As EastEnders viewers prepared to welcome back the Mitchell Princess, Sam (Kim Medcalf), last year, they were probably expecting another does of her patented blend of sex, criminal capers and shoddy parenting.

Even with the pre-return announcement that Sam’s return would involve a cancer plot, the shock of the perennially devilish diva returning as a frightened, vulnerable shell of her former self was a shock.

While she initially took her typically chaotic approach to things, cruelly manipulating the dementia suffering-Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) and stealing the contents of big brother, Phil’s (Steve McFadden) safe, it was in the presence of her son, Ricky Branning (Frankie Day), that she began to waver.

Young Ricky could tell something was wrong when she told him that she was trying to secure him a nest-egg to help with his future. As she lamented her failings as a mother, Ricky was left unnerved.

Confronted by baby daddy Jack (Scott Maslen) and Phil, Sam’s front faltered, and it became incredibly apparent how terrified she truly was that she’d lose her life to the same illness that claimed her beloved mum, Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor).

With the support of Phil, Jack and various other Walford residents, Sam found the courage to fight back. Once officially diagnosed with breast cancer, she received a date for her lumpectomy and told Ricky the truth about her condition.

Sam faced an agonising wait for her results, but they came, and in the middle of a verbal catfight with frenemy and former co-conspirator, Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman), she revealed that she was cancer free.

As she faced a return to Portugal to begin a gruelling course of radiotherapy, she learned from Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) that Ricky desperately wanted her to stay and Sam had a moment to take everything in.

A character always defined by her utter selfishness and single-minded focus on herself had grown to become a loving, dependable mum, a supportive sister and a confidante to Zack Hudson (James Farrar), George Knight (Colin Salmon), Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) and even former enemies like Chrissie, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan)…and she decided to stay, beginning her radiotherapy treatment, leaning on Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) as it took both a physical and emotional toll on her.

Next week sees her resume her role as support system for Zack, as he struggles with the upcoming wedding between Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) and Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig), with whom he’s been fighting a growing attraction.

As the respective stag and hen parties begin, Zack opens his heart to Sam, and tells her of his recent tryst with Vicki, as well as the undeniable connection between them, moments before he’s forced to act as a stripper for her…

The following day, Zack lays it on the line for Vicki, who rejects him. He heads to Harry’s Barn to sink a few drinks before he’s joined by Sam. As the two engage in another heart to heart, she reveals that further tests have shown that she remains all clear for cancer.

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That’s right. She faced it, fought it and won. That’s our girl.

MORE: EastEnders legend stages return as Sam Mitchell opens up on cancer treatment

She was found at the airport on Easter Sunday and has now been reconnected with her human

A parrot who was found in Terminal 1 of Dublin Airport on Easter Sunday has been reunited with her owner.

Lola, who airport staff named “Troy” while she was in their care, has been reconnected with her human, Gheorghe, Dublin Airport confirmed on Tuesday evening.

Posting to social media, the airport shared a snapshot of Lola heading home with her owner after saying goodbye to Airport Police.

READ MORE: Dublin Airport desperately seeking to find owner of lost parrotREAD MORE: Ryanair passenger removed from Dublin flight sparks passport rules debate

“Lola (Troy) is officially back home,” they said. “After being spotted near Terminal 1, cared for by Airport Police and briefly rebranded as “Troy”, she has now been reunited with her owner, Gheorghe, this evening.”

Dublin Airport said they confirmed that she was going home with the right pet owner by her tag number and her response to hearing her real name. After being named Troy for her short stay, she is “happy enough” for “Troy” to be her middle name from here on out.

After finding her owner, Dublin Airport learned a few new things about the now-famous bird. Lola is nearly two years old and has a major soft spot for watermelon and strawberries, Dublin Live reports.

She’s definitely not the silent type and will get very vocal if she feels like she isn’t getting enough attention, and she is simply delighted that her shift at the airport is finally over.

“Huge thanks to everyone who helped make this happen, and a special shout out to the Airport Police K9 unit who built Lola a custom cage and kept her well fed (bananas and apples were the favourites on shift)” said Dublin Airport.

When asked how Lola came to be in the airport in the first place, Dublin Airport remained coy. “That’s another tale that is not ours to share” they said.

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

A woman has been arrested

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Police have launched an investigation after a man was discovered dead at a property in Salford, with a woman subsequently arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse offences. Officers were called to an address on Gus Risman Street at approximately 1pm on Good Friday (April 3) following reports that a man’s body had been found. Tragically, the 29-year-old, named in tributes as Lewis Kent, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A formal investigation was immediately launched by the force, and a 30 year old woman was taken into custody. She was questioned on suspicion of domestic abuse offences.

The woman has since been released on bail while enquiries continue. Police confirmed that “enquiries into the circumstances regarding his death remain ongoing”.

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Heartfelt tributes to Mr Kent were posted on social media throughout the Easter weekend, including one believed to have been written by his mother. She described him as a “lovely, big-hearted lad” and said he “would never hurt a fly”, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Another tribute read: “What a a lovely lad.” A further tribute added: “He was such a innocent loveable lad.”

In an official statement, a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “At around 1pm on Friday 3 April, officers responded to reports of the body of a man in a property on Gus Risman Street, Salford. Officers attended and sadly, a 29-year-old man was found dead at an address.

“Enquiries into the circumstances regarding his death are currently ongoing. As part of the investigation, a woman, aged 30, has been arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse offences.

“She has since been bailed pending further enquiries.”

At a press conference on Monday, Trump doubled down: “The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might ​be tomorrow night,” he said. “Every bridge in Iran will be decimated… Every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be ‌used again.”

The crime drama is available to stream in the UK and viewers have already been hooked

The popular crime drama is now available to stream in the UK.

A forgotten crime drama with a Gilmore Girls icon has landed on UK streaming, with the series gripping fans from start to finish.

Having first been released back in 2013 on CBC, Cracked follows one former SWAT officer, Detective Aidan Black, who was reassigned following a public incident. He was transferred to a newly created psych crimes and crisis unit as the series became a huge hit with viewers.

Starring Gilmore Girls icon David Sutcliffe (who is known for his role as Christopher Hayden), as Detective Black, the show spanned across two seasons before it was cancelled from television screens.

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Now, season one is available to stream on Prime Video and is currently trending on the streaming platform. However, the second season has not yet been made available.

Prime Video teases: “Former SWAT officer Detective Aidan Black is taken aback when he learns that his new partner isn’t a cop.

“He’s been assigned to work with forensic psychiatrist Dr. Daniella Ridley in a newly established unit tasked with solving the city’s most horrific crimes. Their contrasting perspectives and methods are meant to help crack even the toughest cases.”

With 13 episodes in season one, Cracked has been dubbed a must watch by viewers.

One IMDB reviewer wrote: “The First season of CRACKED had the promise of being something TRULY GREAT and the first of its kind on Canadian TV.” They later added: “Its rare that ANY television show has made me care so much for ALL of its characters. Even the weekly antagonist.”

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Another said: “I love the crime show genre, and this one is different enough to stand out from the crowd and entice me to watch every episode. Too many crime shows are built from the same mould.

“This show contains plenty of storyline and plot development, but still has a certain amount of thrill to it…so its not just mindless guts and gore, its not just another Drama, not just another who-dun-it show. I think it dips its toes just enough into each.”

A third said it was “excellent… excellent… excellent”, adding: ” The show has the suspense and also the drama. I was literally holding on to my pillow as I watched this show, trying not to miss even the tinniest details.”

Viewers may also recognise Stefanie von Pfetten as Dr. Daniella Ridley , Dayo Ade as Leo Beckett and Luisa D’Oliveira as Detective Poppy Wisnefski. Other familiar faces include Karen LeBlanc, Paul Popowich and Brooke Nevin.

Cracked season one can be streamed on Prime Video.

The Ryanair pilot had to abort his landing because the passenger refused to sit down and fasten his seatbelt

A drunken aircraft passenger has been jailed for 10 months for his aggressive and abusive behaviour on a flight returning to the UK from Poland. Stephen Blofield, 61, was so intoxicated on the Ryanair flight that both crew and fellow holidaymakers feared for their safety.

Bristol Crown Court heard Blofield became disruptive as the plane travelled from Krakow to Bristol on November 11 last year.

He had started drinking doubles at the airport to calm his nerves ahead of the flight and carried on while on board – becoming abusive towards the Polish cabin crew, WalesOnline reports.

As the flight was on approach to Bristol Airport, the British pilot had to abort his first attempt at landing because Blofield refused to sit down and fasten his seatbelt.

An earlier hearing was told he screamed ‘I’m savage, I drink JD” and “You can’t tell me what to do, I’m English”.

When the plane finally landed, the police were waiting to arrest him.

Ian Fenny, prosecuting, said: “When the officers boarded the flight and approached him, they found him to be drunk, aggressive and confrontational.

“Because of the confined space within the fuselage of an aeroplane, they were concerned that he might strike out and inflame the situation where they noticed that other passengers were already agitated.

“Eventually he was arrested and handcuffed and indeed during this process he struck out, narrowly missing the passenger to his left.

“The principal officer describes the defendant’s abuse as effectively the worst that he had to endure in 20 years as a police officer.”

Mr Fenny said Blofield’s behaviour was “so alarming and potentially dangerous” that he had to be removed from the plane using an ambulift, which is normally reserved for disabled passengers.

“As a consequence of the defendant’s behaviour, passengers were effectively marooned on board as the police, and most particularly cabin crew, tried to evacuate the plane quietly and safely,” Mr Fenny said.

“Because of the defendant’s behaviour and because of where he was actually sitting within the plane, that proved very difficult.

“Thus, a number of the passengers had no option but to be further exposed to what was described by the police as the defendant’s vile verbal aggression.”

At a previous hearing, Blofield, of Goshawk Road, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft, using threatening or abusive language to cabin crew, failing to comply with the pilot’s instructions, and an offence under the Public Order Act of using threatening abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Sam Louwers, defending, explained the defendant had lost his medication for back pain, depression and anxiety ahead of the flight to Poland and turned to alcohol for the trip home.

“Ultimately, Mr Blofield was a man who has come from a difficult background and eventually found himself in Poland due to tracing of family roots,” he said.

“When he found himself in Poland without his medication, he went into a form of withdrawal, confining himself to his hotel room and decided on that basis that he needed to return to the UK earlier than planned.

“When he got to the airport, his anxiety, depression, pain levels were sky high and he became incredibly nervous of flying and so foolishly decided that now would be the right time to settle his nerves, as many do, with a drink at the airport.”

He said the defendant had “no recollection” of the incident but had seen videos posted on social media of his behaviour.

“He’s never denied his behaviour, he’s never denied his actions, and as he explained to the police the reason he was struggling so much was because of that medical withdrawal,” Mr Louwers said.

“Mr Blofield is distressed by his behaviour, he’s distressed as to what he has witnessed in these videos.

“He is also distressed as to the fact that he has found himself before you today.

“He understands that his behaviour could have easily, and has, disrupted other passengers and the airline.

“He understands that it could have caused distress to other people, and most importantly, he understands that his behaviour is nothing short of unacceptable.”

Judge Euan Ambrose jailed Blofield, who is on benefits and has a lengthy criminal record, for 10 months.

“This is a case where only a custodial sentence can be justified,” he said. “It is so serious that no other form of sentence would be appropriate.

“You were drunk when you got on board and you continued to drink whilst on board, becoming increasingly drunk during the flight.

“Your behaviour deteriorated, you became disruptive and aggressive and refused to follow basic safety instructions from the crew, such as being asked to sit down, fasten your seatbelt and matters of that sort.

“You caused great concern and fear amongst fellow passengers and also fear and alarm to the crew.

“Your behaviour was such that the first attempt at landing into Bristol had to be aborted and when the plane finally did manage to land, police were called and boarded the plane.

“When they approached you, they found you drunk, aggressive, confrontational and extraordinarily abusive towards them.”

HOUSTON (AP) — Still aglow from their triumphant lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts put in a call to their friends aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as they headed home from the moon.

It was the first moonship-to-spaceship radio linkup ever. NASA’s Apollo crews had no off-the-planet company back in the 1960s and 1970s, the last time humanity set sail for deep space.

“We have been waiting for this like you can’t imagine,” Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman called out.

For Christina Koch on Artemis II and Jessica Meir aboard the space station, it marked a joyous space reunion despite being 230,000 miles (370,000 kilometers) apart. The two teamed up for the world’s first all-female spacewalk in 2019 outside the orbiting lab.

Koch told her “astro-sister” that she’d hoped to meet up with her again in space “but I never thought it would be like this — it’s amazing.”

“I’m so happy that we are back in space together,” Meir replied, “even if we are a few miles apart.”

Houston’s Mission Control arranged the cosmic chitchat between the four lunar travelers and the space station’s three NASA and one French residents.

As Tuesday dawned, Wiseman continued to beam back pictures of the previous day’s lunar rendezvous, which set a new distance record for humanity. The highlight: an Earthset photo reminiscent of Apollo 8’s Earthrise shot from 1968.

Koch described being awe-struck by not just the beauty of Earth, “but how much blackness there was around it.”

“It just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive,” she told the space station crew. “The specialness and preciousness of that really is emphasized” when viewing the home planet from the moon.

The first lunar explorers since Apollo 17 in 1972, Wiseman and his crew are aiming for a Friday splashdown off the San Diego coast on Friday to wrap up the nearly 10-day test flight.

It sets the stage for next year’s Artemis III, a lunar lander docking demo in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV will follow in 2028 with two astronauts attempting to land near the lunar south pole.

As for the Orion capsule’s pesky potty, Mission Control assured the astronauts that no repairs were required Tuesday. The toilet has been on-and-off limits to the crew ever since last week’s launch, prompting them to rely on a backup bag-and-funnel system for urinating.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told the crew following the lunar flyby Monday night: “We definitely have to fix some of the plumbing” ahead of the next Artemis mission.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

As for Bayern, Vincent Kompany’s men are nine clear in the Bundesliga, and are set to retain their German title at a canter once more. How did both sides get here? Real Madrid pieced up Manchester City, beating Pep Guardiola’s side 5-1 on aggregate, while Bayern decimated Serie A outfit Atalanta, emerging 10-2 victors on aggregate.

Mikel Arteta has said “the most beautiful period of the season” is ahead of his side, though there will need to be an improvement in results and performances in the next 12 days in order to get over the line. Arsenal have been boosted by the returns of Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard, while Gabriel has shaken off a knock to feature but Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber remain sidelined.

Councillors have called on the Government to ensure patients and the public continue to have a robust, trusted and truly independent mechanism to voice concerns if Healthwatch is abolished.

City of York Council’s Labour health spokesperson Cllr Lucy Steels-Walshaw said proposals to take the body’s functions in house risked removing the independence which allowed patients to raise concerns about services openly.

Opposition Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Cllr Carol Runciman said some of the worst failures in the NHS and other services were caused by people not being listened to.

The comments come after Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting said listening to patients must be the core business of the NHS, not an arms-length body.

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Mr Streeting spoke in January in defence of proposals to scrap Healthwatch put forward as part of wider reforms to the way the NHS is run.

The secretary of state first unveiled the plans for the watchdog as part of his 10-year plan for the health service in June.

Current proposals would see the functions of Healthwatch, which launched in 2013, rolled into the Department for Health and Social Care under a new Patient Experience Directorate.

Local Healthwatch functions would be brought into local authorities and NHS bodies.

The Government has said the changes would reduce complexity and bureaucracy in health services and make them more directly accountable.

But local Healthwatch branches and the national body have called on the Government to reconsider the plans.

The King’s Fund health charity said marginalised voices were at risk of being excluded if the plans go ahead.

It also warned people’s voices had been ignored in cases of recent high-profile failings including in maternity care.

The Government would need to pass new laws to scrap Healthwatch and the national body and 153 local ones are set to continue operating as normal.

Speaking at York council’s full meeting on Thursday, March 26, Cllr Steels-Walshaw said the concerning proposals represented a profound shift in health services.

The Labour health executive member said: “For more than a decade Healthwatch has been a trusted independent group for people to share their experiences.

Concerns have been raised about the Government’s plans to scrap Healthwatch (Image: Healthwatch Dorset)

“That independence isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation that allows people who feel unable to raise concerns directly to do so openly and honestly and it’s what enables transparency.

“We recognise new standards are needed but we must do everything in our power to maintain independence.”

Liberal Democrat Cllr Runciman said there was a risk that patient voices would not be heard if Healthwatch is abolished.

The opposition health spokesperson said: “The Government isn’t tweaking Healthwatch, it’s abolishing it.

“Some of the worst failings in health services didn’t happen because people weren’t speaking, it’s because people weren’t listened to.

“Not everyone knows how to navigate the system or feels safe speaking to the organisations responsible for their care.”