The astronomical beginning of autumn happens when the Sun passes directly over the Earth’s equator – we call this the Autumn Equinox. The date shifts slightly each year, and in 2026 it falls in September for the first time since 1931.

(Image: Amy Nolan-Podmore – Bolton News Camera Club)

On Wednesday 23 September, the Sun will cross the celestial equator at approximately 1:04am, marking the enchanting Autumn Equinox. During this Equinox, night and day are almost perfectly balanced, making that day, if not the time, for an autumn stroll.

The moorlands above Rivington and Belmont are the perfect places to capture the stunning Equinox light, offering the first glimpses of the golden and orange tones across the landscape.

A few days later, on Saturday 26 September, the Harvest Moon will peak at around 5:49pm. For several evenings afterwards, the Moon will rise just 20–30 minutes after sunset, compared to the usual 50 minutes. Farmers once relied on this quick moonrise to finish gathering their crops long after the Sun had gone down.

The Harvest Moon will it is said creates mystical reflections on the still water in Turton and Entwistle Reservoir, casting a magical glow over the evening walk.

Don’t miss these two charming walks this autumn!

Donald Trump‘s visit to the UN General Assembly will not be televised by the major US broadcasters on Monday as they band together to boycott his ban on CNN and MS NOW.

Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC, collectively known as the TV pool,  are protesting the White House and have decided to not dispatch cameramen or reporters to cover the president on Monday. 

This means that Trump’s trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting on Monday will go unaired on the major networks. 

Still, the conservative outlet Real America’s Voice (RAV) will be on hand to stream the event from the UN while local TV operator Hearst will cover the president’s White House events. 

Fox News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton, who serves as TV pool chair and is responsible for the logistics of presidential coverage, confirmed the decision to not send any TV news personnel to the UN in an email sent out on Monday morning. 

‘This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President,’ Boughton writes. 

‘This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.’

It is unclear when the major broadcasters will resume coverage of the president.  

TV broadcast tents at the White House were vacant on Monday after Trump banned some outlets from the residence

CNN was previously scheduled to serve as the TV pool crew on Monday, but that was before Trump banned that outlet, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. 

However, the official daily guidance sent out by the White House on Sunday stated that there would be no TV pool on Monday, leaving CNN’s rotation off the list. 

Trump has also threatened to take action against the New York Times and the Washington Post. 

Trump banned the outlets on Friday, calling them ‘fake news’ and lashing out at their critical coverage of his administration. 

‘It’s about basic fairness,’ Vice President JD Vance said of the ban on Monday.

‘They can still report. They still have the access to free speech. They’re just not going to get an office in the White House anymore.’

When reporters from the banned outlets appeared at the White House for work over the weekend, some had their press passes revoked. 

The major broadcasters coalesced around the banned outlets and issued a blistering statement against the president’s decision. 

CNN Senior White House Reporter Betsy Klein, right, departs after having her credential revoked on Saturday following President Donald Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, at the White House

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MS NOW White House Correspondent Vaughn Hillyard delivers a television report on a street corner outside the White House grounds on Monday after his outlet was banned 

‘The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,’ they said in a statement. ‘No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.’

When pressed for comment, the White House responded with a social media post from the president published earlier on Monday morning. 

‘The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,’ Trump wrote. ‘It is instituting an assault on the fake news, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America.’

‘It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, now!’ 

While CNN was banned from the White House, its reporters and crew still covered Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he opened the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, showing that the White House ban does not extend to other departments.  

The three media outlets Trump targeted, CNN, MS NOW and Politico, announced they would combat the administration in court over the ban. 

‘This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,’ they said in a statement released on Monday. 

‘Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,’ the statement continued.

‘Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.’

US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who Trump appointed in his first term, is presiding over the case and is on familiar legal ground. 

In 2018, he ordered the White House to restore CNN journalist Jim Acosta’s credentials after his press pass was pulled following a heated clash with Trump. 

The White House also published a cryptic social media post on Monday with a TV showing static with the caption: ‘Something’s coming. Stay tuned.’

Two giant memorials to a man dubbed the ‘Traveller King’ and his brother at a council-run cemetery have sparked fury – after the first was erected without planning permission. 

The latest nine-foot-high stone memorial marks the grave of Michael Collins and is situated just metres from a 37-ton, £200,000 marble headstone in memory of his bare-knuckle-boxer brother Willy Collins. 

Willy, described as the ‘King of Sheffield’, was buried in a 22-carat gold coffin in Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield, after collapsing and dying aged 49 in Majorca, Spain, in 2020. 

His gravesite broke planning rules, according to Sheffield City Council, sparking a row between the authorities and the Collins family. Willy’s widow Kathleen even threatened ‘war’ if the site was pulled down. 

But now, four years later, another huge marble headstone has appeared just metres away to remember Michael, who passed away aged 51 in December 2024. 

Images of the new structure show how white statues have been constructed on top of a black marble base, which features pictures of Coca-Cola bottles and inscriptions of heartfelt messages.

Willy’s memorial, including Irish flags, flowers and a large inscription reading ‘KING’, is situated only metres away in the distance. 

Dozens of locals in South Yorkshire have been left disgruntled since the newer memorial appeared, with one comparing it to ‘haunted crazy golf’. 

Michael, the brother of ‘Traveller King’ Willy Collins, passed away aged 51 in December 2024

His memorial is situated only metres from Willy’s (pictured left), which features inscriptions reading ‘KING’

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Michael is pictured in a life-sized structure at Shiregreen Cemetery

Many have also speculated that the site could have been erected without planning permission, though this is yet to have been clarified. 

‘It is there because the council did not take action against the first one,’ one resident complained. 

Another fumed: ‘So if they didn’t get permission the first time, why is this allowed? One rule for them because they don’t want any trouble and another rule for the rest of us.’ 

A different local added: ‘That’s wrong. A shrine that big should be in a private cemetery not a council one.’

‘They’re travellers that ruled the streets of Sheffield and made their own rules and laws they answered to no one and still don’t,’ another complained.  

Some residents have defended the headstone, saying it is a ‘beautiful place to remember their loved ones’.

The lavish nine-and-a-half-feet-tall memorial – which was built this month – includes two white life-size statues of Michael, a father-of-four. 

One stands as a centrepiece with what appears to be two large statues of Jesus Christ on either side. Behind him is a marble pint of Guinness, and depictions of a can of Guinness and a bottle of Budweiser.

The second is sat on a bench on the left side of the memorial next to a tribute and an image of the four Collins Brothers captioned ‘Sheffield Collins Brothers’, all four of whom have passed away. 

Willy’s gravesite, situated just in front of Michael’s, is pictured

Michael’s memorial features pictures of a Diet Coke as well as a working Bluetooth marble jukebox

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The lavish nine-and-a-half-feet-tall memorial – which was built this month – also includes two white life-size statues of the father-of-four

A number of heartfelt messages to Michael are engraved into the structure

The four Collins brothers – Michael, Willy, Terry and Anthony – are seen in a picture at the site

Terry Collins died aged 52 in September 2024, while Anthony was laid to rest aged 22 in 2002 after suffering fatal stab wounds in an incident at the Afro Caribbean Club on Spital Hill.

They are also buried in the cemetery.

To the right of the Michael memorial is a working Bluetooth marble jukebox bearing the words ‘Legend Michael Collins’ – alongside two Irish flags and a CD in a case, featuring a photograph of Michael at its centre.

Next to that is what appears to be a sculpture of a Ford Transit van and a tribute to Michael from his family.

A giant sculpture of a watch sitting on top of a chair is positioned to the left.

Paying tribute to Michael, one of his loved ones said: ‘He was a loving father, uncle, brother, husband and son and grandfather.

‘His brother was Willy Collins and is buried across from him. He lived in Sheffield throughout most of his life being part of the Sheffield Collins traveller family.

‘He was known as the true blue of Sheffield and one of a kind.’

At the time of his death Michael’s heartbroken daughter, Paris, said: ‘Dad was a loving family man.

‘He lived and died for his wife and children, and he absolutely doted on his little grandbaby. He thought the world of him.

‘My mum is absolutely heartbroken. They’d been together for 27 years and they did everything together.

‘My dad is in heaven now with his brother, Willy, sister-in-law, Josie, and Willy’s oldest daughter, Bonnie.’

Memorials such as the one erected in Sheffield require a permit to be built. 

Sheffield City Council has been approached for comment.

Presley Gerber died at age 27 of a suspected overdose according to a new report.

Presley’s famous family – which includes supermodel mom Cindy Crawford, businessman Rande Gerber, and model/actress sister Kaia Gerber – was informed that his death was the result of an apparent overdose according to TMZ on Monday.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for the Gerber family and has yet to hear back. 

Presley had been staying in a separate house on the grounds of the Los Angeles area rehab facility.  

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said that Presley died on Sunday at a rehab facility in a devastating end to a battle he had increasingly laid bare on social media. The Medical Examiner has not determined the official cause of death yet.

Now, the medical examiner’s office told People on Monday that an exam is scheduled for today as they released a statement which read: ‘The investigation is still ongoing and there is limited information available.

From left, Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, and Presley in March 2024

‘Death was pronounced at 09:45 hours on September 20, 2026, by responding paramedics. The Santa Monica Police Department is the investigating law enforcement agency.’

The model had been open about his decade-long struggle with drug addiction and mental health struggles. 

Earlier this year, he posted about having a ‘Pre-ibogaine flood dose’ at a Mexican treatment clinic – a single, high-dose administration of the naturally occurring psychoactive substance ibogaine.

Ibogaine is derived from an African shrub and is reported to help withdrawal symptoms. The high dose is designed to induce a profound ‘reset’.

Presley’s parents and his sister Kaia praised him for his ‘courage’ in response to his post about starting the treatment in March.

Crawford commented: ‘You are a warrior! Walked thru the fire to find yourself! So proud!’ while Kaia added: ‘That’s my brother I am so damn proud.’

And Rande wrote: ‘I’m so proud of you and your courage. Facing what’s hard takes real strength and watching you find your way back to yourself is everything. I love you so much.’ 

Ibogaine is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in the US but it is legal or permitted on prescription in countries such as Canada and Brazil while it is used in specialised clinics in Mexico.

Presley six months before his death, during his controversial treatment March in Mexico, which he said he was ‘absolutely terrified’ him as he attempted to overcome his addictions

Presley praised the Beond Ibogaine clinic in Cancun – where treatment starts at $12,500 for a ten-day programme – for its ‘incredible, caring, kind and on-their-s*** team’.

Presley said in a video caption: ‘I was absolutely terrified, and I knew I would be again if I ever had to face something like this (helps to not go into the situations you do that get ya there but that’s life sometimes.)

‘My mantras were love yourself and lis gotta be the last time for this reason. letting go of control didn’t come easy, but I trusted there was something bigger than me guiding it.

‘I knew why i was there. I faced what I had been running from, and somewhere in all of it, i started finding my way back to myself… We shall see… Praying it’s the last time I have to come back.

‘Next time I’d like to choose And absolutely can’t forget the incredible caring kind and on-their-s*** team. Helps a lot haha. And I made some dope ass friends there  #iboga #ibogaine #rewireyourbrain #loveyourself #mentalhealth.’

Beond Ibogaine commented on the post at the time, writing: ‘Thank you for sharing this so openly. We know how much courage that moment takes, and we’re really proud of you for facing it with so much honesty and heart. It was an honor to support you.’

Beond Ibogaine’s website states that ‘Ingesting a large enough dose induces a temporary psychedelic experience that can last several hours, normally with no significant side-effects.

‘For hundreds of years, indigenous African peoples… have ingested large doses of Ibogaine in its raw root bark form for its spiritual and healing properties.

In March, Presley posted about his experience at a Mexico treatment clinic, where he underwent a ‘Pre Ibogaine Flood Dose’

Admitting he was ‘absolutely terrified’ to go through the controversial treatment, which is illegal in the US, Presley was supported by his parents and sister Kaia Gerber for his ‘courage’

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‘Over the past 30 years, Ibogaine has been administered in various clinics around the world for medical treatment purposes, most often to treat drug dependence.’ 

Despite its ban, public figures including singer Melissa Etheridge – who lost her 21-year-old son Beckett to a fentanyl overdose in 2020 – and Khloe Kardashian’s ex husband Lamar Odom have endorsed Ibogaine’s benefits.

Last November, Presley revealed he had taken a step back from social media to ‘take care of my own mental health for a bit.’

One month later, he opened up about his personal life in a candid social media video. He started sharing ‘Mental Health Mondays’ videos on his Instagram. In one, he listed the medication he takes for ‘night terrors’ and ‘panic attacks.’

‘I feel like honesty is the best policy,’ he began. 

He also said his use of medication had been ‘fluctuating up and down depending on what’s been going on in my life.’ 

‘Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of loss in many different forms recently, so that is not an excuse, but it’s the reason why I am where I’m at now,’ he shared. 

He did not go into detail about the ‘loss’ he referenced, but went on to explain that he would experience panic attacks that were ‘really, really bad.’ 

In December, the media personality opened up about medication he is taking to aid in his struggles which include ‘night terrors’ and ‘panic attacks’

Last November, Presley was open with his mental health and told how he had taken a ‘step back’ to take care of himself

In one particularly bleak admission, he confessed he no longer even knew precisely how much of one medication he had been taking.

‘Who f***ing knows anymore,’ he said.

He acknowledged that navigating the advice he received from medical professionals could itself be frightening. 

He noted in the Instagram reel that ‘doctors say a lot of different things so it’s kind of scary. But hopefully between my research and their research and the world and God, we can finally figure this out.’

in July 2025, he spoke about bringing healthy habits into his life. He told about his upbringing noting how he grew up as a ‘very active’ child who would be playing sports including swimming, surfing and water polo.

It was when he started working that he said sports suddenly became less of a priority – and it took a toll on his mental health. 

‘The quality of life rapidly decreased.’ He said it took ’10 years’ to figure out that he needed to reconnect with physical activity again.

Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber and Presley Gerber are seen together in London in 2018

The tragedy cuts short the life of a model who had seemingly been destined to follow his famous mother into fashion from an early age. 

A spokesman for Crawford told the Daily Mail on Sunday, ‘The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.’ 

Presley started modeling at age 15 and was featured in campaigns for fashion labels such as Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein. 

Presley was signed to IMG models and appeared in a 2018 Pepsi ad with his mother.

He also struggled with mental health at a young age and was arrested for driving under the influence in 2019. 

His death comes just weeks after his younger sister Kaia Gerber, 25, opened up about the enormous toll her brother’s struggles had taken on their famous family – admitting the turmoil had effectively ‘leveled everyone.’ 

‘When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,’ she told Vogue.

Presley opened up about his personal struggles in a candid social media video last December, which Kaia called ‘refreshing’; pictured in January 

Kaia said her brother’s troubles made her want to be the ‘easy’ child; pictured in May with her family

Presley and Kaia during childhood

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The siblings are seen alongside their mom, Cindy Crawford, in August 2007

 Presley Gerber and Kaia Gerber watching the LA Lakers in February 2024

Presley had also talked about the lack of ‘direction’ he has from doctors when it comes to his medication. 

He spoke openly about feeling lost as he attempted to navigate his mental health problems – even revealing that he had seen 15 psychiatrists. 

He complained that doctors had given him an overwhelming array of medications but too little guidance about how to manage them. 

‘I’d like doctors to be like, “Take this three times a day.” But every psychiatrist I’ve had – and I’ve had 15 – are like, ‘Here’s 20 medications and take this if you feel like this, take this as needed.’

‘And I’m like, “No, don’t give me that much leeway.” I need some direction,’ he continued. 

Kaia revealed last month that watching her brother battle his problems led her to cast herself as the family’s ‘easy’ child and someone who did not want to add another burden for their parents. 

She explained, ‘I think that’s also why I started to self-​identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help. Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.’

But she also praised her brother’s willingness to strip away the secrecy surrounding his struggles.

She described his honesty and openness as ‘refreshing,’ contrasting it with the intensely private way their parents had traditionally handled family life.

‘My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything – and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, “I’m gonna be very human for everyone.” There’s only so much you can hide from the world,’ she said.

‘And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them,’ she noted.

Cindy Crawford’s son Presley had been candid in the past about his ‘scary’ mental health issues

Presley appeared to be particularly close with his parents and sister. He is seen with his father Rande Gerber, mother Cindy Crawford and sister Kaia 

This past May, Presley expressed gratitude for his father in a heartfelt Instagram post.

He shared a photograph of the pair paddle boarding together and paid an emotional tribute to the man he said had steadfastly supported him through his darkest periods. 

‘I have the best father in the world. He’s never given up on me. He’s always there for me. Always has the best advice for me. I appreciate this man more than words can explain. I love you pops. To more paddle boarding days around the world.’

His mother Crawford showed her support in the comments, writing, ‘My boys!’.

The father of two wrote, ‘I am honored [to] take this ride called life with you over and over any time. Sometimes we may fall but with a little help always get back up. I love you forever Prez.’

Presley was open about his mental health struggles noting how he had issues from ‘a very young age’ – and labeled it as ‘the ultimate pandemic.’

During an appearance on the Studio 22 podcast in 2023, Presley had shared, ‘It is such a big part of my life. It’s a 24/7 job, and there’s so much to it. 

Even while struggling himself, Presley said he hoped his experiences might ultimately allow him to help others facing their own battles. 

‘Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do,’ he said.

‘That is really what I want to do – help people, whether you’re depressed, you’re struggling with something that is having a negative effect on your body.

He added, ‘I’ve seen a lot of stuff and I’ve learned a lot of things. What I hope I can do is have made the mistakes for some other people, so they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I made.’ 

Carl Simmons, 51, and Kevin Smith, 42, are behind bars after booking flights and planning to sexually abuse young children overseas.

But NEROCU and Durham Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team arrested the pair before they could travel.

Simmons and Smith made their online arrangements to sexually abuse and rape children abroad, last autumn.

Both men used sexually explicit language, and Simmons sent sexual images of himself.

Carl Simmons jailed over plan to travel abroad to sexually abuse children

But they did not realise they were speaking to a police officer whose colleagues were closing in on them.

Simmons and Smith were arrested in October 2025 and charged with arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

They later pleaded guilty and were sentenced at Teesside Crown Court today (Monday September 21).

Simmons, of Tilery Close, Bowburn, near Durham, and Smith, of Grangefield Road, Stockton, were each sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

Kevin Smith also jailed over plan to fly abroad to abuse children

They were each also made subject of 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Georgina Lewis, said: “Both Simmons and Smith made their vile desires very clear, and their actions demonstrated the lengths they would go and the money they would pay to sexually abuse children.

“They’ll now face the consequences of their actions thanks to the hard work of officers.

“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of this type of offending, or has concerns about someone’s behaviour, to come forward and talk to police.

“Support is available and you can help safeguard other vulnerable children.”

Morrisons is to open the doors on one of its ‘daily’ stores on Deansgate in Bolton town centre on Friday, October 2.

The shop will sit beneath the Deansgate Gardens development, with the new store occupying a prominent stretch of ground-floor commercial space.

It is understood the Morrisons entrance to Deansgate Gardens along towards Max Spielmann, taking up a newly created space.

The opening will add another food shopping option to Deansgate and comes little more than a year after the first residents began moving into the £35m Deansgate Gardens development.

The Placefirst scheme brought 167 rental homes into the heart of Bolton, with a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments and townhouses opposite the former Beales department store.

The Morrisons store will be located beneath the Deansgate Gardens development in Bolton. (Image: NQ)

Plans for the development had also included ground-floor commercial spaces alongside its new homes, rooftop terraces, gardens and public areas.

The arrival of Morrisons would therefore represent another step in bringing the commercial element of the development into use alongside its residential accommodation.

It will also bring a smaller supermarket format into the heart of the shopping area, where many of the major grocery stores serving the town centre are larger supermarkets.

The new Morrisons is expected to open close to the entrance to Deansgate Gardens. (Image: NQ)

Morrisons already operates its larger supermarket off Black Horse Street, while Sainsbury’s has a supermarket on Trinity Street.

The new shop will instead provide a smaller retail option on Deansgate, putting it close to existing shops and businesses as well as the growing residential population in the centre.

Bolton Council has previously said bringing more people into the town centre is intended to support the local economy, attract businesses and create a more vibrant environment.

Ground-floor commercial space formed part of the plans for the £35m Deansgate Gardens development. (Image: NQ)

Deansgate Gardens itself forms part of the wider town-centre regeneration programme and was built on land which had previously included a surface car park and a number of buildings.

The Morrisons Daily is understood to be due to open on October 2.

Morrisons has been contacted for further details about the new store and its opening.

Man United rounded off their first five Premier League fixtures of the season with a late 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage

Manchester United rounded off their opening five Premier League matches of the season with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Fulham. It was a tepid performance against a side yet to win in the top flight this campaign. Before the game, there was hope, rather than expectation, that United would come out firing on Sunday.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford turned sour in midweek following the Brighton debacle. “What the f****** hell was that,” was the response from the Stretford End as United chucked away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 in the Carabao Cup.

Those jeers were echoed in the second half at Craven Cottage when Kobbie Mainoo, one of United’s better players on the day, was replaced by Mason Mount as they searched for an equaliser. Post-match, Michael Carrick was asked what his message to supporters was after an underwhelming start to the season. “It’s still a big season ahead, to be fair,” he responded.

“It’s a long season, you’re going to have spells through a season. That’s part of the journey through a season. It’s not a sprint, it’s a long effort.

“Of course, I’m not playing it down, we wanted more points from it. So I’m not saying everything’s great. I understand the frustration, of course I do, because we wanted to be better and we wanted to do other things.

“But deflation, I think, is certainly not what we have within the club and within the group. The players didn’t have that on the pitch today and that’s what will carry us through the season, without doubt.” Last week, insisting the campaign is a marathon, not a sprint – or words to that effect – became Carrick’s catchphrase. Unfortunately that won’t wash for many fans.

United have a measly total of five points from their opening five games. Everton and Fulham away, plus Manchester City at home last season, provided seven points for the Reds. This season, they have resulted in two.

Last term the Reds also secured four points against play off winners Sunderland away and the Championship’s second place Burnley at home. This time around United lost to Championship play off winners Hull City but did beat second place Ipswich Town.

So Carrick’s side are already six points worse off compared to last season, and the Reds have arguably had an easier run. Sunderland had established themselves as European contenders by the time United played them in May, and Carrick made changes for that game, having already secured a Champions League spot.

The game against Hull should have at least matched that result, even if the Tigers have taken many by surprise so far but the really concerning factor is the like-for-like results against the established Premier League clubs.

Everton, City and Fulham were all weaker, for different reasons, when United played them this campaign. The Toffees had just come into the match off the back of a disastrous end to the transfer window, City were down to 10 men for three quarters of the derby and Alvaro Arbeloa’s side are not as good as the one Marco Silva had assembled at Craven Cottage.

The season is not decided after five Premier League games, but United are already up against it. If they want to be challenging for titles and the Champions League places they should have been eyeing a double figure return from what was a kind start to the campaign.

United’s matchgoing supporters are already showing signs of impatience. And a three-week break before the next game will only amplify that discontent.

These are your evening rugby headlines on Monday, September 21.

Tiatia in contract talks

Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia is reportedly in advanced talks with the region over a contract extension, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Former All Blacks backrower and Ospreys legend Tiatia joined the Dragons in the summer of 2024 as defence coach, but was later promoted to become interim boss following the departure of head coach Dai Flanagan.

His role was made permanent in February last year and, having endured a difficult first season, oversaw significant progress in the last campaign, with the Rodney Parade side ending the URC season with three wins and four draws to their name.

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Dragons chief executive Rhys Blumberg has made it clear that the region are keen to keep hold of Tiatia beyond the end of the 2026/27 campaign, with talks taking place this month.

“We’d love to lock Filo in and back him for a long-term future at the Dragons,” Blumberg told the BBC. “He has definitely got an appetite to stay and we have an appetite to keep him.

“We will work through that over the next month or so to get something done.”

On the impact the New Zealander has had during his time at Rodney Parade, the CEO said of last season: “We finished 15th but there was progress with 19 more league points and getting to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.

“We really improved and Filo deserves real credit for how much belief he instills in people – that is his superpower. He is a mentor for the players and gets them to believe they are good enough to compete with anybody.”

England star out of World Cup

Former England and British & Irish Lions prop Kyle Sinckler has closed the door on a sensational Test rugby comeback at next year’s World Cup after agreeing a contract extension with Toulon.

The 33-year-old has 68 caps for England and represented them at two World Cups, but has been ineligible for international selection ever since joining the French giants in 2024.

Sinckler, who entered the final year of his contract in July, had been strongly linked with a return to English rugby in recent months, with Newcastle Red Bulls, Exeter Chiefs and former club Harlequins among those interested in services.

A move back home would have put him in contention for a shock international comeback, amid suggestions that he could force his way into the frame for next year’s World Cup in Australia.

However, he will remain unavailable for selection by Steve Borthwick until he’s 35 at least, after agreeing a two-year contract extension with the Stade Mayol club.

It comes after the two-time Lions tourist admitted that he had fallen back in love with rugby during his time in France, particularly in regard to the scrum.

“In France, there is more pressure in the connections,” he told Equipe. “I have to adapt to it. The spirit of the scrum is very different here. From the commands ‘flexion’, ‘liez, and ‘jouer’.

“If I switch early, too hard, I risk arriving at the end of the race at impact, devoid of power. I am still in the adjustment phase. In Toulon, the scrum is a story of life and death. It’s exhilarating.

“In England, we are more analytical,” Sinckler added. “Here, the scrum, we put emotions into it. It’s a whole city and a region that vibrates. In Toulon you feel like a gladiator. I love it!”

Gatland heading back to Wales

Former national team head coach Warren Gatland is heading back to Wales – for a Q&A evening with broadcaster Phil Steele.

The New Zealander has been largely out of rugby since stepping down from his position as Wales boss in the middle of last year’s Six Nations 18 months ago, but is eyeing a return to the game ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup.

On November 15, he will be heading to Abercwmboi RFC for an evening of “fascinating rugby stories, insight and entertainment”, with the floor set to be opened up to fans for a live Q&A.

Supporters will be hoping to hear about the highs and lows of Gatland’s two very different stints with Wales, as well as some insight into the big issues currently facing the Welsh game.

The event starts at 6pm, with individual tickets available for £35.

Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.

A body language expert has spotted a revealing finger gesture used byPrincess Diana’s brother during his interview on Sunday evening.

Earl Spencer used a conversation with the BBC to repeat his incendiary allegations that King Charles sounded ‘giddy’ after Diana’s death, and told him ‘Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough’.

He was also defending his memoir after Buckingham Palace’s blistering statement that ‘the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory’.

Body language pro Judi James said the Earl repeatedly used a crucial ‘pinch’ gesture ‘between his index finger and thumb’ known as the ‘precision pinch’.

She told Metro: ‘This is a gesture that implies accuracy of detail and he even uses it as a baton gesture at one point to appear to convey the message that he is being forensically accurate in what he says.’

He uses the motion when he is challenged about his claim that then Prince Charles was ‘giddily elated like a lottery winner’ after Diana’s car crash death in 1997.

Pinching his fingers, the Earl says: ‘Every word I report exactly as I saw it and felt it at the time’.

According to Judi James, another crucial body language tell the Earl uses it that he ‘tends to relate the events he writes about by partially “living” them.’

This includes miming picking up the phone when he talking about taking the two phone calls from Charles after Diana’s death.

The miming and ‘precision pinch’ gestures combine forces later in the interview when he is asked about his claim that Charles told him ‘Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough’ after a row over the funeral.

The Earl told Laura Kuenssberg: ‘After a stunned silence, I said you cannot believe you just said that, and I hang up on him.’

As he tells the BBC host that, Princess Diana’s brother pinches his fingers before imitating hanging up the phone with his hands.

James told Metro: ‘His delivery of his conversations with Charles also comes with that style of reliving the incident, complete with an upwardly pointed index finger and the precision pinch gesture before he mimes hanging up the phone.’

The expert does stress that ‘body language cannot define between truth and lie.’

However she added: ‘But Spencer appears happy to “bare all” visually here in terms of his eye expression and open body posture.’

James also said his ‘over his display [in the interview] is generally congruent’.

She continued: ‘When he does show emotion openly as his eyes fill with tears at the thought of his happy childhood with Diana, the sadness does look authentic as we see close-up his eyes slowly redden and moisten and hear his voice crumble and break.’

The explosive interview also saw the Earl reveal that the revelations in his book ‘will not be a surprise’ to William and Harry.

He also recounted the night he got the call from his sister Lady Jane Fellowes, who said Princess Diana had been in a crash but ‘it’s not too serious’.

But as he looked for updates he got more distressing news from his sister.

‘And then my sister Jane said, “I’m afraid she’s died.” It started… as a little prang, and then it became a broken leg, perhaps a head injury, and then death.’

He explained Diana rang up her brother to tell him the reason she was getting divorced, telling him: ‘My husband is in love with his valet’.

‘I told her, “I do worry that the public will really be, in a way, angry with you for killing the fairy tale that they’ve all subscribed to”, and those are the words she said to me.’

Spencer even hinted there could be more Royal family secrets which have been ‘left unsaid.’

BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg asked him: ‘Maybe some family secrets are better left unsaid.’

He replied: ‘They certainly are, and they have been left unsaid.’

But will it be Earl Spencer who will spill the beans? He claims: ‘Nope, that’s it. That’s me done.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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MORE: Prince William and Harry ‘will not be surprised’ by Diana revelations

MORE: Royal Family LIVE: Diana claimed she was getting divorced because Charles ‘was in love with his valet’

Lewis Ross, 35, was part of a group arrested by Border Force officers in August 2024 at Birmingham Airport who plotted to bring £13.8M into the UK.

More than two years on, he was brought to learn his fate before Birmingham Crown Court with three other men.

Several other people involved in the plot, many of them much younger, are still waiting to learn their fates.

Head of Border Force Midlands Command Adam Chatfield said: “These convictions should be a stark warning to anyone considering bringing cannabis into the UK.

“The young people involved now have a serious crime on their records, damaging their job prospects and life chances.

“More than ever, we are working closely with law enforcement partners in the UK and overseas to combat drug smuggling, keep our communities safe and our borders secure.”

The court heard that the couriers each had two suitcases which were both packed with 20kg of cannabis, which amounted to 460kg in total.

Lewis Ross caught on camera (Image: NCA)

Lewis is believed to have carried 41kg of this through the airport.

The couriers had to pay an excess charge at Bangkok Airport to put them in the hold as they were so heavy.

Each suitcase had a thin layer of clothing above the vacuum-packed cannabis, and eight contained Apple Air Tag trackers.

Some of the cannabis that was seized (Image: NCA)

National Crime Agency investigators identified that these were connected to the same Apple ID account.

Suspicions were raised when Border Force linked the seizures to other travellers using connecting flights into Birmingham.

This prompted them to fully staff the ‘nothing to declare’ customs green channel which led them to find the cannabis.

Huge amounts of cannabis were involved (Image: NCA)

One courier was told: “My man gonna be on the other side – don’t leave the airport until you see him leave.

“Even if your bags are there just let them go round on the belt, go toilet etc. etc.”

Ross, of Rupert Street, Great Lever, was brought back to court to be sentenced for being knowingly concerned in evading the prohibition on the importation of cannabis.

Some of the cannabis that was seized (Image: NCA)

He was jailed for two years and eight months.

Alongside him in court were Carsten Kyei, 21, of Denmark Street, Newham, Bradley Lloyd, 27, of Wythenshawe, Manchester, and Nathan Vitorino, 26, of Little Hardings, Welwyn Garden City.

They had also been convicted of being concerned in evading the prohibition on the importation of cannabis.

Ross and Lloyd had both changed their pleas to guilty during the trial, while Kyei and Vitorino were both convicted by a jury.

Kyei was jailed for two and a half years, Lloyd for four years and Vitorino for two years and eight months.

NCA senior investigating officer Paul Boniface said: “These sentences show that drugs couriers can end up paying a high price for smuggling cannabis to the UK.

“It is simply not worth the effort, something that social media influencers promoting this lifestyle frequently overlook.

“With the help of Border Force, we were able to intercept these drugs, deprive the criminal network behind the importation of considerable profits and protect the public from the damaging effects of cannabis.”

Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, of Stour Road, Dagenham, Ryan Boachie, 32, of Hendon Road, Edmonton, Jamal Clarke, 22, of the Mile Road, Walthamstow, will be sentenced later.

There is also Claire McCullough, 36, of Meliden Crescent, Wythenshawe, Jaden Ramen, 23, of Myrna Close, Colliers Wood, Paige Crisp, 24, of Pear Tree Drive, Broom Hall, and Tasia Nelson, 22, of Cheviot Road, Newquay.

All are due to be sentenced for being concerned in evading the prohibition on the importation of cannabis on October 22.

Victoria Norman from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Working with investigators, prosecutors pieced together a picture of a highly co-ordinated effort to smuggle industrial quantities of drugs into the country.

“Ultimately, this strong evidence led to six of the group pleading guilty, with the remainder convicted following a trial.

“The CPS is committed to working with the NCA to tackle organised crime and ensure that those involved with drug smuggling are brought to justice.”