Drivers are facing delays on the road

A major motorway is blocked due to an “obstruction” on the road. Drivers face long delays along the M11 southbound between Saffron Walden to Bishops Stortford this morning (Wednesday, April 29).

Traffic monitoring site Inrix reports the road is partially blocked. Inrix said: “M11 Southbound partially blocked, long delays due to obstruction on the road from J9A A11 (Saffron Walden) to J8 (Bishops Stortford).”

Emergency services have been contacted for more information.

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Frasers Group plc has bought the York Designer Outlet from the property firm  McArthurGlen.

Fraser Group plc is the retail and property conglomerate behind Sports Direct and the House of Fraser and was founded by Mike Ashley in 1982.

The deal, announced today, also includes Fraser Group Plc also buying the East Midlands Designer Outlet.

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The exterior of York Designer Outlet (Image: Pic supplied)

The company says the move reflects progress in extending its range of brands both as a landlord and retailer.

The 250,000 sq ft York Designer Outlet at Fulford is home to 120 leading UK and international brands and welcomes 4.3 million visitors annually.

The 170,000 sq ft East Midlands Designer Outlet, positioned near the M1 motorway, offers over 65 designer brands and has a footfall of 3.5 million visitors annually.

Michael Murray, Chief Executive Officer at Frasers Group, said: “These strategic acquisitions reinforce our vision, leveraging strong partnerships with leading global brands to unlock mutual value – supporting their outlet strategies while driving growth. Today, we own over one-fifth of the UK outlet market and have a clear ambition to grow our share further.”

The sale price has not been disclosed.

Former NFL player Josh Mauro has died at the age of 35.

The British-born defensive end played 80 games between 2014 and 2021, most of them for the Arizona Cardinals.

His father Greg has confirmed on social media, external that he died last Thursday. His cause of death has not been revealed.

“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Josh Mauro,” the Cardinals said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all who knew him. We extend our deepest condolences to everyone grieving this loss.”

Mauro, who also played for the New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, was born in St Albans when his father worked in the UK. His family moved back to the USA when he was three.

Former Cardinals player and executive Adrian Wilson said: “I had the opportunity to be around Josh for several years with [coach Bruce Arians].

“[Josh was] always in shape, always ready to go wherever he got that call. One of the things I respected most about him, you could depend on him.”

Costco shoppers are sprinting to their nearest branch of the supermarket chain to get their hands on a Heinz gift set that will easily see you through this summer’s barbecue season

Costco is now stocking an item that could take your summer barbecues to the next level. With the warmer weather finally upon us, many Brits are starting to think about spending weekends in the garden with family and friends, enjoying a variety of foods cooked on an outdoor grill.

You’ll have noticed that supermarket shelves until recently filled with Easter eggs are now stocked with disposable barbecues, and there are more burgers than ever on display in the chilled meats section. And for those with a membership to Costco, you could also get yourself a Heinz product that takes your barbecues to a whole new level.

A post shared on Instagram by New Foods UK claimed that new “Heinz selection packs” were on offer at Costco. These selection packs come with six bottles of Heinz sauce, including tomato ketchup, barbecue sauce, and mustard – all the classics you need for a good summer barbecue.

The post featured a picture of the sauce selection, which appeared to include Classic Barbecue, Tomato Ketchup Pepinillo Cetriolino, American Burger, Yellow Mustard, Mayonnaise, and standard Tomato Ketchup.

New Foods UK captioned the image: “New Heinz Selection Packs spotted at @costco_uk!”

While the account claimed the sauces had been spotted in the UK Costco, Pepinillo Cetriolino is the Italian name for the Heinz Pickle Tomato Ketchup, which is standard ketchup with added pickle flavour. The mayonnaise was also listed as ‘Mayonesa’ on the bottle, which is the Spanish word for mayonnaise.

On the Costco UK website, you can buy a Heinz Selection Pack, but it does not come with the same selection of sauces that were featured in the Instagram post.

You still get tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and barbecue sauce, but instead of burger sauce and pickle ketchup, you get sweet chilli sauce and smoky baconnaise sauce.

The product description for the selection pack reads: “Heinz Selection Pack offers every condiment you may need for your picnic, from the Classic Tomato Ketchup and Barbecue Sauce to that little extra kick of Sweet Chilli and Smokey Baconnaise Sauce.”

Commenters on New Foods UK’s post were eager to get to their local Costco and buy the selection pack, no matter what sauces it comes with. Some said that Costco has stocked the sauces before, and they were a hit with their family last summer when barbecue season began.

One person said: “It’s like it’s a barbecue set.”

Another added: “They’ve had this two years running!”

To buy products from Costco, you must have a valid Costco membership card. In order to qualify for a Costco Gold Star Membership, you must be a current or retired employee of certain employment groups or professions, including working in education, civil service, armed forces, health service, fire and rescue service, police service, banking, and more.

If you don’t qualify for a Costco membership, you can still purchase an Online-Only Membership that allows you to shop for some products on their website. However, you cannot shop in a physical Costco store with this membership type.

After establishing himself at Scarlets, North joined Northampton in 2013, winning the Premiership title and the European Challenge Cup a year later.

He returned to Wales in 2018 on a national dual contract with Ospreys before leaving for Provence amid financial uncertainty in Welsh rugby.

His spell in France has not been helped by injury. Having suffered a ruptured Achilles in his final Wales game, against Italy in March 2024, he did not make his Provence debut until January 2025.

He has made 16 appearances for Provence, four of which have come this season.

North, who is married to former world champion sprint cyclist Becky James, said he is “still working on” on what the next chapter will be in his stellar career.

“But I am excited to see where that journey takes me,” he added.

The Funky Natz Foundation was set up by the parents of 11-year-old Natalie Hughes who died suddenly in March 2011.

Fundraisers will head to Wishaw Golf Club for an annual golf tournament that will raise funds for Epilepsy Scotland in memory of a Lanarkshire schoolgirl.

The Funky Natz Foundation was set up by the parents of 11-year-old Natalie Hughes who died suddenly in March 2011.

Natalie’s mum and dad Eileen and Eddie launched the charity foundation following the unexplained death of their daughter, who had epilepsy.

Over the years the foundation has kept the memory of the East Kilbride girl alive in people’s minds, and has raised a staggering total of over £180,000.

Natalie’s uncle, Iain Cairns from Wishaw, forms part of the committee and helps organise the event each year.

Speaking ahead of this year’s event, which will be held on Sunday, May 24, Iain said: “In the 15 years since we started the foundation we have raised close to £180,000 for the charity which shows the level support we have received.

“This year is no different thanks to our lead sponsors Vertu Toyota Hamilton. We have also received backing from businesses including KPP Accountants, Watson Towers, Halls Coaches and Serco who have all donated prizes.

“We’d like to thank all of them for their support, they always look after us.”

Around 140 golfers are set to take part in the fundraising highlight of the year and features a brand new car, courtesy of Vertu Toyota, as a prize for a hole-in-one at one of the greens.

READ MORE: Wishaw social care worker who let service user drive her car without license warned

Other prizes include a hospitality trip to see Manchester United in the new season as well as four-balls at Royal Troon, Dundonald, the picturesque Machrihanish on the Mull of Kintyre and a host of other courses.

There is also the chance for a round of golf at Gleneagles with a Celtic legend as well a host of other top prizes.

Iain added: “We are doing all of this in memory of Natalie and that is what keeps us going. We would like to hit the £200,000 mark this year if we could.

“It might be a bit of a tough ask but we will try our best. It’s always a good day and hopefully the weather is kind to us.”

More information on the Funky Natz Foundation is available on its Facebook page. For more information on Epilepsy Scotland, visit: www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk

READ MORE: Wishaw thug battered man with brick after branding him police informer and paedophile

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For the first time, Ukraine has captured a Russian position using only ground robots and aerial drones, reports suggest. In a message posted on social media on April 14, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “The occupiers surrendered, and the operation was carried out without infantry and without losses on our side.”

Zelensky offered no further details about the operation, but this points to a serious shift in how such robots are used. They are increasingly being deployed in direct combat in war zones. What was once imagined as the future is now a reality.

Until recently, these ground robots were used mainly by the Ukrainian army in support roles, including resupplying frontline positions, evacuating wounded soldiers, and carrying out mining or demining operations in targeted areas.

However, there have been other reported uses of these robots (also known as an unmanned ground vehicles) in combat roles in the war between Russia and Ukraine. In January 2026, Ukrainian forces were reported to have captured three Russian soldiers in Zaporizhzhia using a single ground robot. Footage of the incident, which circulated online, showed the impact of facing a robotic system in combat written on the faces of the captured soldiers.

This has been going on for some time. In March 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukrainian forces engaged Russian forces near Kharkiv using several ground robots equipped with machine guns. These were deployed from different positions and supported by first-person-view (FPV) attack drones.

Improving with experience

Not much is known about the type of unmanned ground vehicles used by Ukraine. But reports suggest that among the weapons used in most of these attacks is the Droid TW 12.7, developed by Devdroid, a private tech company in Ukraine involved in the manufacture of military robotics.

This robot is armed with a 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, has a firing range of up to roughly one kilometre, and is equipped with night-vision capability. It is remotely operated, rather than fully autonomous, although it can carry out preprogrammed combat tasks.

Devdroid, like most military tech start-ups in Ukraine, appears to hold an advantage in manufacturing these systems and in testing them in active combat conditions on a timely basis. This creates rapid feedback, allowing for quick adjustments and improvements based on battlefield experience.

A coordinated attack, like the ones conducted by Ukraine, involving a group of ground vehicles and swarms of drones, is not just a low-cost way to defend or seize positions but also points to a change in how force is applied on the battlefield.

Such a coordinated “multi-swarm” of killer robots on the ground and in the air would reduce the exposure of human soldiers for the attacking side, while increasing the pressure on those defending both in terms of casualties and the loss of expensive equipment. Such robots are produced locally and are far cheaper to lose than trained soldiers or expensive military hardware, such as tanks.

There are early indications of this effect. In December 2025, near Kostyantynivka, a Ukrainian Droid TW 12.7 is reported to have detected and disrupted a Russian night assault, destroying an MT-LB armoured vehicle in the process. Incidents like this suggest an opportunity to learn with each deployment and to feed that information back in to subsequent operations.

At present, these robots are not fully autonomous. They are remotely operated, with limited automated functions depending on their programmes. Nonetheless, the direction is clear. As production expands, as these robots are tested, and their designs are refined, these weapon systems are likely to become more capable. They are likely to feature increased levels of coordination and a likely increase in autonomy.

Like any battlefield technology, they have limits. Rough terrain can restrict their movement, and they may be vulnerable to jamming. However, the recent history of drone warfare suggests that such weaknesses are unlikely to remain without resolution for long. Design changes, battlefield testing and production cycles are likely to lead to the manufacture of robots that are more capable over time.

No one wants to face a coordinated attack involving swarms of drones and unmanned ground vehicles on the battlefield. Whatever the view anyone may hold, the advantage is shifting towards systems such as the Droid TW 12.7, both now and in future conflicts.

The future is now

The use of these robots raise ethical and legal concerns, including questions of accountability when multiple weapons systems are deployed at once, and issues related to reduced restraint in their use.

In our recent study, we found that existing international laws are insufficient to regulate the development and use of killer robots that may target and kill autonomously. We argue that such weapons pose serious ethical, legal and security risks in the places where they are deployed, often in the global south. For instance, the first recorded use of an autonomous killer robot occurred in Libya in 2020, when an armed group reportedly deployed a Turkish-made Kargu-2 drone that “hunted down” members of the Libyan National Army.

We recommend that humans must remain in control of these weapons, and that clearer human-centred rules are needed to govern the design, testing and deployment of autonomous weapons systems, which include robots.

The unprecedented use of robots to capture an enemy position in Ukraine marks a clear shift in how robots are used on the battlefield. It might already be possible for one or two soldiers to deploy groups of coordinated robots that, together with swarms of drones, attack or defend front lines in the battlefield.

Killer robots are no longer something that exists only in science fiction movies. They are real and here to stay. This shift in the use of robots on the battlefield increases the need for international regulation on the production, testing and use of AI-enabled weapons.

The Other Bennet Sister fans have been left craving more period dramas, and they’re in luck.

The Other Bennet Sister fans are being urged to watch another “delightful” drama.

Devotees of the record-breaking drama The Other Bennet Sister have been frantically searching for other period dramas to devour.

The smash-hit BBC series, which starred Ella Bruccoleri, has reignited an appetite for Jane Austen classics and other novel-based dramas.

Fans are in luck, as a former BBC production, which originally aired back in 2012, is now available to stream completely free of charge.

The series ran for two seasons and is set in 1875, depicting the lives and loves of those who work, shop, and trade in and around England’s first department store.

The Paradise, the series in question, was filmed at Lambton Castle, which was transformed into an 1870s upmarket department store for the production.

The show is an adaptation of Émile Zola’s 1883 novel Au Bonheur des Dames, relocating the narrative to the North East of England.

Zola’s novel itself is a reimagining of the life of Aristide Boucicaut, the Bellême-born founder of Le Bon Marché.

The synopsis reveals the series tells “the story of a young woman who works in a department store and gets caught up in the charms of the modern world“.

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Several recognisable faces featured in the period drama, amongst them Shetland’s Mark Bonnar and Killing Eve’s Adrian Scarborough.

Two seasons were broadcast before the BBC opted to axe the programme in order to make way for further period dramas.

Viewers took to IMDb to voice their opinions on the series, with one writing: “This is a terrific show to binge watch on a weekend.” Another viewer remarked: “Loved it!! This was a thoroughly delightful series to watch. Stunning costumes. Outstanding performances.”

They continued: “The Paradise has it all: love, hate, greed, rivalries, betrayals, intrigue, secrecy, control, manipulation and redemption.”

A third enthusiast revealed: “What a gem! I love these types of shows and I was not disappointed. The relationships between the characters are wonderful.”

A fourth praised it as “brilliant”, noting: “Absolutely captivated by the brilliance of Denise and the charm of Mr Murray. The setting, time frame and romance draws you in leaving you wanting for more after each episode.”

A fifth supporter characterised it as a “tale of love, control, manipulation and redemption”.

The Paradise is available to stream on U

The idea is for hospital and community services to work together ‘under one roof’ to identify which additional support is needed for people once they have been discharged.

The Integrated Transfer of Care Hub will be open seven days a week to reduce the amount of time they spend in hospital and creating tailored plans to support people home.

Key features of an Integrated Transfer of Care Hub include all teams working together to care for the patient inside and outside of hospital, with teams in place to support patients in their home.

The new hub will working with voluntary organisations, including Age UK Bolton and armed forces charities.

Patients who require additional support after leaving hospital will arrive in the Integrated Transfer of Care Hub to receive a full assessment and make sure they’re being discharged to the place that best meet their needs.

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For these patients it means less duplication of assessments and reduced likelihood of deconditioning, infection, confusion or disorientation and increased dependence.

The transformation of N Block is underway, with construction work set to be complete by September 2026.

Rae Wheatcroft, Chief Operating Officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:“We know that once patients are well enough to go home safely, staying in hospital longer than they need can end up slowing down their recovery.

N Block. Picture Bolton NHS Foundation Trust

“Our Integrated Transfer of Care Hub will see a team of health and care professionals, community services, and voluntary and social enterprise organisations working together from the moment a patient is admitted to find out what support they might need once they’re out of hospital and back in the place they call home.

“Connecting services together in this way means our patients will spend less time in hospital whilst at the same time freeing up bed capacity for other patients who need our help too.”

The creation of the hub forms part of the Trust’s 2024-2029 strategy to create new models of care that better meet the needs of Bolton and reduce pressure on hospital services, as well as with the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England which focuses on shifting care from hospitals to communities.

Mikel Arteta has provided the latest Arsenal team news ahead of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that Kai Havertz will miss the Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid with injury. However, a double boost has been confirmed with Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori set feature in the matchday squad.

Mikel Arteta’s men are set to lock horns with the La Liga giants in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tonight, with a number of crucial players having been touch-and-go for the fixture.

The Gunners were dealt three injury concerns during their victory over Newcastle, with Havertz, Eze and Martin Zubimendi all being substituted off. The stakes couldn’t be higher for Arsenal as the victors of the tie will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final, with the two sides playing out a nine-goal thriller on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Thierry Henry picks out two Arsenal concerns ahead of Atletico Madrid Champions League clashREAD MORE: Mikel Arteta ‘upset Arsenal coaches’ by cutting ties with £27million Gunners signing

With all of that being said, Mirror Sport has taken a look at the latest updates on Arsenal’s injured stars and when they might return to action.

Eberechi Eze

Eberechi Eze scored the decisive goal against Newcastle and claimed the Player of the Match award, but was hauled off after sustaining a knock just 10 minutes into the second half.

Although fans may have been concerned the versatile attacking midfielder was facing time on the sidelines, Eze was quick to put minds at rest when speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle.

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He said: “Yeah, I’m alright. I’m all good,” before adding: “Just precaution, didn’t want to do anything. Yeah, I’ll be okay.”

Arteta has since confirmed he will be available for selection for tonight’s match.

Potential return date: Wednesday, April 29 vs Atletico Madrid (A).

Kai Havertz

Havertz was replaced by Viktor Gyokeres just 35 minutes into the encounter with Newcastle United, requiring treatment on the pitch before being substituted by Arteta and heading straight down the tunnel for further assessment.

Speaking afterwards, Arteta said of Havertz and Eze: “Lets see, at the moment they have to be looked after but hopefully they’re going to be okay.”

Yet during his pre-match press conference ahead of Atletico, Arteta confirmed: “Kai is out.”

Potential return date: Sunday, May 10 vs West Ham (A).

Riccardo Calafiori

The Italian was omitted from the squad to face Newcastle United, with Arteta acknowledging the defender was nearing a comeback.

The Gunners manager explained: “He was very close. But we have certain players that are coming back from injuries and can play certain moments as well, and we need to be balanced in what we need to.”

In encouraging news for Arsenal, Arteta confirmed he would be available to face Atletico Madrid.

Potential return date: Wednesday, April 29 vs Atletico Madrid (A).

Jurrien Timber

Despite some uncertainty in the pre-match press conference, Arteta confirmed Jurrien Timber would be missing from the squad in Madrid.

“Jurrien is not in the squad,” Arteta stated, before being pressed on a potential return timeframe. He added: “We don’t know yet, he is doing some stuff on the pitch at the moment. He needs to do some more things before he can compete with us.”

Potential return date: Unknown.

Mikel Merino

Although the Spaniard could yet make an appearance before the season draws to a close, Arteta has remained tight-lipped over any timeframe for Merino’s recovery.

Arteta recently said: “It’s a bit premature to say that [he will play again this season]. He’s evolving really well he’s really pushing every boundary that he possibly can but it’s a bit early to answer that question.”

Potential return date: Unknown.