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British man detained in India enduring ‘psychological torture’, say UN experts

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British man detained in India enduring ‘psychological torture’, say UN experts

The 10 experts are the UN Special Rapporteurs on torture, on freedom of religion or belief, on minority issues, on the promotion and protection of fundamental rights while countering terrorism, on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, on the situation of human rights defenders, and four members of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

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Man remains in custody after Tonge Moor stabbing

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Man remains in custody after Tonge Moor stabbing

The incident, which happened yesterday morning (April 21) on Tonge Moor Road, is reportedly being treated as mental health-related.

A man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of assault after two men sustained stab wounds at 10.30am.

A resident said after the incident: “You’re not safe in Tonge Moor at all. There are all these things, people with knives, and you’re looking around when you walk. It’s scary.”

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The police presence drew the attention of residents and passers-by, and several people spoke out about their safety in the area.

Three police cars were present on the stretch of Tonge Moor Road near Bradshaw, and multiple police vehicles remained at the scene throughout the morning while officers carried out door-to-door enquiries.

One passer-by told The Bolton News: “It can happen anywhere. It’s a surprise to me, especially at the end of my row.

“I do feel safe living around Tonge Moor, and I had no idea this happened.”

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Greater Manchester Police are not providing further comment at this time.

However, on Tuesday, a GMP spokesperson said: “Emergency services attended, and two men were treated by medical professionals on site for stab wounds.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”

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Immigration officer charged with assault after protest, DA says

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Immigration officer charged with assault after protest, DA says

An immigration officer has been charged with third-degree assault and criminal mischief following an investigation into how he treated a protester who said the officer put her in a chokehold.

Multiple videos from bystanders show a masked agent grabbing and pulling Franci Stagi across the street during a protest in October against the detention of three Colombian asylum-seekers in Durango, Colorado. She said he grabbed her by the hair and put her in a chokehold. The state is among several that prohibited or severely limited police officers from using chokeholds and neck restraints since George Floyd’s death in 2020.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigations launched an investigation into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer’s actions against Stagi at the request of Durango Police Department Chief Brice Current, who raised concerns about possible violations of state law — an unusual if not unprecedented request.

The Department of Homeland Security, which includes Customs and Border Protection, called the prosecution “unlawful” and a “political stunt.” It said states have no authority to investigate such cases.

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“Federal officers acting in the course of their duties can only be investigated by other Federal agencies,” DHS said in a statement.

The department said it was still investigating what happened in the incident.

Court documents didn’t list any attorney as representing the officer, Nicholas Rice.

Stagi said she was standing close to the officer and filming him outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Durango, a college town popular for outdoor recreation, when he hit her hand hard, causing her to lose her cellphone. Stagi, a retired hypnotherapist, said she then reached for the officer’s shoulder to get his attention. After she said he put her in a chokehold, she said he threw her down an embankment next to the street. She said she still experiences pain in her arm doing normal everyday activities, like putting on her jacket.

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Court documents allege that Rice committed third-degree assault by causing bodily injury to Stagi, but the documents don’t describe how she was injured or make mention of a chokehold. Rice also is charged with criminal mischief for allegedly damaging Stagi’s cellphone.

Stagi said Wednesday she was disappointed Rice was charged with less serious crimes. The assault charge, a misdemeanor, carries a maximum sentence of just under a year in jail. But she hopes the prosecution sends a message that immigration officers can’t tackle people indiscriminately and use excessive force.

“It did open my eyes to how quickly I can be under someone else’s control, and it’s frightening,” said Stagi, whose legal name is Anne Francesca Stagi.

Federal law enforcement officers have broad legal protections when acting in the course of their official duties, and the Justice Department has in recent months taken a hard line against state efforts to arrest or prosecute federal agents. Late last year, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said arrests of federal officers performing their duties would be “illegal and futile,” citing the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and federal law. Legal experts say those protections are significant but not absolute and the Supremacy Clause does not provide blanket immunity.

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Chokeholds have been at the center of public discourse and state legislative initiatives about what constitutes an unreasonable use of force since Eric Garner died in New York in 2014 after he was put in a chokehold by a white police officer.

Garner’s dying words, “ I can’t breathe ” became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.

While some states have banned chokeholds and other tactics, sweeping changes were met with resistance.

A federal package of reforms that would have banned chokeholds nationwide passed the U.S. House in 2021 but failed to reach then-President Joe Biden’s desk. The bill was named in honor of Floyd, who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee to his neck.

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Within a month of Floyd’s death, Colorado lawmakers approved a ban on chokeholds as part of broader police reform legislation. The law overrode more limited chokehold restrictions that were put in place four years earlier.

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Slevin reported from Denver, and Lee from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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Resident says new housing development is ‘tip of the iceberg’ for Cambridgeshire town

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Cambridgeshire Live

A concerned resident said services in the town are already being “absolutely stretched” to their limits

A resident says they are “dead against” plans for a new housing development that could be built on the edge of the town they live in. Plans have been submitted by Bellway Strategic Land to build up to 260 homes on Dexter’s Farm, in Godmanchester. The proposed site is in the south of the town and close by to Whitehill Gardens, another Bellway estate.

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The resident, who wished to stay anonymous, claimed many services in the area are already “stretched” to their limits. They said: “I think it’s bad. You look at the doctor’s surgery in Brampton in Godmanchester and [it’s so hard to get] an appointment to see them. That’s not because they are bad doctors, they just can’t keep up with the capacity. There’s no infrastructure or upgraded facilities. A friend of mine rung up the other week to go see and doctor. It wasn’t a really serious thing but they said they had to wait seven weeks for an appointment, which is ridiculous. If it’s an emergency, it’s 10 days to a fortnight. The size of Godmanchester keeps growing and growing but still using the same facilities.”

A spokesperson for NHS Central East Integrated Care Board said: “When new homes are planned, we work closely with local authorities and housing developers to ensure that the health needs of communities are met.”

The resident claims that other emergency services are also stretched. They said: “If you ring for an ambulance, I know somebody broke his leg the other year and rung for an ambulance and they said it would be a two hour wait. It’s just that everything seems to be absolutely stretched to its limit.

“You ring up for police assistance and sometimes they can get out to you and sometimes they can’t. I’ve been told before that they can’t get out until the next day and that’s not great if there’s ongoing crime or a break-in. But they just haven’t got the resources. The more you build, the more you put a stretch on everything.”

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An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We continue to make significant progress in improving our response times. This progress was reflected in last month’s performance figures, which showed our fastest average response time for Category 2 emergencies – such as chest pain or stroke symptoms – since May 2021.

“We engage regularly with local authorities on housing developments as part of the planning process, and where possible we will seek appropriate funding from developers to help expand our service to meet the needs of local communities.”

Alongside the already struggling facilities, the issue of traffic is also a worry for the resident. They added: “In the mornings, traffic queues along Cambridge Road. If there’s an accident in the area, which there often is, all of the vehicles get diverted through Godmanchester and the surrounding areas get filled up. It can get gridlocked to the point where nobody is going anywhere. I think the town is just getting overloaded and it can’t cope.”

Godmanchester Town Council recently released a draft objection to the application. The statement said: “Godmanchester Town Council strongly objects to this application. The proposal is contrary to the development plan, contrary to the strategy and express wording of the Godmanchester Neighbourhood Plan, contrary to the Council’s own evidence base for Dexter’s Farm and would cause significant and irreversible harm to the countryside setting, landscape character, settlement identity and long-term sustainability of Godmanchester.”

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The Town Council mentioned concerns surrounding the walkability of the area, the loss of farmland, and suggests the development would not create a functioning part of the town. It also highlighted a lack of community spaces planned for the development such as no pub, library or youth spaces being considered.

The resident mentioned being worried about the possibility of even more developments being built in the area and what would happen to the wildlife. They said: “I think this new development is just the tip of the iceberg. They could start building even more houses in the area. What’s going to happen to all the wildlife there? There’s lapwings that nest on the field and they’re all going to just get pushed away.”

A spokesperson for Bellway Strategic Land said: “We are at an early stage in the planning process for this site. As part of this process, a statutory consultation will be carried out by the local authority, providing an opportunity for residents to comment on the proposals.”

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Greens signal free buses and childcare as price for SNP deal at Holyrood

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Greens signal free buses and childcare as price for SNP deal at Holyrood

David Linden, SNP candidate for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, said: “A re-elected SNP government will build on the best cost-of-living support package available anywhere on these isles by putting in place a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland, taking action to lower the price of essential foods in supermarkets and expanding childcare support for all children from nine months to the end of primary school for 52 weeks of the year.

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King given Blue Peter Green Badge in recognition of ‘amazing’ environmental work

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King given Blue Peter Green Badge in recognition of ‘amazing’ environmental work

Jacqueline Farrell, executive director for education at The King’s Foundation, said: “We are looking to see how one of our programmes, which is around the building craft and craftsmanship skills, could actually help support the rebuild of the Gordon Street building, especially around some of the traditional craftsmanship that was lost in the fire.”

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Newcastle darts team reach Cool Hand Cup final

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Newcastle darts team reach Cool Hand Cup final

The Charny Army, made up of players from Newcastle, earned their place in the Cool Hand Cup Grand Final after competing at their local pub, The King’s Arms.

John Scott, captain of the team, said: “The Cool Hand Cup Grand Final was such an unreal experience.

Renowned darts commentator Paul Starr interviewing Luke Humphries during the Grand Final (Image: SUPPLIED)

“I’ve never been to a darts competition before so to have my first one be a national final that I’m competing in is absolutely amazing.

“We set off at 6am to make sure we got to the Grand Final in time, and the early morning was more than worth it.

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“The atmosphere was fantastic, and we loved meeting the other players and experiencing the community feeling created by pub darts.

Renowned darts commentator Paul Starr interviewing Luke Humphries during the Grand Final (Image: SUPPLIED)

“It was amazing to meet Luke Humphries – he had a good bit of craic. He came to watch the semi-finals and finals with all of the players, which was surreal.”

The tournament, held at The Boundary in Alfreton, Derbyshire on Friday, April 10, saw 16 teams compete in a knockout 501 format, with heats, quarter-finals, and semi-finals leading to the grand final.

The Dog’s Bollogs from Wednesfield claimed the Cool Hand Cup title after beating all opponents, taking home the trophy and a £10,000 prize.

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Cool Hand Cup (Image: SUPPLIED)

The team also had the opportunity to play against former darts world champion Luke Humphries, who teamed up with Marston’s on the Cool Hand Cup for a second year.

More than 11,000 people took part across more than 500 pubs nationwide, forming 700 teams.

The highest-scoring teams advanced from regional rounds to the national final.

Finalists included teams from across the UK, such as The Enforcers from the East Midlands, Tripple Threat from York and Leeds, and The Hollingwood from Eastern.

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John Green, director of operations at Marston’s, said: “It’s been a true pleasure to bring the Cool Hand Cup back to over 500 pubs in partnership with Luke Humphries.

“This time, we invited teams to enter the tournament, and it’s been incredible to see darts and pub culture bringing people together, with over 11,000 people entering up and down the country.

“This year’s Grand Final at The Boundary was an amazing evening, the crowd were fantastic and really created an atmosphere to rival Ally Pally.

“After a nail-biting final, we’d like to offer our congratulations to the Dog’s Bollogs team, as well as all our other competing finalists.”

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Marston’s launched the Cool Hand Cup to celebrate the connection between darts and pub culture, offering players of all abilities a professional-style tournament experience.

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Green candidate apologises for sharing ‘harmful’ social media posts about Jewish people

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Green candidate apologises for sharing 'harmful' social media posts about Jewish people

Sabine Mairey, another Lambeth Green Party candidate for Clapham Town, has been accused of sharing a social media post on Facebook which said “Ramming a synagogue isn’t anti-Semitism. It’s revenge.”. The post, which was an Instagram link shared on to Facebook on March 14, 2026, is no longer visible on her account.

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New York Times says FBI investigated reporter after article about director Kash Patel’s girlfriend

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New York Times says FBI investigated reporter after article about director Kash Patel's girlfriend

The New York Times says the FBI investigated whether one of its reporters, Elizabeth Williamson, violated laws against stalking after she wrote a story nearly two months ago about how federal agents had been assigned to protect and give rides to FBI Director Kash Patel‘s girlfriend.

The FBI said Wednesday that its agents interviewed Patel’s girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, when she expressed concern about a death threat received after Williamson’s article was published, but took no further action.

The Times, in an article posted online Wednesday, said that the FBI looked on federal databases for information about Williamson and recommended pursuing it further, but was blocked by the Justice Department.

The newspaper said it learned about all of this only through a tip given to reporter Michael S. Schmidt. The paper called the action alarming.

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“The FBI’s attempt to criminalize routine reporting is a blatant violation of Elizabeth’s First Amendment rights and another attempt by this administration to prevent journalists from scrutinizing its actions,” said Joseph Kahn, the newspaper’s executive editor. “It’s alarming. It’s unconstitutional. And it’s wrong.”

It’s not clear whether The Times has any recourse other than asking a federal inspector general to review whether the actions were improper.

Williamson briefly interviewed Wilkins when reporting, but the singer insisted the conversation be off the record. The reporter also spoke to people who knew Wilkins or had worked with her, the newspaper said.

The original piece, published on Feb. 28, looked at the use of federal officials called upon to perform personal duties for an administration figure. She wrote that Patel had assigned four agents to protect Wilkins full time, and that they had ferried her to appearances in Britain, Illinois and Nashville.

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FBI spokesman Ben Williamson, in a statement posted on social media, said that while investigators “were concerned about how the aggressive reporting techniques crossed lines of stalking, no further action regarding Williamson or the reporting was ever pursued by the FBI.”

Patel hasn’t been reluctant to fight back against reporting that displeases him. On Monday, he filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic for its article that discussed allegations about his excessive drinking and mismanagement at the law enforcement agency.

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Iconic image of NI man Aaron Beggs helping fellow Boston marathon runner goes viral

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Belfast Live

‘My natural instinct was to help. I’ve been brought up with the attitude that you should put others before yourself’

A Co Down runner has received global recognition after coming to the aid of a fellow competitor at this week’s Boston Marathon.

Former army corporal Aaron Beggs, 40, displayed selfless sportsmanship when he went to help struggling runner Ajay Haridasse after dozens of other entrants ran past the man. Ajay gallantly tried to stand up before collapsing several times due to sheer fatigue just 200 metres from the iconic race’s finish line. The exhausted American athlete accepted Aaron’s offer of a hand up before the NI runner pulled him to his feet. The pair were then joined by Brazilian Robson De Oliveira who helped Aaron get the struggling Ajay across the finishing line.

READ MORE: Moira search launched for missing person last seen in school attireREAD MORE: “My beautiful baby”- Co Down councillor’s heartbreak after daughter dies in crash

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The Bangor maintenance worker said: “I was on for a personal best; I remember though at around two miles to go I was feeling the pain, so was talking to myself, to encourage myself to just keep going.

“I came on to Boylston Street, where the finish line is – could see it in the distance, and that’s when I noticed Ajay, trying his best to stand up multiple times. My natural instinct was to help. I’ve been brought up with the attitude that you should put others before yourself.”

Aaron sacrificed a PB marathon time as he crossed the line in just under 2hrs and 45 minutes, outside his best result of 2hrs 43mins and 50secs at the Dublin Marathon.

The display of international sportsmanship has won Aaron high praise from people all over the world. This included a proud declaration from the social media of Aaron’s athletic club.

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A post on the Northern Down Athletic Club’s Facebook page read: “Our superstar on the finishing straight at Boston marathon to a time of 2hrs and 44mins.

“He couldn’t pass an athlete in distress. What a gentleman. What a phenomenal sportsman.”

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

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Cancer cases reach record level as UK population ages with NI wait times flagged as in dire need of provision

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Belfast Live

Stark new figures have found one person is being diagnosed every 80 seconds

Cancer cases have reached a record level in the UK, with around one person diagnosed every 80 seconds, figures suggest.

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Analysis by Cancer Research UK shows more than 403,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year, largely due to a growing and ageing population, with people more likely to develop the disease as they age.

The charity warned that NHS services are struggling to cope with rising demand, with cancer waiting times across the UK among the worst on record.

Its new Cancer in the UK Report 2026 shows incidences have risen to 620 per 100,000 people in a decade (from 610), while cases diagnosed at an early stage have barely changed (from 54% to 55%).

Death rates have fallen and the proportion of people surviving a decade or more has risen, but Cancer Research UK said this progress is at risk of stalling, in part due to pressure on cancer services.

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It said the Government’s recently published National Cancer Plan for England is a “crucial step” towards improving care, but there needs to be “funding and resources to translate ambition into impact”.

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “More people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before.

“Although cancer survival has doubled since the 1970s, progress has slowed over the last decade.

“The UK Government’s recently published National Cancer Plan for England could make a big difference, but only if it turns into improvements for cancer patients.

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“Publishing the plan is not a ‘job done’ on cancer: ambitions to diagnose cancers earlier, meet cancer wait targets and improve best practice treatment must happen quickly.”

The charity wants screening programmes such as for lung cancer to be rolled out widely and effectively and the rollout of innovative cancer tests to be accelerated.

Around 107,000 cancer patients were waiting more than 62 days to start treatment across the UK in 2025, it said.

Cancer Research UK praised the Government’s commitments to meet waiting times targets in England but said the situation is much worse in Northern Ireland and called for more investment nationwide in specialist staff and equipment.

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A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have delivered a record number of diagnostic tests in the last 12 months, backed by an extra £26 billion for the NHS – and the number of patients getting a cancer diagnosis or all-clear on time is the highest in five years – but we are not complacent.

“Our National Cancer Plan sets out how patients will receive a diagnosis faster, treatment sooner and better support to live well with cancer, with the aim of 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years.

“Our historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is due to come into law soon, will also protect future generations from cancer.”

Natalia Norori, head of data and evidence at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Cancer diagnoses are rising, and as the UK’s most common cancer, with 64,000 new cases each year, prostate cancer plays a big part in this.

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“The good news is that prostate cancer is highly treatable when caught early.

“But with more than 1,000,000 men set to be living with the disease by 2040, early detection needs to be a priority if we’re serious about saving lives.”

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

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