A tunnel has been built under a new dual carriage way to help guide bats and other wildlife. This forms part of the major £1 billion Black Cat to Caxton project.
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The 45-metre long (5-metre-wide and 4.5-metre-high) tunnel runs beneath the new 10-mile dual carriageway. This is located between the Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire and Caxton Gibbet in Cambridgeshire.
Ecological surveys carried out in 2021 helped National Highways to understand how wildlife uses the area, including identifying bat flight paths crossing the route of the new dual carriageway.
It said the tunnel will help bats to “safely navigate” the new road. Alongside bats, the tunnel will help to guide other wildlife towards the crossing.
The underpass has been built alongside new hedgerows, trees, shrubs and specifically designed fencing. “It’s one of the ways we’re working to make sure the new road and the surrounding environment can live alongside each other”, a National Highways spokesperson said in a social media update.
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The A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet upgrade aims to deliver a new 10-mile dual carriageway. It will replace the final stretch of single carriageway on the road between the M1 at Milton Keynes and the east coast ports of Harwich and Felixstowe.
Most of the scheme is set to open in spring 2027 including the new 10-mile A421 dual carriageway between Black Cat junction and Caxton Gibbet.
Other key junction improvements, include:
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the new A421 flyover at Black Cat junction;
dual carriageway entry and exit access at the new Cambridge Road junction;
fully upgraded Caxton Gibbet junction.
The final phase of the scheme is expected to open in mid-summer 2027, when the new A1 underpass at Black Cat junction comes into use.
This weekend will mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 but the Premier League has no plans to hold any tributes as they follow new guidance
The Premier League and clubs across the Football League will not be marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 during this weekend’s matches.
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It follows a change in approach that was adopted last year with English football no longer holding automatic minute’s silences for global disasters. It comes after a working group found that such gestures were losing their impact.
A total of 67 Brits were killed 25 years ago on Friday in New York following a series of atrocities in the United States, which targeted the two World Trade Centre building, but nothing is planned to remember the atrocities, reports the Daily Mail.
English football will now only have tributes for international incidents with a direct link to football. An example being last year when the two Manchester clubs undertook a minute’s silence following an attack on a synagogue in the city.
Friday marks a quarter of a century since the 9/11 attacks but no Premier League games are scheduled. The only game that night is in the Championship where West Ham United host Wrexham at the London Stadium.
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On the tenth anniversary of 9/11, in 2011, a moment’s silence was held before both Premier League matches held on the Sunday whilst players also wore black armbands.
The FA have faced criticism for seemingly picking and choosing which events to recognise. They are previously called out after failing to light up the Wembley arch following the October 7 terror attacks in Israel in 2023, especially as they had previously done so in solidarity with Ukraine following Russia ’s invasion.
As is done annually, sporting events across the US will continue to remember those who lost their lives on that day in September. At the New York Giants’ clash with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, players, coaches and staff from both sides will wear commemorative hats on the sideline in recognition of first responders.
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On Friday there is a baseball clash between the two New York franchises – the Yankees and the Mets – at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. They will host a series of pre-game ceremonies.
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“We will continue to work with football clubs to address any criminal activity linked to people attending matches and ensure that supporters are kept safe.”
Police have issued a stern warning to football fans following a number of recent incidents involving pre-arranged fights at matches.
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This comes after recent violence at Shamrock Park during a clash between Coleraine and Portadown on 28th August, where a group of Portadown supporters were reported to have pushed through a gate separating the home and away ends at half-time, with stewards rushing to split the factions and restore order as fighting broke out.
The PSNI have warned those engaging in the violence that they could face “far-reaching” consequences if caught.
Police Service of Northern Ireland Football Co-ordinator, Inspector Gary McCullough said: “The overwhelming majority of fans that attend matches do so to support their club and to have an enjoyable day out with friends and family. They do not want disruption, disorder or criminal behaviour of any kind inside or outside the grounds.
“At football matches, or indeed any event which draws significant numbers of people, police work closely with stewards and event organisers to ensure the delivery of a safe event. It is critical that anyone who chooses to engage in violent confrontations with other fans should understand that their behaviour is unacceptable and, if detected by police, will face consequences that can be far-reaching and can seriously impact their future opportunities for work and travel.
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“To parents and guardians, please help prevent young people from becoming involved in these activities. Know where your children are, who they are with, what they are doing and what they are arranging on their social media accounts.
“We will continue to work with football clubs to address any criminal activity linked to people attending matches and ensure that supporters are kept safe.
“If you have information which could assist police in addressing this issue, please get in touch with us on the non-emergency number 101.
“Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.”
A cordon was put in place following reports of the incident
14:01, 07 Sep 2026Updated 14:08, 07 Sep 2026
A man has been charged with rape following reports a woman had been sexually assaulted at a park in Peterborough. Cambridgeshire Police placed a cordon in Stanley Park on Thursday (September 3), after receiving reports of the incident.
Officers were called to the park at around 5.30am and an investigation was conducted by specialist officers. A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape in connection with the incident.
Now, the force has confirmed that Tamour Nawaz, 24, of no fixed address, has been charged with rape and possession of a knife. He appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (September 5), and has been remanded into custody.
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The force has urged anyone who was in and around Stanley Park at about 5.30am on September 3 to contact police on 101 quoting 35/NT/18820/26.
VERDICT: (Four stars out of five) Thunderously good
The story at the heart of this absorbing film is true, or mostly true, but if it weren’t you’d think it had been machine-tooled to appeal to a British audience. After all, it focuses on two of our three great preoccupations: the Second World War and the weather. Only the Royal Family is missing.
Adapted by David Haig from his own stage hit, it stars Andrew Scott as Group Captain James Stagg, the doughty Scottish meteorologist who advises General Dwight D Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) not to launch Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, on Monday, June 5, 1944.
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That is the date Eisenhower has designated as D-Day and even a short postponement could be calamitous. Such a colossal military enterprise cannot possibly be kept secret from the Germans for much longer. But Stagg’s analysis of the available data has convinced him that a major storm, brewing in the Atlantic, is heading for Normandy.
To launch the invasion in such conditions, with waves possibly as high as 15ft, will be even more disastrous than delaying. He suggests waiting until June 18, by which time the weather should be calmer.
At command headquarters in Hampshire, Eisenhower and other top brass are aghast, especially the truculent General Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis, pronouncing his Rs as Ws with twemendous gusto), who almost blows a gasket.
A fortnight’s delay is unthinkable. The invasion will fail. ‘Do you want to be personally wesponsible for losing this war, Captain Stagg?’ rages Monty. The question, not that he has any chance of pronouncing it, is rhetorical.
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So, the title of the film, and the play before it, is neatly ambiguous. High and low pressure systems are exerting almost intolerable stress on Stagg, compounded by conflicting advice from a meteorologist in the US camp, Colonel Irving Krick (Chris Messina) who, preferring to predict the weather by examining patterns going back as far as 1904, declares confidently that it will be fine on June 5.
Andrew Scott is reliably splendid as the reserved, rather charmless Scottish meteorologist Group Captain James Stagg
Damian Lewis as the truculent General Bernard ‘Monty’ Montgomery, who ‘pronounces his Rs as Ws with twemendous gusto’
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Krick pompously adds that he accompanied Eisenhower through North Africa and got his forecasts right every time. To which a modern-day response might be to invoke Caroline Aherne’s immortal Mediterranean weathergirl in The Fast Show, who – as she slaps fat suns on the map – proclaims: ‘Scorchio! Scorchio! Scorchio!’ Stagg merely notes dryly that Krick was lucky to be operating in such ‘stable’ conditions.
It’s easy to see why all this unfolded so compellingly on the stage. It is inherently theatrical rather than filmic, and, heaven knows, dialogue about millibars and cumulus clouds does not necessarily get the pulse racing.
And yet, even if a sub-plot about Stagg’s lovely wife going into labour at the height of the drama seems a little confected, and even though we all know the outcome of D-Day (which in the event was postponed by just 24 hours after Sir James correctly anticipated a break in the storm), director Anthony Maras makes a thoroughly decent job of turning the story into a bona fide thriller.
It opens arrestingly, too, and very cinematically, with overhead shots of dead and dying American troops, victims of Exercise Tiger, the catastrophic April 1944 rehearsal at Slapton Sands in Devon in which more than 700 men perished.
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Six weeks later, Eisenhower is still haunted by the memory. But should that make him more or less reliant on Stagg’s advice? He prepares two statements, one to announce a triumph, the other a disaster.
For real events like this to be stirringly recreated, the acting and writing must be spot-on. They are. Scott is reliably splendid as the reserved, rather charmless Stagg, ably supported by Fraser, Lewis, Messina and Kerry Condon as Eisenhower’s confidante Kay Summersby, his Irish personal secretary and, it was strongly rumoured, lover.
Historians are divided on that. What is not in doubt, incidentally, is Eisenhower’s height, and Stagg’s. In the film the general towers over the captain. In reality it was the other way round. Stagg’s older son Peter, born in 1941, inherited from his father what in the circumstances we might call his altitude. At a mighty 6ft 10in, he played rugby union for Scotland and the British Lions. What a family. What a tale.
The 2026/27 season is shaping up to be another eventful one for Welsh rugby
The 2026/27 season is upon us and it promises to be every bit as eventful, and potentially more consequential, than the one that preceded it.
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Once again, however, events away from the field are likely to command as much attention as those on it, with the Welsh Rugby Union embarking on a major restructuring of the professional game.
For Steve Tandy’s Wales, meanwhile, there is little respite. With the Rugby World Cup now just a year away, every game takes on added significance as preparations intensify for the tournament in Australia.
The professional game and Wales Women will provide their own storylines, too, ensuring there will be no shortage of intrigue throughout the year.
These are the issues, personalities and developments likely to dominate Welsh rugby over the season ahead.
A new WRU chair
The WRU is closing in on the appointment of a new chair to replace Richard Collier-Keywood, with a successor expected to be in place by November.
Whoever gets the job will inherit one of the most difficult briefs in Welsh rugby. The professional game is facing a period of upheaval, with the WRU intent on reducing the number of professional teams from four to three.
WalesOnline has spoken to several potential candidates who were told they would need to accept that direction as part of the job.
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But the chair is the most influential voice on the WRU board, and it will be fascinating to see whether the person appointed reaches the same conclusions once they are through the door and have had time to assess the situation for themselves.
Will the new chair seek to move people on and inject fresh thinking into key leadership positions? And how will they handle the inevitable turbulence as the WRU attempts to reshape the professional game over the next six months?
Let’s not forget they are likely to have the same independent non-executive directors on the board. This is a critical appointment.
There will also be a new chair of the Professional Rugby Board, with former Harlequins director of rugby Mark Evans one name in contention.
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WRU announce what side will be cut
The uncertainty surrounding Welsh rugby has been dragging on for what feels like a lifetime. But by the end of this season, we should finally have some clarity over which side will be cut or whether the answer will instead be a merger in west Wales.
The WRU has issued one East licence, one Central licence and one West licence. Unless the Ospreys and Scarlets find a way to merge, that leaves one of the two clubs facing the prospect of disappearing altogether, barring a late change of heart from the governing body.
There is, however, another scenario that may be more plausible than many realise: the WRU could decide to dispense with both the Ospreys and Scarlets and create an entirely new professional team, based in west Wales and playing out of Parc y Scarlets and a redeveloped St Helen’s.
Workshops involving the WRU and its four professional clubs are due to begin in December, with a final decision expected in March.
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That timetable should be treated with a degree of caution. The WRU has not always covered itself in glory when it comes to meeting self-imposed deadlines.
Even so, by the end of the season we should have a much clearer idea of what the future holds for professional rugby in Wales and which clubs, if any, will be left standing.
Toxic debates and legal challenges
Whatever outcome the WRU ultimately settles on, the battle is likely to become even more toxic before it gets better. There is a great deal of pain ahead for Welsh rugby supporters; that much seems certain.
If either the Ospreys or Scarlets is forced out of the professional game, it is difficult to imagine the matter ending without a legal fight. Neither ownership group is likely to surrender its position without an almighty battle.
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And the arguments will not be confined to boardrooms and courtrooms. Expect the debate around the future of Welsh rugby to become increasingly bitter, with former players, influential administrators and other prominent voices entering the fray.
The next six months could be among the most divisive Welsh rugby has seen.
Steve Tandy’s moment of truth
This was always going to be a difficult job for Steve Tandy, who inherited a Wales side at an all-time low.
There were significant improvements in performance during the Six Nations, offering some encouragement, but those gains were followed by comprehensive defeats against Argentina and South Africa in the summer.
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Tandy has sought to create a positive narrative around his tenure, talking about connections, culture and building for the future. It is an approach not dissimilar to that taken by Steve Hansen during his time as Wales coach.
Hansen regularly spoke about focusing on performance rather than results, although that message was often misunderstood by the Welsh rugby public.
Tandy is now finding out that, ultimately, results are what determine the mood around a national team.
He still has some goodwill among supporters. But that will not last indefinitely. If Wales continue to lose and victories remain elusive, the pressure on Tandy will become severe.
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Yes, this is a long-term project, and many of Welsh rugby’s biggest problems are beyond his control. But that will not stop supporters drifting away. The only way to win them back is through victories on the field.
Wales face New Zealand, Japan and Australia in the Nations Championship this November before beginning their Six Nations campaign with a daunting trip to Paris.
The minimum requirement has to be victory over Japan this autumn and then Italy on the final weekend of the Six Nations.
If Wales collect another Wooden Spoon, the mood will shift considerably. Tandy could also do with taking a few scalps along the way.
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The reality is that Tandy is likely to lead Wales into the 2027 Rugby World Cup whatever happens between now and then, with the WRU set to assess his performance after the tournament.
But that does not mean he can afford to wait until 2027 to turn things around.
It is a tough job. Tandy deserves time. But he also needs to improve Wales’s winning ratio and soon.
Wales U20s stars make their mark on senior side
This is a big call but expect at least a couple of the current Wales U20s squad to make Tandy’s senior World Cup squad.
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Gloucester backrower Deian Gwynne stands a good chance of winning his first cap this season as does Cardiff centre Steffan Emanuel.
Both have been included in the senior alignment squads in recent months and are highly rated within the Welsh game.
Another potential World Cup bolter is new Ospreys signing Liam Wright.
The former Wallabies captain will be eligible to represent Wales next summer, just in time for the World Cup, assuming he does not represent Australia in the interim courtesty of his grandfather who was born in Pembrokeshire.
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Wright is a powerful and athletic backrower who could potentially add some serious quality to the Wales backrow.
More players leave Wales
The uncertainty surrounding Welsh rugby is becoming increasingly damaging to the four professional clubs, particularly when it comes to recruiting and retaining players.
The Ospreys and Scarlets are likely to feel the effects most acutely, given the uncertainty over their futures and the possibility that one or both could look very different by the end of the season.
Players have short careers and cannot afford to gamble their futures on unresolved questions about the structure of the professional game.
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So do not be surprised if some senior Wales internationals decide the safest option is to take their talents elsewhere, with English Premiership and French clubs likely to be ready to offer the security and financial incentives that Welsh rugby currently cannot guarantee.
The longer the uncertainty continues, the harder it will become for the Welsh clubs to keep their best players.
WRU changes to the pathway take shape
The WRU has put its plan to TUPE academy staff from the four professional clubs into the union on hold for financial reasons, but changes to the player pathway are still expected to take shape relatively soon.
A national academy now looks increasingly likely, alongside a broader restructuring of the academy system in Wales.
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The detail will matter. The WRU will need to set out exactly how the new model will work, where responsibility will sit and how it intends to develop the next generation of Welsh players.
With the professional game itself facing major upheaval, the restructuring of the pathway could prove just as significant in determining the future of Welsh rugby.
Katie Holmes looked totally smitten with much-younger love Jason Bard Yarmosky as the pair holidayed in Lake Como recently.
Holmes, 47, who first achieved fame as Joey in US teen drama Dawson’s Creek in the Nineties, went Instagram official with her artist boyfriend, 39, last month – and the actress packed on the PDA with her partner on a yacht.
The star showed off her incredible bikini body in a sparkling bandeau bikini top, paired with string bottoms, as she hugged Yarmosky while smiling.
Her boyfriend, who wore black swimming trunks, returned her affection by placing a hand on her thigh.
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Later, Holmes was seen planting a passionate kiss on her partner as she emerged from the sea after a dip.
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Holmes for comment and has yet to hear back.
Katie Holmes looked totally smitten with much-younger love Jason Bard Yarmosky as the pair holidayed in Lake Como recently
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Holmes, 47, who first achieved fame as Joey in US teen drama Dawson’s Creek in the Nineties, went Instagram official with her artist boyfriend , 39, last month – and the actress packed on the PDA with her partner on a yacht
Holmes was married to Tom Cruise from 2006 to 2012 and had Suri, 20, but the father and daughter are estranged and have reportedly had no contact for more than a decade. She then had a private, six-year romance with fellow actor Jamie Foxx from 2013.
But last month Holmes went Instagram official with her new beau as she reposted images that Yarmosky had shared to his own account.
She dressed for the occasion in a vibrant purple dress while the artist opted for a long-sleeved black shirt and black trousers. The pair cozied up together as they took photos at the glitzy event.
A photo captured the pair looking smitten as they took part in karaoke together on stage. She also shared a picture of a round cake topped with lit candles.
‘Happy Birthday to the best of the best…,’ she wrote in the caption, followed by a red heart emoji.
The star was accompanied by the artist as they attended the premiere of The Invite in East Hampton.
The star showed off her incredible bikini body in a sparkling bandeau bikini top, paired with string bottoms
Holmes showed off her flawless figure as she relaxed at sea
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The new couple looked smitten as they spent the day together
The actress showed off her pert behind as she relaxed at sea
The couple looked happier than ever as they took in the scenic sights
Holmes planted a kiss on her new love on holiday
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The pair dove off the boat as they enjoyed their vacation
The pair both pointed at something in the distance
Holmes showed off her toned frame as she took in the sights
The pair were seen holding hands during the day
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The couple stared into one another’s eyes as they relaxed
The couple hugged as they took in the scenic sights
Yarmosky leapt off the boat during the day
Holmes looked smitten as she chatted with her beau
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Yarmosky glanced over at the camera while wearing a green cap and shades on the boat
Holmes was sitting at a table outside as they explored the area of Lake Como on the getaway
Last month in August, the pair went Instagram official with their romance as she reposted images that her beau had shared to his own account
Also in August, Holmes was joined by Yarmosky at designer Michael Kors’s 45th anniversary dinner in East Hampton, New York
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The actress also shared a sweet 39th birthday tribute to her boyfriend last week on Instagram
The pair were seen arriving at the theater ahead of the screening and sweetly held hands as they stepped through the entrance.
Holmes and Yarmosky flashed big smiles on their faces as they were greeted by an individual in a lighthearted moment.
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An eyewitness told People at the time that the NYC-based artist ‘was whispering in her ear, and she was laughing, they seemed very easy together and there was a smile on her face all night.’
Holmes and Yarmosky later made an appearance at an after-party that same evening and mingled with close pals, per the insider.
The pair have also been spotted on other outings together in New York City.
A source told TMZ that Holmes first crossed paths with Yarmosky at a Tribeca Festival dinner in NYC in June.
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The actress’s new romance with the artist comes nearly four years after her split from Bobby Wooten III.
‘Things are still pretty new between Katie and Jason, and they’re intentionally taking it slow,’ a source claimed to Page Six in July.
A source told TMZ that Holmes first crossed paths with Yarmosky at a Tribeca Festival dinner in NYC in June. Above, in August in East Hampton, New York
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It was recently revealed that Holmes’s daughter, Suri Cruise, has yet to be introduced to the star’s new boyfriend, as both she and Yarmosky take the romance very slowly
Holmes and Yarmosky have not taken ‘any major steps in the relationship yet’ and are ‘still in the dating phase for now.’
The insider added that the pair are ‘seeing where it goes.’
Their nearly ten-year age gap also ‘doesn’t bother’ Holmes and ‘hasn’t been a factor in their relationship whatsoever.’
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Suri is a student at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, and will occasionally be seen spending time with her famous mom out in NYC.
Global head of football Edu has left Nottingham Forest after just over a year at the City Ground.
The former Arsenal midfielder has not attended a games since February and his exit, with his contract believed to have been terminated, has been expected.
His position came under the spotlight after a falling-out with Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked last September, the first of four managers at Forest last season.
Nuno hinted at internal tensions and said at the time his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had changed.
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Edu is not expected to be replaced, with Forest’s chief football officer George Syrianos assuming his responsibilities.
Appointed in July 2025, Edu’s remit included Greek side Olympiacos and Portuguese club Rio Ave, who are also owned by Marinakis.
He arrived after six years at Arsenal, where he became the club’s first sporting director in 2022, having won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups as a player with the Gunners.
He brought Mikel Arteta to Emirates Stadium, who delivered the club’s first Premier League title in 22 years last season.
Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali was chosen to lead the north London council in May this year, but could soon be stepping down from her role if she secures the nomination and wins the parliamentary seat vacated by former Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Sir Keir resigned from his seat last week, stating it was the “right time” to step aside and “pass the baton to a successor”, despite pledging to remain as a backbench MP until the next general election in 2029.
Camden council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali
Camden council
Here’s everything we know about Ms Abdi-Wali:
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Sagal Abdi-Wali first came to Britain in the early 1990s as a child refugee escaping civil war in Somalia.
First elected as a local councillor in 2022, Ms Abdi-Wali made history in May by becoming Camden’s first black female leader.
She has previously discussed her experience fleeing Somalia, telling the LabourList website in 2019: “Camden has been my home since I moved here with my family as a child refugee, fleeing war-torn Somalia.
“This new home is where I was raised and educated; it’s where I now work for the council and volunteer for local community groups and charities.
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“It is an area steeped in close community values, progressivism and inclusion, all of which have shaped who I am and the socialist principles by which I stand.”
What do we know about her political career?
She was first elected as a Labour councillor for the Camden Square ward in 2022.
Prior to becoming leader, she served as the Cabinet Member for Better Homes, managing the borough’s housing and neighbourhood development.
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She also helped lead Camden’s path to achieving “Borough of Sanctuary” status in 2024.
Succeeding Georgia Gould as leader of Camden Council in 2026, she is now tipped to be the frontrunner for the Labour candidacy in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
After becoming Camden Council leader in May, Ms Abdi-Wali said: “Camden has been my home for 35 years. It is the place that gave my family sanctuary, that welcomed us, and that has shaped so much of who I am, what I stand for and what inspired my commitment to public service and to working for the community that welcomed us.
“Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with so many different communities across our borough and through this I have gained invaluable insights into what makes Camden such a unique place. I have seen not only the diversity, strength and resilience of our residents, but also the challenges and deep inequalities they continue to face.
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“And it is because of those experiences that I stand committed to working day and night to fight for social justice and to deliver meaningful change that will support our community’s access to the best opportunities, enabling them to have better and brighter futures.”
What is the controversy around Zia Yusuf’s comments?
After Ms Abdi-Wali emerged as the frontrunner for the Labour candidacy following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation, Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf made a comment on social media platform X which was quickly criticised across the political spectrum as being “racist”.
Mr Yusuf wrote: “The front runner being foisted on the people of Holborn by Labour to replace the former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in our Parliament was born in Somalia. Do you understand what’s happening?”.
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During an interview on Sky News, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds condemned Yusuf’s remarks as “pretty straightforward racism”, noting how Ms Abdi-Wali arrived in the UK as a child and has spent her career working to better the lives of those in her local community.
The comments even triggered rifts internally within Reform UK.
Reports from Reform’s annual conference in Birmingham revealed that several senior party figures were furious with Yusuf, The Observer reported.
Party sources expressed frustration that his tweet was overshadowing their policy announcements, with some local councillors and party insiders reportedly calling for Nigel Farage to remove him from his position.
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Some pointed out the irony in his attack on Ms Abdi-Wali, considering Mr Yusuf himself is the son of Sri Lankan immigrants.
Khloe Simmonds confessed to spinning a web of lies
Olivia Bridge Reporter in Live News Network
18:09, 07 Sep 2026Updated 18:29, 07 Sep 2026
A woman has been brought to justice after they were found to have made up serious allegations against several men in a seven year period.
Khloe Simmonds, a pre-op transgender woman, claimed to have been seriously sexually assaulted and raped by men between 2018 and 2026. The 26-year-old, who was referred to with female pronouns in court, wasted hundreds of hours of police time to bolster the false accusations and present themself as a victim.
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At the height of the offending, Simmonds was responsible for 2.5% of all rape and serious sexual assault allegations in Harrow. They have now been sentenced for eight counts of perverting the course of justice over allegations made and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison.
Harrow Crown Court heard how several of the men accused of rape were arrested and detained for a short period of time before being released. Sentencing Simmonds, His Honour Judge John Lodge said: “You repeatedly made false allegations of rape between July 2018 and January 2026. This was a sustained pattern of conduct, not isolated incidents.”
The judge said Simmonds’ conduct had an impact on the number of resources that should have been available to investigate cases involving “genuine victims of serious crime”. Simmonds initially attended the sentencing via video link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs, west London, but subsequently returned to a cell and refused to observe.
Prosecutor Ben Temple told the court that in the summer of 2018, Simmonds claimed an Afghan national had held a knife to her throat and orally raped her. The man was identified, arrested, detained and spent 88 days under police investigation, the court heard.
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He denied the allegation and instead stated that it was Simmonds who had made advances towards him which he had rejected. In February 2022, Simmonds met a chef on the dating site Grindr and invited him to their flat.
The court heard that after drinking with the defendant, he decided to leave because he felt uncomfortable. After he left, Simmonds called 999 alleging she had been raped and implied that he had drugged her by placing something in her drink.
The man was arrested outside his home address and told police that while at the flat, he went to the lavatory and upon returning, found that his beer smelt of whisky. In his victim impact statement, he described the arrest process as “humiliating”, adding that he spent 20 hours at the police station.
The court heard that the following month, Simmonds had spent the evening on a date and subsequently caught a taxi home. Upon arriving home Simmonds called 999, claiming they were raped by the cab driver.
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However the police obtained data from the vehicle and found that it had never travelled less than 25 miles per hour and had not stopped. Mr Temple said this data “annihilated the allegation” and Simmonds was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of public justice.
The court heard Simmons admitted making up the allegations. In a victim impact statement, the taxi driver said he found the ordeal “traumatic”.
In June of that year, Simmonds matched with a musician on Grindr and the pair subsequently drunk alcohol and ended up at Simmonds’ home address. He felt tired and asked if he could rest on Simmonds sofa.
The court heard there was no sexual contact between them and he fell asleep. While he rested, Simmonds called the police and claimed that the man had orally raped her.
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He was arrested but insisted there had been no sexual contact, telling police: “I am an innocent man.” In a victim impact statement, he said: “I find it deeply distressing that an innocent person could be subjected to such a traumatic process because of a deliberate lie.”
Simmonds also claimed to have been raped by an unknown male on three occasions in November last year, and also falsely claimed she had been raped on three separate occasions by an unknown male between December 2018 and February 2022. In January, Simmonds claimed she had been raped on a bench by a man she had met that evening.
The court heard that she had approached a group of strangers to say that she was in an “abusive situation” and asked for “help”. However, the man was quickly exonerated as footage showed no such assault had happened, the court heard.
The defendant also claimed she had been raped by her ex-partner in November last year. Dominic Benthall, mitigating, said Simmonds has been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and suffered longstanding issues of alcohol dependency.
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“There is plainly, or was plainly, at the time an underlying mental health difficulty,” he said. Simmonds previously pleaded guilty to eight counts of tending and intending to pervert the course of public justice.
The family of a three–month–old girl who died while camping have said the death took place when ‘children and parents joined grandad for a night fishing at the pond’.
In a statement they also asked for the public to stop speculating about the ‘traumatic’ death as they ‘don’t even know the details or circumstances ourselves’.
The baby, who was camping with family in Great Wyrley, Staffordshire, went into cardiac arrest at around 8.45am on Saturday and was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly after.
Two men and two women have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
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The family told Chase TV: ‘We as a family appreciate the community concerns and well wishes for this tragic event that happened where the children and parents joined grandad for a night fishing at the pond.
‘As everyone can understand it is a traumatic time for everyone involved and we would ask for some privacy at this difficult time without speculation while Staffordshire Police do their job, as we as a family don’t even know the details or circumstances ourselves.’
In the latest announcement, police confirmed a 42–year–old man and a 30–year–old woman from south Staffordshire, a 20–year–old woman from Wolverhampton and an 18–year–old man from Walsall have been arrested. All four have since been bailed with conditions.
Officers cordoned off a fishing lake in the Wyrley and Essington canal nature reserve over the weekend and investigators remain there today.
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A tent was set up in a wooded area near a pond off Strawberry Lane, near the village of Great Wyrley in Staffordshire
Officers and an air ambulance were called following reports that a child had gone into cardiac arrest at around 8.45am on Saturday
Drone images from the scene show at least four tents and camping chairs positioned next to each other, close to fishing platforms.
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Today, the police cordon had been lifted at the scene where the family were camping and floral tributes to the baby girl had been left at the foot of a nearby tree.
A woman claiming to be the baby’s grandmother visited the scene with two relatives this afternoon.
She claimed that the infant and her parents had only been staying in the tent for one night, although the family were joining the child’s grandfather who had been camping in the area for several nights by that stage.
The flowers and a toy bunny rabbit appear to have been left by relatives, with one attached note saying: ‘Baby girl, I’ll look for the brightest star in the night sky. Nanna loves you.’
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Police appeared to have removed the tent where the family were staying, but just feet away the burnt–out husk of another tent – apparently pitched overnight – had been abandoned alongside a pile of litter.
One witness said she had directed paramedics towards the area over the weekend. Another local, who regularly cycles through the area, told the Daily Mail that he believed some people had been camping by the fishing lake for several days.
The grass below where a tent had been pitched appeared to be faded, suggesting it had been covered for some time.
Detective Inspector Josh Lee, from Staffordshire Police’s child protection team, said: ‘I want to assure the local community that we are working around the clock to investigate the circumstances of this tragic incident, which has understandably caused concern.
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‘While we can confirm that all four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder, we are still working hard to obtain further evidence and we are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances of the death at this very early stage, which we are treating as an isolated incident.
‘All four people were arrested at the scene of the incident and have been released on bail.
‘While we fully understand that speculation into the nature of this incident is likely to take place, we’d ask people to follow this page for factual, accurate updates as our investigation unfolds and to avoid sharing unconfirmed and speculative claims online.’
Previously Robert Duncan, district councillor for Cheslyn Hay, said: ‘I know how deeply upsetting news like this is for our community.
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‘It’s important that we allow the emergency services the space they need to complete their work with dignity and care.
‘As soon as the full and confirmed details are formally shared with me, I will provide a further update to residents.
‘Until then, please avoid speculation and allow the family and responders the privacy and respect they deserve.’
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Three-month-old girl died ‘when her family joined grandfather for a night of fishing’: Four arrested over ‘murder’
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