NAGOYA, Japan (AP) — Athletes who’ve arrived early for the Asian Games were unharmed by extensive flooding that hit the central Japanese city of Nagoya, Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa said Wednesday.

“We are not worried about the conditions of the venues and we believe there is no problem holding the Asian Games as planned,” Hirosawa told reporters.

The Asian Games, an event with more athletes than the Summer Olympics, open Sept. 19 in Nagoya and surrounding areas and run through Oct. 4.

More than 11,000 athletes are signed up from 45 countries and regions in Asia. By comparison, about 10,700 athletes participated in the Summer Olympics in 2024 in Paris.

The previous edition of the Asian Games was held three years ago in Hangzhou, China.

Hirosawa said about 400 athletes and staff who are staying in converted shipping containers — remodeled to serve as temporary housing units for the Asian Games — were briefly evacuated to higher ground during the heavy rain.

He said there were a number of leaking roofs but nothing more serious around the dozens of Games venues.

Record rain fell in parts of the city on Tuesday, flooding dozens of roads and homes, and stranding pedestrians and vehicles. City bus and subway operations were temporarily suspended, the mayor said.

Reports said about 3,500 people took shelter at emergency evacuation centers.

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See full AP coverage of Asian sports here

The funeral of one of the two police officers killed in a wrong-way crash is to take place later.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died when a Volkswagen Passat collided with their marked armed response car on the A66 at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, on 22 August. Five young men were also killed.

Road closures will be in place in Hartlepool for PC Blades’ funeral from 07:30 BST to allow for a full police ceremonial funeral.

Speaking on behalf of his family, Cleveland Police Federation chair Lauren Somerville said “life feels unbearably quiet” without the father-of-two’s “silly jokes” and laughter.

Somerville said flowers had been delivered to the force’s stations and people from Australia, France and America had been in touch.

“The support has been overwhelming, and it’s been comforting,” she said.

Somerville added even small acknowledgements of respect from the public, such as a nod or a thank you when they see police out and about, had brought officers “so much strength”.

Officers had been pursuing the Passat for almost seven minutes after it was connected to earlier alleged criminal activity, but the pursuit was abandoned 10 seconds before the crash when it turned onto the dual carriageway, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

PC Blades and PC Clough were in a vehicle looking for the Passat after its cloned registration plates triggered an automated number plate recognition camera, although they were not involved in the pursuit, according to the IOPC.

Cole Worthy and Theo Rae, both 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Cahill and Jakub Matusiak also died in the crash.

The Voice UK producers have come under fire from Sir Tom Jones this week, after he claimed he was fired over insurance reasons. 

In a statement, the singer claimed: ‘I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show,’ adding that ‘the only thing I know right now, is that there’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job’.

Amid the upheaval, it’s been claimed Cheryl is set to make her TV comeback with a spot on the judging panel, while Aitch is rumoured to replace McFly duo Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher who are leaving the show.

Eyebrows have been raised over the timing of the reshuffle, with filming for the next series set to begin this week, while the current season, airing weekly on ITV, has been pre-recorded. 

It’s the latest in a long line of scandals to befall the show, which launched in 2012 with an average viewership of over seven million, but this year returned for series 14 and had its lowest launch figure to date – just 1.9 million.

So while billed as a progressive show that focuses purely on talent rather than appearance, behind the scenes it seems the show is anything but harmonious.

During the live season two finale, some viewers thought Holly Willoughby’s low-cut black dress was not appropriate for a family show, prompting 139 complaints to Ofcom

‘Inappropriate’ outfits 

The Voice sparked controversy from the start, when original host Holly Willoughby was chastised for her wardrobe. 

During the live season two finale, some viewers thought Holly’s low-cut black dress was not appropriate for a family show, prompting 139 complaints to Ofcom

Broadcast Now noted that the show was broadcast from 7.15pm to 9.30pm on Saturday, meaning most of the programme aired prior to the 9pm watershed.

While Ofcom did not investigate the complaints, the BBC apologised for any offence caused.  

‘We’re sorry if some viewers found Holly’s dress to be unsuitable,’ a BBC spokeswoman said. 

‘Holly enjoys fashion and we felt the dress she wore for the live final of The Voice UK was glamorous and wholly appropriate for the occasion.

‘We don’t believe it would have gone against audience expectations for a TV spectacle such as this.’

Never-ending lineup of coaches 

A whopping 18 coaches have spun around on the red chairs since the show began. The first two seasons saw Jessie J, Danny O’Donoghue, Will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones serve as coaches

A whopping 18 coaches have spun around on the red chairs since the show began.   

The first two seasons saw Will.i.am, Jessie J, Sir Tom Jones and Danny O’Donoghue serve as coaches. 

Yet in season three, Jessie and Danny were replaced by Kylie Minogue and Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson.

The following year Rita Ora – who has also been a coach on The Voice Australia – stepped in to replace Kylie Minogue.

Season five saw Sir Tom’s first departure from the show, along with Rita’s, and they were replaced by Boy George and Paloma Faith.

Season six saw the BBC show moved to ITV, who completely shook up the lineup, bringing back Sir Tom to coach alongside Will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson and Gavin Rossdale.

Gavin then left the lineup and Olly Murs took over for season seven and eight. 

Then Meghan Trainor replaced Jennifer Hudson for one year before Anne-Marie replaced Meghan for a stable three-series run.

By season 13 there was another shakeup, with LeAnn Rimes and McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones (in the show’s first double chair) replacing Anne-Marie and Olly.

The current coaching panel saw Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland make her debut, replacing LeAnn Rimes alongside Will.i.am, Sir Tom and the McFly duo. 

However, Sir Tom and the McFly duo have since left the show, with Cheryl and Aitch said to be their replacements. 

Coach clashes  

While they may only have appeared on one season together, Boy George and Paloma Faith made headlines with their reported clashes on set (pictured with Ricky Wilson and Will.i.am)

However, this month, George reignited their feud when he criticised Paloma Faith for voicing her support for rapper Macklemore, who shouted ‘Free Palestine’ during an Ed Sheeran gig 

George tweeted: ‘@edsheeran clearly has no spine and as for @Palomafaith and her stupid virtuous squealing of delight about Mackle-bore when she is about as political as a soggy tuna sandwich. The whole thing makes me queasy’ 

While they may only have appeared on one season together, Boy George and Paloma Faith made headlines with their reported clashes on set. 

It was reported in 2015 that the Manchester auditions saw the two clash – with the Do You Really Want To Hurt Me crooner branding Paloma ‘bitchy’ and ‘rude’.

Tempers reportedly flared as they both attempted to lure the same singer to their team – with Paloma pretending to fall asleep and snore as George made his bid.

Paloma later recalled the tense exchange in her memoir, MILF, in which George allegedly made a sexist remark that was ultimately cut from the reality TV contest.

While she did not name the coach, Paloma – who was undergoing IVF at the time – recalled: ‘It was an ill-timed and misread joke, intended to be a bit of theatre, but he took offence and came back with a cutting quip, saying I had “probably got PMT” and was “rude”.

‘The PMT remark was obviously cut from the edit.’

‘On this day, pumped full of hormones, I felt both shame at experiencing that in front of a studio audience, and like I couldn’t retaliate due to my desire to save face.

‘I ran off stage, to the toilets, and blacked out. I don’t actually have a recollection of any of it until I came to on the floor with my then PA’s hands cupping me face… 

‘Apparently I was shouting something like, “My f***ing father” over and over again… and sort of convulsing.’

Paloma added that production then organised a period of ‘conflict resolution’ with the other coach before they continued filming.

Responding to reports of the fallout at the time, George told Digital Spy that he and Paloma had known each other ‘a long time’ before appearing together on The Voice.

‘First of all, nobody makes anyone cry, crying is a personal choice,’ he said. ‘And Paloma’s gorgeous, I worship and adore her. And we had a right laugh about it afterwards. And she sent me a note saying “I will never do it again” and she did it again!

‘We’ve been out to dinner so you know, we’ll cope with each other, it’s fine. Initially, it’s all about finding out where people’s boundaries are, what you can get away with, what you can say to them. Now we know where we stand.’

However, this month, George reignited their feud when he criticised Paloma Faith for voicing her support for rapper Macklemore – who is facing a boycott petition after he called out ‘Free Palestine’ onstage while supporting Ed Sheeran.

George tweeted: ‘On the subject of @macklemore it’s important to note that slogans such as ‘Free Palestine’ offer the appearance of moral courage without requiring much political knowledge.

‘@edsheeran clearly has no spine and as for @Palomafaith and her stupid virtuous squealing of delight about Mackle-bore when she is about as political as a soggy tuna sandwich. The whole thing makes me queasy.’

When questioned if he is still ‘buddy buddy’ with Paloma, he responded that ‘all showbiz relationships are sequin deep!’

The Tom Jones controversy 

This week isn’t the first time Sir Tom has been dealt a blow by The Voice team. Back in 2015, the singer was dropped from the show for the first time, replaced by George and Paloma

This week isn’t the first time Sir Tom has been dealt a blow by The Voice team. 

Back in 2015, the singer was dropped from the show for the first time, with he and Rita Ora replaced by George and Paloma, who served as coaches with Wil.i.am and Ricky Wilson. 

The talent show’s bosses decision to drop Tom as the fourth coach was only announced as the replacements were unveiled.

The BBC defended informing Tom of the shake-up at the last minute at the time, insisting it was only to keep the new additions top-secret.

A spokesman said: ‘The final decision on the coaches’ line-up for series 5 of The Voice was only taken on Wednesday and Tom’s team was informed early yesterday morning.

‘We then announced it to the press so that it didn’t leak. This has been the same every year and no role was ever promised.’

Yet Tom responded with a lengthy Facebook post, in which he labelled producers’ actions ‘disappointing’.

The statement read: ‘About The Voice UK: In good faith, as part of the team, I’d put the time in my schedule to be involved in Series 5, as I’ve done so for the last 4 years. I’ve supported the show and the BBC since the beginning.

‘I was told yesterday, with no consultation or conversation of any kind, that I would not be returning. Having been through plenty of transformations throughout the years, I support and admire creative change. But being informed, as a matter of duty and respect, is an important part of creative relationships.

‘This sub-standard behaviour from the executives is very disappointing. I will always admire the courage of the performers who participate in the show, as well as all the production staff who worked tirelessly to make a great family viewing experience for the audience at home. I wish the show well.’

He later wrote in his autobiography: ‘To say I was shocked is to put it mildly. But my shock wasn’t about the fact they had replaced me. My shock was about the way they did it.’

Sir Tom claimed that when his management questioned the decision to replace him, BBC bosses simply said he was ‘out of contract’.

‘Indisputable as a bald statement of fact, I guess. But what a cold place the BBC is. Sometimes you wonder whether it is run by humans or a machine in the basement,’ he quipped.

‘It’s a shame because I always treasured the BBC – always had this strong British attachment to it.’

While he was off air Sir Tom ‘liked’ tuning into the show, then after a one-series absence, he returned as a judge when the programme made the switch to ITV.

The Corporation’s television boss Danny Cohen later offered Sir Tom a sincere apology, saying he’s ‘truly sorry’ for upsetting the ‘extraordinary figure’.

‘I’ve got huge respect for Tom and I’m truly sorry he’s upset because I am a big fan of his,’ he said.

‘I think he’s a gentleman, I think he’s an extraordinary figure in music and you’ll have seen the huge respect that all of the artists have had for him on The Voice throughout.’

Yet a decade on and history has repeated itself, with Sir Tom axed from the panel once more. 

Sir Tom released a statement on Tuesday that read: ‘To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience. ITV made this decision — obviously a while ago, and I was told just recently.

‘The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance. They now say in the press they wanted to “refresh” the show, and with a new coaching line-up there wouldn’t be a chair for me.’

He added that ITV had offered him ‘a much-reduced role where I would make an appearance but without being actually involved from the start, and I’m not thrilled about that.

‘So the only thing I know right now, is that there’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job.’

‘Fix’ accusations 

Questions were raised in 2016, when Paloma seemingly admitted to arranging a contestant’s progression to the next stage, dropping Liberty X singer Kevin Simm and allowing Ricky Wilson to save him by ‘stealing’ him. Kevin went on to win the show

Over the years, fans have also questioned if the competition is staged – which producers have explicitly denied. 

Questions were raised in 2016, when Paloma seemingly admitted to arranging a contestant’s progression to the next stage. 

During the show, former Liberty X singer Kevin Simm made it to the knockout stage despite losing to teenager Faith Nelson in the battle rounds.

After Paloma chose to save the teen, rival coach Ricky then opted to ‘steal’ Kevin from Paloma’s team by hitting his buzzer – saving him from elimination. 

Discussing the move, Paloma was quoted in The Mirror, suggesting the decision to save Kevin was pre-planned and had been ‘agreed beforehand’ with Ricky.

However, in a statement, a spokesman confirmed the two coaches had discussed Kevin before the recording of the show, but that there was ‘no truth in this fix claim’. 

They added: ‘The conversation between Ricky and Paloma before that battle record was her asking him to steal Kevin if she didn’t choose him. He did not agree or disagree.’

Kevin ultimately won the competition. 

That same season, eyebrows were raised again when one of the frontrunners, Cody Frost, crashed out of the competition early. 

Her mentor George then said they were both ‘pleased’ about the outcome because Cody did not want to sing the winner’s song, an original track called All You Good Friends.

When asked if it was the end of the road for Cody, George said: ‘No. She doesn’t have to do the winner’s single either, so we’re pleased about that.’

MINAB, Iran (AP) — The sun set over this southern Iranian city, and Heydar Sadeghi was where he can be found almost every evening: on a bench next to the shattered remains of his grandson’s school. His face was soaked with tears.

A banner strung around the rubble showed the faces of children and teachers killed here by an American airstrike on Feb. 28, the first day of the war on Iran. Among them are Sadeghi’s 11-year-old grandson Hami and the boy’s mother, Neda Salehizadeh.

“I searched the bodies for my kids, thinking maybe one would be among them,” Sadeghi said Monday evening as he recounted how he rushed to the school in the moments after the explosions. He called out their names, saying, “‘Come with me! I’ve come to get you.’ They weren’t there,” he said, weeping.

The Shajareh Tayyebeh school has become a place to wrestle with grief and preserve the memories of the dead. Here, relatives try to comprehend the incomprehensible — how around 120 of their children could be snuffed out, just after they’d been dropped off for a day of classes.

At least one U.S. missile hit the school that morning in Minab, according to an Associated Press investigation, but there has been no final accounting of what happened. Iranian state media have said 168 people were killed in the strike, most of them children.

The Trump administration has yet to directly accept the blame or release findings of a Pentagon investigation into the bombing.

A grandfather grieves every day

For Sadeghi, the day of the strike began as every school day did.

He drove Hami and the boy’s 9-year-old sister Nila to school along with their mother, his daughter-in-law Salehizadeh, who was a teacher. As usual, he planned to pick them up at 1 p.m.

“But the bell was rung early — by Trump,” he said.

Hami was a fifth grader who loved soccer and riding his bicycle, Sadeghi said. His body was so mangled in the blast, they could only identify him from the clothes he was wearing, he said.

Nila was pulled alive from the rubble.

“Thank God, she is physically fine,” Sadeghi said. “But mentally, no.”

The girl and her father have moved in with Sadeghi and his wife. The slightest, unexpected noise frightens her. She often goes to bed in her grandmother’s arms but lies awake for much of the night.

Sadeghi said he often invites Nila’s friends to come spend the night, hoping their presence will distract her.

The UK has announced that it will impose sanctions against individuals and entities involved in building settlements in the West Bank after the Israeli government decided to proceed with a new settlement

US President Donald Trump has not condemned the UK’s decision to impose sanctions on those building settlements in the West Bank has been revealed.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Tuesday, September 8, that the UK would impose sanctions against individuals and entities involved in building settlements in the West Bank.

This after the Israeli government decided to proceed with a new settlement in the sensitive E1 area, which would divide the West Bank and prevent territorial contiguity in any future Palestinian state.

Canada, Denmark, Finland and France are among the several countries that have supported the UK in its decision.

Israeli ally America has now revealed that it was briefed by the UK before the announcement.

Two sources familiar have said that Trump did not push back or ask UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to change course, Axios has reported.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not condemn the UK’s move when asked about it by reporters on Tuesday.

“The President hasn’t commented on this and neither have I,” he told reporters.

“We were made aware that they are gonna make this decision. We heard their arguments as to why.

“We share the goal of stability. We don’t want to see an uptick in violence or tensions in the West Bank in a tenuous time in the region.”

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US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attacked the new sanctions when speaking to the BBC.

Huckabee told the broadcaster that the UK government’s decision amounted to “discrimination against the Jewish people.”

A White House distanced itself from the comments.

An official told Axios that Huckabee’s remarks “were not coordinated with the White House” or State Department.

In response to the UK’s move, Israel announced the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem. The consulate handles relations with the Palestinian Authority.

Israel has also expelled British diplomats and military officers posted to a US-led Gaza task force and terminated a British military training mission in the West Bank.

Paul Scholes says Gabriel Magalhaes ‘gets away with murder’ after avoiding a red card in Arsenal’s recent win over Chelsea.

The Premier League champions maintained their perfect start to the new season with a 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea on Sunday.

While trailing to Morgan Rogers’ early volley, Gabriel was perhaps fortunate not to see red after kicking Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the head during a scramble in the box.

The referee’s view was obstructed by several players and VAR did not intervene, much to the surprise of Manchester United legends Scholes and Nicky Butt.

‘He should have been sent off,’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. ‘I missed it at first but it should be a red card. He’s gone miles over the bar.’

After podcast host Paddy McGuinness suggested Gabriel routinely ‘gets away with murder’, Scholes responded: ‘He does, yeah.

‘You get some players like that. Like, say me or Nicky made a foul, we got booked. Then there’s other players who can make ten fouls a game and nothing happens.

‘They get up and go to the referee, “oh, I’m sorry”. Do you know what I mean? They get away with it when other players don’t, and he’s one of them, isn’t he?’

Fellow former England midfielder Butt added: ‘It was ridiculous. If they don’t think that’s a sending off then there’s no point of having VAR. I don’t understand it.’

Ex-Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney also felt Gabriel should have seen red for his wild kick at new Chelsea goalkeeper Martinez.

This summer you may have wondered why you are seeing so few insects squished on your car’s windscreen, compared to a road trip several years ago.

This is because insects are declining globally at an alarming rate.

One extensive citizen science survey looked at insects numbers over several years by looking at insect deaths on car number plates. They asked people to clean their number plates before a journey and then photograph it afterwards, and count the number of bugs killed.

The survey was conducted from 2021 to 2025. It found the number of flying insects sampled on vehicle number plates across the UK had fallen by 60% in five years. Analysis of records from more than 25,000 journeys showed an annual average decline in bug splats of 19% since the survey began in 2021.

Some people may look at these statistics and wonder why they should care. But the decline of insect life is a significant cause for concern. It’s also not just in the UK where we are seeing declines, but also across Europe and in our tropical rainforests, including some of the most biodiverse spots on the planet. Agricultural land is seeing some of the worst effects.

There’s an estimated 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) insects alive on this planet, over a million described species, and estimates of millions more yet to be discovered. But we are losing insects far faster than other animals, and at an unprecedented rate.

A review in 2019 suggested 40% of insect species are thought to be threatened with extinction. Ants, bees and wasps (Hymenoptera) the butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) and dung beetles are thought to be the most affected. More recent reviews show similar declining trends on a global scale.

Why are insects disappearing?

The reasons for losing our insects range from habitat loss, disease pollution and pesticides. Agriculture is a major concern as land is turned over to farming as it may remove existing habitats – essentially removing some insects homes – but agrichemicals such as pesticides, designed to kill agricultural pest outbreaks, are also negatively affecting those non target insects that we want.

Climate change is as a major concern, and one that potentially exacerbates other factors. When it’s hotter water availability becomes harder, plants become more stressed and food availability becomes tricky for insects. In the same way that humans struggle in the heat, this is the same case for other animals. Insects can try to cope with extremes in temperature by using water to cool, fanning their wings or simply going somewhere where it is less warm.

The summer of 2026 saw record temperatures and is expected to be the hottest year on record for the UK. Coupled with intense droughts, wildfires and a changing landscape, this is a tricky world for insects to navigate.

This changing climate is affecting whole communities of insects, where they live and what they do.

With places like the UK seeing a shift from its typical cooler climate to a more Mediterranean one, we are seeing species move from southern Europe to northern Europe. We also see insects changing their seasonal life-cycles, with effects on other species that are dependent upon them. They are even carrying diseases to new populations of humans or animals as climates become more amenable to certain species that may carry diseases or other pathogens .

This loss of biodiversity is often referred to as the sixth mass extinction, or the sixth time in history that we know of that we have lost such a vast number of species in rapid succession.

Why should we care?

Insects have evolved in large numbers because of the extent of what they do in the natural world.

They keep pests under control, they pollinate our plants by transporting pollen from one flower to another, recycle our waste by feeding on and shredding material and generally keep our planet in a good state.

American naturalist E.O Wilson said: “If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.”

However, insect populations can recover. Appreciating how fundamental they are is the first step in conserving and restoring what we are losing.

By ALEX HAMMER, US MEDIA CORRESPONDENT

Updated: 05:49 BST, 9 September 2026

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone took yet another shot at Donald Trump on Tuesday.

The duo revealed in an official press release the show will now be called ‘South America’ going forward, after Trump’s recent bids to re-stylize bodies of water, countries, and states in similar fashion.

Artwork reflecting the change was also released, ahead of the show’s 29th season.

The fictional Colorado town where the show is set, moreover, shares the same name as the program – perhaps a hint at what’s in store for viewers on September 16.

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‘Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA,’ Stone and Parker said in a statement. Both quickly recognized Trump’s recent changes to the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Lake Ontario to Lake America.

The announcement ended with a parting blow toward Comedy Central’s parent company, Paramount.  

Parker and Stone, thanking the company, touted it as ‘a Skydance Capitulation’ – riffing off of parlance popularized by Hollywood producers.

Paramount was hit with accusations that it was cozying up to the administration after the company reached a $16 million settlement with Trump for what many saw as a baseless lawsuit in July 2025.

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South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reignited their feud with Donald Trump on Tuesday, after featuring a fictionalized version of him as a character for the past two seasons

Artwork reflecting the change was also released, ahead of the show’s 29th season, as was a tongue-in-cheek statement lampooning Trump’s recent tendency to try to adorn already existing names with the word ‘America’

Stephen Colbert, for instance, called the move ‘a big fat bribe’ days before the company announced his show was being canned, as a long-in-limbo merger between Paramount and Skydance was approved by the government within weeks of the settlement.

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Skydance was founded by former Hollywood producer David Ellison, the son of billionaire GOP donor Larry Ellison. He now runs Paramount.

Just days before the deal was formally finalized, Parker and Stone reached a $1.5 billion, five-year streaming deal with Paramount.

That week, in Season 27’s premiere, a fictionalized version of Trump returned to the show after a near decade-long absence.

Trump, 80, has been a frequent source of inspiration for the pair ever since, with storylines almost exclusively parodying his second presidency. The premiere featured Trump in bed with Satan and a deepfake of the President wandering nude in a desert.

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Episodes last year took on the saga surrounding Jimmy Kimmel and his late night talk show to be pulled off air for a week for an on-air remark that enraged conservatives. 

‘It’s not that we got all political. It’s that politics became pop culture,’ Parker told The New York Times of the shift in strategy back in November.

The White House said in a statement at the time: ‘This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.’

The South Park team took home Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program this past Sunday in LA

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The duo used the opportunity to pan Trump as well, after The Apprentice notoriously never received on

Join the discussion

Is South Park’s relentless satire of Trump bold social commentary or just desperate for attention?

The South Park team hit back with a statement on Sunday, fresh off the South Park team’s first Emmy win in 13 years.

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‘You finally got your Emmy,’ a graphic posted to X showing Trump clutching the trophy he has complained about never receiving during The Apprentice’s 13-year run on NBC read.

South Park has won five Emmys, all for Outstanding Animated Program. 

By REBECCA ENGLISH, ROYAL EDITOR

Published: 01:25 BST, 9 September 2026 | Updated: 05:53 BST, 9 September 2026

Harry and Meghan yesterday hit out at the King’s decision to label them ‘private citizens’ – because they want to be known as ‘public figures’ instead.

Buckingham Palace on Monday released a letter of ‘guidance’ on the monarch’s behalf, confirming the couple were not returning to the UK as working royals.

Yet – rather than accept the letter, which said nothing had changed since ‘Megxit’ – briefings yesterday by sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a string of extraordinary claims.

Team Sussex has suggested that, despite being given just over an hour’s notice of the impending release, Palace aides did not give Harry enough time to ‘clarify one or two points’ in the letter written by the Lord Chamberlain on His Majesty’s instruction.

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In particular, the Sussexes seem to have taken issue with the statement that they should not be treated like royalty. 

‘In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests,’ the letter read.

The Palace also made the point the letter was in full accordance with the Sussexes’ stated wish to remain ‘private citizens while in the UK’ and in keeping with the ‘Sandringham Summit’ agreement of 2020, after which the couple set up a new life in the US.

This prompted a jaw-dropping briefing yesterday, which read: ‘The duke is understood to have taken particular issue with the notion that the couple were to be treated as private citizens. If that were the case, it was claimed, such formal guidance would not be required.

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‘The Sussexes prefer the term “public figures”, and would have liked an acknowledgement that, on a personal level, they remained members of the Royal Family, despite no longer receiving public funding.’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured in 2022, yesterday hit out at the King’s decision to label them ‘private citizens’ 

In a letter of ‘guidance’ released on King Charles’ behalf, the Palace confirmed that the Sussexes have not returned to be working royals

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Buckingham Palace declined to comment, feeling the letter is sufficient.

But insiders last night suggested this insistence they be classed as ‘public figures’ who want their royal links burnished in public is evidence why the Sussexes’ preferred ‘half-in, half-out’ model would never be sustainable alongside their commercial activities.

A Sussex spokesman also suggested they had been caught ‘off guard’ by the King’s announcement, which was a letter written by Lord Benyon to officials across the country.

Team Sussex claimed the letter’s contents were shared with them at 1.59pm.

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They replied at 2.19pm ‘in the hope’ the Sussexes could have ‘the chance to clarify one or two points’.

Unbeknown to the Palace, Harry was visiting Tower Bridge Studios in London and ‘could not be contacted’ until 3.09pm.

At 3.11pm, they received confirmation it had already been sent to the media five minutes earlier.

Sources close to the couple have suggested the letter was timed to come ahead of a meeting yesterday of the Ravec security body.

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They believe this may have been an attempt to influence the committee on whether to reinstate Harry’s taxpayer-funded security.

But the Daily Mail understands such claims are incorrect and the letter was sent out to offer clarity ahead of a busy programme for the Sussexes. Those close to the King also think the move could make it easier for him to see his son privately.

A Team Sussex spokesman was approached for comment.

– The King has slapped down Harry and Meghan… but this is the biggest revelation from his public letter. Finally, someone’s put them in their place: SARAH VINE 

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– REBECCA ENGLISH: Following in his dad’s footsteps, a calm Prince George starts at Eton