Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to the smash in Radcliffe

A busy main road was closed tonight following a crash between a van and a car. Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene in Radcliffe.

The two badly damaged vehicles could be seen side-by-side on Radcliffe New Road close to the junction with Hollinhurst Road . An onlooker said it appeared one of the vehicles had pulled out from a side road into the path of the other.

They added: “The damage is pretty bad. There were quite a lot of emergency services here earlier.

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“I spoke to someone earlier who said they’d seen one of the drivers and said they looked pretty shook up. He said there were a lot of ambulances and police blocking the road.”

Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have been approached for comment. The road remains shut tonight.

Among those racing across the city was Hussein Fakih, the regional head of the government-run Lebanese Civil Defence – the country’s primary firefighting, first aid and rescue force. He said he had been seeing the same things “almost every day” since war resumed on 2 March between Israel and the Iran-backed armed group and political movement Hezbollah – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK, US and other countries.

With deep roots and a relaxed, modern appeal, it is fast emerging as one of the area’s most quietly appealing destinations.

A gateway to Wensleydale

Often described as the “Gateway to Wensleydale”, Bedale sits just two miles from the A1(M) at Leeming Bar, yet feels a world away from the motorway and cars streaming past at 70mph.

Its cobbled marketplace, independent shops and long railway heritage give the town character and charm, blending history with an easygoing atmosphere that continues to attract visitors.

Tourism and a changing local economy

Tourism has become increasingly important to Bedale’s economy, complementing its strong agricultural roots.

As more visitors look for authentic market-town experiences close to the Yorkshire Dales, Bedale’s mix of heritage, local businesses and countryside access is proving a major draw.

A town with over 1,000 years of history

Bedale’s story stretches back more than a thousand years. It is listed in the Domesday Book and retains clear links to Anglo-Saxon and Viking-age Britain, highlighted by the recent discovery of the Bedale Hoard.

This remarkable find provided rare evidence of high-status early medieval activity in the area, underlining the town’s long-standing importance.

St Gregory’s Church: faith and defence

At the heart of the town stands St Gregory’s Church, a building that also served as a defensive structure.

Its fortified tower once offered refuge during Scottish raids, giving it a dual role as both place of worship and place of safety.

Inside, visitors can find a rare Viking-age grave marker and a striking painting of St George slaying the dragon, unusually shown as left-handed.

Market Cross, Georgian façades and Hall grounds

Just a short walk from the church, Bedale’s Grade I-listed Market Cross, elegant Georgian façades and historic Hall grounds reinforce its role as an important medieval and post-medieval centre.

These features help anchor the town’s historic identity while providing a distinctive backdrop for today’s visitors.

Heritage railways and countryside walks

Bedale’s long connection to transport history continues to attract people to the town.

The railway station, now part of the Wensleydale Railway, reopened as a heritage line in 2003 and offers scenic journeys through the Dales towards Leyburn and Redmire.

Although the station technically dips close to neighbouring Aiskew, it remains closely tied to Bedale’s identity and story.

Beyond the rails, the town is popular with walkers thanks to footpaths along Bedale Beck. The beck winds through open countryside towards the River Swale, giving visitors easy access to peaceful rural landscapes straight from the town.

Independent shops and family-friendly attractions

Unlike many small towns, Bedale has retained a strong independent retail scene. Cafés, pubs and shops are clustered around its marketplace, creating a lively focal point for both residents and visitors.

This local high street character adds to the town’s appeal as a place to explore at a slower pace.

Nearby attractions such as Thorp Perrow Arboretum and Big Sheep Little Cow Farm help make Bedale popular with families.

Combined with the town’s own heritage and green spaces, they offer plenty to see and do within a short distance.

@kimjeynes A night in the English countryside 📍Old Park House Farm, Bedale @Jake Newall #bedale #northyorkshire #shepardshut #staycation ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – んん – 🫧音楽室🫧

Why Bedale is staying firmly on the map

As tourism in the Yorkshire Dales continues to rise, Bedale’s combination of market-town charm, heritage railways and easy access to the countryside ensures it remains firmly on the map.

Its blend of deep history, independent businesses and family-friendly attractions means more visitors are discovering why this “Gateway to Wensleydale” is worth a stop, not just a signpost.

The 54-year-old became leader of the cross-community party in 2016, and led it to an all-time high of 17 Assembly seats in the 2022 election

Naomi Long has insisted she still has the “passion, energy and drive” to be Alliance Party leader.

Ms Long, who is also Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister, also hit back at suggestions support for her party had peaked, stating if she believed what was on social media, Alliance would be “annihilated” in the next Assembly election.

The 54-year-old became leader of the cross-community party in 2016, and led it to an all-time high of 17 Assembly seats in the 2022 election.

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Asked how long she anticipated remaining as party leader, Ms Long insisted she “had not given it a lot of thought”.

She said: “From my point of view at the minute, I still feel that I have the passion, the energy, the drive to do the job.

“And nobody in the party has suggested at any stage that they don’t feel that I have those qualities. I have their full support.

“I think, of course, you get to a certain age, perhaps, where you start to think about what lies beyond politics. But I’m hopeful that I’m not at that age quite yet, I’m still enjoying what I do.”

Ms Long said many people wanted Alliance to be like “the Real Housewives of the Assembly”, but she said her team of MLAs actually “get on well”.

She added: “Every year the party gets the opportunity to elect a leader, and we’re one of the few parties that offers that opportunity.

“So far I’ve had, I’ve had that unanimous endorsement and support, and for as long as that continues, and until I decide that I’ve run out of steam, I hope that that will be the case.”

Ms Long also hit back at suggestions the party would struggle to replicate its 2022 success in next year’s Assembly elections.

She said: “If I was to read Twitter, the Alliance Party would be annihilated in the next election, but I’ve been reading that since 2014 and the truth is, Alliance has gone from strength to strength.

“You look back to the assembly elections in 2022 and Alliance was on about 13%, fast forward to the most recent Westminster election, we were on about 15%. So where is the decline?

“If people are going by opinion polls, and of course, everybody loves an opinion poll because it’s drama and it gives yards of coverage to go through, but you can’t base politics on opinion polls.

“You can only base it on the elections, on the day.”

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The Europa and Conference Leagues have reached the last-16 stage and we will be focused on two English clubs in action tonight.

At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest host Midtjylland. When these teams met on this ground during the league phase, Midtjylland won 3-2 over Ange Postecoglou’s Forest in early October. Fast forward a couple of managers later and Forest head into this last-16 tie with Vitor Pereira at the helm. Forest are only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference but Pereira is not writing off Europe to solely focus on Premier League survival.

“For now, we try to be competitive in both, in the Europe League and try to get points and results in our league,” Pereira said. “I need to try to balance, but to be competitive in the next game and afterwards against Fulham. It is important for the players to be ready to help the team, we need to be ready to challenge and perform. We have quality in the squad, they are working hard, with good energy, trying to understand the tactical demands. We will be ready.”

Stefan Ortega, Dan Ndoye and Jair Cunha will all be missing for the hosts tonight.

Midtjylland finished third in the league phase of the Europa League, winning six of their eight games, and only finishing behind Lyon and Aston Villa. They currently sit second in the Danish top flight, four points off the top.

At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace take on AEK Larnaca. These sides met during the group stages, with AEK Larnaca claiming a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park in late October.

Palace had to come through the play-off round to reach  the last 16, beating Zrinjski. Palace were very active during the January transfer window, bringing in three attackers in Jorgen Strand Larsen, Brennan Johnson and Evann Guessand.

“That was the target of the winter transfer window: to strengthen our attack, because we were often short of numbers,” Oliver Glasner said. “I think the club did a great job regarding the strengthening our attack. The new players are really getting integrated [with the group] very well. It is not one-way, it is two-ways, but it is quite easy because the player who are here are great lads, and so are the new ones as well, so it is maybe easier.

“It just gives us more options and we need this now. We have a three-game week again, and are expecting a very physical and intense game against Leeds [in the Premier League on Sunday]. Therefore, we need all these options, and it is good to have them.”

Daniel Munoz is set to miss out with a shoulder problem but Maxence Lacroix is back available after his domestic suspension and Jean-Philippe Mateta could return after a knee injury that scuppered his move to AC Milan in January.

AEK Larnaca currently sit third in the Cyprus top flight, eight points off the top, and have had nearly a week to recover since a 3-0 home win over Akritas Chlorakas last Friday. They finished eighth during the group stages of the Conference League.

Team news from the City Ground and Selhurst Park to follow shortly.

The TV personality, 54, known for offering love and relationship advice on the hit Channel 4 reality dating show, had treatment for colon cancer in 2023.

But a routine scan months later found “small nodules” in her lungs, which have since spread to parts of her brain, causing “blinding headaches and numbness” down the right side of her body.

Schilling said while filming MAFS, she underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, and has now been told that there is nothing further that can be done to treat the cancer.

In a post on Instagram on Thursday, Schilling said her “world changed” in an instant after being told that her cancer had spread.

She said: “Over the past two years, while filming MAFS, I underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy and was later told I was eligible for a groundbreaking clinical trial specific to my gene type, due to start in March 2026. Once again, my optimism soared that I might beat this thing.

“Over Christmas, however, I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side.

“After many tests I was told the cancer had spread to the left side of my brain and, despite subsequent radiotherapy sessions, my oncology team have now told me there is nothing further they can do.

“Hearing those words changes everything.

“My light is starting to fade — and quickly. But I am still here, still fighting, and surrounded by the most incredible love.”

“Simple tasks have become incredibly difficult and I am relying on my beautiful family to look after me. I honestly don’t know how long I have left, but I do know I will fight to my last breath and will be surrounded by the love and support of my people.”

She thanked people for messaging her words of encouragement and support and said they have helped “shape the mindset” she needed to “keep fighting”.

Schilling added: “If I could leave you with one thing, it would simply be this: if something doesn’t feel right, please get it checked out. It might just save your life.”

It comes after Schilling announced she would be stepping back from the Australian version of the programme after 12 seasons on the expert panel.

In a statement shared online, Channel 4 said MAFS Australia expert John Aiken will step in to replace Schilling for the remainder of the UK series, which is currently being filmed.

The broadcaster said: “All of us at Channel 4 are immeasurably saddened by the news about Mel’s health, and are sending all of our love and support to Mel and her family.

“Over five series of Married at First Sight UK, and twelve series of Married at First Sight Australia, Mel has become a hugely valued and much-loved part of the Channel 4 family; to many of us she is a friend as well as a colleague.

“Her wisdom, warmth, humour and kindness shine through, and these qualities mean that everyone involved in MAFS, from the producers and contributors, to the viewers, love and respect her as much as we do.

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“MAFS UK is currently filming and, with Mel’s blessing, her good friend and fellow MAFS Australia expert, John Aiken, has done us the great favour of stepping in for her for this series.”

The production company which makes the UK version of the dating show, CPL, also said they were “shocked” and “deeply saddened” to learn about her diagnosis.

CPL continued: “She is not only a valued colleague but a dear friend, and has played an integral role in the success of Married At First Sight over many years.

“Mel is greatly loved and respected by everyone at CPL, and our thoughts with her and her family as they face this profoundly difficult time.

“We are sending our love, strength and unwavering support.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under pressure from President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans plan to launch a “full and robust debate” next week on legislation to impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements, an effort to show Trump that they are serious about the bill even though it doesn’t have enough support to pass.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is planning a talkathon on the Senate floor for an indefinite period of time, though it won’t officially be the “talking filibuster” that Trump has suggested. Republicans plan to hold the floor for days, if not weeks, to pressure Democrats.

“I can guarantee that we are going to put Democrats on the record,” Thune said on the Senate floor Thursday as he announced the plan to take up the bill, which has already passed the House.

Trump has said he won’t sign any other legislation until the bill — known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE America Act — is passed. It faces unified opposition from Democrats, meaning that the Senate likely can’t approve it unless Republicans change the rules and eliminate the filibuster. Many GOP senators are unwilling to go that far.

Trump has made the bill a priority ahead of the midterm elections, arguing that Republicans need it to win — even as his party won the presidency and congressional majorities in 2024 without it. Federal law already requires that voters in national elections affirm under oath, at the risk of prosecution, that they are U.S. citizens.

The bill would also require that voters provide a photo ID when casting ballots, as many states already require.

An alternate path

The president’s insistence on the bill, and an energized push from the GOP base, has put pressure on Thune. The GOP leader has repeatedly said they don’t have the votes to eliminate the filibuster, which triggers a 60-vote threshold, or even to move to the talking filibuster that Trump has aggressively lobbied them to deploy.

Even if they did have the votes, a talking filibuster would not guarantee passage. Supporters of that approach say that Democrats would eventually tire of speaking or allow the legislation to pass. But Democrats would also be allowed to bring up an indefinite number of amendments on any subject, forcing Republicans to take hard votes in an election year and delaying the process even more.

“We can’t find a piece of legislation in history that’s been passed that way,” Thune said this week.

Caught between Trump and Democratic opposition, Republican senators have come up with an alternate plan to hold the floor themselves — denying Democrats the opportunity for a weekslong stage to talk. The strategy avoids the procedural pitfalls, even if the process is likely to end with a failed vote. Republicans are also expected to consider several amendments on issues that Trump has named as priorities, including an end to most mail-in balloting.

“Republicans are looking forward to this debate,” Thune said.

Hoping to appease Trump

Similar to the talking filibuster, though, the plan does have risks — mainly that it won’t satisfy Trump, who has demanded passage and threatened to hold up almost everything else in Congress.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican who has led the effort with Trump to pass the SAVE America Act and has pushed for the talking filibuster, said Thursday that it’s not yet clear how it will play out.

“I think he understands that we need to put in an aggressive effort here,” Lee said of Trump. “And a lot of that is going to have to be determined in real time as we go about it.”

The extent of Trump’s satisfaction with the process, Lee said, “will depend on whether in his view, we gave it everything we have.”

Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama said the goal is to figure out how to put it on the floor and “actually achieve a result.”

“We’re working through what that means and what we need to be prepared to do,” Britt said.

Democrats ready to push back

Democrats uniformly oppose the legislation, arguing that it would disenfranchise some 20 million American voters who don’t have birth certificates or other documents readily available.

Sen. Alex Padilla, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, said his side of the aisle is organizing “to bring our arguments — and the facts — to the floor as well.”

He said it would be more accurate to call it the “Save Trump’s Ass Act,” because the only way he said Republicans can try to hold on to power in this November’s elections is to make it harder for eligible people to vote.

Padilla said the SAVE America Act “is not a voter ID bill. It is a voter suppression bill. It is a voter purging bill.”

From one of Capcom’s most experienced producers, and a new team that’s worked on everything from Monster Hunter to Far Cry 4, comes an exciting new action RPG with a roguelike tinge.

With the continuing drip-feed of news about games developers around the world shuttering or suffering layoffs, it’s always pleasing to welcome a new one to the industry. Japanese outfit GPTRACK50 first emerged in December 2025 at The Game Awards, with an intriguing teaser trailer for its first game, Stupid Never Dies.

It features a zombie protagonist, a cartoonish, hyper-coloured art style, and a brief hint of some epic-looking action. Now, the developer has given us the first in-depth (hands-off) presentation of the game, and our intrigue has transformed into anticipation.

With its wacky storyline and distinctive visuals, Stupid Never Dies has a slight whiff of a Suda51 game, such as the recent Romeo Is A Dead Man. But before drilling down into its gameplay, it’s worth putting it into context by examining the background of this new developer.

GPTRACK50 was founded, and is helmed by, a bona fide big beast of Japanese development, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who previously spent 28 years at Capcom, with production credits spanning various Resident Evil and Devil May Cry games; Kobayashi was also the driving force behind Dragon’s Dogma and was producer on Suda51’s killer7.

He also headed up Capcom’s drive to turn its intellectual property into films and is keen to point out that amongst the team of around 30 people are developers who worked on the likes of Resident Evil 4, Monster Hunter: World, Far Cry 4, Final Fantasy 15 and Metal Gear Solid 5.

Kobayashi spoke about how keeping his team to 30 people allows the studio to remain agile and even though the company has only existed for three years, he was adamant that Stupid Never Dies will be released in 2026.

Via a trailer and various sequences of gameplay, Kobayashi explained what Stupid Never Dies will be all about. The game’s general tone is apparently defined by the phrase ‘funky zombie action’ and he pointed out that it’s an attack-focused game, with no guard or dodge. Although it will feature a parry move, which causes great damage if properly timed.

Stupid Never Dies has a simple but wacky storyline. You play Davy, a low-level zombie who is described as: ‘The weakest of the monsters.’ In Stupid Never Dies’ post-apocalyptic game-world, Davy wanders, in classic zombie fashion, into a shopping centre where, in a cold storage room, he encounters Julia, a beautiful woman who has been frozen; Davy instantly falls in love with her and his desire to bring her back to life becomes his driving motivation.

Davy encounters a mad scientist called Dr Frank, who explains that the zombie outbreak has been caused by the King of Monsters, who resides in a vast subterranean dungeon. Dr Frank produces a phoenix egg which Davy eats, giving him powers that will enable him to take on the monsters in said dungeon, with the King of Monsters’ demise returning the world to normal and enabling the resurrection of Julia.

The developers weren’t entirely forthcoming about all of Stupid Never Dies’ gameplay mechanisms, but they confirmed that the game’s action, and its role-playing style elements, reside in the monster-filled dungeon. Every time Davy visits the dungeon, the speed at which he levels up will increase, and he will essentially start from scratch with each new visit. Later in the press conference, the company admitted that that mechanism has a roguelike feel to it.

After ingesting the phoenix egg, Davy acquires the ability, while in the dungeon, to bite monsters, eat their cores and learn how to assume their physical forms. Thus, Davy’s ability to shapeshift (and, the developer adds, body hack, allowing him to, for example, attach a sword or gun to one arm) allows him to take on and beat hordes of monsters at once.

The developer has used that mechanism to enable Davy to assume no fewer than 11 wildly different forms. Namely werewolf (agile, with claws); harpy (flying, with a range attack); golem (tank-like, and good against packs of enemies); vampire (puts Davy in charge of a pack of bats that attack from mid-range); will-o-the-wisp (ghostly and ethereal, good for avoiding environmental traps); cyclops (huge and deadly at close range); snow fairy (freezes enemies, making them more vulnerable); merfolk (dives into the ground as if it were water); lich (commands an army of skeletons, whose ranks can be added to with dead enemies); and demon (uses whips and gravity to control enemies’ positions).

Stupid Never Dies’ gameplay hinges on dynamically morphing between those forms, according to what enemies you’re faced with – presumably, each pass you make through the dungeon will introduce Davy to new fighting forms, until in the latter stages, he acquires all 11 of them. The body-hacking system will remain consistent whatever form Davy morphs into. We were shown him with a gun, a sword, a rocket launcher, and a gravity gun sending out mini-black holes, with equipment attaching to his right arm, legs or head.

On top of this is the Davy Burst: a mode that powers up as he takes out enemies and enhances all his abilities, effectively giving him a special attack. In the time-honoured fashion of action role-players, there will also be boss battles, although we didn’t get to see any in the fairly brief demo.

While the preview left plenty of question-marks about the game – such as how well its unusual levelling up structure will work, what gameplay exists outside of the dungeon, and how different an experience the dungeon might present each time you visit it – it certainly whetted our appetite to sample the game for ourselves.

Stupid Never Dies certainly looks pretty impressive, and its combat is indisputably fast, over-the-top and empowering. As ever with a first look, hands-off demo, it’s impossible to ascertain how well it will hang together as a structured game or, for example, how long it will take to complete and how much replayability it might provide. At launch, it will be available for PlayStation 5 and PC only; GPTRACK50 hinted that it might port it to Xbox consoles, but not until it has been on sale for a while.

But if you like action role-players, it’s definitely one to look out for as it promises satisfying action, loads of character, and hopefully a certain amount of originality to its gameplay. We’ll report back when we manage to get some hands-on play with it.

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The State Pension age is rising from 66 to 67 for people born in the early 1960s, with the gradual increase starting in April 2026

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Millions of workers are being encouraged to verify their State Pension age as the long-anticipated increase from 66 to 67 commences next month. The adjustment means individuals born in the early 1960s may not retire at 66 as many anticipated.

Instead, their State Pension age will incrementally rise depending on their precise date of birth. Under the current schedule, the State Pension age will rise from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and March 2028.

Those born between April 6, 1960 and March 5, 1961 will see their retirement age extended beyond 66, with the exact age contingent on when they were born. For some, this could mean waiting several additional months before they can begin receiving their State Pension.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is urging people nearing retirement to check their State Pension age so they know precisely when they will become eligible for payments, reports the Daily Record. Officials highlight that many still presume the State Pension automatically starts at 66, but this will no longer be the case for those impacted by the latest increase.

Another crucial point is that the State Pension does not commence automatically – individuals must actively claim it when they reach State Pension age. The Pension Service typically sends an invitation letter around four months prior to someone reaching their State Pension age, explaining how to make a claim.

However, the DWP emphasises the importance of individuals checking their own retirement age to plan ahead and avoid any confusion about when they will start receiving payments.

Determining your State Pension age is straightforward and can be done online by inputting your date of birth into the UK Government’s official State Pension age calculator.

The current full rate of the New State Pension stands at £230.25 a week – set to increase to £241.30 from 6 April – although the precise amount someone receives is dependent on their National Insurance record.

To receive the full New State Pension, most people require approximately 35 qualifying years of National Insurance Contributions (NICs), whilst those with fewer years may receive a reduced amount. A minimum of 10 years of NICs is needed to qualify for any State Pension payments.

The rise in the State Pension age is part of the UK Government’s long-term plans, designed to reflect increasing life expectancy and the escalating cost of pension provision.

Further increases are already scheduled, with the State Pension age anticipated to rise again to 68 in the mid-2040s, although the exact timetable for this change remains under review.

For now, officials state that the priority is ensuring people nearing retirement understand when they will become eligible for the State Pension and how to claim it.

Anyone uncertain about when they will receive their State Pension can verify their exact retirement age through the government’s online service by entering their date of birth.