Lucknow Junction on Higher Market Street, Farnworth, has won the Best Regional Indian Cuisine Restaurant – North Indian at the Indian Restaurant Awards 2026.

Monica with the award (Image: Monica Verma)

Based on the North-Indian cuisine of Lucknow, from where head chef and owner Monica Verma hails, the restaurant won despite a crowded field, with competitors from all across the UK.

Monica said: “We’re absolutely over the moon – very, very happy.

“There were many, many restaurants there, from England, Scotland, Wales – there were jurors from India, restaurants there with Michelin stars.”

(Image: Monica Verma)

Lucknow Junction has been open in Farnworth for around 2.5 years, before which it was a takeaway in Oldham.

“People still talk about that takeaway – it was the takeaway’s popularity that convinced us to open up the Farnworth restaurant,” said Monica.

“If you go round Oldham now everyone still knows us.

The award (Image: Monica Verma)

“I had someone tell me once they used to get all their food from Lucknow Junction before it shut – they didn’t know I was the owner!”

Monica is from Lucknow, which is in Northern India, about 45 minutes away from Delhi.

A serious food hub itself, Lucknow has been named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, highlighting its importance as an international food production and innovation centre.

(Image: Monica Verma)

Monica is intent on bringing that culture to the UK.

“It’s quite unique, what we do here,” said Monica.

“The incredible galouti kebabs, the basket chaat – if you look on a Saturday, all our tables are filled with the multicoloured basket chaat. It’s beautiful.”

Basket chaat are small bread-like containers which are filled with a variety of toppings, each one different in flavour and colour, like a bouquet of edible flowers.

“It’s very unusual to get proper Northern Indian food in the UK. You have to have a lot of skill – and heart, of course,” said Monica.

(Image: Monica Verma)

“But 70 per cent of English people don’t know about it. I end up giving them a lecture about it at the table. I look back and they’re all sat there drooling!

“I’m extremely passionate about this food. I wouldn’t put anything on the table that I wouldn’t want to eat myself.”

Lucknow Junction is located at 27 Higher Market Street, Farnworth.

The World Cup 2026 will feature a ‘fan-centric’ national anthem ceremony after Fifa revealed a major change ahead of next week’s kick-off.

Every player selected in the matchday squad will now be involved, not just the starting line-ups, allowing them to step into the spotlight and group together around the centre circle banner before the national anthems.

Fifa believes it will maximise the pride and emotion for those representing their country on football’s biggest stage.

President Gianni Infantino stated: “As the FIFA World Cup grows, we continue to innovate the way the game is experienced. The pre-match ceremonies at the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be no different.

“Having all players and referees face each other in the centre circle during the national anthems will create a moment of unity, pride and emotion that truly belongs to the teams and to everyone in the stadium.

“In addition, we will have a redesigned 360-degree ceremony which engages every fan in the stadium, including country flag banners and on-pitch elements oriented to create a unique, immersive experience from every seat as well as new visual elements – from player entry arches to handheld flags – poised to heighten the sense of anticipation, with enhanced features for selected matches.

“The FIFA World Cup is about every player and every fan, and this new pre-match ceremony reflects that.”

The “360-degree concept” is also geared towards bringing more value to every seat in the stadium, Fifa claims.

While each country will be represented by extra-large country flag banners that will cover almost half the pitch, similar to the way NFL matches have operated in recent years with the US flag.

The traditional pre-match rituals will follow the anthems, with handshakes and team photos of the starting line-ups retained. Following this, captains will meet for the coin toss.

While matches later in the tournament will see coloured smoke or pyrotechnics included in the pre-match ceremony.

Ben Glen died in the River Nith in Dumfries at the end of April just days after celebrating his 18th birthday.

The devastated family of a teenager who drowned in a Scots river have told how they relive his death during every water tragedy.

Ben Glen died in the River Nith in Dumfries at the end of April just days after celebrating his 18th birthday. Ben was afraid of water and could not swim.

Since then at least 17 people – 11 of them teenagers – have died in water incidents across the UK during warm weather. Every time his family hears of another young death in water, Ian Glen, Ben’s father, told how he and his loved ones “feel what that family are going through”.

Now Ian and his wife, Cheryl, want to raise awareness of the dangers of open water and urge young people to think twice before taking unnecessary risks.

Ian, 42, told BBC News: “They all seem to be avoidable deaths. We don’t want any family going through what we’re going through at all – it’s the worst thing in your life that could ever happen,” he said.

“We don’t want other families to have to grieve their children.”

Emergency crews rushed to the River Nith in the Kingholm Road area of the town on the day of Ben’s death. A significant rescue mission was launched by police, Coastguard and firefighters but sadly Ben’s body was pulled from the water.

Ian ran to the river when he heard of the news.

Dad Ian said: “You would think it’s really noisy, but I just heard silence. I have to try and stay strong for [my children] because I kind of tell them like it’s fine they’re working on him. He’s gonna be fine. But the nurse in me probably thought no, he won’t be.”

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Police told the family that Ben entered the water to retrieve a dog’s ball. He had been walking along the river’s edge with his girlfriend and her family. They had entered the water to try to help him but were pulled to safety by a passer-by. Ben was in the water for 45 minutes.

Ben never learned to swim because he was so afraid of water. On holiday in Benidrom last October, he wore armbands in the swimming pool.

Ian said: “We know he’s 18, a young lad, and they do silly things. Everyone’s been that age. But to put yourself in that danger – I don’t understand… and we just need the answers for it.”

Jane Dickerson, who works with Port William Inshore Rescue in Dumfries and Galloway said the recent spate of fatal water incidents was “absolutely heartbreaking”. “You feel so much for the families, for their friends and also for the people that have had to rescue them and deal with them and it makes you want to get that message out even more.”

She issued safety advice for those before getting into water, which includes: Stop and think. If it’s a coastal area, what is the tide doing? Are you aware of any currents? What is the wind situation? Stick with your friends and don’t leave anybody on their own.

If things do go wrong, she said “try and remain calm” and “float to live”. “Lay back, put your ears in the water to help you float and just calm yourself down.”

She said that anyone who sees someone in difficulty should not enter the water themselves and potentially become a second casualty.

She said: “If there is anything around, a throw line or a life ring or anything like that or any object that you can use, get that to that person that’s in the water but try and remain calm yourself so that you keep the person in the water calm and then just wait until the emergency services get to you.”

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Suzie McGill was there as part of an initiative that empowers disadvantaged young adults by providing them with life-changing, hands-on training.

An Uddingston salon director has returned from an unforgettable two weeks in the Philippines with Schwarzkopf for the Shaping Futures charity.

Suzie McGill was there as part of an initiative that empowers disadvantaged young adults by providing them with life-changing, hands-on training.

The artistic director at Rainbow Room International in Uddingston is also a Schwarzkopf Ambassador and was in the Philippines to teach young people the basic skills of hairdressing.

Suzie said: “It has been one of the best experiences of my life so far, meeting these young, extremely talented hairdressers and sharing our skills and knowledge with them.

“A special thank you to Armando Carluccio, who works for Schwarzkopf and is a Shaping Futures ambassador. He has been involved with the programme for the past four years and spends six weeks at a time in the Philippines. He is truly an inspiration. The young people absolutely love him, and his dedication to education is incredible.”

Suzie stayed at the SOS Village in Lipa City – a place where young people from institutes across the Philippines are supported through the incredible work of the Shaping Futures charity. This allowed Suzie to fully immerse herself in the experience, gaining a real insight into the lives of the young people and seeing first-hand how supported and cared for they are.

Suzie and the team lived in the same bungalow within the SOS Village as the young people, allowing them to spend time together daily and share breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Many of the young people have experienced significant hardship and while staying at the SOS Village, they are provided with weekly counselling sessions alongside wellbeing days every Saturday. They live together as a family unit, with multiple children cared for by one mother figure, while older boys and girls help support the younger children. The village also offers a range of activities, including volleyball and basketball courts, as well as outdoor spaces where the children climb trees to pick fruit.

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Over Suzie’s two-week period in the Philippines, she was joined by Kevin Kahan, owner of Kevin Kahan Salon, as part of the education team. Together, they helped provide the young adults with practical training and confidence, opening doors to real career opportunities within the hair industry. Their aim was not only to inspire creativity, but also to provide a pathway towards independence and long-term success.

Suzie and Kevin began by teaching the young adults the fundamentals of colour, basic cutting skills and an introduction to the world of hairdressing, before moving on to styling techniques and preparing the youngsters for a show in Lipa City. During the show, the young people took to the stage to present their looks to an audience of more than 300 people. The event showcased everything the students had learned over the six-week Shaping Futures programme and featured an incredible production involving professional models, a creative director, make-up artists and clothing stylists. Delegates also took part in singing and dancing performances, creating a real sense of excitement and energy for the audience.

Alongside preparations for the show, Suzie and the team also spent time helping the young people prepare for interviews to secure jobs within the hairdressing industry. None of the youngsters had any previous hairdressing experience, yet their commitment, dedication and talent were incredible – leading many of them to secure employment following their interviews.

Suzie has a Just Giving link where you can donate to help give these young people greater opportunities in life and for themselves, at www.justgiving.com/page/suziemcgillphilippines2026

The money raised will go directly towards purchasing essential equipment and tools, ensuring that these aspiring hairdressers have the resources they need to continue learning, practicing and growing even after training has been completed.

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Exercise is important for your heart and cardiovascular health. But for years, research has suggested that very fit people – particularly young men – have a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) later in life than less athletic people do.

But our new large-scale study of more than one million young Swedish men challenges this long-held concern about fitness and heart health. The study shows that atrial fibrillation risk in very fit people is smaller than previously thought. And, importantly, the benefits of being fit – such as having lower rates of other cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and heart attack – clearly outweigh the potential downsides.

To conduct our study, we analysed data from over one million Swedish men. Each of these men had completed a military conscription test between 1972 and 1995 when they were around 18 years old. During conscription, fitness was estimated using a maximal ergometer bicycle test.

We followed the participants using national health registries until 2023. Information was collected on diagnoses in specialised outpatient and inpatient care, as well as information on cause of death where relevant.

Nearly half a million of these men were siblings, allowing the team to compare brothers with different fitness levels. This method also helped control for shared genetics and upbringing to better understand risk.

In the population-wide analysis, where all men were compared based on their fitness levels, the fittest men did show a higher risk of atrial fibrillation until age 40. After 45, however, the benefits – fewer other heart problems – started to outweigh the risk.

But the sibling analysis told a different story. When comparing brothers, the link between high fitness and atrial fibrillation weakened significantly. The net positive effect of fitness on overall heart and cardiovascular health, although also weakening in the sibling analysis, was still evident from the start.

These benefits grew larger as the men aged. Across five decades of follow-up – from the age of 18 until the age of 65 – the benefits of being highly fit outweighed the overall risk of developing atrial fibrillation at all ages.

While the higher risk of atrial fibrillation in the fittest men weakened in the sibling analysis, an elevated risk did remain. However, this risk was small overall. The potential risk of developing atrial fibrillation was also far outweighed by the positive benefits that being fit had on reducing risk of other cardiovascular diseases.

There was also some evidence that the increased risk of atrial fibrillation seemed to be driven by typically milder forms of atrial fibrillation.

Cardiovascular benefits of fitness

These findings suggest that earlier studies may have overestimated the risk of developing atrial fibrillation if you’re very fit because they couldn’t fully account for shared familial factors – such as genes and shared environmental factors – that may influence both fitness and heart health.

Because our study was able to account for these shared factors, we were able to show that we should potentially tone down the message that being very fit or engaging in endurance exercise poses a big risk to heart health. The risk of atrial fibrillation isn’t zero, but the benefits to heart health more generally are far greater.

Our results have also been confirmed in previous studies. However, our research builds upon this prior evidence by incorporating the sibling comparisons in the analyses, showing that the atrial fibrillation risk becomes weaker.

Our study also performed a more detailed examination of risk over time by following up with participants over a longer period of time, while also considering the benefits of high fitness. As such, our research has performed a more direct comparison of benefits and harms throughout life.

Overall, our research illustrates just how beneficial physical fitness is for overall cardiovascular health. Although very fit people do have a slightly higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation compared to people who are less fit, this risk of far lower than previously thought.

Plus, we show that the overall net benefits of fitness on cardiovascular health more broadly far outweigh any potential risk.

James Handy, the Hollywood character actor known for his roles in films such as Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick, has been found stabbed to death at his Los Angeles home.

His girlfriend’s son has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police responded to a 911 call at a property in Tarzana, in San Fernando Valley, at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning and found Handy, 81, unconscious in the front yard with a stab wound to his chest.

He was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Michael Gledhill, 44, the son of Handy’s girlfriend, who lived at the residence with his mother, has since been arrested.

Gledhill was taken into custody and booked at a Van Nuys jail.

Handy made his film debut in 1981 and also appeared in such well-known movies as Bird, Arachnophobia, The Rocketeer, Logan and Suburbicon.

He also made a string of appearances in popular TV shows like Quantum Leap, Murder She Wrote, Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, The X Files, The West Wing and Alias.

The travellers moved in on June 3, setting up in the overspill car park behind the main car park.

Wigan Council has now spoken to the group and asked them to move.

In a statement on Thursdsay, June 4, said: “The council was alerted to Travellers arriving at Howe Bridge Leisure Centre site yesterday (Wednesday) around 5pm.

(Image: Dan Dougherty)

“A notice to leave the site will be issued today, in line with our procedures.”

The removal process is likely to take several days now that it has been started.

If the travellers refuse to leave, they can be issued with notices, but again, this process can take over a week.

Travellers are protected from discrimination under the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Human Rights Act 1998, alongside all ethnic groups with distinct cultures, languages or values.

The murder of student Henry Nowak on December 3 2025 shocked the UK. Now the case has also become a pretext for attempts by some on the right to divide communities with demands for “common sense”.

It leaves the Labour government with an important choice: move away from its failed strategy of trying to win over Reform UK voters, or continue down a route that risks normalising divisive rhetoric.

In the wake of revelations about Hampshire police’s handling of the knife attack, media attention focused on violent protests near the site of the killing.

But arguably more important is the suggestion by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, before the unrest began, that people respond with “pure cold rage”. His comments came after Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh, was jailed for life for the fatal stabbing in Southampton.

In heated exchanges in the Commons on June 3, Farage’s comments were widely condemned. But besides being exactly what Henry Nowak’s family wanted to avoid, it was also an example of the well-worn right-wing strategy of depicting its politics as “common sense”.

In his initial statement, Farage had clearly and calmly presented arguments around two-tier justice, anti-white racism, mass immigration and diversity initiatives as facts that are taken for granted and shared by all rational human beings.

Yet, common sense can take different forms. Political historian Sophia Rosenfeld has argued that without some form of common sense (shared norms, values and judgments), political life could devolve into a contest of pure strength. In other words, for a democracy to function, it requires a “shared realm” or a basic agreement on facts and rules.

Over recent decades, however, there has been an increase in far-right and populist politicians claiming to be torchbearers for common sense. In many cases, this can be perceived as an attempt to solidify reactionary narratives around race, gender and culture as rational and incontrovertible “fact” .

Where this leaves Labour

A key problem for the Labour government now is how to respond to attempts to hijack the idea of common sense.

Until now, Labour has followed other mainstream actors, including the Conservatives, in trying to outflank the far right on its own turf. But this appeal to voters on the right often comes at the expense of its own membership base.

At times, the government appears to have shared far-right language when using “common sense” as a way of framing its politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed Reform’s demands to bring in stricter tests and higher standards of English for settlement in the UK, as part of a “common sense” policy. Centring language skills as a core element of citizenship was once strongly connected with anti-migrant politics.

Meanwhile, in terms of immigration, Labour has pledged to “restore common sense to our borders”. This dovetails with Farage’s claim that a responsible government has a duty to protect its borders “as basic common sense”.

On top of this, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s recent response to people protesting at immigration reforms as “white liberals”, telling them to “fuck right off”, might look to some like a page from the far-right playbook. It came months after a warning from Starmer (which he later rowed back on) that the UK risked becoming an “island of strangers”.

In general, the government’s response to Nowak’s murder has been measured in comparison to that of Farage. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, however, appeared to follow Reform’s demand that the killing be treated the same as George Floyd’s murder in the US.

In speaking to UK multiculturalism, Mahmood’s message that “we cannot allow this murder to turn communities against one another”, and her reminder that “we do not believe in collective punishment in this country”, are noteworthy. These narratives offer basic pathways for a more inclusive common sense from which to build resistance to divisive rhetoric.

Yet these remarks alone are insufficient. Where is such measured language when it comes to, for instance, making a positive case for migration? The long-term impact of normalising far-right ideology by sharing elements of its discourse cannot be undone overnight. Nor should it be a reactive measure.

While the series of events surrounding Nowak’s murder have inevitably been exploited, this tragedy can also serve as a clear watershed moment for the government – and for the political mainstream in general. Trying to outflank Reform UK is a dead end that will lead to more hate and division.

Mahmood spoke about the duty to police without fear or favour, something that has been severely lacking at times. More broadly, the need to build a case for communities that deal with crime and tragedy in a way that avoids further societal discord could not be clearer. The only option now for mainstream politicians, and British society, is to make the case for their own version of common sense.

If approved, the solar farm would generate up to 500MW of power

East Cambridgeshire District Council has questioned the adequacy of a consultation over a planned solar farm. Kingsway Solar Farm will have the capacity to generate up to 500MW when complete and plans include a National Grid connection with 15km of overhead lines between Brinkley and Burwell with pylons every 300 metres or so.

Officers said the “absence of details” meant their “ability to provide substantive and informed comments” was “significantly constrained”. They said it “may be legally debatable that the level of information is not strictly defined” by law, but there was no justification provided for not making it available.

Two potential routes for the pylon corridor were considered – east and west – with the applicant deciding on the east option. But officers said there was “no summary of the ongoing engagement informing the design refinement”, beyond “selected technical aspects” in an environmental report.

They said “it is reasonable to assume” that the initial design refinement “has not considered ongoing engagement or consultation feedback”.

Officers said they had “on several occasions” raised concerns that they weren’t given enough information “to develop an informed view of the likely significant environmental effects of the development”.

They said information such as baseline surveys and technical studies with “principles for effective mitigation” were not made available, “particularly in relation to the topics of heritage, landscape and visual, ecology and trees”.

Officers said that “no visualisation or baseline photographs” were shared and though the applicant acknowledged that re-routing or moving the electrical lines underground “would be the only plausible mitigation”, this was not on the agenda of any consultation event.

They added that there was a “missed opportunity” to fully understand the impact of the development on the nearby Newmarket Racecourse. Officers told the planning committee that if the inspectorate agreed they could ask them to retake the process and submit again – or even not accept the submission.

The council’s planning committee approved sending a report by officers to the Planning Inspectorate alleging that not enough information was given during the consultation.

You sit down to start a task you care about. Nothing happens. You open your phone instead. Minutes turn into hours. You feel restless, flat, or oddly exhausted, even though you haven’t done much at all.

For many neurodivergent people, this cycle is painfully familiar. It’s often described as a motivation problem or a focus issue. But for those who are ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or autistic and ADHD (AuDHD), these experiences are closely linked to how dopamine – a vital brain chemical involved in motivation and reward – is regulated.

Due to this experience, some neurodivergent people have started to turn to a simple tool: the “dopamine menu”. Popularised in 2020 by Jessica McCabe, a YouTuber and ADHD advocate, a dopamine menu is a personalised list of activities that can help provide small, regular boosts of motivation and pleasure throughout the day.

For people who find themselves stuck or overwhelmed, it offers a structured way to access activities that feel rewarding or regulating. But to understand why this approach can be helpful, it is important to understand what dopamine is and how it works.

Dopamine is often referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, but this is an oversimplification. While it does play a role in pleasure, dopamine is also closely linked to motivation, anticipation and the ability to initiate and sustain tasks.

It is produced in three areas of the brain: the hypothalamus, substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area. Outside the brain, it is also released from the adrenal glands, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

Dopamine is involved in multiple cognitive processes including learning, attention, mood regulation, focus, memory and reward. It also plays a role in pain perception, sleep and movement.

Dopamine is released in response to certain activities such as spending money, eating, drinking and sex. This dopamine “burst” reinforces that we like this activity and motivates us to do it again. Not all dopamine increases are equal. Some activities provide short, intense bursts, while others lead to more gradual and sustained changes.

Why this matters for neurodivergent people

Some neurodivergent people have a different relationship to dopamine than neurotypical people. The most discussed neurotype when it comes to dopamine is ADHD.

Research suggests that people with ADHD typically have a lower baseline level of dopamine, and may process it differently. This can lead to a greater drive to seek stimulation.

In everyday life, this can show up as difficulty starting tasks, a reliance on urgency to get things done, or a tendency to seek out highly stimulating activities. These patterns are often misunderstood as laziness or lack of discipline, when in fact they reflect differences in how the brain regulates motivation and reward.

People with ADHD are also more likely to develop addictions, such as to substances, video games, gambling or the internet, and are at higher risk of relapse. This demonstrates the importance of appropriate, tailored support, rather than framing such behaviour as purely a matter of choice.

Regardless of neurotype, many people find themselves turning to quick, easily accessible sources of dopamine, such as scrolling on a phone. While these can provide short-term relief, they are often not satisfying in the longer term and may leave people feeling more depleted.

Designing your own sources of reward

This is where dopamine menus can be helpful. Rather than relying on a narrow set of high-intensity activities, a dopamine menu provides a wider range of options that can support more consistent regulation throughout the day.

In her 2020 video, Jessica McCabe describes dopamine menus in sections, although they can be adapted to suit individual needs.

“Appetisers” are small, quick activities such as watering plants or making a coffee. “Meals” are more substantial activities that take longer, such as going for a walk, cooking or playing a board game. “Sides” are additions that make less enjoyable tasks more appealing, such as adding music or a podcast. “Desserts” are enjoyable activities best used in moderation, such as scrolling on social media or watching television. While “specials” are less frequent, more novel experiences, such as attending an event, eating out or going on a trip.

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What autistic people – and those with ADHD and dyslexia – really think about the word ‘neurodiversity’

The process of creating a dopamine menu starts with identifying activities you enjoy and considering how they might fit into your daily routine. Making these activities more accessible – for example, leaving a yoga mat out or preparing materials in advance – can reduce the effort required to get started. It can also be helpful to add small barriers to activities you are trying to reduce.

What’s important is that dopamine menus are not to-do lists. They are optional, flexible and designed to reduce pressure rather than create it. By enabling us to decide in advance what feels supportive or enjoyable, they can reduce the cognitive load of choosing what to do in moments of low motivation.

So, rather than fixing a lack of motivation, dopamine menus offer a way of working with the brain’s natural rhythms, and creating space for small moments of energy, interest and ease throughout the day.