The first case was identified on April 28 and an outbreak declared two days later

A hospital in Northern Ireland is managing the outbreak of an antibiotic-resistant infection.

The Belfast Trust have confirmed that they are working with the Public Health Agency to manage an outbreak of a Carbapenemase-Producing Organism (CPO) at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

CPOs are highly resistant bacteria that produce enzymes capable of breaking down carbapenem antibiotics.

The infection is spread from person-to-person through contact with hands, medical equipment, or surfaces contaminated with the bacteria.

The first case was identified at the Royal Victoria Hospital on April 28, and an outbreak was declared two days later.

A Belfast Trust spokesperson said: “Belfast Trust is managing an outbreak of a Carbapenemase-Producing Organism (CPO) at the Royal Victoria Hospital with support from the Public Health Agency on infection, prevention and control guidance.

“A small number of patients within the Medical Specialities and Unscheduled Care Division have been identified as carrying a CPO.

“The first case of CPO was identified on 28 April 2026, and the outbreak was formally declared on 30 April 2026.

“Appropriate outbreak control measures, including enhanced cleaning of the ward, have been implemented in line with guidance from the Outbreak Control Group.

” The Trust is engaging with the families of all affected patients.

“There have been no reported fatalities or serious illness directly attributed to this specific CPO strain.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

British number one Emma Raducanu will make her return to action in Strasbourg after being granted a wildcard, as she seeks match practice before the French Open.

Raducanu, 23, withdrew from the Italian Open on health grounds earlier this month and has not competed since a third-round loss to American Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells on 8 March.

The clay-court event in Strasbourg begins on Sunday, one week before the start of the French Open on 24 May.

Raducanu is set to miss out on a seeded position at the second Grand Slam of the year following the post-viral infection which has kept her away from the tour.

The 2021 US Open winner is currently ranked 30th in the world but will drop several places following the conclusion of this week’s tournaments in Rome and Paris.

Raducanu was granted a wildcard for last year’s WTA 500 event in Strasbourg, where she beat top-20 player Daria Kasatkina before losing to American Danielle Collins.

The Briton has won seven of her 14 matches this year, with four of those victories coming during her run to the final of the Transylvania Open in February after her second-round exit at the Australian Open.

Raducanu gave no clear indication that she would pull out of the Italian Open in March despite speaking to the media just 30 minutes before that decision was announced, but said she only wanted to return to competition when “100% ready”.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued an appeal to the public via social media today, Wednesday, May 13.

The force said they are looking for Valdez Brown, born 10/12/1996, as he is wanted on recall to prison.

Officers said the 29-year-old has links to Radcliffe, Bury, Stockport and Bolton and anybody with information should get in touch.

A spokesperson, via social media, said: “Can you help us find Valdez Brown (10/12/1996), who is wanted on recall to prison?

“He has links to the Radcliffe, Bury, Stockport and Bolton areas of Greater Manchester.

“Anyone with information of his whereabouts is asked to contact us on 0161 856 8079 / 9594 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”

The back to back Masters champion is in a stellar group alongside fellow major champions Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth for rounds one and two

One major played in 2026, and one major won for Rory McIlroy. On Thursday, he begins the second leg of golf’s major trail for the season at the USPGA in Aronimink in Philadelphia.

The back to back Masters champion is in a stellar group alongside fellow major champions Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth for rounds one and two.

McIlroy was struggling with a foot problem during his first practice round ahead of the US PGA Championship. The Holywood man revealed during last week’s Truist Championship that he had a blister on the small toe of his right foot.

He arrived at the course on Monday and addressed the media on Tuesday morning, appearing in good spirits, but reportedly ripped the nail off his toe earlier this week.

The 37-year-old ended his practice round after a few holes, having been seen limping and at one point taken his shoe off to assess the problem, but had previously done extensive range and short-game practice.

Earlier, McIlroy had underlined his motivation after landing successive Masters titles, saying: “Coming into this tournament feels a lot different than what it did last year.

“I feel like I’ve got some nice clear road ahead to try to get some more of these majors.”

Fellow Holywood golf club man Tom McKibbin is also in action at the USPGA and tees off early at 12.40pm UK time.

Here is everything you need to know about round one:

Where is the USPGA tournament?

The PGA Championship returns to Aronimink Golf Club, Pennsylvania for the first time in 64 years.

What time does Rory McIlroy tee off on Thursday?

1.40pm (UK time)

Who is in his group?

Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth

Who is defending champion?

Scottie Scheffler

Who are the favourites?

Scottie Scheffler is 11/2 favourite. Rory McIlroy is 10/1, Cameron Young 14/1, Jon Rahm 14/1, Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg are 18/1 with Bryson DeChambeau 20/1.

Is the USPGA being televised?

Subscribers can catch every shot on Sky Sports Golf, who will be live from 12.30pm on Thursday and Friday. They will be live until at least midnight, when the final groups complete their rounds.

At the weekend, live coverage will begin at 3pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday and the PGA Championship will remain on air for some time after the winner is crowned.

Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the latest sports news, headlines and top stories

England have ended Ollie Robinson’s two-year international exile and called up uncapped trio Emilio Gay, James Rew and Sonny Baker for the first Test since the dismal Ashes campaign.

Sussex seamer Robinson, 32, returns after being dropped in 2024 as England look for an attack leader to take on New Zealand at Lord’s from 4 June.

As expected, opener Zak Crawley pays the price for his disappointing tour of Australia and is left out for the first time since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge of the England Test team in 2022.

Crawley’s place in the XI is likely to go to Durham 26-year-old Gay, who has the advantage over fellow left-hander Rew, 22, by virtue of being a specialist opener.

Shoaib Bashir is named in the squad despite being ignored for the entire Ashes series and will vie for the spinner’s spot with Rehan Ahmed. Leg-spinner Ahmed could play in a home Test for the first time.

England have also confirmed the appointment of Australian Marcus North as the new national selector. The Durham director of cricket replaces Luke Wright, who stepped down for personal reasons after the Ashes, and becomes the first foreigner to chair England’s selection panel.

The greatest intrigue from North’s first squad is provided by the recall of Robinson in a pace-bowling department in need of rebuilding after the retirements of Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Chris Woakes in successive years.

Robinson has a hugely impressive Test record, with 76 wickets at an average below 23 from his 20 matches. He was long seen as the new-ball heir to Anderson and Broad.

But he fell out of favour and was dropped following the tour of India more than two years ago. England grew frustrated with, among other issues, problems around fitness – Robinson suffered back injuries in each of his past two Tests: against Australia at Headingley in 2023 and against India in Ranchi in 2024.

Emergency services shut off the M61 in both directions at junction eight near Millennium Way, Chorley.

The closure was implemented just after 10pm.

There were delays of up to 20 minutes in both directions, with congestion stretching back over a mile.

At the time, limited details were shared, with National Highways stating the closure was due to a police-led incident.

This morning, a spokesperson from Lancashire Police confirmed to The Bolton News that the incident was a “concern for welfare that was safely resolved”.

The spokesperson said: “We got the call at 8:56pm last night.

“The M61 was closed at Junction 8 for a short period.”

After around 40 minutes, the road was reopened in both directions, and National Highways thanked drivers for their patience.

If there is such a thing as righteous anger, surely it’s that of a mother after the senseless snatching away of her child’s life. Joan Scourfield lived that experience. Her son died from a single punch on a night that began like thousands of others across the UK.

Her son James had been on an ordinary Saturday night out in Nottingham in 2011, when a dispute kicked off over something as small as a pair of snatched sunglasses. But it quickly escalated. Someone threw a punch, James went down, hitting his head on the ground, and that was it: nine days later, James – a 28-year-old volunteer and aspiring paramedic – was pronounced dead.

For a long time afterwards, Joan simply wanted answers. A way to make sense of it all. How could this horrible person do this to her son? Why James? Had he provoked his assailant? Did he hit him first? She knew nothing: just a name – Jacob Dunne – and a mugshot. Nothing else.

“In court, we didn’t even get to hear Jacob’s side. We had no idea why he’d done it or anything… so you end up more angry and bitter because you’ve not got any of your questions answered,” says Joan, a retired assistant nurse who now lives in Derby.

Fast forward to today and Joan can be found sharing public platforms with her son’s killer, advising young people how to avoid the same fate as her boy. The story of that fateful night has even made its way onto the stage, in a play called (what else?) Punch.

Despite the title, the show, which is based on a book written by Jacob and has played on both Broadway and in London’s West End, turns out to be less about the punch itself and more about the events that followed it. The most visible of these is the remarkable life transformation in Jacob, a gang member who, after serving 14 months in prison (less than half the 30-month custodial sentence he was given for manslaughter), went on to study criminology. Today, he advocates for criminal justice reform.

The first time he walked into that room, it was a vulnerable young man that met me, not that evil mugshot we’d seen

But at its heart, Punch is a story of forgiveness. About five years on from James’s death, Joan found it in her heart to forgive the man who took his life. It was a gradual process, she admits. It started with her and her former husband reaching out to Jacob after his release from prison. Back then, all she wanted was answers.

Over time, however, she began to learn more about him, to see the man beyond the crime. Their contact was coordinated through the restorative justice charity The Forgiveness Project. Initially, Jacob provided them with written responses to their questions, but eventually they began meeting in person through mediated sessions.

“The first time he walked into that room, it was a vulnerable young man that met me, not that evil mugshot we’d seen,” Joan remembers. “He was very calm, very placid, and he wanted to speak to us, to answer our questions.”

Seeing Jacob slowly turn his life around was part of her own journey to forgiveness. If he’d proved unrepentant, the outcome would probably have been different. As important to Joan, however, was her desire to move on in her own life. Her anger, she realised, was in danger of morphing into bitterness; bitterness at Jacob for what he did, but also bitterness towards a justice system that she felt had let them down (Joan and her husband appealed Jacob’s 30-month sentence, but lost). Holding onto that bitterness, she resolved, “would not end well”.

Most of all, though, it was thoughts of James that got her to that point of saying “I forgive you”. She recalled the joy he took from doing voluntary work, especially with children from tough backgrounds. If working alongside Jacob could build on that legacy, she figured, then it would bring “something positive” out of her terrible loss and pain.

We had no idea why he’d done it so you end up more angry and bitter because you’ve not got any of your questions answered

The process since hasn’t been plain sailing, she admits. She’s been trolled online for “betraying” her son, for instance, a sentiment that she confesses to having battled with herself at certain points. Nor is her forgiveness absolute: she talks very deliberately of forgiving Jacob for killing James (“he didn’t mean to do it”), but not for throwing the punch (“because he went with intent”).

And for those who are struggling to forgive someone: what would be her advice? If at all possible, find a way to talk it out, she says. It’s hard. She’s been there: she knows. But really, it’s the only way. Bringing in a third party can certainly help, she adds. Both sides can then feel listened to and heard, which is crucial to working through the hurt.

One aspect of forgiveness she didn’t expect was how it keeps giving. Not only has Jacob turned his back on violence, but one of his former gang mates has followed him. “So that’s two lives that I know about that have been turned around,” she reflects.

Their story is now told on stages in London and New York in the play Punch, but for Joan the real work happens away from the theatre lights. And James, the aspiring paramedic who spent his short life helping others: what would he think? Joan smiles: “I think he’d be amazed.”

Main image: David Severn

Workers employed by Go North West in Bolton, Denton, Heywood, and Wigan are being balloted for strike action by the union Unite.

The dispute centres around claims of ‘significant’ pay disparities with Bee Network drivers working for other operators under the same network.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: “Go North West can more than afford to close the huge pay disparity these workers are suffering despite doing exactly the same job as their Bee Network colleagues.

“Unite never stops fighting for our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and the Go North West drivers will receive their union’s full support.”

Bee Network drivers working for Metroline and Stagecoach currently earn £19.06 per hour, while Go North West drivers are paid £15.51.

The workers have rejected a 3.8 per cent pay offer.

Go North West, part of the Go Ahead Group, reported revenues of £3.8 billion in the 18 months to December 2024 and paid out £80 million in dividends.

The strike ballot runs until June 2.

Industrial action could cause widespread disruption to bus services across Greater Manchester.

John O’Neill, regional officer for Unite, said: “Go North West will be totally responsible for any disruption caused to passengers because it is refusing to offer a fair deal.

“There is still time for industrial action to be avoided, but that will require the company tabling a deal that is acceptable to its drivers.”