Earl Spencer will ultimately be remembered by the passionate eulogy he delivered at Diana’s funeral in Westminster Abbey.

He reveals how he had pretended to have lost his copy of his speech at the rehearsal, so no one could hear it in advance and try to tone down his stinging criticism of the press and the royals.

After the hounding of Diana by the paparazzi, he says he personally rang tabloid newspaper editors to disinvite them from the Abbey funeral, after their invitations had already been sent out.

She was buried on an island in the Spencers’ Althorp estate, rather than a graveyard – and the book describes how a bishop was brought to consecrate the ground to make it possible.

Much of the interest in this book has been driven by its settling of old scores with the Royal Family. It can feel like medieval barons jousting.

References to King Charles are almost all negative, including the suggestion that he was jealous of his wife’s public popularity.

The book reports a conversation in which it’s claimed the then-Prince Charles complained: “I mean, I’m 43,’ he said, ‘and I employ fifty people’ – he was flushed in the face now – ‘but my parents insist on treating me like – like a child!’”

The King is portrayed as resentful, with a “senior courtier” reporting an alleged comment by the late Queen: “He even resented it when I taught him the alphabet.”

There’s a bizarre account of discussions in the Royal Family about whether the then-Prince Charles’s ears should have been pinned back.

And there’s the allegation that Diana had said the King was in love with his valet, which the author himself says seemed improbable.

What comes across is how close the Spencers were to the royals – but without being friends.

Charles and Diana Spencer went to the same children’s parties as the young royals.

The royals are depicted as the type of children who come round, break your toys and then disappear, in what might be an extended metaphor for how he saw Diana’s story.

There’s also a story about a teenage Prince Andrew smirking in a church service because the priest used the word “womb”.

Speaking to reporters travelling with him on the way to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Burnham linked cost of living pressures to the decision.

“I go back to the point I made about cost-of-living pressures and acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region,” he said.

“Because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attacks, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways open, and hence our agreement to the request.”

Shipping routes through the Red Sea are a vital artery of the world economy.

The Houthis recently seized control of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island, a gateway to the Red Sea – a key shipping route used by Saudi Arabia.

In a BBC interview last week, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte hinted that European support for Saudi Arabia was likely.

He said: “I would not be surprised if some phone calls were taking place between European allies, ‘hey, how are we going to deal with this?’.

“Let’s see what happens, and if Nato can help, we will always be helpful.”

Energy Minister Martin McCluskey last week told MPs that the UK was “providing air defence support” to Saudi Arabia through the defence partnership that they have, although would not be drawn on questions of operational military activity.

In January 2024, the UK joined the US in launching air strikes against Houthi targets across Yemen.

Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK “acted in self-defence” following the Houthis’ targeting of ships, including a Royal Navy warship.

He also said the strikes were “necessary, proportionate, and targeted” to protect lives and commercial shipping.

Further joint air strikes from the UK and US followed in 2024, external.

Flights have been ‘paused’ into Philadelphia, Teterboro and Newark

Air passengers in the US are confronting severe travel disruption today as inbound flights to three major airports have been halted following a major equipment outage.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that services into Philadelphia International, Teterboro, and Newark Liberty International are affected, resulting in widespread delays and cancellations. A ground stop was enacted around 10:00 am EDT (3:00 pm BST) until at least 12:45 pm EDT (5:45 pm BST), leaving dozens of aircraft stranded on runways awaiting departure clearance.

An FAA spokesperson explained that inbound flights were paused due to frequency communication issues at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), the facility responsible for managing regional air traffic using radar and radio systems, reports The Express.

According to the FAA website, departures from both Newark and Philadelphia are facing delays of up to 150 minutes. Flightradar24 tracking data shows numerous planes waiting on tarmac areas, while several incoming flights have been forced to divert to alternative destinations.

Authorities have not yet provided an explanation for the technical failure, and it remains uncertain how long operations will take to fully recover.

Passengers due to fly today are being urged to contact their airline regarding its flight status. A spokesperson for Newark Airport said: “Due to an FAA equipment outage, arrivals and departures are currently delayed at EWR. Please contact your airline for flight status.”

Frustrated passengers caught out by the latest air traffic technical glitch have been stuck for hours at UK airports and on planes.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled across airports in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, affecting holiday and work plans for thousands of people.

The latest bout of disruption was due to a ‘technical issue’ affecting the National Air Traffic Services (Nats), the main provider for UK airports, less than two weeks after a similar incident affected around 2,000 flights.

One passenger who has spent all day travelling but is still halfway to his destination is Peter Allison, 39, from Edinburgh.

The director of Woven Whisky was scheduled to fly out from Edinburgh Airport to Bordeaux via Gatwick for a two-day work conference, which he has now missed half of.

Shortly after boarding his 8.15am flight, the passengers were told there was a three-hour delay.

He told Metro: ‘We couldn’t believe it. It sounded like a joke, like we had literally just sat down.’

After waiting for a while, the doors were opened and passengers were told they could disembark, but if they did, they would ‘forfeit any compensation or ability to get back on if and when the plane does leave,’ Peter said.

He continued: ‘People were very frustrated. Hot. Bothered. Kids crying, people getting anxious etc. It was pretty bad.’

Updates from the captain were ‘sporadic and hard to follow’ due to ‘plane jargon and what sounded like excuses,’ while the crew were ‘pretty bad at communicating too’, he claimed.

He was left £100 out of pocket after buying new tickets for a connecting flight to Bordeaux, which has since been delayed until about 9pm.

When asked what he would tell Nats bosses, Peter said: ‘We all have to learn from times we’ve messed up.

‘You messed up a few weeks ago, and it’s happened again. Someone needs to a. figure it out, and b. get their knuckles wrapped.

‘It’s us, the travellers who are having to deal with it. And it’s not very nice on anyone. People rely on you providing dependable services. So sort it out.’

Meanwhile, Finlay Mattheis, 22, from Goole, has spent more than 12 hours at Leeds-Bradford Airport.

The chef’s Ryanair flight to Bratislava, Slovakia, scheduled to leave at 7.55am was delayed until 9.35pm.

He told Metro: ‘I’m only off for three nights as the flights were really cheap and I had intended to go and watch a football game tonight, but obviously that plan has died a death.’ 

When he heard that the flight had been pushed back until later tonight, he thought about going home to wait before finding out he could ‘leave the airport but not come back on the same boarding pass despite only living 50 minutes away.’  

He said his flight was one of the worst affected, with many others being held back for ‘only one or two hours.’  

Disrupted passengers are unlikely to get compensation, the Civil Aviation Authority warned.

This is because technical issues are considered an extraordinary circumstance, which is out of the airlines’ control – as was the case with the disruption earlier this month.

However, airlines are required to look after passengers during delays such as handing out food and drinks.

Several airlines have criticised the air traffic provider, and Ryanair’s chief operating officer, Neal McMahon, called for the Nats boss Martin Rolfe to resign.

While flights in the UK were resuming normal operations, US airports suffered an air traffic control issue, causing ground delays and disruption at many of the country’s busiest airfields.

Affected airports include New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports, New Jersey’s Newark Airport, Boston’s Logan International, and Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia International Airport.

US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut into a fiber line in New Jersey, which caused the outage and forced flights to halt across the northeast.

So far, 183 flights have reportedly been axed, and 197 are delayed.

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

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: British Airways launch flight to ‘bucket list’ country after 13 years

MORE: Man duct-taped on flight after mid-air outburst ‘can’t remember what happened’

MORE: British Airways confirms suspended flight route won’t resume for another year

The death of Presley Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s only son, is being investigated as an overdose, police said Monday.

Gerber, the eldest son of Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died September 20 at a rehab facility in Los Angeles, according to the county’s medical examiner. He was 27.

A representative for Presley’s parents and his younger sister, 25-year-old Kaia Gerber, confirmed the death and told The Independent in a statement: “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”

Santa Monica police were called to the facility at around 9:35 a.m. Sunday, investigators told The Independent in a statement. Officers found Gerber dead at the scene.

“SMPD detectives are investigating the death as a suspected overdose,” officials said. “At this time, there is no indication of foul play.”

His official cause of death has yet to be disclosed by the Los Angeles County medical examiner. The Independent has reached out to the office for comment.

Gerber was a fashion model who worked with brands including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein.

He was open about his struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues in the years before his death.

In March, Presley posted a video of himself using experimental drug Ibogaine in a drug withdrawal treatment called pre Ibogaine Flood Dose. The psychedelic drug is illegal in the U.S., but Presley was undergoing the treatment in Cancun, Mexico.

He captioned the post, in part, “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,” he wrote. “Praying it’s the last time I have to come back. Next time I’d like to choose.”

If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.

In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.

A 28-year-old woman was reportedly assaulted in the city centre

Officers are looking to speak with a woman in connection with an assault on one of Cardiff’s most famous streets.

South Wales Police has launched an appeal for information following an assault against a 28-year-old woman in Caroline Street in the city centre.

The police force has shared what appears to be a CCTV image of a woman they are interested in speaking to.

South Wales Police said: “Recognise this woman? We need to speak to her in connection with an assault on a 28-year-old woman in Caroline Street, Cardiff city centre.

“Anyone who recognises her or the individual herself is asked to contact us quoting 2500395189.”

The police force can be contacted by calling 101, via its live chat platform by clicking here, or via an online form by clicking here. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here

Alternatively information can also be given via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or its online form by clicking here.

Always call 999 in an emergency.

Caroline Street, also known as Chippy Lane or Chip Alley, is one of Cardiff’s most famous streets.

It’s known for its array of takeaways which attract revellers after a night out.

Get Cardiff news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions, and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.

The 22-year-old first became a household name alongside parents Amanda Owen and Clive Owen on Our Yorkshire Farm, before going on to front his own successful Channel 5 series, Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales.

What has Reuben Owen said about his future on screen?

The Owen family from Our Yorkshire Farm and Our Farm Next Door (Image: CHANNEL4)

Since the original programme ended, Reuben has emerged as the Owen family’s breakout star while building his contracting and excavation business in the Yorkshire Dales.

Despite his growing profile, Reuben insists television is not his future.

In an interview with the Telegraph in 2025, Reuben said: “I don’t want a career on television; I want to be known as the guy who digs big holes; my current ambition is to buy a 50-ton excavator. Now that really would be the realisation of a dream.

“I think the next thing we need to think about is getting somewhere a bit better to keep all these machines, and hopefully somewhere for me to live as well.

“That’s the dream next. Get myself a yard and a house. We’ll have to see what the future holds.”

Reuben Owen’s television journey

(Left to right) Violet, Clemmy, Reuben, Sidney, Annas, Edith, Miles, Nancy, and Raven starring in the More4 series Our Farm Next Door (Image: Channel 4/PA Wire)

Reuben first appeared on Our Yorkshire Farm, the Channel 5 series that followed life at the Owen family’s remote hill farm in the Yorkshire Dales.

After the show wrapped up in 2022, he moved into his first spin-off, Beyond the Yorkshire Farm: Reuben & Clive, alongside his dad, Clive Owen, documenting the pair working on various projects across the countryside.

His television career then took another step forward when he was handed his own Channel 5 programme, Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales in 2024, charting the growth of his contracting business and life working in rural Yorkshire.

In May, Channel 5 premiered the third series of Life in the Dales, following Reuben, girlfriend Jess and the wider team through a range of agricultural projects.

Will he return to TV screens?

Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales (Image: CHANNEL 5)

Despite insisting he does not want to become a television personality, Reuben shows no sign of leaving the cameras behind just yet.

While Channel 5 has yet to reveal whether Life in the Dales will return for a fourth season, reports suggest Reuben has already lined up another television role outside the programme.

While details are still under wraps, the role highlights broadcasters’ continued interest in working with the young contractor.

Reuben Owen (Image: CHANNEL 4)

The 22-year-old also continues to feature in Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids, which follows the family’s restoration of the neighbouring property known as Anty John’s.

Reuben has made it clear that farming and machinery work, rather than life in the spotlight, remain at the heart of his future.

He has also said he wants to keep farming and values it even more after spending less time on the family farm.