Britain’s newest attack submarine, HMS Agamemnon, left the shipyard yesterday after spending 13 years under construction.

The 7,400-tonne, 97-metre hunter-killer submarine is the sixth vessel in the Royal Navy’s Astute-class nuclear-powered fleet. It was built at a cost of £1.65 billion.

The submarine’s construction was marked by an exceptionally lengthy delay.

Although it was commissioned in 2013, the Ministry of Defence had expected HMS Agamemnon to become an operational part of Britain’s nuclear fleet by 2022.

Carrying a crew of 100, HMS Agamemnon departed BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness for sea trials, the next major stage before it formally enters active service.

During its maiden voyage, the submarine navigated the shipyard’s dock system before entering the Walney Channel and heading into the Irish Sea for the first time in open waters.

Once operational, HMS Agamemnon will join fellow Astute-class hunter-killer submarines HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious and HMS Anson in Royal Navy service.

First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said HMS Agamemnon “embodies the best of British engineering and the professionalism of our submariners” and would be “one of the most advanced submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy”.

Sir Gwyn added: “As we continue to strengthen our warfighting readiness, HMS Agamemnon will play a central role in keeping the United Kingdom safe, contributing to Nato’s collective defence and ensuring we are ready to lead, fight and win.”

The £1.65 billion nuclear submarine takes its name from the ancient Greek king Agamemnon, while also paying tribute to Lord Nelson’s favourite ship, which was affectionately known as “Eggs and Bacon”.

HMS Agamemnon was formally named at BAE Systems’ Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

The vessel was blessed and christened, with a bottle of beer from the local Ulverston Brewing Company smashed against its hull.

The sixth Astute-class submarine, which measures 97 metres in length, had been scheduled to launch in 2024 before being commissioned into the Royal Navy.

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The submarine’s departure comes after reports earlier this year claimed that the Royal Navy’s entire available fleet of hunter-killer submarines was stuck in port and unable to sail, leaving Britain exposed to the threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

In another setback for Britain’s Armed Forces, all five of its existing Astute-class submarines were said to be laid up while awaiting maintenance and other repair work.

Military experts have warned that the shortage of operational nuclear-powered attack submarines—which can carry up to 38 Spearfish torpedoes and a battery of Tomahawk missiles—could leave the UK’s undersea internet and power cables dangerously vulnerable to sabotage by the Kremlin.

The submarines also have a crucial role in protecting the larger Vanguard-class vessels, which carry the Trident ballistic missiles that form the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent.

The revelations came just a day after the Mail reported that one of Britain’s flagship £3.5 billion aircraft carriers had broken down again and been forced into port in Norway for repairs.

And on Friday the head of the UK’s military warned that the threats faced by Britain are greater than at any time since the Cold War.

In stark comments, Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, said Russia has been ‘probing, challenging, testing our defences’ and is ‘raising the stakes and risks crossing a line’.

He told the BBC: ‘I’m very clear that this is the most dangerous time I have known in my working life. 

‘The risks and threats to this country are greater than I have known since the Cold War.’ 

Lord West, former First Sea Lord and Labour security minister, said it was ‘unacceptable’ and ‘very worrying’ that Astute subs are out of action.

‘The attack submarines are fundamental for looking after our ballistic missile submarines,’ he added.

‘They are fundamental for frightening and terrifying the Russians.

‘The fact that there has not been money invested in dry docks, in the maintenance facilities, in the men required to maintain and repair the submarines, in the spare parts for those submarines is why we have got to this position.

‘It is just unacceptable and puts us in a very difficult position. If we haven’t even got an attack submarine available for use, then things are looking pretty bad.’ 

Presley Gerber was only 15 when he entered the spotlight, following his supermodel mother Cindy Crawford onto the runway and securing campaigns with brands including Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana.

However, the demands of sudden fame became overwhelming for the only son of Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber. After just a few years, he walked away from modeling.

Behind the scenes, Presley was already battling mental-health struggles and felt he “didn’t ever think he was enough,” a source told the Daily Mail. Around the same period, he also began turning to hard drugs.

Presley hoped to build a life beyond the industry that had made his family famous. At different points, he considered becoming a photographer or pursuing a career in real estate.

“He wanted to find his own path, away from his famous parents,” a source told the Daily Mail. “He wanted a career that was all his that he was proud of.”

Earlier this year, he had also begun considering training to become a professional therapist.

Those ambitions never fully took shape. Presley continued struggling to find direction before his shock death from a suspected overdose on Sunday, aged 27, inside the Resolutions Living rehabilitation home in Santa Monica, California.

Before making his teenage runway debut, Presley was known for his broad smile and relaxed Malibu style. Over the years, however, his transformation was stark: he tattooed the word “misunderstood” across his face and received a DUI in 2018.

“There’s something to be said about when I started working, which was like around the age of 14 and I started traveling and I stopped doing like all [sports],” Presley said on Instagram in March this year.

“What I’m trying to say is the less activity that was in my life, especially for me in the ocean, like the more medication I found having to be integrated into my life, [my] quality of life rapidly decreased with the decrease in natural endorphins and dopamine.”

He went on to acknowledge that he felt he “had to start making money, I had to start, I got a job.”

“It wasn’t that he didn’t try. He just couldn’t seem to handle the pressure of being born into a famous family. He always felt he was being judged by outsiders,” a source previously told the Daily Mail.

After stepping away from modeling, Presley tried to work out what might bring him happiness, but he found little success.

“Presley really struggled to find his place in the world, but he was lost,” said a source close to the Gerber family.

“He had ADHD so it was hard for him to focus, it was a challenge sometimes to process his thoughts.

“He said he was always learning from his experiences, but he couldn’t get to a place where he felt confident enough to have a solid career.

“He was also very reflective and into talking about mental health. Real estate agents are not like that, they go to parties and drink and live the high life, they throw soirees, take people to fancy dinners, make small talk. They don’t sit at home and talk about staying sober. It just wasn’t a match.”

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And then there was the issue of his image.

‘You can’t sell a $20 million mansion when you have a tattoo of a marijuana leaf on your hand. Wealthy people don’t like that,’ the source said bluntly.

There was also a real worry among loved ones that he was starting to resemble Aaron Carter, the dashing blonde singer who drowned after taking sedatives in 2022 at the age of 34.

‘There was worry from the family that Presley was headed down Aaron’s path, sure, and there was a big fear his drugs could be laced with Fentanyl,’ said the source. 

In his last months, Presley told friends he was happy with how popular his candid social media posts about mental health had become.

‘He did talk this year about becoming an addiction counselor so he could help other people, that was important to him and made him feel good,’ said our source.

‘He was into psychology and what makes people depressed. He wanted to heal people and have real conversations.’

But his lack of education was a serious hindrance. 

‘He was very smart, but he never went to high school really, though he got his diploma. He studied while he was modeling, so he kind of just got it done,’ the source said.

‘And he never went to college. So it was a long road ahead for him to become a therapist.’

To become a professional therapist, he would have had to complete four years of college and then a master’s degree.

‘Kids like Presley, who already have so much money, don’t usually take six years out of their life to study psychology to end up earning $100,000 a year as a therapist. They like to have fun,’ said the source.

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Crawford for comment. 

Presley was found dead in a bedroom of a Santa Monica rehab on Sunday. 

According to a police statement, officers ‘responded to a report of a possible overdose’ at approximately 9.35am on September 20. ‘At this time, there is no indication of foul play.’

His cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Two employees at a smoke shop near the University of Mississippi have been arrested on drug charges, days after the suspected kratom overdose deaths of two students.

Police searched the store, located about one mile from the Oxford campus and near where Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, died earlier this week.

Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, were arrested and booked on suspicion of possessing Schedule 1 drugs with intent to distribute.

Oxford Police said investigators seized more than 500 units of kratom, as well as THC cartridges, gummies and other suspected drugs.

Police also noted that the store’s owner, 40-year-old Amer Alowdi, had previously been indicted on drug-trafficking charges and has since left the country.

“This remains an active investigation. Additional information will be released when appropriate,” police said. Authorities have not linked the arrests to the students’ deaths.

Friends who spoke with The Daily Mississippian identified the students. Hamilton was a freshman from Colorado, while Strang was a junior from Georgia.

According to the outlet, law enforcement officers responded to Stewart Hall, where they attempted to perform CPR on Hamilton.

Strang was later found dead at an off-campus home on Van Buren Avenue, sources told the outlet.

Last month, Aidan’s mother, Kathie, shared a photograph of him inside his dorm and outside the university on Facebook.

She described herself and her husband, Peter, as “empty nesters,” writing: “We are officially empty nesters – this is going to take some getting used to!!!!”

In a statement to Fox News, Scott Sayres, an attorney for Strang’s family, said: “We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear son and are trying to process this unimaginable loss.

“We are deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of love, prayers and support from so many beloved friends and family. Their kindness has meant more to our family than we can ever express.”

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Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Shawnboda Mead announced the students’ deaths on Tuesday.

Soon after the announcement, Mead pushed back against rumors circulating on social media that additional students might be unaccounted for.

“We encourage our community not to speculate about the circumstances or repeat information that has not been officially confirmed,” she said.

However, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit said in a social media post that “packaged kratom” had been found during both investigations into the deaths.

Kratom, an unregulated herbal extract, acts as a mild stimulant that people use for energy, pain relief, and managing withdrawal. It acts as an opioid in large doses. 

The substance was sold from an unnamed retail store, police said. It is unclear if kratom or other substances played a role in their deaths, the agency said. 

Authorities have warned people to refrain from ingesting kratom or other substances that have not been prescribed by a medical professional. 

‘Local, state, and federal partners are working collaboratively to gather the facts and provide answers as quickly and responsibly as possible,’ the agency said. 

‘We are also working closely with the families involved and ask that their privacy be respected during an incredibly difficult time.’ 

Police also reminded the community that Narcan, an over-the-counter medication that reverses an opioid overdose, is available in vending machines across campus. 

The university echoed the police, stating that their thoughts are with the friends, family, and loved ones of the two students. 

Catherine Zeta-Jones celebrated her husband Michael Douglas’s 82nd birthday on Friday with a passionate kiss and a heartfelt Instagram tribute.

The actress, who shares the same birthday and has just turned 57, posted a romantic photograph of the couple kissing in the ocean.

“Happy Birthday darling! A birthday kiss to my husband Michael, sharing this special day with you is as special as the day itself. Love you,” she wrote.

Michael returned the affection with a touching birthday message of his own, sharing a photograph with Catherine and recalling the moment he first saw her on screen: “I had never fallen in love on a movie screen before. Until I saw Catherine.

“She was magic, in a way that went beyond beauty. And I was certain, as much as I had ever been about anything, that she was the one.

“It’s the kind of moment that only comes around once in your life, if you’re lucky.”

Michael continued: “The one time that you know, without any doubt in your mind, that you’re meant to be with someone. Happy Birthday Catherine! I love you always and forever! ♥️ @catherinezetajones.”

His message featured an excerpt from One Helluva Ride!, the actor’s memoir scheduled for release next month.

Catherine replied in the comments: “Thank you darling. Thank you. Happy Birthday to you too my love. ♥️”

The couple married in 2000 and have two children together: son Dylan, 26, and daughter Carys, 23.

The birthday exchange came one day after Catherine made a glamorous appearance at the London premiere of her new thriller series, Kill Jackie.

In the eight-part Prime Video drama, she plays Jackie Price, a former international drug smuggler who has spent two decades living under the radar as an art dealer.

Jackie’s carefully protected life is shattered when an elite team of assassins is hired to kill her, forcing her to confront her dangerous past.

At the Curzon Bloomsbury premiere, Catherine channelled classic Hollywood glamour in a shimmering silver sequin gown with a strapless corset-style bodice and matching cape.

She completed the look with strappy silver Sole Bliss heels, loose waves in her brunette hair and bronzed makeup.

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Kill Jackie is adapted from Aidan Truhen’s 2018 novel The Price You Pay. Truhen is the pseudonym of Nick Harkaway, whose father was the celebrated spy novelist David Cornwell, better known as John le Carré.

In the series, Jackie has enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle for 20 years, travelling the world and selling fine art while doing everything possible to remain anonymous after fleeing her life as an international drug smuggler.

But just as life starts to feel a little boring, it takes a sudden lethal turn when she discovers that The Seven Demons, a squad of the world’s most terrifying hitmen, have been hired to kill her.

Assuming someone from her past is behind it, Jackie unleashes her old instincts and embarks on a wild, dangerous game plan – to take down The Demons one by one before they kill her.

However, she soon realises her own demons are much more terrifying than the ruthless killers on her trail and her buried secrets lead her closer to home, with surprising consequences.

Appearing alongside Catherine are Daniel Ings, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Óscar Jaenada, Hattie Hook, Darci Shaw, Raff Law, Enzo Cilenti, Christine Adams, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Karlis Arnolds Avots.

The premiere comes just after Catherine insisted her children with Michael have had no more advantage than any other actor as they follow their parents and grandparents into the industry.

Her husband Michael is a double Academy Award winner and the son of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, who died in 2020.

Speaking to Nuala McGovern on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Catherine was asked about her recent claim that the nepo-baby label often attributed to her children is ‘horrific’.

Doubling down on her stance, the Welsh star insisted that ‘if it was any other industry whether it be finance or business, or if you’re a lawyer, or I know all my grown-up surgeon doctor friends have kids going into that industry, and they don’t get labelled.’

‘I think, more importantly, I’m married to the ultimate nepo baby. My husband was the son of Kirk Douglas, the son of Spartacus, you know? And he’s done pretty good on his own,’ Catherine continued.

‘And so I think it’s unfortunate that with the intense scrutiny young people have, not just my kids or celebrity kids, just generally, they get slaughtered by AI images of perfection, or this and that. They don’t need another tag, I think it’s very unfortunate.’

When McGovern pointed out that many people think the children of celebrities have access to advantages that other actors don’t have, Catherine was adamant, exclaiming: ‘No, no, no quite opposite. First of all, they have so much to prove.

‘That “oh! It’s in your genes, it’s in your blood”. It’s like “No, actually I have a true passion and love of the craft”.’

The actress’s children are the next branch on a Hollywood family tree that also includes Michael’s mother, the actor Diana Dill. His eldest son, Cameron, who he shares with his ex-wife Diandra Luker, is also an actor.

Michael has also hit back at the nepo-baby label, insisting in a 2024 interview: ‘I don’t know a father in whatever business, be it a plumber or a contractor or a carpenter, who doesn’t try to help his son join him.’