“Welcome to this random tunnel in London,” Mike D begins, addressing a crowd of melting people in a Waterloo railway arch, the latest stop in his first solo tour, which he’s chosen to undertake in esoteric venues around the UK – think bingo halls and working men’s club. Why do this? Well it’s to do with his esoteric approach to music, as one of Beastie Boys who made eccentricity, risk and japes, into some of the greatest hip-hop ever. You also sense that given this is his first musical foray, beyond producing others people’s records, since the death of Adam Yauch in 2012 – with him being open about his struggles after the death of his friend – he’s building back up from the basics. Trying out his new music, his new band, in a humble manner, rather than just playing Beasties’ Best Of at The O2.
Motorists have been told to expect ‘heavier than usual’ traffic in certain areas of Cambridge while a road is closed for repairs
A burst water main in Cambridge has caused a road to be closed for repairs. The burst main on Queen Edith’s Way was first reported to Cambridge Water on the evening of Friday, June 5, when it was reportedly a large puddle.
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Over the weekend, the leak reportedly worsened. Locals since raised a concern of a “potentially serious traffic incident risk” due to the “major rupture” spilling into the centre of the road. The road has been closed since Saturday, June 6.
Cambridge Water has claimed that repair work was “delayed due to difficulties accessing a valve”. The repair is now in progress but to carry out the work, the road is likely to remain closed for the next week.
A road closure is in place between the Robin Hood Junction and Lime Kiln Road in Cambridge. There are signed diversions in place.
Cambridgeshire County Council has warned motorists that traffic has been heavier than usual along Fulbourn Road and Cherry Hinton Road as a result of this road closure. The council said it is “working closely” with Cambridge Water and has members of its Highways Team on site.
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A spokesperson for Cambridge Water said: “Cambridge Water was made aware of a burst main on Queen Edith’s Way over the weekend. Repair work was delayed due to difficulties accessing a valve, which allowed us to maintain water supply to our customers. The repair is now in progress.
“To carry this work out safely, the road has been closed and is likely to remain closed for the next week. A road closure is in place between the Robin Hood Junction and Lime Kiln Road, Cambridge, with signed diversions in place.”
A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of a burst water main on Queen Edith’s Way, Cambridge, between Limekiln Road and Cherry Hinton Road. The road has been closed since Saturday (6 June) so that Cambridge Water can carry out repair works.
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“As a result of the closure, motorists should be aware that traffic has been heavier than usual along Fulbourn Road and Cherry Hinton Road. We are working closely with Cambridge Water and have members of our Highways Team on site.
“The road will be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so. Please speak to Cambridge Water for further updates.”
Criminals are tricking young people into sending nude or sexual images of themselves which are then used to blackmail them. In 97% of cases, the victims are boys.
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More recently, it’s come to light that images of children shared on school websites and social media are also being altered using artificial intelligence (AI) to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Schools are then being blackmailed to pay up or the images are released publicly.
What do experts and parents think of the PM’s announcement?
Welcoming the announcement, NSPCC chief executive, Chris Sherwood, told ITV News: “Online grooming, sexual exploitation and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material could be prevented if tech companies did the right thing and introduced nudity blocking technology on children’s phones.”
Clare Gilbert, who has a teenage daughter, said she thinks Starmer is “right to act”.
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“As parents we do what we can, but I am no match for a tech savvy teen. I can have chats with her about being safe online, try and set some boundaries, but teenagers are clever and will find ways around things,” she said.
But the mum added the prime minister “needs to be tough” with tech giants who should be held to account – “and not just with idle threats that aren’t followed up on”.
Dr Catherine Knibbs, CEO of Children & Tech, author and child trauma psychotherapist, said the move, which she welcomes, ought to have come “years ago”.
The online harms expert is also dubious of how effective it will be: “I doubt that OS [operating system] level preventative deployment will work – as he spoke about – as intimate images are also shared via webcams, laptops and tablet systems that are separate to ‘only phones’.
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“For me, this shows a lack of depth of understanding of the technological landscape overall.”
She concluded: “Children deserve a well thought out and actionable plan to protect them, not rushed political statements.”
But there are some who believe it’s a positive move – and that it can be done.
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Bertie Aspinal, co-founder of online child safety app SafetyMode.com, which blocks inappropriate content (such as sexual images) across apps, messages and websites in real time, said the latest announcement “finally moves the conversation towards practical solutions rather than endless debate”.
“For years we’ve been told that stopping children from sending, receiving or viewing explicit images is too difficult, too complex, or simply not possible,” he said.
“The reality is that we already know the technology exists because we’ve built it ourselves. Our software can already block nude images being sent or received on a child’s device.
“The question is no longer whether this can be done, but whether the biggest technology companies are willing to make child safety a priority.”
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He concluded that “what matters now is speed” and ended: “Every month spent consulting, discussing and delaying means more children are exposed to content that most parents would never knowingly allow.”
‘Nudification’ using AI tools also a problem in the UK
As well as sextortion, there has also been a growing issue with ‘nudification’ in UK schools. Nudifying tools can ‘undress’ everyday images of people and turn them into pornography – a staggering 99% of nude deepfakes feature women and girls.
Dr Knibbs previously told us that the cybertrauma that occurs from this can result in issues such as suicide ideation, paranoia and destruction of trust among victims. She added that the fear that results from this taking place “has the potential to last a lifetime”.
Carole Osborne, a mum to two teenage girls and founder and CEO of AI safeguarding platform Aidos, told HuffPost UK the prime minister’s announcement has “been a long time coming”, but suggested it’s a “sticking plaster” in the grand scheme of things.
She said “device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving explicit images, while welcome, are treating the symptom rather than the cause”.
Osborne called for a “fundamental shift” in how we think about child protection in the digital age – “investing in AI and technology for good, building safeguarding in at the point of creation … and working together across government, big tech, schools and parents to prevent these images from ever being made in the first place”.
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She concluded: “The problem must be solved at source; everything else is just a sticking plaster.”
Road safety body PACTS has proposed reducing UK speed limits by 10mph, which would see dual carriageways drop from 70mph to 60mph and single carriageways from 60mph to 50mph, as well as blanket 20mph zones across towns and villages
While largely driven by legislation, car manufacturers are continuously striving to make their vehicles safer. Whether through improved crumple zones, enhanced airbags or better seating, the goal is to make any potential accident more survivable.
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Yet there remains one factor entirely beyond their control: speed. This is precisely why speed limits exist across the globe.
The faster a vehicle is travelling at the point of impact, the greater the energy involved, and consequently the higher the likelihood of serious injury to those caught up in it.
In recent years, 20mph zones have sprung up across the UK in villages, towns and cities where hazard levels are particularly high.
Now, a proposal put forward to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee by the independent Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) could shake things up considerably.
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Alongside suggesting blanket 20mph zones — largely to cut costs on signage — the advisory body also declared it was in favour of slashing national speed limits by 10mph.
This would mean dual carriageway speed limits dropping from 70mph to 60mph, while single carriageways would fall from 60mph to 50mph.
However, Auto Express reports that regarding the reduction of speed limits on dual carriageways from 70mph to 60mph, the body caveated it by saying this would be the case “where the infrastructure would not support the survivability of people travelling at those speeds if they were involved in a collision”.
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While cuts to speed limits on dual carriageways and single carriageways would have a significant impact on motorists, focus remained firmly on the blanket 20mph zones.
PACTS executive director Jamie Hassall suggested it was a matter of reframing the debate.
He said: “It’s about getting everyone in the country to understand what the benefits are.” Those benefits included helping children travel to school more safely, something he maintained the public were broadly in favour of, reports the Express.
This is far from the first time a reduction in speed limits has been on the agenda.
Following the war in Iran sending oil prices soaring to their highest level since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, suggestions emerged that drivers should begin travelling at slower speeds.
Indeed, think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) went as far as proposing that speed limits should be lowered to assist motorists — a measure that ultimately never came to fruition.
Nevertheless, the think tank did suggest that the public ought to be advised on how to drive more economically.
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Speaking earlier this year, senior economist at the think tank William Ellis told the Guardian: “The UK cannot afford to sit back and let another energy shock drive up inflation and damage the economy.
“The UK economy and public finances are expected to take a significant hit from the Iran conflict, regardless of whether the government intervenes.”
On World Ocean Day, a campaign linked to Glasgow 2026 is using sport’s global reach to stop one million pieces of plastic reaching rivers, seas and waterways
The ocean has its own international day today, but one campaign is trying to make sure the attention lasts longer than 24 hours.
Its target is practical and measurable: to stop one million pieces of plastic entering Commonwealth waters before the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which take place from 23 July to 2 August.
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The campaign has already passed the halfway mark. According to Commonwealth Sport’s live tracker, more than 625,000 pieces of plastic have so far been collected by communities along the relay route.
World Ocean Day, marked each year on 8 June, was first proposed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and later formally recognised by the United Nations. Its purpose is to celebrate the ocean’s role in human life and focus attention on how it can be protected.
At West Kirby beach, Merseyside, in May, Team England’s leg of the campaign saw 25 people collect 21kg of rubbish, including 552 plastic items. Among them were 111 branded items from 56 different brands, a telling snapshot of how packaging waste travels from shops, streets and bins to the shoreline.
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More than 625,000 pieces of plastic have so far been collected by communities along the relay route
Ellie Simmonds, the five-time Paralympic gold medallist and former Commonwealth swimmer, joined volunteers on the sand as part of the clean-up.
“Sport is so powerful, it can facilitate change,” she told Positive News magazine. “I am very passionate about water, having spent many years swimming in a chlorinated pool, but since retiring I have been lucky to use my passion and be able to travel the world and work with lots of incredible ocean conservationists and gain lots of knowledge of why water and oceans are so important to preserve and look after.”
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The Commonwealth Games, held every four years, brings together athletes from across the Commonwealth of Nations, spanning Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific. The baton relay has long been one of its most recognisable traditions, carrying a message from the head of the Commonwealth to the opening ceremony.
This time, organisers are using that journey as a practical route map for environmental action. Clean-ups are taking place across Commonwealth nations and territories, with athletes, schools, conservation groups and local volunteers asked to take part.
Ellie Simmonds, the five-time Paralympic gold medallist and former Commonwealth swimmer, joined volunteers on the sand as part of the clean-up
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The Commonwealth accounts for around a third of the world’s ocean waters, while almost half of Commonwealth countries are Small Island Developing States, many of them acutely exposed to marine pollution, rising seas and the waste that washes in from far beyond their own shores.
For Simmonds, who won medals in the pool before becoming an advocate for ocean conservation, the connection between sport and water is personal.
“With the news that Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games is happening and Team England’s one of their initiatives is looking after the Commonwealth waterways, I thought it was important for me to go to West Kirby beach and help out, pick up plastic and meet lots of the community,” she told Positive News magazine.
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Sport is so powerful, it can facilitate change
“Sport is watched by many millions of people across the world and if sport can do that one thing to create change, then it can create that ripple effect, so it’s wonderful to be involved.”
That ripple effect is the real test of the campaign. Beach cleans alone will not solve plastic pollution, but they can remove waste before it breaks down into smaller fragments, create local evidence of the brands and materials most often found in the environment, and give communities a visible way to press for less plastic entering the system in the first place.
The campaign also gives Glasgow 2026 a broader legacy challenge. The Games will bring medals, crowds and television audiences, but this initiative asks whether a global sporting event can also leave behind measurable environmental repair.
Photography: Steve Samosa Photograhy
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Louise Thompson has taken fierce aim at Euphoria over a controversial moment that features a stoma bag, describing it as ‘upsetting’ and ‘pretty rank’.
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The final season of the drama – which came to an end last week – has made headlines throughout its eight-episode run, with viewers criticising its ‘disturbing’ and ‘vulgar’ scenes.
In the penultimate episode, crime kingpin Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) is speaking to his employee Big Eddy (Kadeem Hardison), who has a stoma bag after surviving a gunshot to the abdomen.
A stoma bag is a medical device that’s used to collect bodily waste and is worn over the stoma, an opening that’s been made in the abdomen.
There are several reasons why a person might need to wear a stoma bag, such as if they’ve been diagnosed with colon cancer, if they’ve suffered an injury to the abdomen or if they have a severe case of inflammatory bowel disease.
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In the Euphoria scene, Big Eddy reveals that his stomach has been stapled closed and that he’s now wearing a stoma bag, with Alamo calling the device a ‘s**t bag’ and telling his associate: ‘Don’t be showing that to no motherf***er. Nasty.’
Louise Thompson showed her stoma bag to her followers in the video (Picture: Instagram)
At the time, she wrote: ‘Isn’t it bizarre that this little grey pouch is the price I pay for good health! I say good riddance to that nasty menacing colon!’
Two years later, she has spoken out against Euphoria’s depiction of a character mocking and insulting the use of a stoma bag, questioning if it’s a ‘tad irresponsible’.
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Speaking in an Instagram video, she explained that while she’s never watched the drama before, many people have sent her the clip of the scene between Alamo and Eddy.
‘I’m going to direct quote some of the lines in this series, because I’d love to get your thoughts on them. So, he says, “That there’s a s**t bag, huh? All these staples look like railroad tracks, cover that s**t up, that’s nasty. Don’t be showing that to no motherf***er,”’ she said.
‘Obviously, my acting is not very good, and these aren’t exactly words that roll off my tongue, but I’ve been thinking about how I feel about it, because I don’t think it’s that simple.’
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje joined the cast of Euphoria as Alamo Brown in season 3 (Picture: HBO)
The 36-year-old acknowledged that in her opinion, it’s ‘quite progressive’ for HBO to have featured a stoma bag on a major TV show.
‘I don’t know whether that would have kind of existed on TV 10 years ago. I think that it’s important for people to be exposed to these sorts of things that over 100,000 people in this country live with,’ she stated.
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However, Louise then continued: ‘I don’t think that the terminology that is used is very appropriate. The framing, the disgust, the “cover that s**t up”, instead of it feeling like representation and fair representation, instead it slightly feels like we’re using someone’s horrendous medical circumstances as a punchline, and I’m not sure how that sits with me, because I only have to think about my former self.’
Louise explained that she was ‘incredibly insecure’ when she was a teenager and ‘struggled with body confidence’, so if she’d had her surgery when she was younger and then seen this scene, it would have ‘made everything 10 times worse for me’.
‘And I also wonder whether it encourages certain people who don’t know better, who might watch that show, to kind of nod along and be like, “Yeah, that is really disgusting.” And then there’s maybe the risk that those people will go and actually feel that in public when faced with meeting somebody that does have a stoma bag,’ she continued.
‘Ultimately, I do think that it does more damage than silence does, because essentially you’re telling everyone that has a stoma bag or that has horrendous scars to cover them up, and that they shouldn’t wear them with pride. I think that’s pretty rank. I’d love to know what your thoughts are on this.’
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In the caption that accompanied her video, Louise stressed to her followers: ‘Just a reminder that your life-saving medical device is NOT nasty and does not need to be hidden away or fill you with shame!!!’
She added that the scene in question felt ‘quite jarring and a little upsetting to watch’ given how scarcely stoma bags are shown on TV, adding: ‘I wonder if it’s a tad irresponsible?!?!’
Louise was flooded with responses to her video, with some people agreeing with her and others saying Alamo is supposed to come across as cruel and insensitive.
‘Hear hear (as the proud owner of an ileostomy that saved my life 28 years ago) 👏👏👏,’ Dr Liesel commented on Instagram, while Helen wrote: ‘I have one too and completely agree 👏.’
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‘I think it’s about the character not having any grace or empathy. We aren’t meant to be thinking that’s the way to behave. 💜,’ Zoe shared
‘I agree but I think in this instance that was the point of that character, he shows no empathy or compassion to what the previous character has been through,’ Zahra commented.
Metro has contacted HBO for comment.
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All Creatures Great and Small fans have been treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the season season filming of the Channel 5 drama
15:03, 08 Jun 2026Updated 15:10, 08 Jun 2026
Samuel West has treated fans to behind-the-scenes glimpses from the seventh series of All Creatures Great and Small.
The beloved period drama has secured a double commission for series seven and eight, with each comprising six hour-long episodes and a Christmas Special. While a transmission date remains unconfirmed, production on the new instalments began in February.
The seventh series of All Creatures Great and Small, adapted from James Herriot’s books documenting his experiences as a veterinary surgeon in the Yorkshire countryside, is anticipated to continue from the 2025 festive special.
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Given that new series have arrived annually since 2020, with series five launching in September and series one in October, fresh episodes could potentially debut in autumn, reports the Mirror.
In one image posted on X, Callum Woodhouse, who plays Siegfried’s brother Tristan, is seen in full period attire, seemingly taking a break from filming.
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Callum beams warmly at the camera while seated in a plush armchair beneath a lamp, with one foot resting on a stool and a coat draped across his legs. Samuel captioned the post: “Callum, comfy.”
In another photograph, Rachel Shenton, who plays Helen Herriot, looked tired as she sat on a wooden chair, her head resting on one hand, eyes shut.
She cuts an elegant figure, dressed in a striking red blouse tucked into a lengthy navy blue skirt with brown shoes. Samuel playfully wrote beneath the post: “Tell me you’ve got a one-year-old without telling me you’ve got a one-year-old #1: Rach.”
Additional photographs featured scenes of the stunning Yorkshire landscape and members of the production crew. In another charming image, Samuel is seen cradling a tiny creature in both hands while beaming affectionately.
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He’s attired in Siegfried’s signature tweed three-piece ensemble, complemented by a crimson tie, with his hair swept backwards. A traditional timepiece adorns his wrist.
“And finally, the real star of the show. Plus some guy in a suit”, he wrote alongside the photograph, sparking enthusiasm amongst supporters for the forthcoming episodes.
In the comments section, admirers expressed their anticipation for the new instalments, with one individual posting: “Can’t wait for you guys to grace my screen. In a world of disarray, you and the cast of ACGAS are a breath of fresh air. Plus you are kinda sorta cute.”
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Another declared: “The rat and you aside, I adore the love for detail in your costume. The wrist watch is a piece of beauty.”
A third proclaimed: “We love you, Sam! Thank you for sharing these photos!”, while another contributed: “Thank you so much for all the amazing photos.”
“These photos are so wholesome, thank you for sharing. Bring on S7!”, remarked another supporter.
What will season 7 be about?
While Channel 5 remains tight-lipped about the storyline for All Creatures Great and Small’s seventh series, Greg Barnett, the broadcaster’s Commissioning Editor, has hinted at “many new stories still to tell and more unforgettable adventures ahead”.
Barnett commented: “All Creatures Great and Small is a jewel in 5’s drama crown and continues to delight viewers year after year. Its warmth, humour and heart, set against the beauty of Yorkshire, have made it a firm audience favourite.
“We’re thrilled to extend its future with two more series, with many new stories still to tell and more unforgettable adventures ahead for our Skeldale family.”
All Creatures Great and Small is available to stream on channel5.com.
Gary Neville has responded to Manchester United fan criticism over his punditry
Gary Neville says he’d sit and watch Manchester United matches in the stands if Sky Sports instructed him to cease covering fixtures following accusations from supporters. Former United colleague Rio Ferdinand told Neville that certain fans he’d encountered felt the ex-right-back displayed diminished passion for United.
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Neville remains a polarising figure amongst football supporters, with some claiming he favours his former club, while United fans believe he’s occasionally overly critical of them. The 51-year-old acknowledges he may have misjudged the balance over the past decade.
On the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Ferdinand said to Neville: “I spoke to a few United fans. Quite a few of them were saying ‘ask him why he shows less passion and positivity about us now as a pundit?’”
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Neville responded: “It’s a balance though Rio, isn’t it? It’s like, do I want City to win the league? I absolutely don’t want City anywhere near the league title.
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“I’ll say it on here now. I don’t want City or Liverpool to ever win a game of football again. I genuinely don’t. But do you know something, to be a professional and do the very best, sometimes I maybe don’t get the balance right with United.
“United are the hardest games I do. People might think that I’m more critical of United when they don’t play well. Sometimes, over the last maybe ten years, the balance, maybe I’ve not got it right.
“If they said ‘to me don’t cover United games for Sky, let me just sit in the stand and watch them.’ I’d say yeah, all day long but I still do the games. It’s difficult.”
Neville also addressed the future of Cole Palmer, who has been connected with a switch to Manchester United from Chelsea. He stated he would be delighted to see the forward arrive at Old Trafford but acknowledged the deal is improbable.
“I do like the signings of [Matheus] Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo last summer because they’ve had that grounding in the Premier League,” said Neville.
“They weren’t ‘gold’ but there was a removal of risk because they’d played in the Premier League and they were stepping up a level and they were young and hungry.
“‘Those type of signings are good. There’s talk of Cole Palmer and that looks like a signing that could be gold for Manchester United if he came to Old Trafford.
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“I don’t think it would happen though, I think Chelsea will hang onto him. But there’s very few signings like that available, it’s only every few years that these type of players become available.”
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
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Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
For those weighing up options such as university, college, employment or alternative routes, volunteering can provide a flexible and meaningful way to explore interests and build experience.
Young people across North Lanarkshire are being encouraged to consider volunteering as they plan their next steps after leaving school.
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For those weighing up options such as university, college, employment or alternative routes, volunteering can provide a flexible and meaningful way to explore interests and build experience.
And for those not yet sure what they want to do after leaving school, volunteering can allow you to meet new people, gain confidence and open your mind up to possible next steps. Volunteering is a positive post-school destination for all young people.
A wide range of opportunities are available locally, from helping at events and supporting younger children to getting involved in sport, community projects and environmental improvements.
Taking part can help young people develop important skills that employers value, including teamwork, communication and leadership, while also building confidence and gaining practical, real-life experience.
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Councillor Michael McBride, Convener of Education, said: “As our young people look to the future, it’s important they feel confident and supported in choosing the path that’s right for them.
“Volunteering offers a great opportunity to try new things, gain experience and develop the skills that will help them move forward, whether that’s into further education, training or employment. It also allows them to give something back to their communities, which is hugely valuable.”
Volunteering opportunities are designed to be flexible, making it easier for young people to take part alongside job searching, study or other commitments.
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