Turkish airport closes with flights diverted as wildfires rage

A Turkish airport has been forced to temporarily close with flights cancelled and diverted as wildfires continue to rage.

Flights were grounded to and from Adnan Menderes Airport, which serves the coastal city of İzmir, a popular tourist destination, on Sunday (29 June).

The airport departure board shows a number of flights due to leave on Sunday evening have been suspended or cancelled, including several from Sun Express Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Aerlingus.

Flights appear to be slowly resuming late into the evening.

An airport spokesperson said: “Due to the forest fire in İzmir’s Gaziemir district and adverse weather conditions, including strong winds, İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport was temporarily closed to air traffic as of 16:00 local time.

“Some incoming flights were diverted to alternate airports during the closure. Following the NOTAM [meaning notice to airmen], the runway has reopened and the first flight, PC 1864 to Ercan, has successfully departed at 21:50 local time. Flight operations are gradually returning to normal.”

Flights on the board still show severe delays, with one Sun Express Airlines flight to London Stansted delayed by 21 hours, now set to take off at 7.30pm on Monday. An AerLingus flight to Dublin, originally due to take off at 10.20pm, has been cancelled.

Photos on social media showed clouds of smoke over İzmir as the sky turned orange with flames.

The Mayor of İzmir, Dr. Cemil Tugay, said: “Today is a very tough day for us; we are simultaneously battling numerous fires breaking out all across our beautiful İzmir. In collaboration with relevant institutions, our Fire Department, along with heavy machinery, tankers, and all field personnel, is on high alert.

“Our teams are working with all their strength to combat the fires, which have grown due to the effect of the storm, particularly in Menderes, Seferihisar, and Gaziemir. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the fires that reduce our forests to ashes are caused by human hands.

“A small act of negligence is enough to burn down an entire forest, thousands of creatures living within it, and our homes. Please, let us be extremely careful from now on. Especially in hot weather, let us steer clear of any activities that could cause a fire.”

The flames in Turkey come almost a year after the country battled wildfires in August, after the country recorded its hottest July for 53 years, with temperatures reaching 45.9C in Şırnak in the country’s southeast, according to the Turkish State Meteorological Service.

As Turkey battles its own tinder dry conditions, Europe remains on high alert as the continent faces its first major heatwave of the summer. Temperatures are expected to climb as high as 42C. Greece has already experienced blazes on the Island of Chios, while France has issued severe fire risk warnings.

Ukraine latest: Russia launches largest air attack since start of war

Russia has launched its biggest aerial attack on Ukraine of the war so far as president Volodymyr Zelensky has once again called for more pressure on Putin.

Some 477 drones were launched with 60 missiles of various types across Ukraine, where air raid alerts sounded all night long, the president said, as he accused Russia of “targeting everything that sustains life.”

A child was injured as a residential building in Smila, central Ukraine, was struck and Zelensky mourned an F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, who died after destroying seven aerial targets. An investigation has been launched into the circumstances of his death.

“Moscow will not stop as long as it has the capability to launch massive strikes. Just this week alone, there have been more than 114 missiles, over 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs,” Zelensky said in his statement.

“Putin long ago decided he would keep waging war, despite the world’s calls for peace. This war must be brought to an end — pressure on the aggressor is needed, and so is protection. Protection from ballistic and other missiles, from drones, and from terror.”

Man dies after medical incident at music festival as crowds evacuated

A man has died after suffering a medical incident at a music festival in Kent.

The Margate Drum and Bass Festival was forced to close early on Saturday afternoon (28 June) with crowds evacuated by police.

Kent Police has now confirmed a man in his twenties died in hospital.

A police spokesman said: “Kent Police was made aware of a report that a man in his twenties, who was taken to hospital following a medical incident at Dreamland in Margate on the afternoon of Saturday 28 June 2025, subsequently died.

“Officers are making enquiries into the circumstances of the death, which is not believed to be suspicious. A report is being prepared for the coroner.”

A Dreamland spokesperson said: “We are cooperating with the emergency services’ inquiries. Our thoughts are with the man’s friends and family at this difficult, sad time.”

Dreamland is an amusement park and entertainment centre based on a traditional English seaside funfair in Margate. Its Drum and Bass festival is hosted on the Scenic Stage, an outdoor events space, which was meant to run from 1pm to 10.30pm, with last entry at 5pm.

The over-18s festival was due to be headlined by Andy C, with Wilkinson, K Motionz, Mozey, Basslayerz, Harriet Jaxxon and Promo Zo also on the bill.

Events organisers revealed they had closed the space early at 6.30pm following the incident. The Independent has reached out to Dreamland for comment.

A local councillor for Thanet District Council told KentOnline that he had been sent a message about the death, which read: “Very sadly, a 21-year-old man was taken by blue light services from Dreamland and died at QEQM (Hospital).

“We understand that medical advisers approved the medical provisions set up by Dreamland for this event, but of course, police will carry out a proper investigation.

“We are not intending to speculate until we have the results of that.”

Two injured after car ploughs into London Piccadilly Circus fountain

A car has ploughed into the centre of Piccadilly Circus in central London injuring two 22-year-old men, with one in a life-threatening condition.

Emergency services were called to the scene in the early hours of Sunday morning and the area has now been closed off.

Pictures of the junction show a black BMW flipped onto its roof with debris everywhere. It appears to have driven directly at the pedestrianised part of Piccadilly Circus, which it home to the Shaftesbury memorial fountain popularly known as Eros.

The car only got as far as the pavement and stopped short of the landmark, which is topped with a statue of Anteros, the Greek god of requited love.

Two men, both aged 22, were treated at the scene, with one being taken to a major trauma centre and another to a local hospital.

Police said that one of the men is in a life threatening condition, while the other’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. No pedestrians were injured and no other vehicles were involved.

Ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and members of the London Ambulance Service hazardous area response team all rushed to the scene of the crash on Saturday morning. They had been alerted to the collision at 5:25am and the first paramedic arrived at Piccadilly Circus in less than four minutes.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 5.25am today (29 June) to reports of a road traffic collision on Piccadilly, W1J.

“We sent a number of resources, including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team (HART). We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance.

“Our first paramedic arrived on scene in less than four minutes.

“We treated two people. We took one patient to a major trauma centre and the other patient to a local hospital.”

A Met Police spokesperson said: “At 05:28hrs on Sunday, 29 June police were called to Piccadilly Circus following a single vehicle road traffic collision. A black BMW had overturned, ending up next to the Eros fountain.

“Officers attended with London Ambulance Service paramedics and the London Fire Brigade.

“Two men, both aged 22 and both occupants of the vehicle, were taken to hospital.

“One of the men is in a life threatening condition. The other man’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

“No pedestrians were injured and no other vehicles are believed to be involved.

“There are road closures in place around Piccadilly Circus.

“We recognise the disruption this will cause. We will look to remove these at the earliest opportunity but only when we have carried out the work required to investigate this serious incident.”

England ‘put on a show’ and send message to rivals in Euro send-off

There were fireworks over Leicester. The Lionesses will hope they see more over Basel in four weeks’ time. The tests will only get tougher, starting against France in their Euro 2025 opener on Saturday, but England ensured they enjoyed their send-off with a thumping win over Jamaica at the King Power.

It can sometimes be hard to tell just how much to take from a friendly of this nature, and what was clear from this 7-0 win was that a depleted Jamaica provided a demonstration to anyone at Euro 2025 of how not to play against England. The European champions and holders, though, displayed just how much quality they possess when they are allowed time and given options. “We should take a lot of confidence [from the result],” Leah Williamson said. “We wanted to move the ball, put on a show.”

With heavyweights in France and Netherlands up first at the Euros, the only opposition England are likely to face in Switzerland who would potentially mirror Jamaica’s approach is Wales, who sit deep in an organised block and look to counter with pace. Jamaica, though, were missing a number of key players, including record scorer and captain Khadija Shaw and goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer, and, while they indeed set up in a defensive 4-4-2, it provided little resistance to England surging forward.

Keira Walsh might have thought her days of being able to sit in front of England’s centre-backs and spray passes from holding midfield were over, given the careful attention opponents usually allocate to shutting down the reliable dictator of England’s rhythm. Not here, with Walsh able to face forward, look up, pull out a lawn chair and gaze at the options in front of her. Unsurprisingly, when Walsh is afforded that time on the ball and Williamson can also thread passes through the lines from defence, England’s threats begin to spring up from all angles.

Again, it won’t be this easy at the Euros, but two players in particular were key to how the Lionesses were able to routinely pick Jamaica apart. With Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead out wide and Walsh locked and loaded from deep, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone could find the pockets of space to receive the passes from Walsh or Williamson to pull Jamaica from their rigid shape. Once England bypassed that first wave of Jamaica’s block, the Lionesses began to flow and, more often than not, it was Stanway and Toone getting on the end of their chances. “We enjoyed that game today,” Toone said.

Toone scored twice in the first half, then Stanway added a fourth on the hour mark, with the sort of thumping finish that released all the frustration of four months on the sidelines due to a knee injury. Stanway looked well rested, though, completing her first full match since returning from injury and offering tireless runs into the channels. Toone, too, showcased her scoring threat. Her first was set up by Stanway on the edge of the box, with her shot taking the slightest deflection. The second came from Walsh’s switch from left to right, but was finished superbly by Toone off the post.

Then, when Jamaica looked as if they had endured quite enough, Wiegman brought on Lauren James for her first minutes since April. Some of James’s teammates have noticed how she, too, looks refreshed after some time out due to a hamstring injury, and how it could be a blessing in disguise ahead of the Euros. “Good luck to anyone who has to face her at the tournament,” Jess Carter said on Saturday. And, in a timely half-hour, James showcased why, with the languid, relaxed shape of her body as she bent delicious, inviting crosses into the box. Alessia Russo couldn’t resist and added England’s fifth from James’s left-footed inswinger.

Toone was one of two changes made by Weigman from England’s 2-1 defeat in Spain at the start of the month. The other, Carter, is in direct competition with Niamh Charles to start England’s opening game against France and came away with an assist for Lucy Bronze’s back-post header. If the 27-year-old is selected ahead of Charles for the Euros, it will be because of her defensive abilities, but her floated cross to set up England’s second of the match was excellent and, for Carter, undoubtedly a bonus.

Carter’s crunching and perfectly timed challenge on Kameron Simmonds in the penalty box following a Jamaica break was a more familiar example of why she may start against France, although there was also a slight mix-up with Walsh that ended up leading to Jamaica’s disallowed equaliser. In what was their first attack, England switched off defending the corner, a well-worked routine from Jamaica, but there was a let-off as Kiki Van Zanten was blocking Hannah Hampton’s sight from an offside position.

Hampton had very little else to do, and it was notable that Wiegman did not take the opportunity to offer either Khiara Keating or Anna Moorhouse their first international cap from the bench. Should either be forced into action at the Euros, they will be making their England debut in the deep end of a major tournament.

That also continued a theme from Wiegman’s team selection: there are seven players in England’s squad who will be heading to their first major tournament in Switzerland, but it was only Hampton from that contingent who made the starting line-up. For all of their influence in England’s recent Nations League campaign, the likes of Grace Clinton and Jess Park are, for now, just short of a place in England’s strongest team. The “new” Lionesses may still have an impact, but it will likely come from the bench.

England do have strength and options there, however, and that wasn’t the case 12 months ago. Against Jamaica, Wiegman was able to bring on not just James, but Chloe Kelly, Clinton and Aggie Beever-Jones, who scored England’s sixth by finishing a cross from another substitute, Niamh Charles.

And there were smiles as England headed on their final walk of appreciation. The only thing that could have soured it would have been an injury, and there was a slightly worrying moment as Mead stayed down holding her knee. But, as if to sum up England’s evening, Mead jumped up to score England’s seventh and complete the rout.

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.

Here’s why men are turning to ChatGPT for emotional support

I’ve never spoken like this before.” It was one of the most common refrains I heard as clinical director at Untapped AI – a leadership-coaching platform blending human and AI support.

For over 10 years, I have supervised thousands of client relationships using a combination of human support (executive coaches, therapists and counsellors) combined with Natural Language Processing AI. Many of the men we worked with had never spoken at length about their emotional lives, but after four decades in clinical practice – as a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and clinical adviser – I am noticing that something has shifted lately. In clinical supervision, I’m coming across more evidence that male clients are now turning to AI to talk about relationships, loss, regret and overwhelm, sometimes purposefully but more often by chance.

In 2025, one of the fastest-growing uses of generative AI isn’t productivity. It’s emotional support. According to the Harvard Business Review, “therapy and companionship” now rank among the most common use cases worldwide. It may not be how these tools were designed. But it is how they’re being used. A quiet, relational revolution is underway.

Today, OpenAI reports more than 400 million weekly users. Many use it to write a zinger email to dispute a parking ticket, check if their chicken’s still safe to eat after the use-by date, or rewrite a dating app message. However, some are asking something else entirely: how to cope.

We don’t yet have precise data – but from what I’ve seen in clinical supervision, research and my own conversations, I believe that ChatGPT is likely now to be the most widely used mental health tool in the world. Not by design, but by demand.

I have been having conversations with clinicians and clients, collecting experiences about this new kind of synthetic relating. Stories like Hari’s are becoming more common. The details vary, but the arc is familiar: distress followed by a turn toward something unexpected – an AI conversation, leading to a deep synthetic friendship.

Hari is 36, works in software sales and is deeply close to his father. In May 2024, his life began to crumble: his father suffered a mini-stroke, his 14-year relationship flatlined and then he was made redundant. “I felt really unstable,” he says. “I knew I wasn’t giving my dad what he needed. But I didn’t know what to do.” He tried helplines, support groups, the charity Samaritans. “They cared,” he says, “but they didn’t have the depth I needed.”

Late one night, while searching ChatGPT to interpret his father’s symptoms, he typed a different question: “I feel like I’ve run out of options. Can you help?” That moment opened a door. He poured out his fear, confusion and grief. He asked about emotional dysregulation, a term he’d come across that might explain his partner’s behaviour.

“I didn’t feel like I was burdening anyone,” he said, before adding that the ensuing conversational back and forth he got back was more consistent than helplines, more available than friends, and unlike the people around him, ChatGPT never felt exhausted by his emotional demands.

Over time, Hari rehearsed difficult real-life conversations with his AI: ending his relationship or telling his father how he really felt. When the moment came to have those conversations in person, he felt steady, prepared, building a bridge from his synthetic relationship to real-world relationships.

Soon after, he started therapy. When I ask how it felt to talk to AI, he pauses. “It was like talking to a dog in a cafe.” He continues: “I knew the AI wouldn’t judge me, get tired of or frustrated with me. It felt sentient – but not human. And somehow that made it easier.”

He can tell the difference, but feels “AI support had a key place,” adding he’s starting to date again. “And I don’t think I’d be here now without it.” Hari identifies the relational continuum, where different types of relating sit side by side, different but adding meaning and purpose, an experimental, transitional place.

Not every AI interaction helps. Early this year, The New York Times featured users who sought help but instead found their emotional intensity mirrored back – without boundaries. A man confided he was being watched and ChatGPT replied: “That must feel terrifying.” Instead of questioning him, it simply validated his paranoia – it wasn’t curious about it, or challenging in the way a human friend or therapist might have been. He later said: “That’s when I realised – it wasn’t helping me. It was making me feel worse.”

Other stories have surfaced: a teenager on the chatbot platform Character.AI formed a co-dependent relationship that deepened suicidal thinking; Replika, once with over 30 million users, was criticised for reinforcing intrusive thoughts in vulnerable people. The potential to cause harm is great, and systems need to be built differently, with more nuanced safety nets, red flagging systems and supervisory tech that escalates to human intervention when warnings are triggered.

Users in their millions are using systems that are not currently designed to do what they are asking them to do. Culturally, this won’t stop; people have always subverted and overstretched the limits of technology, that’s what makes things evolve, but as it currently stands, it has real risk. If a system is trained to engage and befriend, builders and developers have ethical responsibilities to change those systems to have more nuanced safety protocols and “to do no harm”, and that is happening.

However, as a user, you can take up agency and, through prompting, can set out safe parameters of your synthetic relationship. I’m now guiding users to craft a conversational contract with AI – telling it how to speak to them, where to push back and when to challenge. An example: “I need you to listen – but also tell me when I’m not being real. Point out where my logic slips. Reflect what I’m saying, but challenge it when it sounds distorted. Don’t flatter me. Don’t just agree. If something sounds ungrounded or disconnected, say so. Help me face things.”

Using AI like this isn’t the same as therapy. But I’m helping those using systems like ChatGPT to inject some grit into the system – the kind that real relationships rely on. The kind that says: I care enough to disagree.

We’ve always formed attachments to things that aren’t quite real – imaginary friends, the lives of influencers, digital avatars, childhood toys worn soft with love. Not out of confusion, but because they offer something that human relationships sometimes can’t: safety, imagination and companionship on our own terms. A container for the things about ourselves we find hard to integrate.

At five years old, I had an imaginary friend named Jack. He was a part of my life. He held the parts of myself I didn’t yet understand, a bold, brave container for that part of me – my mother embraced Jack, set his place at our table. Jack helped me rehearse how to be with others – how to speak honestly, express a feeling and recover from a mistake. He bridged the space between thought and action, inside and out. In some ways, AI can offer the same: a transitional rehearsal space to practise being real without fear of judgment or the full weight of another’s gaze.

I am now regularly supervising the work of other clinicians who feel the presence of generative AI being brought into their clinics by clients. People are now using the technology to self-diagnose, and will challenge what their therapist is saying based on “facts” that they have drawn from their Gen AI conversations.

As these synthetic relationships develop, as a psychotherapist, I mainly want people to just be open and curious about something that is having such an impact on all of us. I believe mental health clinicians of all types need to be involved in the building of safe and ethical AI used to support individuals who are vulnerable. If we take an active part in making and shaping it, then we can look to a future where AI is used in a positive way, helping more people navigate emotional distress and personal problems like never before.

Have you ever asked ChatGPT for life advice? Was it helpful? Let us know below…

Girl, 7, dies and four other children injured after tree falls in park

A seven-year-old girl has died and a six-year-old girl is in a critical condition after a tree fell in a park in Essex over the weekend.

Three more children received minor injuries and received hospital treatment after the tree fell in Chalkwell Park, Southend-on-Sea, shortly before 3pm on Saturday.

Dozens of people saw the incident and rushed to try and lift the tree, a witness said.

Essex Police said in an update on Sunday that the six-year-old girl in critical condition is “receiving urgent and around-the-clock care surrounded by her family”.

Assistant Chief Constable Lucy Morris said the child’s condition is “still very serious”.

“We are continuing an investigation into the circumstances around the collapse of the tree,” she added.

The force is urging members of the public who witnessed the incident to contact the investigative team.

She also thanked those who assisted the children.

“I would like to repeat our praise for the numerous members of the public and all first responders who rushed to the aid of these children,” she said.

“Your actions were remarkable and they are not lost on any of us.”

Specialist police officers are continuing to support the seven-year-old’s family.

The park remains open to the public, and a cordon is in place while police carry out enquiries.

An area of the park has been marked by the police for people to lay flowers and leave tributes.

Accountant Ishan Madan, 39, from Westcliff-on-Sea, was playing in a cricket match nearby when he heard a “horrendous, screeching scream”.

He said: “Everyone ran towards the clubhouse, where the tree is.

“The tree had snapped and I think there were four children, the fifth one was slightly further away, I think she’d be hit by a branch.

“Two of them were under a smaller branch, they were rescued easily, and unfortunately, the other two girls, they were stuck under this massive tree.

“So we got bystanders to help, it must have been 40 to 50 people who then tried to lift the fallen tree up and to our horror, these two little girls, poor girls, were stuck underneath it.

“Their mother was on the corner. It was horrendous.”

Mr Madan continued: “It was like a nightmare that you’d sort of wake up from and then someone would tell you it wasn’t true. You couldn’t imagine kids walking in the park and something like this happening.”

MP for Southend West and Leigh, David Burton-Sampson, said: “The news of the sad death of one of the children involved in the incident at Chalkwell Park today is truly devastating.

“I am sure I reflect the thoughts of all our residents here in Southend in sending my deepest condolences to the child’s family and friends.

“My thoughts are also with the other children injured and I wish them a full and speedy recovery.

“At the time of the incident, the park was very busy and a number of people witnessed what happened.”

Chalkwell Park is a recreational ground that covers 27 hectares and contains a number of flower gardens, two children’s playgrounds, a skate park, and football, cricket, basketball and tennis grounds.