The use of a compulsory purchase order (CPO), if used, would allow the authority to buy up the land and remove a number of remaining residents along streets marked for demolition.

This comes after plans to flatten a total of 112 homes across three streets to build 105 in their place in the former mining town were given the green light in December last year.

Residents in Horden’s numbered Third and Fifth Streets opposed to the planned demolition. (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

The £10.7m plans would see Third and Fifth Street reduced to rubble and the former Fourth Street site developed into two, three, and four-bed homes and two-bed bungalows.

However, the plans were made subject to a legal challenge earlier this year by a group of Horden residents who are fiercely opposed to the plans, meaning the council have paused progress.

But the authority says it wants to “work with residents” to bring the development to life, and emphasised an order such as a CPO to remove residents would not be taken lightly.

Mike Allum, Durham County Council’s strategy and delivery manager, said: “We’re very ambitious about doing everything we can to make our council area a great place to live, work, visit and invest and that is why we have committed £10m, alongside the North East Combined Authority, for new housing in Horden.

“Due to a legal challenge to our planning consent, our timeline is currently on hold, but we want to deliver this housing by working with residents.

“This includes seeking to buy their properties through negotiation, compensating them and offering them support in finding new homes.

“Use of compulsory purchase powers would always be a last resort.”

As reported, residents in line to lose their homes due to the plans served the council with a challenge on January 23.

The council said it will “review and consider this challenge” – but a decision has not yet been reached.

One resident involved in the battle is Ray Bellingham, 68, who, alongside sister Moira, has lived in their Third Street home since they were children.

He is hoping the legal challenge can overturn the council’s plans in their entirety, as the siblings “don’t want to move”.

He told The Northern Echo earlier this year: “It has been non-stop all the time.

“If other people were in the same position as us, they would realise what pressure we are under. We are trying to save our homes.

“Other people are not in the position of having bulldozers take their homes away from them.”

Moira previously told the Echo: “They can send the bulldozer straight through the house and I’ll still be stood there.

“They will have to kill me.”

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Serious medical and mental health emergencies have been routine at the nation’s largest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility since its opening, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

Data and recordings from more than a hundred 911 calls at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, along with interviews and court filings, offer a disturbing portrait of overcrowding, medical neglect, malnutrition and emotional distress.

Current and former detainees describe a camp where about 3,000 people have lived per day in loud and unsanitary quarters. They say detainees struggle to obtain health care as disease spreads, lose weight because of a lack of food, and fear security guards known to use force to put down disturbances.

“Every day felt like a week. Every week felt like a month. Every month felt like a year,” said Owen Ramsingh, a former property manager in Columbia, Missouri, who spent several weeks in the camp before his deportation in February to the Netherlands. “Camp East Montana was 1,000% worse than a prison.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson who did not provide their name rejected claims of subprime conditions, saying Camp East Montana detainees receive food, water and medical treatment in a facility that is regularly cleaned.

Here are some takeaways from AP’s reporting:

Camp averaged nearly one 911 call per day for months

After its opening in mid-August, staff at the camp made nearly one 911 call per day in its first five months of operation, according to data covering 130 calls from the City of El Paso obtained by The Associated Press.

In one call, a man is heard sobbing after being assaulted by another detainee. In another, a doctor says a man is banging his head against the wall while expressing suicidal thoughts. In a third, a nurse says a pregnant woman is in severe pain and has coronavirus.

The injured detainees ranged from a 19-year-old man who fell out of a bunk bed to a 79-year-old man struggling to breathe. At least 20 emergencies were reported as seizures, including some that resulted in serious head trauma.

Calls reveal repeated attempted suicides

The calls show detainees have repeatedly tried to harm themselves and expressed suicidal thoughts.

Two incidents have resulted in death. On Jan. 3, ICE said security guards responded after a 55-year-old Cuban man tried to harm himself and then used handcuffs and force to restrain him. A medical examiner ruled that Geraldo Lunas Campos’s death was a homicide caused by asphyxia.

On Jan. 14, staff reported that a 36-year-old Nicaraguan man died by suicide days after he was detained while working in Minnesota.

In addition to those cases, at least six other suicide attempts were reported, according to records from the City of El Paso.

The DHS spokesperson said the facility’s staff “closely monitors at-risk detainees” and provides mental health treatment.

ICE has not released inspection results

The Washington Post reported in September that a required ICE inspection found conditions at the facility violated at least 60 federal standards for immigration detention. But that report has never been released, unlike dozens of other inspections at facilities posted on ICE’s website.

DHS has called claims of violations described in the Post story false without explaining why the inspection report was wrong. ICE’s current database on detention facilities indicates Camp East Montana has never been inspected but is scheduled for one this fiscal year.

A DHS spokesperson said ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight recently completed an inspection at Camp East Montana but provided no other information and the results have not been made public.

Congresswoman calls for camp’s closure and contract investigation

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat who has toured the camp several times, is calling for its closure.

“This facility should not be operational. It feels like this contractor is reinventing the wheel, and people are losing their lives in their experiment,” she said.

She said the facility had temporarily cut its population below 1,900 when she visited last month and will be closed to visitors temporarily because of a measles outbreak.

On one visit, a female detainee showed Escobar a meager serving of scrambled eggs that was served still frozen in the middle. She learned detainees protested after they had stopped receiving juice, fruit and milk with their meals.

Escobar met with a detainee from Ecuador who said his arm had been broken during a violent arrest by immigration agents in Minnesota. Weeks later, the congresswoman could still the fractured bones in his forearm poking up under the skin.

Escobar called for an investigation into contractor Acquisition Logistics LLC, which was awarded a contract worth up to $1.3 billion to build and operate the camp. She said the company, which didn’t return messages, and its subcontractors were not delivering services paid for by taxpayers.

“People should be moved by the abject cruelty, but if they’re not, I hope they’re moved by the fraud and corruption,” Escobar said.

____

This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

__

Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. Biesecker reported from Washington.

That’s because the latest episode of Corrie has been removed from the ITV schedule tonight, and won’t air in its usual time slot (8.30pm).

The soap is missing from Friday’s TV line-up as the next instalment of Weatherfield drama has been replaced by the Six Nations, which begins from 7.20pm on ITV1.

Why is Coronation Street not on TV tonight? Fans slam ‘unfair’ schedule change

Jill Douglas will be presenting all the action from the Ireland v Wales game, with kick-off at 8.10pm.

It’s the opening match in the fourth round of fixtures, which will be held at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

The Radio Times summary shares: “Garry Ringrose was shown a 20-minute red card last year at the Principality Stadium with Ireland 10-3 ahead, and Wales made the most of the visitors being down to 14 men by scoring 15 unanswered points to lead 18-10 thanks to tries from Jac Morgan and Tom Rogers.

“However, Six Nations debutant Jamie Osborne then scored a brilliant try for the Irish as they fought back to win 27-18.

“With analysis from Brian O’Driscoll, Rory Best, Dan Biggar and Jamie Roberts, reports by Gabriel Clarke, and commentary from Miles Harrison, Shane Williams and Gordon D’Arcy.”

Emmerdale has also been removed from its 8pm slot on Friday, so there will be no soaps “power hour” at all to finish off the working week.

Classic Tracy Barlow 😅 #Corrie pic.twitter.com/sbnF6K9KjI

— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) March 3, 2026

Viewers who have already noticed the Corrie and Emmerdale schedule change have said the move is “unfair” and have called for sport to be moved to ITVX or “another channel” instead.

It seems many are getting fed up with recent ITV soap episodes being removed from their usual time slots, as it’s become a frequent occurrence lately.

Posting online, this person complained: “It is unfair that soap times and schedules are affected because of sports fixtures.

“The talk build ups to these fixtures are on before the games sometimes for up to an hour before the fixtures start.

“Leave the routine programmes as per the schedule and show sport on ITVx.

“Not everyone like sport and there are occasions when the only option is sport, sport or more sport!”

A second annoyed fan wrote: “Disgusting once again take the soaps of for sport.

“Put soaps or the sport on another channel it’s not as if you haven’t got enough of them.”

Someone else added: “ITV (and the BBC) need to have a ‘Sports’ channel.

“This Friday they’re BOTH broadcasting sport during the peak evening window.

“FA Cup on one and 6 Nations Rugby on the other!”

When is Coronation Street on next week?

Although there is no Corrie tonight, let’s take a look at when it’s on TV next week and see if there are any missing episodes to watch out for:

• Monday, March 9 – 8.30pm
• Tuesday, March 10 – 8.30pm
• Wednesday, March 11 – 8.30pm
• Thursday, March 12 – 8.30pm
• Friday, March 13 – 8.30pm

Are you bothered about Corrie not being on ITV1 this evening? Let us know in the comments below.

“Orla had a huge heart, a brilliant laugh and an energy that filled every room.”

The family and friends of a “warm and kind” Co Derry woman are taking on the Belfast City Marathon in her memory after her death aged 40.

Orla Kielt was a much-loved school nurse from Magherafelt, and was also a proud mum to eight-year-old Ollie, and a dedicated runner as well as a long-standing member of Magherafelt Harriers.

The 40-year-old suddenly passed away in October 2025, and was known for her “warmth, kindness and energy” and as a runner, she found joy and freedom in every mile.

READ MORE: Supermarket staff hailed after stepping in to help customer having seizure in storeREAD MORE: Belfast woman’s endometriosis dismissed as ‘anxiety’ during 11 year battle

To pay tribute to Orla, twenty-five of her family and friends are taking on this year’s Belfast City Marathon, running under the team name ‘Miles in Memory of Orla’ to raise funds for ALPS (All Lives Are Precious).

The local charity provides vital support for emotional wellbeing, suicide prevention, and community resilience.

Speaking on behalf of Orla’s siblings, Claire, Paula and Stephen, her sister Jayne Hughes said: “We are overwhelmed and deeply touched that so many people are running for Orla. It shows just how loved she was and how many lives she touched.

“Orla had a huge heart, a brilliant laugh and an energy that filled every room. Knowing that people are taking on this challenge in her memory means everything to us as a family. We’re incredibly proud, and we know she would be too.”

Jayne also expressed the family’s gratitude for ALPs’ role in supporting them after Orla’s passing. She said: “ALPS have been an incredible source of comfort and guidance to us during the hardest time of our lives.

“Their support has meant more than words can say, and we’re honoured to give something back through this fundraiser.”

The team hope their efforts will celebrate Orla’s life while raising vital funds to support others who may be struggling.

Donations can be made via the team’s fundraising page, with every contribution helping those in need. To find out more, you can click here.

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

Doctor Amir Khan is known for sharing all sorts of health advice, and his latest piece of knowledge is super interesting. Apparently, there’s a reason you can feel like you’re falling when you go to sleep

Doctor Amir Khan is known for sharing all sorts of health advice, and he recently turned his attention to helping people sleep better. However, if you’re someone who often suddenly jolts awake at night, or feel like you’re falling when you start to nod off, it turns out things usually trigger this.

The GP, who’s known for sharing health tips on ITV‘s Lorraine, issued the expert advice on Instagram this week where he shared a video explaining what people need to know. Quite often, many of us jolt awake as we start to fall asleep, and it can sometimes cause a little panic.

However, it turns out there are reasons why this happens. It’s not the only piece of sleep wisdom he’s shared recently either, as he also explained why many can wake up at 3am.

Demonstrating what happens, Doctor Amir said: “Have you ever felt you’re falling just as you nod off? That sudden jolt awake is actually called a hypnic jerk and, as you drift into sleep, your muscles relax, and sometimes your brain interprets that as falling.

“It’s a misinterpretation, so it sends a quick signal to your body to catch you, and that’s why you twitch awake. Now, some scientists think it’s an ancient survival reflex, back to when we slept in trees.

“A sudden twitch might have stopped us from actually falling. It’s totally harmless. More common when you’re stressed, have caffeine late or you’re just super tired.

“So, next time it happens, don’t panic. it’s just your brain being quirky. Totally normal. Totally harmless.”

Doctor Amir admitted it’s something that happens to him “all the time”, and it’s nothing to worry about. In the comments, many others said they’ve experienced it too.

What you need to know

If you’ve never experienced them before, hypnic jerks are common, involuntary muscle spasms, also known as “sleep starts”. They take place during the transition from wakefulness to light sleep, and often lead to a sensation of falling or a sudden jolt.

Little you may know, they are actually experienced by over 80% of people and they are generally harmless. They’re actually caused by nerves misfiring as muscles relax, or by fatigue, stress or caffeine.

In other words, if you drink coffee late, are super tired or stressed, your body may be trying to tell you something, as you could need to make some lifestyle changes. Even being in an uncomfortable sleeping position can cause them.

If you want to try and stop them, you can start by reducing stimulants (caffeine), maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and practicing relaxation techniques. Doing these things may help to decrease frequency.

Even though they are usually nothing to worry about, persistent or painful episodes should be discussed with a doctor. This is important to rule out any other potential sleep disorders.

If you struggle with sleep at all in general, and it’s getting you down, also speak to your GP. They will be able to suggest methods to help aid the problem.

In their previous Ofsted inspection in 2020, they received an overall rating of ‘good’

A pre-school just over the Cambridgeshire border in Hertfordshire has been told it ‘needs attention’ by Ofsted. After dropping from an overall ‘good’ rating in their previous inspection, staff members at Ladybird Playgroup & Pre-school in Thriplow said that they “recognise some areas need enhancing” and are “already taking action”.

The report, which was published on Monday, March 2, said that some children make “varied progress through the curriculum due to inconsistencies in teaching”.

The report also states: “Children are independent individuals and thrive in carrying out appropriate responsibilities, such as taking turns to be the helper of the day.”

The pre-school was judged ‘needs attention’ for five categories assessed: achievement, behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance.

The safeguarding standards were met and children’s welfare and wellbeing was graded at ‘expected standard’.

Ofsted awarded a rating of overall ‘good’ in their previous inspection in 2020.

The report said: “Older children are learning to navigate their emotions. However, when older children display unkind behaviour, such as shouting at friends in frustration or throwing resources, staff tell them to stop but do not always help them to understand their own and others’ feelings.”

As a result, the inspection found that “staff do not fully support children to develop the skills needed to regulate their behaviour”.

The report continued: “Leaders recognise that staff need to strengthen their skills to help children manage their emotions but have not yet taken effective action to do so.”

A spokesperson for Ladybird Playgroup and Pre-school in Thriplow said: “We were one of the first settings assessed under Ofsted’s new framework. We’re pleased the inspection recognised the good work we are doing, particularly around safeguarding and children’s wellbeing.

“We recognise some areas need enhancing and we are already taking action. The safety and wellbeing of the children in our care remains our top priority.”

Ofsted praised the staff for working well as a team, and encouraging children to develop a love of books. The report recognises that children feel “relaxed, safe and secure”, and that they “build secure relationships with their key person and seek them out for reassurance when needed”.

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Wales head to Dublin to face Ireland in round four of the Six Nations

After a week’s break, the Six Nations is back and we have a Friday night game to look forward to.

Wales head to Dublin to take on Ireland this evening in round four of the competition and they travel across the Irish Sea with a bit more confidence than in recent times.

Last time out they put in a far more encouraging display against Scotland and although the match in Cardiff ended in another defeat – their third of this year’s tournament – there were signs of improvement for Steve Tandy and his coaches to build upon.

Unfortunately for the men in red they are facing a team still buzzing following their record-breaking win over England at Allianz Stadium Twickenham in round three.

Having lost to France on the opening night of the competition and then being pushed by an ever-improving Italy, Andy Farrell’s men had been written off in some quarters but they put their doubters in place against Steve Borthwick’s outfit.

Tonight promises to be an intriguing one. Here is everything you need to know.

Is Ireland v Wales on TV?

Yes, it is.

Kick-off is at 8.10pm on Friday. The match will be shown live on ITV1, with Welsh-language coverage on S4C.

Coverage starts at 7.20pm on ITV, while S4C’s broadcast begins at 7.30pm.

What about streaming?

Viewers will be able to stream the match on the ITVX app, S4C’s Clic app and BBC iPlayer.

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Team news

Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey; Jacob Stockdale; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Tom O’Toole, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne; Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, Josh van der Flier, Nathan Doak, Tom Farrell, Ciaran Frawley.

Wales: 15. Louis Rees-Zammit, 14. Ellis Mee, 13. Eddie James, 12. Joe Hawkins, 11. Josh Adams, 10. Dan Edwards, 9. Tomos Williams; 1. Rhys Carre, 2. Dewi Lake (capt), 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Dafydd Jenkins, 5. Ben Carter, 6. Alex Mann, 7. James Botham, 8. Aaron Wainwright

Replacements: 16. Ryan Elias, 17. Nicky Smith, 18. Archie Griffin, 19. Adam Beard, 20. Olly Cracknell, 21. Kieran Hardy, 22. Jarrod Evans, 23. Louie Hennessey

Quotes corner

Andy Farrell: “The story has been written many times about their (Wales) decline and how unfortunate it has been, but at the same time we are playing them in a Test match on Friday and, from what I’ve seen, they’ve been getting better game on game.

“The last game was as close as it gets against a very good Scottish squad. We have heard the confidence in the Welsh camp that they are coming to Dublin with a spring in their step and they are familiar with how our lads play in the URC. I suppose that influences the result last year, so it’s up to us to show that we have moved on as well.”

Steve Tandy: “This week it’s about backing up the performance against Scotland. Going away from home is a different type of environment for our group, but the focus for us is really improving on what we did last game.

“I thought the defence against Scotland was much improved so we definitely want to double down on that going to Ireland. You see how they keep the ball in possession, they play lots of passes so we know we’re going to have to build and improve from the other week.”

A new peer-reviewed study found a nuclear war could wipe out around five billion people as tensions heighten in the Middle East

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A recent study suggests that only two nations would endure a nuclear conflict. This alarming revelation comes amid escalating tensions, with the US and Israel – both nuclear-armed states – exchanging missile fire with Iran.

Israel has been targeting Tehra, the Iranian capital, whilst Afghanistan’s Taliban have initiated an attack on nuclear-equipped Pakistan. Yesterday, the UAE reported ongoing efforts to intercept missiles aimed at Israel as Middle Eastern conflict continues unabated.

These developments have sparked fears of potential war escalation in the forthcoming weeks. A new peer-reviewed study estimates that a nuclear war could annihilate approximately five billion people, according to Unilad.

Scientists in the Nature journal warn of fireballs reaching temperatures up to 100 million degrees Celsius and a nuclear winter enveloping the globe. They posit that Australia and New Zealand would be the sole survivors.

Annie Jacobson, an expert on Armageddon scenarios and author of Nuclear War: A Scenario, utilised scientific research and defence expertise to predict the aftermath of all 12,000 global nuclear weapons being deployed. Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast, she stated: “Hundreds of millions of people die in the fireballs, no question.”

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Jacobson further elaborated on the catastrophic impact on regions that survive the initial explosions. She said: “Places like Iowa and Ukraine would be just snow for 10 years, and so agriculture would fail. When agriculture fails, people just die.”

The expert suggests approximately three billion people might endure the immediate explosions, though their existence would be utterly transformed. She reckons Australia and New Zealand would largely withstand the nuclear winter and maintain the capacity to cultivate crops.

Annie outlined how detonating thousands of contemporary nuclear weapons would obliterate a delicate layer of gas shielding us from solar radiation. She warns that alongside ozone layer devastation, there would be significant radiation poisoning threats.

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Whilst Australia and New Zealand may endure, she anticipates residents there would face existence in darkness. She envisages people “fighting for food” and “living underground”.

Annie’s forecast follows recent mapping which indicated Iranian missiles possess the capability to devastate numerous nations, including several favoured tourist destinations. Intelligence suggests these warheads could reach targets up to 1,240 miles away.

This places beloved holiday spots including Dubai, Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt potentially within striking distance. On Thursday (March 5) the UK Government’s inaugural evacuation flights departed the Middle East to assist stranded Britons.

The initial aircraft left Oman on Thursday afternoon. The Government continues evaluating its response strategy to the Middle Eastern crisis.

Confirmation has already emerged that Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon will deploy to the Mediterranean, potentially next week, strengthening protective measures surrounding the British military installation at Akrotiri following an Iranian drone strike.