A “significant” sinkhole risk beneath the car park of a Rhymney business has sparked fears for the future of two local employers.

The failing culvert carrying the “entirety” of the River Rhymney could cost up to £4 million to repair, leaving the landowner – a local business – facing a bill it says it cannot afford.

Another business has stopped using its car park over fears the ground above the culvert could collapse.

The issue has left the two neighbouring employers caught in the middle of a dispute over the hidden piece of infrastructure beneath their sites.

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The crash happened on Holden Road in Leigh at around 5pm on Friday, July 31.

Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is now appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

An officer from the SCIU said: “As part of this investigation, we are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

“This includes anyone who witnessed the incident or has CCTV, dashcam, doorbell or mobile phone footage from the area.”

The Sur-Ron rider was taken to hospital for treatment to injuries that are described as life-threatening.

Police are urging anyone who may have seen the incident or captured it on camera to get in touch as soon as possible.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741 or via the live chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 2622 of 31/07/26.

Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ken Martin is in survival mode.

Desperate to save his job as chair of the Democratic National Committee, he is avoiding media appearances, monitoring his critics’ social media posts and refusing — at least so far — to make any substantive changes at his troubled organization.

A half dozen state leaders and other committee members, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, described Martin as defensive and extremely distrustful of others, even some people on his own team, as calls for his resignation grow louder among Democratic operatives who lament his leadership decisions, lackluster fundraising and even his tendency to lash out in anger.

But there is no sign that the organization’s membership plans to replace Martin before the midterm elections in November, even as some wonder how much longer he can hold on. The drama threatens to undermine the party’s momentum in the battle to retake control of Congress from President Donald Trump’s Republican Party.

“I sense no movement from the DNC to make a change, and so that decision’s up to Ken. And he’s told me he’s in it, so I trust him on making that decision,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib, a DNC member and strong Martin supporter. “What we’re seeing right now is a whole group of folks who live on Twitter and consultants fighting harder against Ken Martin than they’ve ever fought against Donald Trump.”

Martin did not grant an interview request. In a recent Substack post, Martin defended himself this way: “If the question is whether the Democratic Party will be ready to win — everywhere, at every level, in this election and for the decade ahead — the answer is a resounding yes.”

Martin’s critics are everywhere all at once and some want him out

As one of its most important responsibilities, the DNC is tasked with building out the party’s national infrastructure, including fundraising, to support the Democrats’ next presidential nominee. Yet few members of the next class of White House prospects are willing to speak out on Martin’s behalf.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who has traveled to key states in recent weeks before a potential presidential bid, praised the DNC for embracing a new primary calendar that promotes more diverse states such as South Carolina and Nevada.

But Moore declined three separate times to answer directly when asked whether he has confidence in Martin heading into 2028.

“My confidence is in the people,” Moore told The Associated Press. “My confidence is in making sure that we have a system in place that actually allows the people’s voices to be heard.”

He said he is not looking for “wins on behalf of a political structure or party bosses.”

Others have been explicitly critical of Martin.

Shannon Watts, the former leader of Moms Demand Action and a member of the DNC’s finance committee in 2024, criticized Martin’s lack of communication with donors and key stakeholders. She said she was ready and willing to help Martin after he took over last year, but he never called.

She did, however, get a call from a DNC staffer urging her to delete a social media post that was critical of Martin. Such calls have become common occurrences in recent months.

“Ken needs to step aside. I think Ken knows he needs to step aside,” Watts said. “There’s a reason he’s worried he’s going to be fired and it’s because he’s not up to the job.”

Even those close to Martin, including senior members of the DNC leadership, privately complain that Martin is not doing more to maintain ties with committee members, donors and prominent outside officials. He was known for building strong relationships in his previous post as leader of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, which is largely why he was elected national chair.

His allies are baffled as to why he has not done the same in his new job. There are also lingering frustrations over how Martin handled the follow-up report on the 2024 election. He promised to release the document, then withheld it, then eventually made it public while saying it was too flawed to be helpful.

Dems look to a possible change but there’s no clear alternative right now

Few expect Martin to be replaced before the fall elections, largely because no clear alternative has emerged as the midterms loom. But members are looking toward the DNC’s winter meeting after the November contests — and before the 2028 presidential primary process begins in earnest — as the most likely time to make a leadership change.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has fielded calls to discuss a candidacy to replace Martin, according to a person with knowledge of the conversations who requested anonymity to discuss private discussions. O’Malley, who did not respond to a request for comment, finished a distant third in the DNC chair election last winter.

The growing chorus of criticism has shaken the confidence of Martin’s loyalists.

They were especially concerned about an essay this week by Rufus Gifford, the finance chairman for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, who warned that the DNC under Martin’s leadership was “spiraling toward irrelevance.”

“At this point, I think there is no saving Martin’s chairmanship. He is a good man with good intentions but simply not meeting this critical moment,” Gifford wrote on Substack. “As Democrats, the only solution is to acknowledge the problem and fix it. Now.”

One Martin ally likened the fallout from Gifford’s statement to the day after Biden’s disastrous debate performance that effectively forced him to abandon his reelection campaign.

Martin has stayed on the road but remained quiet

Martin got a lifeline this week from New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, who said while campaigning in Pennsylvania that Martin “has my full support.”

Jeffries noted that Democrats have won the overwhelming majority of elections since Martin took over the DNC, which also coincides with Trump’s return to the White House. Jeffries also played down the party’s financial challenges.

Federal filings show that the DNC reported about $16.3 million in the bank with more than $18 million in debt at the end of June, compared with the Republican National Committee reporting more than $128 million in cash and no debt.

The DNC under Martin used the party’s Washington headquarters as collateral to secure a $15 million line of credit last fall. His critics seized on the decision as an example of financial mismanagement, although the building was used as collateral under former party chairs as well.

DNC officials note that the committee has actually raised more money under Martin than it raised in 2018, the last time the party did not have the White House in a midterm year.

“The current DNC has raised the most money of any DNC without the White House in the 198-year history of the Democratic Party,” Martin wrote recently on Substack.

While Martin has avoided national media appearances, which are considered a major responsibility for the chair, he has been traveling almost constantly to support party officials and key stakeholders across the country.

He visited six states over the past two weeks alone. This past week, for example, he met with civil rights leaders in Nashville, Tennessee, and mayors from across the country in Atlanta.

Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass said Martin should be praised for his commitment to strengthening state parties at a critical moment. Indeed, instead of hoarding the DNC’s cash, Martin is distributing it aggressively to needy state parties, just as he promised while campaigning for the chairmanship.

“This is a ridiculous conversation to be having right now,” Repass said. “If people don’t like Ken, they can have a conversation with him in two years. But right now, we all need to be behind the chair and keep our heads down and do our jobs.”

___

Associated Press writers Steven Sloan in Oklahoma City, Mike Catalini in Bethlehem, Pa., and Matt Brown in Washington contributed to this report.

Liverpool want Bradley Barcola to replace Mohamed Salah, and a first bid is imminent, while Spurs could help them out by taking Cody Gakpo off their hands. Roberto De Zerbi also wants Savinho, while Cristian Romero’s future is set to be involved with an exit. Follow the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip live below!

The village that shaped Ginger Johnson

Lanchester is the childhood home of Ginger Johnson, the stage name of Donald Marshall, who won the fifth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2023 before going on to triumph in the 20th series of Celebrity MasterChef.

Marshall grew up in the village, attending a Catholic secondary school before studying scriptwriting at Newcastle University, where they came out as gay and began performing in drag.

Ginger’s journey into performance began in an unusual way, writing a radio play about the women of the North East they had grown up alongside in Lanchester.

When no actresses were available, they did the voiceover themself.

Ginger has described their drag persona as “a helium balloon in the shape of a woman,” and continues to reference their Lanchester roots as part of their identity as a performer.

A village built on Roman foundations

Long before Ginger’s fame, Lanchester’s history stretched back to the 2nd century AD, when the Romans built a fort here called Longovicium, a name derived from Brittonic and Old English elements roughly translating to ‘long fort’.

The fort covered almost six acres and housed around 1,000 foot soldiers and cavalry, sitting on Dere Street, the Roman road running north from York towards Hadrian’s Wall.

Stone from the fort was later repurposed to build All Saints’ Church, which still contains a Roman altar in its porch, one of several found in or around the old fort site.

The Romans even built a six-kilometre aqueduct to supply the fort, fed by a reservoir created using one of the oldest dams of its kind in the world.

Lanchester, County Durham. (Image: GOOGLE)

From mining village to visitor destination

Like much of County Durham, Lanchester’s more recent history was shaped by coal, with a small drift mine operating on the edge of the village until its closure in the 1970s.

Since then, the village has reinvented itself as a popular spot for walkers and day-trippers, with scenic routes through Dora’s Wood and Waters’ Meet, and a growing cluster of independent pubs, cafés, and shops including the King’s Head and Grandpa’s Fish Bar.

Other notable names from Lanchester

Ginger Johnson is far from the only notable figure to come from Lanchester.

The village was also home to archaeologist Canon William Greenwell, who invented the famous ‘Greenwell’s Glory’ fly-fishing fly, as well as his relative, poet Dorothy ‘Dora’ Greenwell.

Political journalist Anne McElvoy also went to school in the village.

Police failed to arrest a paedophile stepfather who sexually assaulted and murdered his girlfriend’s two–year–old daughter.

Isabelle Welsh suffered a sickening ‘campaign of violence’ at the hands of Harrison Simpson, 22, and Alexandra Walker, 26, in the weeks before her death in September last year in Thornaby, Teesside.

The toddler endured 21 broken bones before a final ‘massive head injury’ was inflicted upon her – consistent with being ‘violently shaken’ and her head ‘impacting a hard and unyielding surface such as a wall or hard floor’.

Cleveland Police admitted they failed to carry out a warrant issued for Simpson’s arrest in the months leading up to Isabelle’s death.

The warrant was issued in March 2024 after Simpson failed to appear at court over a charge of breaching a non–molestation order.

The order was put in place following reports of harassment involving threats made to an adult woman, unrelated to the murder case.

Cleveland Police said: ‘Multiple enquiries and arrest attempts were carried out to try to locate and arrest him but these proved unsuccessful.

‘In line with openness and transparency, we informed Isabelle’s family of the circumstances surrounding the outstanding warrant early on in the investigation.’

Harrison Simpson, 22, was convicted of murdering and sexually assaulting the toddler, as well as child cruelty

Alexandra Walker, 25, was found guilty of the murder of Isabelle and child cruelty

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The force said it recognised that the time Simpson had an outstanding arrest warrant was ‘far from adequate’ – adding a review was ‘immediately conducted’ following his arrest for murder.

A spokesman said: ‘This review, along with a determination to continually improve our processes around suspect management, has led to a number of recent changes, such as ongoing improved visibility across the force around outstanding warrants, a comprehensive data system which tracks all outstanding warrants, and stringent oversight including a governance group led by a Superintendent.

‘Those outstanding warrants posing the highest risk are reviewed daily by senior management.’

Social services and the police were allegedly unaware Simpson and Walker had started a relationship – dating for three months before Isabelle’s death.

The local safeguarding hub – run by the local authority – was in contact with Isabelle and Walker on two occasions in the weeks before the toddler’s death.

Both interactions resulted in no further action – with a health visitor seeing Isabelle four days before she died but not attending the family home.

Simpson and Walker were jailed for life with a minimum of 27 years and 21 years respectively after being convicted of murder.

On the morning of Isabelle’s death, Simpson had been caring for her alone while Walker slept.

After the jury returned guilty verdicts, Isabelle’s father, Josh Welsh, said: ‘It means the world to me that we have justice for Isabelle’

At some point during this time she was violently sexually assaulted.

He then left Walker’s property in Thornaby, Teesside, on his bicycle.

When Walker woke in the afternoon after a night of heavy drinking and found Isabelle barely conscious and bleeding from a wound consistent with sexual assault, rather than call an ambulance, she smoked a cigarette and then used Google to search: ‘Why would my toddler be bleeding?’

An hour later she finally called her stepfather who immediately told her to dial 999.

Despite an ambulance arriving within a minute, Isabelle could not be saved and died in the early hours of the following morning.

Sentencing the pair, Ms Justice Norton said it was difficult to describe their course of conduct as ‘anything other than sadistic’.

She said Walker’s actions in failing to call the emergency services when Isabelle clearly required medical attention was ‘because you believed she was already dead and were working out what to do to save your own skin’.

Judge Norton said that, before Simpson arrived in Walker’s life, Isabelle was a ‘happy and healthy child’.

She added: ‘There has been a wall of silence, lies and obfuscation built up surrounding the last few weeks of Isabelle’s life before her murder.

‘Harrison Simpson, you have been silent throughout. You have said nothing in [police] interview or at trial. Before you came into Isabelle’s life she was a happy, healthy and thriving child.’

Turning to Walker, the judge said she was a ‘liar and fantasist who wanted attention’.

She said: ‘Whether or not it was attention seeking that led you to commit these offences or some misguided loyalty to Harrison Simpson…. you never said you were forced into acting as you did and you had significant support from parents, the health visitor, the nursery and GP but you made no attempt to get their support or help.’

Simpson was jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years and 231 days in prison.

Walker was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and 48 days in prison, with time on remand awaiting trial taken into account for both defendants.

Simpson, wearing a grey tracksuit jacket, and Walker, in a black blazer and white shirt, stared blankly ahead as the sentences were delivered.

In the run–up to her suffering the fatal skull fracture on September 13 last year, Isabelle suffered 21 broken bones, internal tears from violent sexual assaults and had 97 soft tissue injuries from being tightly held and shaken.

Tragically, shortly before her death, the toddler was sent home from hospital after doctors overruled other staff’s concerns for the child.

Eleven days before her murder, she was reluctantly taken to a GP and then hospital by her mother with a fractured leg.

Staff at North Tees Hospital in Stockton, Co Durham, did not want to allow Isabelle to leave with her, fearing potential abuse.

Walker had waited two weeks to seek treatment despite Isabelle struggling to walk. She claimed the young girl must have hurt her leg when it got caught in her cot.

When concerns were raised at the hospital on September 2, Walker became ‘argumentative’ and angry – lunging at a nurse who raised the issue of safeguarding.

The mother warned the nurse that speaking to a safeguarding team was ‘totally unnecessary’.

Doctors on a paediatric team eventually overruled the concerns and Isabelle was allowed to leave with Walker.

A health visitor was asked to speak to Walker because of the hospital’s initial concern – but she did so over the phone and Walker convinced her that everything was above board.

Less than a fortnight later paramedics found Isabelle lying motionless at the foot of the stairs.

Tragically, the same nurse who raised safeguarding concerns was on duty when Isabelle returned to hospital and could not be resuscitated.

The nurse said the child was ‘covered from top to toe in bruises’. In court, Walker blamed Simpson for the injuries. Simpson declined to give evidence but his barrister said Walker was responsible for Isabelle’s death.

The trial heard the couple met on Facebook Dating in the summer of last year but within a short time he was living at her house.

The pair would regularly drink and smoke cannabis together.

Soon, however, Simpson began showing an unhealthy interest in Isabelle, bathing her alone unprompted and always making sure Isabelle was with Walker, rather than wishing to see his girlfriend alone.

This prompted Walker to search the Sex Offenders’ Register for his name and question whether he was a paedophile.

After deliberating for seven hours, jurors found Simpson and Walker guilty of murder and child cruelty.

Simpson was also found guilty of assault by penetration of a child under 13. Walker was cleared of the same charge.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Chatterton, of Cleveland Police, said: ‘Isabelle suffered catastrophic injuries at the hands of the very people who should have loved her, cared for her and protected her.

‘Her life was cruelly taken in the most tragic and heartbreaking circumstances.

‘She should have had a lifetime of opportunities ahead of her. Instead, Walker and Simpson robbed Isabelle of her future and deprived her family of watching her grow up and achieve those milestones that so many take for granted.’

A crazed gunman who killed at least two people after opening fire at an In-N-Out burger restaurant drive-thru in Idaho turned his rifle on himself following the rampage, police have revealed. 

The shooter, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead on Saturday evening after sparking chaos outside the restaurant, with several more victims raced to hospital with gunshot wounds. 

A second shooter was seen firing at the suspect with a handgun, with witnesses claiming he was a heroic bystander who shot back at the gunman and helped victims get to safety. 

However, following claims that the second shooter bravely took down the gunman himself, Duane Rubink, chief of the neighboring Jerome Police Department, confirmed the suspect took his own life. 

‘It appears there was one shooter who is deceased from a self inflicted gunshot,’ Rubink told CNN.  

Footage from the scene showed the gunman armed with an AR-style rifle opening fire from the drive thru of the newly-opened burger franchise location, sending dozens of terrified witnesses scrambling for their lives. 

Idaho Falls city spokesperson Josh Palmer said the investigation into the mass shooting is ongoing, and warned that officials expect the official number of victims who were injured ‘to increase.’ 

Witness Lane Koehn, 34, said he saw the bystander with a handgun spring into action when the suspect began the shooting spree, saying he returned fire before rushing to the side of an In-N-Out employee who was shot to help get her to safety.

He said the employee was ‘pretty bad off’, and said the hero bystander – who he claimed told him he was a retired paramedic – stayed by her side until an ambulance arrived.

A second man was seen firing back at the gunman with a handgun, with a witness praising the anonymous hero for confronting the suspect before helping victims get to safety 

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The gunman, who appeared to be a young white male, had been seen exiting a white vehicle at the restaurant drive thru, before walking through the parking lot and firing into a Tesla. Officials said Saturday evening that the gunman turned the gun on himself 

Images circulating across social media appeared to show a gunman armed with a camouflaged AR-style assault rifle, wearing glasses, blue jeans, and a black T-shirt with a large logo on the chest

The shooting began at 3pm local time, with footage from the scene showing dozens of people fleeing across a roadway as a barrage of gunshots rang out. 

In footage shared by Koehn to social media, the gunman was seen initially exiting a white sedan in the drive-thru and rapid firing a number of shots.

Koehn said he did not believe the gunman was targeting anyone specific, describing his shooting pattern as ‘random.’ 

‘You can tell he was panicking. He was not very calm and collected, running and slinging his rifle around firing,’ he told the New York Times. 

Koehn added that the bystander with the handgun’s decision to return fire appeared to force the young gunman to run for cover, and he then moved to a nearby parking lot. 

Separate footage showed the gunman then firing aimlessly into the windshield of a Tesla, although it is unclear if the vehicle was occupied.  

Images circulating across social media appeared to show the gunman armed with a camouflaged AR-style assault rifle. The suspect appeared to be a young white male, wearing glasses, blue jeans, and a black T-shirt with a large logo on the chest. 

The popular burger chain had only opened the new location in Twin Falls this week, with many saying they had been anticipating the opening for months. 

Authorities say the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said officers are ‘working to try to ascertain his identity and the motivations’ for the tragedy.  

The gunman was seen exiting a white sedan in the drive-thru and firing off a barrage of shots, sending bystanders fleeing

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After moving to a nearby parking lot from the drive-thru, a witness said the gunman ‘was panicking… He was not very calm and collected, running and slinging his rifle around firing’

The gunman, who has not been identified, was seen stalking the parking lot after opening fire. He was found deceased at the scene, police confirmed 

Witnesses shared footage of terrified people running for their lives

Idaho Governor Brad Little said in a statement to X: ‘Idahoans, join me in keeping the Twin Falls community in your prayers as law enforcement and first responders respond to an active shooter situation near In-N-Out. 

‘Please avoid the area and follow directions from law enforcement as they work to keep everyone safe.’

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador said in a statement at 6:30pm Eastern Time that authorities were still searching for the suspect or suspects. Police later said the gunman was deceased. 

‘Praying for everyone in Twin Falls as first responders continue searching for the suspect near In-N-Out. Twin Falls Police, Idaho State Police, and fire and paramedic crews remain on scene working to secure the area,’ Labrador said.

‘If you’re in the area, please listen to local authorities and stay away from In-N-Out and the surrounding streets so first responders can do their jobs.’

A huge police presence descended on the scene, including a large SWAT-style law enforcement vehicle 

Twin Falls police searched for the gunman for several hours as chaos ensued 

The Twin Falls Police Department introduced a lockdown in the area and closing multiple roads and bridges, and urged local residents to avoid the area

The FBI and ATF said on Saturday evening they were joining the investigation to assist, with officers from the Idaho State Police, Jerome Police Department and Buhl Police Department from surrounding areas also reportedly involved.

Nearby businesses including the Magic Valley Mall were evacuated and placed under lockdown.  

A development built with the the help of a cutting-edge robot has just been completed. Housing chiefs say it is a ‘defining moment for the future of the construction industry’.

The race to build 1.5m new homes across the UK could be won with the help of a robot called ‘Walter’.

A pioneering housing development built with the help of the cutting-edge technology has just been completed. Housing chiefs say it is a ‘defining moment for the future of the construction industry’.

The government aims to build 1.5m new homes in England over a five-year period, translating to an average target of about 370,00-a-year. JT Lifestyle Homes has now officially finished the development in Thornley, County Durham. It was the first in the UK to use a wall-laying terra-based robot – nicknamed WLTR or ‘Walter’ – to place bricks with speed and ultimate precision.

Dr Jan Telensky, founder and CEO of JT Lifestyle Homes, hopes the technology will help address the labour shortage in the construction industry. Dr Telensky said: “There is currently a severe shortage of bricklayers in the UK, along with a wider skills shortage across much of the construction industry.

“With ambitious housing targets we need to get to grips with new technology to help us meet the demand for new homes – and fast. We have been incredibly impressed with how Walter has helped us speed up build time.

“Using a robot which works in all weathers also meant we knew what the output would be, come rain or shine. Walter picks up and lays the bricks with precision, enhancing the overall build and literally taking the heavy lifting out of the job. It is operated by experienced trades professionals who can monitor the build and deal with the more intricate aspects of the job.”

Now finished, the Maple Close scheme boasts both cutting-edge exteriors and modern interiors. All homes are equipped with solar panels on their roofs and the homes are built with specialist clay blocks that are lower in carbon than other materials and have enhanced thermal performance.

They also use less water, are lightweight and generate no mortar waste. Any damaged blocks can be crushed and reused as hardcore on site.

The UK is in the grip of a “housing crisis” and new PM Andy Burnham wants to deliver “the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period” – but has not as yet revealed any detailed plans. Keir Starmer pledged £39bn to fund the construction of 300,000 new “social and affordable houses” over the course of 10 years during the 2025 Spending Review, and said this money would “reinvigorate” council housebuilding.

That would equate to around 30,000 new homes a year, but the majority of those were expected to be social housing constructed by not-for-profit housing associations using government grants. Council house construction has collapsed across England since the 1980s and much of the stock of local authority homes has been sold off with the right to buy scheme of the Thatcher government.