The York-based rail firm, which runs the East Coast Main Line, said all services were stopped in Retford, Nottinghamshire, on Thursday evening after a vulnerable man was found on top of a railway bridge over a river.

Police brought the incident to a safe conclusion at around 3.20am on Friday morning. British Transport Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of obstructing the railway and taken into police custody where he remained late Friday morning.

An LNER spokesperson said the incident resulted in “severe disruption” on Thursday evening and meant trains and crews were out of position when starting on Friday.

They said that services are expected to be “very busy” on Friday and passengers are “strongly advised to check their journey before travelling”.

Read next:

David Horne, LNER’s managing director, offered his “profound apologies to all those whose journeys have been affected”, adding: “We are aware that people were waiting at stations and onboard our trains for a long time, and we know that our customers will have been travelling for important reasons.

“I want to reassure everyone that our teams, both on the ground and behind the scenes, were working hard to get people moving towards their destinations as quickly as possible. However, due to the sensitivity of the incident and with the safety of everyone involved being paramount, we could only run our services through the affected area when British Transport Police determined it was safe to do so.

“We thank our customers for their patience and understanding while teams responded to the sensitive situation.”

LNER said its customers with tickets dated April 16 or April 17 can use their existing tickets on any LNER service to their destination up to, and including, Monday, April 20.

The company said it is recommended that passengers make a new seat reservation, for free, via the LNER app, website, or at its travel centres.

The Prodigy stopped in Manchester on Thursday evening as part of their 10-date arena tour

The Prodigy delivered an epic performance when they headlined Manchester’s Co-op Live and fans don’t have to wait too long until they return to the city.

Co-op Live, packed to the brim, had the feel of a festival headline stage on Thursday evening. Dance pioneers The Prodigy, formed in 1990, impressively swept through their greatest of hits at a big rave inside the arena.

Following support from Carl Cox, Maxim and Liam Howlett took to the stage with early airings of Omen and Voodoo People setting the tone. This Manchester gig marked their second night of a 10-date tour which opened earlier this week in Glasgow.

Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter

Thursday’s festivities marked a wonderful form of kinetic chaos. Early on, Maxim addressed the rambunctious Co-op crowd with a call to ‘all my party people here tonight’. Unsurprisingly, this was met by rousing cheers from the thousands of people crammed into the Co-op Live.

Accompanying the beats came a series of impressive visuals, including touchingly creating a silhouette of the late, great Keith Flint, who we sadly lost in 2019, for Firestarter which will always be synonymously paired with the enigmatic much-loved performer.

There was a pulsating flow to the frivolities. A sea of lasers firing into the sky, joined by two giant phasers on-stage, as Maxim and Howlett took Manchester through their unmistakable hit tracks.

Lots of lads had their shirts off, and friends ascended on to shoulders, for No Good. Those able to, were also stood on their feet, in the two tiers above the stage, throughout the captivating proceedings.

Famously, Manchester loves dance music and the city was eager to express that fondness. Maxim declared: “All my party people in Manchester. Tonight is the f**king night.”

Later bellowing: “All my people in Manchester make some f**king noise!” Curiously, despite the scale, the Co-op show could be considered something of an intimate affair, in context, with The Prodigy set to return to Manchester later this year when they headline one of their four Warrior Dance shows with a night in Wythenshawe Park.

Although, it is fair to say, their Co-op event felt much more than a dress rehearsal. It having the sense, and atmosphere, of a bill-topping festival extravaganza.

Maxim, Howlett and their talented supporting crew ended proceedings with a five-song encore. Anthem Breathe beginning the bonus time with the euphoric Out of Space bringing the electronic gathering to a close.

Maxim screaming: “We love coming to Manchester. Party f**king people.” Thankfully, it is not all that long until one and all will be reunited in the city.

Setlist

• Omen
• Voodoo People
• Poison
• Climbatize/Everybody in the Place
• Light Up the Sky
• Claustrophobic Sting / Firestarter
• Roadblox
• The Day Is My Enemy
• No Good
• Invaders Must Die
• Thunder
• Get Your Fight On
• Their Law
• Smack My B***h Up

Encore

• Breathe
• Take Me to the Hospital
• Diesel Power
• We Live Forever
• Out of Space

Quiver Delivery, based in London, launched back in 2021 with the aim of becoming “the physical connection between brands and their customers”.

The company offered immediate, same-day, or next-day delivery to 86% of homes in London and was completely emissionless, using only human or electricity-powered vehicles.

These included bicycles, e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, e-mopeds, e-cars, and e-vans.

The Quiver Delivery website asks: “When was the last time that you had a satisfactory delivery experience? Your order arrived where you wanted it, when you wanted it?”

It added that this should be achievable “every time”, but it’s “rare” – not with Quiver.

The website continues: “We’re setting the standard for e-commerce delivery.

“Simple integrations, a clean customer interface and cutting edge technology under the hood means your delivery experience is truly magical. Deliveries are fast. Emissionless. Trackable. Editable.

“Courier services generally scrape the lower bound of what’s acceptable. Quiver’s couriers are proud to be an extension of the brands we deliver for.”

Quiver Delivery enters liquidation

However, after five years, Quivery Delivery is set to close down after entering liquidation.

Ian Michael Rose and Paul Mallatratt from Abbey Taylor Jones Limited were appointed as liquidators this week, according to The Gazette.

This came after a petition to wind up the company was presented to the High Court of Justice (Chancery Division) last October.

A petition to wind up is a formal legal document filed in court by a creditor to force a company into compulsory liquidation because it cannot pay its debts.

Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration in 2026 (so far)

It has been a rough start to 2026 for the UK high street, with a wide range of businesses entering administration or closing down.

Major high street retailers, including River Island, Primark, and Poundland, have been forced to close stores in 2026, while Revolution and BrewDog shut the doors to 21 and 38 pubs, respectively.

Several other retailers have fallen into administration, including:

Meanwhile, four UK travel companies have closed in 2026:

EcoJet Airlines, billed as “the world’s first Electric Airline”, also entered liquidation after just three years, resulting in the cancellation of all planned flights.

What has a nose, wings and runs off of hydrogen? Ecojet 😎 pic.twitter.com/y8QGiBdFe2

— ecotricity (@ecotricity) July 17, 2023

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out over the coming months after being acquired by InPost.

It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It’s not been all bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Did you ever use Quiver Delivery? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

Child Benefit is worth £27.50 a week for your first child, then £17.90 a week for any additional child

High income Child Benefit claimants have been urged to check now to see if they have missed out on National Insurance credits.

Child Benefit is paid by HMRC to those who are responsible for looking after a child under the age of 16, or if they are under the age of 20 and still in approved education or training.

It is worth £27.50 a week for your first child, then £17.90 a week for any additional child. However, if you, or your partner, earn over £60,000, then you have to pay part of your Child Benefit back.

This is known as the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

If either of you earn over £60,000, you pay back 1% of your Child Benefit for every £200 you earn over £60,000. Once you earn over £80,000, you pay back 100% of your Child Benefit back.

Before 2024, threshold was £50,000 before it started to be tapered away and £60,000 before you lost all of your entitlement.

You can choose to not claim Child Benefit, to avoid paying the high income charge – but this means you miss out on National Insurance credits.

Child Benefit automatically provides National Insurance credits if your child is under 12. National Insurance credits help you build up your entitlement to the state pension if you have been out of work.

The government announced in April 2023 that it would introduce a new system to claim backdated National Insurance credits for free.

It had been due to launch in April 2026, but has now been delayed to April 2027. In an article published on MoneySavingExpert.com, the team urged certain people to act now.

The MSE team said: “The delay won’t affect most people, but if you’re at, or very close to, State Pension age, you can act now by complaining to HMRC.”

HMRC told MSE it expects “very few” to be impacted by the delay. However, MSE has urged anyone who may be affected to complain to HMRC now through its online service or National Insurance enquiries.

MSE says you could be affected if you are at state pension age but getting less than the full amount, because you were caring for children at any time since 2013 and have missing years in your National Insurance record.

You may also be affected if you are due to reach state pension age before April 2027 and you have gaps in your National Insurance record as a result of caring for children since 2013.

The Mirror has contacted HMRC for comment.

A man inside the property sustained head injuries that police believe are consistent with a suspected assault.

A house and three vehicles have been substantially damaged following an arson with intent to endanger life incident and burglary in Newtownabbey.

Police received a report at approximately 11pm on Thursday, April 16 in relation to three vehicles and a house on fire in the Fairview Lane area.

On officers’ arrival, colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service were in attendance extinguishing the fires which the PSNI say they are treating as arson with intent.

READ MORE: Police arrest suspect after ‘hot water thrown over man’ at Strabane courthouseREAD MORE: Man hospitalised with serious facial injuries following suspected assault in Antrim

A PSNI spokesperson said: “The occupants of the property were able to evacuate, with a man sustaining minor head injuries that we believe are consistent with a suspected assault.

“Substantial damage was caused to the house and vehicles due to the fires. We’re also investigating the potential that a disturbance and assault had occurred inside the property.

“Enquiries are continuing to determine a motive and who was involved. We are keen to hear from anyone who may have CCTV, dash-cam or other footage of the area or who noticed suspicious behaviour. Please phone us on 101, quoting reference number 1832 16/04/26.”

A report can also be made using the online reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport. Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

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

Running a marathon asks a great deal of the body. You need sustained energy, careful pacing, plenty of muscle endurance and smart hydration.

Marathons also ask a great deal of the mind. At some point, almost every runner has to deal with nerves, discomfort, self-doubt or the creeping sense that the finish line is still very far away.

That is why successful marathon running is not just about fitness. It’s about fuelling well, thinking clearly and responding effectively when the race starts to bite.

Here are some of the most useful nutritional and psychological strategies to get you through marathon day.

Fuel properly

For runners, carbohydrates are not the enemy. They are the body’s main fuel source at marathon pace. On race day, how and when you take them in matters enormously.

Once the race begins, your glycogen levels (a rapid-release form of energy stored in the body), steadily deplete. For many runners, these reserves begin to run low after roughly two hours of continuous effort, which is one reason people “hit the wall”.

Proper race-day fuelling helps delay that point. Runners should aim to consume around 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during the race. Gels, chews or sports drinks – often available at aid stations – are great ways of topping up carbohydrate stores. Race day isn’t the moment to gamble, so whatever you plan to use should already be familiar with its effects from training.

Hydration is equally important and just as personal. Some runners lose fluid quickly, while others cannot comfortably drink large amounts while running.

A useful benchmark is try to limit fluid losses to around 2–3% of your body weight during the race. The aim is to replace some of what you’re losing during the race without overdoing it.

One practical approach is to drink to thirst – taking small, regular sips rather than large volumes. This helps avoid both dehydration and the opposite risk, drinking far too much, which can lead to discomfort – or, in rare cases, hyponatraemia (low blood sodium levels).

Finally, remember that fuelling is part of race management. Taking a gel just before a challenging section or grabbing a drink during a quieter stretch can help you manage the miles more effectively.

Enjoy the atmosphere

Marathons offer a one-in-a-lifetime experience for many of us.

The crowds, noise, music, volunteers and sheer occasion can all work in the runner’s favour. Psychologically, this can help shift attention away from the discomfort you may experience during the race.

So do not be afraid to take the day in. Smile at spectators. Acknowledge the cheers. Let yourself be lifted by the event.

That said, excitement can also be costly. A marathon punishes early over-confidence. The occasion may tempt you to run faster than planned, especially in the opening miles when adrenaline is high and the legs still feel fresh.

The best marathoners are not those who ignore the noise. They are often the ones who use it well while still listening to their bodies.

Remember your motivation

For many runners, the marathon is about much more than a finishing time.
Some are running for a cause close to their heart, as way of connecting with someone or proving something to themselves.

That deeper reason matters, especially when the race becomes difficult. Be clear about why you are doing it. If nerves surface at the start line or the pain surfaces at the harder miles late on, reconnecting with that reason can help steady the mind and restore perspective.

At those moments, one of the most powerful thoughts can be a very simple one: it’s a big race but the race is not bigger than me.

Be kind to yourself

Most runners will have a difficult patch at some point in the race. That does not mean the marathon is going badly. This is just the reality of running a marathon.

This is where your internal dialogue matters.

Before race day, decide what you want to say to yourself when things get hard. The most effective phrases are usually not dramatic. They are believable, calming and constructive, such as: I’ve trained for this. Keep moving. This is tough, but so am I.

Write the phrase down, maybe keep it with you on race day. Use it when the doubts arrive. Positive affirmations are deemed to be helpful in tough and pressurised sporting situations.

One of the most valuable psychological skills in endurance sport is not pretending the challenge does not exist. It’s responding well when it does.

Because in the end, marathon running is not just about getting to the finish. It is about how you fuel, think and cope along the way.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump had something urgent to address while flying back to Washington from his luxury Mar-a-Lago estate on a recent Sunday.

It wasn’t the Iran war, nor the still-going partial government shutdown over Department of Homeland Security funding. He wanted to talk about a monumental issue of a different kind, hoisting up large artist renderings of the $400 million White House ballroom he’s building, complete with hand-carved “top-of-the-line” Corinthian columns.

“I’m so busy that I don’t have time to do this. I’m fighting wars and other things,” Trump said before extensively detailing plans for “the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world.”

His divided attention has become a Democratic point of attack and a concern for some Republicans who worry he’s not spending enough time on issues that voters care most about ahead of November’s midterm races.

The contrast was on full display Thursday, when, as Trump flew to Las Vegas to discuss tax cuts for Americans earning tips, his administration was pushing ahead with plans to build a 250-foot Triumphal Arch near the Lincoln Memorial replete with a Lady Liberty-like statue and a pair of golden eagles.

The president’s ability to speak to the concerns of working people has always seemed incongruous with his biography as a billionaire real estate developer. Yet his populist policies and emphasis on the economy during his 2024 campaign helped catapult him back to the White House.

Republican strategist Rick Tyler noted that, when Trump first ran for president in 2016, his wealth was a selling point.

“While other people, like Mitt Romney, played down how rich he was, Trump was giving free helicopter rides at the Iowa State Fair,” Tyler said. “People loved it.”

Still, Trump’s preoccupation with some of the gilded trappings of the presidency, as more Americans worry about bills, has drawn accusations that he’s a modern-day Marie Antoinette.

“‘Fighting wars’ and surging gas prices, yet Trump has time to brag about his billionaire backed ballroom,” Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, responded on X to Trump’s Air Force One presentation.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential hopeful, has been more direct in comparing Trump to the last queen before the French Revolution, who has come to embody extravagant opulence — even posting an AI-generated image of Trump’s face on her body on social media.

“TRUMP ‘MARIE ANTOINETTE’ SAYS, ‘NO HEALTH CARE FOR YOU PEASANTS, BUT A BALLROOM FOR THE QUEEN!’ Newsom wrote in October 2025, at the start of a 43-day government shutdown.

White House says Trump’s success benefits all Americans

Asked about opponents invoking Marie Antoinette, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump “is going to go down in history as the most successful and consequential president in our lifetime.”

“His successes on behalf of the American people will be imprinted upon the fabric of America and will be felt by every other White House that comes after him,” Ingle said in a statement.

The president faced similar critiques during his first term. But lately he’s been unabashed about accusations he’s disconnected from Americans’ worries about high costs, which could leave Republicans with an uphill battle to retain control of Congress.

About two-thirds of Americans said Trump is “out of touch” with the concerns of most people in the United States today, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll from February, though the same percentage said the same about the Democratic Party.

Presidents are usually removed from voters, separated by layers of security and surrounded by adoring subordinates. In her book “Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again,” Elaine Kamarck argues that presidents get too focused on their own political narratives rather than the public’s concerns. Yet, when it comes to Trump, “All of this stuff is frankly unique to him.”

She pointed to the ballroom as well as Trump’s other White House renovations, soon adding his signature to paper currency, and renaming the Kennedy Center after himself.

“It’s a reflection, I think, of his own background as a businessman and somebody who made his fortune selling his name,” said Kamarck, who worked in Bill Clinton’s White House.

While Trump focuses on the ballroom and other Washington projects, some public work projects in other parts of the country have languished.

Joe Meyer, the former mayor of Covington, Kentucky, spent years pushing for critical improvements to the Brent Spence Bridge connecting his town with Cincinnati, a project listed as a top federal priority dating back to Trump’s first administration.

Federal funds for improvements were approved under President Joe Biden but held up by a Trump-ordered review. Work is now finally set to begin later this year, though delays will likely limit design options and slow the project, Meyer said.

“The ballroom is Washington inside-baseball,” Meyer said. “The bridge is just a wreck. It’s frustration that we’ve been dealing with forever.”

A $100 tip and a golden tractor

Trumpeting new tax deductions for tips, Trump staged ordering McDonald’s to the Oval Office — which he has crammed with gold flourishes — and tipped the grandmother making the delivery $100. When she described large medical bills from her husband’s cancer treatments, Trump said she should bring him to an upcoming UFC fight on the White House lawn.

When hundreds of farmers were invited to the White House for an agricultural policy speech, they stood on the South Lawn beside a tractor that had been painted gold. It drizzled, but Trump stayed dry, addressing them from a covered second-floor balcony.

“You don’t mind rain,” the president told the farmers below.

He then flew to Miami for a conference of Saudi investors who, the president noted, were too rich to be impressed by U.S. families scrounging to save up $5,000.

“I know they’re looking like, ‘What the hell is $5,000?’” Trump joked. “Their shoes cost them more than $5,000.”

When asked in February, meanwhile, for his message to young people wanting to buy a home, Trump replied: “Save a little longer. Wait a little longer.”

Members of the Cabinet have also fed the perception that Trump’s promised “ Golden Age ” may not be arriving for everyone. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. advised Americans to buy liver instead of beef.

“If you go and buy a steak, it’s still pretty expensive. But if you buy the cheaper cuts, it’s great meat. And it is very, very affordable. Or liver, or, you know, all these alternatives,” he told podcast host Joe Rogan.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said people could still afford meals consisting of “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla and one other thing.”

The White House has sought to show that Trump is attuned to voter concerns by sending the president to politically competitive parts of the country to trumpet his efforts to lower costs. But Trump has stepped on the message by insisting that affordability concerns are a Democratic “hoax.”

Texas-based Republican consultant Brendan Steinhauser said he thinks that Trump “can kind of get away with” building a ballroom because voters have come to expect that from him as a brash dealmaker and businessman.

But Steinhauser said he worries that dramatic increases in gas prices and a potentially weakening economy could resonate with voters. Ahead of the midterms, Steinhauser said, Democrats could score points “trying to make it more about Trump and his oligarch friends.”

___

Associated Press writers Linley Sanders in Washington and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

Police became suspicious during a domestic incident when they found a man being called “daddy” by a child to whom the man was supposedly the uncle, leading to a DNA test

Two half-siblings have appeared in court — after having a child together.

The defendants, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, engaged in incestuous sexual activity. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the pair were introduced as half-siblings who share the same mother. They subsequently had an illicit relationship.

Their secret came to light when Staffordshire Police attended an address following a domestic incident. Officers found the defendants at the property with a child. The male defendant was described as the child’s uncle — but he referred to the infant as “my kid” while the child called him “daddy”.

Prosecutor Kyle Padley stated: “Police became suspicious and a DNA test was ordered. The test revealed the pair were half-siblings and that the child belonged to them, which strongly suggests they were involved in sexual activity.”

During the prosecution’s opening remarks, the male defendant became visibly distressed, shouting: ‘That’s my kid they’re talking about’. Court security officers had to escort him from the building, reports Stoke on Trent Live.

Both defendants had admitted engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a relative. Sarah Bedford, representing the female defendant, said that she is a profoundly remorseful individual with no previous convictions who presents no risk of reoffending. Ms Bedford informed the court: “She is the sole carer of the child, who is at the heart of these proceedings. These are quite emotional proceedings for all who are involved. The defendant has accepted her part in this and accepts responsibility. The defendants are half-siblings. She was adopted at birth and raised in and out of care. She met her mother and half-brother as an adult.

“She is a hard-working mother and single parent. She is a very well-behaved individual and it’s unfortunate that she finds herself in this position.

“I do not feel that the custody threshold has been crossed. She was suffering with insecurity at the time and alcohol played its part. This incident is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She has no previous convictions and presents no threat to public security. I ask your worships to consider a financial penalty or a community order.”

Magistrates issued an arrest warrant for the male defendant. The female defendant was ordered to pay a £443 fine. The magistrates said: “We have listened carefully to everything that has been said. This is a very unpleasant and difficult situation for everyone involved. We have considered the recommendation of imposing a community order, but there doesn’t appear to be anything you could or should be working on. We also don’t see any benefit in imposing a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.”

Emergency services were called to Bellway’s Sniperley Park DH1 development on Thursday (April 16) after reports a person had been injured just before 1pm. 

Durham Police has confirmed that a 17-year-old suffered head and neck injuries after a concrete pipe toppled onto him. 

The teen was given first aid at the scene before being taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle by ambulance crews. 

He remains there in a serious condition. 

The force said his family are being supported by specialist police officers. 

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) have both confirmed they attended the scene on Thursday. 

The Health and Safety Executive has also confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the incident and that it is working alongside Durham Police. 

HSE inspectors attended the site on April 16.

A NEAS spokesperson said: “We received a call at 12.49pm on Thursday, April 16, to reports of a person injured at an address on Sniperley Farm Road in Durham. 

“We dispatched an ambulance crew, a specialist paramedic, two clinical team leaders, and a duty officer to the scene, and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by road. 

“We transported one patient to the RVI for further treatment.”

A Great North Air Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Our critical care team was activated at 12.59pm to reports of an industrial incident at Sniperley Park in Durham.

“We had two paramedics and a doctor on a rapid response vehicle and they arrived on scene at 1.28pm.

”Our team worked alongside the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to assess and treat a patient.

“The patient was taken to hospital by a NEAS road crew, accompanied by our team.”

A HSE spokesperson said: “We are investigating this incident alongside our colleagues at Durham Police.”

The Northern Echo has contacted Bellway for comment.