Australians would be able to switch off social media algorithms under draft legislation to be proposed this week.
Communications Minister Anika Wells, who last year helmed the government’s world-first social media ban for under-16s, said the digital duty of care laws would ensure “some basic safety protections on an industry that hasn’t had to observe it”.
If tech firms such as Meta, Google and TikTok did not give the option to turn off algorithms, they should face “substantial” penalties, she said.
Some members of the opposition have criticised the proposal, with Liberal Party leader Angus Taylor saying he was “highly sceptical” and arguing the move could amount to censorship.
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The government will be taking “expert advice” on whether users would have to opt in or out of the algorithms feeding them content online, Wells said.
This means that, as with its social media ban, the government is looking to bring in legislation before fully hammering out the specifics of how it would work.
“We want to give Australians more choice over what they see on their social media feeds,” Wells told the ABC on Monday.
“We know that a lot of Australians appreciate the algorithm both for the enjoyment they get out of it or the utility that they get out of it, seeing local businesses in their suburb.
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“A lot of Australians will want to choose the algorithm. But we think that big tech should offer them the choice in the first place and they should respect that choice.
“Big tech is not a protected species and they should offer their customers basic safety standards.”
But she admitted that so far no tech firm had been fined for not enforcing the social media ban, despite research consistently showing that the vast majority of under 16s who were on platforms before the ban was introduced last December, still use them.
Some members of the opposition have said they support the idea in principle, but others argue it is an attempt to curtail freedom of speech.
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Taylor told News24 he feared this was “an attempt by the government to censor social media” and that Labor should first try to plug holes in the social media ban.
Speaking to Channel Nine’s Today show, Wells said: “This isn’t about censorship. This is about identifying risks or making big tech identify the risks on their own platform and making big tech mitigate against those risks on their platform.”
Last week, high-profile consent advocate Chanel Contos gave a speech at Australia’s National Press Club calling on the government to seek an opt-in for algorithmic social media feeds, making it harder for tech firms to find a way round any reforms.
She argued algorithms were fuelling the prevalence of sexual violence in Australia and exposing young people to misogynistic “manosphere” material.
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The draft legislation is expected to be introduced in the coming days. As well as addressing algorithms, it is also expected to put an onus on platforms to stop harmful content, such as illegal pornography and videos promoting disordered eating, from being shared.
Lauding their “very substantive” conversation, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for trilateral talks involving Russia, the US and Ukraine.
But, he added, “if the war continues into the winter, we are counting heavily on the winter package [of support], which I discussed in detail today with Steve, Jared, and our European partners.
“We are counting on support for air defence and the energy sector, as well as substantial volumes of American LNG and the ability to use them,” Zelensky said after his meeting with the two US officials.
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Trump’s son-in-law Kushner and Witkoff met with Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, after holding three hours of talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Saturday in Moscow.
Witkoff said he had “heard new ideas” in Moscow and hoped a new round of US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine would be announced “in short order”.
Zelensky said ending the war will ultimately come down to solving the matter of contested territory in eastern Ukraine. “The question of Donbas… I believe, is the question of this war,” he said.
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Zelensky says Trump’s envoys in Kyiv protected city better than Patriot air defences
Volodymy Zelensky thanked the US envoys for visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv yesterday, joking that their visit ensured a brief window of safety from Russian strikes – more efficiently than US-made Patriot missile interceptors.
“Thank you for coming and we are grateful to the president of the United States that you are here in Kyiv today. Today, you worked even better than the Patriot systems for our citizens here in the capital. Please come visit more often, and our people will have a chance – a chance to live a little,” Zelensky said, speaking at a public briefing alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Kyiv has not disclosed details yet of the outcomes of the visit or the terms for ensuring the two envoys’ safety, but it is likely to have involved a request to Russia to halt attacks on the capital during their stay.
Arpan Rai7 September 2026 06:04
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‘Overnight we all became war correspondents’: Ukraine’s local newspapers face battle to stay alive
In the weeks leading up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the headlines in a Kyiv newspaper looked much like they would anywhere else.
On 24 February 2022, everything changed as Russian tanks rolled across the border. Businesses closed or relocated, martial law saw hundreds of thousands of working-age men recruited for military service, and around one million people fled the country in the first week.
A brave few stayed behind to keep a record of what happened as the missiles rained down. Local journalists observed and asked questions as their communities were torn apart by the war.
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Arpan Rai7 September 2026 05:38
Watch: Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks after meeting Putin
Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv for peace talks after meeting Putin
Arpan Rai7 September 2026 05:19
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US peace envoys’ visit to Ukraine sparks cautious optimism on the streets of Kyiv
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have visited Moscow several times in their roles as peace envoys. But Sunday marked their first visit to Kyiv in their capacity as US negotiators.
Their visit has long been sought by Ukraine’s leadership, and on the streets of Kyiv, which has been bombarded heavily in recent weeks, some residents were hopeful.
“The issue can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace. I’ve fought myself, so I know what war is like. We need peace, because there’s no other way,” said military veteran Stepan Yermak.
In previous talks, the sides have remained far apart on key issues, including the future of the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas.
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Russia has demanded Ukraine’s withdrawal from a belt of towns that it still controls there, but Kyiv has refused, reasoning that it can still hold on.
“The question of Donbas… I believe, is the question of this war,” Zelensky told reporters on Sunday.
Arpan Rai7 September 2026 04:45
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US envoy Witkoff says he ‘feels good’ about Ukraine peace talks
US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he felt good about peace talks in both Moscow and Kyiv.
The senior envoy from the Trump administration who held talks with Ukraine yesterday said that the US hoped to find a diplomatic solution to the war.
Hours earlier, president Volodymyr Zelensky said his talks with US peace negotiators were “very substantial”.
The two sides discussed security and economic guarantees for Ukraine and also supplies of air-defence missiles and a winter support package.
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He also hoped that trilateral talks, including Ukraine, Russia and the US would restart soon.
Arpan Rai7 September 2026 04:20
One killed and three injured in Russia-held Sevastopol
A girl was killed and three other people were wounded in a Ukraine drone attack on the Russia-held Black Sea port city of Sevastopol late on Sunday, officials said.
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The attack was confirmed by Moscow-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev on his Telegram channel.
Arpan Rai7 September 2026 03:59
Zelensky says window of opportunity for peace exists before 2028 US election
The Ukrainian president, who believes Washington will be key to any peace deal, has said a window of opportunity to make peace exists before the US begins focusing on its next presidential election in 2028.
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The US envoys held several hours of talks with Ukrainian officials. British, French and German national security advisers, who were also in Kyiv, joined for the final hour. The US-Ukrainian discussions were due to continue on Sunday evening.
During a break, Volodymyr Zelensky said officials discussed the possibility of security and economic guarantees for Kyiv, as well as a post-war “prosperity plan.”
“In the last 10 to 12 months, I believe we have got stronger,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that the U.S. and Europe had noted this.
Holly Evans7 September 2026 03:00
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Read the full story: US envoys meet Zelensky in Kyiv after Putin talks
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for high-stakes negotiations with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, capping a high-wire weekend of shuttle diplomacy aimed at breaking a long-standing stalemate in the war.
The trip marks the American envoys’ first official visit to the Ukrainian capital after traveling by train from Poland, having previously made eight visits to Moscow.
Read the full article here:
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Holly Evans7 September 2026 02:00
‘Overnight we all became war correspondents’: Ukraine’s local newspapers face battle to stay alive
In the weeks leading up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the headlines in a Kyiv newspaper looked much like they would anywhere else.
On 24 February 2022, everything changed as Russian tanks rolled across the border. Businesses closed or relocated, martial law saw hundreds of thousands of working-age men recruited for military service, and around one million people fled the country in the first week.
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Read the full article here:
Holly Evans7 September 2026 01:00
Putin has no interest in peace – and Trump is falling into his trap
Steve Witkoff is the real estate guy with zero diplomatic experience who Donald Trump appointed in 2024 as his personal “peace emissary”.
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Jared Kushner is the president’s son-in-law, but did at least play some role in one of President Trump’s few foreign policy achievements – the Abraham Accords process that promised to deliver some stability to the Middle East during the first Trump term. As a team, they have enjoyed little success in securing the “settlement” to the war in Ukraine that Mr Trump so desires.
There is little reason to suppose that their latest exercise in shuttle diplomacy will succeed where their previous efforts failed. Indeed, the prospects for an end to the war, let alone one that will prove just and lasting, are as dismal as at any time since Vladimir Putin launched his ill-fated “special military operation” more than four and a half years ago – its duration now longer than the Soviet Union’s four-year “great patriotic war” against Adolf Hitler.
Just as in that epoch-defining conflict, it is the civilian population of Ukraine that will face some of the harshest consequences as winter approaches.
Today feels like walking into the week with a clearer head than expected. You spot a problem early and deal with it before it grows legs. Acting sooner saves energy later. When you face things straight on, they lose their bite.
Taurus (April 21st–May 21st)
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The stars show you choosing simplicity over strain today. A routine tweak or money decision brings instant relief. You don’t need more effort, just better placement of it. Small changes make big differences when they’re consistent.
Gemini (May 22nd–June 21st)
Monday opens with messages, ideas, and distractions, but one stands out for a reason. You decide what deserves attention and ignore the rest. Welcome back, Gemini, I missed you! Focus sharpens fast. When the mind commits, the noise drops away.
Cancer (June 22nd–July 23rd)
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A practical task today unexpectedly lifts your mood. Doing something useful grounds emotions better than talking them through. You feel steadier once action replaces worry. Calm grows when feelings are put to work. Places you visit for the first time are the start of something regular in your future.
Leo (July 24th–August 23rd)
You notice where your time has been leaking away and decide to close the tap. Energy returns once you stop overextending. Confidence strengthens through self-respect, not attention. Protect what fuels you. Beware sending texts without thinking today.
Virgo (August 24th–September 23rd)
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With the Sun in your sign, Monday suits your need for order and progress. A list gets written, a plan forms, and suddenly the week feels manageable. Organisation calms the nerves. When structure supports you, momentum follows naturally.
Libra (September 24th–October 23rd)
You start the week aware of where you’ve been saying ‘yes’ out of habit. Today you pause before agreeing. Balance improves the moment choice replaces obligation. Fairness works both ways. Financial figures are yours, not others’, to work out.
Scorpio (October 24th–November 22nd)
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Monday brings a quiet realisation about trust, either in yourself or someone close. You stop second guessing and stand by your instincts, thank the heavens! Certainty settles in when doubt is dismissed. Trust grows when decisions are owned.
Sagittarius (November 23rd–December 21st)
You see how structure can actually free you today as can distancing yourself from who’s been using you. A fresh commitment brings direction and motivation. The week feels lighter once you know where you’re heading. Freedom works best with a plan.
Capricorn (December 22nd–January 20th)
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Work or responsibility themes come into focus, but without pressure. You handle something efficiently and move on. You also gain the respect of someone you admire. Progress feels steady rather than forced. Consistency beats intensity now.
Aquarius (January 21st–February 19th)
An unexpected thought changes how you see a personal situation. You don’t need to discuss it, just act differently. Insight matters when it alters behaviour. You see this for sure now. One adjustment shifts the mood of the day.
Pisces (February 20th–March 20th)
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Today highlights the value of clear communication. Saying what you mean saves confusion later. You don’t have to soften the truth to be kind. Honesty keeps relationships clean. Speaking from the heart is a good thing, as this week will soon prove.
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Molly kept her unbeaten fighting record intact with an impressive victory on cousin Taylor’s undercard in Dublin, with close friend Paddy Pimblett watching on from ringside
19:09, 06 Sep 2026Updated 19:17, 06 Sep 2026
MMA fighter Molly “Meatball” McCann has popped the question to her long-term girlfriend, Fran Parman.
The Liverpool fighter, a cousin of Katie Taylor, shared a series of gorgeous photos on Instagram showing the couple embracing, with Fran proudly displaying a stunning diamond ring on her perfectly manicured finger.
Fran went public with her relationship with Molly in 2024, posting a number of pictures from the early days of their romance, including moments of the pair dancing, enjoying meals out and spending quality time together.
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Since making their relationship official, the couple have kept their followers regularly updated on their journey together, from ringside celebrations to heartfelt tributes on special dates and milestones.
This weekend, Molly kept her unbeaten fighting record intact with an impressive victory on cousin Taylor’s undercard in Dublin, with close friend Paddy Pimblett watching on from ringside. Following her win, she hinted she had “saved the best for last”.
The couple then made their way to Bray Head Cross in Wicklow, Ireland, which appears to be the spot where McCann got down on one knee, according to the Liverpool Echo, reports the Irish Mirror.
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In a series of pictures shared online, including one of McCann re-enacting the proposal while kneeling, the pair were all smiles as they showed off Fran’s impressive engagement ring to mark the special occasion.
The caption read: “Saved the best till last, a weekend I knew the only way I could top it would be asking you to marry me.
“The easiest decision I’ve ever made. I promise to love you and protect you forever, here’s to the best weekend of my life. In a place I know means so much to us. Bray we love you.”
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Familiar faces from right across Merseyside rushed to the comments section to offer their congratulations to the newly engaged couple. Everton FC posted: “Congratulations Molly and Fran!”.
Social media personality and presenter Still Ryan enthused: “So so so happy for you both.”
The faces and groups behind an explosion in far-right activity in Scotland.
Today the Record reveals the web of groups and activists who are driving an explosion in far-right activity in Scotland.
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Professor Matthew Feldman, an expert of far right groups, has warned Scotland is now seeing a variety of people seeking to stir up a “race war” – with links to far-right organisations in Northern Ireland and across the globe. He said many participants don’t see themselves as “far right” despite their goals being firmly targeted at immigrants and their rhetoric often based on conspiracy theories.
Prof Feldman said: “There are a lot of divisions and subsets but a lot of what we’re seeing with far right groups boils down to race war. That is still their guiding star, even on the far right. They don’t see themselves as supporting the far right and they recoil when they are accused of being Fascists or Nazis.
“Some may talk more about natives and immigrants and some may focus on non-white people with slurs or Jewish people. But they are bonded by similar symbols, like national flags, often the monarchy and in many cases they will be drawn to the same cause.”
Feldman, Emeritus Professor in the modern history of ideas at Teesside University, said many are seduced by the “great replacement theory” – a debunked conspiracy theory about white people being replaced by Muslim “invaders”.
And he said social media helps people from different parts of the UK find each other using more sanitised language. The result can be normalisation of far-right goals. Here are some of the groups and activists accused of driving Scotland’s far-right movement.
Unite the Clans, formerly Aberdeen Against Illegal Migration
With more than 65,000 Facebook followers and UK-wide amplification enabled by links to other groups, UTC is possibly Scotland’s most cohesive group.
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It has united people for big, angry protest events in places like Glasgow and Edinburgh. Early AAIM events gave a microphone to John Carr, a member of the fascist Homeland Party, which led to the rampant spreading of the “great replacement theory”.
Core members have included Patriotic Alternative member Geoffrey Farquharson and Josh Fernie, another Homeland Party member.
The group faced heavy criticism when it launched an anti-immigration protest outside a primary school in Seaton, Aberdeen during school hours. Father and son John Hall Snr and John Hall Jnr have been integral to the group.
Alex Cairnie and the Spartan Child Protection Team
Despite their methods being criticised, the group have been credited with bringing many vile offenders to justice and acted as a deterrent to others.
His efforts to call out housing chiefs who have housed known offenders in council schemes have struck a chord with people living in such communities. But he has courted controversy by conflating his paedophile hunting with race politics, notably when by teaming up with Craig Houston to protest about adult English lessons at a school in deprived Dalmarnock, Glasgow.
Anti-racism groups accused the pair of “spreading misinformation”. Last September Cairnie praised Tommy Robinson, calling him “a British Patriot and a man that loves his country”. Cairnie has vocally supported influencer Andrew Tate, even after he was charged with multiple rapes.
Craig Houston
Houston makes a living by peddling stories on YouTube that blame immigration for Scotland’s woes.
He has travelled from town to town, armed with a selfie stick and a drone, to catalogue many conspiracy theories about immigration, “two-tier policing” and alleged “white racism”.
He has repeatedly referred to street armies potentially “rising” due to anti-immigration anger. In his videos, including those shot from the heart of volatile far right demos, Houston puzzles over the scenes witnessed and generally puts the blame on immigration.
It was Houston who filmed a series of eerie black and white videos that featured grown men in black clothing laying wreaths at locations that included the Scottish Parliament and the Daily Record’s office in Glasgow. Houston is best friends with Sandy Chugg, a notorious Rangers casual who has been jailed several times for football related violence.
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His activities caught the interest of anti-terror cops – who seized his phone and computer at Edinburgh airport on his return from a recent holiday.
Patriotic Alternative
The political group took a strong grip in Scotland, largely through efforts of Scottish organiser Kenny Smith.
They became regulars at protests in Erskine at a hotel used for asylum seekers. A split within PA led to the formation of the Homeland Party, run by Smith.
The main public face of PA is now Richard McFarlane, who travels Scotland with a stuffed toy he calls Scooby Doo. McFarlane is regarded as a serious threat to communities due to his willingness to fabricate signs and banners depicting divisive messages like “Stop the Invasion”.
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The organisation was founded by Mark Collett, a former publicity director for the British National Party.
Voices for Falkirk/Freedom Patriots
Falkirk became a major focal point due to The Cladhan Hotel being used for refugees.
A brutal sex attack by a hotel resident enraged the local community and the campaign led to the cessation of the use the hotel for immigration cases.
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Reform councillor Claire Mackie-Brown and Julie Reilly a key figure in Voices For Falkirk, have stood alongside men in masks and members of the ultra right Homeland Party and Patriotic Alternative.
Mark Sinclair (Freedom Dad)
The former UVF bank robber has travelled around Northern Ireland and England to seek out examples of immigration causing local division. His Freedom Dad YouTube channel– emblazoned with a Northern Irish and a Scottish flag – explicitly seeks to connect Scotland and Ulster’s antiimmigration communities.
He was part of a travelling band of Loyalists who took part on the July25 demo at Glasgow Green that saw running battles and 15 arrests. Sinclair has offered a platform to a wide array of far-right icons, including BNP leader Nick Griffin and his ex-deputy Jim Dowson, a regular guest.
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Griffin has told Sinclair that Northern Ireland is ripe for a citizen army to rise, due to the lessons learned by the Loyalist community during the Troubles. He tells Sinclair that Orange Order marches have provided evidence that an army of fighting men could be called on if the time comes.
Sinclair has toured towns and cities with close pal Glen Kane – a sectarian killer who was jailed for a mob attack. He has also been photographed on many occasions with Neil Pinkerton, an “urban hunter” who has rejoiced in his dogs killing foxes. Pinkerton was the leader of a Belfast street patrol that has been accused of persecuting immigrants.
Jim Dowson, far-right activist and frontman of Knights Templar International
The veteran far-right activist has raised a huge sum of cash over many years by peddling tat including white robes, swords and far-right books for his organisation – which has nothing to do with the historic Christian crusaders.
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Dowson calls his KTI group – of men in little more than fancy dress – a “fighting order”. He admitted his visit to Glasgow on July 25was his first in 20 years. He used the occasion to reveal his true motivation, shooting videos that played to a US audience, telling them how Glasgow was “teeming with Africans”.
Dowson shamelessly got out his virtual begging bowl, asking US donors to aid the people in the Scottish “projects”. It is unclear how US dollars donated to Dowson would help anyone in Scotland.
On the visit, Dowson reverted to his familiar play of handing out military style gear to vigilante groups, including the Scots Active group, who accepted stab vests and bodycams to deal with threats that might emerge as they patrol Glasgow’s streets.
Scots Active
Along with the North to South group, they have trawled the streets looking for women to “save” from immigrants.
Despite filming everything for Tik Tok, the videos contain more evidence of black people being harassed than anyone being saved from violence.
Scots Active leader Darren Docherty claims to be anti-racist. But a Record investigation revealed him to be a moderator of a sinister WhatsApp group under the banner ‘Get These C****Out!’. They clashed with cops, targeted ethnic minorities, and made Nazi salutes at a Glasgow demo on June 13.
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Chelsea also came into the north London clash with a 100% record and made a superb start, taking the lead inside two minutes through ex-Arsenal target Morgan Rogers.
But Kai Havertz equalised against his former club midway through the first half before Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard netted a second-half winner.
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Former Manchester United and England captain Rooney felt Arsenal should have been reduced to ten men just five minutes into the game after Gabriel kicked Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the head.
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Several Chelsea players reacted angrily to the incident which left Martinez lying in pain and requiring medical attention.
Chris Kavanagh’s view was obscured by a scramble in the penalty box but VAR did not suggest the referee consult the pitchside monitor for a second look.
Gabriel celebrating Arsenal’s win over Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
Analysing the incident on BBC’s Match of the Day, Rooney said: ‘You don’t really see it at first sight but then when you see a replay and they slow it down…
‘Martinez has got the ball in his hands and Gabriel boots him in the head, he swings a leg and goes way over the top. He’s extremely lucky to stay on the pitch.’
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Former England defender Ashley Young added: ‘I agree. When the ball is on the floor and Martinez has it, Gabriel kicks so high.
‘I’m not sure why it hasn’t gone to VAR of if they’ve properly studied it because he’s nowhere the ball. He’s got away with one there.’
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Mikel Arteta was full of praise for his players after the London derby, describing Arsenal’s performance as ‘incredible’.
‘It wasn’t the right start but we certainly reacted in an amazing way,’ Arteta said.
Arsenal beat Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium (Picture: Getty)
‘I enjoyed the way we competed; we took risks, it was a joy to watch and an incredible game.
‘They [Chelsea] have a great coach [Alonso] who can set them up in great condition. With the quality they have, you feel they can create something out of nothing at any moment.
‘We constrained them well. Overall, it was an incredible performance from our side.’
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On Arsenal’s flawless start to the new season and their title defence, Arteta added: ‘We are very happy and we need to continue to raise the bar and look to improve every single time.
‘There are still a lot of margins to do that. But we need to enjoy the victory now because it was a big one today.’
Arsenal put their Premier League title defence on hold during the week as they begin their Champions League campaign against Serie A side Napoli.
Chelsea, meanwhile, return to action on Wednesday night with a Carabao Cup clash against Leeds United.
Sections of the A1079 Hull Road are set to close from Monday (September 7).
City of York Council said three miles of the main road, which leads to York’s outer ring road, will be resurfaced as part of the council’s highway maintenance programme.
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It will affect the A1079 between York Road, Dunnington and City of York boundary at Kexby Bridge.
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A council spokesperson said: “The works will be carried out by Lane Rentals Services on behalf of the council, who will be working for 14 nights under a road closure between the hours of 8.00pm to 6.00am.
“The road will reopen each morning, unless there are exceptional circumstances.”
Sections of the A1079, between York Road, Dunnington and City of York boundary at Kexby Bridge, will be closed for resurfacing works from Monday (September 7) (Image: Supplied)
The work is to be done in three phases.
Phase one will surface the area from the York Road, Dunnington junction up to the Common Road junction – starting tomorrow at 8pm.
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These works will be complete by 6am on Saturday (September 12).
Phase two will include the stretch of road from York Road, Dunnington junction to near Kexby Stray junction with the closure point at Dauby Lane to allow for turning traffic, the council said.
This will be done on the night of Saturday (September 12) and will be finished by 6.00am on Sunday (September 13).
During the project’s third phase, works will continue from the Common Lane junction to the City of York boundary at Kexby Bridge with the closure point at Long Lane to allow for turning traffic.
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A council spokesperson said: “This phase is expected to last for eight nights.
“This means the road will be closed between 8.00pm and 6.00am on Sunday 13 September 2026 and finish at 6.00am on Monday 21 September 2026.”
An alternative route for diverted vehicles will be signed during the works period via A1079, A614, A63, A19 and A64.
Cllr Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport, said: “We continue to deliver our record programme of planned Highways Maintenance works for 2026/27 alongside emergency repairs.
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“This stretch of the A1079 is the latest to receive significant repairs that will make journeys easier for people in the area and across the region.
“We are working to minimise disruption by carrying out these works on nights and working to reopen the road each morning.
“When the road is closed diversions are in place and we have sent letters to local residents and businesses to help them plan ahead.
“Once complete this will bring smoother and safer journeys for all who use this road and we’re grateful for everyone’s patience while we get this work done”
Sending my children to private school means I always have to scrimp, save and make do. These are my best tips to keep the costs down… from my sibling discount trick to the school uniform saving
A new term begins and for those of us committed to sending our darlings to independent schools, it’s back to scrimping, saving and making do.
No, our backs aren’t against the wall, and I’m expecting nothing more than the tiniest of violins, but the 20 per cent VAT addition to fees, plus the cost-of-living squeeze, means we’re feeling the pain acutely.
Even the Royals might be wincing as they wire over £63,000 for Prince George’s first year at Eton.
I reckon I could have bought a house with what I have spent. The problem is, it’s like eating Pringles: once you pop, you just can’t stop.
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But there are ways to drive down the list price, as I’ve learnt over my many years of white-knuckle cheque-writing. School fees are like a new car – nobody pays for the add-ons except those for whom money doesn’t matter.
Here’s how the rest of us scrape by…
A new term begins and for those of us committed to sending our darlings to independent schools, it’s back to scrimping, saving and making do, writes Annie Hayes
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No parent should pay for Lego Club
Or any club, especially when they’re little. My friend Sarah was hung out to dry by her husband when he discovered she’d been paying extra for little Louis to attend Lego club at their already eye-watering prep.
He could just as easily have clicked a Lego Quidditch broom into a minifigure’s hand at home, of course. Ditto art club, Minecraft club and dance club. If you can do it at home, never, ever pay.
Remember: they can’t do any nice clubs if they’re no longer attending the school because you’ve overspent on after-hours luxuries.
Gourmet lunch? Ham sandwiches will do
Lunch doesn’t need to be five-star. Add-on catering at day schools can run to hundreds of pounds a term, but many allow you to opt out.
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A friend who shall remain nameless sent her son off to prep school with a ham sandwich and a flapjack in his sister’s pink lunch box. He survived.
Go ‘vintage’ with uniform and kit
Every school has a second-hand shop or a nearly new sale. Go early, be ruthless, and buy a size up.
Nobody ever needs to pay full-price for an expensive new uniform, plus it’s naff to wear it. My 81-year-old father, who went to the same school as my 17-year-old, offered him his old cricket blazer. It was moth-eaten and nothing like the new version. My son got a high-five for wearing a ‘vintage’ number.
Sneaky sibling discount trick
Most schools apply them to the youngest child, so the saving only kicks in years later. If you’re committed to the school long-term, ask for if it can be applied to the eldest instead, so you save from day one and on the higher senior school fees.
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Blag free holidays or stay with relatives
Yes, their classmates will be going to Provence or the Galapagos, but if you can provide access to a hellishly noisy beachside arcade, you’ll have satisfied the under-tens.
Great Aunt Mary, whose house on the Suffolk coast you’ve installed your brood in, will of course cook cottage pie on repeat. But you don’t care because every night there is another night you’re not paying for Center Parcs.
When you’re already paying thousands for their education, a family camping trip instead of three weeks in the Galapagos will do wonders for your bank account
Say no to FOMO, hide school trip letters
School trips are verboten. Hockey in Peru, £3,000. Trekking in Costa Rica, £4,000. Even Gold DofE in the Cairngorms at £400 gets an immediate je ne pense pas. Hide the letters and hold firm when they protest. They’ll understand the term properly when the bailiffs come knocking.
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With four months off, let them go feral
Independent school holidays run to four months of the year-plus, which is a lot of weeks to fill even if you are at the relatives for half of it. And filling weeks costs money.
Remind yourself that letting them ‘go feral’ and entertain themselves is character- building. Who wants a helicopter mum anyway?
Dog walks are free. A football is a fine birthday present and a muddy garden is a small price to pay. I know one mum who sends her 12-year-old off with a friend on long ‘explore the Tube map’ trips.
Avoid cinemas, theatres and theme parks at all costs.
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Slip on shades and off to Aldi you go
Downgrade your supermarket. M&S and Waitrose is for those who wisely chose to go down the grammar route.
Put on dark glasses and hop into Aldi or Lidl. I have bumped into many a grand family in the middle aisle, eyes agog over Tupperware, wiring tens of thousands to a boarding school with one hand and shovelling own-brand beans into the trolley with the other.
Haggle if they’re boarding… or cry
Never pay the list price. Full boarding at £21,690 a term for the big guns is a starting position. Explore every scholarship going, especially the more obscure ones.
Who knew there were awards for chess, dance and product design, but there are. Some Scottish schools even offer them for bagpipes.
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If all that fails, slide up to the Head and ask about a discretionary award. Cry – do whatever it takes! I have it on good authority… it works.
In an explosive interview former paramilitary boss Adair claims he wants to get involved with groups targeting immigration.
Feared former UDA paramilitary boss Johnny “ Mad Dog” Adair wants to make a return to frontline politics to target illegal immigrants.
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The move follows a series of Daily Record reports on attempts by far right groups in Scotland to team up with paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland in a bid to exploit racial tensions.
Adair now lives in Troon, Ayrshire, after being linked to dozens of sectarian killings by the Belfast C Company of the UDA that he led.
However in an explosive interview Adair claims he wants to get involved with groups targeting immigration.
He said: “The threat that is coming is not republicanism the threat is illegal immigration.
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“These people will rape, they will kill, they will steal and they have no common value of life.”
He said: “Would I go back and fight for them, yes I would absolutely.
“Would I use the experience that I used back in the conflict. Yes absolutely.
“People need to stand up and counted before it is too late.”
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Speaking to Glasgow street photographer Brian Anderson for his Naked City youtube channel Adair says the only thing that brings back memories of his sectarian past is the day of Old Firm games
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He added: ”The pit of your stomach will go. Thankfully it’s not bombs and guns but just banter.”
Adair says he is just an ordinary person now but feels he has been tarred with the “Mad Dog” label.
He added: ”That is a name and I hate it. I had no control over that.
“Away from that horrible name I am just Johnny Adair living a quiet and peaceful life, no hassle and it’s great and I love it.
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“I have got a 15 year old son and he lives with me.
“Troon is a quiet seaside town and people just accept me for who I am.
“I am just grateful and happy that someone was looking over me because there were multiple attempts on on my life and I survived every one.
“Now I don’t have to worry about things like that albeit I still take some security precautions – like checking my car for a bomb”
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Though Adair was feared during the Troubles by the Northern Ireland Catholic community, he admits in the same interview that some of his best pals growing up were Catholic.
Adair explained: “When I was a young boy under the age of ten my friends were Catholics, we lived in the same streets
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“There was no such thing as a religion.
“It didn’t mean anything to me that your mate is a catholic or protestant.”
Adair said things began to change around 1969 and remembers houses in his street being set on fire
He added:” I learned later that day that the people that were burned down were Catholics and some of them were my friends.
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“And the same happened in other areas that were predominantly Catholic, to Protestants.
“Then the army was sent for and it the just blew out after that.
“As a kid you were seeing things you had never seen before tanks on the street and soldiers with guns.
“It was interesting for a young boy but also scary and frightening.
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“The trouble exploded throughout the province and almost every area was at war with one another. Catholic and Protestant.”
Adair said he decided to join the paramilitaries in the late 1970’s.
He quickly became a target for the police and recalls having his home searched during raids for guns and explosives and being held for questioning for up to seven days at a time.
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Adair also recalled the time when he was the victim of an assassination attempt while attending a UB40 concert in Belfast in 1999 with his wife and narrowly escaped with his life.
He added:”I was just out of jail and UB40 was a band that I loved.
“They shot me at point blank range.
“I thought my head was going to explode.
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“The pain for that second was the worst pain I have ever experienced.
“It went in but it didn’t go through the skull but just stopped there.
“I was lucky. Had it been a half decent weapon my brains would have been everywhere.”
Adair says the attack was not the work of rival republicans but local drug dealers who saw an opportunity to kill him.
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He added: ”I was the devil over there, the bogeyman.
“All Catholics would have hated me.”
Adair says one of the gun gang was later shot dead by the IRA and the man who pulled the trigger took his own life.
He now welcomes the peace process and enjoys his new life in Scotland.
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Adair added: ”Until my late 30s I was involved heavily in paramilitarism and loyalism.
“When the life that I was in came to an end and peace came to Northern Ireland there was no more explosions, it was golden to me.
“There was no more hatred, everyone just getting on with life over there.
“There is an uneasy peace but it is great for both communities.
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“It’s a long process and will take years. cause there is a lot of bitterness and a lot of hatred.
“For me a normal a life that I never had for most of my years.”
When asked if he ever felt a “moral debt” for what happened “under his watch”, Adair replied.”It is regrettable that the whole conflict took place.
“But I am not feeling guilty for what that I’d done or the role that I played.
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“If I was to stay that to you now I would be a hypocrite.
“At the time I believed it was right.
“It is just a shame that it went on for 30 years and all those people lost their lives and people were maimed and thousands of men went to prison.”
When then asked if had ever asked forgiveness from the other side he responded: ”Maybe some dedicated republicans who were engaged the way I would have been engaged will have had begrudging respect towards me as I would have towards the IRA hunger strikers.
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“Do I think they would shake my hand and forgive me, I don’t think so.”
The rabbits were discovered on Front Street in Pelton at about 9am on Saturday, September 5, with one resident calling the sight “horrifying” and “quite alarming”.
Louise, who has lived in Pelton for 17 years, spotted the rabbits while driving past with her young son and stopped to take a picture.
She later shared the picture on Facebook to warn residents.
The five dead rabbits found seemingly lined up at the bus-stop on Front Street, Pelton (Image: LOUISE)
She said: “I was taking my little boy to football, we were just driving past around 9am and I saw it and was just feeling complete shock.
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“It was the way they were just placed there looking as if it was purposeful. It was just horrible – who would do that? Especially on such a public road that so many people, including kids go past, it’s horrifying and quite alarming.
She was particularly disturbed that the rabbits had been left at a public bus stop.
The rabbits had been removed by about 10.45am.
Louise said she planned to remove them on her way back, but they had already gone.
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She reported what she saw to police and contacted her local MP.
Louise said she posted the photograph amid wider concerns about anti-social behaviour in the area.
Louise said: “I just thought I’m going to put it out there just so people are aware of everything that’s going on because it’s not something you want happening where you live.
“You know, when you’ve lived somewhere for so long, you want to protect your community and you don’t want things like this going on.”
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The Northern Echo has contacted Durham Police for information.
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