Information about where to vote has been issued to eligible voters. Polling takes place between 7am and 10pm.

Electors in North Lanarkshire are reminded to use their vote in the Scottish Parliament Election on Thursday, May 7.

Information about where to vote has been issued to eligible voters. Polling takes place between 7am and 10pm.

Voters will receive two ballot papers – one for the local constituency and one for the wider Central Scotland and Lothians West region – and should mark an X on each ballot paper at the candidate or party they wish to represent their area.

“It is important that everyone who is eligible uses their vote in the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May,” said Returning Officer Des Murray.

“The Scottish Parliament has powers to make laws for Scotland in areas including health, education, housing, justice, and the environment.

“This election gives you the opportunity to have a say in who represents your community at the Scottish Parliament.”

Polling place staff will be able help voters with any questions about casting their vote. Photo id is NOT needed at this election.

To assist voters with a visual impairment, a large print sample ballot paper and tactile voting device will be available and mobile phones can be taken into the polling booth to use magnifier or text-to-speech apps, or the phone torch to improve lighting. Photos must not be taken inside the polling station.

If anyone has not received their polling letter, contact the council’s Election Office on 01698 302119.

READ MORE: Lib Dems reveal over 14,000 households waiting for social housing in North Lanarkshire

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Players at the World Cup could face a red card if they cover their mouths when speaking to opponents during confrontations.

The decision was taken during a special meeting of the Fifa Council in Vancouver, Canada, on Tuesday, where two Fifa-proposed law amendments were approved.

Players who leave the pitch in protest at a referee’s decisions could also now face a red card, following ugly scenes at the Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.

Both law changes have been approved as competition opt-ins by the International Football Association Board (Ifab).

Fifa has confirmed they will be adopted at this summer’s World Cup.

The issue of players covering their mouths became high profile in February when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni raised his shirt while speaking to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr during a Champions League game.

The Argentina international was accused of racist abuse and provisionally banned for one match. Following a Uefa investigation, Prestianni was found guilty of homophobic conduct and banned for six matches – three of which were suspended.

The issue was discussed at the Ifab annual general meeting in Wales later that month where it was agreed the matter would be on the agenda at the Fifa Council.

The decision remains at the absolute discretion of the referee, who will consider all circumstances before issuing a red card.

Samuel West opened up about losing both his parents, Timothy West and Prunella Scales, during an emotional moment on Channel 5’s Sam and Ade Go Birding.

Actor Samuel West spoke candidly about the loss of both his parents within moments of appearing on his Channel 5 programme.

Sam and Ade Go Birding has delighted audiences over the past three weeks as the pair ventures through some of the UK’s most stunning nature reserves.

During their final trip to Somerset Levels, viewers witnessed a touching exchange between Samuel and his co-host in the car.

Twiddling his moustache, Samuel revealed he had grown the facial hair for his role as Malvolio in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) production of Twelfth Night.

Noting that it had been a week since the production had wrapped yet he was still sporting the moustache, Samuel confessed: “I know, I’m slightly worrying about saying goodbye to him.”

He continued: “I’ve played him twice, once when my dad died and once when my mum died. He got me through a tough year. Is it time to take it off, do you think?”

Adrian then offered to remove the moustache himself, trimming the ends off on the spot in the caports the Express.

In 2024, Samuel’s father, Timothy West, passed away at the age of 90 from a subdural haematoma and extra-axial haemorrhage (bleeding within the skull) following a fall.

Tragically, his mother, Prunella Scales, followed a year later in 2025 at the age of 93, after a lengthy and well-documented struggle with vascular dementia.

Both parents were celebrated actors, with his mother best known for her iconic role as Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, while Timothy featured in numerous productions both on and off stage.

He received a BAFTA nomination for his performance in Edward the Seventh and also appeared in popular soaps including Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Timothy West was equally celebrated for his theatre work, taking on iconic roles such as King Lear, Macbeth, and Falstaff.

Reflecting on his final conversation with his mother during the Channel 5 programme, Samuel was visibly moved.

As the enthusiastic birdwatchers sat in a car awaiting a sighting, Samuel revealed: “Since we last met, my mum died. A week ago.

“Last week we went down to Shaftesbury Avenue to see the West End theatres dim their front of house lights. Which is something which would have astonished and delighted her, but it really floored me.”

He continued: “The last proper conversation I had with her was when a couple of years ago she said, ‘How old am I?’ And I said, ‘You are 91 now.’ And she said, ’91? (expletive). It was beautifully timed, beautifully enunciated.”

He added: “I mean, we had a few more conversations after that, but that may be the last one I remember.”

Sam & Ade Go Birding airs on Channel 5

The Red Lion on Salford Road officially ceased trading on April 26, its owners Greene King have confirmed.

A spokesperson for Greene King said: “We can confirm that the Red Lion ceased trading on April 26.

“We continue to work closely with our team members to identify opportunities at our other pubs nearby where possible.

“We are grateful to everyone who has supported the Red Lion over the years, and we look forward to welcoming them into our other pubs in the local area soon.”

The Red Lion has long stood at a prominent junction on Salford Road and has been a familiar landmark in Over Hulton for generations.

The pub dates back over hundred years (Image: Public)

Its roots date back to at least 1841, when it was already well established and used as a reference point in census records.

By the mid-19th century, it appeared on local maps, serving a growing population shaped by the Lancashire coal industry.

For generations, it was a regular meeting place for miners from nearby Hulton Colliery and formed part of the community during key moments in the area’s history, including the aftermath of the Pretoria Pit disaster in 1910.

The current building largely dates from the early 20th century, when the original Victorian pub was rebuilt in an Edwardian style, incorporating neighbouring stone cottages that remain part of the site today.

(Image: Public)

In later years, the venue became a family-friendly destination under the Hungry Horse brand, with the addition of a Wacky Warehouse play area.

Despite its evolution, the pub remained a focal point for the community, hosting everything from family meals to nights out across generations.

Greene King previously told The Bolton News that no final decisions had been made and it was unable to share further information until an outcome had been reached.

The Wacky Warehouse attached to the pub has also closed, after holding its final event on Friday, April 24.

A consultation with team members is now in its final stages, with efforts ongoing to find alternative roles for staff at other nearby pubs where possible.

Greene King has encouraged locals to visit its other venues in the area, including the Bee Hive and the Blundell Arms in Horwich.

Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players to go behind enemy lines and deliver a statement victory in the opening leg of their Champions League semi-final clash against Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal are just two matches away from a first Champions League final in 20 years in their quest to make history, having never previously won Europe’s grandest tournament.

The Gunners fell at the semi-final stage last season following an underwhelming 1-0 defeat to Paris St Germain in their opening leg at the Emirates Stadium. A 2-1 defeat in Paris followed as they crashed out.

But, speaking on the eve of his side’s pivotal match in the Spanish capital, Arteta said: “This is the stage that we want to be and we have earned it through incredible work, passion and quality in the last nine months.

“Now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it and make it happen. The opportunity is in front of us and we have to attack it.

“We have prepared the game to win it. There’s no question about that. We know the difficulty of the match, but I think we have shown in Europe, in any ground, what we are capable of.

“We’ve been very consistent and tomorrow we have to play with that confidence, with that desire and that will. We have to come here to win the game.”

Arsenal’s visit to Madrid comes off the back of a morale-boosting victory over Newcastle which allowed the Gunners to reclaim top spot in the Premier League from rivals Manchester City with just four matches remaining.

In a boost to Arteta, Eberechi Eze has travelled to Spain, despite being forced off with an injury in the second half against Newcastle.

Kai Havertz, who was also unable to complete last Saturday’s match with a knee problem, has not travelled, while Jurrien Timber remains sidelined.

Arsenal have been the nearly men in recent seasons, finishing runners-up in the league for the past three years, and, despite another impressive campaign, they are in danger of ending the season empty-handed again.

And captain Martin Odegaard admitted: “That is always going to be there until we win (a trophy) and we have to live with that and we have to draw on those past experiences and use it in a good way.

“We are in a great position to make history and that is what we want to do. We want to take that last step and do something big and that is the biggest goal, the biggest dream and that’s what we’re working towards every single day.

“I don’t understand how you can’t enjoy it. We are ready for it.”

A Manchester mum has two new additions to her family – a pair of goats.

Kirsty Mulholland assumed that her little girl Bonnie was making her a birthday present when she was told not to go into the garden.

But Kirsty, 33, was shocked, to say the least, when her daughter led her out to the shed only to see two four-week-old goats bleating at her.

Video posted by Bonnie’s cousin Alex on TikTok last week showed Bonnie repeatedly saying, ‘Don’t be mad,’ to her mum while leading her outside.

‘Goats,’ she then says while opening the shed at about 9pm.

Asked how she intends to raise the farmyard animals, nicknamed Marlon and Pebble, Bonnie replied: ‘I’ve got everything sorted.’

She plans on feeding the goats milk using baby bottles, having already bought hay and split the shed in half so each has its own space.

Bonnie bought the goats from a farm in Wales for an unknown sum after her mum said goats are ‘really cute’ a week before her birthday on April 11.

Kirsty said: ‘I was just in total shock and I just burst out laughing to be honest.

‘She asked me not to look out the window because she was doing crafts and apparently it was a surprise for me, so I’ve not looked out the window.

‘She said she was making me something really, really cool and it was a late Easter present, so I didn’t think it would be any live animal.’

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Bonnie has already made the goats a TikTok page, showing them frolicking around the garden and nibbling on clothes while the family jokingly bleats.

Sir Keir’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney also gave evidence and insisted he did not “ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate explicitly or implicitly that checks should be cleared at all costs” during the appointment of Lord Mandelson.

Real do not have a manager for next season.

Arbeloa has got a year left in his contract but it is clear that chairman Perez is looking elsewhere for a new boss.

Even though Perez appreciates the positives of Arbeloa’s tenure, results dictate decisions at the Bernabeu.

But to understand who they will hire, you first need to understand how Perez thinks.

Perez does not care about style of play. He does not lose sleep over tactical identity or whether his team presses high or sits deep. What he cares about is winning, and more than that, managing.

Managing egos, stars, the dressing room.

For Perez, the ideal manager is a conductor.

There is a recurring tension at the Bernabeu between two schools of thought. On one side, the number two at the club Jose Angel Sanchez argues that Real need an organiser, a tactically rigorous coach who can impose order on a talented but chaotic squad.

That line of thinking has produced appointments such as Rafa Benitez, Julen Lopetegui and, most recently, Alonso. None of them lasted more than a few months. The president was never truly behind them, and when results gave him the excuse, they were gone.

On the other side sits Perez’s own preference: the grand manager, the aristocrat of the touchline, someone whose presence alone commands respect in the dressing room. Think Zinedine Zidane. Think Carlo Ancelotti, twice. That is the template Perez returns to when his patience runs out.

With Alonso gone, the president’s line has won again. And the names being considered reflect exactly that.

Now to the name that has been generating headlines – Jose Mourinho.

People inside the club suggest he is not necessarily the only name on the list. The Mourinho option is driven principally by Perez himself… and by the Portuguese manager.

Perez likes to throw ideas out there and see what reaction they get.

Mourinho is under contract with Benfica until 2027 but can come out of it, and whatever he says publicly, my understanding is that he is desperate to return to the Bernabeu.

His behaviour during the Gianluca Prestianni affair in the Benfica-Real Madrid Champions League encounter did not lose him fans at the Bernabeu, including the president.

It is the ultimate wildcard – the president reaching for a name he knows, a figure who can dominate a dressing room, a manager whose second spell in Madrid would be already a statement.

However, sources inside the camp say, it would only happen if the other options fall through.

City of York Council’s strategy, which aims to build 315 affordable homes on five sites but also ditches highly energy-efficient Passivhaus standards, is set to be reviewed on Tuesday, May 5.

A call-in request from the Liberal Democrat opposition claimed the council’s Labour executive had failed to take all relevant matters into account when approving the plans.

The call in meeting is set to see opposition councillors who made the request and Labour housing executive member Cllr Michael Pavlovic each questioned about the issue.

Councillors will then vote on whether the executive’s approval of the plans breached the council’s decision-making principles.

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It comes as the approved strategy would see new affordable homes on council-owned built to Homes England’s Healthy Homes Standards going forward.

A council report on the plans stated current requirements to build homes to Passivhaus standards had struggled to attract interest from construction firms due to current market conditions.

The complexity of building Passivhaus homes designed to use up to 90 per cent less energy than a typical house was also behind the lack of interest from developers.

Castle Mills, Lowfield, Manor School, Ordnance Lane and Willow House are the five sites earmarked for the 315 affordable homes under council plans.

Recent efforts to procure works to build 101 homes at Ordnance Lane failed to award a contract almost two years after plans were approved in August 2024.

The council would appoint a commercial Strategic Delivery Partner in an effort to get homes on the sites built, under plans approved on Tuesday, April 14.

The model, which aims to reduce risk and uncertainty for developers, would see the council retain control the projects on each of the sites.

Estimated timescales for each of the affordable housing schemes would see preparatory works at Ordnance Lane, off Fulford Road, and Willow House, near Walmgate, start next spring.

City of York Council’s affordable housing strategy decision has been called in (Image: Getty)

Local elections for York Council are scheduled for May 2027.

Speaking at the executive meeting where the plans were approved, Labour council housing spokesperson Cllr Pavlovic said the new approach aimed to build affordable homes for hard-pressed residents.

Cllr Pavlovic said: “This isn’t just paying lip service to social housing, this is the biggest council house building programme for a generation.

“The best way of doing that is to have a strategic partner that works alongside us to deliver genuinely affordable, warm and healthy homes that meet the needs of York’s growing population.”

But Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Nigel Ayre said the council was further away from building homes on the sites than it had been when Labour took power in 2023.

Cllr Ayre said: “This executive’s reverse Midas touch has brought delivery to a crushing halt.

“The shift away from Passivhaus to the weaker Healthy Homes standards is a direct result of the insistence on 100 per cent of homes of council-owned sites being affordable.”