As part of efforts to get the project back on track, HS2 Ltd has previously said it would slow or pause work such as the line towards Handsacre, so it could focus spend on areas which had fallen behind; notably the central section across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire.

He suffered a seizure linked to drug toxicity.

Leon Anthony Bent, of Central Place, Bolton, was pronounced dead at Royal Bolton Hospital on January 11, 2026, following 11 days in intensive care.

The hearing before coroner Michael J Pemberton, heard that Mr Bent had taken cocaine, amphetamines and alcohol during a New Year’s Eve “blowout” before becoming unwell the following day.

A report was read out at the inquest which stated that Mr Bent had “binged on cocaine, amphetamines and a large amount of solid food” the night before his collapse.

Evidence showed that on January 1, Mr Bent attended his parents’ home in Farnworth, where he appeared unwell.

Later that day, he suffered a prolonged seizure, with his body tensing and eyes rolling back.

An ambulance was called, and he was still fitting when paramedics arrived.

He was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital and placed into an induced coma in intensive care.

Despite treatment, he remained severely respiratory compromised and never recovered.

A post-mortem examination found Mr Bent had aspirated a large volume of stomach contents during the seizure, leading to severe aspiration pneumonia – a serious chest infection caused by inhaling vomit into the lungs.

The medical cause of death was given as aspiration pneumonia, caused by seizures brought on by drug toxicity.

The inquest heard that while it was not possible to confirm specific drug levels post-mortem, there was no other clear explanation for the seizures.

Detective Inspector Janet Malone said there was no evidence of third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances.

A statement from Mr Bent’s mother, Maxine Bent, described him as a “family-oriented man who enjoyed spending time at home and with his dog, Roxy.”

The inquest heard Mr Bent had faced challenges throughout his life, including a brain tumour diagnosed at 18 months old, which required multiple surgeries and left him with short-term memory difficulties.

The inquest heard he had recently received the keys to a new flat, saving money to furnish it.

Coroner Mr Pemberton concluded that Mr Bent died as a result of a drug-related incident.

He recorded a conclusion of death due to aspiration pneumonia, seizures and drug toxicity, noting that despite medical intervention, efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

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Royal Birkdale legends

Previous Open champions at Royal Birkdale

1954: Peter Thomson (Australia)

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1961: Arnold Palmer (USA)

1965: Peter Thomson (Australia)

1971: Lee Trevino (USA)

1976: Johnny Miller (USA)

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1983: Tom Watson (USA)

1991: Ian Baker-Finch (Australia)

1998: Mark O’Meara (USA) – pictured

2008: Padraig Harrington (Ireland)

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2017: Jordan Spieth (USA)

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Channel 5’s new true crime documentary has left viewers shocked and devastated

Channel 5 audiences have been left shaken by a harrowing new true crime documentary.

Murder In Shetland: Trial by Jury chronicles the death of Claire Leveque, a woman discovered dead at an isolated property in Shetland.

Claire, originally from Canada, was just 24 years old when she was killed on 11 February 2024.

She was found with multiple severe injuries in a hot tub at a property in the Sandness area, and despite the arrival of emergency services, she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

A new documentary is now shedding light on the subsequent murder trial, while also giving voice to her bereaved family, reports the Mirror.

The Channel 5 synopsis teases: “Inside the courtroom as a grieving family and an accused partner collide in a murder trial.”

Posting a clip on social media, Channel 5 cautioned audiences: “Warning: Some viewers may find the following video distressing.”

They further stated: “Claire Leveque’s final months reveal a harrowing story of control and abuse. Now, her family cross continents in search of answers, and justice.”

The trailer featured excerpts from the trial, showing Claire’s loved ones breaking down in court.

It also sees testimonies from experts brought in to prove the case, as a person warns: “This is a horror story from the beginning.”

“This was horrific,” one viewer commented to the clip.

Another said: “Horrendous case – can’t imagine how her family and friends coped with that trial.”

Someone else called it “very chilling”, and said “it wasn’t an easy watch”.

“A hard watch,” another agreed, while someone else said: “#MurderinShetland is remarkable television. Do watch it if you can, although it is quite harrowing.”

Ahead of the documentary airing, Gary Davies, consultant editor for commissioning at 5, said: “This thoughtful series gives a deeply human account of an unimaginable tragedy. It shines a light on the justice process and honours the courage of Claire’s family as they seek truth and remembrance.”

Mark Procter, executive producer for Big Little Fish, echoed the sentiment, saying: “We are profoundly grateful to the Judicial Office for Scotland and to everyone who enabled our access to the trial.

“Above all, we are honoured that the Leveque family have entrusted us to document what happened to Claire. We hope this series serves as a respectful tribute – giving her the voice that was so cruelly taken from her.”

Murder in Shetland: Trial by Jury is available to watch on Channel 5.

The incident is affecting traffic heading southbound towards Stansted Airport

A crash on the M11 has caused miles of traffic on the Essex and Cambridgeshire border. A lane is closed in both directions on the M11 between Stansted Airport and Newmarket.

It all follows an earlier collision. National Highways said emergency barrier repairs are being carried out. There are currently 30 minutes of delays in both directions and three miles of congestion on approach.

Traffic camera pictures appear to show heavy congestion on one side of the road. The incident is affecting some people on their journey towards Stansted Airport.

National Highways posted on X (formerly Twitter ): “Lane 2 (of 2) is closed on the M11 in Essex in both directions between J8 (Stansted Airport) and J9 Newmarket following an earlier collision. Barrier repairs are being carried out. Current delays of 30 minutes in both directions, with 3 miles of congestion on approach.”

Traffic monitoring service Inrix said: “Queueing traffic and one lane closed due to emergency barrier repairs on M11 in both directions from J9 (Saffron Walden) to J8 A120 (Bishops Stortford). One lane closed on the Southbound and one lane closed on the Northbound.”

Direct transfers of money to those that need aid, as opposed to using aid to fund programmes such as food or water relief, could help make aid programmes more efficient in the era of aid cuts, a new report has found.

The analysis, which was commissioned by aid body the CALP Network, is based on an analysis of $11.4bn (£8.5bn) in aid spending across some 1,203 programmes, and has been published ahead of a landmark UK summit on the future of international development, The Global Partnerships Conference.

The authors of the report find that direct cash assistance, particularly when offered through local organisations and at significant scale, can help the humanitarian sector reach significantly more people within the shrinking pool of aid funding.

Specifically, they find that cash assistance can enable up to 38 per cent more aid to actually reach people in need, with the findings coming at a time when funding per person in need has fell 35 per cent between 2024 and 2025, the last available statistics.

“At a time when humanitarian needs are rising and aid budgets are under intense pressure, this is not a debate about efficiency for efficiency’s sake,” said Cate Turton, director of the CALP Network.

“Greater efficiency means more families receiving support, more dignity for crisis-affected people and fewer impossible trade-offs in humanitarian response.

“This report gives donors and agencies concrete evidence for reforms we already know work – prioritising cash assistance, investing in locally led delivery, and delivering cash at scale – so aid can reach more people within existing funding.”

Gideon Rabinowitz, director of advocacy at the NGO network Bond, added: “Today’s report highlights that cash assistance works to meet humanitarian needs among communities impacted by conflict and crisis: and works best when led and delivered at scale by local organisations.

“As international aid budgets shrink, there is a need to consider how remaining funds can deliver the best value for marginalised communities worldwide, and for taxpayers.

“Donors including the UK government should now heed the report’s evidence and take action to implement reforms that will facilitate locally led cash assistance delivery, and make every penny of international aid count – and reach the people who need it most.”

Direct cash transfers have increasingly been used by NGOs in humanitarian contexts, with the World Food Programme (WFP) – a UN agency, and the world’s largest humanitarian organisation – doing so as part of its ‘Anticipatory Action’ programme.

In Ethiopia, for example, WFP has been offering cash transfers to pastoral communities ahead of periods of drought, which enable families to purchase food and animal feed, and also to cultivate crops, instead of being largely helpless as their animals succumb to the climate shock.

“The goal is really to reduce the impact on vulnerable populations by saving lives and protecting livelihoods ahead of the shock,” Robert Ackatia-Armah, acting deputy country director for WFP Ethiopia, has previously told The Independent.

“The idea is that we cannot prevent the shock from happening, but we can prevent the humanitarian cost and caseload by intervening in advance,” he added.

There is currently a risk, though, that these programmes are deprioritised as NGOs are forced to cut back on everything except the most critical humanitarian work, such as food relief in famine-prone areas.

Last month, WFP in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed to The Independent that cash assistance has been cut back in the DRC as the agency has been forced to focus on more other kinds of life-saving humanitarian work.

This article has been produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project

The head of the Royal College of Nursing is calling for an end to violence against nursing staff

Nurses have said they are just “trying to stay safe” to get through shifts without patients coming to harm, amid warnings of a “deadly mix” of increasingly complex care and widespread vacancies in the profession.

The boss of the Royal College of Nursing will tell the union’s congress on Monday that members face a “torrent of violence, sexual assaults, discrimination and abuse” while they go about their daily work, and she will accuse ministers of failing in the “most basic task” of keeping citizens safe.

Ahead of the gathering, the RCN surveyed more than 13,000 nursing staff across Wales and England about their experiences on their most recent shift. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

In her speech Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the RCN, will say: “Widespread vacancies of registered nurses are always unsafe, but the risk is being compounded by the demands of delivering ever more complex care to an ageing, sicker population, with multiple conditions. It is a deadly mix.

“It is a government’s first priority to keep its citizens safe, but our analysis and the testimony of nursing staff show ministers are too often failing in this most basic task.

“We need a new approach, away from the flawed ‘finger in the wind’ workforce planning which led us here.

“It must be centred on new, sustained investment in the nursing workforce to the level that allows our profession to meet all patients’ needs – now and in the future. Anything else lays the ground for another patient safety disaster.”

Prof Ranger will also use her speech in Liverpool to call for an end to violence against nursing staff.

“There’s a torrent of violence, sexual assaults, discrimination and abuse faced by nursing staff while we provide care,” she is expected to say.

“It’s rising. And it has to be stopped. This is about respect, it’s about fairness and it’s about decency. But these problems run deep. What we see is sex, race and class being held against sections of our workforce. It’s not an equal playing field.”

She is also expected to highlight that nursing continues to “bear the brunt of funding restrictions and budgets cuts” which “makes a hard job even harder”.

In the speech the nurses union boss is expected to say: “It means no matter how far we push ourselves beyond our limits, we can’t make up for having too few staff. That can feel like our failure and we carry that pain home with us, long after our shifts have ended. It’s not our failure. It’s nursing set up to fail.”

In the RCN survey more than three-quarters (79%) of respondents told the union that clinical complexity has increased in the last two years, with one-in-10 saying staffing is at the right level to meet patient needs. More than two-thirds (69%) said the situation is forcing them to make tough decisions on prioritising care.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We greatly value the nursing workforce in Wales and the vital work they do.

“The First Minister has now appointed his cabinet which he has said will have a relentless focus on doing what’s best for Wales. Each minister will be setting out their priorities shortly.”

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Paris Wilson has been convicted along with a gang over her ex-partner’s death.

A dad died in agony after having acid thrown in his face in a vicious ambush. Now his ex-girlfriend and a group of gang members are being sentenced over a crime that ripped a family apart.

Paris Wilson was convicted over her former partner, Danny Cahalane’s death alongside Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, of London, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden, London, and Israel Augustus, 26, of Tottenham, London.

Wilson, 35, helped orchestrate the attack in the middle of the night at the home she once shared with Danny, who suffered horrific injuries to his face and neck. The corrosive burns led to numerous operations as he fought for his life in the hospital, before he died almost three months later – but not before he relayed a message that would bring his killers to justice, reports the Mirror.

While his young daughter slept at their Plymouth home on February 21 of last year, fitness instructor Danny, 38, opened the door at 3:55 am, only to have sulphuric acid hurled in his face. Danny was taken to hospital following the attack. The father-of-two died in hospital on May 3 but before his death he was able to tell cops he believed his drugs “boss” had ordered the fatal attack, jurors were told.

At Winchester Crown Court, Wilson was convicted of his manslaughter along with Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, of London. Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden, London, and Israel Augustus, 26, of Tottenham, London, were found guilty of murdering Mr Cahalane.

Jean Mukuna, 24, from Camden, London, has been jailed for 52 months for being the driver in an attempted kidnap of Mr Cahalane on January 19 2025, aimed at recouping his drug debts a month before the fatal attack.

His jail term included the sentence for an offence of the possession of cocaine worth £1,760 with intent to supply. His brother, Arrone Mukuna, 25, also from Camden, was sentenced to 16 months for his role as “back-up” in the attempted kidnap.

At sentencing, the judge, Ms Justice Norton, told them: “This was an offence that required a high degree of planning, it required coordination to ensure everyone was in the right place at the right time.”

Isanah Sungum, 22, of Edmonton, London, was caged for 26 months for being part of the organised crime gang involved in the supply of drugs by supplying a stolen car to the group and arranging transport.

And Jude Hill, 43, of Plymouth, who is the sister-in-law of Mr Cahalane, was sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to the supply of cannabis.

The judge went on to say that Hill denied being part of the organised crime gang but said she had “multiple close contacts” with it. The judge added that she had a “management role” in supplying cannabis to the UK from Thailand where she lived part of the time.

Ms Justice Norton told her: “The volumes you were concerned in supplying were considerably more than street-dealing quantities.” Jo Martin KC, prosecuting, told the trial that Mr Cahalane, 38, was targeted because he owed his “boss” in the region of £120,000.

She said this dealer was a man called Ryan Kennedy – with the nickname of Frost – who operated between Thailand, Spain and was currently believed to be in Dubai.

The prosecutor said Mr Kennedy became “incensed” at Mr Cahalane’s “stalling” and failure to repay the money and first of all orchestrated the attempted kidnap attempt on January 19 2025, and then the fatal attack. Ms Martin said Mr Cahalane had been able to speak to police from his hospital bed before he died from his injuries and told them he had built up the debts after one of his junior drug dealers had run off without paying him.

He also stated that he had lost more of the money through gambling. Speaking after his death, Mr Cahalane’s family said in a tribute: “Danny was an outstanding father and son.”

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Bernardo Silva was counting his medals. “Since I arrived it has been 20, so it is not bad,” said the Manchester City captain. There may yet be a 21st before he departs, with a Premier League title to pursue.

The 20th was the first and last FA Cup Silva will lift as skipper. In the grand litany of things Pep Guardiola has won, it is unlikely to prove the most memorable, the delectable winner from Antoine Semenyo apart. There was a routine feel to it, but then Guardiola has made winning feel part of the routine.

Even those with the most basic grasp of maths can understand he has an average of two trophies per season in his time at City. Indeed, with 20 honours, he drew level with Bob Paisley, who managed Liverpool for nine years and also won six league titles. Paisley’s three European Cups still put him ahead in one respect, but in terms of a total number of trophies, only Sir Alex Ferguson has more in English football than Guardiola.

Different times provide different contexts; different finances, too, and the record £440,000 fee Paisley paid for Kenny Dalglish sounds quaint when compared with the £430m Guardiola has spent in 2025 and 2026 alone.

Yet a common denominator has been an ability to hoover up prizes even in eras when there has been considerable competition. Paisley faced Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, Ferguson Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Guardiola helped prevent another genuinely great team, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, from winning more. From Antonio Conte’s Chelsea to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, there have been worthy rivals. City have not had a monopoly on spending or on fine players. Guardiola has institutionalised winning, in part by warning his charges that it is not guaranteed.

“I always don’t forget but you pretend you are there and then in a few hours you are in the bottom,” he said. “Don’t take it for granted. You start to believe that you are special, you will just win the FA Cup. Special we are not. The moment that we think [that], we will not be in these places.”

There are reasons why City may not forever be in these places: the 115 charges that remain unresolved, the probability that Guardiola will leave, whether this year or next. Managing City, he said on Friday, is “f***ing fun”. On such days, he looks like he is still enjoying it.

The problem for any successor, with Enzo Maresca the likeliest candidate if Guardiola goes now, is that it will be hard to maintain such standards; even with the resources available, the rebuilding job Guardiola has done and the depth of talent that Josko Gvardiol, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rico Lewis and Nico Gonazalez were not even on the bench on Saturday.

Part of Guardiola’s trophy-gathering habit stems from his commitment to every competition. It is why he has won the Carabao Cup a record five times and reached an unprecedented eight successive FA Cup semi-finals and four finals.

That does not always involve naming his strongest side; it does mean Guardiola can find ways to pick a strong enough side to navigate his way through the majority of ties.

An attitude he instilled in players such as Silva transmits to newer arrivals. “When you have top pros who have won it all essentially, you just learn a lot and it rubs off on you a little bit,” said Semenyo, who arrived in January and scored an FA Cup winner in May.

As Saturday showed, City have the ability or mentality required in tight finals. They have won a Carabao Cup and an FA Cup at Chelsea’s expense, the first on penalties, the second 1-0. Arsenal were arguably marginally superior in the first half of March’s League Cup final; City seized the initiative in the second. That ability to sense an opening or win big moments forms part of the DNA of winners; Ferguson and Paisley would recognise it.

Guardiola is the purist whose sides can show grit. “To stick in there and fight like we did is incredible,” said John Stones, who lifted the trophy with Silva, though he was an unused substitute. But he has been there for all 20 trophies. Under Guardiola, City have won an FA Cup, a Carabao Cup and a European Cup 1-0. There is a skill in just doing enough.

It now means more than Guardiola has done more than anyone else, Ferguson excepted. There are storied clubs a century and a half old who have won less than Guardiola has in the last decade. City have 38 trophies – excluding their seven second-tier titles, anyway – of which 18 came in 136 years before Guardiola and 20 in 10 with him. He has normalised it, but this is not normal.

The list aims to celebrate ‘the most magical and important independent gigging institutions across the country’

A Belfast music hall has been named one of the greatest independent music venues in the UK by Time Out.

Time Out Magazine is a guide to the best art and entertainment, food and drink, attractions, hotels and things to do in the world’s greatest cities.

At a time when arts venues are struggling for funding and independent venues are being forced to shut their doors, the list aims to celebrate “the most magical and important independent gigging institutions across the country”.

READ MORE: Two venues giving gig-goers chance to own part of Belfast music historyREAD MORE: Derry Girls star to lead new sitcom Hopley Hall set in the Northern Irish countryside

The iconic Empire Music Hall on Botanic Avenue in South Belfast is the only venue in Northern Ireland to be highlighted by Time Out, with it being highlighted for being “great craic”.

Time Out said: “With a truly stunning pink-red interior featuring velvet chairs, garish wallpaper, and a curtained stage, it’s no surprise that Belfast’s Empire Music Hall is great craic.

“Formerly a Presbyterian church (est. 1874), the venue was overhauled in 1987 and quickly became a central hub for live music and entertainment, welcoming local talents like The Divine Comedy in the ‘90s alongside legends like John Martyn and the Undertones.

“Today’s clientele includes ‘lecture dodging students, old regulars, and passing tourists’ – a mix as eclectic as the decor.”

Stephen Bradley, Entertainment Manager at the Empire Music Hall said: “It’s always nice to get recognition, but Time Out is a legend in terms of nightlife writing, so this means a lot.

“Just reading the Empire’s name alongside the legendary Barrowlands, Albert Hall and Rock City is a great reflection of the hard work our team have put in to keeping Belfast on the gigging map.”

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