BAGHDAD (AP) — American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped from a Baghdad streetcorner last week, has been released, an Iraqi official with direct knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday.

Kittleson was freed in the afternoon, said the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly. He did not share her current whereabouts but said that prior to her release, she had been held in Baghdad.

The powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement earlier in the day it had decided to free Kittleson, who was abducted on March 31.

The group said its decision came “in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing prime minister,” Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without giving more details. It added that “this initiative will not be repeated in the future.”

The statement added a condition — that Kittleson must “leave the country immediately” upon her release.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kataib Hezbollah had not previously acknowledged that it was the one responsible for Kittleson’s abduction, although both U.S. and Iraqi officials had pointed fingers at the group.

Two officials within the militia, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, told the AP that in exchange for freeing Kittleson, several members of the group who had previously been detained by Iraqi authorities would be released.

Kittleson, 49, a freelance journalist, had lived abroad for years before the kidnapping, using Rome as her base for a time and building a respected journalism career across the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Like many freelancers, she often worked on a shoestring budget and without the protections afforded by large news organizations to staff.

She had entered Iraq again shortly before her abduction. U.S. officials have said that they warned her multiple times of threats against her, but that she did not want to leave.

Iraqi officials have said that two cars were involved in the kidnapping, one of which crashed while being pursued near the town of al-Haswa in Babil province, southwest of Baghdad. The journalist was then transferred to a second car that fled the scene.

Three Iraqi officials said earlier Tuesday that attempts to negotiate her release had run into obstacles.

The two Iraqi security officials and one official from the pro-Iran Coordination Framework political bloc spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the sensitive case publicly.

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton graduate student with Israeli and Russian citizenship, disappeared in Baghdad in 2023. After she was freed and handed over to U.S. authorities in September 2025, she said that she had been held by Kataib Hezbollah.

The group never officially claimed responsibility for kidnapping her.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have also launched regular attacks on U.S. facilities in the country since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

Temperatures will soar to 19C this afternoon (April 7) before climbing to 20C on Wednesday.

This is a far cry from the weekend, when much of the North West was buffeted by strong winds courtesy of storm Dave.

The Met Office said: “It’s turning warmer over the next couple of days and there will be plenty of sunshine to go alongside it.

“For most across England and Wales it will be dry and settled with lots of warm sunshine.”

Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning will be mild, with temperatures in the ‘high single figures’ according to the MET Office.

“Wednesday will be another dry, settled day with plenty of sunshine, and feeling slightly warmer than Tuesday as well.

“Highs potentially reaching around 26C (nationally) and if we do so that will make it the warmest day of the year so far.”

But the sunny skies are not expected to last long, with ‘bands of rain and heavy showers’ expected on Thursday, making for a ‘more unsettled’ end of the week.

Daniel, 30, was last seen at 6.50am on Monday, April 6, in the Radcliffe area.

Daniel is described as a 5ft 8/9 white male, of a lean build, who has dark, medium-length hair, according to Greater Manchester Police.

Daniel was last seen wearing a black coat, blue jeans, and black and white trainers.

GMP issued an appeal on their Facebook and Twitter accounts, along with a picture of Daniel, to aid the public in identifying him.

GMP said: “Have you seen Daniel from Bury?

“He was last seen in the Radcliffe area earlier this morning.

“Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about him and want to make sure he is safe and well.

“Any info? Call us on 101 quoting log 1431 of 06/04/26.”

Daniel is from Bury but was last spotted in Radcliffe on the morning of Monday, April 6.

Boxing Day lands on a weekend, which means a bank holiday substitute day is placed the following Monday

This year, millions of employees across the UK will get a three-day working week over Christmas, thanks to Boxing Day falling on a Saturday. Whenever a bank holiday, such as Boxing Day, lands on a weekend, a ‘substitute day’ is allocated so that there is a bank holiday during the week.

Different nations across the UK have different rules when it comes to bank holidays. England and Wales recognise eight bank holidays per year, with some exceptions for special circumstances. An example of these exceptions was in 2022 when the UK had two extra bank holidays – one on June 3 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and another on September 19 for the Queen’s funeral.

Northern Ireland and Scotland have some extra bank holidays, with the former recognising ten and the latter nine. In 2026, Scotland has an extra bank holiday to celebrate their participation in the World Cup, falling on Monday 15 June.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Across the globe, India is the nation with the most bank holidays, with 21 days as official national holidays. Sadly for us living here in England, there is only one country in the world which celebrates fewer bank holidays, and that is Mexico which only recognises seven official public holidays.

Historically the UK used to have 33 official holidays on the calendar, made up mostly of saints days and religious celebrations. But in 1834, it was decided this was too many, and by 1871, the Bank Holidays Act had the number reduced and made into law.

This year, Boxing Day (December 26) lands on a weekend, which means a substitute day is given on the following Monday – December 28. And then New Year’s Day falls on the Friday of that week, making it just a three-day working week.

Here is a full list of the remaining bank holidays for England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Bank holidays in 2026 for England and Wales

• Early May bank holiday – Monday 4 May
• Spring bank holiday – Monday 25 May
• Summer bank holiday – Monday 31 August
• Christmas Day – Friday 25 December
• Boxing Day (substitute day) – Monday 28 December

Bank holidays in 2026 for Scotland

• Early May bank holiday – Monday 4 May
• Spring bank holiday – Monday 25 May
• World cup bank holiday – Monday 15 June
• Summer bank holiday – Monday 31 August
• St Andrew’s Day – Monday 30 November
• Christmas Day – Friday 25 December
• Boxing Day (substitute day) – Monday 28 December

Bank holidays in 2026 for Northern Ireland

• Early May bank holiday – Monday 4 May
• Spring bank holiday – Monday 25 May
• Battle of the Boyne – Monday 13 July
• Summer bank holiday – Monday 31 August
• Christmas Day – Friday 25 December
• Boxing Day (substitute day) – Monday 28 December

Police were alerted at around 12.30pm on April 5 to an incident on Chorley New Road, close to the Bee Hive pub.

Officers attended and found the item was deemed a “non-viable” weapon, with police confirming it had been made to resemble a gun.

A man in his 40s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police told The Bolton News: “At around 12.30pm on April 5, officers responded to reports of a male with a firearm on Chorley New Road, Bolton.

“One man, aged in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm, and the item has been deemed non-viable.”

Another force spokesperson confirmed to The Bolton News that the item in question closely resembled a stick.

A spokesperson for the Bee Hive said: “The safety of our customers and team is our top priority and we temporarily restricted access to the pub as a result of an incident in the local area on Sunday.

“We’re grateful for the quick response of the emergency services and reopened soon afterwards on the advice of the police.”

This Morning star Alison Hammond was quick to praise her colleagues ahead of their new show

Advertisement

ITV viewers are in for a delight as a brand-new series kicks off this month, hosted by two This Morning stars.

Josie Gibson and Dan Hatfield, a regular expert on ITV’s This Morning, will be presenting How to Clean Up for Cash. They’ll journey across the country, encountering families who have the chance to convert their clutter into cash.

While the families are preoccupied with a decoy TV programme, Josie covertly enters their homes to pack up their clutter, assisted by decluttering specialist Jacqueline McLeod and Dan Hatfield.

Upon returning home, the ‘clutter culprits’ face a choice: do they retain the clutter or opt for the cash?

READ MORE: I’m A Celebrity viewers reel ‘enough is enough’ as star ‘disappears’ from showREAD MORE: Sort Your Life Out fans ‘can’t wait’ as expert shares huge announcement

Announcing the news on Instagram, Dan Hatfield gave a sneak peek of what audiences can anticipate, reports Birmingham Live.

He captioned the post: “HUGE TV NEWS I’m so excited to finally reveal that the secret filming project I’ve been teasing, is..How to Clean up for cash… coming to ITV next Monday (13th April) at 7:30pm.

“I’ve been travelling up and down the country with the gorgeous Josie and formidable Jacque to help people tackle their clutter and make some cash!

“Josie convinces the clutter culprits that we have sent them away from their homes to film a different show, whilst secretly we clear out and box up their belongings.

“When they return, we make them a cash offer for their items. Will they take it, or will they unbox their items and put them back?”

Dan hinted that viewers can anticipate remarkable discoveries, unexpected twists and ‘bags of emotion’ throughout the series, scheduled to broadcast over the forthcoming six weeks.

The post quickly garnered responses, with numerous individuals extending their congratulations, including their This Morning colleague Alison Hammond.

She posted: “This is gonna be great.” The Coupon King, another regular on the ITV programme, chimed in: “This is such a fun idea! Saw an advert for it earlier.”

Another user expressed: “Love this so much, darling! Can’t wait to watch xx.” A different individual enthused: “Sounds amazing! We can’t wait to watch.”

A fan commented: “Cannot wait to watch – huge congratulations xxx” While another shared: “Oh wow !! This sounds amazing, a definite watch!”

Before the show’s premiere next week, Josie remarked: “How To Clean Up For Cash is a show with so much heart. It isn’t just about decluttering, it’s about bringing people together.

“We’re on the ground, in homes across the country, showing viewers how much their everyday items might be worth.”

How to Clean Up for Cash airs Monday April 13 on ITV from 7:30pm

Baggy Khan, who is running to be a councillor in the Halliwell ward, posted a story to his public Instagram account which shows him sitting in the driver’s seat before the camera flips to show the steering wheel as the car drives down the motorway.

It is unclear when the video was taken, but other videos still on his Instagram appear to show him recording while driving in October 2022 and June 2023.

Mr Khan said that the videos were “very old” and he “won’t be posting driving videos” in the future.

Baggy Khan (Image: Baggy Khan)

Bolton Labour condemned the footage, which they said was “extremely dangerous” and showed “disgraceful judgement and behaviour that puts other road users and pedestrians at risk”.

They called on Greater Manchester Police to investigate the footage to determine if any road traffic offences had been committed.

Cllr Rabiya Jiva, who is Bolton Council‘s Labour executive cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “Residents in Halliwell have a right to expect that anyone asking for their vote takes public safety seriously.

“This footage appears to show shocking irresponsibility.

“If a Green Party candidate thinks filming content while driving is acceptable, then the Greens need to explain that judgment to the public.

The posts appear to show Mr Khan recording while driving (Image: Baggy Khan)

“Greater Manchester Police should review the video, and Bolton Green Party should now seriously consider whether Baggy Khan is fit to stand for elected office.”

Cllr Hanif Alli, councillor for Halliwell and chairman of Bolton Green Party, said the party is “internally investigating” the incident.

He said: “The Green Party takes this matter very seriously and we’re investigating it and will be talking to all candidates that, although campaigning is important, it’s not above the law.”

Russia and China have blocked a UN Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz – this is a breaking story

Advertisement

Russia and China chose to block a UN Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. This happened just hours before Donald Trump’s dramatic deadline for Iran to re-open the vital shipping route.

The Mirror reports the Bahrain-sponsored resolution failed after receiving 11 votes in favour, two abstentions and two against (Russia and China). Both countries hold veto power on the council.

The vote took place before the deadline of Tuesday 8pm ET (1am BST Wednesday) set by the US president for Iran to reopen the strait or face attacks on its power plants and bridges.

One-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the strait, and Iran’s blockage of the route has sent energy prices soaring.

Want to see more of the stories you love from Belfast Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives… To add Belfast Live as a preferred source, simply click here.

Greater Manchester Police issued an appeal to the public via social media on Tuesday, April 7, asking for help in finding the next of kin of Alan Harper.

The force said he died at Hemsworth Road, Bolton, on Thursday, April 2, and there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Anybody with any information should call the Police Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 4687.

A spokesperson for GMP said: “Do you know the next of kin of a man from Bolton?

“Alan Harper (48), sadly died at Hemsworth Road, Bolton, on Thursday, April 2, 2026.

“There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

“Any info? Call the Police Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 4687.”

Once the police have the details that they need, they will be passed along to the Coroner’s Office to let full cause of death be established.