Witnesses told how the number 24 service Go North East bus was involved in a crash with the car, which police said had failed to stop earlier.

The crash happened on the A1018 Sunderland Road in Cleadon, South Tyneside.

A passenger on the bus said: “I thought we had run over someone on a motorbike – lots of pieces of debris flew past the window.

“A few moments later, police cars dashed past, and the police helicopter was in the air, so it looked like they were in a police chase.”

The passenger said she “is still in shock.”

Police said a 21-year-old remains in custody on suspicion of dangerous driving.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “At 8am today (Monday), we became aware of a vehicle of interest in the South Tyneside area.

“Later, the vehicle failed to stop when requested to do so by officers at about 1pm on Prince Edward Road and made off from the scene.

“A short time later, the vehicle was involved in a collision with another vehicle on the A1018 Sunderland Road before coming to a stop on Underhill Road in Cleadon.

“No-one is reported to have been injured in the incident.

“A man, aged 21, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving at the scene – he remains in police custody and enquiries are ongoing.”

In a statement, they added students were getting in touch with questions – “many of whom are among the most vulnerable, many are parents, many are from low-income backgrounds, many chose weekend study precisely because it was the only way they could access higher education around work and family commitments”.

TOKYO (AP) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northern Japan on Monday sparked a short-lived tsunami alert and prompted authorities to advise of a slightly higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there.

The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches.

Officials said the advisory was not a quake prediction but urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, speaking to reporters, urged residents in the affected area to confirm their designated shelters and evacuation routes and to check emergency food and grab bags so they can run immediately when the next big one hits. “The government will do our utmost in case of an emergency,” she said.

It was the second such advisory for the region in recent months. One was issued following a 7.5-magnitude quake in December but no mega-quake occurred.

Still, Monday’s earthquake and tsunami warning were a reminder to the quake-prone area of the March 2011 disaster that ravaged large swaths of the northern coast, triggering a nuclear crisis in Fukushima.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said two people, one in Aomori and another in Iwate, were injured after falling Monday.

The quake occurred off the coast of Sanriku at around 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT) Monday, at a depth of about 19 kilometers (11 miles), the meteorological agency said.

Footage on NHK television showed hanging objects swaying and people squatting at a shopping center in Aomori, as authorities told people to seek higher ground and stay away from coastal areas.

Shinkansen bullet trains connecting Tokyo and northern Japan were temporarily suspended, leaving passengers in cars and on platforms waiting for service to resume.

A tsunami of about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) was detected at the Kuji port in Iwate prefecture within an hour of the quake, and a smaller tsunami of 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) was recorded at another port in the prefecture, the meteorological agency said.

The U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the tsunami threat “has now passed.” Hours later, Japan also lifted all tsunami alert and advisories.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear power plants and related facilities in the region were intact and no abnormalities were detected.

The disaster management agency said at one point, more than 180,000 people in five northern prefectures from Hokkaido to Fukushima were advised to take shelter.

It’s 15 years since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, ravaged parts of northern Japan, causing more than 22,000 deaths and forcing nearly half a million people to flee their homes, most of them due to tsunami damage.

Kian Bateman denies murdering Shelley Davies outside a Cardiff social club

A jury trying a driver for allegedly running over and killing a woman outside a social club has watched “distressing” footage of the late-night collision.

Kian Bateman is alleged to have deliberately driven oven Shelley Davies as she lay on the road after she had became involved in a physical fight with the defendant’s brother Kai.

Miss Davies suffered multiple injuries in the incident including fractures to her vertebrae, ribs, arm and pelvis, along with internal injuries.

While in hospital the 38-year-old suffered complications, contracted multiple infections, went into septic shock, and suffered irreversible and fatal organ failure. David Bratcher, 40, who was Ms Davies’ partner, was also seriously injured in the incident but survived.

Bateman, 19, of Heol Muston, Ely, Cardiff, denies murder and is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter

It is the prosecution case that at just after midnight on Saturday, September 27 last year Bateman deliberately drove his mother’s Seat Ibiza car into Ms Davies and Mr Bratcher outside the Home Guard club in the Ely area of Cardiff “intending in this moment to either kill them or at least cause them really serious harm”.

It is alleged Bateman’s motivation for driving into the couple was that moments earlier they had been involved in a physical altercation with his brother Kai in the street. The defendant is then said to have driven off from the scene before abandoning the car and going back to the home he shared with his sibling.

The jury has been shown a compilation of CCTV clips from cameras outside the Home Guard and from a newsagency on the opposite side of Heol Trelai from the club which showed the incident. The judge, Mrs Justice Tracey, warned the jury about the “distressing” nature of the footage.

The jury was also shown CCTV footage from around the club which prosecution barrister Michael Jones KC said showed the defendant inhaling nitrous oxide gas – better known as laughing gas – from a balloon on the evening of the incident.

The jury was also shown pictures of Bateman’s car after it was recovered by police which showed a golden-coloured cannister of nitrous oxide gas on the seat.

Mr Jones has previously told the jury: “The only people directly in front of his car were those he hit, the two who suffered really serious injuries and the one who later died, who were seconds earlier involved in an altercation with his brother right in front of his car.

“Immediately prior to doing that the defendant had been inhaling nitrous oxide gas, a class C drug which would have impaired his ability to drive and made him act more aggressively.

“The prosecution say it’s no coincidence that moments before the defendant drove at Shelley Davies and David Bratcher, they had been involved in a physical altercation with his own brother Kai. The prosecution say this is why he accelerated and deliberately drove his vehicle at them.”

On Monday the jury also heard details of prepared statements the defendant gave to police in interview following his arrest. In them Bateman, who was 18 at the time, denied he had been drinking or taking drugs on the night in question and said as he approached the Home Guard club he saw a large group of people in the road.

The defendant said he slowed down and stopped as people began surrounding the car. He said people were shouting and banging on the car which left him feeling frightened that he would be “beaten up” and that the car would be damaged.

He said he felt “trapped” drove off in a panic and said he did not see anyone in the road and did not intentionally hit anyone or drive over anyone.

Bateman denies murder and the trial, which is expected to last two-to-three weeks, continues.

Bournemouth have become accustomed to having major talent poached and, although Iraola insists he does not have another job lined up, he is expected to be in high demand this summer.

Before the season started, they lost three of their four first-choice defenders. Milos Kerkez joined Liverpool, Ilya Zabarnyi moved to Paris St-Germain and Dean Huijsen signed for Real Madrid, for a combined total of almost £150m.

In January, attacker Antoine Semenyo joined Manchester City after his release clause was triggered.

However, the Cherries can reflect positively on each replacement proving successful. Adrien Truffert came in for Kerkez, Bafode Diakite replaced Huijsen and Rayan was signed as Semenyo’s successor.

The club hope Rose would follow the same pattern. He had long been regarded as a potential replacement for Iraola in the event of the Spaniard deciding to leave.

Bournemouth are impressed by Rose’s five years of experience leading clubs in the Champions League, as well as his Europa League pedigree.

He has played a role in the development of several leading players, including Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund and Dominik Szoboszlai at RB Leipzig. Rose also enjoyed surprise success at Borussia Monchengladbach, qualifying for the Champions League with limited resources.

Those experiences would be key if Bournemouth are to qualify for Europe for the first time. Player trading continues to offset revenue limitations caused by the club’s relatively small stadium and commercial income.

It is also a low-risk appointment: Rose is currently without a club, meaning no compensation would be required but one they hope will make an immediate impact next season.

Forget jetting off abroad, as a popular destination in Wales is set to beat the balmy temperatures in Athens this week, while also being one of the warmest spots across the UK

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Spring is springing, and this week a popular Welsh hotspot will be hit with some balmy rays – set to be hotter than Athens!

After what felt like a lengthy and rather gloomy winter, the UK has been experiencing some sought-after warmer rays and longer days filled with sunshine. Earlier this month, we lapped up the first ‘mini heatwave’ of the year, with temperatures only set to increase as we edge further into spring.

This week, temperatures are set to rise again, with Cardiff reaching a blistering 19C on Thursday (23 April), according to the Met Office. Not only is the Welsh city expected to be one of the warmest places in the UK, but it’s also set to be hotter than the sun-soaked climate in Greece’s capital on Thursday.

READ MORE: Family ditches one-bed UK home for three-bed Greek villa and saves £300 a monthREAD MORE: Four travel companies stop trading with all holidays cancelled

Athens has long been a beloved holiday hotspot for Brits, thanks to its 300 days of annual sunshine and its status as one of the world’s oldest cities. Yet, on Thursday, temperatures are only expected to reach a mere 15C, the Met Office outlines, while Cardiff will bask in the warming rays of 19C.

Of course Cardiff is already a popular draw for tourists given it’s steeped in history and home to iconic landmarks, not to mention the ample green spaces make it one of the best places to soak up the spring rays. There’s the sprawling Bute Park near Cardiff Castle, with a riverside walk along the River Taff, as well as Roath Park with its lake, and the beautiful Parc Cefn Onn, on the outskirts of the city.

Cardiff is also incredibly walkable, thanks to its compact layout, with the warmer temperatures offering an ideal opportunity to explore the city on foot. But a trip isn’t complete without visiting Cardiff Bay, with an array of landmarks, walks, eateries and boat trips on the glistening waters, to really make the most of the sunshine.

Cardiff is also set to be hotter than Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday, with the city only predicted to reach a mere 12C on Thursday (23 April), before 15C on Friday, the Met Office reports. But Thursday isn’t the only day Cardiff can lap up the rays, as it’s predicted to hit 19C again on Friday, before a slightly cooler weekend.

For the forecast from Wednesday to Friday, the Met Office said: “Largely dry during the remainder of the week, with high pressure giving generally settled weather. Some warm sunshine, though breezy at first, and some patchy overnight frosts.” Meanwhile, Tuesday (21 April) will see temperatures of 16C, and 18C on Wednesday (22 April), before it creeps up to the welcoming 19C.

In Cardiff’s long-range forecast between 24 April and 3 May, the Met Office outlines: “High pressure is likely to be centred close to or across the UK through much of this period. So many places will be largely dry with clear or sunny periods.

“Colder air will try to push into the country from the north toward next weekend, but will probably only make limited progress into the northeast for a brief time, where it could bring a short lived showery interlude, some of these wintry. Winds will be mostly light, but briefly stronger in the northeast as that colder air tries to come south. Temperatures will probably be near normal or slightly above for many, but with a risk of colder conditions affecting the north next weekend.”

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Police have issued an appeal for information

A popular bar and restaurant has been forced to close after it was broken into in the early hours of Sunday.

Barcode, in Rodney Road in Newport, had to cancel all its Sunday bookings as a result of the incident. CCTV footage shared online shows three males using a large metal canister to smash two external doors.

Police confirmed they stole a number of items including alcohol.

A spokesman for Barcode posted on Facebook on Sunday: “Unfortunately, due to a break-in by three individuals early this morning, we will be closed today. CCTV footage will follow soon.

“We are currently trying to contact everyone who had a booking with us and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.

“It’s incredibly frustrating. Both doors have been smashed and we’ve lost stock that had been prepared for today along with a full day of trading.

“Sundays are incredibly important to us as a small independent business and situations like this impact far more than people might realise. Losing today’s earnings will have a real effect on us.

“All of this… for a few bottles of alcohol.

“We will be back open on Wednesday at 5pm as usual.

“Thank you for your understanding and we appreciate your support.”

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A spokesman for Gwent Police said: “We received a report of a burglary at a commercial property on Rodney Road, Newport at around 7.55am on Sunday, April 19.

“Three unknown men have allegedly broken into the property in the early hours of the morning and taken a number of items including bottles of alcohol.

“Inquiries are ongoing and if you have any information that could help please contact us via our website, 101, or direct message us on social media quoting 2600119717 .

“You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

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Comedy legend Peter Kay has made a huge announcement that he is set to play four special hometown gigs in Bolton this summer. And there will be only one way for fans to get tickets.

Peter will return home to Bolton to the town’s famous Albert Halls for four very special shows in July 2026, his first performances at the venue in over 20 years. They include three evening performances and one matinee at the hall.

Taking to the very stage where he recorded the UK’s biggest-selling stand-up DVD, promoters today said: “it marks a truly unique and nostalgic hometown homecoming for one of Britain’s most beloved comedians”.

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