Swansea City have confirmed the signing of Ghana international Joseph Opoku, completing a deal for the highly-rated winger after his £6m move

Swansea City have confirmed the signing of Ghana international Joseph Opoku, completing a deal for one of Belgium’s brightest young attacking talents.

The 20-year-old winger has signed a four-year contract at the Swansea.com Stadium, with the club holding the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

Opoku arrives from Belgian side Zulte Waregem after an impressive breakthrough campaign in which he scored 10 goals and registered six assists in 34 league appearances to help the club secure promotion to the Belgian Pro League.

The move had been expected after reports on Wednesday claimed that Swansea had agreed a package worth around £6million with the Belgian outfit.

The Swans have now finalised the transfer, with Opoku joining Vitor Matos’ squad at their pre-season training camp in Austria after completing his first training session.

The Ghana international becomes Swansea’s fourth senior signing of the summer following the arrivals of Stephen Welsh, Moussa Yeo and Leo Walta, although the club have also since strengthened further by bringing in New Zealand international Elijah Just.

A product of Ghanaian side Great Corinthians FC, Opoku moved to Belgium in 2024 before quickly establishing himself at Zulte Waregem.

His outstanding form last season also earned him his senior Ghana debut in May and underlined his reputation as one of the country’s most exciting young prospects.

Head coach Vitor Matos believes the winger has the attributes to make an immediate impact in the Championship.

“He is a young player, who has been exposed to a lot of senior football in Belgium,” Matos said.

“He will be able to adapt to the physicality, the intensity and the amount of games in the Championship as we know he is a fast and sharp player.

“Opoku has joined us here in Austria, and he has had his first training session and we’re excited to have him here.”

Sporting director Ben Stevens added: “Really excited with Joseph joining us and looking forward to seeing his attacking potential flourish in Vitor’s team.

“Two full seasons with Zulte Waregem in Belgium plus being involved with Ghana national teams highlight the ability of this young talent.”

Opoku is capable of playing across the front line but is most comfortable cutting in from the left wing, where his pace, direct running and eye for goal made him one of the standout performers in Belgium’s second tier last season.

His arrival continues a busy summer of recruitment under Matos as Swansea reshape their squad ahead of the new Championship campaign.

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Suzie McGill, artistic director at Rainbow Room International and director of RRI Uddingston, Diana Carson, Rainbow Room International Uddingston salon director, and the Rainbow Room International Artistic Team are celebrating the prestigious honour.

A styling and profiling Uddingston salon group have been announced as finalists in three British Hairdressing Awards categories.

Suzie McGill, artistic director at Rainbow Room International and director of RRI Uddingston, Diana Carson, Rainbow Room International Uddingston salon director, and the Rainbow Room International Artistic Team are celebrating the prestigious industry honour.

Diana has been named as a finalist for the Scottish Hairdresser of the Year category, Suzie is a finalist for the Schwarzkopf Professional Colour Technician of the Year category, and the Rainbow Room International Artistic Team, led by Suzie, has been named as a finalist for the Artistic Team of the Year category.

To be one of six finalists in each of these categories is a huge achievement, having stood out and been selected from an exceptionally competitive field of entries.

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Widely regarded as one of the most influential events in the professional hairdressing calendar, the British Hairdressing Awards celebrate the individuals and teams shaping the future of the industry.

From innovative salon professionals and colour specialists to creative pioneers, the awards continue to recognise the talent, passion and dedication that keep British hairdressing at the forefront of the global stage.

To enter the awards, Suzie, Diana, and the Rainbow Room International Artistic Team had to submit a portfolio of four professional photographic images into each of the categories, showcasing their hairdressing skills and creativity.

An esteemed panel of industry experts then reviewed hundreds of entries across 18 Regional, International and Specialist categories throughout the UK and Northern Ireland before finalists were selected in each category.

Judges praised the exceptionally high standard of work, with finalists demonstrating remarkable creativity, craftsmanship and originality through their photographic submissions.

Being named a finalist in the category recognises Suzie, Diana and the Rainbow Room International Artistic Team’s outstanding creativity, technical excellence, and artistic vision.

The achievement places them among the industry’s most exciting talents and one step closer to taking home one of hairdressing’s highest honours.

Now, the team will need to submit a further two images into each of the categories, and a second round of judging will take place during Salon International at ExCeL London on October 4, where judges will reconvene to select the winners in each category.

The winners will then be announced at the prestigious British Hairdressing Awards ceremony, taking place at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House on November 23.

Suzie McGill said: “For our Rainbow Room International team to be recognised in three categories is a huge achievement.

“These awards are one of the most coveted in the industry, and fiercely competitive, and to be named as finalists for not just one but three awards is such an honour.

“We pride ourselves on being Scotland’s colour experts, and bringing the Scottish Hairdresser of the Year and Colour Technician of the Year awards home would reinforce that and be an incredible achievement for our team and our clients.

“Our Art Team create the most exceptional work and excel in their craft in colour, cutting and styling, and to be recognised for this and be up against some of the other great

“Artistic teams in the country for this accolade is a privilege. To win all three awards at the finals would just be an unbelievable end to the year.”

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Firefighters and paramedics were called to the 13-foot-tall medieval walls at around 2pm on Thursday (July 23).

The person, whose gender and age have not been disclosed, suffered a broken ankle after the fall, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

A service spokesperson its fire crew from Acomb helped paramedics move the person who had fallen.

“They used the aerial ladder platform and crew power to move the casualty into an ambulance to be taken to hospital,” the fire service spokesperson said.

A logistics firm has been granted an interim licence to operate lorries round the clock at the controversial Astley Business Park

Logistics firm Whistl has started round-the-clock operations at the controversial ‘cruise ship’ warehouse complex in Tyldesley.

The company began trading at unit 2 at the Astley Business Park on Monday (July 20) after being granted an interim licence by the traffic commissioner regarding heavy goods vehicle movements.

The firm previously agreed a 15-year lease for the unit with the intention of moving their local operation from the nearby Logistics North complex near Bolton. The now completed development has been dogged by controversy for more than a year since building work started.

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Many residents, some of whom have gardens just 30 metres from the 350,000 sq ft logistics site, criticised the huge scale and appearance of the ‘towering warehouses’.

Incidents of flooding on nearby paths and gardens have also occurred last winter with complaints that run off from the construction site was causing the issues.

Whistl said it ‘appreciate[s] the strength of feeling amongst the community over the new business park’, insisting it has had an ‘active dialogue’ with the action group representing residents before taking measures to mitigate the impact of operations.

It is understood 250 objections have been lodged with the Traffic Commissioner to the goods vehicle operator’s licence application to keep 60 goods vehicles and 95 trailers at the site.

The interim approval manages the use of the operating centre while the full application remains under consideration.

The interim approval allows no more than 50 HGV movements into or out of the operating centre between the hours of 10pm and 5am, except between 5pm on Saturday and 9am on Sunday, when no movements are authorised.

On Wednesday (July 22), at around 12.30pm around 70 to 80 non-branded vehicles could be seen on the unit’s car park and on the other site of the huge shed several Whistl branded HGVs and vans were present, with frequent lorry movements on and off the site.

Several large orange signs are attached to the exterior of the huge shed stating ‘keep noise to a minimum’.

Astley Warehouse Action Group has been challenging aspects of the planning process and highlighting complaints of those it says are impacted by the logistics development.

On the goods vehicle application, they said a 24-hour logistics operation raises serious questions about ‘noise, sleep disturbance, air quality, vibration, lighting and traffic safety and whether residents can reasonably enjoy their own homes’.

John Peters, who represents the action group, said: “Whistl are now carrying out their normal operations. The big problem is they should never have been placed next to so many houses and a school.

“It’s the impact on families and kids. We’ve met with Whistl, they’ve put signs around the place about keeping noise down. They’ve also agreed to mist over some of their windows which face houses so people can’t look into bedrooms at night.

“They are trying to mitigate a lot of the things we asked them to but the crux of the problem is the sheds shouldn’t be there.”

A spokesperson for Whistl said: “We have been in active dialogue with the local resident’s association regarding our plans to move to the business park and how we will operate.

“We have listened to their concerns about light and noise and where possible taken measures to mitigate the impact of our operations within the approved permissions to operate a 24/7 logistics business from the site.

“We began operating from the business park on Monday and will continue to listen and make changes where practicable as we appreciate the strength of feeling amongst the community over the new business park.”

A letter to the action group from the Traffic Commissioner’s office assured it that ‘the grant of an interim licence does not determine the outcome of the full application’.

It added: “The Traffic Commissioner will consider all relevant information, including the validity and content of the representations received, before reaching a final decision.

“The Traffic Commissioner may determine that a public inquiry is required before a decision can be made on the application.

“If this is the case all valid representors will be notified and provided with an opportunity to attend and participate in that process.”

Sutton Bank on the A170 near Thirsk is due to close between 7pm and 4am on Thursday (July 23) till Saturday (July 25).

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council said: “The works on the road will ensure that the “strategic route remains in a structurally sound condition long term”.

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A spokesperson said: “During the closure of Sutton Bank, access to premises on the bank will be maintained whenever possible, however due to the nature of the works, there may be times when access will be restricted.”

For enquiries on the road closure, contact North Yorkshire Council’s highway department on 0300 131 2 131.

Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, of Shaftesbury Road, Cheetham Hill, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday, July 23.

He will serve a minimum of 17 years, with time already served meaning 16 years and 135 days remain on his minimum term.

Bashir was found to have conducted hostile reconnaissance of the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham alongside Jihad Al Shamie, who later attacked the synagogue in October 2025.

Al Shamie, who killed two men and injured several others when he attacked the Crumpsall synagogue last year, was shot dead by armed police shortly after they arrived at the scene.

The prosecution described Bashir during sentencing as a “long-standing, committed jihadist”.

He pleaded guilty last month to one count of preparation for acts of terrorism under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

The investigation began after the synagogue attack, with Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) leading a large-scale inquiry supported by the national CTP network.

Officers reviewed phones belonging to Al Shamie and identified Bashir as a close associate who also held extremist views.

WhatsApp messages between the two men revealed that they discussed preparing for “war” and made frequent antisemitic remarks.

Investigators discovered the pair took a 10-hour round trip to the Defence Academy on August 14, 2025, where they carried out reconnaissance.

Bashir drove for most of the journey while Al Shamie took notes about the base’s security on his phone, which he labelled “espionage.”

Both men later disposed of the phones used to conduct their research and make notes, but investigators accessed cloud data linked to Al Shamie’s devices.

This revealed internet searches for weapons, potential target sites, and individuals with links to the Israeli military.

CCTV and audio evidence also captured the pair talking about plans for an attack.

Rob Potts, assistant chief constable for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: “Mohammed Bashir is a dangerous individual with extremist views who held conversations about preparing for ‘war.’

“He was caught on camera discussing carrying out a terrorist attack with a man who would later go on to conduct an attack himself.

“Together they made a ten-hour round trip to conduct hostile reconnaissance at a military base and noted its security arrangements.

“The pair tried to cover their tracks by disposing of their mobile phones but, thanks to the meticulous work of investigators, evidence of damning internet searches that show research for attack planning was uncovered.

“Bashir is now facing the consequences of his actions, and I hope his sentence will act as a deterrent to anybody considering taking part in extremist activity.”

Mr Potts said there was no evidence that Bashir knew in advance about the synagogue attack.

He said: “Although there is no evidence to suggest that Bashir knew in advance about plans to conduct a terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, I know today’s sentencing will prompt public discussion on that incident.

“My thoughts today are with all those affected by the attack, particularly the loved ones of those whose lives were taken and those who were seriously injured.

“They have been at the forefront of our minds throughout the investigation and will continue to be so.”

Bashir will also be subject to a serious crime prevention order for five years and part 4 notification requirements under the Terrorism Act should he be released from prison.

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Greater Manchester Police said officers are becoming “increasingly concerned” for the welfare of Ayesha and Aeryn, who are believed to be together.

Ayesha was last seen at around 8am on July 22 in Ramsbottom, while Aeryn was last seen at around 5pm in the same area.

Officers believe the pair may have travelled beyond Ramsbottom and could be anywhere across the Bury borough or further afield.

In an appeal issued on Bury Police’s Facebook page, GMP said: “MISSING: Can you help find Ayesha and Aeryn, both 13, from Ramsbottom?

“Ayesha was last seen missing at around 8am on July 22 in Ramsbottom, while Aeryn was last seen around 5pm yesterday in the same area.

“They are now believed to be together and could have travelled across Bury and are known to frequent Manchester city centre.

“Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about them and want to make sure they are safe and well.

“Anyone with information about Ayesha’s whereabouts should contact us on 101, quoting log 127 of 22/07/26 – or Aeryn’s whereabouts, quote log 4324 of 23/07/26.”

The force has urged members of the public to get in touch immediately if they have seen either girl or have information that could help trace them.

Anyone with information about Ayesha should contact Greater Manchester Police on 101, quoting log 127 of 22/07/26.

Anyone with information about Aeryn should contact police on 101, quoting log 4324 of 23/07/26.

Motorists who had been enjoying a jam-free journey to work since the schools broke up found themselves caught up in a jam on Wednesday morning as temporary traffic lights were installed on a busy junction.

Bury Road, at the Ainsworth Lane turning, has a set of temporary traffic lights.

It is causing long delays during peak hours of the morning and evening for commuters into and out of Bolton.

The works started for “utility asset works” by an electricity company and started on Monday July 20.

(Image: NQ)

They are to last until August 31.

Bury Road is a route that connects Breightmet, Tonge Moor, Harwood, and a route to Bury Town Centre.

Expected traffic disruptions on council documents say the traffic impact is to be high.

Multi-way Signals are on manual control 7am to 7pm.

One motorist said: “I don’t remember any advanced notice, I suppose at least they are being carried out during the summer holidays – but traffic doesn’t seem to be moving at all during rush hour.

“Maybe it is best to go via Tonge Moor Road, but honestly there are always always roadworks in the area.”

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