missing

A DNA test on a Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann has “conclusively” proved she is not the missing child, a court has heard.

Julia Wandelt, 24, had a sample analysed after she was arrested in February over the alleged stalking of Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry.

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Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell told a court today that when Ms Wandelt’s DNA was compared with Maddie’s the results were clear.

When asked what they proved, Cranwell replied: “A comparison took place and it conclusively proved that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann.”

The trial over Ms Wandelt’s alleged stalking of the McCann’s is ongoing as a court heard this month she is said to have bombarded Kate and Gerry with calls, letters and messages over almost three years.

Leicester crown court was played clips she left after she got the family’s phone number from Portuguese police records.

In one, Polish national Wandelt, 24, tells Kate: “I know you probably think Madeleine is dead, but she is not. I am her.”

She denies the stalking claims.

A QUARTER of Gen X and Boomers want to go interrailing across Europe – after missing out on travelling during their teens and 20s.

A poll of 2,000 adults who have holidayed revealed scenic rail journeys are a huge draw for 46 per cent of these generations – despite the trip more commonly linked with backpacking students.

Over a third (37 per cent) want the chance to tick off multiple countries in one go, while the sense of adventure appeals to 22 per cent.

Another 31 per cent like the idea of not having the hassle of dealing with flights or airports, and 30 per cent want flexibility to travel at their own place.

In fact, many want to venture further off the beaten track to hidden gems such as Lucca in Italy, Zermatt in Switzerland, and San Sebastián, Spain’s culinary capital.

Adrija Biswas, head of HSBC UK’s Global Money account, which allows customers to convert, spend and send multiple currencies worldwide and commissioned the research, said: “It’s never too late to chase new experiences – and rail travel is proving the perfect way for older generations to finally live out the adventures they may have missed in their youth.

RAIL GOOD

My trip on the very famous & posh UK train that’s launching new route to 3 cities

ISLE-DEAL

I visited the Italian island that’s prettier and cheaper than its neighbour

“Europe has an endless number of incredible sights to see, and doing so from a rail carriage berth is such an exciting way of doing it.

“From coastal pathways to wooded wonderlands, through some of the most famous cities in the world, a rail trip around Europe is a surefire way to make lifetime memories.

“The global money account has been designed to support just that – borderless travel with a card that is as flexible as your travel itinerary.”

Across all respondents, nearly a third (32 per cent) would consider going on a multi-destination trip this year, ranging from multiple stops across Europe to far-flung, long-haul destinations.

With 55 per cent citing a variety of scenery – from beaches to mountains – as a top reason, and 47 per cent excited by different cultures and cuisines.

But 34 per cent said having to pack and unpack multiple times might put them off, and 32 per cent would fret over the potential for travel delays or missed connections.

Just under four in 10 (39 per cent) respondents believe travel habits have changed across generations, and 20 per cent think European travel is a ‘rite of passage’ for younger people.

When asked what those polled, via OnePoll, want from a holiday, 47 per cent always aim to see famous landmarks, and 46 per cent want to experience other cultures.

In addition, 38 per cent use the time to bond with their partner, while 37 per cent always hope to meet new people on their travels.

Adrija Biswas, from HSBC UK, added: “Far from being the preserve of the young, it’s great to see older adults also exploring what Europe has to offer.

“It’s incredible to think how much there is, relatively, on the UK’s doorstep that so many people haven’t taken the time to experience.

“Modern technology can also make the trip much easier, from being able to move and access money more simply across different currencies using the global money account, to language translation.

“If it’s something you’ve been thinking about, whether you’re in your 20s or your 60s, you’re sure to make memories to treasure forever.”

A poll of 2,000 adults found that scenic rail journeys are a huge draw for 46% of these generations – despite the trip more commonly linked with backpacking students

A quarter of Gen X and Boomers are keen to go on an interrailing journey across Europe – a trip usually associated with younger backpackers – after missing out on such adventures in their younger years. The survey of 2,000 adults revealed that scenic rail journeys are becoming a major attraction for 46% of people in these age groups.

Over a third are eager to visit multiple countries in one trip, while the thrill of adventure appeals to 22%. In fact, many are looking to explore lesser-known destinations like Lucca in Italy, Zermatt in Switzerland, and San Sebastián, Spain’s foodie paradise.

The poll also suggests convenience is another reason many older people are considering interrailing. A. A third like the idea of avoiding the hassle of dealing with flights or airports, and another 30% crave the flexibility to travel at their own pace.

Adrija Biswas, head of HSBC UK’s Global Money account, which allows customers to convert, spend and send multiple currencies worldwide and commissioned the research, said: “It’s never too late to chase new experiences – and rail travel is proving the perfect way for older generations to finally live out the adventures they may have missed in their youth.”

“Europe has an endless number of incredible sights to see, and doing so from a rail carriage berth is such an exciting way of doing it.

“From coastal pathways to wooded wonderlands, through some of the most famous cities in the world, a rail trip around Europe is a surefire way to make lifetime memories.

“The global money account has been designed to support just that – borderless travel with a card that is as flexible as your travel itinerary.”

Across all respondents, nearly a third (32%) would consider going on a multi-destination trip this year, ranging from multiple stops across Europe to far-flung, long-haul destinations. With 55% citing a variety of scenery – from beaches to mountains – as a top reason, and 47% excited by different cultures and cuisines.

But 34% said having to pack and unpack multiple times might put them off, and 32% would fret over the potential for travel delays or missed connections.

According to the poll conducted by OnePoll, when it comes to holiday expectations, 47% of respondents aim to visit famous landmarks, while 46% are keen to immerse themselves in different cultures.

Moreover, 38% use their holidays as an opportunity to strengthen their relationship with their partner, and 37% look forward to meeting new people during their travels.

Adrija Biswas added:“Far from being the preserve of the young, it’s great to see older adults also exploring what Europe has to offer. It’s incredible to think how much there is, relatively, on the UK’s doorstep that so many people haven’t taken the time to experience.

“Modern technology can also make the trip much easier, from being able to move and access money more simply across different currencies using the global money account, to language translation.

“If it’s something you’ve been thinking about, whether you’re in your 20s or your 60s, you’re sure to make memories to treasure forever.”

The top 10 European hotspots people would like to visit by train:

1. Lucca, Italy
2. Zermatt, Switzerland
3. Lecce, Italy
4. Bolzano, Italy
5. San Sebastián, Spain
6. Braga, Portugal
7. Annecy, France
8. Ronda, Spain
9. Lake Bled, Slovenia
10. Nafplion, Greece

The majority of the deaths have occurred in the states of Veracruz and Hidalgo.

At least 64 people have died in Mexico after heavy rains and flooding hit five states last week.

The National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) chief, Laura Velazquez Alzua, speaking during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily news briefing on Monday, said another 65 people were still missing.

The state of Veracruz on the country’s southeastern coastline has confirmed 29 deaths, followed by 21 in Hidalgo, 13 in Puebla and one in Queretaro, Alzua said.

Forty-three people are also reported missing in Hidalgo, along with 18 in Veracruz and four in Puebla.

Thousands of military troops have been deployed to offer assistance across the five affected states, and governors are also working together to coordinate support, Sheinbaum said.

Early estimates show that about 100,000 houses have been affected, she added, with some near rivers having “practically disappeared”.

Facing questions about Mexico’s alert system, Sheinbaum said there were no meteorological signs “that could have indicated to us that the rain was going to be of this magnitude”.

Meteorologists have said the rains occurred thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Rainstorm Raymond, which caused rivers to rapidly rise, leading to flooding and landslides.

The heaviest rainfall was reported on Wednesday in Veracruz’s city of Cerro Azul and Puebla’s Cuetzalan del Progreso, which saw 280mm and 286mm of rain, respectively, Alzua said.

The Mexican Army, Air Force and National Guard have jointly implemented response efforts, distributing food and clean water, sometimes by air, to locations otherwise made inaccessible by landslides and road closures.

Nearly 400 repair workers have restored more than 80 percent of the electricity supply across the five states, where about 263,000 users lost power, electricity officials said during the briefing.

Crisis has damaged more than 16,000 homes and caused widespread electricity cuts.

Torrential flooding has continued to sweep parts of central and southeastern Mexico, raising the death toll to at least 44 people in less than a week.

Heavy downpours caused by two tropical storms have triggered landslides and flooding across five states, including Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, Queretaro and San Luis Potosi, the government said in a statement on Sunday.

Floods have killed 18 people in Veracruz state, 16 in Hidalgo, nine in Puebla and one in Queretaro, the statement said.

Mexico’s El Universal newspaper put the death toll even higher — at 48 — and reported that dozens remain missing.

Around 320,000 people have experienced power outages, and at least 16,000 homes have been damaged, according to authorities, who fear that more landslides and overflowing rivers could exacerbate the damage.

‘We will not leave anyone’

President Claudia Sheinbaum said the military has been mobilised to help with rescue operations and aid distributions. “We will not leave anyone without support,” she said in a post on X.

Photos posted by the military showed people being evacuated by soldiers with life rafts, homes flooded with mud, and rescue workers trudging through waist-high waters.

Mexico has been hit by particularly heavy rains this year, and Mexico City recorded its rainiest June in more than two decades.

Authorities have attributed the latest deadly downpours to the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Rainstorm Raymond, both of which dumped heavy rains on Mexico’s west.

The remnants of Raymond, with wind gusts now at 45km/hr (28mph), were expected to hit the southern part of Baja California on Sunday.

Authorities in the southern US state have called the blast ‘devastating’, with many of the missing presumed dead.

An explosion at a Tennessee military munitions plant has left 19 people missing and feared dead, authorities said.

The blast occurred on Friday at Accurate Energetic Systems, a manufacturer in rural Tennessee, a state in the southern United States. People reported hearing and feeling the explosion miles away.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said it was one of the most devastating scenes he’s ever seen. He did not specify how many people were killed, but referred to the 19 missing as “souls” and said officials were still speaking to family members.

The company’s website says it makes and tests explosives at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 97 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of Nashville.

The cause of the explosion, which Davis called “devastating”, was not immediately known, and the investigation could take days, the sheriff said.

Aerial footage of the aftermath from the news channel WTVF-TV showed the explosion had apparently obliterated one of the facility’s hilltop buildings, leaving only smoldering wreckage and the burnt-out shells of vehicles.

There’s no further danger of explosions, and the scene was under control by Friday afternoon, according to Grey Collier, a spokesperson for the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency.

Emergency crews were initially unable to enter the plant because of continuing detonations, Hickman County Advanced EMT David Stewart said by phone. He didn’t have any details on casualties.

Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment Friday morning.

“This is a tragedy for our community,” McEwen Mayor Brad Rachford said in an email. He referred further comment to a county official.

Residents in Lobelville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake and some people captured the loud boom of the explosion on their home cameras.

The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep.

“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” he said by phone. “I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”

State Representative Jody Barrett, a Republican from the neighbouring town of Dickson, was worried about the possible economic impact because the plant is a key employer in the area.

“We live probably 15 miles [24km] as the crow flies, and we absolutely heard it at the house,” Barrett said. “It sounded like something going through the roof of our house.”

Oct. 10 (UPI) — Multiple people were killed and several others are missing after an explosives plant blast in Bucksnort, Tenn., Thursday.

Officials haven’t yet released any names or numbers of the victims. About 80 people work at Accurate Energetic Systems, but it isn’t yet clear how many were there at the time of the explosion.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said the explosion was a “very devastating blast” that “encompassed one whole building,” 10 News reported.

The explosion happened at 7:45 a.m. CDT. The plant is on the county line between Hickman and Humphreys counties, southwest of Nashville near I-40.

Three people with minor injuries have been treated at TriStar medical in Dickson, Tenn., CNN reported. Two of them have been released, and one is still being treated in an emergency room.

Davis said the scene is secured and that people nearby might hear smaller explosions throughout the day. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and others came to help in the investigation.

Before Davis’ remarks, officials with the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency said at least 19 people are missing, one person possibly died, and several others were in the hospital.

Accurate Energetic Systems, founded in 1980, said the company is “dedicated to the development, manufacture, handling, and storage of high-quality energetic products utilized in both defense and commercial markets.”

Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said, “It’s pretty devastating to see this.”

“It’s going to be an investigation that’s probably going to go on for days,” CNN reported Bates said. “This facility, they do manufacture, not only military, but demolition explosives for road work and things like that.”

State Sen. Kerry Roberts told CNN that the company is a beloved local employer.

“It is a well-loved company in the area,” Roberts said. “So this is going to have a devastating impact on quite a few families … it is heartbreaking.”

Local residents said they felt the blast.

“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Gentry Stover said. “I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”

Lobelville’s Cody Warren, who lives 21 miles away from the facility, said the explosion woke him up, and he thought lightning had struck his house, CNN reported.

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the company a contract for nearly $120 million for TNT last month.

MADELEINE McCann’s sister is giving evidence today against a stalker who turned up at the family home claiming to be the missing youngster.

Julia Wandelt allegedly sent unwanted emails, made multiple phone calls and even turned up at the home of Kate and Gerry McCann.

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The 24-year-old falsely claimed she was Madeleine, who vanished on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.

She believed she had memories of the three-year-old’s childhood and disappearance before being supposedly trafficked to Poland.

Madeleine’s brother Sean and sister Amelie, both 20, are giving evidence today at Leicester Crown Court.

The twins, who were sleeping in the same room as their sibling when she vanished, have never publicly spoken about Madeleine.

It comes after their parents yesterday took to the stand to open up about their daughter’s disappearance for the first time in eight years.

Wandelt yesterday had to be escorted from the courtroom after yelling “why are you doing this to me?” at Kate.

The mum had told jurors how Wandelt and her co-accused Karen Spragg, 61, showed up at the family home in December 2024.

She said she was unloading the car in the dark and immediately felt “distressed” at the situation.

The mum added: “[Wandelt] called me mum”.

Kate told how the second woman was “slightly more aggressive” and was asking: “Don’t you want to find your daughter?”

She said she went inside and felt “invaded in my home” as the two women continued to bang on the front door.

Wandelt then posted a letter to the next day to “mum” and signed from “Madeleine”, the court heard.

Kate said: “It was the thing I wanted the most – through all this pain – for Madeleine to be back and calling me ‘mum’.”

She continued: “Referring to me as mum was hard and she said a few times about Gerry being controlling – which had no truth.”

Kate told jurors she first became aware of Wandelt in 2022 after she phoned Gerry at the hospital he works at.

The mum said Wandelt had also emailed the Find Madeleine campaign but she received no direct contact herself until 2024.

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Kate said police officers investigating Madeleine’s disappearance sent her and Gerry a photo of the alleged stalker after she claimed she was the missing youngster.

Both parents concluded she was not Madeleine but Wandelt continued to contact them – claiming: “I never lied, I’m not crazy, please let me prove it.”

She also allegedly left a voicemail on Kate’s phone, saying: “If I am her, then everything should be OK but if I’m not, which you probably think, then I’ll leave you alone.

“I know my accent is Polish because I live here… I’m not pretty like Madeleine but I know what I know and I know and what I remember.

“Please give me a chance, you don’t give up on your daughter, I’m not crazy.”

But Kate said today: “I know I can’t say what Madeleine looks like now, but I know I’d recognise her.”

The mum said after the disappearance of her daughter, and knowing that her mobile number was in the public domain, she did not change it “on principle”.

She added: “I didn’t feel I should have to do that.”

Kate told the court she “didn’t want to engage” but almost agreed to a DNA test as Wandelt’s campaign was “getting to me”.

She added: “I almost wanted a DNA test to put it to bed… from the photographs.. I knew it wasn’t her.”

The mum said the “final straw” came when she discovered Wandelt had allegedly messaged her 20-year-old daughter, Amelie.

Kate told jurors she went to police to discuss the case after that.

She said since the arrest of the defendants, her stress levels had gone down.

Kate added she did not want anything like this to “put extra focus” on Sean and Amelie.

“What they’ve had to deal with, and still have to deal with, is a lot and we try to keep that to a minimum,” the mum said.

Gerry’s voice cracked as he also gave evidence today and he grew emotional when discussing his other children Sean and Amelie.

He said: “After everything that has happened with Madeleine we want to protect them.”

Gerry added: “We want them to be known as Amelie McCann and Sean McCann not missing Madeleine McCann’s brother and sister.”

Jurors heard previously how Wandelt tried to persuade “anybody prepared to listen” that she was the British toddler.

The alleged stalker, from Lubin in south west Poland, burst into tears and had to take a 10-minute break after the court was told she is not Madeleine.

Mr Duck added: “There could never have been a legitimate belief by Julia Wandelt that she was Madeleine McCann.

“At the time of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, Julia Wandelt was not of the same age.”

‘Stalking’ campaign

The court heard she compared herself to images of Madeleine and tried to convince the younger McCann daughter, Amelie, they were related.

She even signed letters to the McCann family from Madeleine, it was said.

Mr Duck said the “well-planned campaign of harassment” had a “substantial adverse effect on the day-to-day activities” of the McCann parents.

The court heard Wandelt initially called the hospital where they work and emailed the Met Police investigation codenamed Operation Grange.

She later messaged Gerry: “In June 2022 I started to think maybe I am Madeleine McCann. I am not joking, please take this seriously.”

Jurors heard she went on to call and message Kate over 60 times during a single day in April 2024, writing: “I never lied. I am not crazy. Please let me prove it.”

Recorded voicemail messages were played in court where Wandelt was heard pleading: “I beg you, you are my real mother, I remember you and our home, give me a chance to prove it

“You are mummy. You know it’s me. I remember how you hugged me and a pink teddy bear.”

Mr Duck said: “One of the many tragic consequences for Madeleine’s parents has been their consequent inability to escape that unwanted glare of publicity that came with that tragedy. 

“Their faces have become immediately recognisable to a worldwide audience and the attention they have received has not always been compassionate. Far from it. 

“They have been embraced by millions of people around the world who sympathise with their position. But there remains a group of individuals which continues to fail to acknowledge their plight and perpetuates conspiracy theories which simply heap further misery upon them. 

“Unfortunately, these two defendants belong to that latter group – but as far as they are concerned, their observations and behaviour are not an offhand comments or a Facebook/Instagram posting, but a well-planned campaign of harassment which extended, in Julia Wandelt’s case, for over two-and-half years.”

Wandelt and co-accused Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, deny stalking causing serious alarm and distress to Kate and Gerry between June 2022 and February this year.

The trial continues.

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A SHAKESPEAREAN twist of fate brought two lovers together again, more than a decade after they first crossed paths.

A Tennessee woman who ran away as a teenager fell in love with one of the police officers tasked with finding her.

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Roshin Ali was just 13 years old when she fled her family’s home in Jackson, fearing her father would kill her.

Police had just begun their search for the missing teen when she returned home the following day.

Roshin landed a job at the same sheriff’s department 12 years later, where she met Tyler Schrupp.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Tyler had been in the unit of police searching for Roshin all those years ago.

He later said he didn’t recognise her when she started working at the sheriff’s department, but he was immediately drawn to her.

“He wouldn’t stop staring at me, but literally wouldn’t say a word at all,” Roshin said.

Tyler said he had been “kind of nervous” to talk to Roshin, because he “thought she was very beautiful”.

Eventually, Tyler mustered up the courage to say hello, and the two felt an immediate connection.

As their bond grew, Roshin started opening up about the trauma of her youth.

“We started putting the dates together and then she described the area,” Tyler said.

“That’s when I started to be like ‘Ok I was a part of that’. It’s crazy that back then I was looking for you, and now we’re sitting here talking.”

The pair are now engaged and share a five-month-old son.

Roshin shared the couple’s story to her TikTok account in July.

The story-time went viral, accumulating more than five million views.

Using a trending audio, she is shaking hands with Tyler, describing him as an “officer who went searching for me while missing”.

The video opened the floodgates to thousands of concerned comments asking if he had groomed her.

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In a follow up four-part series, Roshin, known as Roro Nicole on social media, set the record straight.

“Some of the comments were that he’s grooming me, he kidnapped me and I’ve been with him this whole time, [he] kept me in his basement,” she said.

In harrowing detail, Roshin told her story, beginning in 2010 when she was 13 years old.

Her father was a gambling addict who didn’t allow his children to leave the house.

He arrived home one day after losing all his money, threatening to kill Roshin and her siblings if he caught them outside.

“We immediately … ran into our bedroom because we were afraid that he was going to start beating on us like he normally does whenever he comes home upset,” she said in the video.

Her sister stood with her back against the closed bedroom door, with her feet jammed against the wall, keeping their father out of the room.

“He told my mom to go get a knife and then he began to try stab her through the door,” Roshin said.

Her father eventually got into the room, grabbed her sister by the hair and dragged her into their parent’s bedroom, where he began to beat her with a cable wire.

“We can literally hear her begging him not to kill her,” Roshin recounted.

“He duct taped her hands together, her legs together and then placed duct tape on her mouth so nobody could hear her screaming.

“The my mom walks into our room and she looks at us, and she goes ‘y’all are next'”.

Roshin and her brother fled the home, climbing out of their bedroom window to escape.

The pair ran to the nearest park, before their father called the police and reported them missing.

When police attended the family home, Roshin’s sister reported the savage assault.

Their parents were arrested, but only spent “a couple of days” behind bars.

Roshin and her brother, who was 12 at the time, were found the following day and placed into foster care with their two older siblings.

“I truly believe if it was not [for] me running away from the house that day and officers being involved, I don’t think that we’d still be here alive,” she said.

Tyler and Roshin – who plan to exchange vows in 2026 – said people are touched by their story.

“Somebody said he’s my hero,” Roshin said.

“And he is.”

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Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management says 77 victims taken to hospitals for treatment.

A student has been killed and dozens are missing following the collapse of an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia’s East Java province, authorities have said.

Rescuers are searching for 38 people believed to be trapped under the rubble following the building collapse, Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management said on Tuesday.

Eleven people have been rescued from the rubble, and 91 others managed to escape, the disaster management agency said.

Seventy-seven victims were taken to several hospitals in the area for treatment for their injuries, according to the agency.

“Efforts to assess the site, monitor the remaining building structure, and prepare evacuation routes for victims are the primary focus of the teams on the ground,” the agency said in a statement on social media.

The agency added that the incident called attention to the need for the “strict implementation of construction safety standards”.

“The public and managers of multistorey buildings are urged to ensure technical supervision during construction to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” it said.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, a separate body, had earlier reported that “provisional data” indicated that 100 students were caught up in the collapse, of whom all but one had been located alive.

Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School, in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed at about 3pm on Monday as students were gathering for afternoon prayers.

Authorities say the school’s foundation pillars gave way as crews were concreting the fourth floor of the building, trapping dozens of people under debris.

The incident is the second building collapse in Indonesia in less than a month.

At least three people were killed and dozens were injured when a community hall hosting a Quran recital collapsed in West Java’s Bogor district on September 3, according to officials.

Strictly Come Dancing 2025 fans were quick to notice Dani Dyer was still in the opening titles for the BBC series’ launch show on Saturday, but Amber Davies was missing

Fans called it “awkward” as Strictly Come Dancing‘s opening titles left out one star, hours after they replaced Dani Dyer.

Following the sad news this week that Love Island‘s Dani had to pull out of the series due to an injury, the star still appeared in the series’ opening credits. But someone noticeably missing was her replacement, fellow Love Island star Amber Davies.

Amber was confirmed to be taking on the show just days before the live launch, but fans noticed she did not appear with her co-stars in the titles – while she was there for the live show. Taking to X, fans shared their reaction to the “awkward” mishap.

One fan said: “Dani Dyer still on the opening credits and no Amber Davies… slightly awkward.” Another agreed: “Okay so they didn’t have time to put Amber in the titles yet.”

A third fan said: “Didn’t manage to edit the titles in time!” Another said: “Dani Dyer in the titles still.”

READ MORE: Strictly fallout in full – two stars quit, one unhappy pro and controversies continueREAD MORE: Strictly confirms whether Dani Dyer’s replacement Amber Davies will perform in first live show

It comes after the news Dani had to pull out of the show days before the first live episode. She shared a sweet message for her Strictly co-stars ahead of Saturday’s episode after being forced to leave the show earlier this week due to an injury.

It was announced on Tuesday that the 29-year-old would no longer be able to compete on the show after a fall during rehearsals led to her fracturing her ankle. However, despite not being able to take part, Dani has sent a message of support to her co-stars.

Taking to her Instagram stories, the mum-of-three wrote: “Good luck to all the gorgeous cast starting there Strictly journey tonight. Can’t wait to watch you all, so proud & know how hard you’ve all been working.. see you all soon.”

The official Strictly Come Dancing Instagram page revealed the sad news of Dani’s exit as they captioned it: “Unfortunately due to an injury Dani Dyer is no longer able to compete in #Strictly 2025. She’ll be sorely missed and we wish her a speedy recovery.”

Dani said: “I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny. I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up so badly over the weekend and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle.

“Apparently doing the Quickstep on a fracture is not advisable and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance, so I’ve had to pull out of the show.

“To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement. I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”

GOGGLEBOX fan were left devastated after fan-favourites Amira and Amani were “missing” on tonight’s show.

The sisters, who have been on the Channel 4 show since 2017, were noticeably absent, which prompted fans to worry they’d been axed.

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One viewer wrote: “Where’s Amira and Amani this week?”

A second said: “Missing Amira & Amani this week,” while another said: “I hope Amira & Amani haven’t left the show, they’re the best.”

Another added: “So two of the best people in the cast of Gogglebox are missing.”

But that wasn’t the only concern that Gogglebox fans had tonight.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that five new families had joined this series.

These include friends Jake and Calum from Glasgow, the Gordon family (Andre, Sarah, and Chee) from Surrey, married couple Andrew and Alfie from The Cotswolds, mother and daughter-in-law Sara and Lara from Yorkshire, and sisters Rosie and Susie from Edinburgh.

But some viewers have struggled to “warm” to the newbies and begged for Scottish couple Roisin and Joe to return after they were axed in July.

This viewer wrote: “Gogglebox why did you feel the need to change things up on a highly popular programme? I just don’t get why commissioners and production companies feel the need to change a winning recipe. The new ingredients haven’t enhanced the dish.”

A second posted: “Gogglebox too many posh families now no fun at all.”

A third said: “I’ve still not warmed to any of the new goggleboxers,” while another added: “Gogglebox has gone all posh and less diverse.”

Roisin and Joe joined Gogglebox in 2022, but announced they were leaving the show in the summer.

Taking to social media, Roisin wrote: “After three and a half years of sitting on the sofa Channel 4 have decided it’s time for Joe and I to stretch our legs and have not asked us back for season 26.

“Therefore we are leaving the Gogglebox family.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to Studio Lambert for the opportunity, the experience has actually been so mad and we will miss watching TV with you all on Friday nights!”

She added: “It’s been an honour to represent Scotland as some of the first Scottish people on the show and prove we don’t actually need subtitles.”

Roisin and boyfriend Joe, who were the first Scots to appear on the much-loved hit for over six years, added: “We have made friends for life and after filming every week for years you have become like our family!

“We could not have asked for better people to work with and we will miss you immensely.

“It for sure has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Time to watch TV in silence for a bit and put down the popcorn.”

A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: “We thank Joe and Roisin for their contributions to Gogglebox over the years, and wish them all the best for the future.”

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Auwalu Saidu remembers his elder brother, Babayo, with robes and horses. The kind worn and ridden by royalty in northeastern Nigeria. He remembers him through colours, too. Royal festivities in their hometown of Mubi, Adamawa State, are a spectacle of more colours than the rainbow, but Babayo’s signature colours were white and red. He wore the robe, called babban riga in Hausa, proudly. 

In 2005, he was conferred the title of Barade, which means the royal head of security and commander of horsemen.

Babayo had always been drawn to royalty and had worked with Sarkin Mubi, the King of Mubi, for a long time. As Barade, he led the king’s horse convoys, tied his turban, and fulfilled other royal obligations in the palace. It was his full-time job, and he took pride in it. He basked in the praises his brothers sang of him, known as kirari (praise chant). 

“Even when we did something to him or upset him, we’d do that kirari to diffuse the situation, and he’d laugh and forget about it,” Auwalu recounts.

Babayo also married into royalty. His wife is the daughter of the King of Mokolo, a town in Cameroon. After their wedding, she moved with him to Adamawa, where they lived for about 25 years and had four children together. It has been 11 years since he went missing, and she still waits for him. 

The last time Auwalu saw his brother was on a Wednesday morning in 2014. They were living together and had exchanged greetings before Auwalu left for the market that day. Later, word began to spread that terrorists were on the outskirts of the city, so he sold what he could, put the money together, and quickly came home to tell his family about the rumour. But they were not as alarmed as he was. Auwalu took his wife and children and left for Gela, a nearby community, leaving Babayo, who did not believe the news, and others behind. 

“After I left, I was told that he had been seen on a motorbike with one person in front of him and another behind,” Auwalu tells HumAngle. 

After a few days of not hearing from him, Auwalu started to look for his brother. He searched through the town they fled to, asked around, and tried to contact people who were with Babayo, but there was no luck. He also tried to call his phone, but the cellular network had been disrupted at the time.

Auwalu was then told to go to the highway, where corpses had been discarded and people were searching for their loved ones. He went there conflicted. On one hand, he desperately wanted to find his brother, and the pile of bodies carried a faint, bitterly ironic kind of hope. 

On the other hand, he dreaded the possibility that his brother lay among them. He did not want to see his body cast aside in an open field, nor imagine the state he might find it in. He knew the human body does not last long under the elements before worms and insects claim it, but nothing prepared him for the dreadful, inhumane condition of those corpses. He had seen bodies before, but always in their “fresh” state, when they were washed, shrouded, and prayed over, as is customary in Islamic burial rites. Within a day, the dead were laid to rest with dignity.

Yet as he scanned the lifeless faces in front of him, there was no room for wonder. Under a tree, he saw a body so swollen it looked ready to burst. It was not Babayo. None of the bodies were. But that single, bloated corpse seared itself into his memory and shook him to the core.

“That day I couldn’t eat,” Auwalu recounts. “Even when I was offered food, and it was right there in front of me, I couldn’t eat it. I was in so much shock. It wasn’t until the following day that I started slowly eating.”

As the years went by, Auwalu continued to search for his brother. Two years ago, a driver in his area, who regularly transports drinks between Mubi and Cameroon, claimed to have seen Babayo in Cameroon. Auwalu went there and scouted refugee camps, and asked around, but there was no trace of Babayo anywhere. The person who was “seen” was not him. Auwalu left Cameroon, realising that he had been misinformed about the whereabouts of his brother. 

About four years ago, Auwalu had launched yet another search for his brother when he came into contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which had reached out about Babayo through its missing persons programme. He was then enrolled in the ICRC’s Accompaniment Programme, which he says has taught him patience and resilience. 

It has also provided support to his nephews, Babayo’s children, helping them cope with their grief. After his brother went missing and the war subsided, Auwalu took in two of them, Dahiru and Salisu, who have lived with him ever since.

Dahiru remembers his father with schoolbooks and a football. His father always asked about his studies, whether he had revised well, and whether he was keeping up. But the memory that lingers most is the day a fight over a ball led him to be beaten up by friends. His father consoled him and promised to buy him his own. He did, and it became one of the symbols of his father’s care. 

Now 17 years old and in SS2, he wants to be a businessman after graduating from secondary school, so he can earn enough money to take care of his mother and siblings. And while he dreams of the man he will become, he dreams of the return of his father, the man who took care of him so fondly when he was young.

“I feel in my heart that my father will come back,” Dahiru says. “I never think that he’s gone forever. I know that he’ll be back.”

His brother, Salisu, remembers his father with toys. Each time he passes a shop with shelves full of them, he thinks of the days his father would buy him one. At first, the memories came with worry and fear. The mere mention of his father’s name evoked such grief that he would be unable to study or play that day. But with time, he has turned that fear into prayer. And now, when he hears the name, he asks God to bring his father back in good health.

Salisu is 15 years old and in JS2. He is outspoken and full of energy, while Dahiru is more shy and measured in his speech. Like his brother, Salisu wants to become a businessman, so he can support those who have helped him, especially his uncle, Auwalu, who has been there for him in his father’s absence. “I want to make him happy,” Salisu says, “just like he’s made me happy.”

Both boys said the ICRC’s programme has given them tools to navigate their emotions. They have learned patience and obedience towards their caretakers and elders, the importance of upholding their morals, and the need to avoid harmful practices such as substance abuse. The programme also encouraged them to seek out trusted people when they feel overwhelmed, to practise breathing exercises when they are angry, and to retreat to quiet places, such as the shade of a tree, where they can calm their nerves.

The ICRC runs the Protection of Family Links, an initiative that helps families affected by war stay connected and supports them in discovering the fate of missing loved ones. It is under this that the Accompaniment Programme was launched in 2019 to support families of missing persons in the North East, while searches are ongoing. 

The programme runs in six-month cycles, offering psychosocial and economic support, along with regular updates on the search. So far, seven cycles have been completed, with the eighth currently underway. It has reached more than 700 beneficiaries. A dedicated Child Accompaniment Programme has also been introduced, with two cycles completed for 68 children aged 13–17.

Searches are conducted through various methods, including announcing names, active tracing, and photo tracing, which enable wider community involvement in identifying the missing. Through these combined efforts, the Accompaniment Programme continues to address both the emotional and practical challenges faced by families, while keeping the search for their loved ones active and visible.

Whenever Auwalu remembers his brother, worry overcomes him. But then, he says, he remembers his own mortality and surrenders it all to God.

In the years after Babayo’s disappearance, his children often asked where their father was. Auwalu would comfort them and tell them he would return. He has taken on the role of their father, caring for them as though they were his own. He does his best to fill the emptiness of their loss, to give them enough love and guidance that their pain is eased. Over time, Babayo’s sons have spoken of their father less and less. Auwalu hopes the boys will grow into responsible men, able to care for and raise families of their own. Seeing the boys calmer and less weighed down by grief has eased his own pain, too, even if it has not disappeared entirely.

“At one point, whenever something would happen, they would say, ‘If my father were here…’ But now, because we treat them well, they are happy, even as they still remember him and see his photos in our home,” Auwalu says. “If I were to speak to him, I would tell him: If you are still alive, please come back.” 

Auwalu says their mother has suffered greatly since her son’s disappearance. It has been tears and grief all these years, as he was very good to her when he was around. He provided for her and took care of all that concerned her. Since the day he went missing, she has persistently been in distress, and her health has faltered again and again. 

Babayo’s wife, Fatoumata, has waited for him for 11 years now. While some Islamic clerics ruled that she could remarry because of her husband’s prolonged disappearance, she refused. She continued to hope and believe that he would return. She was living in Cameroon with the other children. But recently, she has shown signs of being open to remarrying. Four days ago, she moved back to Mubi to stay with her uncle, who says he will arrange for her to get married.  

As for Auwalu, every time he receives news or follows a lead that ends in yet another disappointment, it chips away at his hope a little more. When he returned from Cameroon, for instance, he felt defeated and consumed by despair, and throughout his journey home, his thoughts were only of Babayo.

He has dreamt of his brother more times than he can count. Once, he dreamt that Babayo returned dressed in white. But in those dreams, he never spoke. And now, as the long years have gone by, even those dreams come to him less often. 

Sept. 23 (UPI) — Mexican authorities said Tuesday they had found the bodies of a pair of Colombian musicans days after the country’s president pleaded for their return, blaming drug cartels and the United States for their disappearance.

Prosecutors in Mexico City announced they had found the remains of Bayron Sanchez, known as B-King, and DJ Jorge Luis Herrera Lemos, known as Regio Clown, after they had been missing for a week, reported El Pais.

Officials have not offered any explanation for the deaths of the musicians who had just played one of their first international concerts. But Colombia President Gustavo Petro suggested in a post to X Sunday that “multinational mafias” had a role in their disappearance.

Petro also wrote that the mafias are growing in South America because of the “rampant drug consumption in the US,” which he called a “decadent society” lacking in love.

The Trump administration has had a fraught relationship with Colombia under the leadership of Petro, a former Marxist guerilla turned left-wing politician. President Donald Trump has accused Petro of not fulfilling his country’s counter-narcotic obligations. Trump administration officials also raised concerns about the assasination of conservative Colombian politician Miguel Uribe Turbay.

“It is a source of second-hand embarrassment to see a Head of State behaving in this rude manner, blaming the United States for the disappearance of two of his citizens in Mexico,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote in a response to Petro on X.

In his post, Petro appealed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for help and stated that the musicians disappeared after a performance in the Mexican state of Sonora. However, the artists were last see at a gym in Mexico City’s upscale Polanco neighborhood, reported Parriva.

Sheinbaum, for her part, said Monay that the Mexican Foreign Ministry had been in touch with Colombia and that investigations into the musicians’ deaths were underway, the news outlet reported.

Rescuers in the rugged Eastern Sierra are searching for a Seattle man who has been missing since early September — and possibly longer — after climbing among some of California’s most remote and daunting mountain peaks.

Billy Pierson, an experienced alpinist, was in California getting in shape for an upcoming trip to Nepal, according to a comment his brother, Steve Pierson, left on Facebook.

On Aug. 9, the alpinist was hiking with a friend. “After their hike, he separated from that friend and is believed to have headed toward Inyo County,” the Inyo County Sheriff’s office said in a news release. “He was later reported missing on September 10, 2025.”

It was not immediately clear when Billy Pierson separated from his friend, or who was the person who reported him missing. The Inyo County Sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Billy Pierson, an experienced alpinist, was in California getting in shape for an upcoming trip to Nepal.

(Inyo County Sheriff)

It is believed Pierson was attempting the Palisades Traverse, a classic and technical mountaineering route along the Sierra crest that covers close to 20 miles and crosses the summits of five mountains taller than 14,000 feet.

In addition to climbing the challenging peaks, mountaineers also often have to navigate the Palisades Glacier, one of the last true glaciers remaining in California.

Steve Pierson said his brother’s plan was to begin, or end, his epic trip at Temple Crag, a familiar landmark to seasoned Sierra climbers and hikers that towers above the magnificent, glacier-fed Big Pine Lakes.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s office, working with Inyo County Search and Rescue, scoured the area around Temple Crag with no success.

Pierson is 5’9”, 165 lbs, and was last known to be carrying a large, navy blue or gray backpack. He was wearing black and yellow shoes and liked to hike in a baseball cap with a bandana underneath.

News that Pierson is missing follows several other incidents this summer in which hikers got dangerously lost or were found dead.

On Sept. 12, an Argentinian climber fell 2,000 feet to his death on Mt. Shasta. The 45-year old tech executive had summited successfully, but lost his way on the descent, winding up on the steep and icy Wintum Glacier. He attempted a controlled slide to reach the safety of a trail below, but lost control, collided with a boulder, and eventually slid the length of the glacier.

Also in September, a San Luis Obispo County man — Kirk Thomas-Olsen, 61 — was found dead in Yosemite National Park more than 20 days after he was expected to return from his solo hike.

In August, a boy scout troop hiking in the Emigrant Wilderness north of Yosemite National Park came upon a 78-year old man who had spent a night without food, water or shelter in the mountains. He had lost his pack and seemed incoherent when the scouts found him and escorted him to safety.

On Sept. 18, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 0.25%. It was the central bank’s first interest rate cut since December, as it looks to balance both sides of its dual mandate to achieve both stable prices and maximum employment.

Interest rate cuts benefit companies with more debt, including small-cap stocks. One value play that investors might be overlooking is regional banks. Here’s why.

Image source: Getty Images.

How interest rate cuts could benefit regional banks

Regional banks can benefit from interest rate cuts because their deposit costs typically adjust downward faster than loan yields. Most deposits are short-term and rate-sensitive, while many loans are fixed or repriced more slowly. This timing gap can boost net interest margins, easing pressure from prior rate hikes.

Lower rates also stimulate borrowing demand, boosting loan growth and fee income. Together, these dynamics can boost profitability and capital flexibility for regional banks during easing cycles. The primary beneficiaries are banks with strong deposit franchises, sensitivity to interest rates, and balance sheets heavily tilted toward lending.

PNC Financial is one regional bank with a relatively low deposit beta, supported by a stable, low-cost funding base and broad geographic reach, with a balance sheet tilted toward lending. By contrast, more asset-sensitive peers such as Zions Bancorp and KeyCorp, whose earnings were pressured by higher deposit costs in the rising rate environment, could see outsized margin recovery if funding cost sensitivity eases with rate cuts.

How investors could play the rebound

For investors, rate cuts create an opportunity in regional banks. As funding costs ease faster than loan yields, margins expand, credit demand rises, and earnings improve.

With valuations still compressed from pressures that emerged during the regional bank crisis a couple of years ago, regionals could deliver solid upside as monetary policy becomes a tailwind. For those interested, the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE -1.25%) is one way to play the rebound across a diverse group of over 140+ regional bank stocks.

Debbie Slater, the mother of Jay Slater, who went missing in Tenerife in 2024, is heard speaking to UK police the day after her son went missing in a new Channel 4 documentary

Jay Slater’s mum says her “legs turned to jelly” and she called police to report him missing

In a new Channel 4 documentary, viewers will hear Debbie Duncan speak to the UK police the day after Jay went missing on holiday. “He has been located miles and miles away from where he is staying, up a bloody mountain,” she tells UK police after calling 999.

She then tells police how Jay spoke to his friend Lucy Law but only had 1% battery so the conversation was short-lived and speaks of her concern and not knowing the two lads he went off with.

Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing in Tenerife in June 2024 after attending a music festival.

READ MORE: Jay Slater’s haunting final message that was never received by his pal revealedREAD MORE: Last Jay Slater CCTV before he went missing finally released raising more questions

CCTV footage showed him in nightclubs but he then got into a car with two men he had met on the holiday and was driven to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca, about 22 miles (36km) away from where he was staying.

It is thought he then tried to get back to where he was staying and got into difficulty.

On a separate second call to Spanish police, his friend Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,

“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down. And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.”

The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next Sunday night and has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.

After the calls to police a huge search was launched before Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.

Within hours of Jay ‘s disappearance in the summer of 2024, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives.

The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.

At an inquest into Jay’s death in July, the late teenager’s mother told how her son’s death had “touched the hearts of the nation”. Debbie gave a tribute to the 19-year-old, whose death from head injuries was ruled an accident, following a two-day hearing at Preston Coroner’s Court.

Coroner Dr James Adeley ruled Jay, who had taken a number of drugs, had fallen in a dangerous ravine, suffering un-survivable head injuries while try to walk back to his holiday let across mountainous terrain in Tenerife, in July last year.

Debbie, accompanied by the teenager’s father, Warren Slater, wept as she told the court her son was “full of fun and was always a joy to be around” with many friends.

He was close to completing his apprenticeship as a bricklayer, was learning to drive and had been “counting down the days” to his first holiday with friends abroad.

“Not in a million years did we predict what was to unfold,” she said. “He had a large circle of good friends who have been left devastated at his tragic death. Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it.”

Her son’s disappearance prompted huge media coverage and sparked a multitude of conspiracy theories on social media.

Debbie added: “He may of just been a story for the past 13 months, a story full of untruths. He did touch the hearts of the nation and that overwhelms us. We ask you to please now let Jay rest in eternal peace.”

*The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

AN URGENT hunt for a 15-year-old girl is underway after she went missing last week.

The girl was last seen in Flintshire but is now believed to be 120 miles away in South Wales, police said.

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Shyla has been missing for a week with and was last spotted in the village of Drury, Flintshire, last Saturday, September 13.

She is described as around 5ft tall with an average build and her hair dyed red.

When she was last seen she was wearing grey jogging bottoms, a brown woolen hoodie and white trainers.

It’s also believed that she has connections to Barry, Penarth and Cardiff Bay.

South Wales Police are now urging anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forwards.

They also want to talk to anyone who may have seen her in recent days.

COPS are desperately hunting a woman and an eight-year-old girl who vanished more than three weeks ago.

Sally-Jean, 37, was last seen with eight-year-old Ava in Tilehurst, Reading on August 25.

The pair were reported missing on Monday with a frantic search for them launched immediately.

Police said they are “extremely concerned” for the safety of the woman and the youngster and are appealing for the public’s help finding them.

Ava is described as black with an afro hairstyle while Sally-Jean is white, about 5ft 4in tall, with long brown hair, green eyes and tattoos.

Sally-Jean has links to Reading, Caversham and Tilehurst and has one large and distinctive tattoo on her right lower arm, cops said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of either Sally-Jean or Ava is asked to contact Thames Valley Police as a matter of urgency.

Inspector Iain Watkinson said: “We are extremely concerned for the welfare of Sally-Jean and Ava and we have been working hard to find them since they were reported missing on Monday.

“We are now appealing for the public’s help.

“Anyone with information on their whereabouts should call 101 or make a report on our website.”

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Sept. 18 (UPI) — The status is unknown for four special operations soldiers aboard a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that crashed Wednesday evening in Washington state.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to respond to the crash in the Summit Lake, Wash., area and had located the scene of the crash.

The local sheriff told USA Today that “the scene is on fire,” with about an acre burned following the crash that occurred at about 9 p.m. PDT.

The four soldiers are assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, according to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

The crew was on a “routine training flight” when air traffic controllers lost contact with them, which suggested something had gone wrong, a U.S. Army spokesperson told ABC News.

The accident’s cause is under investigation.

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Saunders said the crash site is about 15 miles from Joint Base Lewis McChord.

“Deputies have located the crash site but have been unable to continue rescue efforts as the scene is on fire and is starting to overheat their footwear,” Saunders said. “Special operation rescue units are responding.”

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is located in the Puget Sound region and is home to I Corps and the 62 Airlift Wing. According to the base’s website, there are 40,000 active-duty troops at the base, plus their families and thousands of contractors.

The Military Times reported that the weather was good at Olympia Regional Airport on Wednesday night, with clear skies and a visibility of 10 miles.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for developments.