Autumn equinox is approaching, and (sigh) you know what that means: the days are only about to get shorter. Damn.

Although it’s a fact of life every winter, I simply can’t wrap my head around the fact that the days end as early as 4pm.

There’s nothing more demotivating than leaving work and it already being evening, and if you’re working from home it can be tricky to energise yourself for a full day of work.

Whether you’re struggling to wake up in the morning, or to maintain energy levels throughout the day, and SAD lamp could give you a morning boost and keep you productive all day long.

They come in a range of sizes, from table to floor lamps, alarm clocks, and even foldable forms that can fit in your bag.

If you’re looking for something that will stop you falling into a winter depression, SAD lamps could be the solution this year.

We’ve rounded up the best to shop now.

Best known for her award-winning role as Mary Cox in Our Friends in the North, McKee spent her formative years in Peterlee, a town built on ambition, community spirit and the heritage of east Durham’s mining villages.

A town built for a new future

Peterlee is unlike most towns in County Durham.

Established as a new town after the Second World War and named after miners’ leader Peter Lee, it was designed to provide modern homes and opportunities for families from the surrounding coalfield communities.

Today, Peterlee is home to more than 20,000 people and is known for landmarks including the Apollo Pavilion, nearby stretches of the Durham Heritage Coast and its rich mining history.

While many visitors know Peterlee for its distinctive architecture and location between Sunderland and Hartlepool, it has also produced one of the North East’s most acclaimed acting talents.

Gina McKee’s Peterlee roots

Born in 1964, McKee was raised in Peterlee and nearby Easington after being born into a mining family.

Her father worked in the coal industry, giving her first-hand experience of the communities that would later inspire some of her most celebrated performances.

She attended school locally and discovered acting while still a teenager.

According to published biographies, McKee joined a local drama group after spotting a poster in a shop window.

What began as a hobby quickly developed into a passion and eventually led to her first professional screen role in the Tyne Tees children’s series Quest of Eagles.

From East Durham to television success

McKee spent several summers with the National Youth Theatre before pursuing a professional acting career.

Despite being rejected by a number of prestigious drama schools, she continued to pursue acting and gradually established herself on television and in film.

Her breakthrough came in 1996 when she starred in the BBC drama Our Friends in the North, earning a BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress.

Since then she has appeared in productions including Notting Hill, The Forsyte Saga, Bodyguard, Line of Duty, Phantom Thread and My Policeman, building a reputation as one of Britain’s finest screen performers.

Why Peterlee remains proud of its star

Like many towns across County Durham, Peterlee has undergone significant change since its mining heyday.

Yet McKee’s success remains a source of pride for many local people and serves as a reminder of the talent that has emerged from East Durham communities.

For a town created to offer new opportunities to mining families, the story of Gina McKee is one of its most notable success stories.

From a local drama group in Peterlee to BAFTA-winning performances watched by millions, her journey remains closely connected to the County Durham town where she grew up.

Mixed signals? Or maybe it is just a sign that Tuchel wants his side to become more unpredictable in their search for success.

Because that is what the best teams do – mix it up when required.

Despite Tuchel’s remarks, his latest squad for the fixtures against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia rather contradicts any thoughts of a havoc-rich approach.

The return of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer, two of English football’s most technically gifted players, screams control.

So do the call-ups of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott and Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, who are both extremely adept in possession of the ball.

Of course, there is certainly a balance to be struck. That would be Tuchel’s ideal scenario.

Rio Ngumoha’s first senior call-up will certainly add an air of unpredictability to Tuchel’s options.

The Liverpool winger, 18, has had an exciting start to the season, catching the eye with his invention and trickery down both flanks for Andoni Iraola’s side.

That Tuchel revealed Fulham attacker Josh King is also close to earning his first senior call-up provides further indication the England manager wants to reinvigorate his forward line ahead of the forthcoming Nations League campaign and beyond.

Yet, we shouldn’t expect Tuchel to completely let go of the handbrake just yet.

In response to a question as to whether his team can replicate the fast-paced approach of a Premier League team but harnessed with a greater control, Tuchel responded: “That would be the wish, that we become for 10 minutes a little bit more like Spain, here and there.

“The more I reflect on it, it’s maybe more buying into our strengths and play more minutes like we played the second half against Croatia, and more minutes like we played the first half against France, and buying into these strengths, because I think we get a lot of value out of it, we get a lot of connection to the fans, this is what the Premier League reflects.

“We are maybe not the most economical team to play football but this is maybe also a characteristic of the Premier League. The Premier League is not a very economical league, you have to play.

“You need to max out every single match otherwise you cannot compete for the title so this is something more beautiful. But this is where we are, where I am in my mindset and I think where the players are, so it’s still a bit ambiguous.”

But while Tuchel may not have total clarity with regards to whether control or chaos is the way forward, he showed no hint of confusion over who he believes his best players are.

Tuchel refuted assertions his decision to recall Palmer and Alexander-Arnold was an admission he’d got his World Cup squad wrong.

Indeed, Tuchel has hinted he would have picked a vastly similar squad for the upcoming games to the one he selected for the US had all his options been available.

“Before we did the nomination in the last month, I thought we had more of a continuation of the World Cup squad but then a lot of members of our World Cup squad – Reece [James], Dan [Burn], Dean [Henderson, [John] Stones, [Jordan] Henderson, Djed Spence – can’t be with us due to injuries, so it is not like a full continuation.

“These players were crucial for us in building the brotherhood, in building the spirit and taking care of the mentality that took us the long way in the tournament. We will not negotiate on that, we will not give in on that.

“So other players will step up, this is basically how I see this camp.

“My mindset at the moment is not to change too much within the formations.”

England host World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday, 26 September then travel to the Czech Republic (Tuesday, 29 September) and Croatia (Saturday, 3 October) before the Czechs visit on Tuesday, 6 October.

The government announced that the inquiry into the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) will formally start on Monday (September 21).

Retired judge Roderick John Conwy Potter will chair the inquiry ordered by former health secretary Wes Streeting last December.

TEWV has long said it will cooperate with the inquiry.

The trust has been dogged by calls, including from The Press, for a full statutory inquiry after being convicted and fined over the deaths of two patients and blamed at inquests for contributing to the deaths of others, slammed by watchdogs, and branded as ‘requiring improvement’.

The government announced that the inquiry into the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) will formally start on Monday (September 21) (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

York Central MP Rachael Maskell, who met with the prime minister to discuss the TEWV inquiry, hailed the start date being set as a “huge step forwards”.

It is understood that admin for the inquiry will begin on Monday, with a date for its first public hearing yet to be announced.

Ms Maskell said: “Families who have suffered loss and unimaginable grief have waited in limbo for years to have their voices heard. This has been a complete systemic failure and should never be allowed to happen again. Others have not received the care they should from NHS mental health services.

“The announcement of this date is a huge step forwards in giving families who have lost loved ones and individuals who have suffered poor care the opportunity to hold those responsible to account and drive urgent improvements in mental health services.

“I will continue to work alongside families, Healthwatch and others going through this process to ensure justice is served and that robust change is delivered.”

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Judge Potter, a retired circuit judge and former deputy judge in the Court of Appeal’s criminal division with more than 40 years’ experience, said he was “honoured to have been appointed to chair the TEWV inquiry”.

“My first priority will be to meet and listen to those affected. Their voices and experiences will be central to the inquiry’s work and will help inform the development of its terms of reference,” he said.

“The inquiry will approach its task independently, thoroughly and fairly, and with respect for everyone who takes part. I will work with the inquiry team to put the necessary arrangements in place so that our work can begin as promptly as proper preparation allows.”

As chair of a full statutory inquiry, Judge Potter will have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence.

Health secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The families who were let down by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust have suffered immeasurable pain.

“Judge Potter has been asked to deliver a report explaining why things went so wrong across the trust’s mental health services and what must change.”

By CHRIS MELORE, US DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR

Published: 14:37 BST, 18 September 2026 | Updated: 15:13 BST, 18 September 2026

The sixth batch of UFO files has been released by the Pentagon, showing clusters of alleged spacecraft flying through the sky for decades.

The latest tranche was made public Friday morning, with the focus on a famous 1952 UFO sighting by a Navy photographer in Tremonton, Utah.

The newly released footage revealed ten to 14 bright objects in a clear blue sky. Newhouse, a Navy warrant officer who was on vacation with his family at the time, described them as looking like two discs stacked on top of each other – creating the classic ‘flying saucer’ shape.

He added in incident reports that the UFOs had a shiny metallic or gunmetal color and were moving around in a loose circle while generally heading west.

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The US Air Force’s old UFO investigation office, Project Blue Book, studied the film for months and was never able to fully explain what Newhouse had filmed.

Over 70 years later, military aircraft over the Middle East captured another mysterious cluster of UFOs traveling in a highly organized formation.

The group of glowing orbs was seen traveling past an oil rig, flying at high speed next to each other in an almost perfect horizontal line before splitting up into groups of three.

The latest files also contained dozens of witness reports, videos of UFO sightings and newly declassified files documenting how a private company owned by billionaire Robert Bigelow was contracted by the Pentagon to study UFO sightings and futuristic technology.

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Footage from a 1952 Navy photographer has been released, showing what the sailor described as a group of flying saucers

In 2025, another cluster of UFOs was seen by US military aircraft over the Middle East

Among the hundreds of pages of never-before-seen documents released on Friday were expense reports coming from the Defense Intelligence Agency – the Pentagon’s military intelligence service which studies foreign military technology and possible future threats.

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The documents detailed how tens of millions of dollars were spent on a program called AAWSAP: Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program. It ran from 2008 to 2012.

Among the futuristic technology the group secretly contracted researchers to investigate were space-age materials including metallic glass, a faster-than-light method of travel known as warp drive and the ability to make objects invisible using a cloaking device.

The group awarded the contract for this work was Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS).

BAASS was a company set up by Robert Bigelow, the businessman behind Budget Suites of America and Bigelow Aerospace. He has also been known to have a strong personal interest in UFOs and government transparency.

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In July, UFO researcher and documentary filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee alleged that Bigelow was part of President Trump’s inner circle which convinced the president to prepare a speech which would announce the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial life.

This is a breaking story. More details to follow. 

The sixth batch of UFO files contained multiple videos of alleged UFO encounters, including orbs traveling over land and sea at high speeds

Sky is currently running a flash sale on some of its most popular broadband plans, with 150Mbps Full Fibre Broadband back at its lowest ever price

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Sky has launched a limited-time flash sale on several of its most sought-after broadband packages. The 150Mbps Full Fibre Broadband has returned to its record-low price point.

It’s currently priced at £23 monthly, though this offer expires on Wednesday, September 23. This connection speed is ideal for HD streaming, with new customers eligible for up to £200 in bill credit when switching, helping to offset any exit charges from their previous provider.

Sky notes that while its full fibre service reaches 79 per cent of households across the UK, the 150Mbps speed isn’t universally available. Potential customers can verify their eligibility using Sky’s postcode checker tool.

The company also states its prices ‘may change’ throughout the 24-month contract period. However, customers retain the right to terminate their agreement should any price adjustments be announced.

Those exploring alternatives will find comparable offers from Virgin Media. BT is another option worth considering, as it’s presently providing up to £200 towards switching costs, reports the Daily Star.

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Sky’s 150Mbps Full Fibre Broadband has received thousands of favourable reviews on Trustpilot from satisfied customers. One contented user shared: “Works perfectly, speeds are amazing and a lot cheaper than Talktalk.”

Another customer stated: “I have my TV, mobile, and broadband with them. Impressed with the level of service, the price is also very competitive.”

A long-standing Sky subscriber remarked: “I have been with Sky for 14 years and they have never let me down. Their broadband is premium tier, and their Sky Q is also high quality.”

Some customers, however, have expressed dissatisfaction with Sky, with one long-term subscriber stating: “Having been a customer for almost 20 years, we recently cancelled due to high costs. Customer service has gone downhill significantly during this time.”

Another customer shared a contrasting experience: “Went to transfer my broadband from BT to Sky. The service was excellent.

“I got a great deal, and I know exactly what will happen on my installation day and going forward.”

The rare operation brought together surgeons, hospitals and charities across two countries, with doctors saying the girls now have opportunities that would not have been possible before

A miracle 24-hour surgery and a team of specialists successfully separated conjoined twin girls in an extraordinary operation.

Hiyab and Wuhbto travelled from their home in Ethiopia to Missouri in February 2025 for one of the rarest and most complex procedures carried out in the United States. The two-year-old sisters were joined at the crown of their heads and required months of painstaking preparation before doctors could attempt to separate them.

More than 300 hours of planning went into the operation at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, with the surgery itself lasting more than 24 hours. Doctors said the procedure demanded “sublime precision” and close coordination between multiple specialist teams.

Since their separation, Wuhbto has undergone a further cranioplasty to complete the repair of her skull, while Hiyab is preparing for the same procedure later this autumn. The girls turned two in March, shortly after their separation surgery.

Dr. Andrew J. White, the hospital’s chief medical officer said: “Partnership, collaboration and expertise were the building blocks of this incredible feat.”

The hospital described the operation as “one of the most complex and rare paediatric procedures performed in the United States.”

Twins joined at the head are exceptionally rare, occurring in around one in 2.5million live births and accounting for fewer than 6% of conjoined twins, according to the National Library of Medicine. Only 62 separation attempts have been documented among 69 well-recorded cases of craniopagus twins worldwide.

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The girls’ treatment involved a huge international effort, bringing together hospitals, charities and organisations in both the US and Ethiopia. Among those involved were SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, World Pediatrics, Lola Children’s Home in Ethiopia, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Ethiopian Airlines.

Dr. Hossain Marandi, president of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, said: “This story reflects the very best of who we are, bringing hope, healing, and opportunities once thought impossible to children and families when they need it most. From our caregivers and clinical teams to our community and global partners, countless individuals united around a shared mission to create new possibilities for these two young girls and their future.”

The twins continue to receive care in the United States as doctors monitor their recovery and development.

Dr. Joanna Kemp, head neurological surgeon at the hospital, said: “It is still too soon to know exactly what their long-term development will look like but what we do know is that they now have opportunities that would not have been possible without this intervention.”

He said this was an attempt to not to be identified as the helmsman.

However, Atak was seen during 90 minutes of aerial footage to be piloting the vessel using its one remaining functioning engine, the court heard.

Harrison said: “There’s no evidence to suggest that the defendant had any training or experience of conducting this type of navigation.

“The size of the vessel and the number of people on board presented an obvious danger. The vessel would have been unstable because of it deflating.”

Harrison said the risks of the crossing “would have been apparent to Atak”.

In an interview, Atak said he paid €200 euros (£172) to a gang for the crossing but denied he was the helmsman.

NCA senior investigating officer John Turner said: “Atak was unimaginably reckless and his actions could have easily resulted in many deaths had this boat not been intercepted.

“Not only did he place the lives of 165 migrants in severe peril, this flimsy vessel was entirely unsuitable for crossing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.”

Endangerment at sea was made a new offence this year to target those alleged to have steered small boats over the Channel.

Anna Turley, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, described Atak as an “evil criminal”.

“He joins 16 other pilots sentenced in just three months for endangering lives with flimsy, overcrowded dinghies,” she said.

“This is a stark reminder of the ruthless acts used by smuggling gangs to exploit desperate people for profit, but today shows there is nowhere for them to hide.”

Additional reporting from PA Media.

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Natalia Skurzewska was diagnosed with Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction (RCPD), also known as “no burp syndrome”

A Co Derry teenager has been forced to fundraise towards a life-changing operation after being diagnosed with a rare condition that prevents her from burping.

Natalia Skurzewska, 18 and from Maghera, was diagnosed with Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction (RCPD), also known as “no burp syndrome,” after two years of trying to get a diagnosis. RCPD is a condition where the cricopharyngeus muscle, located in the throat, can’t relax properly.

This prevents affected individuals from burping, leading to uncomfortable and often painful symptoms like bloating, gurgling noises in the chest and throat, abdominal pain, nausea and even difficulty breathing.

RCPD is often misdiagnosed as heartburn or indigestion, meaning the medication given would be completely useless or could even worsen sufferers’ conditions.

For those like Natalia with the condition, it significantly impacts quality of life, making everyday activities both difficult and embarrassing. Natalia went to her GP for two years trying to figure out what was causing her issues until she researched her symptoms herself.

She first noticed problems when she was 14 years-old: “I would eat and then I’d get bloated. It would hurt at times, and then there’d be gurgling noises coming like from my throat. I would also get really bad bloating and then pains in my stomach that would go right up to my chest.

“It would happen whenever I ate specific foods, like take aways, sweet stuff or drank fizzy drinks. It was so uncomfortable, especially whenever I was in school and just had to try and get through the whole day.

“I get very bad hiccups, sometimes even doubled and it gets to the point where the pain in my chest is so unbearable and I can get them four times a day.

“I went to my GP who said it was heartburn or something to do with my gut or bowels, and I told her that wasn’t the case. The doctor would give me all sorts of different medication, but they wouldn’t help.

“I had X-rays and ultrasounds done but they couldn’t find anything. That’s when I did my own research and figured out that I have RCPD.”

Natalia, a health and social care student at Belfast Met, was recently hospitalised when her condition worsened and she found it difficult to breathe and was suffering heart palpitations.

The condition has also impacted Natalia social life and mental health: “I have also struggled with my physical appearance as RCPD makes me to feel awful about myself. Anytime I would eat, I’d get bloated and feel embarrassed from being made fun of.

“Because of this condition, I’ve found it hard to leave my home and go out to social events, school, or just meet my family for dinner. Anytime I would go out with family or friends I would always feel awkward sitting there while others around me ate what they wanted.

“I would constantly get questioned if I had an eating disorder or if I’m just looking for attention, but the truth is, it’s very hard for anyone with RCPD to eat anything and I’d always go into so much pain just a few minutes after. I tried explaining the condition I had but honestly, people only made fun of me which made me very insecure about my body.”

While botox injections have shown high success rates in restoring the ability to burp, Natalia’s best option is surgery but that’s not available on the NHS. It’s available privately in either Dublin or England but at a cost of approximately £6,000.

While Botox injections have shown high success rates in restoring the ability to burp, Natalia’s best option is surgery, but that’s not available on the NHS. It’s available privately in either Dublin or England at a cost of approximately £6,000.

“Having the surgery would mean a great deal to me. It would also mean I wouldn’t be in pain every day and could eat a meal without being that pain for the rest of the day.”

Natalia has launched a GoFundMe appeal towards her surgery and research into the condition which can be accessed here.

“Funds raised for RCPD are vital for supporting research into better diagnostic methods and treatment options, as well as providing resources for those living with the condition to access the specialised care they need to help them live a better life,” she added.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter .

The new boss of the Daniel crime clan Francis ‘Fraggle’ Green swallowed two sim cards at the scene of a gangland execution.

He took over as head of the family from his cousin Steven ‘Bonzo’ Daniel, 46, who was arrested in a dawn raid last month and faces a lengthy jail spell on serious organised crime offences on charges.

Fraggle, 44, was relatively unknown to the general public before his best friend Kevin ‘Gerbil’ Carroll was gunned down by a hitman from the rival Lyons mob in the car park of an Asda in Robroyston in 2010.

However, when he arrived on the scene before the police his role in the Daniel network soon became apparent.

Gerbil moved to the Milton area from Drumchapel when he was a young boy but after he was bullied at school by Eddie and Steven Lyons, 46, he struck up a friendship with Fraggle and sought protection from the Daniel family.

While Fraggle, the son of the late crime boss Jamie Daniel, lurked behind the scene in his younger years, Gerbil went on to become of Scotland’s most notorious gangsters.

When the Daniel and Lyons clan went to war, Gerbil was at the centre of the fued and survived being shot in 2003.

Gerbil, who was Fraggle’s sister Kelly ‘Bo’ Green’s long term partner, is believed to have blasted mobster Eddie Lyons in 2006 and ordered a gangland shooting at Applerow garage in the Lambill area of Glasgow later in the same year that left Michael Lyons, 21, dead and Steven Lyons, 46, wounded in the leg.

The Lyons family sought revenge and caught up with Gerbil when he was shot dead as he sat in the back of a black Audi at the Asda car park at the age of 29.

Before the cops even arrived Fraggle raced to the scene and dumped his car in the middle of the road after he was tipped off by Stephen McLaggan and John Bonner, who had been with Gerbil when he was murdered.

Ross Monaghan, who was shot dead in the Costa Del Sol along with Eddie Lyons, was accused of the murder and went on trial in 2012.

In court, it was heard how Fraggle had reached into the back of the Audi and took two mobile phones belonging to Gerbil and swallowed the sim cards.

He claimed the sim cards were from his own phone and admitted doing so in an effort to hide the family’s criminal operation from the police.

When questioned Fraggle went on to explain how he had been in contact with Gerbil every day for 15 years and had been on the phone with him just 20 minutes before he was killed.

It was rumoured in underworld circles that Gerbil may have been set up by the Daniel clan but Fraggle firmly denied this.

Fraggle was asked if his dad Jamie Daniel got on with Carroll. He replied: “Yeah.” He was then asked: “Are you sure?” He said: “Positive.”

When asked about his involvement in organised crime Fraggle claimed to be a £10 an hour car valeter despite driving a high-powered sports car with a private registration.

Witnesses described how Fraggle arrived at the car park and started giving McLaggan and Bonner orders.

It was put to Fraggle these were the actions of a crime boss but he denied the accusation.

He was asked if he knew what Carroll did for a living and said he “no idea,” but his evidence at the trial was described by defence QC Derek Ogg as “contemptible nonsense.”

Monaghan eventually was acquitted but another Lyons enforcer William ‘Buff’ Paterson was convicted of the murder in 2015 and sentenced to 22 years in jail.

On the 10th anniversary of Gerbil’s murder in 2020 it was reported how Fraggle had left flowers at the grave with a tribute to his late pal, reading: ‘You are loved and missed every day and will always be in our hearts.’

Spanish cops claim the murders of Eddie Lyons, 46, and Ross Monaghan, 43, were ordered by the Daniel clan but Police Scotland insist this was not the case.

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