Industry

A TikToker said he was "absolutely buzzing" to have been invited to host a fanzone during the National League play-off final at Wembley Stadium.

Alexis Cassar said he would be interviewing fans and former Southend United players at Boxpark Wembley when the Blues meet Oldham Athletic on Sunday.

The Essex club confirmed the partnership with the social media star on its own TikTok account.

"I'm absolutely buzzing but a bit nervous, though, because on my TikTok I can cut things… here, people will really see the real me," said the 26-year-old, whose videos showcasing his love of Leigh-on-Sea have attracted millions of views.

Up to 50,000 fans will travel to Wembley for the match, which will mark the end of a turbulent few years for Blues fans who have backed their team through financial turmoil and the threat of extinction.

Alexis told BBC Essex: "I think it's fair to say I don't think any Southend supporter thought they'd be in this position at the start of the year, even mid-way through the year.

"I think we can go to Wembley with nothing to lose."

Alexis said he had been "manifesting" tickets for Sunday's clash after failing to secure a seat.

The matchday capacity was initially limited because of the closure of Wembley Park Tube station for engineering works.

When the Shrimpers first got in touch, he "thought it would be filming something at Roots Hall… but for some reason I knew I'd end up at Wembley on Sunday".

The Green Party co-leader said he wanted to know how fire risks could be managed if plans for one of Europe's largest battery storage sites were approved.

Developers want to install more than a thousand battery containers on land on the outskirts of the small village of Rushall, near Diss in Norfolk.

Whilst the company behind the plan – Elmya – has said safety measures will be in place, residents fear the site could catch fire.

MP Adrian Ramsay – whose Waveney Valley constituency includes Rushall – said he did not "want to scaremonger" but would be meeting with Norfolk's fire chief to discuss their concerns.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are used to hold electricity generated by renewables like solar and wind farms, which can then be put into the grid when needed.

But the lithium used in the batteries can cause explosions if it overheats.

A fire at a small BESS site in Liverpool in 2020 took fire crews 59 hours to extinguish, whilst a blaze at a huge site in California was left to burn on the advice of fire experts.

Ramsay said he would speak to Norfolk's chief fire officer about the proposed site at Rushall, as well as one that would be part of the East Pye solar farm.

He said he wanted to know how fire risks could be managed and assessed, and how fire crews might access remote, countryside sites:

"I don't want to scaremonger on that at all, but I do take the questions residents are raising seriously."

Asher Minns, from the Tyndall Centre For Climate Research at the University of East Anglia, said data on BESS sites across the world "wasn't great" but he believed the risk of fire was "very low".

"There's better [safety] guidelines coming out all the time," he added.

Elmya – which has yet to submit its plans for the site at Rushall – said it would have "advanced monitoring, early fire detection, and suppression systems".

Development director James Innes insisted the project's safety was "paramount" and the company would be "following National Fire Chiefs Council guidance".

A Norfolk Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: "We continue to proactively work with site designers and operators of battery energy storage systems to help them improve both their site designs, and the accessibility for firefighting.

"This is to reduce and mitigate for the likelihood of any fire on their premises."

A man who travelled to the front line of the war in Ukraine and brought hand grenades back to England with him has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Stewart Wright, 45, travelled to the conflict as a self-styled humanitarian volunteer and smuggled the items back to his home near Leeming in North Yorkshire, police said.

The Ukrainian grenades, which can be lethal up to 200 metres, could have caused "catastrophic" damage had they exploded, police added.

Wright admitted possessing explosives for an unlawful purpose and possessing firearms ammunition illegally at Teesside Crown Court and given a 24 month suspended sentence on Friday.

The explosives had been hidden in a vehicle driven across Europe and into Britain in 2023, before being stored in Wright's home.

"These are extremely dangerous items, and by possessing them illegally Wright put not just himself but other people at grave risk," Det Con Amy Sharrad from North Yorkshire Police said.

During a search of Wright's home, police found Ukrainian F1 grenades and Russian offensive grenades, which project deadly fragmentations up to 150 metres.

The fuses had been removed, but the explosive elements were still present and the items had to be disposed of by military bomb experts.

A carrier bag containing 7.62mm-calibre bullets, a 30mm round and a magazine containing a further 30 rounds was also found in the small bungalow, police said.

Officers said there was no evidence that Wright intended to use the devices to cause injury, but he had a fascination with the war in Ukraine and military items.

After being arrested, Wright, who also has links to Swinton, Greater Manchester, made no comment during police interviews.

Det Con Sharrad said he "seemed unable to grasp the severity of his actions or show any remorse".

Police said the grenades and ammunition had been seized and destroyed.

A charity run, organised by a Jersey man who suffered the loss of his first-born daughter, is to take place for the sixth consecutive year.

Helier de Veulle has organised the Seymour Sprint to raise funds for baby loss and safer pregnancy charity, Philip's Footprints.

The event will include the 6km "Seymour Stroll" for those who prefer something a little more sedate and two running options: 6km or 10km.

Mr de Veulle said: "With Gorey Castle behind you and Seymour Tower in front, this trail run takes in the spectacular south-east coast with two distance options available."

The event takes place on 26 April with the 10km route following the shoreline to Seymour Slip before heading out across Ramsar Wetlands to Seymour Tower and returning via the same route.

The 6km option follows the beach to Seymour slip only and straight back.

The new Seymour Stroll is a walk from Longbeach to Seymour Slip and back.

'Beautiful and iconic'

Mr de Veulle and his wife Vicky de Veulle lost their daughter Katherine, who was stillborn at full term, in November 2007.

Their loss inspired them to organise the Seymour run to support Philip's Footprints, a charity which had been set up by Jo and Paul Nash following the loss of their son Philip.

Ms Nash said: "We are delighted to have the Seymour Sprint as part of our annual fundraising calendar and on such a beautiful and iconic part of Jersey's coastline.

"Our community are always such great supporters of charity and sporting events and we look forward to a busy turn out as people take the opportunity to enjoy this unique event, whilst supporting a charity at the same time."

Runners must sign up in advance, registering before 18:00 BST on 25 April.

A Britain's Got Talent comic says internet trolls have not upset him, but he wants people to realise belittling someone on the internet "is sad".

Joseph Charm from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, came fifth in the 2025 ITV series after receiving the Golden Buzzer from judge Alesha Dixon and his mum, who had joined the panel.

The 33-year-old said the buzzer, which automatically sends an act to the semi-finals, brought a lot of praise and a lot of trolls.

Following the final, Mr Charm said he "wasn't bothered" by the online abuse and hoped the negative commenters could "find light in their lives".

'Spread joy'

Mr Charm quit his job to pursue comedy in 2024 and said being on the show had been "incredible".

He did not win the £250,000 prize but said the experience trumped everything especially for his mum who was able to meet Simon Cowell.

"Having that moment was worth its weight in gold," he said.

"£250,000 would be fantastic but just getting to the final and to have Milton Keynes behind me is just fantastic."

He hoped to keep the momentum up and "spread joy in a number of different ways," following the show.

Mr Charm joked to the live audience on Saturday about some of the negative comments he had received.

Mr Charm told the BBC that some people felt "vindicated" after the show.

"I wasn't bothered by any of them. They are so fragile, fickle, weak and sad and I just hope they can find light in their lives so they can no longer be that way," he said.

"That's my genuine hope and if it's not through me hopefully it can be through the next comic or someone else can make them realise that it's sad trying to belittle someone on the internet."

The charity which runs London Zoo is seeking volunteers to identify material from hundreds of film reels discovered in its archive.

Zoological Society of London (ZSL), based in Regent's Park, near central London, wants film enthusiasts or history buffs to help access the content of these mystery films.

While most of the 200 reels are labelled with a cryptic name or a description, 20 are entirely unmarked.

Tina Campanella, ZSL's bicentenary project manager, said: "Delving into 200 years of history is no small task, and we've uncovered some fascinating artefacts – like a 1930s ostrich egg and polar bear-shaped soap souvenirs – but these films remain a reel mystery."

She added: "With just one year to go until our 200th anniversary, we'd love to find out what's on these mystery reels.

"We have absolutely no idea what historical secrets they may hold, if any at all, so if someone out there is as intrigued as we are, and would like to help, please get in touch!"

Some of the labelled reels hint at footage of Chi-Chi the panda – who resided at the zoo between 1958 and '72 – possible behavioural research of Congo, a chimpanzee and other scientific studies.

ZSL said some of the films were showing signs of vinegar syndrome – where the films become brittle, shrink and emit a vinegar-like odour – adding they wanted to act swiftly "before the valuable information they possess slips away forever".

The Dutch government has collapsed after Geert Wilders withdrew his far-right party from the governing coalition following a row over migration.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof confirmed he was stepping down on Tuesday and offered the resignation of the cabinet to King Willem-Alexander.

In televised remarks following an emergency cabinet meeting, Schoof said Wilders' decision to withdraw the support of his PVV party was "irresponsible and unnecessary".

"As far as I'm concerned, this shouldn't have happened," he added.

The governing coalition was in place for less than one year.

The row which led to its collapse came after Wilders pushed for 10 additional asylum measures, including a freeze on applications, halting the construction of reception centres and limiting family reunification.

Schoof had made a last-minute appeal to coalition party leaders on Tuesday morning, but the meeting lasted just one minute before Wilders walked out, ending the coalition.

"No signature for our asylum plans. PVV leaves the coalition," said Wilders on X.

There was shock and anger among political leaders, many of whom pointed out that several of Wilders' demands were similar to policies already in the coalition agreement, and that they would not stand in the PVV's way to implement them.

Many of the additional proposals put forward by Wilders had been dismissed during coalition talks because of legal concerns.

Wilders' decision has put an end to an uneasy governing coalition which was born in July 2024 after months of political wrangling following elections the previous year.

His anti-immigration, far-right PVV was the largest party. The other members were the conservative-liberal VVD, the Farmers' Citizen Movement (BBB) and the centrist New Social Contract.

• Geert Wilders: Who is he and what does he want?

From the start the coalition seemed a marriage of convenience, characterised by infighting and appeared to struggle to push through any of policies it had proudly promoted.

Following its collapse, Wilders' former coalition partners accused him of engineering the crisis. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz said the move was "super irresponsible", adding: "This wasn't about asylum at all."

"I think Wilders is betraying the Netherlands," said deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer from the BBB.

But Wilders appears to feel emboldened. On Tuesday he told reporters that he intended to become prime minister of the Netherlands "and ensure that the PVV becomes bigger than ever in the next elections".

Sandra Phlippen, the chief economist for ABN AMRO bank, said the immediate economic impact of the cabinet's collapse appeared minimal because during its 11 months in office the government had "barely made any concrete plans".

Polls show the far right and Green-Left parties are neck-and-neck, with migration and cost-of-living issues fuelling political volatility across Europe.

Wilders wanted the government to collapse as the support for his Freedom Party continues to drop in the polls, according to Armida van Rij, the Head of the Europe Programme at Chatham House.

With the Nato summit due to be held in the Hague at the end of the month, Schoof's ministers will seek to remain in power in a caretaker capacity until a date is set for the Netherlands to return to the polls – likely in the autumn, according to Dutch media.

In the Dutch political system, becoming prime minister requires forming a majority coalition in the 150-seat parliament.

Even if Wilders again surpasses the political pundits expectations, his decision to collapse the government is being seen as reckless – and perceptions he is putting personal ambition above national stability could further complicate his ability to form alliances after the next election.

The parties that were reluctant or refused to go into government with Wilders after the last election are likely to find that kind of partnership even less attractive now.

In addition, by toppling the coalition over the issue of asylum, it is likely Wilders will put it at the centre of his upcoming election campaign.

However, given that his party had been responsible for asylum and immigration for almost a year, there are no guarantees that such a gamble will pay off.