Fans in New Orleans celebrated Dolly Parton Day, declared in honor of the late country music icon, on Sept. 25. There was music, colorful tributes and plenty of Dolly-inspired style, as they joined communities around the country in honoring the widely beloved Parton.

___

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

The ex-bodyguard to the leader of Hamas ‘won UK asylum and citizenship’ before allegedly plotting a terror attack against Jewish people in Europe.

Mr X, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was allegedly awarded refugee status in Britain in 2015 despite having worked in the personal security detail of Ismail Haniyeh, then the Hamas leader in Gaza.

He had also allegedly been detained by authorities in Egypt for overseeing a tunnel used for smuggling guns and gold into Gaza.

Mr X, a married father in his forties, now faces extradition to Germany over accusations of orchestrating a terror plot against Israeli diplomats, pro-Israel demonstrations and the Jewish community there or in Austria in October 2025.

The alleged planned attacks were apparently intended to roughly coincide with the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks which claimed the lives of around 1,200 people.

He also faces trial in the UK over a separate criminal case. If he is convicted, he will receive a custodial sentence before being extradited to Germany on charges of procuring arms for Hamas.

National Crime Agency officers swooped to arrest the alleged former Hamas chief in central London last November after reports of the plotted attack reached Mossad and Germany’s intelligence and security forces.

Berlin officials worked with diplomatic partners, including the UK, to seize seven suspects and weapons including an AK-47 rifle.

The German indictment, first obtained by German newspaper Bild, also reveals that Mr X – who remains in custody in Britain – is accused of bringing weapons to a Vienna storage facility.

The alleged former Hamas bodyguard also pre-recorded a clip positioning himself in front of a Hamas flag, while armed and masked, and claiming the planned attack was a form of retribution on behalf of the Ezzidine al-Qassam Brigades, the group’s military wing, the indictment adds.

The indictment also claims he transported five pistols, ammunition, woollen hats, neck warmers and gloves from Berlin last July and dropped them off in a hired storage site in Vienna.

Mr X was described as an ‘essential’ figure in the plot by a law enforcement source, The Sunday Times reports.

He still cannot be named despite suggestions the terror attack plans were among the most severe in Germany’s recent history, after his lawyer argued identifying him would prejudice a separate criminal case set for trial in the UK.

Sources suggest Mr X was first part of Haniyeh’s security force at the time of Hamas’s emphatic victory in Palestine’s legislative elections.

Haniyeh was in power in Gaza in the decade after Hamas won a civil war with its rival Fatah and seized the strip. 

Mr X was at some point between 2009 and 2012 detained by Egyptian officials for operating a gun-smuggling tunnel.

He left Gaza in 2012 and had arrived in Britain by 2015, joining fellow leaders of Hamas and its forebear the Muslim Brotherhood.

A Theresa May-run Home Office granted the alleged former Hamas security official asylum, although it is unknown how much mandarins knew about his alleged role in the inner workings of the terror group.

He was later handed citizenship and moved into a home in the suburbs surrounding an English city with his wife and children.

The father has used two properties in the same English city in recent years but does not own either of them.

Mr X changed his name at least once, according to sources, with Companies House records showing UK entities incorporated under several identities.

He left positive reviews for local businesses under a Google Maps account as recently as two years ago – all while attending protests outside the Israeli embassy. 

Online pictures show him standing alongside Haniyeh, including one where he escorts the Hamas leader in Gaza through a throng of supporters holding Kalashnikovs.

Haniyeh was assassinated by Mossad in Tehran in July 2024, just months after the October 7 attacks.

As a vocal spokesperson and intermediary for Hamas on the world stage, Haniyeh had described the October 7 attacks as ‘an earthquake that struck the heart of the Zionist entity’ and vowed to continue the fight to ‘liberate… all our land’.

But for years, the ‘overall leader’ of Hamas had lived a life of luxury outside of Gaza, drawing the ire of many Gazans who felt he had become ‘out of touch’ after rising to the top of Hamas’ political structure in its early years in power.

As he decried poverty in the beleaguered Gaza Strip, Haniyeh became the wealthiest of Hamas’ leaders, jetting between five-star hotels in Doha and Istanbul while Hamas siphoned millions in international aid for military use.

Mr X, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was allegedly awarded refugee status despite working in the security detail of Ismail Haniyeh, then Hamas leader in Gaza, pictured in 2021

Police found Mr X’s pre-recorded video while raiding a property and it is believed the clip was filmed in Vienna.

Seven others were last year arrested over the alleged planned attack including two German citizens, one Dane, one Bulgarian and three Lebanese suspects.

A German intelligence asset, who allegedly went rogue, is alleged to have been a co-conspirator of the plotted terror attack.

The Daily Mail has approached the Home Office for comment. 

With the average age of gamers edging towards 40, a reader doesn’t understand why publishers are so fixated on appealing to younger fans.

Being a father of two I know all too much about what kind of things kids enjoy and I can tell you it has very little in common with what I liked as a kid. My oldest is 10 now and between YouTube, Minecraft, and Roblox I barely see any worth in anything they like. Minecraft is good in theory, since they’re making things themselves, but most of the time they just seem to mess around and use it as an excuse to talk to their friends online. The fact that it’s a game barely ever seems to come into.

Now, as parents, we’re pretty strict about how much time they spend on anything, and how they use things like Roblox and YouTube, but we try not to be too controlling and know fine well that they do all these things when they’re round friends’ houses, so there’s only so much control you’ve got anyway.

As a father I’ve tried to get my kids interested in traditional console and PC games, but it’s never really taken. Sometimes something will catch their eye for a while – they both really liked Pikmin 4 for some reason – but always it’s a distraction and never a long-term interest.

Speaking to other parents, this seem to be commonplace and if they are interested in other games other than the big two it’s always mobile trash, but my two don’t even really care about that. Although the oldest is starting to get more into Fortnite. Obviously, I’m just talking about the people around me but we often hear about how kids aren’t interested in traditional games, and so I don’t feel my situation is particularly unusual for here or anywhere in the West.

The sad fact is, kids don’t seem interested in normal video games. Maybe they’ll get into them at some point but if there is a magic age that they will nobody I know has witnessed it. If they get into gaming when they’re in their 20s then great, but then they’re not kids anymore.

I feel there’s two things to do in this situation: either make a lot more games appealing to kids or just give up entirely and focus on adults. I would honestly probably prefer the first option, but I can’t see it ever happening. Most publishers, including Sony and Microsoft, gave up making games aimed at kids years and years ago, which is no doubt one of the main reasons we’ve got the situation we have today.

Sony suddenly remembering that kids are a thing that exists every five years or so (Astro Bot was great!) isn’t going to change anything and I think the problem is that because games are so expensive to make, they can’t risk making something that’s only going to appeal to under-15s or lower.

Everything they do implies they’ve given up on the kids’ market, which makes me wonder who video games are even for anymore? They’re all marketed as if they’re aimed at a late teen/early 20s audience but the last thing I saw put the average age of gamers at 37 and getting older all the time. If that’s your audience, why don’t you lean into it more?

I’m not surprised something like Star Wars Zero Company did better than expected, because Star Wars and strategy games are two things middle age people are much more likely to enjoy than younger gamers. So are graphic adventures, computer role-players, 3D platformers, rhythm action games, rail shooters, and whatever other dead genre you happen to like but which nowadays are only made by indie developers – if at all.

This is why older gamers get frustrated when publishers, especially Sony, waste all their time and money on live service games, because we know they probably won’t work out. And a large part is that they’re aiming themselves at a youth market that just isn’t there.

Younger people aren’t sitting around all day trying out different live service games to see if they like them, just because they play Fortnite. They’ve already got what they want out of gaming, and they’re not interested in going any further.

Sometimes I think the reason publishers don’t appeal more to older gamers is simply because they know we won’t spend as much money on microtransactions. We’re just not the people they seem to want to sell too and yet we’re by far the biggest audience. The fact that those two things are so out of alignment probably explains a lot that’s wrong with gaming today.

By reader Cobalt84

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: Rare being controlled by Activision could actually be a good thing – Reader’s Feature

MORE: Marvel’s Wolverine is my game of the year and I don’t care who knows it – Reader’s Feature

MORE: The six best and least realistic ninja video games of the 80s – Reader’s Feature

The site has been overgrown for the last 20 years

In the past, small towns and villages across Cambridgeshire had their own railway stations. But as cars became more popular, many of these stations were no longer needed. Over the years, some of these stations have been turned into private homes whilst others have totally disappeared.

In Cambridge, there are three railway stations: Cambridge North, Cambridge and the newly opened Cambridge South. Cambridge North was built on part of Chesterton Sidings, which used to be part of the old Chesterton railway station.

Originally opened in January 1850, Chesterton railway station was a request stop on the line between Cambridge and Histon which closed less than a year later in October 1850. The station was on the north side of Fen Road just before the line crossed over the River Cam.

In November 1984, a signal box which used to control the junction and level crossing over Fen Road was removed. The area then became part of the marshalling and manufacturing yards for St Ives Railway.

Advertisement

From 1911, the triangle of land between the St Ives branch and the main line was used by the permanent way department to store materials, and consisted of several sidings. After the Second World War, a permanent way depot was built.

The depot was mainly used to assemble new track panels and concrete sleepers. It was also used for general freight before the area was abandoned, and by 2005, it had become heavily overgrown.

To this day, some of the buildings from the old Chesterton Junction Railway Yardare still standing. Behind the station car park is a large wooded area where you can find one of the buildings fully intact that sits close to the railway tracks.

By KATIE HIND, CONSULTANT EDITOR SHOWBUSINESS

Published: 22:03 BST, 26 September 2026 | Updated: 00:45 BST, 27 September 2026

It is another apparently unvarnished glimpse into the life of Wayne and Coleen Rooney.

Viewers of The Real Rooneys follow the couple on a romantic getaway to the Scottish Highlands that was meant to help them ‘reconnect’ amid marriage troubles.

But it seems it was not only the Disney cameras who were invited along for the weekend – the couple also spent time with some of Wayne’s former teammates and their partners.

Talking to the cameras, Coleen, 40, says: ‘I’m hoping for a really nice weekend away, just to have a bit of quality time together. I’m hoping this is the chill weekend that we both just need.

Advertisement

‘Things between me and Wayne have been up and down, and I’m hoping a break will help us reconnect. So we’re heading off to Scotland.’

The couple are shown driving to Loch Lomond, where they enjoy clay-pigeon shooting and whisky tasting during their stay at the luxurious five-star Cameron House Hotel.

Viewers of The Real Rooneys follow the couple on a romantic getaway to the Scottish Highlands that was meant to help them ‘reconnect’ amid marriage troubles

But it seems it was not only the Disney cameras who were invited along for the weekend – the couple also spent time with Wayne’s former teammates, Michael Carrick (on the right) and Darron Gibson, and their partners

Advertisement

But far from it being a therapeutic couple’s break, The Mail on Sunday can reveal they met up with Michael Carrick – now the Manchester United manager – and his wife Lisa, as well as another former United player Darron Gibson and his wife Danielle. No mention is made of them in the show.

The mini-break took place in September 2025. On the 23rd of that month, Danielle posted a photograph of herself, Coleen and Lisa together, where she says they had been clay-pigeon shooting.

Coleen is wearing the same brown blazer and earrings as she was during her whisky-tasting session at Cameron House Hotel as shown on the show.

A day later, Wayne posted two photographs, one of him and Coleen with Loch Lomond behind him and another of him, Coleen and the other two couples dining at the Gleneagles Hotel, about an hour’s drive from Loch Lomond.

Advertisement

A source said of the show: ‘It is called the Real Rooneys but there wasn’t much real about that trip.’

A spokesman for the Rooneys said: ‘Wayne and Coleen attended a golf invitational event in Scotland. This event was also attended by a number of other celebrities.

‘After this event had concluded, Wayne and Coleen travelled on to Cameron House. This part of their trip was made solely as a couple, with only their production crew accompanying them.’

The ten-part series premiered on Thursday. The couple allowed the cameras into their £10million mansion in Cheshire, where they are not afraid of a plug, including Coleen’s deal with Primark and Wayne’s contract with Gary Neville’s Overlap firm, which was recently bought by Disney+ (who paid the couple £10million for the show).

Advertisement

 Darron Gibson’s wife Danielle (right) shared a picture of her, Coleen (centre) and Lisa together on Instagram on 23 September, 2025, when she says they had been clay-pigeon shooting

Coleen is wearing the same brown blazer and earrings as she was during her whisky-tasting session at Cameron House Hotel as shown on the show

Coleen sampling whisky during the mini-break which took place last year 

Wayne and Coleen tried their hand at clay-pigeon shooting at the luxurious five-star hotel 

Advertisement

However, it has been criticised for not being the warts-and-all show it claims to be. Writing in the Daily Mail, Christopher Stevens gave the show a one-star review, calling it ‘an exercise in pretence’.

He wrote: ‘I resent being told, loudly and repeatedly, that I’m watching the full, unvarnished truth, when it’s obvious the show is highly staged propaganda.’

Fury and Joshua are due to clash in Cardiff on December 11 but their planned face-off next week is set to be scrapped after a row broke out

Tyson Fury claims he is willing to fight David Benavidez if his showdown with Anthony Joshua is cancelled.

Fury and Joshua are due to clash in Cardiff on December 11 but their planned face-off next week is set to be scrapped after a row broke out. Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn are adamant UFC chief Dana White cannot be part of the promotion, as per Joshua’s contract. But White was included in the official announcement and appears determined to play a role.

On Friday night, Fury took to social media to claim Joshua was trying to pull out of the fight. And he now insists he is ready to fight cruiserweight world champion Benavidez, a fight which was floated as an unlikely replacement for Fury’s meeting with Joshua.

“I already heard last night that they were trying for replacements,” Fury told Furocity. “All the big names like David Benavidez… what a fight that would be! That would be unbelievable; but the only thing is, with David Benavidez, he’s about four to five times harder fight than Joshua.

“I’ll take it, because that’s what I do. There’s not a man on this earth that I won’t fight; anybody, not a single person. But never, ever, ever think that Joshua’s a tougher fight than David Benavidez. Benavidez stops Joshua in about three rounds. But that’s a good fight. He’s fresh, he’s young, he’s ambitious, but he ain’t fought the GK.”

Fury, who is training in Miami, added: “If you’ve got a guy that wants to fight, and you’ve got a guy that doesn’t want to fight, then how are you going to make that fight happen? I’ve had nearly 40 professional fights, yeah, and I’ve been on top of this game for over a decade.

“How did I manage to fight all these all these people before, all these champions for all the titles there is in boxing, but yet every time it comes to fighting this nugget, f***ing bodybuilder, CrossFit champion, it never happens? Has anyone ever asked themselves why?”

DRONES are making illegal incursions over the UK’s military and civilian nuclear sites at a rate of three a week amid escalating tensions with Russia. 

Sightings of unmanned craft above critical infrastructure and sensitive security sites since January are already higher than the previous two years.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) told The Mail on Sunday 100 sightings were made over nuclear facilities or nuclear objects, such as submarines, between January and August of this year.

In comparison, it dealt with 69 similar incidents in the whole of 2025 and 47 the year before that. Going back further, the numbers recorded in 2020 stood at just 18.

Professor Anthony Glees, a security expert at the University of Buckingham, said it is ‘common sense’ to assume Russia is behind the rise. 

He added: ‘The obvious explanation for the increase in drone spying of our nuclear facilities is to gain intelligence useful to an enemy planning an attack on the UK, which would be the harbinger of a general war in Europe against Nato.’

While he believes Russia is the main antagonist behind the rise, he also said China and Iran could be involved in a bid to determine the UK’s ability to defend itself.

The scale of incursions comes after a report earlier this year claimed Russia was spying on Britain’s nuclear weapons.

The International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) reported that drones targeted the Lakenheath and Mildenhall bases in Suffolk, RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk over four days in 2024.

The devices were launched from a Kremlin spy ship, the HAV Dolphin, sighted off the coast of Humberside at the time.

The security crisis resulted in specialist British troops being deployed to the bases to intercept the Russian spy drones.

Professor Glees said that while some drones are launched from ships, there are suspicions Russia and Iran are using ‘human agents’ to launch the devices as well.

He said this could even include Brits being paid to betray their own country. He added: ‘We don’t think they have any ideological attachment to Putin’s regime.’

The nuclear-specific incursions are among 340 security incidents involving drones at or near Ministry of Defence sites in the UK in the year up to August 2026.

However, military chiefs have refused to reveal the number recorded over each type of site or object and also withheld information over how many related specifically to Scotland – home to the Faslane naval base where Britain’s nuclear deterrent is housed. It said providing this information could pose a national security risk.

Launching the IISS report earlier this year, the think tank’s security expert, Charlie Edwards, said: ‘Russia has demonstrated, repeatedly, that it can penetrate the airspace of NATO members – including over nuclear sites – without triggering a collective allied response.

‘That gap between capability and political will is now a strategic vulnerability.’

The lack of any action in the face of Russia’s probes comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces criticism over plans to invite Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Manchester. Ministers do not believe Putin will attend in person for fear that the British courts will uphold an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

But critics warned that the presence of a high-level Russian delegation in the UK would send a signal that relations are being normalised, handing a propaganda coup to the Kremlin.

Russia is known to use a variety of drones in its surveillance operations

A UK Government spokesman said Russian participation in G20 meetings is ‘regrettable’ but added that it is a matter for member states who represents them at summits.

Last month, it emerged Mr Burnham was warned that Britain faces Russian retaliation over its support for Ukraine.

Security experts have told the PM to be prepared for a ‘direct response’ from Putin.

Discussing what steps the UK should take to counter the threat, Professor Glees said: ‘Andy Burnham should say, loud and clear, that from now on, any Russian ship launching drones to overfly sensitive UK military and defence industry sites will be destroyed.’

He suggested tactics such as anti-drone nets, which Russia is using over its refineries, could also be used as well as jamming them electronically.

He added: ‘We are facing a real and present national security threat and it is time Defence Secretary Wes Streeting stopped talking nice. He needs to call these incursions out for what they are, hostile spy operations, and act hard and fast to stop them.’

An MOD spokesperson said: ‘We take the rising threat posed by hostile drones extremely seriously.

‘We are committing £790 million to strengthen protection from drone and missile threats and have established new restricted airspace areas over 44 critical defence sites, extending to over 160 further sites in the autumn.’

In spite of the news, three current City players – Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Elliot Anderson – started for England as they were beaten 3-2 by Spain. James Trafford also started between the sticks after leaving the Etihad to join Leeds in the summer, while another summer exit in Rodri, now of Barcelona, got the nod in midfield for Spain.

A total of 24 people have been issued with fines

More than 20 people have been fined after they were caught fly-tipping next to charity donation banks. The rubbish was found in the recycling bank area in the Cambourne Morrisons car park, outside Home Bargains.

The site has been a hotspot for repeated dumping involving bag of unwanted items being left next to the banks when they were full. Other items including vacuum cleaners, TVs, mattresses, furniture, and child seats have been chucked next to the recycling bank, none of which could be recycled there. The charity banks have now been removed.

Now, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Envirocrimes Enforcement Team has taken action, issuing 24 Fixed Penalty notices for fly-tipping, littering, and ‘duty of care.’ Eleven cases are continuing to be investigated.

The Council’s Envirocrimes Enforcement Team is now carrying out visits to charity and recycling bank sites across South Cambridgeshire – speaking with people using them and giving advice. The aim is to help keep these areas clean and tidy, identify any emerging problems early, and work with site operators to reduce the risk of waste being left beside the banks.

The council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Environment Cllr Laurence Damary-Homan, said: “We know people in Cambourne were frustrated by rubbish being left beside these bring banks and it is an issue nationally. Most residents use them responsibly, they provide income for good causes, and they’re a convenient recycling option.

“But leaving items next to full bring banks or dumping unwanted goods is fly-tipping and is simply not acceptable. If there is no room in a container, please take your items home and return another day or use a Household Recycling Centre. If they get misused, they’ll be removed as we’ve seen in Cambourne.

“Our officers investigate to identify those responsible wherever possible, and we will continue to issue fines and pursue prosecutions where we can. At the same time, our Envirocrimes Enforcement Team is carrying out visits to recycling and charity bank sites across South Cambridgeshire to help keep them clean and tidy.

“Fly-tipping harms communities and the environment. We will continue to investigate incidents and take action against offenders to protect South Cambridgeshire.”

In a joint statement, District Councillors for Cambourne, Cllr Michael Booth, Cllr Helene Leeming and Cllr Amber Thomas saidd: “Most people in Cambourne take pride in our town and are thoroughly sick of seeing fly-tipping. Not only is it an eyesore and a public health issue, it also comes at a cost to local taxpayers and businesses, who ultimately have to pay for the waste to be cleared up. Fly-tipping wastes people’s time and money and takes resources away from other priorities.

“That’s why the Council is taking action against those who fly-tip, including issuing fines where offenders are identified. As Cambourne’s local representatives we hope this sends a clear message that fly-tipping has a real cost to our community. We all have a responsibility to dispose of our waste properly and keep Cambourne clean.”

The family of three-year-old Noah Woods has received an apology after NHS staff members attempted to access his medical records without authorisation.

On September 15, the toddler went missing, prompting a major 24-hour search comprising 1,300 people, helicopters, and dog units in the village of Brantham, Suffolk.

His body was discovered in the pond by police divers the next day, with an inquest later hearing that he had left a play area ‘through a gap in the fence’.

Noah’s family paid tribute to the ‘happy, cheeky, playful’ boy, with his mother, Charlie, urging people to ‘hold their children a little tighter’.

But as his family grieves, an internal probe has been launched by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust after concerns were flagged about employees trying to access Noah’s private patient data.

This led to 10 employees reportedly being removed from duty.

It’s believed that the ‘breach of trust’ began on September 17 and stemmed from the high-profile nature of the case.

As reported by The Sun on Sunday, an information governance team audited the main electronic patient record system from 5.30pm on the evening Noah’s disappearance was announced on the night of September 16, when his death was confirmed.

The publication understands that the Trust is also investigating other possible violations on systems where Noah was previously treated.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Martin Mansfield called the acts ‘completely unacceptable’.

‘We have apologised unreservedly to Noah’s family for the extra anguish this breach of trust has caused them at an already devastating time,’ his statement read.

‘As soon as we became aware of concerns that Noah’s medical records may have been viewed inappropriately, we launched an urgent internal investigation.

‘Immediate steps were also taken to secure the records and prevent further access that was not for a legitimate, clinical reason.’

He added that the matter has also been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and Noah’s family will be kept updated.

‘We will take disciplinary action where needed,’ he declared.

Noah’s parents previously shared that their little boy was being assessed for autism. He also had mild hearing loss and had delayed speech.

Despite the ‘challenges he faced’, they said, he continued ‘learning every day’ and had begun ‘saying new words’ and ‘using his little voice’.

His mother identified his body at Ipswich Hospital on the night he was found by Decoy Pond.

Police said Noah’s body had been five metres from the edge, within submerged tree roots around 1.8m deep.

Suffolk Coroner’s Court heard from officers how the boy had walked from the park to a memorial garden, which he left through the gate before running down a path on a housing estate towards the pond.

CCTV from the area showed he had been supervised by a relative that day, which was ‘part of a normal routine’. The family also described them as a ‘treasured relative’.

While the family member was seen to be following him, they lost sight of Noah from East Bergholt, after which the police were called.

They are not treating his death as suspicious.

Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill also called the situation ‘very sad and tragic’ while opening the inquest.

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: Why I’ve been going back to the same UK seaside town for 17 years

MORE: Second village considering ‘Piddington-style’ independence over asylum seeker plans

MORE: Sam Vanderpump reveals ‘blow’ to organ transplant hopes after new warning about donation crisis