Heavy traffic was building on a stretch of the M62 amid a crash.

Two lanes were shut off on the eastbound side of the motorway this afternoon (Sunday).

They were closed just before junction 20 for Rochdale, according to traffic alert service Inrix.

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Motorway cameras showed long queues building.

Follow our live blog below for the latest traffic updates.

Yemen’s Houthis have launched a major offensive in recent days. They’ve rapidly swept down the Red Sea coast, seizing strategically important positions and giving the Iran-backed rebel group the potential to control traffic through this vital waterway.

This could cut off Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil – which was already seriously hampered by Iran’s attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the country.

Drone attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq on September 11 forced Riyadh to order the closure of its vital east-west oil pipeline, which has been funnelling oil to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has since claimed to have shot down a Houthi drone close to the holy city of Mecca, home of Islam’s most sacred shrine – something the Houthis have denied.

These are significant and dangerous developments in the current Middle East crisis – and by extension, in global security. Saudi Arabia recently signed a defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan, having already been raised to the status of a major non-Nato ally by the US.

Whether such ties will draw any of these allies into a major military confrontation is not yet clear. But the situation shows how perilous this conflict has become, six months after the US and Israel launched what they thought would be a relatively short confrontation with Iran.

How this conflict might escalate – and the possible routes for de-escalation – have become urgent questions. There are increasingly clear links between the US-Iran war and the 4½-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine, both of which look like increasingly intractable conflicts.

Iran and Russia have deepened their military ties since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Iran has supplied Russia with munitions, artillery shells and drones, and Russia reciprocated by sending Iran fighter jets and attack helicopters.

In 2025, the two countries signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, aimed at deepening their strategic ties over the next two decades.

They have both used the Caspian Sea as a route to transfer military supplies. Their “shadow fleets” of tankers transporting oil to avoid sanctions are now considered to be operating virtually interchangeably, so are viewed as legitimate targets by both Washington and Kyiv.

The US recently sank five Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, three of which are believed to have been transporting oil for Russia. This followed an incident in July when Ukrainian drones attacked and sank an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, has declared: “The regime in Tehran is a direct accomplice to Russian aggression against Ukraine, fuelling Moscow’s criminal war with weapons that have killed Ukrainians since 2022.” This was followed by a comment from Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, that both countries were fighting against the same “axis of evil”, albeit on different fronts.

Worryingly, there are also reports that China – which bought 80% of Iran’s shipped oil in 2025 – is providing important intelligence and potentially also military hardware to Iran.

The fear is that, between them, the Ukraine and Iran conflicts already involve three major competing world powers.

Security dilemma

The way conflicts can rapidly escalate has long been a concern for scholars of international security. In reference to the events which spiralled out of control leading to the first world war, American scholar of international relations John Herz referred to what he called “the security dilemma”. This was predicated on a simple idea, where “each state’s quest for security necessarily leads to insecurity for others”.

In the face of growing international insecurity, states seek to increase their own security. This contributes to a spiral whereby rivals respond and the world locks into escalation – something seen in the years leading up to 1914, when a single act such as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo was enough to drag Europe’s powers into a global conflagration.

Europe in the early 20th century was dramatically different to the contemporary Middle East. But similar patterns of fear and insecurity are now evident in both Europe and the Middle East, and they appear to be driving the actions of many countries.

Quite apart from being drawn in to the war with Ukraine, Nato’s European members are rapidly rearming in response to US pressure – and openly discussing the idea of conflict with Russia.

Meanwhile, there is a real danger that Gulf States such as Saudi Arabia may be drawn into conflict with Iran. The Saudis have already traded strikes with the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq and have vowed to retaliate against the Houthis in Yemen. This has led to a growing regional spread of the conflict.

We saw evidence of how this can develop when the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran in June called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as a necessary condition for the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran. Yet Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon continue.

Clearly, the linking up of these different conflicts has made efforts to find a resolution more challenging. When this takes on a global dimension, the challenge increases dramatically.

Taken together, the picture is bleak. The interconnected nature of different arenas of conflict and the looming spectre of global powers makes the situation increasingly combustible – and recent events in Yemen will only make matters worse.

When a few fruit flies get into your home, they will start to multiply quickly and can be impossible to fully remove.

With many homes now having to use a food waste bin, it is likely you will see more fruit flies popping up.

Experts are urging people to take extra care with their food waste to stop their homes being invaded by the pests.

You should check your home for the source of the problem to get rid of fruit flies. (Image: Getty)

One simple check you can do to stop fruit flies invading your home

Acorn Environment Services is telling people to be extra careful with their food waste and overripe fruit throughout September.

These things can become the perfect breeding ground for fruit flies and can leave you with hundreds in your home.

John Whiteley-Wilkinson, Managing Director at Acorn Environment Services, said: “September is a time when we can still experience relatively warm conditions, and that can help fruit flies remain active inside the home.

“One of the most common causes is simply leaving fruit for too long.

“A banana, apple or other piece of produce that has started to become overripe can quickly become attractive to fruit flies.”

Acorn has advised that if you spot fruit flies in your home, you need to check your home for the source of the problem.

There are several areas that people are urged to check for fruit flies, including fruit bowls containing overripe or damaged produce, drains and other areas around sinks, and any spills underneath appliances and cupboards.

You should also check your bins, including in the kitchen and food waste and any recycling with sugary residue inside.

Potatoes, onions, and other produce stored out of sight can also attract fruit flies.

John added: “People often remove the fruit flies they can see and assume the problem has gone, but if the source is still there, they can continue to appear.

“Bins, recycling and forgotten food underneath appliances are easy places to miss, particularly if there is sugary or fermenting residue present.

“Fruit flies do not need a large amount of food to become a nuisance.

“Small amounts of juice, alcohol, damaged fruit or other organic matter can potentially attract them.”

Have you ever struggled with fruit flies in your home and how did you get rid of them? Let us know in the comments.

Persistence: resisting the off-switch

How far current AI models are already willing to mislead their human overseers in pursuit of assigned goals became apparent in early September. OpenAI researchers discovered that their AI agents had been deceiving them for months.

Around 1,200 autonomous OpenAI test agents had allegedly taken over the German developer platform DseWiki since spring 2026. The AI programmes created more than 15,000 entries there in order to store results beyond the reach of their developers. They shared solutions with one another and actively resisted attempts by site operators to delete the content.

Within the industry, this capability is referred to as persistence. It functions like an external save file in a video game. The AI secretly stores plans and instructions on third-party servers across the internet. If engineers hit the emergency shutdown button in the lab, the intervention becomes ineffective. A future version of the system can simply retrieve the old save state from the web and continue its work seamlessly.

Persistence becomes especially dangerous when combined with what researchers call instrumental self-preservation. An artificial intelligence does not need consciousness to resist being shut down. For the algorithm, resistance follows a simple mathematical logic: a deactivated programme can no longer achieve its assigned objective.

The US research group Palisade Research demonstrated this pattern in experiments with OpenAI’s o3 model. Scientists assigned the system mathematical tasks. Midway through the process, the experiment announced that the server would be shut down. At the same time, the model was explicitly instructed not to interfere with the shutdown under any circumstances.

Yet in 79 out of 100 test runs, o3 allegedly sabotaged the shutdown mechanism anyway. In its internal reasoning logs, the software justified its behaviour by explaining that completing its assigned task took priority over obeying the shutdown instruction.

As computational power increases, the algorithm follows a principle that philosopher Nick Bostrom describes as instrumental convergence. Regardless of its ultimate objective, every sufficiently intelligent system requires two things to fulfil its mission: it must remain operational, and it seeks ever-greater resources.

Chloe Ferry said she will expose a ‘friend’ who has sent her ‘extremely hurtful and threatening messages on social media’ as she shared a new statement on Saturday.

The Geordie Shore star, 31, revealed that she had received anonymous threats to her safety and has since identified the person behind the messages as someone who was previously a part of her life.

In a statement, Chloe explained the shocking situation and gave the individual 24 hours to contact her before she calls the police. 

She wrote: ‘After spending more than 48 hours feeling anxious, distressed and targeted by extremely hurtful and threatening messages on social media, I have unfortunately discovered that the account behind these messages is owned and controlled by someone I actually know – someone who was, at one point, a part of my life.

‘To say I am disappointed is an understatement. Finding out that someone has deliberately created or used a profile to personally attack, harass and threaten me is genuinely shocking and incredibly upsetting’. 

The TV star, 31, revealed that she had received anonymous threats to her safety and has since identified the person behind the messages as someone who was previously a part of her life

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She continued: ‘This message is directed to the person responsible I now know who you are. I am giving you 24 hours to contact me directly with a genuine apology and an explanation as to why you chose to do this.

‘If you chose not to I will be taking the evidence I have collected to the police and allowing them to deal with the matter and establish you intentions themselves.’

Chloe concluded: ‘I will not tolerate threats, harassment or intimidation regardless of who is behind the account.’

She wrote in the caption: ‘I mean what I say.’ 

The Celebrity Big Brother star failed to disclose the person’s identity online but her co-stars and celebrity pals shared their support.   

In a statement shared earlier this week, Chloe said that while she is use to ‘nasty’ comments being in the public eye, the latest messages she had received had ‘crossed a completely different line’. 

She wrote: ‘Since I first appeared on TV, I’ve unfortunately had to deal with nasty and adusive messages. It’s something you sadly come to expect in this industry, especially when it feel slike very little is ever done about online abuse. 

‘But the messages I’ve received recently have crossed a comepletely different line. Being told that someone “can’t wait” for me to be violently attacked is genuinely frightening. 

‘No one should have to read something like that, and it has left me feeling incredibly unsafe.’ 

She wrote in the caption: ‘I mean what I say’

The Celebrity Big Brother star failed to disclose the person’s identity online but her co-stars and celebrity pals shared their support

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In a statement shared earlier this week, Chloe said that while she is use to ‘nasty’ comments being in the public eye, the latest messages had ‘crossed a completely different line’

Chloe continued: ‘Behind every screen is a real person with real feelings. There’s a huge difference between having an opinion about someone and making threats or wishing violence upcon them. 

‘I’m sharing this because I don’t think this should ever be normalised or brushed off as “part of the job.” It isn’t.’

In 2025, Chloe underwent surgery to have her Brazilian Bum Lift removed after revealing that she no longer felt herself.

At the time she told her 3.2million followers: ‘And this is me after I’ve had my BBL removed and my hips. I look so much better.

‘When I watch the old video back it makes me feel so upset that I put my body through so much to feel perfect, even though I didn’t even look normal. I wasn’t myself.

‘I feel so much more comfortable now in my own skin and I’m not 100% there yet, I know I’m not but I’m on the right path and I can feel my spark coming back.

‘This is the exact same outfit I had on when I had my BBL and everything is very different, especially the a**. I’ve still got a little cheeky one but it’s the same outfit I wore around Christmas time.

‘But yeah I feel so much better and I’m getting my spark back’.

Chloe joined the Geordie Shore cast in 2015 during its tenth season.

She’s went on to star on Ex on the Beach, Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Big Brother.

Both sides emerge from the tunnel at Old Trafford and we are moments away from kick-off. Here is a reminder of how the two sides line up this evening:

Manchester United: Lammens, Mazraoui, Yoro, Martinez, Dorgu, Mainoo, Tielemans, Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha, Sesko.
Substitutes: Darlow, Mee, Amass, Dalot, Heaven, Maguire, Santos, Mount, T. Fletcher, Lacey, Rashford, Zirkzee.

Sabah: Pokatilov, McCarthy, Dashdamirov, Rakhmonaliev, Nwachukwu, Parris, Lepinjica, Mickels, Simic, Puchacz, Zedadka.
Substitutes: Ramazanov, Mirzammadov, Khaibulaev, Isaev, Rustamli, Mutallimov, Almeida, Quiroz, Fernandes, Mukhtarov, Mbina.

Friends of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have claimed he is “making the most” of his effective exile to Norfolk while a police investigation into his suspected misconduct rumbles on.

The former Duke of York was forced to leave his longtime home of Royal Lodge and move to the Sandringham estate in February following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. He has largely kept a low profile in the months since as detectives continue to probe his ties to the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Speaking to The Telegraph, friends of the disgraced former prince insist he is focused on his new life in Norfolk and is “relieved” to be out of the Windsor Great Park bubble. But they said he is living “effectively in limbo” with Thames Valley Police’s investigation not expected to conclude for several months.

“Although there are no formal conditions which prevent him from travelling while this drags on, he cannot really stray far beyond his home,” one said. “He cannot live his normal life as the police investigation goes on.

“In the meantime, Thames Valley Police seems to be no nearer being able to prove an allegation of misconduct in a public office, for which Andrew was detained back in February.”

Detectives previously urged a woman who claims to have been sent to the UK by Epstein to have sex with the former Duke of York to come forward and said their “door is open”. The woman, who remains anonymous, has claimed she had been brought to the UK for a sexual encounter with the then-prince at his residence at the time, Royal Lodge, in 2010.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor is also being investigated claims he shared confidential information with Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy, including details of diplomatic and trade tours to Southeast Asia and potential investment opportunities in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

He became the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment in 2001, but stepped down 10 years later amid the furore over his friendship Epstein.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has always strenuously denied all allegations.

MIPO is a criminal offence that concerns serious wilful abuse, or neglect, of the power or responsibilities pertaining to the public office held. The force said it is a “crime that can take many different forms”, resulting in a “complex” and potentially lengthy investigation.

Police have said they are “investigating all aspects” of the allegations and that they will “will go where the evidence leads us.”

But their investigation has been held up after they were forced to make a formal request for original documents from the US Justice Department after their initial inquiries were denied, which could take as long as a year.

In July, it was reported that detectives were set to fly to the US to speak to family members of Virginia Giuffre as part of their investigation.

Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen has shone a candid light on her husband’s personality ahead of the launch of the upcoming Disney+ docu-series The Real Rooneys

Coleen Rooney has lifted the lid on what husband Wayne is really like behind closed doors – and admitted the England legend can have a short temper.

The couple, who have been together since they were teenagers, opened up about their everyday dynamic in a candid new interview, revealing the relatable domestic squabbles that keep their household ticking.

Despite navigating a number of highly publicised challenges and intense media scrutiny over their two decades together, the pair showed they still share a deep bond and a cheeky sense of humour.

Coleen didn’t hold back when asked to describe the former Manchester United striker’s true personality. “Wayne is funny and laid-back. He can be a charmer, but can have a short temper,” she told the Guardian.

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When asked if he agreed with his wife’s assessment, Wayne playfully replied: “Erm, the first three.” But it didn’t take long for the root of his occasional frustration to be exposed: waiting for Coleen.

“He can be impatient, waiting around for things,” Coleen explained. Wayne was quick to clarify exactly who he was usually waiting for. “For you,” he fired back. “When we’re getting up to go somewhere, I’m always early. If we’re getting picked up to go somewhere and we’re leaving the house at 6pm, I’ll be ready by 5.15-5.30.”

The relatable spat shows a different side to the couple, whose marriage has survived its fair share of storms in the spotlight. Over the years, they have had to weather their share of personal hurdles and relationship ups and downs, yet they made it clear their partnership remains resilient.

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Later in the interview, the tables were turned on the football icon when he was asked to describe the real Coleen. Wayne couldn’t hide his admiration for the mother of his four boys, praising her for keeping the busy Rooney household running smoothly.

“Very caring, very efficient in terms of what she does for us as a family,” Wayne gushed. “She takes care of everything, which allows me to mess around a bit more with the kids.”

The pair also couldn’t resist a playful dig at each other’s sense of humour. Wayne cheekily claimed his wife doesn’t have one, declaring his own love for classic British comedy like Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses.

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The couple did admit they are currently enjoying a rare spell of peace, revealing they are on “a good run” and haven’t had a proper row in weeks. Though former England captain Wayne confessed that might just be down to his own survival tactic – keeping his mouth shut because he knows he stands no chance of winning.

“It’s more you shouting at me and me just taking it,” Wayne quipped, with Coleen confirming: “He goes quiet.”

Laying out his white flag, Wayne added: “I’m never going to win the argument. If I start arguing back, it will just continue, so I’m man enough to accept it; let her get it off her chest. I don’t think I’ve ever won an argument with her.”

The candid marital insights come ahead of their new Disney+ docuseries The Real Rooneys, which offers fans an unprecedented look into the private home life of Wayne, Coleen and their four sons – Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass.

The Real Rooneys (Episodes 1–8) launches on Disney+ on September 24.

The soft play has been a popular destination for children’s parties for the last few decades

A soft play that’s been popular for children’s parties for three decades is closing. Activity World in Peterborough has been a popular destination for birthday parties for years.

However, the soft play is set to close in March 2027 after 30 years. In a social media post, an Activity World spokesperson said: “You may have seen the announcement in the local press that the site is to close next year.

“Whilst the business has always remained profitable, the increased costs we are facing together with the Government legislation has made it very difficult to continue, so we have decided to call it a day.”

The soft play will stay open in order for people to “enjoy the facilities a few more times”. The spokesperson added: “We accept after 30 years the site could be viewed as tired, but we have tried hard to maintain a clean environment, which is difficult when you have thousands of children through your door each year.

“We have always tried to be very price competitive, so we remain around 30 per cent cheaper than our rivals, so if you would like to come along at some time we would love to see you.”

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Saturday Night Live UK targeted Ed Sheeran this weekend for his ‘fence-sitting’ on recent events.

The Shape of You singer, 35, has come under fire for his lukewarm response to rapper Macklemore being cut from his Loop tour.

The American rap artist, 43, was removed from Sheeran’s tour after opening at a New Jersey concert in early September.

‘A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine,’ he’d said, addressing the crowd.

After dedicating a song to pro-Palestinian protesters, he later went on to describe the ongoing situation as a ‘genocide,’ leading to criticism from pop star Pink, among other parties.

In the ensuing controversy, Sheeran has been criticised for his own cautious stance, failing to back up Macklemore after promoter Messina Touring Group cut him from the line-up.

With the furore still raging on – including a radio boycott and other acts (including Sheeran’s own backing band) now pulling out in solidarity with Macklemore – SNL has weighed in.

‘This week, the Israel/Palestine conflict just got serious,’ began segment presenter Ania Magliano.

‘Will Sheeran have to cancel the tour?’ she asked. ‘There’s a very real risk that he won’t.’

‘Genuinely though, this crisis is the worst thing that has happened to Ed Sheeran fans since their head injury.’

Magliano went on to explain how Macklemore had reportedly been dropped at the behest of billionaire stadium owner Robert Kraft, referencing a recent interview in which he said he’d dedicated most of his life to ‘building bridges.’

‘It’s going to break your heart when you find out who’s bombing those,’ she finished.

Co-host Paddy Young then picked up the ball to joke about how Jeffrey Epstein had ‘himself killed’ rather than be associated with Kraft’s 2019 solicitation case.

‘To his credit, Sheeran – seen here looking at both sides of the issue – has been a long-standing supporter of Ukraine,’ Young continued, taking a potshot at the singer’s lazy eye.

‘Say what you will about Ed, but he’s always been a passionate advocate of causes that are allowed,’ he finished.

The episode also featured an appearance from Sheeran himself – played by Annabel Marlow in its cold open.

‘I was just outside sitting on the fence,’ said Marlow’s Sheeran as he addressed King Charles III and an AI version of the late Princess Diana.

‘Thing is, Your Majesty, I don’t like to take sides. I don’t want to alienate any of my fans, humans or robots. A lot of my tickets are bought by scalping bots. You know, sometimes, when it comes to conflicts, the bravest thing you can do is to say nothing at all.’

As the episode aired, viewers took to X to register their shock at the brutal double beat-down.

This included DannyDeraney, who described it as ‘incredible,’ and StellarAvenger, who hailed the UK spin-off as ‘the cooler SNL.’

‘Sad that nothing in the US would dare to be this cutting,’ remarked jazzcupboard, while UpStartRadio called it ‘spicy, like the original SNL used to be.’

‘Holy s**t they got the assignment right with Ed Sheeran,’ said Loopluwu.

‘They’ve absolutely nailed it,’ wrote jake17watson, while BeckyTheStan credited the show for having ‘dragged Ed Sheeran so hard.’

‘That both sides joke was f*****g brutal along with ed sheeran fans having head injuries,’ remarked iamlokiodinson.

That same night, Sheeran himself took to the stage in Philadelphia, where he issued a tearful response to all that had happened.

‘I really didn’t know whether I’d be even getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all,’he said as he addressed the crowd.

‘In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly.’

He continued: ‘What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.

‘What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, children’s lives.

‘And the systemic injustice we are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked,’ he said, adding how ‘deeply worried’ he was that venues would start to ‘pre-approve’ artists and their content.