursuing a new opportunity in 2026. I have the utmost gratitude and respect for the couple and the team, and the good they are doing in the world.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also parted ways with Method Communications, a US-based PR firm, after they announced a partnership seven months ago with the organisation that brands itself as a company that “challenges the status quo”.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: “Meredith Maines and Method Communications have concluded their work with Archewell. The Duke and Duchess are grateful for their contributions and wish them well.”

Harry and Meghan are reportedly not looking to hire a replacement for Ms Maines, as it is understood that the UK and Europe director of communications, Liam Maguire, will take the lead instead.

This departure comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Meghan and Harry’s Archewell Philanthropies, formerly known as the Archewell Foundation, would cut staff as it closes down.

A spokesperson told People: “The move toward a fiscal sponsor operating model does mean that some staff redundancies are inevitable, particularly with junior admin roles.

“We will not be discussing these personnel details further, other than to say that we are honored to have worked with incredibly talented and caring people who dedicate themselves to helping others.”

Ms Maines was spotted in July speaking with senior aides working for the King outside a Mayfair private members’ club, as the Royal households appeared to take steps towards repairing their relationship.

A Stanford graduate with a background in venture capitalism, Ms Maines has previously worked for Hulu, GOOP and Google. It is unclear what she will do next.

Three communications officers stopped working for the Sussexes this summer, including Charlie Gipson and Kyle Boulia. Ashley Hanson, former global press secretary, stepped down a year ago to start her own consultancy firm after two years running the couple’s PR.

It’s about experience: Further Education teachers share what it takes

In the modern world, many of us are working longer than ever. Research based on ONS Labour Market data found that there are almost one million more workers aged 65 and above since the millennium and the state pension is set to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by the late 2030s. Subsequently, having multiple careers is becoming increasingly popular. And after decades working in a specific industry, sharing the work-based knowledge you have gained via teaching in further education is one of the most rewarding career shifts you can make.

Further Education teaching (defined as any education for people aged 16 and over who aren’t studying for a degree) allows you to switch up your working days and harness the skills and experience you have developed, all while helping shape the next generation of workers in your field.

To find out more about the role, from what it takes to the best parts of the job, we spoke to Further Education teachers who have switched from doing their day job to teaching it…

John Ryan, 51, from Weston Super Mare, worked for more than a decade on site in the construction industry, mainly in bricklaying and supervising roles, before an opportunity to become a Further Education assessor changed his path in his thirties. Travelling nationally to assess the work of new bricklayers in order to sign off their NVQs (National Vocational Qualification), the college John was associated with then started offering him some teaching work.

With no prior teaching qualifications, John completed these alongside his assessing and teaching roles with the fees picked up by the teaching college. “I liked the idea of passing on my knowledge and giving young people the skills and confidence to progress in a trade,” he says. “Teaching in Further Education felt like a natural next step because it would allow me to combine my practical background with coaching and mentoring.” There were practical draws too. “On site in the construction industry you are self-employed so you do not get holidays or sick pay. The stability of income and regular paid holidays was a big draw of Further Education teaching,” he adds.

Since his first assessing role 18 years ago, John has worked between assessing, teaching and jobs back on the construction site and now, he currently teaches bricklaying and groundwork full-time at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.

John’s extensive site and supervisory experience has proved to be hugely valuable when it comes to teaching his students there. “I can explain not just the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ behind industry standards,” he explains. “Learners often respond well to hearing about real jobs, site challenges, and the professional behaviours that employers expect. It makes the lessons more relatable and credible,” he shares.

“For example, I can share stories of accidents when teaching site safety, or explain how a mistake of a few millimetres on a construction site can cost you time to rectify, which in turn will cost you money,” he says. “These hands-on, real world experiences make the theory relatable and show learners the real value of getting it right.”

Coral Aspinall, 52, who became a full-time Further Education teacher 12 years ago, agrees. “My experience allows me to put my teaching into context,” she says. Coral started out her engineering career at 16 as an apprentice in a local engineering company. Following a BSc in Engineering and Business Management, she worked for many years in the engineering industry before enrolling on a part-time PGDE (Professional Graduate Diploma in Education) course for teaching. She’s now the Engineering Programme Leader at the Stockport campus of the Trafford and Stockport College Group. Here, they offer qualifications such as Level 2 Performing Engineering Operations as well as engineering-focused Level 3 T Levels and Level 3 Btec Awards. They also offer Level 3 apprenticeships across engineering including Technical Support, Engineering Fitter and Maintenance Management.

“Because I’ve been an engineering apprentice myself, I understand what the student needs to be successful in terms of skills, knowledge and behaviour,” she explains. “I also have contacts in the wider engineering community and understand what an employer is looking for in an apprentice, and can also share insights in terms of how the sector is shifting and evolving to help support their progress.”

Working for an extensive period of time in a field before passing on that knowledge gives teachers maturity and empathy which can be hugely helpful for students, especially those facing complex life situations.

Beyond the practical techniques, a big part of John’s role is helping learners build confidence, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills that employers look for. “Many of my learners have different challenges, so they value teachers who are approachable, who believe in them, and who prepare them for real opportunities in work or further study,” he says. For John, his previous work experience has allowed him to do this. “On site, I worked with people facing all sorts of pressures, from work to life issues, which taught me to be patient and supportive,” he explains.

Coral has had a similar experience. “I see my role as more than imparting knowledge; it is about preparing the young person for the next stage of their journey. The students trust me to have their best interests at heart; they come to me for advice on their next steps and how they can achieve their aspirations, and I’ll support them with both practical advice and words of encouragement.”

For Coral, teaching later in life allows her to draw from a mature perspective, and teach her students positive workplace behaviours alongside skills and knowledge. “Students thrive when they have clear unambiguous boundaries, so I’m firm around expectations in terms of timekeeping, attendance and attitude. This is particularly important to succeeding in the workplace as employers value these behaviours as much as, or even more than having specific expertise or know-how (which can generally be developed).”

If you’re looking for a fresh career option, and keen to share your skills with the next generation, Further Education teaching could be a really enriching new phase. Further Education covers a huge range of career sectors including construction, law, engineering, digital, hospitality, tourism, beauty and more. This includes BTECs (Business and Technology Education Council qualifications), T Levels, NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) or City & Guilds Qualifications.

Teaching in a mixture of colleges (often General Further Education Colleges or Sixth Form Colleges) and Adult and Community Learning Centres as well as workplace and apprenticeship settings, further education teachers share their years of real world industry skills with a diverse mix of people from those straight out of school aged sixteen to those making career switches later in life.

You don’t always need an academic degree or prior teaching qualifications to start teaching in further education. You can undertake teacher training on the job, often funded by your employer, so you can start earning straight away.. Furthermore, it doesn’t mean you have to stop working in your chosen field. Further education offers hybrid opportunities – so you could teach part time alongside your other commitments. This means you could have the best of both worlds, where you are still working in your chosen industry and teaching alongside it at a time that suits your schedule. Find out if it’s the right move for you here.

If, like John and Coral, you see the appeal in sharing the knowledge and skills you’ve developed with the next generation, exploring the option of becoming a Further Education teacher can be a great next step. As John shares, the reward is always worth it: “It never gets old passing on my knowledge to people starting on their journey, knowing I have made a difference and getting a smile and thanks in return!”

Looking for a new role that’s rewarding, flexible and draws on your current career? Why not consider sharing your experience where it matters most – helping inspire the next generation of workers in the field you love? Visit Further Education to find out more

How a joyful Christmas swim on Devon’s Jurassic coast ended in tragedy

Bounding into the sea to cheering crowds, dozens of swimmers at Budleigh Salterton hoped to enjoy a bracing cold dip before their Christmas lunch.

But the joyful annual tradition rapidly turned into a frantic rescue mission as people got into difficulty in rough seas, which one resident described as the worst conditions he had ever seen at the popular swimming spot on Devon’s idyllic Jurassic coast.

Two men, including local antiques dealer Matthew Upham, who is said to be an experienced sea swimmer, are still missing despite widespread searches by the coastguard and the RNLI.

Mr Upham’s heartbroken family have paid tribute to the 63-year-old, who they said was “deeply loved and will be forever missed”.

They added: “We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the emergency services who responded, particularly the RNLI and coastguard, for their dedication, professionalism and tireless efforts during this extremely difficult time.

“We are profoundly grateful for their compassion and support.”

A single yellow rose was left on the doorstep of his antiques business on Boxing Day, according to reports.

A man in his 40s, who is thought to have tried to help Mr Upham, also remains unaccounted for after swimmers entered the water just before 10.25am on Thursday.

Several people had to be pulled to safety after strong winds created huge swells, which dragged people underwater.

Friends, who said Mr Upham had tried to get out of the water but was washed back down the beach by a huge wave, were yesterday still clinging on to hope he could be sheltering somewhere on the coast.

Describing him as “exceptionally kind” and well-liked in the seaside town, they told the Daily Mail: “He goes swimming practically every day, he’s very fit and knows the waters locally well.

“Lots of people went yesterday because of the Christmas Day swim, but Matthew would have been there regardless.

“He’d never intend to spark such a big rescue effort, in fact he’d be horrified at putting anyone at risk to look for him.”

Another added: “It looks as though Matthew was trying to come out of the water, but was pulled back out and drifted further down the beach.

“We don’t know who the man in his 40s is. We believe he is someone who’d gone to try and help Matthew.”

Mike Brown, 60, who does the Christmas Day swim most years, said that he was “unable to get out” after entering the sea but was helped by “two very brave men” who waded into the water and pulled him to safety.

“It was much worse conditions than normal and some of the worst conditions I’ve ever tried to swim in,” he told the BBC. “With hindsight it was clearly a mistake to try and get in.”

He added: “They took an arm each and dragged me to safety and as quickly as it had started, it was over, I was on the beach and I was safe.”

A number of people were brought to shore and checked either by paramedics at the scene or taken to hospital as a precaution, police said.

Although the swim is an annual tradition which is replicated by wild swimmers at beaches across the country over Christmas, it is an unofficial event and is not supported by lifeguards.

A passing RNLI lifeboat, which was out on a training exercise, was able to quickly respond after swimmers got into trouble, according to reports.

HM Coastguard joined a major multi-agency search and rescue operation as they repeatedly scoured the coastline in the face of large waves and strong winds.

Search efforts were halted at 5pm on Christmas Day after “extensive shoreline and offshore searches”. In a statement, they paid tribute to RNLI volunteers “who put to sea without hesitation in an atrocious sea state”.

In a post on Facebook, RNLI Exmouth said conditions “were extremely difficult and cold for the crew involved in the search who were out all day”, adding that many organised swims have been cancelled as a result.

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed both men remain missing on Saturday and a police presence remains at the scene.

The force had urged people not to swim on Boxing Day, with Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar warning: “There have been weather warnings in place this week and a number of official and unofficial swims have already been cancelled.

“While there are no official warnings in place for tomorrow [Friday], we urge anyone with plans to go swimming in the sea on Boxing Day not to.”

Following the tragedy, East Devon District Council urged locals to “think twice before taking the plunge this festive season”.

The local authority said that cold water shock, strong current and unpredictable weather can turn a “quick dip into a serious emergency”.

Arsenal’s injury crisis worsens but nervy Brighton win sends them top

Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League table with a nervy 2-1 win against Brighton at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta’s side started their penultimate match of the year a point back from Manchester City but they were ahead after just 14 minutes when Martin Odegaard fired home his first goal of the season.

Brighton’s Georginio Rutter then headed Declan Rice’s corner into his own net after 52 minutes only for the visitors to haul themselves back into the contest when Diego Gomez lashed home shortly after the hour mark.

David Raya produced a fine diving save to deny Yankuba Minteh with 15 minutes left in what could prove a pivotal stop in Arsenal’s bid for a first league title in two decades.

The win takes Arsenal two points clear of City before they round off the calendar year with a fixture at home to third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday. Brighton have taken just two points from a possible 15 and have slipped to 12th.

On a sour note for Arteta, his defensive problems mounted up before kick-off when Riccardo Calafiori sustained an injury in the warm-up. Both Jurrien Timber and Ben White were absent here – with Rice largely impressing as an emergency right-back – while Cristhian Mosquera is also out. Gabriel, who has been sidelined since 8 November, did return as a second-half substitute.

After City won the lunchtime kick-off at Nottingham Forest, the pressure was on Arsenal, who have finished runners-up in the league for the past three seasons.

However, they started well and Viktor Gyokeres should have done better when he side-footed at Bart Verbruggen inside two minutes before Bukayo Saka ghosted past Maxim de Cuyper only to find Verbruggen equal to his close-range effort.

Saka then blazed over and from the ensuing goal kick, came the opener. Martin Zubimendi reacted first to Verbruggen’s hospital pass and Rice’s header found Saka, who played the ball to Odegaard.

The Arsenal captain was afforded too much room, taking one touch to compose himself before firing a low, left-footed strike that nestled into the bottom corner.

Half-chances for Saka and Rice, on two occasions, followed, and Verbruggen then turned away Zubimendi’s neat back-heel following a goalmouth scramble.

Verbruggen was in the spotlight on the stroke of half-time when he clattered Gyokeres on the far touchline, but he escaped with a caution and Brighton were able to keep the deficit to one at the interval.

But less than seven minutes of the second half had been played when the hosts doubled their advantage after Rutter headed past his own goalkeeper at the near post.

It was another goal from a corner and a fourth own goal across three home games that Arsenal have been able to cash in on.

On the hour mark, Gyokeres had his shot blocked by Verbruggen – the Sweden international’s wait for a goal in open play extending to seven matches – but Arsenal looked to be in cruise control.

That was until Yasin Ayari’s shot hit Raya’s far post and Gomez fired home the rebound. A flying fingertip stop from Raya then kept out Minteh’s curling effort with the home support suddenly riddled with anxiety.

Arsenal have made a habit of conceding late goals in recent times and Arteta was on his knees when the substitute Gabriel Martinelli managed to hit his shot over the bar from six yards with five minutes to go.

But the Spaniard’s side managed to get three crucial points over the line to keep Pep Guardiola’s in-form City at arm’s length.