Blogs

A USELESS conman sat people’s theory driving test for them — but failed 11 times.

Qounain Khan, 23, was paid to impersonate learners whose English was not good enough to sit the written test — despite not having a licence himself.

He would change his hairstyle to turn up at test centres across the UK with the candidate’s provisional driving licence and bank card as proof of ID.

But Khan clocked up the fails as his face did not match the mugshot on the driving licence.

He passed a 12th test in Cardiff in June 2023 but by then the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency had rumbled him.

It found he sat tests in Chesterfield, Surrey, Carlisle, Worcester, Redditch, Dudley, Swindon, Bradford and Wolverhampton over a 19-month period.

Prosecutor Justin Davies said: “He was taking these tests while he was not the holder of a driving license himself.

“He operated across the country for 19 months playing the lead role as an impersonator.

“But he was able to be identified, despite wearing his hair in different styles.”

The university student, from Birmingham, who had debts from gambling, drinking and drug use, had claimed that he was given £300 to stand-in for a learner and only got paid if they passed.

He was jailed for eight months at Cardiff crown court after admitting charges including 12 of fraud by false representation.

None of the learner drivers were prosecuted, but were sent warning letters by the DVSA.

Jon Rowley

Qounain Khan was paid to impersonate learners whose English was not good enough to sit the written test — despite not having a licence himself[/caption]

PALS on a fishing trip were stunned when they spotted what appeared to be a pod of killer whales in the Channel.

David Hilton, 64, and Paul Bradshaw, 61, were angling off the South Coast when they saw several large creatures breaching the surface.

Neil Hope

Neil Hope

David Hilton was angling off the South Coast when he spotted the creatures breaching the surface[/caption]

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Sightings of orcas in the Channel are extremely rare[/caption]

They appeared to be hunting dolphins in busy international shipping lanes, just five miles south of Plymouth, Devon.

Also known as orcas, killer whales — like those in the hit film Free Willy — are seen in the North Sea and off the west coast of Scotland.

But sightings in the Channel are extremely rare.

David, a retired hospital worker, said: “I couldn’t believe it.

“I’ve never seen orcas before in the Channel.”

Paul, a retired medical scientist and marine life enthusiast, added: “We weren’t sure what they were at first.

“The larger ones were over five metres long.”

Paul sent pictures to the Orca Research Trust, which said: “While we can’t say definitively that these were orcas, they certainly could have been.”

But Dr Peter Evans, professor of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, said he thought they may have been white beaked dolphins.

He said: “Changes in the status and distribution of various whale and dolphin species have been occurring in recent years.”

MANCHESTER UNITED fans fumed “get out of our club” after Alejandro Garnacho posed in an Aston Villa shirt bearing the name of fellow outcast Marcus Rashford.

Garnacho, 20, has been told by Ruben Amorim to find a new club after a disappointing season with the Red Devils.

https://www.instagram.com/garnacho7/

Alejandro Garnacho enraged Man Utd fans by wearing an Aston Villa shirt bearing Marcus Rashford’s name[/caption]

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The pair have both been axed by Ruben Amorim and are searching for new clubs[/caption]

The Argentina international scored just six Premier League goals.

And he is now on the hunt for a fresh start, with clubs including Napoli and Chelsea interested.

In the meantime, Garnacho has been living it up while holidaying in locations such as Rome and Tokyo.

His latest stop took him to the Spanish island of Ibiza.

And Garnacho made his feelings perfectly clear on his United situation as he posed for a controversial photo.

The winger stood with his back to camera outside a luxury Villa with two Lamborghinis parked in the driveway.

However, Garnacho was not wearing his usual fashionable clothes and instead covered himself in the shirt of United’s rivals Aston Villa.

Not only that, the jersey also bore the name of teammate and fellow misfit Rashford, who was axed by Amorim earlier this year.

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He spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Villa Park and has now declared his intention to join Barcelona.

By wearing the shirt, Garnacho appeared to show his support for Rashford while also cutting ties with United.

https://www.instagram.com/garnacho7/

Garnacho has been holidaying in Ibiza this week[/caption]

https://www.instagram.com/garnacho7/

The ace was splashing the cash in Spain[/caption]

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Garnacho has also visited Rome this summer[/caption]

https://www.instagram.com/garnacho7/

He even enjoyed a cheeky trip to Tokyo[/caption]

And Red Devils fans reacted angrily as they flooded social media with raging comments.

One said: “Get out of our club.”

Another declared: “Diabolical.”

One noted: “This is why we need a culture reset.”

Another added: “Game’s gone.”

But Villa fans seemed delighted at the potential prospect of signing Garnacho as Rashford’s replacement.

One said: “Begging for a move.”

Another declared: “Leave him alone.”

COLEEN Nolan’s daughter is pregnant with her first child!

The Loose Women star is now preparing to become a grandma for a third time.

Coleen’s 24-year-old daughter Ciara Fensome, is pregnant with her first child. 

The mother-to-be revealed the happy news on Instagram today.

She took to the platform in a sun-soaked snap as she showed off her blossoming bump.

Ciara announced that she is expecting a baby with her fiance Maxx Innes.

Quoting Sabrina Carpenter’s Juno lyrics, Ciara penned: “One of me is cute but two tho? Baby Innes pending…”

Ruth Langsford rushed to the comment section and wrote: “WONDERFUL! Congratulations!”

Saira Khan added: “Wow!! Congratulations.”

Hayley Tamaddon penned: “Oh huge congratulations.”

Someone else chimed in: “I cannot wait!! You are the most beautiful pregnant woman .. glowing!”

While a fifth added: “This makes me so emotional. Congratulations guys, so happy for you all! Btw you look hot momma!”

DEAR DEIDRE: MY daughter’s form tutor has used me for sex.

I’m 42 and he’s 44. I’ve been single since my divorce three years ago. My youngest daughter is 13.

I was called in by my daughter’s school because my she had been in a fight with another pupil at the school.

I have met the form tutor a couple of times but this time there was a definite spark between us as we sat together in his office.

I thought he was very good looking. He contacted me a couple of days later to ask after my daughter.

He wanted to know how she had been after our chat.

We talked for a few minutes but when I went to end the call, he asked me out for a drink.

I knew he’d overstepped a boundary, but on the spur of the moment I didn’t care and agreed to meet him. We met at a service station out of town, and he drove me to a pub 15 miles away.

We had dinner and we definitely seemed to click. The chemistry was undeniable. He told me he was in a loveless marriage. His wife wasn’t interested in having sex with him any longer.

He drove me back to my car and kissed me passionately. I hadn’t been kissed like that for so long.

He’d regularly come to my flat, telling his wife that he had a parent’s evening or an awards ceremony. All the time he was getting me into bed. Our affair lasted two years. It was intense and passionate.

He told me how much he loved me and, to prove it, he left his wife a couple of times.

I thought we’d get together properly, but out of the blue he dumped me and has returned to his wife for good.

I know what we did was wrong, but I can’t understand why he has gone back to her.

Mutual friends have told me that he’s unhappy and misses me, but I can’t let him back into my life again.

I miss him so much but I feel so hurt. I’d be a fool to make contact again, wouldn’t I?

DEIDRE SAYS: Your ex-lover has strung you along for two years, letting you fall in love with him, telling you he loved you, then dumped you without warning.

It hurts right now, but once you start to get over him, it will get easier.

Should he contact you again, tell him that you won’t be his bit on the side because you’re worth more.

If he’s prepared to leave his wife in future, he’ll know where to find you – but don’t hold your breath.

My support pack Your Lover Not Free? will help. Focus on meeting a man who is available.

STRUGGLING WITH GIRLFRIEND’S PAST

DEAR DEIDRE: I DIDN’T expect my girlfriend to be a virgin when we met, but I am struggling to cope with the 30 men she has had sex with before me.

I am 38 and she is 27. We have been together for six months. I’ve had nowhere near as many lovers as she has, and it’s torturing me to think about what she has done.

I can’t help but picture her with these other guys. I feel physically sick when it happens.

Sometimes, I even get put off my stride if we are getting intimate and images of her with other men pop into my head.

I was happy when she told me I am the best lover she has ever had. She made me feel so confident and good about myself.

I really wanted us to have a serious relationship.

But then, one night when we’d had a few drinks, she told me more about her past – that she had chosen to have a termination when she was 18.

I tried hard not to pass judgement, but inwardly I felt like my world had collapsed.

I truly thought I would do things in the old-fashioned way; get married, have a couple of kids and settle down. Now I am not so sure. I will never be the first one to get her pregnant and that hurts.

Even though she is the best thing that has happened to me, I know I am beginning to drive her away. I realise that this is all irrational. How can I move beyond it?

DEIDRE SAYS: Why does the number matter? It is history. The important thing is that she has chosen to commit to you.

It would be a shame to throw away a happy and healthy relationship because of her past – something she can’t change now.

How frightening for her to be pregnant so young. Perhaps a termination was the only option open to her if the relationship with the father wasn’t right.

Your jealousy might be a sign of your own insecurities. Perhaps you are worried that she will tire of you.

My support pack, Dealing With Jealousy, explains more.

SHY SON ALL ALONE

DEAR DEIDRE: MY son has tried and tried to make friends at school, but nothing he’s done has worked. It is heartbreaking.

I’m his 35-year-old mum and he is eight. He’s a shy boy, but he’s also kind and intelligent. When I take him to school, he just stands next to me rather than go off and play.

He doesn’t seem to have much confidence and tells me he usually sits alone at break and lunchtimes.

Sometimes, he comes home in tears after the other children have been horrible to him.

It is now starting to affect his schoolwork and he tells me he wants to stay at home, making excuses such as having a tummy ache so he doesn’t have to go.

I have thought about moving him to a different school, but I doubt that’s the solution.

I had a chat with his teacher to make her aware that my son is lonely, but realistically what can she do?

How can I help him?

DEIDRE SAYS: Finding your place within social relationships at school is a big challenge for many children.

Talk to him about school and find out if he’s happy generally.

Many friendships start from shared interests and hobbies, so encourage your son to find kids who have ones similar to him.

Try out-of-school clubs to give him the confidence and the settings he needs to make friends.

Most importantly, keep him talking so you can support him.

NURSERY rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock has been given a trigger warning after almost 300 years — as a cat chases a mouse.

The latest woke madness is being spouted by bosses running a puppet show based on the children’s poem, first published in 1744.

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Hickory Dickory Dock has been given a trigger warning after almost 300 years — as a cat chases a mouse[/caption]

They warn over-protective parents bringing tots to the production of a “scene with some tension where a cat chases a mouse”.

It is being performed by Garlic Theatre for kids as young as three at Little Angel Theatre, Islington, North London, in August.

Tim Scott, of the Freedom Association, said: “In the latest example of trigger madness, we now find beloved children’s nursery rhymes are the target.

“Certain adults seem determined to inflict their nonsense on children, who have coped perfectly well for generations with these educational rhymes.

“You do have to wonder what might be next?”

It comes after a theatre production of the kids’ classic Three Little Pigs was slammed for slapping on a trigger warning because the dad gets eaten by the Big Bad Wolf.

The work of children’s author Roald Dahl has also been given cautions, due to “racist and sexist stereotypes, anti-Semitism, and the use of derogatory language”.

Garlic Theatre was asked to comment.

AN ex-prison officer who had sex with a lag in a cell smiles after being freed from jail — sporting a new “love” tattoo.

Linda de Sousa Abreu, 31, lapped up the sun in shorts, sports bra and polka-dot bandana.

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Smiling Linda de Sousa Abreu laps up the sun in shorts, sports bra and polka-dot bandana[/caption]

Central News

De Sousa Abreu was filmed romping with lag Linton Weirich at Wandsworth jail[/caption]

The married former guard — released after serving five months of a 15-month sentence — had a new neck inking saying “Amor”, which is Spanish for “love”.

We revealed last year that she was filmed romping with lag Linton Weirich, while ignoring messages on her radio, at Wandsworth jail, South West London.

She was spotted on Saturday near her home in Fulham, West London.

A neighbour said: “It doesn’t look like what has happened has impacted her at all.

“She looks like she is loving life.

“She’s smiling, enjoying the sun and got a new tattoo.

“I think she will try and launch a new career making the most of the fame she got.”

Metropolitan Police

Former guard De Sousa Abreu was released after serving five months of a 15-month sentence[/caption]

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De Sousa Abreu was spotted on Saturday near her home in Fulham, West London[/caption]

In the shocking sex clip, which went viral, a lag is heard saying: “This is how we live at Wandsworth.”

A month earlier, the jail was slammed for “systemic and cultural failures that stemmed from poor leadership”.

De Sousa Abreu was arrested at Heathrow as she tried to board a flight to Madrid.

She was jailed in January after admitting misconduct in public office.

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Linda was jailed in January after admitting misconduct in public office[/caption]

HOLLYWOOD bosses are paying a king’s ransom to film the latest Marvel superhero movie next to Windsor Castle.

They are shelling out millions to shoot scenes for Avengers: Doomsday over the summer in Windsor Great Park.

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Marvel is paying the Royal Family millions to film next to Windsor Castle[/caption]

Peter Jordan

A 1960s-style US house has already been built[/caption]

Alamy

The blockbuster boasts an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Sir Ian McKellan returning as Magneto.

King Charles, who is Ranger of Windsor Great Park, is said to have been made aware but is set to be on his Balmoral estate in Scotland during filming.

Marvel multiverse movie Avengers: Endgame is the second highest grossing movie of all time, raking in more than £2billion.

Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney, has paid a fortune in location fees to erect its sets next to Windsor Castle in Berkshire — with the money going towards maintaining the park.

Windsor Great Park is owned by Crown Estates and the King gets 25 per cent of its annual profits.

The exact price tag is not known but a source said: “Several million pounds is chicken feed to Marvel when their movies make billions.

“But the money will go to the upkeep of Windsor Great Park so the King of course has a keen interest.

“Some of the profits of Crown Estates make their way to the Royal Family so it’s a win-win for everyone.

“The Royal Family may even be persuaded to pop by and have a look at Thor in action.”

Planning documents estimate up to 300 crew and cast will be on site for filming this summer.

Although the scenes to be shot at Windsor and the actors involved in them are being kept under wraps, the files show one set is listed as Luke Cage’s House and the other is Annie Reynolds’ House.

Cage is the alter-ego of Power Man with superhuman strength and unbreakable skin, while Reynolds is thought to be a new character as the mother of Sentry.

Our exclusive photos show a 1960s-style US house for Cage that has already been built.

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The royals are likely to have a keen interest in the blockbuster film.

Charles is patron of the British Film Institute and appeared at the premiere of Gladiator II last year.

William has been President of Bafta since 2010.

In 2023, Wills and Kate took kids George and Charlotte to meet the cast and crew of Lord of the Rings telly spin-off The Rings of Power, being filmed in Ascot.

The Princess of Wales has previously revealed Prince Louis’ favourite superhero is Marvel character Spider-Man.

A spokesman for The Crown Estates did not want to comment.

AN ENGLAND footie ace bought his fuming partner a £40,000 Audi to say sorry after he was accused of cheating with Love Island’s Megan Moore.

Pals say the star hooked up with Meg, 25, just before she entered the villa for the ITV2 dating show.

ITV

Love Island beauty Megan Moore[/caption]

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Instagram

They were seen downing shots and getting “increasingly tactile” earlier this month, while his girlfriend was at home.

His devastated partner was told of his actions by friends — after Meg had already flown to Majorca, where the series is filmed.

But the cheated woman was cheered up after the grovelling Premier League star bought her a new motor “straight off the garage forecourt” as an “apology gift”.

The Wag and her pals have been watching Love Island and voting against Megan at every opportunity.

A source said: “The footie ace and Megan have known each other since they were teenagers.

“At the start of June, days before Meg left for Love Island, they were out with mutual friends and met in a pub.

“Megan and him had a few drinks together and started doing shots.

“They were side-by-side all night.

“Everyone went out into town, but the two of them veered off from the group and went back to Meg’s place.

“They spent the night together.

“The player left the next day — but his partner’s friends found out and told her everything.

“Megan is not aware of the fireworks going off back home.

“She’s in for a rude awakening when she eventually leaves the villa.

“It might be safer for her in Spain.”

The footballer’s partner is an online influencer who is seen at matches supporting him.

The couple, who we are not naming, have been together for more than a year.

Our source said: “They are still together.

“He pays for everything, but she feels worthless after he hooked up with a Love Island beauty.”

SAMSUNG has had a pretty packed year in smartphone world.

First, we had the usual Galaxy S25 launches at the start of the year – and then there were some great budget-friendly models too.

Jamie Harris / The Sun

Only two cameras are now on the back as Samsung looks to slim things down[/caption]

Jamie Harris / The Sun

Familiar but slimmer new design[/caption]

• UK: Buy now from £1,099 at Samsung.com
• US: Buy now from $1,099 at Samsung.com

And now we’re back to the Galaxy S25 again with a new category.

This time it’s all about thin, thin, thin.

All the tech packed inside ever-powerful phones make it tricky business to stop them from becoming almighty hunks of metal.

What with chunky batteries, all that processing power needed for AI tools, the list goes on.

But Samsung is determined to give it a go with the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge – even if there are some sacrifices.

As The Sun’s main Android smartphone reviewer I get hands-on with all sorts of devices all the time.

Here’s why you might want to consider the Galaxy S25 Edge if you’re fed up with chunky mobiles weighing down your pocket.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Look and feel

How the Galaxy S25 Edge looks and feels is arguably the most important first bit of information you want.

And the good news is, it’s immense.

I can’t remember the last time I held a phone of this size and power that felt this light, at only 163g.

A website on the weight of items tells me that’s about as heavy as an average hockey puck.

The Galaxy S25+ and iPhone 15 Plus are the fairest comparisons to note, because they both have a 6.7inch display like the S25 Edge.

A Galaxy S25+ weighs 190g, while the iPhone 15 Plus is 201g.

But it’s not just the weight, the Edge is super thin at 5.8mm – Samsung’s thinnest ever phone.

Looking for objects around the house, the nearest item I could compare it to is a tiny bit thicker than my passport.

Again, the Galaxy S25+ is 7.3mm thick and the iPhone 15 Plus is 7.8mm.

This makes the iPhone – and just about every other smartphone, even Samsung’s other models – look and feel like a brick.

Despite all this, the titanium body and hardened glass on the S25 Edge feel pretty tough, though I’d worry it might bend if I accidentally sat on it a few times too many.

Jamie Harris / The Sun

The Galaxy S25 Edge on top of the iPhone 15 Pro Max[/caption]

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Performance and software

From a software and performance perspective, the Galaxy S25 Edge feels just like the other phones in the series.

It runs on Samsung’s own version of Android, One UI.

One UI has a consistent, clean and easy look that I like.

All the S25 devices run on Android 15, One UI 7, which is the very latest version of both, straight out of the box.

And once again, Samsung offers a whooping seven years of security and software updates.

Look after the handset it could last you quite sometime thereby saving you money on upgrades.

Like the other S25 devices, the Edge version uses the same powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip on the inside to keep things running super smooth.

As such, apps, games and anything else you throw at it glides through without any issue or lag.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Features

The Galaxy S25 Edge carries all the same great features as the other models too, with a large focus on AI tools this year.

Samsung moved closer to Google and its Gemini digital assistant.

Though not exclusive to Samsung, it’s worth mentioning that Gemini is really handy – I was using it to identify problems with my plant the other day.

As for Samsung’s own newer features there’s Now Brief, an AI companion that acts as a central hub for everything going on in your day.

This keeps you in check with not only your calendar and weather but learns about your habits so will warn you about things such as traffic.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Battery

Now battery is the big one I was most curious about given that it’s the part that takes up a lot of physical space in phones.

Sticking to its nearest comparable sibling, the S25+, the battery on the Edge is smaller.

The Edge has a 3,900 mAh, compared to the S25+’s 4,900 mAh.

And seeing as I mentioned the iPhone 15 Plus before, it’s worth noting that the battery there is 4,383 mAh.

The battery and camera sacrifices are bold to say the least

So, physically speaking the Edge is much lower.

Samsung has done some performance optimising to get around this but there’s still only so much they can do.

With general on and off usage throughout my day – using apps like WhatsApp, checking emails, watching the odd video and going on social media – I could get a day out of it.

But constant power users watching loads of videos probably won’t make it through the day without help.

What’s more, the Galaxy S25 Edge doesn’t charge as fast as it’s sister handsets either.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Camera

The other big difference is on camera with only two on the back of the S25 Edge.

There’s no telephoto sensor to take clear photos from a distance – which is something you would expect from a phone that costs upward of a grand.

But the 200-megapixel main camera and 12-megapixel ultrawide camera do manage to take some detailed pics popping with colour.

Jamie Harris / The Sun

Snap from a recent holiday taken on the Galaxy S25 Edge[/caption]

Jamie Harris / The Sun

I zoomed in on a church in the distance – here is the normal distance and below you’ll see the zoomed photo[/caption]

Jamie Harris / The Sun

The zoomed photo is pretty good given the distance but you do lose some quality[/caption]

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Pricing

The Galaxy S25 Edge starts from £1,099 / $1,099.

But there is a new way to keep the cost of expensive phones down in the form of Samsung Club.

For a lower monthly cost, you can get the latest Galaxy every year rather than buying outright each time, plus other perks.

The Galaxy S25 Edge is the first phone being offered as part of the scheme from £33.31 per month.

• UK: Buy now from £1,099 at Samsung.com
• US: Buy now from $1,099 at Samsung.com

• UK: Get the Galaxy S25 Edge by joining Samsung Club at Samsung.com