More than 1,200 illegal migrants have crossed the Channel since Monday.

Let that extraordinary figure sink in. In the space of a few short days, more than a thousand people have illegally landed on our shores, many of them undetected until they reached British beaches.

Ours is an island nation with one of the most sophisticated, best-funded border forces in the world. Yet boats continue to arrive without the authorities even knowing about it.

It is utterly insane.

And if it wasn’t clear before, the events of the past few days have proved beyond any reasonable doubt that both Border Force and the Home Office have completely lost control.

Make no mistake, this is now a national emergency. And it’s about time Andy Burnham declared it as such.

The Government’s response to this developing crisis has been nothing short of pathetic.

In the space of a few short days, more than a thousand people have illegally landed on our shores, many of them undetected until they reached British beaches.

Yesterday, Burnham’s deputy Lucy Powell weakly admitted to the BBC: ‘We can’t stop everything.’ Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has demanded an ‘urgent review’ – as if that will make a difference.

Years ago, I warned the small-boats crisis would define this era of British politics. Predictably, the chin-stroking commentariat declared I was exaggerating. Well, look where we are now.

On a political level, the cost to this country of this weekly invasion has been devastating. Public trust in politicians is at an all-time low, and why wouldn’t it be? Ordinary Britons rightly ask if successive governments cannot stop people from arriving illegally in broad daylight, let alone under cover of darkness without detection, then what exactly is the point of having a border?

As for the financial impact, it’s been eye-watering. Billions are poured into accommodation, handouts and into a legal system overloaded with appeals.

Each arrival is estimated to have a lifetime net-fiscal cost of £350,000. That means Wednesday’s invasion alone – some 781 arrivals – will cost the British state £273million. I’m sorry, but this cannot go on.

Andy Burnham’s response since entering office has been yet more of the same. More money for France that never seems to deliver results. More rhetoric about ‘working with European partners’. More dithering while the boats keep coming.

His predecessor Sir Keir Starmer spouted similar nonsense. Fat lot of good it did us. It is a case, quite literally, of that old cliche: ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.’

Make no mistake, this is now a national emergency. And it’s about time Andy Burnham declared it as such.

Returning every illegal entrant to France is not only our right as a sovereign nation. It is necessary.

Reform UK has a different plan, and it is the only one that matches the scale of the problem.

We will put the Royal Navy in the Channel: not as a taxi service, like the French do, but as a deterrent and an enforcement tool. Every illegal arrival will be returned to France: no ifs, no buts. Nor will there be any endless legal wrangling in the British courts while the hotels fill up.

This is not complicated. Other countries do it. Australia stopped the boats by turning them back. Denmark has taken a hard line and seen numbers fall. Britain can do the same if it has the political will.

The human-rights industry will howl. Of course they will. The usual suspects in the media will call it ‘unworkable’. I say let them. The British people are sick of being lectured by people who do not live with the consequences of their own decisions.

Returning every illegal entrant to France is not only our right as a sovereign nation. It is necessary. It restores the basic principle that entry to the United Kingdom is controlled by the British Government, not the people-smuggling criminals in Calais. It frees up resources currently wasted on processing claims that should never have been made. And most of all, it tells the world that Britain is no longer a soft touch.

Enough is enough. The status quo simply cannot continue.

Reform’s Operation Fortress will end the migrant-hotel culture. We will dismantle the pull factors and restore the principle that only the British authorities decide who comes here, and on what terms. Anything less is an admission of failure.

The English Channel is not a ferry route for people-smugglers to ply their trade. It is a national frontier. It is high time we treated it like one.

Our tech writer, David Phelan, dubbed the iPhone 18 a “handsome, persuasive design”, so you could be forgiven for not wanting to cover it up. But, that said, he also went on to say “its improved performance, all-new Siri AI strengths, and improved camera build on the capabilities of the iPhone 17 Pro – arguably the most successful iPhone already – to become something even better”, and that to me sounds well worth preserving with a phone case.

Wayne Rooney has revealed why he and Coleen refuse to hire a nanny despite struggling with the challenge of raising four sons. 

The couple are parents to Kai, 16, Klay, 13, Kit, ten, and Cass, eight, with their new £10million fly-on-the-wall show, The Real Rooneys, giving an insight into their chaotic family life. 

Filmed last year, the show captured the moment Coleen began to return to work, having previously been a stay-at-home mum while Wayne travelled the country for his football career. 

With Wayne having just been sacked as manager of Plymouth Argyle he explained: ‘I think Coleen going back to work is good for her, rather than just being here and looking after the kids and me as well.

‘And that’s coincided with me not having a 9-5 job so I’m here with the kids.’ 

As the camera cut to the three youngest boys running wild, Wayne sighed: ‘It’s tough.’ 

The couple are parents to Kai, 16, Klay, 13, Kit, ten, and Cass, eight, with their new £10million fly-on-the-wall show, The Real Rooneys, giving an insight into their chaotic family life

He continued: ‘There’s chaos, fighting, arguing. Every day’s a challenge with them…  I’m chilled until I need to snap.’ 

Yet despite the chaos going on around them, Wayne explained that he refused to bring in any outside help. 

Wayne explained: ”People ask why don’t we have a nanny. “You can afford to have a nanny help you”, but they’re OUR kids. 

‘It’s tough for anyone who has four kids but you want to bring them up. You want to be around them. 

‘It’s tough but enjoyable. You have some great moments, great memories with the kids and I wouldn’t change it.’

Wayne wasn’t the only one struggling with the change in their childcare dynamic, with Coleen confessing that she was still coming to terms with being a working mum. 

Confiding in best friend Danielle Gibson, Coleen shared: ‘I want a nice balanced life. I do feel a bit sad at the minute. Just because I don’t think things are… just a bit snappy, irritated.’ 

Breaking down in tears, she continued: ‘It’s just a bit hard juggling everything and the house is not happy. 

‘I try and do it but it’s – there’s small problems that we need to fix and I’ve got no time to stop and fix it and that’s a bit worrying. 

‘I prep and I try to do everything the best I can but I still find it really difficult leaving my kids. The hardest thing is picking the pieces up when you get back. 

‘Over the past few weeks I’m questioning myself, what do I need to do? 

‘I need to calm down but that’s because I’m quite highly strung. I feel I have a lot, I need to do a lot, but maybe I don’t have to do it all.’ 

Wayne wasn’t the only one struggling with the change in their childcare dynamic, with Coleen confessing that she was still coming to terms with being a working mum

Elsewhere in the series, Coleen’s own childhood was discussed as her mother Colette McLoughlin tearfully recalled Coleen nearly dying as a toddler. 

Speaking about Coleen’s childhood, Colette shared: ‘When she was three, Coleen got really sick and turned out it was encephalitis. 

‘Her brain was swelling, she couldn’t talk, she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t speak, she was stumbling her words. When we got to Alder Hey hospital she ended up in a coma…’

Choking back tears, Colette went on: ‘I’m gonna get upset… 24 hours [were] touch and go.

‘She had to learn to walk again, all her coordination had gone. But I’m so grateful because she was alive. We wanted to give something back.’ 

The Rooneys did not go into further detail about Coleen’s recovery, but encephalitis is treatable and often curable. Recovery depends heavily on the underlying cause, how fast treatment begins, and the severity of the infection.

Colette then revealed she and husband Tony provided foster and respite care for children with special needs and disabilities after being inspired to give back following Coleen’s near-death experience.

The conversation arose after Coleen visited Ukrainian refugees in Poland to make a promotional video for children’s charity, UNICEF, with the WAG explaining that it was a cause close to her heart because she ‘has a lot of experience of being around kids with different needs’. 

Elsewhere in the series, Coleen’s own childhood was discussed as her mother Colette McLoughlin tearfully recalled Coleen nearly dying as a toddler 

Colette shared: ‘When she was three, Coleen got really sick and turned out it was encephalitis. ‘Her brain was swelling, she couldn’t talk, she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t speak’

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Coleen then discussed helping her parents provide temporary care for children with additional needs. During this time they took in two-year-old Rosie, who was battling Rett syndrome 

Coleen then discussed helping her parents provide temporary care for children with additional needs. 

During this time they took in two-year-old Rosie, who faced a lifelong battle with Rett syndrome, a rare brain disorder that causes severe disabilities. 

‘We fell in love with her straight away,’ Coleen recalled. ‘She had a rare genetic disorder that needed a lot of care and attention.’ 

The McLoughlins ended up adopting Rosie and cared for her until she tragically passed away surrounded by her family a month shy of her 15th birthday.

Releasing a statement at the time of Rosie’s death, the McLoughlin family said: ‘Rosie was just 14 years old and fought a lifelong battle with Rett syndrome. Throughout her life she brought so much love and happiness to all our family and everyone who knew and met her.

‘She was such a strong little girl and an inspiration to us all. We shall cherish for ever the memories we have shared and the love she showed us each and every day of her life. As a family we are heartbroken but we are blessed to have had her in our lives.’

Coleen then explained the experience had made her all the more passionate about using her platform to help children.  

‘For UNICEF to place me in that environment and that was my film to make I’m glad they did choose me because it’s something I feel passionate about,’ she shared. ‘Hopefully people will see the film and donate. 

‘But on a personal level I want to make my mum and dad proud and show them I’ve not forgotten the values they taught me growing up.’ 

There is a strong Premier League presence when it comes to the new edition of EA FC and Arsenal edge out Liverpool as the team with the highest-rated players

Football fans who play EA Sports FC keep an eye out for player ratings every season. The numbers are now in for FC27 and there are plenty of Premier League representatives towards the top of the pile.

Reigning champions Arsenal are, as you might expect, very well represented. Eight of the 20 highest-rated Premier League stars in the new edition of the game are Gunners players.

One of those representatives wasn’t there last year. Bruno Guimaraes joined at considerable expense from Newcastle in August and sits alongside his new colleagues in the top 20.

Just four other Premier League clubs have players in that top 20. Here, we’ve given you the full rundown from 20th all the way up to first.

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A rating of 86 is enough to put a player among the top 20 Premier League players on the game. However, that wouldn’t be enough to crack the top 20 overall when you include players from La Liga, the Bundesliga and other top competitions.

There are nine 86-rated players in the English top flight. These include Chelsea’s sole representative in the top 20, £115m midfielder Moises Caicedo, and Liverpool’s nine-figure stars Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.

Arsenal have three players rated 86 while Bukayo Saka is their only player in 87. He is joined there by Manchester City captain Ruben Dias and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, while to put that in context it’s also the score given to Paris Saint-Germain skipper Marquinhos.

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Moving up to 88 and we have four more Premier League players, three of whom play for the champions. Declan Rice, David Raya and William Saliba are joined by Virgil van Dijk, the highest-rated Liverpool player on the list.

On 89, we have the highest-rated goalkeeper in the game in the form of Gianluigi Donnarumma, as well as Arsenal centre-back Gabriel and Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Erling Haaland leads the way with a rating of 91 – no current player in any league scores higher.

Top 20 Premier League players on EA FC 27:

20. Enzo Fernandez – 86

19. Florian Wirtz – 86

18. Rayan Cherki – 86

17. Viktor Gyokeres – 86

16. Moises Caicedo – 86

15. Bruno Guimaraes – 86

14. Martin Odegaard – 86

13. Alexander Isak – 86

12. Dominik Szoboszlai – 86

11. Bukayo Saka – 87

10. Ruben Dias – 87

9. Alisson – 87

8. David Raya – 88

7. Virgil van Dijk – 88

6. William Saliba – 88

5. Declan Rice – 88

4. Gabriel – 89

3. Gianluigi Donnarumma – 89

2. Bruno Fernandes – 89

1. Erling Haaland – 91

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There’s one walking route that is by far my favourite in Cambridgeshire, passing through pretty villages and along meandering rivers before reaching a town with cosy coffee shops

Cambridgeshire is home to ample walking trails through open fenlands and ancient woodland, along river valleys and around circular reservoirs. Many are ideal for those autumnal strolls and to marvel at the picturesque seasonal scenes before cosying up in an inviting café or traditional pub.

Yet with an extensive collection of rambling routes right on our doorstep, it’s not always easy deciding where to spend your weekend rambling, especially if you’re looking for a varied route. I’ve tried many walks around the region, but nothing compares to a route I discovered that starts in a pretty Cambridgeshire village and ends in a charming town packed with snug cake shops and coffee houses.

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Standing out as my absolute favourite is the Houghton Mill to St Ives walk, which measures around five miles and takes two hours to complete the full loop, but after an hour, you can sit down for a well-deserved coffee and slice of cake! The route takes you past idyllic villages with thatched-roof cottage homes, through kissing gates and enchanting woodland, across open meadows, down narrow lanes and along the River Great Ouse.

With such a diverse route to follow, you’ll never be bored, with landscapes constantly changing with every step and corner you take against the pretty scenes. Better yet, as there are different trails to follow in the surrounding area, you’ll rarely pass the same person twice. It remains blissfully tranquil and is perfect for dogs too, with fields to run around and uninterrupted pathways.

For this route, I start at Houghton Mill, a National Trust site in the village of Houghton, home to a handful of pubs and a sweet tearoom. Sometimes you can find a space to park in the village, but because it’s compact, it’s not always easy, so there’s always the National Trust car park.

From here I wander along the bridge crossing the Great River Ouse, passing the locks and across Hemingford Meadow to the Black Bridge. This is the start of the first idyllic village, Hemingford Abbots, with fairy-tale-like half-timbered homes and thatched roofs, alongside honey-hued homes and quaint wooden gates. I love wandering past and admiring the storybook scenes, and it’s even better in October, when the doors are decorated for Halloween.

Through the village leads to another open meadow, along the River Great Ouse, before skimming the edge of the village of Hemingford Grey, along narrow riverside lanes, before reaching a wide open field, which is sometimes home to flocks of sheep. This is the biggest meadow to cross, but equally as enjoyable, with St Ives sitting at the end for that sought-after refreshment over the bridge.

St Ives has a selection of cafés, including Nuts Bistro, The Commute Cafe, Fifi’s Cakery and Hambleton Bakery, but after my ramble, I will always stop by Tom’s Cakes as my cosy retreat. Amid its plethora of freshly baked goodies, I’ll sit down for a delicious coffee and a sweet treat, with the Hummingbird cake my go-to choice, though it’s hard to choose with so many mouthwatering options.

But a visit to St Ives can’t go by without stopping at The Courtyard shopping area, with wooden cabins packed with vintage gems, antiques, homeware, artwork, kids’ clothes, and Christmas decorations in winter. I love exploring the array of shops in a space that feels alive with community. Just be sure you can carry whatever you find on the return ramble.

On the way back, it gives me a chance to explore St Ives a little more before taking a footpath through The Thicket woodland, following it directly down under the canopy of trees until I return to my starting point at Houghton Mill. The circular route is super easy to follow with signs and pathways guiding you along the way – it really shouldn’t be missed.

On the National Trust website, they note the circular route as the St Ives and the Hemingfords walk, the only difference is that I walk it the opposite way, starting at Houghton Mill, through Hemingford Abbots and towards St Ives, before returning through the Thicket footpath. So it’s up to you on what direction you take, but either way, the halfway point will be at St Ives, and you’ll still discover all the scenic sites on what has long been my favourite Cambridgeshire walk.

For more information and to check a route, visit the National Trust website.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

A high-stakes cultural dispute has erupted over the promoted sale of an important 18th-century Ethiopian manuscript at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

The Magdala Gospel is a large manuscript, probably dating to the second half of the 18th century. It measures approximately 360 x 290 x 100mm and contains the Gospel of Luke and most of the Gospel of John.

The manuscript is written in Ge’ez or ancient Ethiopic, the language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It would have originally been the second of a two-volume set. The first volume is probably a manuscript in the Bavarian state library that contains the gospels of Matthew and Mark.

The Magdala Gospel is sumptuously illustrated with 235 scenes from the life, passion and resurrection of Christ. The images are rich in details inspired by daily life that are of interest to historians, such as a group of Qing porcelain vases present in the bottom left corner of a representation of the wedding at Cana story.

This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

The volume’s most distinguishing feature is its unusual binding. The front and back boards are covered with openwork red leather and lined with gold foil and velvet. Such opulence implies high-ranking patronage, but there is seemingly no evidence to support the current seller’s claim that the manuscript was an imperial commission.

In fact, on one page there are two uncoloured figures sketched beneath a representation of the Trinity. They are represented as clergymen prostrated before God. Their supplicant pose and prominent placement in the manuscript suggests that they were probably its intended donors.

However, the lack of colour (many of the illustrations are unfinished) indicates that these patrons may have been unable to complete their purchase for unknown financial or personal reasons. This offers a compelling explanation for why the manuscript remains unfinished at its close.

The manuscript today

The Magdala Gospel was likely acquired by the Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros when he stripped the churches of the city of Gondar (both in 1864 and 1866).

In 1868, the artefact was seized by British troops after the storming of Tewodros’s mountain fortress at Magdala. Facing defeat, the emperor died by suicide rather than surrender. In the aftermath, British forces systematically looted the stronghold. They plundered the royal treasury and a local church of countless sacred relics, crosses and manuscripts. A portion of these items were left behind in Ethiopia. The vast majority was dispersed in various public and private collections across Europe.

Two pages of undated typewritten notes have been inserted at the start of The Magdala Gospel by one of its previous owners. One note, attributed to the Rev. John Medows Rodwell, states that the Gospel was presented by Robert Napier, commander of the Abyssinian Expedition, to William Robert Seymour Vesey-Fitzgerald, Governor of Bombay (1867–72), at the time of the military campaign. Vesey-Fitzgerald sold the manuscript in 1887 and it subsequently passed through private hands into various collections.

The Magdala Gospel had been advertised for sale on the website of the Vienna-based antiquarian bookseller Antiquariat Inlibris since mid-August. But the announcement that it would be put on display with a guide price of €250,000 (£214,480) – a sum that considerably exceeds the amounts usually fetched by Ethiopic manuscripts – drew attention of international heritage campaigners and subsequently the Ethiopian Heritage Authority. The latter dispatched a letter to the bookseller demanding that the manuscript be unconditionally withdrawn from sale and repatriated.

According to Al Jazeera, Hugo Wertscherk, head of the dealership, has argued that while the historical facts of the looting are indisputable, there are no applicable legal frameworks or international laws that retroactively invalidate the current owner’s title. The dealer offered to sell the religious text back to Ethiopian institutions at a “preferential price” as a gesture of goodwill. Such offers are generally rejected by the relevant Ethiopian authorities.

The controversy highlights a broader, escalating global movement demanding the return of African antiquities. Over recent years, Ethiopia has successfully reclaimed dozens of smuggled or looted items, including a lock of Emperor Tewodros’s hair repatriated by Britain in 2019.

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More recently, 17 Ethiopic manuscripts of varying significance have been privately repatriated from the US to Ethiopia. Meanwhile the Toledo Museum of Art has announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Ethiopian Heritage Authority. It will see the museum acquire some 380 Christian Ethiopian artefacts that will be partly sold and partly donated by their current owner Robert McCarthy Jr.

According to Adam M. Levine, director of the Toledo Museum of Art, this novel collaborative approach breaks a common loophole regarding looted artefacts. Previously, such objects would often remain in private hands because American museums no longer accept pieces with opaque provenance records.

Amid these developments, the political situation in Ethiopia remains extremely tense, with active skirmishes across the country. Recent reports indicate that several Ethiopian armed groups are forming an alliance to topple the current government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Repatriation efforts may soon need to contend with the harsh realities of a full-scale civil war.

Despite vocal campaigns and stakeholder demands for its return, the fate of the Magdala Gospel remains as uncertain as the political future of Ethiopia itself.

Yet, as much as this individual case hangs in the balance, recent developments suggest that international momentum around the restitution of colonial-era African artefacts has reached a clear turning point. One that antique dealers and institutions alike can no longer easily dismiss.

Proposals to paint double yellow lines along a stretch of Haxby’s North Lane have been shelved.

Cllr Kate Ravilious, City of York Council’s Labour transport spokesperson, said wider plans to tackle parking in the area were needed following objections to the plans.

The decision at the council’s Transport Decision Session on Tuesday, September 22 comes after 23 objections were lodged against plans for the no waiting at any time restrictions.

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Double yellow lines would have been painted on the eastbound side of North Lane, between a cut-through leading to Acadia Grove and just after one going to Hawthorn Avenue.

A report on the plans stated they were first advertised in November 2025 and consulted on in July this year.

Four comments were lodged in support of the plans along with the 23 against them.

Haxby Sports Bar stated they supported the plans to tackle issues caused by cars parking in the street which affect its deliveries.

The proposed double yellow lines in North Lane, Haxby (Image: City of York Council)

The business stated: “At present, there are cars parked along both sides of the road from The Village and it narrows past Church Lane to our premises and thereafter becomes one way, heading from the opposite direction.

“We have had issues with delivery trucks being unable to get into and out of our car park, some reversing a considerable distance along a perilously narrow road, with parked vehicles everywhere.”

But one objector claimed the plans would cause problems for elderly and disabled people visiting St Mary’s Church.

They said: “The proposed restrictions will make it much more difficult for many who access church services and events run in the hall by the church and other voluntary groups.

“The consequences of the restrictions will be made worse by residents’ vehicles displaced from the restricted area which might be expected to park starting at the end of the restriction.”

Council officers proposed taking no further action on the plans and studying the issue further ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.

Cllr Ravilious said she had taken the objections on board.

The executive member said: “I agree that a more comprehensive proposal is needed looking at the wider area to take on board the concerns raised around the impact that a narrow scheme will have on the area.”

The crash happened on Saturday morning

A woman has died following a three-vehicle collision in Lisburn at the weekend.

In a statement issued by the PSNI on Thursday night, they confirmed that the fatal crash claimed the life of 40-year-old Karen Stewart from the Portadown area.

Detective Inspector Stewart, from the Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Police received a report at around 11.06am on Saturday, 19 ^th September of a collision involving a Ford Kuga, Citroen C5 and a BMW on the Moira Road, at the junction of Crewe Park Road.

“Officers attended the scene, along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

“Five people – including four adults and a child – were subsequently taken to hospital for treatment to their injuries.

“We can now confirm that, sadly, a woman who was driving the Ford Kuga, later died in hospital from her injuries.

“Our enquiries are ongoing and anyone who witnessed what happened or has any information which might assist – including dash-cam or other footage – is asked to contact police using our witness appeal form at https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals, quoting reference 433 of 19/09/26, or to call us on 101.