The park will have a range of water features

A project to transform a former lido into a splash park in a Cambridgeshire town has reached its final stages as the opening has been confirmed. St Neots Splash Park on Huntingdon Road is now in its final stages before opening.

The new splash park will be based at the site of the former St Neots Lido, which operated from 1961 until 2003. The Independent Professional Playground Safety Inspection has been successfully completed, with final commissioning scheduled for the week commencing April 27.

In the latest update, St Neots Aquatic and Leisure have confirmed a soft opening set for May 2, on the bank holiday weekend. Plans for a formal opening event are still being finalised and will be announced shortly.

The park will have a range of water features for families to enjoy. This includes a hydro blast which shoots up a tall stream of water, aqua tent where water flows in a dome, water arch, and a mixture of jets.

Plans were first submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council in 2022 to build the splash park. Construction began last year.

A spokesperson for St Neots Aquatic and Leisure said: The St Neots Splash Park on Huntingdon Road has successfully completed its Independent Professional Playground Safety Inspection, with final commissioning planned for the week commencing 27th April.

“A soft opening is currently planned for 2nd May, giving local families the first opportunity to enjoy this new inclusive outdoor play space. Details of the formal opening will be announced shortly.”

President Donald Trump said he’s “highly unlikely” to extend the fortnight-long ceasefire

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President Donald Trump warned PBS News that should the ceasefire with Iran lapse on Tuesday, “then lots of bombs start going off”.

The remark came during a Monday morning telephone conversation, centred on the ongoing conflict with Iran, as Washington gears up for further peace negotiations mere hours before the truce concludes. Trump informed Bloomberg News that he’s “highly unlikely” to extend the fortnight-long ceasefire announced on April 7.

Amidst the concerning rhetoric, Trump also reportedly indicated to Fox News on Monday that an agreement with Iran would be finalised in Pakistan. Nevertheless, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated the government has no intentions regarding fresh discussions following America’s seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera.

Iran’s hardline Tasnim news agency, linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that while the US naval blockade persists as an “obstacle”, American communications to Iran “contain further excessive demands that cloud the prospects for the upcoming talks.”

Iran “remains fully prepared for military confrontation and to once again punish the US,” Tasnim stated, reports the Mirror US.

Throughout the conflict, which commenced on 28th February, the Trump administration and Iranian state media have persistently provided conflicting narratives regarding both the hostilities and the peace negotiations. Complicating matters further, the president informed the New York Post that the US delegation, which includes Vice President JD Vance, were en route to Islamabad for the negotiations.

However, doubts have emerged as to whether Vance actually travelled with the delegation on Monday. CNN’s White House correspondent, Alayna Treene, wrote on X this morning: “VP Vance’s motorcade just pulled up at the White House.”

Speculation has been rife that Vance was removed from the negotiating team following the collapse of the previous round of US-Iran peace talks, during which he was unable to identify a specific stumbling block.

On Sunday, Trump reverted to his trademark intimidation tactics, posting a string of threatening messages on Truth Social.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” Trump wrote.

In a similar vein, the president told Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst: “If they don’t sign this deal, the whole country is going to get blown up.”

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It captures the young monarch, just a few years into her reign, minus a tiara but draped in her weighty Garter robes, composed and gazing into the distance, with Annigoni having taken influence from a remark the Queen made to him during a sitting about how, as a child, she enjoyed watching people and cars from her window in the Palace.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An armed man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacán pyramids opened fire on tourists Monday, leaving one Canadian tourist dead and six people injured at the archaeological site an hour north of Mexico’s capital, authorities said.

The shooter later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a statement.

The local government said four people were wounded by gunshots and two were injured from falls. The victims were taken to hospitals for treatment. They include Colombian, Russian and Canadian tourists, the local government said. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.

Video and photos published by local news organizations show a man standing with a gun on top of a pyramid while people duck for cover. A number of gunshots ring out in the videos.

The incident took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon. A man standing on the structure’s platform began firing upward, according to a tour guide who was at the scene and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

“Some people, because they were scared … threw themselves face down on the ground, and the rest of us started to go down,” the guide said, recounting how the shooter, upon seeing the tourists descending the pyramid’s steps, began firing.

Another group of visitors lay motionless on the pyramid’s platform to avoid being targeted by the shooter.

The first to respond to the shooting were the police officers providing security within the archaeological ruins, and shortly afterward a National Guard unit arrived in a van to handle the emergency.

In past years, staff at the archaeological site carried out security scans before people entered the area but have since stopped.

The guide showed a video that he took showing a woman limping and her back covered in blood and another man’s arm being bandaged.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.

“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote.

Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones. ”

The Teotihuacán pyramids are a series of massive structures on the outskirts of Mexico City built by three different ancient civilizations. As one of Mexico’s most important touristic destinations, the site drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, according to government figures.

Security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition after the shooting.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

First Minister John Swinney has “politely” declined an invitation from Donald Trump “due to the election“.

John Swinney has “politely” turned down an invitation from Donald Trump to attend a state banquet at the White House next week, the Scottish Government has confirmed.

The four-minute phone call from the US president took place on Monday April 20, and it is understood the invitation was the focus of the call.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said the First Minister declined the invitation as the event comes in the midst of campaigning for next month’s Holyrood elections.

It is understood Mr Swinney took the call in his capacity as First Minister, which he remains throughout the election campaign.

The banquet is being held as part of the King and Queen’s forthcoming state visit to the US.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “President Trump called First Minister John Swinney today to invite him to the State Banquet at the White House next week.

“Due to the election, the First Minister politely declined the invitation.”

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Neil’s father Peter Howarth died at Ulster Hospital on October 10 2024.

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When Neil Howarth’s father collapsed during a long dog walk, everything in the family’s life was quickly turned upside down.

Peter Howarth had suffered a stroke but tests revealed he also had stage four cancer and he died six months later, a week after the death of his dog Molly.

Life had changed very suddenly, especially for Neil’s mother Rosemary Howarth, but he said support from the charity Marie Curie helped her to process her grief and rebuild her confidence.

READ MORE: Belfast City Marathon is supporting cancer charities across Northern Ireland in AprilREAD MORE: ‘I’ve survived two open heart surgeries and a stroke at just 24 years old’

On Sunday April 26, Neil and his wife Sadhbh will run the TCS London Marathon for Marie Curie, the event’s charity of the year, to raise money so others can benefit from that support.

“My mum relied a lot on my dad to make a lot of the life decisions,” Neil, 36, a software sales director from Greenwich, south-east London, told the Press Association.

“Suddenly her world has changed overnight. So to have people that she can speak to with no judgment, no strong opinions, just to listen and advise, was really, really important for her and made a big difference.”

Peter, an IT helpdesk technician, and Rosemary, a children’s nurse, moved to Portaferry, in County Down, Northern Ireland, from Oxfordshire after they retired.

“They fell in love with Northern Ireland when they saw the coastline, when they got to know the people as well, it made them feel like a real community,” Neil said.

“His dream was to retire and have a view of the sea. He’d done that two years prior so he was only really just getting into it when he got the news.”

Peter was 63 when he collapsed during a long walk with Molly in April 2024.

The cancer diagnosis was a shock to the whole family, Neil said, especially as Peter was “very fit and healthy, very active, didn’t drink and smoke, none of those typical things”.

“I count myself very lucky that we still had a few months after that, we could spend together and make more memories. I try and look at it at that perspective. Some people aren’t as lucky,” said Neil, who moved to Northern Ireland with Sadhbh that summer to help with Peter’s care.

He said his father was “fiercely independent and didn’t want to put people out”, but “the situation changed quite quickly”.

“He spent most of the time at home, there were a few hospital visits and then he very quickly went to the hospital.”

Peter died at Ulster Hospital in Dundonald, County Down, on October 10 2024.

“All the staff in there were amazing with him, very caring and kind,” Neil said.

“They were very, very good to him and to us.”

Life was different for them all but especially for Rosemary after the deaths of both Peter and Molly.

“Her world changed upside down within a week which is even more testament to the support we could get from Marie Curie,” Neil said.

“We gave her some encouragement to use the support line. It’s for everyone, I think that’s what I wanted to get across. She’s not someone who often looks for support and she wasn’t necessarily expecting anything from it but when she’d started that conversation it really helped her to process things.”

He said his father’s death could have left Rosemary, now 75, “very isolated”, but Marie Curie’s support has helped her to become more independent.

“She’s almost had to reinvent herself at her age,” he said.

“For me it’s also very helpful to know that there’s people there to support her and give her advice as well.”

He added: “I look at how she was two years ago and where she is now and it’s a complete difference in terms of what she can do, her independence. She’s back driving again, spending time with the local community.

“That’s all a result of the support that was given at the time to help her through the situation. Without that she wouldn’t be where she is now.”

Neil also ran the TCS London Marathon for Marie Curie in 2025 and he was able to tell his father he had a confirmed place before Peter’s death.

“He’d ran the London Marathon 25 years previously so for me that was a real inspiration that I could follow in his footsteps.

“Although he’d passed before I’d done the London Marathon, I knew he was very proud and there with me as well.”

Neil said running has helped him to process his emotions, adding “it’s also good to be able to give back”.

“From spending time with Marie Curie and doing some of the run clubs I’ve met some of the incredible nurses as well.

“They do some absolutely incredible things day in day out so it’s the least I can do to be honest to raise money.”

On Sunday, tens of thousands of people will head to TCS London Marathon start lines in Blackheath and Greenwich Park in south-east London, including Neil and Sadhbh, 31, a software sales manager.

“I’m about 800m from the start line so a little bit of a head start over everyone else not having to get up at the crack of dawn,” Neil said.

“Unlike the other 60,000 people I’ve got a bit of a lie in on Sunday morning.”

– To sponsor Neil and Sadhbh: https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/sadhbh-carson-howarth

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SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A Louisiana father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, and shot and wounded his wife and another woman in the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in more than two years.

The attack on Sunday morning unfolded in two homes in a Shreveport neighborhood. The gunman, identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, died after a police pursuit that ended with officers firing on him, authorities said.

Police have not provided a motive for the killings. Family members said Elkins and his wife were separating and community leaders called for a reckoning over domestic violence as the shooting reverberated across the city, including in the classrooms where the children attended school.

Here’s what to know about the attack.

Shootings began before sunrise

The attack began before dawn in a neighborhood south of downtown Shreveport.

Police received the first report around 5:55 a.m. from a caller stating they were on top of a house where someone had been shot, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. Five minutes later, police were told that Elkins had shot everyone inside the 79th Street house.

Troy Brown, Elkin’s brother-in-law, said his wife and his 12-year-old daughter had escaped through the home’s roof.

Officers arrived within minutes but another call at 6:07 a.m. reported a second attack on nearby Harrison Street, where the caller said Elkins had shot her before fleeing, according to Smith. Police then received word the gunman had stolen a car, leading to a pursuit and eventually an exchange of gunfire.

Elkins was pronounced dead about an hour after police received the first call. It was not clear whether he was killed by officers or from a self-inflicted gunshot, Smith said.

Gunman had felony gun conviction

Court records showed that Elkins was placed on probation in 2019 after pleading guilty to illegal use of weapons. A police report for that case said Elkins fired five rounds at a vehicle and told police that someone inside it had pulled a gun on him.

Under Louisiana law, a person convicted of illegal use of a weapon is banned from having a gun for at least 10 years after completing their sentence and probation. Investigators were not aware of other domestic violence issues involving Elkins, said police spokesperson Chris Bordelon.

Authorities have not said how or where Elkins obtained the weapon used in Sunday’s attack.

Elkins had served in the Louisiana National Guard from 2013 to 2020, held the rank of private and had no deployments, a guard spokesperson said. He was a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist.

Elkins had voluntarily checked into a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in January for just over a week, according to Brown. He said Elkins appeared “better when he came home” and seemed fine a day before the shooting.

The shooting in Shreveport was the deadliest in the U.S. since January 2024, when eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

The Cheviot, located in Northumberland, earned second place in a ranking compiled by UK outdoor apparel brand Delta Roam, which scored English counties based on elevation, light pollution, latitude, and accessibility.

The Lyrid meteor shower is expected to be visible from the April 16 to the 25, peaking on the night of the 22nd.

Matt Salkeld, spokesperson for Delta Roam, said: “The Lyrid meteor shower is a key moment in the UK’s astrological calendar, providing an exciting visual performance to any lucky spectators between the 16th and 25th April (peaking on the night of the 22nd).”

“As with many other meteor showers, the best way to catch the Lyrids is to find an unobstructed view of the sky, in an area with as low light pollution as possible.”

The Cheviot, an extinct volcano and the highest point in Northumberland at 815 metres, scored 76.4 out of 90 in Delta Roam’s assessment.

It was praised for its dark skies and public accessibility, though fully wheelchair-accessible routes to the summit are limited.

A nearby alternative path is suitable for wheelchair users, but the main route is more challenging.

The Cheviot finished just behind Dunkery Beacon in Somerset, which topped the list with 77.9 out of 90, largely due to its wheelchair-friendly ‘Miles without Stiles’ route.

Mr Salkeld said: “If you’re an avid stargazer who’s willing to travel to find the best view, or maybe even just curious about where you can catch a glimpse in your local area, then our list of the best spots to watch the Lyrid meteor shower can be a useful guide in ensuring a memorable experience.

“Be sure to take proper safety precautions if attempting to visit an elevated piece of land for the Lyrids, taking along essentials such as torches, warm clothing, charged phones, and maybe a hot drink.

“Once you’re at your designated viewpoint, try a reclined view like lying down on the ground or relaxing in a deckchair, and don’t forget the blankets or a cosy outdoor coat like our Beaumont or Cirrus robes.

“No telescope is required – simply allow your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness beforehand, and enjoy the show.”

Northumberland was ranked second out of 42 counties for low light pollution.

Para-Northern, founded in 2017 by Emma Flood, carried out a late-night investigation at the community building on April 10, but what they encountered led the team to abandon the investigation early.

Although the group has 11 members in total, only a small team of four attended the session, which ran from 7.30pm until around 11.30pm, when they decided to leave.

The investigators also chose to strip things back, using minimal equipment so they could rely on their own senses.

Emma Flood leads Para-Northern, aparanormal team investigating hauntings across Bolton (Image: Emma Wood)

The team has investigated the building twice before, but Emma said this visit felt very different from the outset.

She said: “It just didn’t feel like it normally does, like whatever was there didn’t want us to be there.”

During the investigation, the team reported hearing unexplained bangs, including what they described as cupboards being struck from behind them.

While conducting a call-out session in a classroom, Emma said: “I asked, ‘I know you’re here, can you make a sound?’ and we heard banging coming from behind us.”

The group also used experimental listening equipment and a spirit box, picking up repeated references to horse racing, something they later linked to a caretaker believed to have worked at the building who reportedly enjoyed betting on horses.

One of the most unsettling moments came when a sudden, overpowering smell filled the air.

Emma said: “It lasted about 10 seconds, like stale cigarettes, sweat, and a sulphur-type smell.

“None of the team smoke. It came and went, and it felt like something was telling us we needed to leave.”

The team decided to end the investigation early as they became increasingly uneasy.

A team member carrying out the Estes Method at The Hub (Image: Emma Flood)

Emma said: “We all felt really uncomfortable and we wanted to end it while we were still in control.

“It was a really loud bang, much louder than the usual tapping or sounds we hear — it genuinely scared us.

“We checked everything and nothing had fallen or moved. There was no explanation.”

At one point, a team member sitting in a corridor asked for a sign, prompting another loud noise from a nearby office area.

The building, which Emma described as “lovely during the day”, took on a very different feel at night.

She said: “It’s a weird building, it’s so lovely in the day, but at night it’s a completely different vibe.

“When it’s empty, lights off, it feels totally different. Everyone was on edge.”

Emma believes the location may be linked to multiple presences, including what she describes as a young boy near the café area and a calming “caretaker” figure.

However, she also stressed the importance of approaching investigations with caution and respect.

“When you hire a location, you don’t always know what others have done there before.

“We’re very careful, we don’t provoke, we just ask respectful questions.”

The experience has prompted the group to consider taking a short break from investigations at The Hub.

Despite the scare, Para-Northern already has future plans lined up, including an investigation at New Brighton tunnels this week and a visit to the Transport Museum in Manchester in May.

The group is also organising a paranormal meet-up in September, where enthusiasts can share experiences and hear from guest speakers.

Emma, who has been fascinated by the paranormal since childhood, said her passion has never faded.