Premier League clubs continue to work behind the scenes despite the summer transfer window closing earlier this week. Following a record-breaking spending spree involving Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, attention is already turning towards January. Arsenal had a relatively quiet Deadline Day, with a move for Julian Alvarez remaining out of reach, but the club is expected to be active when the winter window opens.

Greater Manchester Police were called to an address on Manchester Road at around 8.15am on Friday, September 4, following reports of a stabbing.

Officers attended and found a man in his late 20s with injuries consistent with a stabbing.

He was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police have now confirmed that while the victim’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, they have been assessed as life-changing.

Police were called on Friday morning (Image: Phil Taylor)

In an update, a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “The victim has sustained life-changing injuries, although these are not believed to be life-threatening.

“One man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault.”

The arrested man remains in police custody for questioning.

Emergency services remained at the scene throughout much of Friday as investigators carried out enquiries and gathered evidence.

A police cordon was in place for several hours along Manchester Road while officers worked in the area.

The incident was reported on Manchester Road, Walkden (Image: Phil Taylor)

Detectives previously said they did not believe anyone else had been involved in the incident.

Anyone with information, CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage that could assist the investigation is asked to contact Greater Manchester Police on 101 or via gmp.police.uk, quoting log 565 of September 4, 2026.

Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

It was the iconic Saturday night singing contest that was as much about the drama as the thousands of hopefuls dreaming of instant stardom.

From the unseemly spats between The X Factor’s celebrity judges – both on and off air – to the burgeoning romances between contestants, it was television (and ratings) gold for ITV, with millions tuning in every week at its peak.

Simon Cowell, who created the format and was head judge, revelled in it all – never has there been a man who enjoys column inches so much.

Now, eight years after the final curtain came down on the last series of The X Factor, amid floundering viewing figures, the show is set to return.

And the gargantuan task of pulling off this prime-time comeback, I hear, is provoking just as much drama as the show generated in its heyday. As one insider tells me: ‘The problem with The X Factor was always that there were so many people involved – you had ITV, Simon Cowell’s team and the production company, Talkback Thames. That is why so many of the disagreements happened. Many of them were around money and that hasn’t changed.

‘There are lots of big ideas but little being agreed on right now.’

One of those big disagreements is said to be between ITV and Talkback, who are yet to finalise the fee the network will pay to broadcast the show. Half of that fee will go to Cowell, who owns the format and will have the final say on any decisions about how the show is made.

And those unresolved negotiations have led to an unedifying briefing war against ITV’s other singing show, The Voice, which moved from the BBC in 2017.

‘The Voice has always been a thorn in The X Factor’s side,’ says Katie Hind’s insider. The Voice is judged by Danny Jones, will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Sir Tom Jones and Tom Fletcher

The aim, sources say, is to drive up the cost for The X Factor as much as possible by spreading allegations – very publicly – that The Voice isn’t doing well.

The show opened with a peak audience of 2.5 million in its Saturday night slot two weeks ago, which is a respectable figure on terrestrial channels today but doesn’t compare to the 19.4 million who watched Matt Cardle win The X Factor in 2010.

‘The Voice has always been a thorn in The X Factor’s side,’ says my insider. ‘It was once its BBC rival but when it moved to ITV things got very vicious on The X Factor side of things. It used The Voice as a stick to beat ITV with to get more money.’

The other sticking point that has led to ‘very irked people’ is Cheryl Tweedy’s move to The Voice. In nabbing the ex-Girls Aloud star, the show has denied The X Factor its hugely popular former judge as a mentor for the next series, which starts being filmed this month.

‘Even though she has been out of the limelight for a long time, she’s a national treasure, people love her,’ says the source.

Despite the row over money between ITV and Talkback, the numbers this time are significantly smaller than the eyewatering deals between Cowell and ITV in the past.

Regardless, Cowell will not allow it to be made cheaply. ‘He has far, far too much pride to do that,’ says a source who knows him. ‘He’s a perfectionist.’

That has left ITV, which is struggling financially, with a problem: It needs to find a way to afford it.

In previous years, individual judges’ salaries alone were reported to be £1.5 million for the series – and up to £10 million for Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field.

‘Back in the day, each live episode might have cost around £1 million to make,’ says the source.

‘But back then, ITV made a lot of money from advertising. That doesn’t happen anymore, so you are looking at a huge reduction in costs. It would have half of the old sum, if not less.

‘Like other terrestrial broadcasters, ITV doesn’t have the money it used to have so it will struggle to make a big budget show now, but then Cowell won’t cut corners.

‘The problem for ITV is that Simon holds the keys. The X Factor cannot come back without his blessing and it if isn’t going to be up to his high standards then it won’t happen.’

I’m told one solution might be to have fewer live shows and more pre-recorded room auditions, which are cheaper to make.

As for the judges, sources at ITV say the channel is ‘beyond obsessed’ with influencers, while Talkback Thames is minded to stay with traditional celebrities.

‘Simon Cowell, who created the X Factor format and was head judge, revelled in it all – never has there been a man who enjoys column inches so much,’ writes Katie Hind

In nabbing ex-Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole, fellow ITV music show The Voice has denied The X Factor its hugely popular former judge as a mentor for the next series

Advertisement

The X Factor final in 2010 earned 19.4 million viewers, who all watched Matt Cardle (centre) win. He beat runner-up Rebecca Ferguson and third-place finalist One Direction

Simon, however, won’t be taking centre stage again, sources have stressed. The live shows are a gruelling commitment and I understand he would rather do a second Netflix series. His first, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, last year created the boyband December 10.

‘ITV, like all channels, is really struggling to pull in viewers on Saturdays,’ an insider says. ‘Any return for The X Factor would have to be lower budget and there will need to be compromises.’

They are also discussing changing the format to appeal to a younger generation who do not typically watch TV on Saturday night. Some have suggested creating more controversial moments that can be shared on social media.

The insider added: ‘While Simon doesn’t want to be a judge, he could play some role on the show given how much he has learnt about appealing to the younger audience from work with December 10. Its success has convinced Simon that real talent can still be found on shows like this.’

This is something The Voice has failed at, repeatedly. ‘Can you name one winner?’ asks a source once heavily connected to The X Factor. They have a point.

The X Factor, which launched in 2004 with Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh as judges, has spawned some of the world’s most successful stars after winners and some runners-up secured deals with Cowell’s record label Syco Music.

Among them are Leona Lewis, with three number ones, One Direction (70 million records sold worldwide), and Little Mix (five number ones). ‘Simon is very proud of this,’ says a friend. ‘It would be a shame to undermine it all by bringing a Poundland version of The X Factor back.’

Route 59 Cafe sits beside the A59 near Bolton Abbey, between Skipton and Harrogate, making it a natural stopping point for bikers exploring some of North Yorkshire’s best-known roads.

The café has developed a particularly strong following among motorcyclists and currently has a 4.6-star Google rating from more than 950 reviews.

While people do not need to arrive on two wheels, motorcycles are very much part of the character of the place, with bikes regularly lining up outside on busy weekends.

Recent visitors have continued to highlight the welcome.

One first-time customer who arrived by motorcycle in August said staff were “very welcoming, chatty and entertaining” as they sat outside in the sunshine.

They added that they planned to return for breakfast and one of the café’s Tuesday bike nights.

Another visitor described it as their favourite biker café in the UK and singled out the breakfast for praise.

The café serves the sort of straightforward food that has long made roadside biker cafés popular, with breakfasts, bacon sandwiches, hot drinks and other café staples among the draws.

One motorcyclist who stopped for tea and a bacon sandwich described both the food and welcome favourably, saying they had enjoyed “proper tea”.

Its location is a major part of its appeal.

The A59 runs through some of North Yorkshire’s most popular countryside and provides easy access towards Skipton, Bolton Abbey and the Yorkshire Dales.

That makes Route 59 a convenient meeting place before a ride as well as somewhere to stop on the way home.

The outdoor tables also allow visitors to sit with a drink while watching the steady flow of motorcycles arriving and departing.

The café is particularly busy at weekends and around organised motorcycle gatherings.

Current listings show it opening from 9am on Saturdays and Sundays, while Tuesday opening extends into the evening, although customers are advised to check before making a special journey as hours can change.

For many riders, however, Route 59 has become more than simply somewhere to get a coffee.

Its combination of bikes, countryside roads and a traditional roadside café atmosphere has turned it into a destination in its own right.

The UK economy is likely to have shrunk slightly in July due to pressure from weak retail sales and increased energy costs for households, economists have warned.

Experts at Investec and Pantheon Macroeconomics have predicted that the Office for National Statistics will reveal UK GDP fell by 0.1% for the month when it releases the latest growth data on September 11.

It would represent a downbeat start to the leadership of Andy Burnham, who was appointed Prime Minister during the month.

In June, the UK economy grew 0.3% as hospitality and leisure firms received a boost from football fever and the prolonged hot weather.

It meant the economy expanded by 0.4% during the second quarter of the year.

However, economists have predicted that there is now likely to be a correction as stronger-than-expected June activity may have brought forward spending from July.

Investec analysts said: “After a positive first half of the year, where the UK economy actually outperformed the rest of the G7, growing by 1%, we expect the third quarter will begin with a weaker performance.

“Some evidence of this has already been seen in soft retail sales for the month, whilst we expect the rise in household utility bills due to the 13% uplift to the energy price cap would have had a dampening effect.”

Pantheon Macroeconomics’ Robert Wood also pointed to a 0.1% decline for July and predicted that growth in the third quarter will slow to 0.2%.

He said large parts of the services sector are likely to have witnessed declines and drag on the overall performance of the economy.

Retail and wholesale activity is likely to have slid by 0.3% for the month but this will be more than offset “a surge in accommodation and food services output in July” amid a boost from the World Cup and hot weather.

Thomas Pugh, chief economist at RSM UK, added: “Services are likely to have been a tale of two consumers.

“England’s World Cup run should have delivered a strong month for pubs, restaurants and hotels, but a 0.5% fall in retail sales suggests households changed where they spent, rather than opening their wallets wider, spending more money over the bar, but less at the tills.”

As towns in Greater Manchester go, Heywood is one of the biggest. But locals say there is something missing.

The Rochdale borough town has no trams running through, no train stations and a bus service that takes around an hour to get to Manchester city centre. The journey time between Heywood and Manchester is around 30 minutes by car.

So last year, when Andy Burnham announced there would be spades in the ground on the new tram link for Heywood by 2028, there was elation.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) confirmed they are working on a business case for the Heywood project which falls under what TfGM’s Oldham-Rochdale-Heywood-Bury Tram-Train pathfinder scheme.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

The new Metrolink line would connect Bury to Rochdale via Heywood and then loop back through Shaw towards Oldham. However, no plans have been formally approved.

Mr Burnham is now the Prime Minister and his successor as Greater Manchester mayor, Bev Craig, hasn’t mentioned the Heywood Metrolink extension. However, she did speak about the expansion of the tram network to Stockport in her mayoral manifesto.

This is why the MP for Heywood and Middleton is keen to push the agenda regarding the project. Elsie Blundell fears it could get lost amongst the many major projects going on in the city-region.

Mrs Blundell said: “It’s imperative that TfGM stays focused on this link and makes sure that it is delivered on schedule: spades in the ground in 2028, as promised.

“Whether by bus, tram or train, it is unacceptable that Heywood is the only sizeable town in Greater Manchester not to have a quick link into the city centre.”

There have been no changes to the plans announced, with the new GM mayor expected to meet with the Heywood and Middleton North MP in the coming weeks. Currently there has been no suggestion that spades won’t be in the ground by 2028, as promised by Andy Burnham.

Once built, the scheme would give Greater Manchester two Metrolink firsts: The first ‘orbital’ Metrolink route, i.e. one which does not go via the city centre, and the first ‘tram-train’, set to be rolled out across the city in coming years.

Tram-trains are fully electric, using overhead wires like trams for power on some sections of track, and batteries on other stretches. The revamped Bury Interchange will be built to handle tram-trains, trams, and buses, according to a TfGM report.

Advertisement

The business case for Heywood is expected to be completed in 2026, Burnham announced in August 2025. It formed part of the Greater Manchester Strategy put forward the previous month.

What TfGM have said

A spokesperson for TfGM said: “This is a large and complex scheme and work is still ongoing. There are several key next steps coming up – including timetable modelling with Network Rail, market engagement with vehicle manufacturers, and making space as part of the Bury Interchange Redevelopment for a future third platform.”

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) mayor and local council leaders pledged for 90 per cent of people in the city-region to be within a five-minute walk of a bus or tram that comes at least every 30 minutes by 2030. The idea is to link every borough in Greater Manchester to the Metrolink network, with a long-term plan for major expansion of the Bee Network.

This promise of better connectivity for all in the city-region is why Elsie Blundell is also pushing for the return of the 167 bus service. This ‘express’ bus service would take commuters directly from Heywood into Manchester city centre.

Advertisement

Currently, the 163 bus starts in Bury, goes through Heywood, Langley and Middleton before going to Manchester. The journey takes around an hour from Heywood.

The re-imagined 167 bus would start in Norden, stopping at Bamford, Heywood and Rhodes before heading into the city centre. Mrs Blundell’s campaign, started almost as soon as she took office in July 2024, pointed out that Heywood’s provision of local bus services wasn’t adequate.

She feels the current provision doesn’t provide the means for commuters to travel swiftly to Manchester City Centre – holding back the potential for local residents to access jobs and opportunities elsewhere in the city-region.

Advertisement

A massive project like the introduction of a new tram-train line would take years before it is up and running. So a new express bus service would go some way to improving opportunities for the people of Heywood.

Mrs Blundell said previously: “If services improved, including the re-introduction of the 167 service, the vast majority of people who responded said they would use buses more. Given that two thirds also described current services as ‘bad’, it means there is both room for improvement and real interest from passengers to see it happen.

“Improving buses is good for everyone on the road. Reducing traffic and congestion by using the bus to school, work, hospital or the shops, will be good for everyone.

Advertisement

“When it comes to local bus services the needs of communities in my constituency are not currently being met. We must take this opportunity to press ahead and deliver better bus services for everyone living in our area.”

A volcanic eruption has halted hundreds of flights at Indonesia’s main international airport, stranding tens of thousands of passengers.

Authorities said 209 flights were suspended after ash from Anak Krakatau was detected in airspace near Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday morning.

The volcano had started erupting late on Friday night, generating continuous seismic activity, lava fountains, and booming sounds across surrounding regions. Two more eruptions happened early on Sunday, authorities said.

More than 22,000 people have been impacted by the suspension of flights, which has been extended until 13:30 (0630 GMT).

The transport ministry said the pause in operations mainly affected flights to and from Singapore, also other international routes including Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.

Authorities have confirmed there is no tsunami warning linked to the recent activity of the volcano, which is in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra.

The health minister has urged residents in affected areas to stay indoors and wear face masks to protect against respiratory, eye, and skin risks.

According to local newspaper Kompas, several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents reported eye irritations from the ash, while some fishermen had cancelled fishing trips at sea similarly reporting sore eyes.

By PETER HITCHENS, COLUMNIST AND COMMENTATOR

Published: 08:13 BST, 6 September 2026 | Updated: 08:13 BST, 6 September 2026

When Maree Vermont’s Airbnb went up in flames and her body was burnt beyond recognition, her house guest had an unexpected question for police. 

Just hours earlier, Ms Vermont’s home had been gutted by a fire, which Englishman Timothy Loosemore had escaped by being ‘out for a walk to gather firewood’. 

The 62-year-old, from Somerset in the UK, had been staying with Ms Vermont, 60, in one of her spare rooms as her Airbnb guest at her Goldie home, 70km north of Melbourne.

It had been Ms Vermont’s pride and joy. A surveyor by trade, she had meticulously built it with her ex-husband over three decades. 

Loosemore was not just her Airbnb guest though. He had previously been in what the court heard was a ‘casual relationship’ with his host – but wanted it to be more. 

After the blaze, he was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital, and as he was being treated by medical staff, police arrived to quiz him about the tragedy.

But Loosemore had some questions of his own, and his first was not about the fate of Ms Vermont – but her dog Maxie. 

‘Who’s looking after Maxie?’ Loosemore asked, as captured in footage from the officer’s body-worn camera, and played back in court.

Englishman Timothy Loosemore, 62, from Somerset in the UK, had been staying with Ms Vermont in one of her spare rooms as her Airbnb guest

‘I don’t know,’ the officer replied. ‘Who normally looks after him?’ 

‘Normally Maree,’ Loosemore said. ‘He’s 14 years old so he’s got some dental problems so he’s not a well dog … I suppose Maree’s looking after him?’

It was only then that Loosemore asked: ‘Is Maree all right? Is she?’ 

The court heard Loosemore even expressed more concern for his bicycle than the woman he had killed and may even have burnt alive. 

Pictures from the crime scene reveal a sinister kitchen knife blackened with soot among the charred remains inside the cottage where Ms Vermont died.

Forensics later found DNA traces on Ms Vermont’s blood on Loosemore’s clothes. Everything inside, including Ms Vermont’s body, was burnt beyond recognition. 

Nearby lay fuel canisters he was suspected of using to trigger the fatal blaze. 

Her ornate iron spiral staircase could also be seen lying on the ground, twisted out of shape by the intense heat of the inferno.

Maree Vermont’s Goldie home, 70km north of Melbourne , had been her pride and joy and meticulously built by her with her ex-husband over three decades

Advertisement

Pictures from the crime scene reveal a sinister kitchen knife blackened with soot among the charred remains inside the cottage where Ms Vermont died 

Nearby lay fuel canisters he was suspected to have used to trigger the fatal blaze 

During a pre-sentence hearing on Thursday, Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Andrew Tinney said Loosemore showed little concern in the hours after Ms Vermont’s death. 

‘His only concern was for himself and his bicycle and his other possessions,’ he said. ‘That struck me as being somewhat unnerving.

‘Here he was, a person who claimed to be innocent, who had been involved in a relationship of sorts with Ms Vermont, and he knew that the house was on fire and that she was inside the house.’ 

The impact of that fire on Ms Vermont’s body made it impossible for forensic experts to determine her cause of death.

As a result, two Supreme Court of Victoria juries were unable to conclude she had been murdered.

Instead, Loosemore will be sentenced on Friday for Ms Vermont’s manslaughter. 

Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson, KC, told the jury Loosemore ‘snapped’ when his pleas for an intimate relationship were repeatedly rejected by Ms Vermont, after an earlier ‘brief sexual dalliance’. 

Mr Gibson said Loosemore violently assaulted Ms Vermont before he covered up the crime by starting the fire.

Her ornate iron spiral staircase could also be seen lying on the ground, twisted out of shape by the intense heat of the inferno 

‘He did something horrific to Maree Vermont,’ he told the court. ‘Something he needed to conceal from the world.

‘That something was him physically attacking Maree inside that house during which he killed Maree Vermont. An attack with murderous intent.’

Ms Vermont’s blood was later found all over Loosemore’s pants and T-shirt, and the jury heard Ms Vermont had fought desperately for her life.

Her body was found face down in the living room, where three kitchen knives were also discovered.

She never left the house despite five easily accessible exits – and even the dog Maxie escaped.

The jury heard the severity of the inferno was consistent with flammable liquid having been spread, with petrol components detected on a mat and blanket in the house.

Moderately evaporated petrol was also found on Loosemore’s clothing and shoes.

‘It’s a very interesting situation. There were those knives there and there is the fact that she bled profusely,’ Justice Tinney noted. 

‘Obviously when she’s close to him because it got on his clothing. 

‘Because he has never told the truth about what occurred, the mechanism of the actual death will remain unclear to everyone other than Mr Loosemore.’

Timothy Loosemore, 62, appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria for a pre-sentence hearing on Thursday. He was spotted carrying a bible

Maree Vermont had rejected Loosemore’s repeated advances 

The DNA blood evidence was not shown to the first jury – which deliberated its verdict for three weeks before they were discharged – because of a ‘workload issue’ at Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.

The second jury heard Loosemore’s lucid recollections of what happened that night in the hours immediately after the fire.

But the court also heard he later suffered near-total amnesia when questioned by Homicide Squad detectives and forensic doctors. 

In the aftermath of the fire, Loosemore gave several accounts of events in conversations with neighbours, paramedics, police and a doctor. 

He told them he had briefly left the house and returned to find it ablaze.

He told neighbour Peter Greenham he had a ‘small argument’ with Ms Vermont, that he went outside to get some wood, and when he came back the fire was too hot to handle. 

Another neighbour, Kynan Share, was given a similar story before Loosemore added: ‘When I’ve come back, the whole place went up.’

But he claimed to another neighbour he had been upstairs asleep, got up to put wood on the fire, and found the house fully alight on his return.

Defence barrister Christopher Farrington told the court Loosemore had been consistent that he had ‘no memory of what took place’, which is why he took no responsibility or showed remorse.

‘Isn’t it all much more consistent with a person who has simply been refusing to tell the truth about what occurred?’ the judge asked Mr Farrington.

Crime scene photos show the devastation left by the fire on Ms Vermont’s cherished home 

Mr Farrington told the court Loosemore was born in Somerset in the United Kingdom and raised in a small rural farming community.

He worked in road construction before establishing his own civil construction business, which operated for about 11 years and at times involved more than 40 workers on roads and bridges. 

Changes in UK employment law led to the business being wound up and he later worked as a sole operator.

The court heard Loosemore had been married twice, with three children from his second marriage, who now live in the UK.

The family lived in Western Australia around 2004-2007 and became Australian citizens before later returning to the UK. 

Loosemore had not been in full-time employment since about 2004, living off investments from the sale of his successful business.

In September 2022, he returned to Australia with his son for a cycling trip around the country. 

After his son left, Loosemore continued alone, staying at farmstay properties where he performed work in exchange for board and food, and Ms Vermont’s property was one of those.

The court heard he had no prior criminal history and people who knew him before the incident, including some of Ms Vermont’s friends and family, described him as polite, calm and helpful. 

On Thursday, Ms Vermont’s loved ones packed the court to confront Loosemore and express the impact his actions had on their lives. 

Outside court, her three sons described their mother as a very peaceful, loving and caring person.

‘It’s a very hard day,’ Darcy Vermont told reporters.

‘But it’s bringing some sense of closure to be able to get up in court and have our voices heard.’

New Zealand captain Ardie Savea has been ruled out of the fourth Test against South Africa with a shoulder injury.

Savea was forced off just half-an-hour in to the third Test in Johannesburg after coming up in serious pain following a clearout from Jasper Wiese.

The No 8 struggled to hold his right arm up and was pictured in a sling after a 29-24 defeat.

Savea had scored twice in an excellent start to the game, and his absence is a major blow to Dave Rennie as the All Blacks seek to draw the series with victory in Baltimore next Saturday.

“Yes, [it’s a] shoulder injury,” Rennie confirmed. “Not sure if it’s dislocated, but he certainly won’t be travelling to the States.

“Oh, yeah, I think he [Savea] was massive, wasn’t he? But you know, Wallace Sititi came on and played well.”

Outside centre Quinn Tupaea is also a doubt for that game with a knee injury. Rennie suggested that the Chiefs midfielder could have MCL damage, though will require further investigation.

The two sides conclude their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry itinerary with the fourth Test at M&T Bank Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, on Saturday evening.