Traffic continues to queue along the M60 after a lorry had broken down earlier today, closing all lanes on the motorway.

Inrix, a traffic service, have issued an update that all lanes have now reopened but drivers will continue to face a delay in the aftermath.

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They said: “Queueing traffic due to earlier broken down Lorry on M60 clockwise at J12 M62 J12 (Eccles Interchange).All lanes have been reopened.”

This is a live blog we will keep you updated…

This is the fifth time that similar proposals have been submitted for the former school

A Grade II listed former Victorian school could be converted into a home. If approved, the Old Day School in High street in Bluntisham would undergo extensions and alterations.

This is the fifth time that similar proposals have been submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council. The previous applications were either withdrawn or refused. Planning documents state the building is “in a deteriorating condition and is frequently vandalised by trespassers”.

The current plans for the old school building would convert it into a two-storey, three-bedroom house. The school was built in 1842, with a toilet block added in 1930 and a kitchen added in 1944.

The works include breaking through the west of the hall to create an opening, adding mezzanine to the north of the hall, creating a sun roof, knocking down the outbuilding and removing and reconstructing the toilet and kitchen. Reviewing the plans, a conservation officer said: “The main feature of the building is the open classroom space which forms part of its original plan form, this is specifically emphasised as an important part of why the building is listed and its significance.

“The inclusion of the mezzanine with bedroom and ensuite bathroom under will fundamentally and significantly erode the space of the hall and damage the original plan form. This will result in a high level of harm.”

However, parts of the works such as removing the outbuilding were not objected to by the conservation officer. Although the officer said the development would “not harm the setting of adjacent listed buildings”, they believe the proposals “do not preserve the significance of the listed building, and result in a high level of less than substantial harm”.

The design and access statement for the current plans, written on behalf of applicant Simon Claridge, says: “The proposed development has been carefully conceived to secure the long-term preservation and viable reuse of the former school building through its sensitive conversion to a single residential dwelling.

“The design approach has sought to balance the functional requirements of a modern home with the need to preserve the special architectural and historic interest of the listed building and its contribution to the wider character of the conservation area.”

Expressing their thoughts on the plans, one person claimed: “The double-height Victorian schoolroom (the primary feature of the building’s architectural interest) is set to be permanently chopped in half by a modern stud partition wall to carve out a private main bedroom. This destroys the open, high-ceiling volume of the historic school hall.”

Planning document notes state that existing historic railings would be removed and taken to another address throughout the works and reinstalled after. An existing dwarf wall in “poor repair” would also be removed and replaced. The objector claimed that “dismantling a protected curtilage asset” would cause “immediate harm to the Bluntisham Conservation Area”.

Several people have also shared their support for the proposals. One person wrote: “I understand that this building is currently derelict. The owners are trying to make a beautiful home out of it. Frankly, we should be grateful that someone is willing to buy the property, invest money into it and make good of it. Otherwise, it will sit there forever and continue to fall apart.”

Meanwhile, another local, who highlighted the building’s “very poor state of repair” said that “in its present condition, the building is clearly deteriorating, and I believe this poses a serious threat to the long-term preservation of this Grade II listed structure”.

The comment added: “Bringing the building back into active, responsible use is, in my view, essential to safeguarding its future. I am fully supportive of the applicants’ proposals to restore the building and convert it into a family home.

“From what I understand of their plans, they are respectful of the building’s historic significance and are focused on sensitive repair, retention of original features where possible, and the use of appropriate materials in keeping with the character of the property.”

It can be easy to just throw everything, including items like batteries, in a household waste bin without thinking.

A binman has revealed exactly where and how you should be disposing of your old batteries.

How to properly dispose of batteries

The TikTok influencer, The No1 Binman, Ashley has revealed that there are a few extra steps you should take when getting rid of old batteries.

He spoke to the BBC and said: “Do not put vapes or batteries in any bin.

“You can take them to B&Q or the vape shop you bought them from and they’re meant to dispose of them themselves.”

Ashley added that a few councils will dispose of batteries if you leave them on top of your bin in a carrier bag.

But he stressed they should never be put inside the bin, as this can cause fires.

He continued: “I’ve had this before and I’m not sure if it’s a battery or a vape – the back of a lorry started smoking.”

Individual local authorities should provide clear information on what households can and cannot be recycled.

Metal items that cannot be recycled in normal recycling bins include things like electrical items and batteries, pipes, irons, and general kitchenware.

How to avoid having your recycling bin refused

Ashley shared some other tips that will help avoid having recycling bin refused by the binmen.

He said binmen are told to leave the entire recycling bin if it contains more than 5 to 10% of non-recyclable items.

He said: “You should be taking food out if you put it in your food waste bin, rather than chucking it straight in there – like if you’ve got a loaf of bread that’s out of date.

“Pizza boxes technically shouldn’t go in paper waste because the grease on the boxes makes it unable to be recycled because you can’t clean it off.

“They should be ripped apart and separated.

“Paper should be clean all the time.

“But some councils allow you to put them in the compost bin because they can be broken down with dirt and foods.”

Ashley also said people should be removing any polystyrene from packages and separating it from cardboard.

He said: “If something comes in a cardboard box, people take the item out and leave the polystyrene in the box.”

Do you always recycle your batteries in the correct way? Let us know in the comments.

One evening in August 2025, a Pakistani shepherd, Abuzar Hussain, was tending sheep and goats in the mountainous slopes of Shijar. At about 6pm, a thunderous roar shattered the silence of the valley.

Abuzar could see a glacial flood headed towards his village, and had minutes to react. He desperately climbed up to a higher point in the mountain where the mobile signal allowed him to get in touch with the village, so that the mosque could broadcast an alert over a loudspeaker.

Hundreds of lives were saved by this phone call from a single man, in a region where millions of dollars are invested in early warning systems.

This story captures something risk and crisis communication researchers have long known, but is not always built into a nation’s emergency planning. It’s not only official messages that are part of a community response to an upcoming disaster. Research shows that the sources who deliver information during emergencies, and their perceived credibility, can affect the way people understand risks and act on them.

That gap, between what people are told and what they trust, is exactly what we set out to measure, with other colleagues. As climate and health information researchers, we ran a series of surveys in Belgium, Germany, Poland and Florida in the US – all places that were hit by major weather emergencies in 2024.

Storm Boris caused deadly flooding across central Europe, while Hurricane Helene caused devastation in the south-eastern United States. These events made natural test sites for our new survey tool, designed to measure “information voids” – the gap between what people expect from flood information and what they actually experience. This could range from knowing where and when to evacuate, to knowing who to believe.

To measure this, we asked people to rate how much information they ideally wanted versus how much they actually received; how accurate they expected it to be versus how accurate it felt; which sources of information they trusted versus which ones they heard from; and finally, which communication channels they preferred versus which they could access.

From their responses, we were able to calculate “void scores”: the difference between the perceived ideal emergency alert and what was received. These were judged in terms of the quantity and quality information received, the source of that information, and the communication channel it was received from. The bigger the difference between the ideal and received ratings, the bigger the void.

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Nepal floods: how measuring snow in the Himalayas could help avoid future disasters

Our findings from nearly 900 people were revealing, but not in the way we expected. Across all four countries, people said they were getting enough information about the weather emergencies. The problem wasn’t the volume of information – it was who it came from, and how it reached them.

Who is the messenger?

We measured the “information void” in four ways: how much information people got, how accurate it was, who it came from, and how it reached them.

Our surveys detected gaps in the accuracy of information about the timing and location of floods. But the biggest problem was the source of that information, and how it reached people.

Trust levels were high for emergency responders such as firefighters and the police. People showed relatively low levels of trust for social media influencers and religious leaders.

Relationships between information sources and audiences become especially fragile during disasters such as floods, where life-altering decisions need to be made quickly. This was demonstrated during the August 2026 disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border, when a flash flood washed away villages and roads, killing more than 1,000 people.

Strong winds and water surges can damage telecommunications and transportation infrastructure, in ways that make it impossible for emergency responders to share important updates about the situation with the public through news or social media.

In the meantime, rumours can often start spreading misinformation about issues such as emergency supplies, leading some communities to feel ignored. This often sows the seeds of social discontent.

Why information fails

Over the past decade and especially since the COVID pandemic, research around tracking and tackling misinformation has increased. Some studies suggest that misinformation outbreaks are usually preceded by a vacuum of information from official channels.

One possible explanation is that uncertainty about the hazard and incomplete information creates a fertile ground for alternative theories to emerge. When these theories gain traction, they can have dangerous consequences.

Measuring, detecting and addressing information voids should help address the risk of misinformation outbreaks during emergencies and disasters – events that are especially vulnerable to these outbreaks.

Preliminary research, which is not yet peer reviewed, suggests that information voids were linked to an increase in the prevalence of misinformation during the COVID pandemic. Other researchers have categorised social media conversations during the pandemic to identify which topics people felt most confused about, or wanted more information on.

What needs to change?

Many disaster planners worry about people not receiving accurate information, focusing on its quantity and quality. And certainly, being informed accurately about the timing and location of natural disasters is of primary importance.

But our research shows it is also vital to focus on who delivers this information. Messengers commanding high levels of trust need to be actively engaged to ensure information reaches people frequently and widely.

Institutions can act on this by constantly monitoring information voids across all phases of a disaster, from preparedness to response and recovery. This will increase the chances that people adhere to emergency advice, and that misinformation outbreaks are headed off before they start.

À lire aussi :
Himalayan hazards are becoming more complex. Our warning systems need to catch up

Investing millions of dollars in early warning systems is necessary, but not sufficient. Accurate information needs to be sent in the right amount and at the right moment via trusted sources, or people are put at risk.

That is a lesson emergency communicators urgently need to absorb.

WWE legend Kurt Angle mixed it up with the very best professional wrestling had to offer during his storied career in the ring. But there is always one that got away.

As you might recall him mentioning, Angle won Olympic gold in 1996 ‘with a broken freakin’ neck’ before he was thrust into the world of WWE (then WWF) in late 1999, winning his first world title within a year of making his debut for Vince McMahon’s all-conquering promotion.

Over the next six years, he would be involved in some of the biggest feuds, most engrossing storylines and absorbing matches during one of wrestling’s golden periods, becoming a six-time world champion.

Angle shared the ring with every major name of his time, headlining with powerhouses of the Attitude Era in Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H and new stars in Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Randy Orton. Matches against ring royalty in The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are among his favourites but there is one name missing from his golden collection.

Bret Hart left the WWE in disgust in in 1997 to join WCW (World Championship Wrestling) in the aftermath of ‘The Montreal Screwjob’. Excluding his brief return to the company in 2010, ‘The Hitman’s last meaningful match in professional wrestling was in 2000 with a meeting between two of the greatest technical wrestlers in history consigned to fantasy.

‘I missed him by a year,’ Angle told Metro, speaking via Gambling.com, the guide to the best online sportsbooks. ‘He left the WWE in 1997, I signed with them in 1998. I was so sad when I saw him get injured and his career was ended.

‘The WWE offered me a contract in 1996, I should have taken the damn contract instead of waiting until 1998, because then I would have wrestled Bret. But I’ve always been inspired by Bret Hart because of his technical ability, and that’s what I portrayed in wrestling as well.’

And of today’s crop? ‘The two guys right now today that I would have loved to wrestle are Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. They’re both phenomenal. I love their style, even their high-flying style — I don’t do a lot of high-flying things, I do a little bit, but I always mesh well with guys like that, guys like  Rey Mysterio many times — we mesh really well. So I really would have loved to wrestle those two.’

Angle’s match against The Undertaker at No Way Out 2006 is one he regarded as one of the best of his WWE career. The two first tangled at Fully Loaded 2000 and reignited their chemistry in an untelevised house show six years later. They went to WWE chairman Vince McMahon with the idea of bringing it to WrestleMania 22– with Angle heavyweight champion at the time. It would have presented two scenarios – Angle dropping the belt or The Phenom’s undefeated streak coming to an end. McMahon didn’t like either option.

‘We went to Vince and said, “listen, we have great chemistry, we would love to have a match at WrestleMania”. And Vince was like, well, “you’re the champion, Kurt, I don’t want to give The Undertaker the title, and Undertaker’s undefeated and I don’t want to end this streak yet”. So he said, “I’ll give you the match at No Way Out”, the pay-per-view before WrestleMania.

‘Undertaker and I wrestled at No Way Out, which is the lowest-buying pay-per-view of the year — everybody’s saving up for WrestleMania — and it’s the least-watched pay-per-view. So it didn’t get that much exposure because of that. It kind of sucks, because that’s when we had our match. We were planning on having it at WrestleMania, but Vince McMahon wouldn’t have it.’

Angle went onto drop the title to Rey Mysterio the following month with The Undertaker’s remaining undefeated at WrestleMania for another eight years before Lesnar brought it all to a shuddering halt in 2014.

Lesnar had just recently re-signed with WWE after switching to the world of UFC. Already one of the most fearsome athletes professional wrestling had ever seen, his reign as UFC champion only added to his ferocious aura and meant he was perhaps the only credible candidate to end ‘The Streak’.

Would Lesnar have been Angle’s choice? ‘I wasn’t going to be the guy that was going to end the undefeated streak. I believe it was going to be either an upcoming guy or a complete dominator that people would buy.

‘Now, they would have bought me beating Undertaker, but I was already way up here as far as main-eventing and being one of the top guys in the company — I didn’t need it. But neither did Brock. Brock is a dominating athlete though — I think people said, “okay, I can accept this”.

‘I would have preferred if it was someone up-and-coming. Whoever was younger back then, maybe, I don’t know if this is a great idea, but Cody Rhodes or CM Punk, somebody up-and-coming who ended up being the top guy in the company. I think it would have benefited them the most. But they decided to end the streak with Brock Lesnar, and I think it was a great decision because it was a safe decision.’

MORE: WWE rookie from Nottinghamshire ‘floors’ wrestling legend at 29 years old

MORE: Wrestler Andy ‘The Butcher’ Williams dies aged 48 after hitting head during match

MORE: WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event 2026 UK start time for free YouTube live stream

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.

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.”