The phrase originates from a viral video of American rapper Saucy Santana who was eating a fish dish, and recalled “I used to go fishing when I was a little girl, you gotta be real quiet on the creek.”
The phrase went viral and within weeks had inspired a song by the rapper, spawning a wave of reaction videos online.
Some people can be seen bouncing up and down covering their mouths with their hands (which the rapper does in his videos), others make a ‘shh’ sound while putting their index finger to their lips.
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What does it mean?
Teacher and content creator Mr Philip Lindsay said even though school is out for summer, he’s getting direct messages about ‘quiet on the creek’ being a new trending meme – and he suggested it might even make its way into classrooms in the next school term.
“One of the ways it is being used is people are just saying it to say it,” admitted the teacher. “Like a typical meme, people aren’t really using it to mean much of anything. It’s just catchy, it’s trending, and so they just say it.”
Mr Lindsay added: “There is another way that people are using it and it’s pretty logical. The original poster said you’ve got to be quiet on the creek, so that you don’t scare the fish away. So, some people are using the phrase … to insinuate ‘hey, keep it down, keep it on the down-low, keep it low-key, keep it secret’.”
Santana’s lyrics might have had something to do with this evolution in meaning. One line reads: “Know he got a main, you the side, he gotta sneak. But you can’t get shit ’cause you ain’t quiet on the creek.”
Some have gleaned from the lyrics that the phrase might actually hold a deeper meaning about “DL men” (according to Grindr, these are “gay and bisexual men who live their lives pretending to be straight”) – a theory Santana has addressed on social media.
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Madeline Enos, spokesperson for language learning app Preply, suggested the phrase means to ‘be quiet’ or ‘keep it to yourself’ as it “directly draws from the idea that if somebody is too loud while fishing, they’ll scare the fish away”.
She added that as the meaning has evolved, people have “come to interpret the phrase as meaning to keep their plans, achievements, or relationships private, rather than public”.
“Last night, a 37-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of destroying ships or fixed platforms or endangering their safety under Section 11 of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990, criminal damage, criminal damage with intent to endanger life, and conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals under Section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
Lorraine Kelly and HP are collecting family recipes for the National Book of Bakes, as a poll of 2,000 adults found 51% believe traditional British baking is being forgotten.
Lorraine Kelly is on a mission to stop classic recipes from disappearing for good. The TV favourite has teamed up with HP to launch a new appeal asking Brits to share their best-loved family baking recipes. Once they’re sent in, the recipes will be printed out using an HP Smart Tank printer, bound together and kept in a special printed collection called The National Book of Bakes.
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The initiative comes after a survey of 2,000 adults revealed that many beloved traditional treats are being prepared with decreasing frequency – amongst them spotted dick, lemon drizzle cake and even the iconic Victoria sponge.
Even fan favourites like chocolate brownies have only been created by 39%, along with chocolate chip cookies (38%) and the classic hot cross buns (11%).
More than half of those polled (51%) say traditional British bakes are being forgotten, while 67% have a family recipe handed down through generations that they fear could be lost. Of these, 18% put this down to it being written on a scrap of paper which is falling apart, while 22% said it’s just in their heads.
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Lorraine said: “There’s something so special about having an old family recipe, especially when it’s written by hand by someone you love.
“On paper it might just look like instructions on how to make a cake, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a piece of family history. Especially if it has been handed down through generations.
“I found my Granny’s recipe for a Dundee cake in one of my old recipe books. It’s a bit battered and tatty round the edges but it’s one of my most precious possessions.
“I’ve printed her recipe off to keep for myself and to pass copies onto my daughter and my friends and other family members. This will keep it safe and ensure my granddaughter Billie will be able to bake the same cake one day.
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“I’d urge everyone to preserve these precious memories by doing the same. It’s quick and easy and a wonderful way to remember those we love.”
The study also revealed that 61% of people believe fewer bake nowadays compared to older generations. Only 11% bake on a weekly basis, while 17% admit they never bake at all.
Despite this, Gen Z appears to be reviving the tradition, with younger adults using the oven more than twice as frequently as Boomers (22% vs 11%).
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Overall, 72% were in favour of preserving family recipes so they could be handed down through generations, with 79% stating that printing them out is the most reliable way to safeguard them.
A third said they trust a printed recipe book most when it comes to keeping a beloved family recipe safe for the future.
The survey, commissioned through OnePoll, revealed that 42% said family recipes make them feel closer to their family, while 41% said they feel connected to their childhood.
Jaina Mistry, UK and Ireland home print category manager at HP, said: “A family recipe can be incredibly precious, but also surprisingly fragile – scribbled on an old piece of paper, buried in a camera roll or simply remembered by one person.
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“This project is about using print to give those recipes a more permanent home.
“With HP Smart Tank and three years of ink included, we can bring recipes from families across Britain together on the printed page, preserving not just how something is made, but the handwriting, notes and stories that make it part of a family’s history.”
A new report from Refuge, the UK’s largest domestic abuse charity, and the End Violence Against Women Coalition reveals 36% of women experienced some form of violence online (Picture: Getty Images)
Social media algorithms are ‘normalising’ violence against women and girls, with one in three subjected to ‘shocking levels of abuse’ every day.
A new report from Refuge, the UK’s largest domestic abuse charity, and the End Violence Against Women Coalition reveals 36% of women experienced some form of violence online.
That number rises to 47% for women aged between 16 and 24.
A fifth of those said they encountered the same misogynistic content pumped into the manosphere ‘to maximise ad revenue’ most of or every time they logged on.
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The online harms are having significant real-world consequences, with victims suffering anxiety or panic attacks and being driven from the platforms completely.
Most worryingly, 7% of women who experienced online violence said they felt suicidal – a figure which more than doubles (15%) among those aged 16 to 24.
Refuge CEO Gemma Sherrington said their findings ‘are reflective of a system that has continued to prioritise profits over safety, leaving women to pay the price’.
Jodie’s story
In January 2021, Jodie* opened an anonymous email directing her to images of herself which had been shared online, along with details identifying her and where she lived.
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Weeks later she discovered explicit ‘deepfakes’ of her on an online forum.
Her ‘shock and desperation’ turned to ‘complete fear, anger and disbelief’ when she found out the perpetrator was her male best friend.
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.
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You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
Read more:
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Jodie successfully campaigned with EVAW for the creation of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes to become a crime (Picture: EVAW)
Among the women polled by Refuge and EVAW, one in 50 reported they had personally experienced an AI-generated or ‘deepfake’ intimate image of them being shared without their consent.
Nearly three quarters (72%) identified the perpetrator as male, with current or former partners and friends or relatives each responsible in roughly a fifth of cases.
The most commonly identified perpetrator (53%) was a stranger.
When Jodie went to the police to report the abuse, she was told there was ‘nothing they could do’.
She had to track down the images and videos herself, contacting the online forum and porn site directly to get the material taken down.
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‘Gathering the evidence was incredibly distressing and retraumatising. It felt as though the responsibility for proving the harm had been placed entirely on me,’ she told Metro.
After going through that process and collecting the evidence, Jodie was told the creation and sharing of sexually explicit deepfakes had not broken any laws, so her abuser could not be prosecuted.
‘Despite the threats and risks we were facing, we did not have a liaison officer, and we were told that we were unable to access an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser because the abuse was not considered sexually motivated,’ Jodie said.
‘Survivors should not have to repeatedly explain, document and prove their abuse while navigating systems that do not understand the nature of online harms.‘Evidence gathering and reporting need to be trauma-informed, coordinated and designed around the safety of the person experiencing the abuse.
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‘The burden should not fall on survivors to become experts in criminal investigations, technology and platform reporting while they are trying to recover.’
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Jodie successfully campaigned with EVAW for the creation of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes to become a crime, which came into effect last year.
Despite this, the report shows that 66% of women surveyed continue to feel concerned about the role of AI technologies in enabling violence against women and girls.
Jodie said: ‘The risks extend beyond deepfake images. We are also seeing concerns around AI chatbots providing detailed guidance on stalking, simulating rape or abuse through roleplay, and reinforcing misogynistic ideas.
‘These are serious risks from systems that have been deployed without sufficient safeguards, oversight or meaningful consideration of the people who may be harmed.
‘There are also emerging risks from technologies such as smart glasses and other wearable devices, which could make covert image capture, surveillance and violations of consent easier.’
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The report also shows that chillingly, 1 in 7 women who have experienced digital VAWG have left the platform altogether, as a direct result of the abuse.
Almost a quarter reduced commenting or posting on social media following violence.
‘My relationship with social media changed significantly,’ says Jodie. ‘I became much more conscious of what I shared. Something that had previously felt ordinary, such as posting a photo with work colleagues, or in my home, began to feel like a potential safety risk.
‘I have had to think about how visible I want to be and whether participating online is worth the potential risk. That is an exhausting position to be put in.
‘Women and girls should not have to make themselves smaller or disappear to stay safe.’
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Threats of sexual violence
Anybody can be a victim – young girls and older women, social media users with relatively few contacts and celebrities with followers numbering the thousands or millions.
Ashley James, the DJ, broadcaster and bestselling author of Bimbo, told Metro that online misogyny and abuse have followed her ever since she entered the public eye and gained a following in 2012.
‘At that time, it was horrifically graphic sexual videos on Snapchat. Since them, it’s always [been] men reaching out with sexualised insults, comments about my appearance, threats and abuse,’ she said.
Ashley James told Metro that online misogyny and abuse have followed her ever since she entered the public eye (Picture: Getty Images for The NTA’s)
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Recently, the threats have escalated to rape and are now being directed at her three-year-old daughter through DMs online.
‘I felt sick,’ she said of seeing those messages coming through.
‘When it comes to my children, I would die to protect them. Everything I speak about is for them, to hopefully make the world a better place.’
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This harrowing message was not a one off. Since, Ashley has received multiple similar threats from different men.
‘It’s devastation and guilt. Any kind of threat to them makes you feel like a failure as a parent,’ she said.
‘I frequently receive rape threats myself. The threat of sexual violence to myself and my daughter is 100% gendered.
‘I think often my content ends up on the wrong side of the algorithm, being pushed towards [people who support] the manosphere.’
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Ashley says that despite all of this, she refuses to let ‘trolls’ drive her away from social media.
‘We shouldn’t have to choose between having a voice and being safe. No one should be bullied into silence,’ she said.
‘Misogyny didn’t start with social media, I just think social media has given it an algorithm and an audience, and kind of made it a business model.
‘I’ll continue using my platform, because I don’t want my daughter to think that being a woman online means accepting sexual harassment, misogyny or graphic imagery as the price of participation.’
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Real-life impact
Jodie said ‘the line between online and offline harm is continuing to collapse’, with the impact stretching ‘far beyond the internet’.
‘It affected my mental health, my sense of safety and my ability to trust people,’ she said.
‘I experienced PTSD symptoms linked to a previous assault, as well as depression, and needed weekly private therapy for months.
‘The abuse became something I had to carry into every part of my life, including my relationships, work and everyday interactions.’
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The Dangerous by Design report shows that 40% of those who have experienced online VAWG experienced anxiety, while 15% of those between 16 and 24 reported feeling suicidal as a result.
Dr Sophie Nightingale specialises in researching the psychological impacts of online VAWG, particularly image-based abuse.
‘We’re seeing this overlap between the online, and in-person physical threats of sexual violence. Whether these are threats people are going to carry out or not, this still impacts the victim,’ she said.
‘People will respond by withdrawing, feeling afraid and petrified to go out and leave their house.
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‘It’s another way to oppress women, and keep them isolated.’
The psychologist explains that the risk of online VAWG leading to suicidal thoughts is particularly intensified by threats of sexual violence.
‘There can be these feelings of embarrassment, shame and guilt that should never actually be attributed to the victim.
‘You’re already scared because of the abuse itself, but then you also feel isolated, not knowing where to turn.
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‘Sometimes, people think that the only option is to end things, which can be heightened by the thought that because of the online element, the abuse will never go away.
‘This is often the case with non-consensual sharing of intimate imagery, as it carries a digital footprint that people live in fear of. They question ‘When is it going to emerge again?”’
The Dangerous by Design report shows that 40% of those who have experienced online VAWG experienced anxiety (Picture: Getty Images)
Dr Nightingale says growing threats to women online are part of a wider cultural regression.
‘At the moment, we are seeing the growth of misogynistic views and social, cultural norms,’ she said.
‘From a young age, children are growing up thinking this is normal behaviour, that it’s okay to do these things, and share an intimate image of a woman or girl without her consent, because that’s what people do and they get away with it.
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‘If we don’t do something drastic soon to stop that, it’s going to snowball even further, and we’re going to take a huge step backwards in terms of women and girls’ rights.’
What needs to be done
The report shines light on how women are dealing with this widespread issue alone.
One in five did not tell anyone about the abuse. Less than a third reported it to the platform where it occurred, meanwhile only 12% reported it to the police.
Over half of women who did report abuse to the platform itself were not satisfied by the handling of their report, demonstrating the urgency for tech companies to change their designs and approach.
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Ms Sherrington said: ‘This report comes almost one year after Ofcom introduced its guidance for tech companies on how to tackle VAWG on online platforms.
‘Despite being a welcome step forward, Refuge has long-been clear that voluntary guidance lacks the force needed to address the shocking levels of abuse and violence faced by women and girls online every day.
‘Our report testifies to this, shining a light on the sheer scale of harm that women in this country are experiencing and the lack of confidence they have in tech companies, the criminal justice system, and policymakers to protect them.
‘These findings are reflective of a system that has continued to prioritise profits over safety, leaving women to pay the price. This cannot continue.
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‘The government and Ofcom must go much further in holding tech companies legally responsible for combatting the normalisation of misogyny, holding perpetrators to account, and keeping all women and survivors safe.’
The report contains several recommendations, calling for the Online Safety Act to be updated, allowing Ofcom’s VAWG guidance to be upgraded to a legally enforceable code of practice.
The report also demands safety by design, through the introduction of a Safety by Design code of practice.
EVAW’s interim director, Janaya Walker, said: ‘All women and girls deserve to live free from violence and abuse.
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‘This report is a stark reminder of the ways in which online VAWG is a major feature of women’s everyday lives to devastating effect, particularly for young women.
‘The status quo is untenable and the government’s efforts to prevent VAWG needs to confront the business model of big tech, with a regulatory system which has the teeth to hold them to account.’
Earlier this year, Labour asked Ofcom to report on which social media companies are failing to implement measures to protect women and girls online.
Then-technology secretary Liz Kendall said companies ‘must go above and beyond’ to make their platforms safer.
She warned that the Government would be prepared to intervene if firms failed to use every tool at their disposal to protect women and girls from abuse and misogyny online.
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‘This government has taken tough action to tackle intimate image abuse, deepfakes and the online harms women and girls face every day.
‘Now, tech companies must go above and beyond to use the tools readily available to them to make their platforms safer.’
As part of the Government’s VAWG online crackdown, cyberflashing was made a priority offence under the Online Safety Act earlier this year.
The change means that rather than reacting after such images have been received, platforms must take proactive steps to prevent such content appearing in the first place.
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The Government also vowed to close legal loopholes which have allowed chatbots to create deepfake nude images and is planning further curbs on social media.
Right-wing activist Danny Tommo was arrested last night after filming himself apparently slashing the side of a dinghy with a rescue crew member still on board.
The 37-year-old, real name Daniel Thomas, was detained at a BP petrol station on suspicion of destroying ships or fixed platforms or endangering their safety.
Tommo was also arrested on suspicion of criminal damage; criminal damage with intent to endanger life; and conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals.
Video posted by Tommo on YouTube as well as his associate Tommy Robinson on X from an undisclosed location showed Tommo asking to ‘say goodbye to my kids’.
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An officer then tells Tommo to ‘step out of the car’ and explains the arrest, while a woman off-camera is heard saying: ‘The cameras are on, let go of the phone.’
It comes after Tommo appeared to shout ‘traitors’ having used a knife to cut the side of the vessel that people smugglers had used to transport migrants in the Channel.
Tommo could be seen in footage on YouTube slashing and stabbing the dinghy after a crew member boarded to apparently take the vessel back to France on Tuesday.
Hundreds of activists then gathered in Gosport later that day after Tommo filmed himself going out to sea to try to intercept a dinghy carrying dozens of migrants.
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Last night, officers arrested Tommo – and both he and Robinson posted a 55-second clip of the incident at about 10.30pm, which has since been viewed 350,000 times.
A video shows Danny Tommo being detained at an undisclosed BP petrol station last night
A police officer explains to Danny Tommo last night that he is being arrested
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The clip begins with Tommo – who is not on camera – saying: ‘Yeah okay, okay, if I could just speak to my kids quick, I’ll try and say goodbye to my kids before.’
An officer then tells him: ‘Step out of the car please sir, okay? At this moment in time we have information to suggest that you were involved in criminal damage.’
Tommo replies: ‘Yep, yep, can I just… give me my phone. I want my phone to be on, please.’ An unknown woman adds: ‘The cameras are on, let go of the phone.’
The officer continues: ‘At this point in time, you are under arrest – you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence…’ Tommo then says: ‘I understand.’
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The officer adds: ‘The information that I’ve been given is that you’ve been involved in criminal damage that has recklessly endangered someone’s life, okay?’
Tommo interjects, saying: ‘Can I just… yeah, I understand that…’ And the officer says: ‘I will get the full information for you in terms of times and date and everything…’
A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesman said today: ‘A man has been arrested after a boat that had an emergency responder on board, was damaged in English Channel. We received a report of the incident on Tuesday evening.
‘Last night, a 37-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of destroying ships or fixed platforms or endangering their safety under Section 11 of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990, criminal damage, criminal damage with intent to endanger life, and conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals under Section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. He remains in custody at this time.’
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In an update on X this morning, Robinson said: ‘Danny Tommo is currently sitting in the cells and facing serious charges. He needs our help, he needs your help. Danny rang me when the police were following him, saying “what do I do, what am I going to do?”
‘I know, because I’ve been in this situation, he’ll be scared, he’ll be worried, he’s going to be fearful, he’s going to be panicking about his kids and his missus, the mother of his kids.
‘He’s going to be panicking about his family. He’s going to be panicking about the time he’s away, because Danny is their sole provider. So there’s lots of things going on here.’
Robinson said he told Tommo on the phone that he needed help from Canadian political activist Ezra Levant, who has previously supported his own legal battles.
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The activist, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, added that he phoned Levant last night, who confirmed that he will help fund legal representation for Tommo.
Robinson also said: ‘Danny didn’t stab that boat for himself. It’s for every one of us. And he might have done it impulsively, it might have been a mistake what he’s done, but he’s been driven to that.
‘All these men are being driven to it by failures of government, by the mess they’ve created in our country.’
Danny Tommo could be seen in footage on YouTube slashing and stabbing the dinghy after a crew member boarded to apparently take the vessel back to France on Tuesday
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Tommo slices through one side of the empty dinghy seconds before a rescuer stepped on
The French rescue worker did not react after the activist slashed the dinghy with a knife
Separately, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said last night that three people were charged after they gathered at the marina where they thought the boat’s passengers were due to arrive.
Six people were arrested by officers during the evening, the force said.
Shannon Dodds, 32, of Gosport, has been charged with two counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker. She has been remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court today.
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Sally Pearson, 31, also of Gosport, has been charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker and a racially aggravated public order offence. She has also been remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court today.
Toby Matthews, 33, from Gosport, has been charged with common assault of an emergency worker. He was bailed to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on November 9.
A 19-year-old man and a 36-year-old man from Salisbury, who were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, have been bailed with conditions until December 22 while inquiries continue.
A 67-year-old man from Gosport was handed a Fixed Penalty Notice for driving without due care and attention.
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He was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and has been bailed with conditions until December 22 while inquiries continue, the force added.
Some of the protesters in Gosport wore black clothing and face coverings, and chanted ‘send them back’, wrongly assuming the boat would be guided to the Hampshire coast.
In fact, it docked in Dover, Kent, at around 12.30am yesterday after 51 migrants on board reportedly refused help from a French ship and spent 33 hours at sea.
In a video published on X yesterday morning, Tommo branded the latest migrant arrivals a ‘sad day for the country’ but argued that pressure from protesters ‘worked in some respects’ because it stopped arrivals coming into Gosport.
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The migrant dinghy left the Normandy coast on Monday and was shadowed by a French coastguard vessel, with authorities declaring the occupants had refused help as they were ‘determined to take all risks to reach the United Kingdom’.
British rescue boats were sent to collect the passengers on Tuesday, and the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency said they would be transferred to Border Security Command.
A Government spokesman said: ‘The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border and will continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.’
It had been expected that the migrants would be taken to Gosport, with local MP Dame Caroline Dinenage saying the Home Office had told her it was ‘increasingly likely that a small boat will need to be disembarked in the local area in the coming hours’.
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Police officers in Gosport, Hampshire, on Tuesday night after hundreds of activists gathered
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Migrants heading to the UK yesterday morning in a dinghy from Hardelot in northern France
But the vessel carrying the migrants headed east, later arriving in Dover where migrants were seen disembarking wearing orange life jackets and carrying personal belongings.
Around a dozen protesters were spotted in the area, with local police having blocked off a nearby road.
Routes used by small-boat people smugglers appear to be changing, and UK authorities are understood to have plans to deal with small-boat arrivals further west along the coast than Kent.
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Earlier this month, a dinghy was met by lifeboats from the Isle of Wight having set off from the Cherbourg area, triggering protests in Portsmouth. It is thought to have made one of the longest journeys of any small boat in the Channel.
Similarly, departures from as far west in France as Normandy are rare.
Two other migrant boats have also managed to land undetected in the UK on Monday and Tuesday this week, the first time in a year that there have been unescorted landings and the only time since the start of 2023.
The thousands of migrants crossing the Channel are usually brought to shore by Border Security Command or RNLI boats.
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A Home Office spokesman said 21 people who landed on Tuesday had been detained.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said today that not every migrant boat can be intercepted.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Ms Powell branded the situation ‘not acceptable’ but insisted there was an ‘improving picture’.
Asked if the boats reaching the UK was embarrassing, the Cabinet minister responded: ‘[You] can’t stop everything all of the time.
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‘Of course, it’s a concern. That’s why the Home Secretary has demanded and ordered this urgent review because this is not what we want to see. This is not acceptable.
‘But the overall picture is an improving picture. It is hard, difficult work that requires constant, constant effort by our border forces, our security services, police, our partnerships with France and other countries.
‘This is a mammoth and huge task, which is now starting to reap some dividends. But of course, you know where there are still issues arising, we must absolutely tackle them.’
French police are also investigating whether the death of a man found on a beach in northern France yesterday is linked to a Channel crossing.
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Some 17,480 migrants have arrived after crossing the Channel by boat so far this year, including 5,011 since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.
The total so far for 2026 is down 46 per cent on the same point last year.
“Last night, Wednesday, September 23, a 37-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of destroying ships or fixed platforms or endangering their safety under Section 11 of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990, criminal damage, criminal damage with intent to endanger life, and conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals under Section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
Manchester City star Antoine Semenyo has been forced to withdraw from the Ghana squad for their African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against the Ivory Coast and Gambia. Semenyo starred for City on Sunday, scoring twice as the Blues beat Sunderland 5-3.
Semenyo was awarded man of the match for his performance and admitted he was ‘battered and bruised’, following the victory. The forward has since withdrawn from Ghana’s squad for their upcoming clash with the Ivory Coast this evening. Explaining his absence, the country’s FA president Kurt Okraku. said that a decision was made not to risk Semenyo in this break.
“Antoine [Semenyo] and the coach spoke, and he told the coach, ‘If you need me, I will come down for the medical team to re-examine me,” Okraku recalled on Asempa FM, “but the truth is that my leg is swollen, and we need to treat it.
“As a leader, if you want to know your players, and in this particular case, we know the players and how honest they are when it comes to situations like this, you’d have to ask yourself whether you’d allow Antoine to continue with his recovery and be ready for Man City and for Ghana during the next window. Or have Antoine fly down to Ghana to undergo an MRI and then ask him to go back because he can’t play.
“His leg is swollen.” Currently, there is no indication as to how long Semenyo could be absent for. The winger has so far played every minute for City in the Premier League, and completed the full 90 minutes in the Community Shield. Semenyo was handed a rest for the 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Norwich.
Before the Manchester derby earlier this month, Maresca praised Semenyo’s impact in Jeremy Doku’s absence. “It’s much better to work with him than against, for sure, no doubt,” the City head coach said.
“Again, he’s giving us a lot in terms of on the ball and off the ball. If you see the first goal we scored at [Crystal] Palace away, it was his cross. The first goal we scored against Coventry was his assist.
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“So he’s working very well. Again, not only on the ball, [but] also off the ball, he’s working. He’s helping the team a lot.”
Joshua vs Fury likely to be confirmed in the coming days (Picture: Getty)
Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is in talks to return to boxing with plans for him to fight on the Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury card this December as part of a ‘double main event’ in Cardiff.
Joshua and Fury will finally meet in the ring with an official announcement expected this week or next. Cardiff’s Principality Stadium is set to host the Battle of Britain on 11 December.
The showdown is set to be broadcast on Netflix with it expected to be a late start time in the Welsh capital for UK fight fans to accommodate the US audience.
The streaming giant are pushing hard for another huge fight to be added to the bill with talks underway for 47-year-old Pacquiao to fight Shakur Stevenson in another generational scrap on the same night.
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Boxing Scene report that fight is in the works with representatives for men in contact with the card’s Saudi Arabian backers, along with Netflix.
Pacquiao vs Stevenson was first discussed when Joshua vs Fury looked to be heading for New York’s Madison Square Garden – with Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn winning the battle to stage the fight on UK soil.
Despite the site change, Netflix are still eager to make Pacquiao vs Stevenson happen in Wales.
Pacquiao would be a week off 48 if the fight lands on 11 December (Picture: AP)
Eight-weight world champion Pacquiao retired from boxing following a punishing defeat to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
After a four-year hiatus, he returned to the ring last summer at the age of 46 to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title in a bout that ended in a draw.
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Pacquaio returned to the ring at 46 last summer (Picture: AP)
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Earlier this year, Pacquiao signed a deal to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr in a rematch between the two ring legends.
Issues on Mayweather’s side however saw the original September postponed with no rescheduled date.
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Stevenson, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, joined Zuffa Boxing earlier this year but is still to have his debut fight for the promotion.
Vicky Myers, who is best known for playing DS Lisa Connor-Swain in Corrie, has been bowled over by the support
Coronation Street star Vicky Myers has said the support she receives is ‘never taken for granted’ as she was flooded with more following her latest major boost.
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The actress, from Stockport, is best known for playing DS Lisa Connor-Swain in the ITV soap, filmed in Salford, and first debuted in the role in 2021.
However, as fans know, it wasn’t until early 2024 that Corrie announced Vicky as one of its new regular cast members, and she hasn’t been far from the centre of the drama in Weatherfield ever since.
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So it may come as no surprise that her various storylines of late have seen Vicky become a fan-favourite among those who follow the long-running show, and, therefore, resulted in her picking up two gongs at the Inside Soap Awards 2026, which were held in Manchester on Monday (September 21) night, the first time the awards have been held outside of London.
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As well as Best Actress, Vicky also walked away with the Best Partnership prize for her and her co-star Alison King, who plays on-screen wife Carla Connor Swain. It comes after she walked away with the same two awards at last year’s ceremony.
Reflecting on her latest awards wins in a post on Instagram, shared on Wednesday (September 23), Vicky said: “About last night…THANK YOU! Thank you to @insidesoapmagazine for the nominations and for organising such a fantastic night. I am so proud to be a very small part of this iconic show’s history and my goodness, I do not take any of it for granted.
Heartfelt thanks to EVERYONE who voted for me in the Best Actress category and for Ali and I, for Best Partnership. You are the BEST, you really are, and I am so humbled yet full of gratitude.”
She continued: “Your unwavering support is never taken for granted, not for one second! You wonderful lot made this happen and I am absolutely delighted, if not a little dewy-eyed. As you know, the results are solely based on viewers’ votes and that makes it even more special. Thanks again.
“Congratulations to @garpierce @justjude7 @jamescartywright @danielbrocklebank too. Happy 30th Birthday @insidesoapmagazine. Love and hugs.”
And it didn’t take long for her post to be flooded with comments. @editedbysoph said: “You deserve all the love and appreciation! You’re so talented, beautiful and kind – that really shines through. Congratulations once again! Love you!” @eileen.hlzw commented: “So proud and so deserved! You are amazing, beautiful and so so kind hearted. I’m so happy for you, you and Ali what you’ve achieved and built is absolutely extraordinary. Sending love.”
@allboutmyfavs wrote: “Huge congratulations, Vicky! Both awards are so incredibly well deserved! Two years in a row, how amazing!” @chantalkjl replied: “Congratulations Vicky, so well deserved. Hard work pays off.” @libbybostandji added: “Aww wonderful news Vicky! Couldn’t happen to a more deserving or lovely human! Well done lovely!”
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Her soaps co-stars were also celebrating Vicky, with Corrie’s Junade Khan responding to the post: “So happy for you hun, so talented, well done hun,” while Jude Riordan commented: “Yes Vicky [heart emoji] and Ali for partnership.” Emmerdale’s Michelle Hardwick said: “Congratulations you lovely lot,” while EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal added: “Huge congratulations, my love.”
Novel Wines described itself as “the UK’s leading independent retailer of undiscovered wines”.
The company sourced bottles from craft winemakers in countries including Hungary, Croatia, and India, shipping to customers across the UK.
Novel Wines operated a physical store in Bath from 2019 until 2024, when it closed to focus on wholesale expansion and online sales, according to Harpers.
Novel Wines enters liquidation after 10 years
Despite these changes, Novel Wines has entered liquidation.
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Richard Cole and Stephen Kenny of KBL Advisory Limited were appointed as joint administrators on September 18, according to The Gazette.
The company’s website is no longer operational, displaying only a holding message that reads: “Opening soon.
“Thanks for stopping by!
“We’re just making a few quick changes to the website so it’s much easier for you to shop for great wines.
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“In the meantime please email us on hello@novelwines.co.uk and our team will be happy to help.”
When Newsquest contacted the listed email address, both respondents confirmed they had left the company.
Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026
It has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration or liquidation and others announcing widespread store closures.
Major high street brands LK Bennett, Claire’s, and Quiz have been forced to close all their remaining stores after falling into administration.
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UK fashion retailer Leading Labels is also set to close its remaining 15 stores after falling into liquidation in May.
Whitbread closed all its standalone UK restaurants earlier this month:
It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.
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Meanwhile, iconic fashion brand Nasty Gal has shut down its website after being sold by Debenhams in a deal worth around £12 million (US$16 million).
It hasn’t all been bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Joules, Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.
Meanwhile, brands including Evans and Bodycare have returned to the UK high street this year after previously closing all their stores.
Have you used Novel Wines before? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York (Picture: Toby Melville/PA Wire)
Remember Rishi Sunak’s first meeting with Joe Biden, at the White House in June 2023?
Of course you don’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if even Rishi Sunak doesn’t remember his first meeting with Joe Biden.
If he does, it might be because he was mistakenly addressed by Biden as Mr President, a few months after the president told a roomful of people celebrating Diwali that ‘Rashee Sanook’ had just become the British PM. But the meeting itself? Dust in the wind.
After all, it wasn’t always the case that such a weight of anticipation and fear hung over occasions like this. There wasn’t always a risk the president might launch into a rambling, caustic rant that derails the whole thing.
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But in hindsight, I’m not sure the concerns ahead of Andy Burnham’s first in-person meeting with Donald Trump yesterday were justified.
With two high-profile exceptions – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in February 2025 and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa three months later – Donald Trump rarely flips out at a fellow world leader while they’re in the room.
The PM’ shakes President Trump’s hand (Picture: Toby Melville/PA Wire)
Each week I break down the latest political stories in my newsletter, Alright, Gov?
From high-profile by-elections to Andy Burnham’s latest policy decisions, I try to turn the complex world of politics into easy-to-read explanations of how the headlines will actually affect you. Sign up here for more.
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Craig Munro
Even people like Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada and Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York, who ended up in their jobs partly because of their anti-Trump rhetoric, were treated with varying levels of respect.
So, it’s not a shock that the press conference with Burnham and Trump ended up being pretty civil – even if a few remarks generated their own news stories.
Acknowledging that means we can focus on the stuff beyond the superficial. Stuff like the speech Burnham gave at the UN shortly after the meeting, which provides some interesting insights into how Burnham tackles leading the country.
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To show why, I’m going to compare him to another former PM, the last one to address the UN General Assembly: Sir Keir Starmer.
Two years ago, Starmer told the gathered dignitaries that he feared a ‘sense of fatalism has taken hold’ with chat about ‘an age of polarisation, impunity, instability’.
He said: ‘Our task is to say no. We won’t accept this slide into greater and greater conflict, instability and injustice. Instead, we will do all we can to change it.’
You could fairly describe the speech as ‘very Starmer’. It was a call for global cooperation for peace, centred on the application of international law.
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One word he didn’t use was ‘Russia’. Burnham mentioned it ten times.
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In contrast to Starmer, the new PM took a far more pugilistic tone, especially with the Kremlin. He told the diplomats that the UK ‘will be relentless in building up our hard power and deterrence’, adding: ‘True resilience depends on this military strength.’
It was a speech that seemed to demonstrate how the ‘slide into greater and greater conflict, instability and injustice’ that Starmer refused to accept is happening regardless.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned Russia is preparing ‘hybrid strikes’ against Nato countries that support Ukraine, while the Lithuanian PM Mindaugas Sinkevičius spoke about his country’s evacuation plans yesterday.
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