A friend of the gang-rape victim who died by euthanasia turned up at the Spanish hospital an hour before her death, hoping to convince her to live.
Warning: This article contains distressing content.
Noelia Castillo Ramos, 25, died by euthanasia in the Barcelona care facility where she lived on Thursday evening.
She was raped on two occasions, once by her ex-boyfriend and the second time by three boys in 2022, after which she jumped from the fifth-floor window of an apartment building in an attempt to end her own life.
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The fall left her paralysed from the waist down, and she was suffering severe, chronic and incapacitating pain with no possibility of improvement, according to her medical records.
Noelia requested euthanasia in 2024, but her father blocked the procedure, taking the case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights, where it was rejected earlier this month.
Image: A group of people protested at the entrance of the care facility where Noelia was euthanised. Pic: Europa Press/AP
The euthanasia was scheduled for 5pm on Thursday. An hour before, Carla Rodriguez, who said she was Noelia’s best friend, arrived at the residential care hospital in Barcelona and asked to see Noelia, hoping to change her mind.
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A cordon had been set up to prevent dozens of people who came to protest Noelia’s euthanasia from accessing the facility and disrupting the procedure. Security personnel also denied her friend access.
“I wanted to try to convince her to change her mind,” Ms Rodriguez tearfully told Spanish outlet Okdiario.
Ms Rodriguez said she and Noelia grew up together and used to be classmates at a local school. They lost touch “when Noelia was transferred to a different care facility”.
She learned about Noelia’s decision to die in the news and hoped to convince her friend to live by telling her about the “wave of affection and solidarity” on social media, where many commented on Noelia’s case.
“Noelia has been through so much,” Ms Rodriguez said, breaking down in tears. She left a handwritten letter for Noelia’s mother, asking to see her friend and offering support.
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‘I want to die alone’
Noelia had told Spanish TV programme Y Ahora Sonsoles in her only interview that she wanted to be alone at the moment of her death.
“I’ve told them that family can come to say goodbye, but not when they’re about to give me the injection,” she said.
She also voiced her wish to “die looking pretty, I want to die beautiful”, adding that she would wear her prettiest dress and put on some makeup.
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Image: Several people were seen praying outside the care home where Noelia died. Pic: Europa Press/AP
Noelia intended to have four photos with her for her death: one of her painting a portrait of her mother, one of her childhood puppy, another from her first day of school and a fourth from her childhood, which she said reflected “happy” moments in her life.
“I want to go now in peace and stop suffering, period,” she said as she explained that she had been “very clear” about her wish to die from the beginning
While her mother, Yolanda “Yoli” Ramos, told the Spanish broadcaster earlier this week that she hoped her daughter would change her mind, she promised to be by her side “until the very end”.
Noelia had been in psychiatric treatment since she was 13, when her parents separated. She was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Her father witnessed her attempt to take her own life in October 2022, but Noelia said she didn’t “feel sorry for him anymore” after he launched a legal challenge to stop her euthanasia.
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Noelia’s father fought euthanasia for two years
Her euthanasia request was initially granted by a specialised expert committee in Catalonia in July 2024, with the procedure scheduled for 2 August 2024, but her father has blocked it ever since.
Legalised euthanasia and assisted suicide in Spain
In 2021, Spain became the fourth European Union country to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with incurable or severely debilitating conditions.
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The law was passed despite years of strong opposition from Catholic and conservative groups in the country.
However, an opinion poll in 2019 found 90% of Spaniards were in favour of decriminalisation.
To qualify, patients must first make two requests in writing – 15 days apart – followed by consultations with medical professionals not previously involved in their care.
If approved, those wanting to end their lives must then submit another request to a regional committee of experts who then make a final decision.
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Under the law, medical workers can refuse to participate on grounds of belief.
Geronimo Castillo, supported by the ultra-conservative advocacy group Abogados Cristianos or Christian Lawyers, argued that Noelia’s mental illness impaired her ability to decide to end her life.
During a nearly two-year-long legal battle, he took the case through Spain’s courts until the highest tribunal rejected his argument in February. Mr Castillo appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, where his request for interim measures to stop Noelia’s euthanasia was rejected on 10 March, according to newspaper El Pais.
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Image: Two women pray at the entrance of the Sant Camil hospital ahead of Noelia’s euthanasia. Pic: AP
As a last-ditch effort, his legal team on Wednesday asked an investigating court looking into Noelia’s medical-legal team to introduce “urgent precautionary measures” to stop her euthanasia, but a judge rejected the request due to a lack of jurisdiction.
Members of the Christian Lawyers advocacy group were among those who protested Noelia’s euthanasia outside the facility.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK.
Alternatively, you can call Mind’s support line on 0300 102 1234, or NHS on 111.
In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
Postcodes from across the region were picked out this week for £1,000 prizes.
Players in Coxhoe (DH6 4SG) won £1,000 as did residents in Yarm (TS15 9EN). Further afield postcodes in Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle, Whitby and Malton also won shares of the prize pot.
The People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription lottery which aims to raise money for charities while also bringing cash prizes to homes across the UK.
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The People’s Postcode Lottery unveils daily prizes for postcodes across the UK, including £30,000 jackpots for every winning ticket in a postcode on weekends, and £1,000 prizes for 20 different postcodes every day.
A minimum of 33 per cent from each ticket goes to charity, and players have raised more than £950 million for over 9,000 charities and good causes since 2005.
The Postcode Lottery winners and prize amounts this week are:
US-Iran war in numbers: Thousands dead, billions spent and a global economy in crisis
As the conflict enters its second month, more than 4,500 people have lost their lives, according to reports from more than a dozen countries dragged into the war since February 28.
Read more from James C. Reynolds…
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Bryony Gooch28 March 2026 02:30
Iran says Israel hit two of its largest steel plants: report
Israel has hit two of Iran’s largest steel plants, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday night local time, citing Iranian state media and the country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Mobarakeh Steel in Isfahan and Khuzestan Steel in Ahvaz were reportedly targeted.
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Earlier Friday, the WSJreported that the Israeli military confirmed it hit two Iranian nuclear sites — the heavy-water plant at Khondab and the Shahid Rezayee Nejad Yellow Cake Production Facility.
Rachel Dobkin28 March 2026 02:15
New US aircraft carrier to be deployed amid Iran war: report
The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier is set to be deployed amid the Iran war, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
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The aircraft carrier will be positioned in the US Central Command’s area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East, the source said.
CNN reported that there are two other US aircraft carriers already in the region. It’s unclear whether the USS George H.W. Bush will be in addition to the other aircraft carriers or replace one of the vessels.
Rachel Dobkin28 March 2026 02:00
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How Iran’s ‘complete control’ of Strait of Hormuz affects oil and gas
Read more from Maira Butt…
Bryony Gooch28 March 2026 01:45
Number of US troops hurt in Saudi air base attack rises to 12, according to one report
A total of 12 US troops were hurt in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia Friday, The New York Times reported, citing US officials.
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Earlier reports said 10 service members were injured.
Rachel Dobkin28 March 2026 01:31
Trump says ‘we don’t have to be there for Nato’
US President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States does not “have to be there for Nato” given the alliance declined to provide material support to the US during its ongoing war on Iran.
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Bryony Gooch28 March 2026 01:00
Watch: Trump calls Strait of Hormuz ‘The Strait of Trump’
Trump calls Strait of Hormuz ‘Strait of Trump’
Bryony Gooch28 March 2026 00:30
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10 US troops wounded in Saudi air base attack: report
At least 10 American service members have been wounded in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia Friday, two US officials told the Associated Press.
Two of the service members were seriously injured, according to one of the officials.
The AP earlier reported, citing a US official, that the attack involved an Iranian missile and unmanned drones.
More than 300 US troops have been injured in the Iran war so far, US Central Command said in reports. Another 13 service members have died.
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Rachel Dobkin28 March 2026 00:00
Mourning held for IRGC naval intelligence chief says Iranian state media
Iranian news agencies reported early on Saturday that mourning was held for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ navy intelligence chief, Behnam Rezaei.
The confirmation comes days after the Israeli military said it killed Rezaei in a strike in Iran’s Bandar Abbas.
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Bryony Gooch27 March 2026 23:00
Trump criticises Nato in praise for Middle Eastern allies
US president Donald Trump has commended the likes of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Turkey in a criticism on Nato.
“I have to say that Bahrain and Kuwait, they were stand up more so than Nato,” he said. “Now they’re a little closer to the action than Nato, and [often I have] been very disappointed with Nato, but I wasn’t disappointed with our allies in the Middle East and others.
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“We had tremendous support from countries that were not in the general area, but they were tremendously supportive.
“Turkey was fantastic, actually fantastic, and they stayed out of things that we asked them to.”
The line-up was packed with big Irish names from film, media and entertainment
Donald Trump was the main talking point as Friday night’s Late Late Show kicked off.
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First up was BBC News Chief Presenter Caitríona Perry who joined host Patrick Kielty to talk about life in Washington DC and her role in covering all the major US news stories during President Trump’s second administration.
She also reflected on the US-Israel war with Iran, its impact on Trump’s approval rating, and how Taoiseach Micheál Martin fared in the Oval Office on St Patrick’s Day.
Fresh from winning the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2026 IFTA ceremony actor Ciarán Hinds was live in studio too. Known for his roles in classics such as Belfast, Munich, Road to Perdition and There will be Blood, Hinds is regarded as one of Ireland’s most talented movie stars. As his career continues to go from strength to strength, he chatted about growing up in Belfast, his friendship with Liam Neeson and his latest projects.
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For the first time since becoming the presenter of The Late Late Show in September 2023, Patrick interviewed one of his predecessors. Pat Kenny was on the couch to talk about his recent move from daily radio to the weekend slot with Newstalk. He reflected on his decades of experience in broadcasting as he confirmed that at 78 years of age, he has no plans to slow down.Comedian Kevin McGahern dropped by to talk about fronting the newest series of Cheap European Homes with Maggie Molloy and James Kavanagh and life as a father of two. He also recreated his viral opening monologue from the IFTA Awards 2026, complete with his trusty bodhrán.As she prepares to make her return to the airwaves 2FM presenter, new mum Doireann Garrihy chatted about the joys of motherhood since welcoming baby Rosie. She also revealed her plans to bring her hit podcast on the road and why she is excited to get back to work.
Plus, there was music from award-winning singer Freya Ridings who performed her new single “I Have Always Loved You.”
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A Reform party campaign video starring Farage was also filmed at Ipswich’s stadium.
Farage’s visit sparked an angry response from some Ipswich supporters, while the club claimed that it was apolitical and did not ‘support or endorse any individual party’.
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In a statement on Friday night, Aston said he was ‘immensely upset’ for ‘hurting’ Ipswich’s fanbase and admitted ‘mistakes have been made’.
Ashton said: ‘I’m fully aware that this has been a very difficult week for all of us.
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‘The staff are hurting. Elements of the fanbase are hurting. So are elements of our local community. That upsets me immensely. Unreservedly, I want to apologise and say I’m sorry.
‘I understand that supporters and element of the community are angry. I also understand that there are a number of mistruths out there about what’s actually happened this week. And I also understand that we have lessons to learn. Because mistakes have been made which have caused harm and distress to parts of our local community.
Ipswich Town’s chairman, Mark Ashton, admits ‘mistakes have been made’ after Nigel Farage’s visit to the club
‘And as the chairman of the club I take full responsibility for those mistakes. And full responsibility for making sure that those lessons are learned and learned quickly.
‘The full board of directors are now reviewing the policy regards how we engage with local politicians and political parties. We’ll decide how, if and when we do that moving forward. Because, again, lessons have to be learned.’
Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream – you can try it out right now (Nintendo)
One of the last first party games for the original Switch has a free demo you can download now, as a reader examines the pros and cons of next month’s new game.
When gaming publications started detailing their experiences previewing Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream last week, I assumed it would be a wait to get the same opportunity, if we got one at all. So when this demo shadow-dropped almost immediately afterwards, it caught me off guard in the best way. This has been my most anticipated game of the year, so any opportunity to preview it is a massive privilege.
Essentially a short prologue to the full game, it does a solid job of introducing the core mechanics while letting you actually play around with them without feeling heavy-handed. When you’ve finished the demo, you’ll have a strong understanding of how to manage your residents and interact with them.
The main restriction is the three Mii cap. While that sounds really limited, it’s just enough to complete the basic tutorial and unlock the first two buildings. In the full game you need five residents to unlock the flagship Island Designer, so the demo basically puts you in the perfect position come launch day, as your demo progress transfers to the full game.
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Being able to shorten the time it takes to unlock the new feature makes this worth the download alone. I’d recommend making the remaining two Mii in the console’s Mii Maker and then importing them into the full game on release day.
The biggest highlight is simply watching the Mii of my friends interact with each other. The charm of Tomodachi Life is built around wacky interactions and relationships, and seeing this effectively translated to the Switch reminds me of exactly what I loved about the 3DS original, as within minutes I was grinning at the descriptions of what my Mii were talking about.
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The clothing shop also has a surprisingly large amount of clothes to buy for your Mii, and there’s a genuinely cute bonus costume as a reward for completing the demo. LGBT customisability (which was lacking in the 3DS game) is also really strong and is done in a way that’s both detailed for those who want LGBT Mii and simple to ignore for anyone who doesn’t.
The only major objective flaw with the demo game is that you’re only able to use the touchscreen when making the Mii. Also, the frame rate/pacing felt slightly off in my eyes, although your mileage may vary with that.
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The biggest flaw is how the demo ends. It takes roughly an hour to complete, which totally makes sense for the type of game this is. However, after giving your Mii an outfit the island essentially freezes. The Mii stay inside their homes and all dialogue becomes focused on what you’ll be able to do in the full game.
While demos are advertisements for games, I can’t remember a recent one quite as blatant about it as this, and the way the Mii talk feels at odds with the tone of the game. It’s frustrating because the bulk of the demo gives you the limited freedom to orchestrate dynamic interactions between three Mii and watch them explore the island. And yet just as it starts to soar, its wings get cut off and it becomes a semi-interactive billboard.
Overall, I’m thrilled that this exists and it does exactly what it needs to do in order to sell you on the full game. However, the unnecessarily restrictive post-demo kills all momentum and makes me think that it should’ve been released on the 9th of April, when you can pre-download the full game.
By reader Connor Lamb
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Purposefully peculiar (Nintendo)
The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The astronaut who prompted NASA’s first medical evacuation earlier this year said Friday that doctors still don’t know why he suddenly fell sick at the International Space Station.
Four-time space flier Mike Fincke said he was eating dinner on Jan. 7 after prepping for a spacewalk the next day when it happened. He couldn’t talk and remembers no pain, but his anxious crewmates jumped into action after seeing him in distress and requested help from flight surgeons on the ground.
“It was completely out of the blue. It was just amazingly quick,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press from Houston’s Johnson Space Center.
Fincke, 59, a retired Air Force colonel, said the episode lasted roughly 20 minutes and he felt fine afterward. He said he still does. He never experienced anything like that before or since.
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Doctors have ruled out a heart attack and Fincke said he wasn’t choking, but everything else is still on the table and could be related to his 549 days of weightlessness. He was 5 ½ months into his latest space station stay when the problem struck like “a very, very fast lightning bolt.”
“My crewmates definitely saw that I was in distress,” he said, with all six gathering around him. “It was all hands on deck within just a matter of seconds.”
Fincke said he can’t provide any more details about his medical episode. The space agency wants to make sure that other astronauts do not feel that their medical privacy will be compromised if something happens to them, he said.
The space station’s ultrasound machine came in handy when the event occurred, he said, and he’s gone through numerous tests since returning to Earth. NASA is poring through other astronauts’ medical records to see if any related instances might have happened in space, he said.
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Fincke identified himself late last month as the one who was sick to end the swirling public speculation.
He still feels bad that his illness caused the spacewalk to be canceled — it would have been his 10th spacewalk but first for crewmate Zena Cardman — and resulted in an early return for her and their two other crewmates. SpaceX brought them back on Jan. 15, more than a month early, and they went straight to the hospital.
“I’ve been very lucky to be super healthy. So this was very surprising for everyone,” he said.
Fincke stopped apologizing to everybody after NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman ordered him to stop.
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“This wasn’t you. This was space, right?” his colleagues assured him. “You didn’t let anybody down.”
Ever the optimist, he’s holding out hope that he can return to space one day.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Tiger Woods has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence after his car was involved in a crash in Florida, police have said.
A Land Rover, which the golf legend was driving, tried to overtake a truck “at high speeds” before it swerved and rolled on to its side after clipping a truck towing a trailer, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said.
He added Woods showed “signs of impairment” after the incident, which happened shortly after 2pm local time on Friday and not far from where the golfer lives on Jupiter Island.
Woods, 50, took a breathalyser test after his arrest, which came back negative, but the golfer then refused to give a urine sample, police said.
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Image: Tiger Woods standing near his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Florida. Pic: AP
Sheriff Budensiek told reporters during a news conference: “When it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused, and so he has been charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.”
None of the parties involved in the crash reported injuries.
Pointing to how the smash unfolded on a small, two-lane road, Sheriff Budensiek said it was lucky no one was injured.
Image: Police arriving at the scene of the crash. Pic: WPTV
“Had there been someone moving in the opposite direction, we would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries. This could’ve been a lot worse,” Sheriff Budensiek said.
“He [Woods] was lethargic on scene but that we believe was because of what he was intoxicated on.”
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The vehicle Woods hit was a truck towing a pressure cleaner trailer.
Image: Woods was able to escape the vehicle by crawling through the passenger door, police said. Pic: Martin County Sheriff’s Office via AP
The truck driver tried to “edge off” the side of the road to get out of the way but there was not enough room, the sheriff explained during an update on Friday.
It is not known if Woods was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, as he “crawled out of the passenger door” prior to police arriving at the scene.
This was at least the third time Woods has been involved in a car crash, most recently in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries.
Woods said later his injuries were so bad that doctors considered amputation.
He also was arrested on a DUI charge in 2017 when South Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car that was parked awkwardly with damage to the driver’s side.
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He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving after it emerged he had had five prescription drugs in his system at the time.
Image: Tiger Woods with his then wife Elin Nordegren at a basketball game in 2009. Pic: Reuters
In 2009 he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and tree outside his Florida home – an accident which inadvertently led to a spectacular unravelling of his private life.
Woods’ then wife, Elin Nordegren, used a golf club to smash a window of his Cadillac Escalade to get him out.
“This situation is my fault and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me,” Woods said on his official website at the time.
“I’m human and I’m not perfect.”
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The incident revealed a bitter marital dispute with Nordegren, as a host of women came forward to admit to having had extramarital affairs with Woods.
Woods and Nordegren divorced in August 2010.
Image: Skid marks seen on the road after Woods’ latest accident. Pic: Martin County Sheriff’s Office via AP
The latest crash comes after Woods returned to competitive action for the first time in over a year on the final night of play in the indoor TGL competition on Tuesday.
He had said afterwards that he hoped he would be fit enough to play at the Masters next month.
Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. His major titles include five Masters, three US Opens, three British Opens and four PGA Championships.
The villages are within walking distance of one another
People living in two neighbouring Cambridgeshire villages say they “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else” and that living there feels like “being on holiday”. Melbourn and Meldreth are both in the south of Cambridgeshire and are roughly a four minute drive from each other, or around 20-minutes on foot.
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Melbourn is the larger of the two, and is home to more than 4,600 people, whilst Meldreth has around 2,000 residents. In Melbourn, there are a variety of amenities including shops, two pubs, barbershops, and even a stunning wedding venue. Meldreth has a train station which is ideal for commuters, a shop, and a village pub called The British Queen.
As part of our Exploring Cambridgeshire series, we visited both villages and spoke to people about what it is like to live here.
Vicky Deville, 73, has lived in Melbourn for 40 years. She said that the village is “a nice place” and she “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else”. She added: “We have got all the amenities we need. There is lots and lots of groups going on for all ages.”
Vicky feels “very lucky” to live here, especially because she enjoys visiting the Melbourn Hub, which has a café with an integrated library, and hosts lots of local events. She added: “There is lots of things that go on in there. There’s all sorts of advice you can get in there and help from people.”
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Hannah Trinder, a manager at one of Melbourn’s local pubs, The Dolphin, grew up in a nearby town, but later moved to Melbourn. She said: “It is nice because despite this being a village, you still have that town feel. Plus, what is really nice about living here is that the locals are all really friendly and fun.”
She said that she has made friends with a lot of locals, and that “there is such a community in this village – everyone just wants to help each other”.
Melbourn Greenway, one of 12 Greater Cambridge greenways being constructed in South Cambridgeshire, aims to provide better and safer walking and cycling routes into the city of Cambridge.
Hannah said that this is something she would definitely use because she enjoys a long walk, especially because of “the very nice countryside” that surrounds the village. Hannah sees the neighbouring village, Meldreth, as a similar style village with “nice little houses and cottages”.
A couple, Nicole and Edward, who moved from London to Meldreth, chose the “perfect village” so that they were still able to commute into London. Edward, 49, said: “It has got a pub, corner shop, post office, and butchers.” Nicole, who is 37, said that after living in London, coming to Meldreth feels like “being on holiday”.
The couple love that it is a “lived in village, so it has a sense of community” and the locals “are very friendly”. The couple say Melbourn is useful for its amenities such as the dentist but they consider each village to “have two different personalities”.
David Eldred, 84, said that he has lived in Melbourn for “the longest period of living anywhere” in his life. He added: “I’ve moved 28 times in my life because I was in the army, and now I live by myself so it is a place I should always stay.”
David lives down a remote lane, surrounded by the countryside and he enjoys walking through the fields. He said the Melbourn Greenway “would be ideal” and help to connect the surrounding areas. David moved to Melbourn because of its close proximity to Cambridge, so the village was an “ideal” solution for him.
A lady, who only gave her name as Mirka, has lived in Melbourn for around 10 years. She said that she enjoys the park to walk her dog. She said “a lot of people [from Meldreth] come here” and “my children went to Meldreth Primary School”.
Many of Saturday’s papers lead with the Middle East conflict one month since Israel and the US attacked. The Guardian leads with their latest plans for the conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he expects the war to end in “weeks, not months”, the paper writes, while Israel threatens to “‘escalate and expand’ its attack”. The paper also splashes its own investigation into a top model industry executive who allegedly “introduced models to ‘dear friend’ Jeffrey Epstein”. A spokesperson for the executive tells the paper she “never put a model in harm’s way by sending them to inappropriate go-sees or meetings”.
The UK’s second-largest fuel retailer also dismissed claims that forecourts are “profiteering” from recent price increases.
Petrol and diesel costs have climbed sharply since the end of February, after the war between Iran and US-Israeli forces disrupted oil production and supply from the region.
Average unleaded prices have jumped by more than 14p a litre over that period, reaching 147.19p, according to RAC figures published earlier this week.
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Allan Leighton, executive chairman of Asda, said the retailer has seen bumper demand from drivers amid price volatility.
The boss stressed that the issue has only affected “the odd pump” at a small number of its petrol forecourts.
He said: “Our fuel volumes are up quite significantly and clearly demand has been outstripping supply.
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“Supply is tight and we are all trying hard on that.
“The issue is a temporary one, and some could see issues when we are waiting for delivery, and we can expect to see that continue.
“The spikiness at the moment makes this tricky for us, as spikes can lead to temporary shortages. These are temporary and are addressed very quickly.”
The boss also rejected claims that fuel retailers have boosted their profits through recent price increases.
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Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government would step in if retailers try “to rip off customers” through price gouging.
In response, Mr Leighton said “no, we are not” when asked if the business was profiteering.
He said: “Our (profit) margin will be down as a result. It is very clear this is not the case.
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“People ask where the money is going and the Government are getting a lot of money of the back of this.”
Why is the Iran war driving up fuel prices?
The war is disrupting both oil supply and its routes, and markets are adding a “risk premium” on top.
Analysis from the RAC and others suggests UK motorists have already paid hundreds of millions extra at the pumps since the Iran conflict intensified, with average petrol and diesel prices climbing sharply in March.
Have you noticed that fuel is more expensive? Let us know in the comments
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