Police issued a statement after the incident in Pont Aur, Ystradgynlais

Armed police descended on a quiet residential street in Ystradgynlais after officers received a report that a firearm had allegedly been pointed in the direction of an individual.

Dyfed-Powys Police were called at around 4.25pm on Sunday, September 27, following an allegation that a firearm had been pointed towards a person outside an address in Pont Aur.

Armed units attended the address and arrested a woman on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Images from the scene show armed police outside a residential property as officers dealt with the serious allegation. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

However, following further enquiries, police found no supporting evidence to substantiate the allegation.

The woman was subsequently released from custody with no further action.

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More than 90 per cent of people say they follow one lucky superstition

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People in the UK re-wear ‘lucky’ underwear, salute magpies, touch wood and even refuse to wash in a bid to generate ‘good luck’, according to research. The study by tombola arcade found one in 12 admit they’ve avoided showering or bathing for ‘several days’ because they believed it could bring better luck.

A previous YouGov survey found that 34% of people in the UK describe themselves as either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ superstitious. 92% in the new study said they follow at least one luck-chasing superstition. Touching wood is the most commonly followed good-luck ritual followed by crossing fingers and avoiding walking underneath a ladder.

One in six refuse to throw away an item they associated with good fortune, while one in seven said they’d changed their route to an important event.

Psychologist Dennis Relojo-Howell at Psychreg, said: “High pressure moments strip away our sense of control. Superstition offers a way to feel like we’re doing something, even when the outcome is genuinely out of our hands.

“It’s less about magical thinking and more about managing anxiety. Believing you’re lucky often works like a placebo for confidence. If you walk into an interview or a test convinced things tend to go your way, you’re likely to appear calmer and more composed, which can genuinely shape how others respond to you.

“Rituals like touching wood or crossing fingers survive because they’re comforting and low effort. They give people a small sense of urgency before big moments, and because they’re shared culturally, they also connect us to something familiar, even in a society that’s otherwise become quite secular and rational.”

Micala Sansom, social and community manager at tombola arcade said: “While luck means different things to different people, our findings show many superstitions are so deeply ingrained in our culture that we no longer think of them as superstitions at all. From wishing for a smooth journey to hoping for success in a job interview, it seems many of us would welcome a little extra luck when the stakes feel highest.

“At their core, superstitions are attempts to make sense of uncertainty or gain a feeling of control over situations that are largely beyond our influence. They often stem from age-old fears, beliefs or gaps in our understanding of the world.”

TOP 10 SUPERSTITIONS PEOPLE FOLLOW TO IMPROVE LUCK

• Touched wood – 38%
• Crossed fingers – 37%
• Avoided walking under ladders – 24%
• Avoided saying something for fear of jinxing it – 16%
• Carried a lucky charm – 16%
• Saluted to a magpie – 16%
• Wished on a star – 15%
• Avoided cracks in the pavement – 12%
• Worn a lucky item of clothing – 10%
• Avoided crossing on the stairs – 10%

“The trap door should be open, First Minister should be out of post, no ifs, no buts.”

The Northern Ireland deputy First Minister is facing calls to bring down the Stormont institutions by resigning from her post following the ongoing dispute at Drumcree.

TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said the DUP should withdraw Emma Little-Pengelly from her role over Sinn Féin’s presence on the Garvaghy Road over the weekend.

“The court has ruled, a number of times, that this parade should take place and there is an onus on the Chief Constable, the Secretary of State and the justice minister to ensure law and order applies,” Mr Gaston said. “No parade, no Stormont.

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“We cannot continue to have a First Minister (Michelle O’Neill), a new style First Minister for all, we also have a minister for no alternative, well we also have a new definition – we have a first minister for lawlessness. The First Minister can only hold the position if there is a deputy First Minister. The line has been crossed.

“The actions of Michelle O’Neill being present on the road and encouraging others to stay and stand on the road is enough to breach her pledge of office.

“The trap door should be open, First Minister should be out of post, no ifs, no buts. The DUP cannot sustain these institutions that allows a First Minister to brazenly ignore the law to continue to hold office in Northern Ireland.

“She has shown she is not First Minister for all. She is more interested in First Minister for the Garvaghy Road residents. The line is crossed. I believe at this stage the Executive is unsustainable.”

TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said Sinn Féin’s response to the parade was “nothing short of a disgrace”.

Speaking at Stormont on Monday, he said: “It very much puts these institutions beyond repair.”

He also said that Portadown Orangemen have been “dignified, respectful” and claimed that they have “taken into account those residents on the Garvaghy Road”.

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“The Sinn Féin hysteria that has followed shows that that they are still unfit for office,” Mr Gaston added.

“Put this into context: 35 law abiding men have a right to return home after 28 years, have been denied that right. The Parades Commission, in its determination, restricted the numbers. Portadown Orangemen were happy to comply with that. They done so.

“What they received following that was Sinn Féin upping the ante on the streets, saying there will be no parade, gaslighting the Garvaghy Road residents for one reason and one reason only – for election purposes.

“They are using this issue to deflect away from the crippling immigration problems that is engulfing their communities.”

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This applies to Virgin Media TV customers who use the Virgin Media Store to buy films and TV shows.

Anyone who has used the store will no longer be able to do so from Sunday, November 1, as it is set to close, with Virgin Media TV warning its customers to move their purchased content over to a Rakuten TV account to keep it.

If you don’t make the switch, you can expect to lose access to your purchases since the Virgin Media Store will be closed and no longer work for customers in just over four weeks’ time.

Five TV channels scrapped in 2026

Virgin Media said: “Virgin Media Store is closing.

“Rakuten TV is the new home for the movies and TV box sets you’ve bought from us.”

How to buy films and TV shows on Rakuten TV account

If you make the switch to a Rakuten TV account, you can buy your films and TV box sets via the app, which can be accessed on your Virgin TV box.

You can set up an account and transfer content now, and Virgin Media TV urges you to do this “as soon as you can”.

However, customers can still use the Virgin Media Store to buy films and box sets until the cut-off date on November 1.

If you want to rent content from the Virgin Media Store, you still can as rentals will not change, Virgin Media has reassured customers.

How to transfer content from Virgin Media TV to Rakuten TV

To transfer your content to Rakuten TV, you’ll need to sign in to the Virgin Media Store and choose the ‘transfer to Rakuten TV’ option.

Follow the instructions given on screen to transfer the content and then a Rakuten TV account will be created for you if you haven’t already got one.

If you do have an account, you’ll be able to log in to access the transferred films and box sets.

Once you’ve followed the above steps, you’ll be able to watch the transferred content via the Rakuten TV app on your Virgin TV.

Recommended reading:

Does this change affect all Virgin TV customers?

If you have never bought any films or TV box sets from the Virgin Media Store, you won’t need to do anything.

The changeover only concerns customers who have bought content from the store.

Will you need to make the change to Rakuten TV? Let us know in the comments below.

Manchester City’s guilty verdict dominates the news landscape but Norway boss Stale Solbakken opted to shield Erling Haaland from it

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was on target for Norway after Stale Solbakken stood him down from pre-match press duties. The decision came amid the fallout from the guilty verdict regarding City’s legal battle with the Premier League.

The Norwegian striker was set to face questions from reporters ahead of Sunday’s Nations League opener against Portugal, however in the wake of the news that City had been found guilty of 114 of 115 charges, a decision was taken to keep his focus on the forthcoming internationals.

Although Haaland found the back of the net, it was a disappointing evening in Oslo with Ruben Dias on target in a 2-1 win for Jorge Jesus’ side.

The 26-year-old was on hand to stab home after an initial free-kick was parried by Diogo Costa. The goal levelled proceedings after Joao Felix opened the scoring, but parity was short-lived with Goncalo Ramos firing in the winner just three minutes later.

Solbakken got his wish, however, as he wanted to keep his star forward’s focus on the task at hand as opposed to being swept into the hysteria surrounding the news of the guilty verdict.

The Norwegian head coach pointed out that the press conference involving former City midfielder Rodri was dominated by the discussions surrounding punishments and the verdict. He was preparing to face England for Spain but saw the news overshadow the build-up.

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Solbakken said: “We naturally want him to focus and have the best possible conditions to prepare.

“As everyone knows, there have been external discussions in the past day, but that has nothing to do with the UEFA Nations League or what we’ll do next.

“Rodri’s press conference yesterday is a perfect example; it wasn’t about the UEFA Nations League either.

“So I think Haaland should focus on his task now. His task is to score for Norway, and I think everyone agrees that’s what matters most.

“That certainly needs to be considered (media access to Haaland). Making this decision now doesn’t mean he won’t attend future press conferences. It’s just that right now, we’ve decided to arrange it this way.

“I think he can handle it [the noise surrounding his club while on international duty] well.”

Your next parcel could be delivered by a two–legged robot, as Evri starts Europe’s first trial of bipedal bots.

Starting this morning, wheeled bots, designed in partnership with Japanese firm Refined Robotics, will roll out in Barnsley to make real deliveries to Evri customers.

Unlike existing four–wheeled robots, these bots have been designed to navigate the tricky terrain leading to the nation’s front doors.

They can zip along at four miles per hour (6km/h), hop out of vans, carry parcels weighing up to 33lbs (15kg) and even climb up stairs.

Once the bounding bot wheels up to the door, all customers need to do is open the roller shutter and remove their package.

Evri says that the robots can operate autonomously, using onboard sensors to find their way around, but will be operated remotely during the trial.

Throughout the trial, Evri will assess how well the bots perform in a real residential environment.

However, the company says the decision to expand the trial to other towns and cities will depend on the robot’s success in Barnsley.

Unlike humanoid robots, Refined Robotics’ delivery bot doesn’t walk like a human.

Instead, it has two springy legs that end in wheels, allowing it to scoot over the ground or shuffle over obstacles.

These abilities are supposed to make the robot the ideal assistant for delivery drivers, taking over the very last stages of the delivery process.

Refined Robotics CEO Nick Hafner says that the inspiration to build delivery bots came after seeing an elderly driver carrying heavy parts up the stairs to his apartment during a heatwave.

Despite advancements in autonomous robots, wheeled bots and self–driving cars still can’t get all the way to someone’s door.

Refined Robotics estimates that 65 per cent of delivery jobs still need a human to finish carrying the packages over ground that most robots can’t cross.

The company claims that this last ‘100 metres’ from delivery van to door is the slowest, costliest and riskiest part of a delivery operation.

Nick Hafner, CEO at Refined Robotics, says: ‘Our two–legged delivery robot has been specifically designed to tackle some of the most complex challenges in last–mile logistics.

Starting this morning, wheeled bots, designed in partnership with Japanese firm Refined Robotics, will roll out in Barnsley to make real deliveries to Evri customers

‘Its ability to navigate stairs, uneven surfaces and outdoor environments makes it uniquely suited to supporting parcel delivery operations in real–world settings.’

In this new trial, Evri will be assessing whether the robots can help take over the heavy lifting and stair climbing that has normally been reserved for humans.

Marcus Hunter, Chief Technology Officer at Evri Group, says: ‘Our couriers remain at the heart of our business.

‘We’re committed to exploring how innovation can support them, improve operational efficiency and help us continue offering customers even more choice, convenience and control in the future.’

Evri says that it expects the robot to ‘complement existing methods of delivery’, including delivery by courier, or delivery to ParcelShop.

A spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘However, what the robot may be able to support with is a second delivery attempt on the same day – perhaps if someone was on a work call, in the shower, or putting a baby down for a nap.

‘Or, perhaps for those who aren’t able to access a ParcelShop, a delivery could be requested by the robot.’

Evri isn’t the first company to try and deploy autonomous delivery robots in Britain but earlier efforts have met serious teething issues.

Last year, campaigners accused Co–op of using ‘dangerous’ AI–powered robots to deliver groceries to its customers.

The supermarket chain uses Starship robots, small six–wheeled machines that can deliver products such as groceries or a takeaway.

They have a maximum speed of 4mph and are used for short–distance local delivery.

The robots can zip along at four miles per hour (6km/h), hop out of vans, carry parcels weighing up to 33lbs (15kg) and even climb up stairs

This follows Starship Technologies’ six-wheeled robots (pictured) being removed from the streets of Sheffield after Uber Eats pulled the plug on a pilot scheme just five months in

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However, the pedestrian safety charity Living Streets wrote to Co–op interim chief executive Kate Allum over the supermarket’s use of Starship Technologies robots.

The charity claimed the small robots could create particular problems for older and disabled people and that pavements should not be treated as logistics routes. 

Concerns were raised over the robots after one rammed into a German Shepherd in 2023.

Brian Dawson, 56, said a shopping bot rammed into his dog Pippa while they were walking on the pavement near a Co-op branch in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

Mr Dawson, a Tesco delivery driver, said it went on to ram him in the leg, causing him to kick the droid to remove it ‘out of harm’s way’.  

This year, Starship’s robots were removed from the streets in Sheffield after Uber Eats pulled the plug on a pilot scheme just five months in.

During the short-lived trial, the robots were a constant target for vandalism and were frequently sprayed with graffiti.

Locals also complained that the autonomous vehicles ‘got in the way’ of pedestrians and carried an alarming number of cameras. 

Starship said that the trial had been paused after coming to a natural end, and insisted that the graffiti was not a contributing factor.  

A petition has been launched

A parent is calling for safety improvements to be made to a “horrible” Huntingdon school road. Local resident and parent Andrada Ioana Grab claims that she and other parents are becoming “increasingly concerned” about traffic, parking, and safety around the schools on Ambury Road.

Huntingdon Nursery School and Huntington Primary School are both located on Ambury Road. The 29-year-old said the area regularly experiences “heavy congestion” and “limited parking availability” during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times.

As a result, the mother has claimed people have resorted to stopping or parking on double yellow lines as well as on the grass. On more than one occasion, Andrada’s child has reportedly been late to school due to her searching for a safe and suitable place to stop and park.

The 29-year-old, who works overnight shifts and arrives home shortly before leaving to take her child to school, said it is around 20-minutes away by walking. “I don’t have time”, she said.

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She said that she has watched buses and other road users have difficulties passing through the area. She added: “Many parents and residents believe the current situation is creating unnecessary safety concerns for children travelling to and from school.”

Explaining what it is like for her to pick up and drop off her child along Ambury Road every day, Andrada said: “It is really hard because my son likes to have his bike with him and I really struggle to take the bike out and make him safe. I need to concentrate on him and then the cars passing by or the buses, it is stressful.”

A petition has recently been launched by Andrada which calls for Cambridgeshire County Council to review the area and consider practical measures, including changes to parking arrangements and traffic management measures that could improve safety and reduce congestion.

Andrada said that every time she drops off at the school, “the road is horrible” with “a lot of cars”. She said: “It’s not good safety for children as well because they might get out of the car straight in the road and that’s really not safe. A lot of kids and parents are walking as well but a lot of them are coming in the car because they don’t have another alternative.”

As of 2024, Huntingdon Primary School had more than 400 pupils on its roll meanwhile Huntingdon Nursery School had more than 80 children in 2023, according to Ofsted.

Some of the suggested improvements include provision for extra parking, a redesigned layout, angled bays where feasible, and other traffic management measures. Since the petition’s launch on September 16, more than 40 signatures have been formally submitted.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “Petitions play a vital role in local democracy. Once it has been formally submitted to the council, this petition will be carefully considered, as appropriate, in line with our constitution.”

The petition will be open for signatures until November 16.