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Everything you need to know ahead of M3 Lagan Bridge weekend closures for major works

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Belfast Live

Need to know

Road users are advised to allow extra time for their journey, particularly if travelling to ports or airports.

M3 Lagan Bridge, Belfast(Image: Google Street View)

Need to know: M3 Lagan Bridge maintenance to disrupt traffic

  • Major maintenance work on the M3 Lagan Bridge will cause significant traffic disruption over three weekends this month.
  • The project involves replacing six bridge bearings as part of the third phase of ongoing maintenance work. Previous phases in 2024 and 2025 have already seen 18 bearings replaced on the key Belfast structure.
  • The closures will affect various slip roads over three specific weekends: 14-17 August, 21-24 August, and 28-31 August 2026. Both westbound and eastbound carriageways will be impacted at different times.
  • Drivers will face extensive diversions through Belfast city centre via routes including Ann Street, Victoria Street, and Great Patrick Street. Those travelling from the Sydenham bypass towards West or North Belfast will be unable to exit until the M2 Junction 1 Fortwilliam Roundabout.
  • Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said: “The M3 bridge is a key structure which carries over 90,000 vehicles and these specialist works are essential to ensure that the structure remains in a sound condition for future use.”
  • The works have been scheduled for summer weekends when traffic volumes are typically lower than average. All work remains subject to favourable weather conditions.
  • Detailed diversion routes and traffic information are available online at infrastructure-ni.gov.uk and trafficwatchni.com.

READ THE FULL STORY: M3 Lagan Bridge set to close for three weekends to undergo major maintenance works

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

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M60 Prestwich traffic LIVE: Police incident shuts motorway down with long queues building

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Manchester Evening News

It now appears both GMP and GMFRS are at the scene of this incident. Its nature remains unconfirmed at this stage, but a spokesperson for firefighters issued a statement on X a few moments ago.

It said: “ROAD CLOSED

” Firefighters are currently dealing with an incident at Junction 16 of the M60 (Clifton Interchange). A full road closure is now in place by GMP covering the bridge on the A666.

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“The M60 anticlockwise slip roads at this junction are also heavily impacted.

“Heavy traffic and delays are building in the area. Please avoid the A666 crossover and Junction 16 if possible, and seek alternative routes.”

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DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Ditch this vile soft justice scheme now

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Andy Burnham leaves Millbank studios after speaking on LBC's Andrew Marr show on July 2

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Labour’s early release scheme is already an insult to every single victim of crime.

Now, just three weeks before the Government is due to begin freeing thousands of criminals, an analysis shows the awful truth of this degenerate policy.

Predictably, letting offenders out of jail early means they are back on the streets and able to run amok.

What is astonishing, however, is the diabolical scale of the mayhem they are projected to create.

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The investigation indicates Labour’s measures will bring about more than 89,000 new victims of crime by the expected date of the next general election.

The Conservatives’ calculations are not far-fetched. Recent official figures show reoffending rates have already begun to rise, possibly due to a separate early release scheme that has already seen 70,000 let out.

The Government’s new programme is far wider in scope, offering even more generous sentence discounts to a range of criminals, including those convicted of serious sexual and violent crimes – even killers.

Without question it is a disaster waiting to happen.

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Andy Burnham leaves Millbank studios after speaking on LBC’s Andrew Marr show on July 2

Labour’s sentencing reforms include other measures which should help keep the prison population at manageable levels for the time being.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham should therefore stop this craven, treacherous early release scheme in its tracks – and do so immediately.

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Burnham’s union sop

The trade unions were determined to see Mr Burnham anointed as Britain’s new Prime Minister – and will, of course, expect lavish payback for their staunch support.

Lo and behold, measures quietly introduced by Labour last week will skew the awarding of Government contracts towards companies who bend over backwards to please the unions.

Firms will have a better chance of securing public sector contracts if they meet a number of requirements.

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These include giving employees unmeasured time during work hours to carry out union business, ‘progressive’ pay policies and more ‘flexible’ working.

The Conservatives said it showed the Government was ‘doing the bidding of their union paymasters’, and would lead to more working from home and four-day weeks.

All this will push up the cost of Government procurement and, consequently, lead to higher taxes.

It all smacks of the kind of corruption that sanctimonious Labour MPs claim they abhor.

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But, as ever, they are completely blind to their own hypocrisy.

A lesser degree

Wokery has contaminated one institution after another, reaching the point where causing someone mild offence can lead to the Old Bill turning up at one’s door.

So it is no surprise that Brighton University – coincidentally ranked 104th out of 130 in the UK, according to one league table – is seeking to cash in with Britain’s first ‘BA in Woke’.

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The fiasco surrounding Cambridge’s ‘plagiarism’ professor Jason Arday will hopefully make our universities scrutinise their blind devotion to ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ policies.

Meanwhile, young people should think very carefully before embarking on decades of debt to pay for phony courses that will doom them to the dole queue.

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Inside former Newcastle United player home on sale in Jesmond

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Inside former Newcastle United player home on sale in Jesmond

The six-bedroom property on Lindisfarne Road in Jesmond reportedly housed midfielder Sandro Tonali during his time with the club, among other players over the years.

Set behind electric gates and a period Edwardian façade, the home features an indoor swimming pool, sauna, gym and games room.

(Image: Sanderson Young)

The lower ground floor includes an impressive leisure suite with an eight-person Jacuzzi, a cocktail bar, and direct access to landscaped gardens.

Located just off Osborne Road and adjacent to Jesmond Dene, the property blends Edwardian character with striking modern architecture.

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(Image: Sanderson Young)

Acquired by its current owners since 2007, the house was extensively remodelled by architect Bill Hopper, who transformed the rear elevation with dramatic floor-to-ceiling glazing and clean, modern lines.

The heart of the home is an open-plan kitchen, dining, and family room.

(Image: Sanderson Young)

Full-height sliding glass doors open onto south-facing limestone terraces, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor living space.

The kitchen features bespoke Poggenpohl cabinetry and top-end Gaggenau and Miele appliances.

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Reception rooms include a formal drawing room with walnut cabinetry and a contemporary fireplace, a garden room, a family lounge, and a professionally designed study.

(Image: Sanderson Young)

Bedroom accommodation is arranged across the first and second floors, with six en-suite bedrooms.

The principal suite includes a dressing room, a luxury bathroom, and garden views.

The landscaped gardens are among Jesmond’s largest and most private.

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They feature terraces, extensive lawns, specimen trees, ornamental gardens, and a historic “Secret Garden” area.

Secure gated parking and an integral garage complete the offering.

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Margaret Thatcher backed secret plan to wipe out cocaine crops by unleashing swarms of leaf-eating moths over drug cartel plantations

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Margaret Thatcher backed a secret plan to wipe out South America's cocaine crops by unleashing swarms of leaf-eating moths over drug cartel plantations, newly-released files reveal

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Margaret Thatcher backed an extraordinary secret plan to wipe out South America’s cocaine crops by unleashing swarms of leaf-eating moths over drug cartel plantations, newly released files reveal.

The scheme, developed during the height of Britain’s war on drugs, would have seen thousands of insects bred by scientists at Porton Down in Wiltshire and air-dropped from helicopters over coca fields in Peru.

Government papers released by the National Archives show Thatcher’s administration spent around £100,000 exploring the idea in a bid to curb the flow of the Class A drug reaching Britain.

At the centre of the plan was Eloria noyesi, a species of moth whose larvae feed almost exclusively on coca leaves, the raw ingredient used to produce cocaine.

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Unlike most insects, the moth can consume coca leaves safely and process the chemicals without suffering any ill effects.

Officials believed the insect could provide a cheap and effective biological weapon against powerful drug trafficking organisations operating across Peru.

Documents from 1989 show military scientists were tasked with investigating ways to breed the moths in huge numbers before releasing them over illicit plantations.

According to Foreign Office briefings, the proposal was inspired by a naturally occurring infestation that devastated coca crops near the Peruvian city of Tarapoto between 1987 and 1988.

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Margaret Thatcher backed a secret plan to wipe out South America’s cocaine crops by unleashing swarms of leaf-eating moths over drug cartel plantations, newly-released files reveal

A DEA agent stands with a blindfolded prisoner following the agency's raid on a cocaine lab in the Peruvian jungle

A DEA agent stands with a blindfolded prisoner following the agency’s raid on a cocaine lab in the Peruvian jungle

An anti-narcotics policeman lifts a bag of cocaine captured during an anti-drug operation in connection with the Cali drug cartel in Lima, Peru on August 27, 1993

An anti-narcotics policeman lifts a bag of cocaine captured during an anti-drug operation in connection with the Cali drug cartel in Lima, Peru on August 27, 1993

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Officials noted that ‘unprecedented swarms’ of the moth had destroyed around 2,000 hectares of illegal coca cultivation, causing estimated losses of more than $37million for traffickers.

The success prompted Peruvian authorities to seek British expertise in developing a mass-rearing programme that could be operated by relatively inexperienced staff.

The files show Thatcher personally supported further investigation of the project and considered the idea ‘sufficiently interesting to merit being pursued’.

However, concerns soon emerged over its effectiveness and the possible environmental consequences.

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The Home Office reportedly concluded that while the scheme appeared technically feasible, any impact on cocaine production would only be temporary.

By the end of 1989, ministers feared that any leak could jeopardise the operation and potentially endanger those involved.

As a result, the brazen plan to fight drug cartels with weaponised moths never progressed beyond the drawing board.

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Evidence that South African special forces murdered top detective shared with BBC

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A white car and a white van caught on CCTV in the Mall of Africa shopping centre car park

When Mathipa was assigned to the case a month later, he issued a subpoena to special forces to force them to hand over full details of this alleged training exercise and all the personnel involved.

When access to these documents was finally promised, three months later, Mathipa had a premonition that he would be murdered – according to Brig Paulina Sekgobela, his commanding officer.

“When [Mathipa] left my office he said: ‘Brigadier, you know, these people – they are going to kill me. I’m going to die’,” she told the BBC.

On the day Mathipa was killed, he was phoned by a man calling himself Tebogo, who claimed he had information on the case for the detective – according to Mathipa’s daughter Basetsana, who was home with him at the time.

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Mathipa and Tebogo arranged to meet at a petrol station in Pretoria.

When Tebogo failed to show, Mathipa drove away again, along the highway.

He was killed while driving, by rounds fired from high-velocity weapons which special forces would have had access to, according to South African police.

And footage from motorway toll gantries, police say, shows one of the occupants of the black BMW, which tailed Mathipa moments before his murder, was Maj Sunnybooi Wambi.

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This car, like the three vehicles connected with Abadigga’s disappearance at the mall, was registered to PCT, they add.

New detectives were assigned to the case after Mathipa’s death, triggering a chilling message from special forces, that made its way to the police’s Criminal Intelligence division.

Police say it warned that, however many investigating officers were assigned to the case, “we will kill all of them”.

Twelve members of the South African military have been arrested in total, including Lt Col Sunnybooi Wambi, and the current head of South Africa’s special forces, Brig Gen Solomon Lechoenyo – both promoted to these positions since police first started investigating their roles in the case.

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The 12 have been variously charged with the abduction and murder of Abadigga and Abotese, the murder of Mathipa, fraud, and obstruction.

All deny all charges and they were initially released on bail. But six of them later had their bail revoked, and were ordered to turn themselves in to custody.

Three of the six, including Wambi, have been charged with both Mathipa’s murder, and Abotese’s abduction and murder.

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Molly-May Hague shares new family photos – as Tommy faces online backlash comment

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Molly-May Hague shares new family photos - as Tommy faces online backlash comment

New photos show the social media stars, and new parents, relaxing with their family at home

Molly-Mae Hague has shared new photos with her newborn son, just after her partner faced an online backlash for things he said about Kim Kardashian.

Molly-Mae, 27, and her 27-year-old partner boxer Tommy Fury, have two kids, Bambi and Midas. She shared a snapshot of their lives with newborn Midas, who was born in June. In the pictures, shared on Instagram, she showed off her and Midas’ summer outfits – a yellow vest and black jeans for Molly-Mae and a blue onesie and white top for Midas.

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In another, Midas was in a baby chair while Molly-Mae crouched beside him in blue jeans and a white vest. The photographs were taken in the mirror in Molly-Mae’s dressing room, reports the Mirror.

This came just after Tommy hit out at Kim Kardashian’s parenting arrangement, catching him in a media storm. The US reality star has four children with ex Kanye West, and has a team of 10 staff to help raise them. On an episode the podcast Tommy hosts with his dad John, the elder Fury said: “If you can’t look after these kids yourself, don’t have them.”

While Tommy first said they didn’t know the full story, he added: “I don’t understand people who just dump the kids with nannies and mannies all day…”

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This caused a backlash, as it was revealed he and Molly-Mae also have help with raising their children. Tommy said: “I’m all for having some help on board and help you out – me and Molly, we have help.

“But we’re with Bambi every day, all day; it’s only if I’ve got to go on a call or Molly’s on a call or we’ve got to shoot out. The baby’s looked after all the time.”

Some listeners disagreed with Tommy’s statements, saying he didn’t understand the “mental load of being the primary caregiver” and claiming the only difference between him and Kim was he was getting help from Molly-Mae’s family for “free”. One said: “A man with a full time nanny judging a woman with a full time nanny!”

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Others defended Kim’s. They pointed to her role as a TV star, both in reality television and as an actress, her businesses and her law studies, saying: “Do you realise how many jobs she has? That’s why.”

READ MORE: Family of tragic Minnie Merriman ‘left with nothing’ as they try to ‘rebuild life’

READ MORE: Fake doctor accused of conning patients out of thousands of pounds at bogus clinics

Another said: “Because it’s a form of childcare like a nursery or childminder for people who have to work.” A third added: “Leave the woman alone. I can do with 15 nannies as a busy working mother. Not easy. We need and can do with the help. Men judging a hard working business woman.”

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It has previously been reported that Kim has an extensive childcare operation in place to help her balance raising her children with her huge business commitments. It has been claimed her nannies work on a rotation, with childcare available seven days a week, with full overnight support in place.

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

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Daily horoscope August 10, 2026: Predictions for your star sign

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Daily horoscope August 10, 2026: Predictions for your star sign
Here’s what the stars have in store for your day (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Confidence meets compassion today, as a powerful Leo line-up encourages bold ideas, while the Moon’s move into Cancer reminds us not to ignore our feelings along the way.

At the same time, Mercury’s connection with wound-healer Chiron creates tension between what we say and our deeper insecurities.

Investigating the root of this self-doubt is a key step towards vanquishing it — especially for Gemini, Taurus and Virgo.

Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Monday August 10, 2026.

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Aries

March 21 to April 20

With Mercury newly arrived in the most expressive part of your chart, you’ve a fabulous opportunity to showcase your personal charisma. So, why might it be that some resistance can come up inside of you? This could be Chiron, subtly connecting your thinking to any perceived lack of self-worth. Don’t dismiss this, but know, this apart, you can dazzle people now

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

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Today’s celestial guidance for Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

The Moon is very supportive of you today, helping you to align your thinking and feeling. This is helpful for your personal situation, as you can more easily attune to others. So why might you let someone’s comment disturb your peace of mind? Well, your sense of self could be tested by this remark; however, it’s what you feel about yourself that really counts.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Today’s planetary forecast for Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

Ever since Chiron moved into Taurus in mid-June, this has been asking you to value your vulnerabilities. As the zodiac’s arch communicator and being quick, agile and smart, fears and anxieties can be concealed by your razor-sharp reflexes, fast pivots, and sense of fun. However, today, try not to fend off someone or mask in this way. Celebrate the inner you, too.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

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How the stars aligned for Gemini today

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

The Moon in your sign heightens your sensitivity but reminds you just how good your instincts can be. Thinker Mercury’s awkward angle to Chiron suggests someone in authority or a professional matter could momentarily test your confidence. If so, don’t dwell on this too much. Trust your judgement, be composed, and believe your natural gifts will shine through.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Celestial energies for Cancer today

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Mercury’s arrival in your sign is sharpening your wit and desire to express your ideas. However, its link today to Chiron hints that you could question whether others truly appreciate your ideas. Resist the temptation to overcompensate or seek reassurance. This is a fleeting influence, so know that for the next two weeks, the celestial stage really can be yours

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

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Your daily zodiac insight for Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

Over the next fortnight, your guide, Mercury, encourages some peaceful contemplation. This need for inner zen could now be challenged, if briefly, by its link to teacher Chiron. This asks you to consider whether old beliefs are limiting what you think you can achieve. So, if doubts surface, don’t see them as facts but as an opportunity to update your outlook.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Cosmic messages for Cosmic messages for Virgo today

Libra

September 24 to October 23

Friends and associates can prove especially supportive today, but Mercury’s square to Chiron suggests someone may unintentionally touch on a sensitive subject. Your need for equilibrium is being heightened by your ruler Venus’s arrival in your sign, and as fabulous as it can be, one downside is that you might believe others will match your diplomacy. They may not.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

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Your daily stellar guidance for Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Professional matters can move forward positively — especially if you really believe in your ideas. Yet Mercury’s angle to Chiron suggests another person’s reaction could make you question your approach. Avoid taking criticism personally. Every successful person refines their methods over time. Stay focused on your objectives, and let your actions speak loudest.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Star alignments for Scorpio today

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Mercury encourages you to widen your horizons, learn something new, or share your knowledge enthusiastically. Chiron, however, reminds you that growth sometimes means admitting what you don’t yet know. There’s real strength in curiosity. Approach today with an open mind, and an unexpected insight could prove every bit as valuable as certainty.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

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Today’s astral messages for Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

You’re usually most content when everything feels organised, yet today’s influences suggest emotional strands deserve as much attention as practical ones. Mercury and Chiron may expose an old insecurity connected to family or personal happiness. If so, acknowledge it, don’t judge it. Doing this can help you retain your usual sense of control.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Your zodiac forecast for Capricorn today

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

Relationships will benefit from being open today, although thinker Mercury’s tense angle to shrewd Chiron suggests old family patterns or sensitivities could have a bearing. Ask yourself whether the present situation warrants a response or is better left unaddressed. You can keep a sense of detachment while remaining open to connecting without getting riled up.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

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Daily cosmic update for Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

Your attention can focus on your work, routines, or your wellbeing. Mercury encourages practical moves and conversations, while Chiron reminds you that the way we think about ourselves is so important in preserving our positivity. For example, if you find yourself over-analysing or feeling picky and self-critical, give yourself some latitude. No one’s perfect.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your cosmic energy update for Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Head here for this week’s tarot horoscope reading, and see what the cards have in store for you!

Check out the tarot horoscope reading for the month of August here.

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Desperate search for two British girls, aged 11 and 12, last spotted at 4am

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Daily Mirror

Police are desperately searching for Angelica and Verity, who were last seen in the early hours of Sunday morning, having first gone missing earlier on Saturday

Police have issued a new update in the desperate search for two girls last seen ‘at 4am’ on Sunday morning.

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Desperate efforts are underway to find 11-year-old Angelica and 12-year-old Verity, who went missing on Saturday (August 8). The duo, who are believed to be together, were last spotted ‘at 4am’ on Sunday morning (August 9) in a Midlands town, police previously said.

Both girls are from Rugby, in Warwickshire, and were said to have links to Cornwall. Late on Sunday evening, officers issued a new update in the hunt for the girls.

A Rugby Police spokesperson said: “Our officers continue to work around the clock to find Angelica and Verity who were last seen in the Newbold area of Rugby in the early hours of this morning.

“The girls, who are 11 and 12 years old, and pictured below, were reported missing from Rugby yesterday (Saturday).

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“If you think you may have seen them or know where they might be, please call 999 immediately quoting incident number 123 of 8 August.

“Please continue to share our posts and thank you to those who have shared them already.”

In an initial update to the public, issued at around 10:20pm on Saturday, cops said: “Have you seen 11-year-old Angelica and 12-year-old Verity?

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“The girls, who are believed to be together, were reported missing from Rugby this morning and our officers are growing increasingly concerned for their welfare.

“They have links to Rugby and Cornwall.

“Anyone who sees them or has information as to their whereabouts is asked to call 999 quoting incident number 123 of 8 August.”

Another update, released on Sunday afternoon, added the girls were spotted in Newbold, Rugby, ‘at 4am this morning’.

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Islamist terrorist once sentenced to death for plot to kill Egyptian prime minister now runs a honey business in London

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Convicted terrorist Yasser al-Sirri pictured outside his home in Maida Vale, North London

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A convicted Islamic terrorist sentenced to death for plotting to kill an Egyptian Prime Minister is running a honey and food supply business in north London.

Yasser Al-Sirri, 63, a one-time member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, first came to Britain and claimed asylum in the 1990s following a failed assassination plot.

He was turned down but fought the decision repeatedly through the courts and appears to have won a three-decade battle to stay in Britain.

In 2021, the Appeal Court ruled in the his favour on condition he took refugee status

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The Daily Mail has now tracked Al-Sirri down to a £500,000 flat in upmarket Maida Vale, west London.

He was also present at a honey business in north west London, where he works and appears to be the boss.

It has a few employees and provides wholesale food and drink products.

Staff members initially said that Al-Sirri was not in his office when a reporter visited, despite his car being parked in the driveway.

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Convicted terrorist Yasser al-Sirri pictured outside his home in Maida Vale, North London

Block housing al-Sirri's £500,000 flat where he now lives after long legal battle

Block housing al-Sirri’s £500,000 flat where he now lives after long legal battle

One said: ‘For now he is not here. He has gone for some other business with someone else. Once he comes, I’ll tell you. He will call you no problem.’

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Al-Sirri was later in his office, where he claimed to be on a phone call and refused to talk.

Businesses in the area said he supplied many of the local businesses with wholesale drinks and said he was known as “Hajj” to locals.

One said: ‘We see him everyday walking down the road at around 5pm, towards the mosque. He’s got a red beard, so we always recognise him.’

Al-Sirri was a member of Egypt’s Islamic Jihad when, in 1993, the group attempted to assassinate the then Egyptian prime minister Atef Sedki using a car bomb outside a girls’ school.

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A 12-year-old girl was killed in the blast and he was sentenced to death in his absence by an Eygptian Court despite his arguments he played no part.

He also defended Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.

Following the death of 9/11 mastermind bin Laden, Al-Sirri was quoted as saying: ‘The al Qaeda leader met his God willingly but in an unplanned manner and he died an honourable death’.

Industrial building in London housing al-Sirri's honey and wholesale food business

Industrial building in London housing al-Sirri’s honey and wholesale food business

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In 2003 he defended Taliban propaganda videos of an American vehicle exploding. The same year, he was indicted in his absence by a Grand Jury in New York accused of conspiring to provide material support to Islamist group Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya. The US did not pursue proceedings to have him extradited from Britain.

Al-Sirri also openly supported Egyptian-born fanatic Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, believed to be the mastermind of the earlier World Trade Centre bombing in 1993. Rahman received a life sentence in the United States for plotting a ‘war of urban terrorism’.

Former Tory MP Patrick Mercer has described him as ‘a dangerous individual.’

Al-Sirri first claimed asylum in 1994 after fleeing his home country but was turned down and has taken the issue to court more than eight times at great cost to British taxpayers.

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After a tribunal decided he was entitled to remain in the UK as a refugee in 2001, then Home Secretary Priti Patel contested the finding.

At the Appeal Court, judges ruled in the convicted terrorist’s favour despite Article 1F of the Refugee Convention excluding individuals who have committed ‘terrorist acts or other serious criminal offences’.

Al-Sirri was sentenced to death after convicted in his absence of conspiring to kill Egypt’s prime minister in 1994.

British court papers have revealed he saw ‘violent jihad’ as an ‘obligation for Muslims’.

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The Home Office declined to comment on individual cases.

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Daniel Kinahan charged in Dublin after return from Dubai

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Belfast Live

The 48-year-old is accused of a raft of serious criminal offences

Daniel Kinahan is now in custody in Ireland, after appearing before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin charged with directing an organised crime group, on his return from Dubai.

It comes after the 49-year-old boxing promoter’s arrest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in April. Kinahan is alleged to be a leader of the Kinahan organised crime group.

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Mr Kinahan was flown on a £39 million government jet belonging to the Irish Air Corps from Dubai to Ireland today where he was arrested after touching down at Baldonnel Airport at around 7.20pm, reports the Mirror.

Kinahan was whisked under armed guard from both law enforcement and the Irish Defence Forces to a special Sunday hearing at the Special Criminal Court to face charges of directing an organised crime group.

He was charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between October 18 2015 and April 6 2017.

He appeared in the dock wearing a black hoodie and put on a pair of dark-rimmed glasses after taking his seat.

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Detective Sergeant Colin Davidson told the court that he had arrested Mr Kinahan at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel at 6.49pm that day.

Mr Kinahan was remanded to next appear on October 5.

Earlier the ministers of justice for Ireland and the United Arab Emirates confirmed the extradition, after a formal request submitted by Irish authorities, and the final decision was issued after a judgment by the Dubai Court of Cassation, in accordance with the extradition treaty between the two countries.

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Jim O’Callaghan and Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi said that the final extradition decision “reflects the steadfast commitment of both countries to the rule of law and reinforces international judicial co-operation”.

The plane landed at Casement aerodrome in Baldonnel on the outskirts of Dublin just after 6.30pm.

READ MORE: Man found dead in burning car in Portadown

READ MORE: Three men to face court after Apprentice Boys parade in Derry

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Shortly after the plane landed, a convoy of vehicles with blacked-out windows left the aerodrome at high speed.

Two separate convoys then arrived at Dublin’s Special Criminal Court, where Mr Kinahan was due to appear, as crowds watched.

Several BMWs drove through an open gate and into the underground car park at the court, with the gate swiftly closing behind them.

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