“We think music fans are going to be mad-keen to get their hands on one”

Music fans will have the chance to own a piece of Belfast’s musical heritage from the Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall.

Drapes from the historic Belfast venues have been transformed into tote bags, made by local sustainable designer, Titanic Denim, with exclusive artwork by local illustrator Thomas Bannon.

Titanic Denim takes textiles that would otherwise have gone to landfill and repurposes them into bags, accessories and furniture, which are designed and manufactured locally.

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A spokesperson said: “While attending a sustainability event at ICC Belfast, Marie Nancarrow of Titanic Denim learned that the drapes were due to be replaced as part of a refurbishment.

“She spotted the opportunity to produce something that would preserve their history and give them a new lease of life.

“Titanic Denim worked with the Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall team to develop a tote bag with musical history woven into its fabric.”

Each tote bags is unique, retaining the character of the original drapes material, which framed iconic performances at both venues for over a decade.

Marie of Titanic Denim said: “This project is a powerful reflection of the passion and purpose that sits at the heart of Titanic Denim’s RESCUED initiative.

“It is about seeing value where others see waste, and reimagining discarded materials as something meaningful, with both story and impact.

“By transforming textiles that would otherwise be lost, RESCUED not only preserves pieces of our shared heritage but also champions a more responsible, circular approach to design.

“It is a bold and inspiring example of how creativity can drive real change, giving materials a second life while reducing environmental impact.”

Belfast illustrator Thomas Bannon was commissioned to create bespoke artwork for the bags, featuring the Ulster Hall’s familiar Victorian façade.

It was designed by architect William Joseph Barre, who also designed the Albert Clock in the city, and opened in 1862.

Ciara Davidson, Head of Governance and Stakeholder Engagement said, “We’re thrilled with the finished product and the idea that hundreds of metres of fabric have been completely diverted from landfill. This has turned out to be so much more than a sustainability project.

“Marie and Titanic Denim team have created a beautiful, highly collectible piece of merchandise that celebrates the unique role of the Ulster Hall in entertaining people for over 150 years and celebrates the nearly 30 years of Waterfront Hall performances. They’re obviously very limited in number and we think music fans are going to be mad-keen to get their hands on one.”

The bags will be available to purchase from 17 April 2026 at waterfront.co.uk

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The Christie has launched the UK’s first dedicated Early Onset Colorectal Cancer (EOCRC) nursing service

Cases of bowel cancer are on the rise in young people across the UK. Since 1993, rates in those aged 25-49 have risen by 48 per cent – with health experts warning the trend is a ‘growing global phenomenon’.

At The Christie, a specialist cancer hospital in Withington, Manchester, up to 11.6 per cent of all new bowel cancer patients seen between 2021 and 2023 were under 50

Lyndsey Ainscough, from Leigh, said being diagnosed with the disease aged just 38 was ‘terrifying’.

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“I was juggling work, three young children and a thousand unanswered questions,” she said. Currently, support pathways are not tailored to the needs of young people living with colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer.

In a bid to change that, The Christie has launched the UK’s first dedicated Early Onset Colorectal Cancer (EOCRC) nursing service.

The new service is built around a dedicated Clinical Nurse Specialist, funded for two years by The Christie Charity. This nurse will provide personalised support and assist patients with access to services, as well as help to strengthen links with medical, psychological and social care teams across Greater Manchester.

“Knowing there will be a specialist service for people my age is incredible,” Lyndsey said. “It means others won’t feel as lost as I did in those first weeks, and they’ll have support from someone who truly understands what younger patients are going through.”

While bowel cancer is still relatively uncommon in young people, global health experts warn the rise in cases is alarming, especially given rates are falling in older adults. As a result, experts say those born around 1990 are now four times more likely to develop colorectal cancer than those born in 1950.

Younger adults also aren’t screened in the UK, and because symptoms often appear only once the disease has progressed, diagnoses can come late. Experts say a combination of changes in diet, lifestyle and environmental exposures could be driving the trend.

The Christie hospital says it has launched the service as a response to the sharp rise in bowel cancer cases among people under 50.

Sabrina Scott, from Davenham in Cheshire, has been appointed as the EOCRC Specialist Nurse. She said: “We are seeing more younger people facing the life-changing impact of colorectal cancer, and their needs are profoundly different.

“This dedicated service ensures our younger patients receive holistic, age-appropriate care from the moment of diagnosis, while also enabling vital research that will shape the future of EOCRC treatment across the UK.

“I feel privileged to be taking on this role and lucky that we have such a supportive Charity funding roles such as mine that make a huge impact to the care and support we are able to offer our patients.”

Louise Hadley, CEO of The Christie Charity, says: “It is a privilege for us to be able to fund incredibly important services such as this. As a Charity we exist to support the work of The Christie hospital and provide care, treatment and services that are above and beyond what the NHS funds.

“The new EOCRC nursing service will ensure young colorectal cancer patients receive the support they need at one of the most challenging times of their lives.”

A vigilante family took the law into their own hands in a neighbour’s row, which saw a large group brawl with shocking weapons.

Four members of the Jenkins family got into a fight with brothers Adam Miller and Kristian Thomas, who they believed ‘ransacked’ their home with golf clubs.

A court heard violence flared after brothers Miller and Thomas suspected that family member Corey Jenkins was involved in drug dealing in the Ravenhill suburb of Swansea.

The pair grabbed golf clubs to attack the Jenkins’ family home by smashing the downstairs windows.

The brothers fled to the nearby home of a relative called David Dallimore – but the Jenkins family found them.

Four members of the family – Paul, Christopher, Corey and Lisa Jenkins – armed themselves with an array of weapons and headed to Mr Dallimore’s house, where ‘large-scale public disorder’ erupted in the street.

The violence was captured on both CCTV and mobile phone footage shown to a court.

Corey Jenkins, 23, brandished a plank of wood ‘studded with nails’ and a metal pole, while Paul Jenkins, 64, carried a hammer and Christopher Jenkins, 45, and Lisa Jenkins, 45, wielded sticks.

During the brawl, Thomas struck a neighbour of the Jenkins family, Kirsty Choi, on the head with a metal pole while she was attending to a member of the Jenkins family who was lying on the ground.

The Jenkins family, all of Ravenhill, Swansea, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon.

Paul and Christopher Jenkins have previous convictions, while Corey and Lisa Jenkins have no prior criminal history.

Kristian Dale Thomas, 39, of Tudno Place, Penlan, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to criminal damage and been convicted at trial of the unlawful wounding of Miss Choi when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He was described as possessing an ‘extensive’ criminal record, including handling stolen goods, possession of offensive weapons, affray, and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

Adam Miller, 34, also of Tudno Place, Penlan, had previously pleaded guilty to criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon when he appeared alongside his brother.

Both men were cleared at trial of violent disorder in connection with the Rhodfa’r Brain incident. Mr Dallimore was likewise found not guilty.

Judge Catherine Richards stated that Miller and Thomas had instigated the incident when, ‘wanting to take the law into their own hands’, they descended on the Jenkins’ home and smashed windows.

She noted that the Jenkins family had subsequently armed themselves and engaged in an act of ‘vigilantism’ with no regard for its impact on the wider community or the fear they would cause fellow residents.

Paul Jenkins and Christopher Jenkins were each handed 18-month prison sentences, while Corey Jenkins received 22 months behind bars.

Lisa Jenkins was handed an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid community work and comply with a nightly curfew for the following two months.

Accounting for discounts on his guilty plea, Miller was sentenced to nine months in prison. Thomas received a 26-month custodial sentence.

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This year, the Prestwich Carnival will be supported by it’s bigger, louder neighbour.

A Prestwich carnival is being put on with the help of Manchester’s biggest music festival. Parklife, which previously brought more than 80,000 visitors a day to Heaton Park in Manchester each year, has helped ‘make sure the carnival can carry on’, according to a local councillor.

The two-day Prestwich tradition will take place on the weekend of June 13 and 14, featuring a trademark parade, funfair, activities for families, and food. Its main stage will host three tribute acts – “Tina Turner” on the Saturday, and “Abba” and “Robbie Williams” on the Sunday – as well as a host of local artists and entertainers.

Local councillor Alan Quinn says the yearly carnival ‘brings the community together and makes Prestwich a place people want to live’.

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“It will be absolutely packed. The boozers will be packed, the cafes will be packed, the restaurants will be packed,” Coun Quinn went on. “With all the crap in the world going on, people look forward to an event like that. We want to bring people together and unite people. It’s just great to see people smile.”

But this year’s event wouldn’t have been ‘as big or spectacular’ without the support from Parklife, according to the Prestwich representative.

The festival organisers have helped arrange and pay for logistical parts of the fair including toilets, security, and first-aid responders. In exchange, the carnival organisers have made sure the event doesn’t clash with the Parklife weekend on June 20, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands.

Hannah O’Riordan from Parklife said: “Parklife are really pleased to be supporting Prestwich Carnival this year. It’s great to be able to share our experience from delivering large-scale events in Heaton Park to help support a brilliant local event that brings the whole community together.”

The £35k carnival was also funded by local business sponsors and donations from the neighbourhood.

Some have raised concerns about the road closures due to take place as part of the regeneration projects taking place in Prestwich Village, which has caused widespread disruption to local businesses. But the LDRS understands the closure on Fairfax Road is due to be finished by the time of the carnival.

The first series, which was a spin-off of the popular BBC show The Traitors, first aired last year, with comedian Alan Carr going on to win.

With the second series coming this autumn, speculation is continuing as to which celebrities will take part in it.

There are, however, some stars who have ruled themselves out.

Peter Capaldi turned down Celebrity Traitors series 2

The Scottish actor revealed he turned down being part of series two of Celebrity Traitors during an appearance on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.

He said: “I think there’s a level of fame that.

“I think it propels you into the public eye, at a level of exposure that I don’t really want.

“I like doing, you know, it’s like doing my music things – it’s very difficult for people in that business to understand that you want to keep it small.”

Capaldi is not the only one to speak about the show and choosing not to be part of it.

Bafta-winning actress Anna Maxwell Martin said that she would have taken part if it did not film so late into the night.

On ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show, host Ross asked his star-studded sofa whether any of them had been approached to take part in the popular reality TV show.

Referring to its first series, which premiered last autumn and featured Ross among the star-studded cast, Maxwell Martin said: “Yeah, I would have been with you, darling.

“But, I can see from the civilian one how late it gets on that show.

“That’s a Scottish summer and they’re not leaving that castle until it gets dark, that’s 11pm, 12am… if you’re a traitor it’s 1am… 2am… I want to be in bed by 8pm.”

Rumoured names for Celebrity Traitors series 2

There are many names that have been reportedly asked to take part in the new series.

Adolescence star Stephen Graham has been rumoured to join the line-up, according to the Daily Mail.

The newspaper reports that an insider said the BBC is “absolutely desperate to nail down Stephen for the show” and that he would be a “star signing”.

The Football Factory and EastEnders star Danny Dyer is also rumoured, with The Sun reporting that he is in the line-up after turning the offer down for the first series.

Danny Dyer is among the names rumoured for Celebrity Traitors series 2 (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

Other celebrities rumoured to take part include Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, comedian Daisy May Cooper and comedian Bob Mortimer.

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Even Oasis singer Liam Gallagher hinted that he had been considered for the show, replying to a fan on X: “I’ve been asked.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We aren’t commenting on speculation and details for The Celebrity Traitors series two will be announced in due course.”

Who would you love to see take part in the next series of Celebrity Traitors? Let us know in the comments below.

He remains in custody at this time.

An Antrim supermarket has thanked customers for their support after a reported arson attack.

A man aged in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences following a reported incident on their premises in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Emergency services were called to the blaze at a Spar store on Greystone Road in the town. While no injuries were reported, extensive damage was caused to the premises and a neighbouring business, and the defibrillator outside the store was damaged.

Posting on Facebook, Spar Greystone said: “The clean-up operation has begun after the incident this morning.

“Staff are very grateful for all the calls and messages of concern and the support from the community that we are proud to serve.

“Just as a side note, our defib was damaged in the incident and not available to use, unfortunately. Thanks for the support.”

A PSNI spokesperson said: “A man has been arrested following a report of an arson attack on a property in Antrim in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday 14th April.

“At approximately 3.35 am, police received a report of a shop on fire in the Greystone Road area of the town.“Officers attended, alongside colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service who extinguished the fire.

“No injuries were reported, however extensive damage was caused to the business.

“A man in his 20s was arrested a short time later on suspicion of a number of offences, including arson, attempted criminal damage and theft. He remains in custody at this time.“This is being treated as arson, and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone who may have witnessed anyone suspicious in the area or anyone with CCTV or other footage that could assist with enquiries is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference 123 14/04/26.

“Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.

“You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/“

A NIFRS spokesperson added: “Firefighters were called to reports of a fire at a premises on Greystone Road, Antrim, at 3:31 am on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. Two appliances from Antrim Fire Station attended the incident. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reel jets and one jet to extinguish the fire.

“The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate ignition, and the incident was dealt with by 5.20 am.”

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A super typhoon with ferocious winds and pounding rains was battering a group of remote U.S. islands in the Pacific Ocean, forcing residents to seek shelter from flying tree limbs and collapsed buildings.

The center of the monster storm Super Typhoon Sinlaku was roaring along the Northern Mariana Islands early Wednesday local time, the National Weather Service said.

It’s the strongest tropical typhoon on Earth so far this year and was packing sustained winds of up to 150 mph (241 kph) that were likely to bring widespread power outages to the islands that are home to roughly 50,000 people.

Some areas already were seeing extensive flooding.

“It’s hitting us hard,” Mayor Ramon “RB” Jose Blas Camacho of Saipan, told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. “It’s so difficult for us to respond with this heavy rain, heavy wind to rescue people. Objects are just flying left and right.”

Camacho said some people have been rescued. He said trees were thrown about and wooden and tin structures had collapsed. He said he hoped the glass door to his office doesn’t break.

“It’s already bending. That’s how powerful this is,” he said.

The typhoon slowed to a crawl as it approached the islands, raising fears that the fierce winds won’t go away quickly and worsen its impact.

Flash flooding was expected to continue along the two islands into Wednesday. About 50,000 people live on three islands in the area, with the most on Saipan, known for its laid-back resorts, snorkeling and golf as well as the capital.

While it’s expected to weaken slightly over the next few days, Sinlaku was crossing the islands as a Category 4 typhoon.

Saipan was the site of one of World War II’s bloodiest battles in the Pacific, in which more than 50,000 Japanese and American soldiers and local civilians died.

In Guam, where Typhoon Mawar knocked out power for days in 2023, U.S. military officials warned personnel to prepare for the storm and shelter in place. The military controls about one-third of the land on the island, a critical hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific.

Before turning toward Guam and the Northern Marianas, the storm left significant damage to the outer islands and atolls of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia, Aydlett said from his weather service station on Guam.

Glen Hunter, who grew up on Saipan, has weathered numerous typhoons.

“We sit in what they call ‘Typhoon Alley,’” he said early Tuesday after waking up to strong gusts and seeing downed trees.

For the most part, residents live in sturdy, fully concrete homes and those in substandard wooden houses with tin roofs tend to stay with family or in government shelters, he said.

Tourism-dependent Saipan was still recovering from 2018’s Super Typhoon Yutu when the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, he recalled. The economy has yet to rebound, he said.

President Donald Trump on Saturday approved emergency disaster declarations for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, allowing for additional help with emergency services.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it is coordinating support across multiple agencies, dispatching nearly 100 FEMA staff as well as personnel from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

A super typhoon is a name given to the strongest tropical cyclones that brew in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, where Earth’s most intense storms usually form.

Monitored by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Guam, super typhoons are the equivalent of Category 4 or 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic, with winds of at least 150 mph (240 kph). There have been more than 300 super typhoons identified since the warning center started using that name nearly 80 years ago.

___

Associated Press reporters Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu contributed to this report.

Former PM travels to frontline near Zaporizhzhia for ‘potentially life-threatening’ documentary

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has embarked upon a “potentially life-threatening” expedition for a new Channel 5 programme.

Boris Johnson: Into the ‘Kill Zone’ will show the 61-year-old undertaking “a deeply unofficial and secret assignment” as he journeys behind the frontline of the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

Revealing details about the documentary, the broadcaster stated Johnson visits shattered villages, a frontline chapel and a makeshift bomb factory and must take shelter during a missile attack, reports the Mirror.

A synopsis for the documentary from Soho Studios and Two Rivers Media states: “Quietly entering the country so as not to draw attention to himself, Boris travels beyond Kyiv in a 72-hour unprotected journey to the frontline ‘kill zone’ near Zaporizhzhia, where drones, artillery and the realities of modern warfare quickly replace diplomacy and political rhetoric.”

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“Boris witnesses the realities of modern war at close range.”

It continues: “Embedded with Ukrainian soldiers, he visits shattered villages, a frontline chapel, secret drone bases and even a makeshift bomb factory hidden inside abandoned cottages, and shelters in an under-siege eighth story flat during a missile strike.”

The former PM also accompanies mobile gun teams and Kyiv’s volunteer air defenders for a “terrifying and freezing night shift protecting the capital from Russian drone attacks”.

He said: “The Ukrainians are fighting the same war, against the same drones, that are being sent against civilians by the same alliance of tyrannies. We have spent four years psalming platitudes and telling them that their fight is our fight.

“On the basis of what I have seen, we are risibly failing to live up to our pledges, and to give them the help they need.”

Guy Davies, consultant editor for commissioning at Channel 5, described how the politician “takes us on a traumatic and revelatory journey” throughout the programme.

“It is clearly a cause that is close to his heart and we see him in a new light – no longer looking at the war from the statesman’s perspective, away from the frontline, but in the trenches and more able to speak freely,” he added.

Soho Studios’ founder Ian Lamarra commented: “Seeing a recent British Prime Minister on the frontline of a conflict, with his life in genuine danger, is extremely powerful.”

Boris Johnson: Into the ‘Kill Zone’ is set to air on Channel 5.

Huntley died as a result of a blunt head injury, an inquest has heard.

The 52-year-old died in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle on March 7 after he was attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at HMP Frankland in Durham on February 26, an inquest opening hearing was told.

The County Durham and Darlington Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield was sitting in Crook, County Durham, on Tuesday.

Listed under the name Ian Kevin Huntley, the inquest opening lasted less than five minutes.

Coroner’s officer Bradley King read a statement in which he said: “This 52-year-old male was born on January 31 in 1974 in Grimsby.

“His last employment status and occupation is recorded as being a prisoner.

“He resided at HMP Frankland.

“He died on March 7 2026 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

“I understand the circumstances to be that Mr Huntley was struck over the head multiple times by another prisoner with an object described as a metal bar.

“The assault left Mr Huntley with significant head injuries.”

Mr King said Home Office Pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton conducted a post mortem on March 9 and gave the cause of death as “blunt head injury”.

Huntley’s body was formally identified on the day he died.

The inquest was told that a police investigation was under way and that Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with murdering Huntley at the maximum security jail.

Mr Chipperfield adjourned the hearing until May 27 when there will have been an update in the criminal proceedings.

Russell will attend Newcastle Crown Court on April 24 for a pre-trial preparation hearing.

Huntley was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The ex-school caretaker killed the best friends after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4 2002.

He dumped their bodies in a ditch 10 miles away.

They were not found for 13 days, despite a search involving hundreds of police.

At the time, Huntley lived with Maxine Carr, who was a teaching assistant at Holly and Jessica’s primary school.

He denied murdering the girls but was convicted after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2003. He was jailed for life with a recommended minimum term of 40 years.

Carr gave Huntley a false alibi and was jailed for 21 months for perverting the course of justice.

She is now living under a new identity.

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