In 2025, some 1,032 excess deaths were associated with waits of 12 or more hours in EDs while awaiting admission.

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Stormont has been urged to address the “catastrophe” unfolding in Northern Ireland’s hospital emergency departments (EDs).

A report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) stated that, in 2025, some 1,032 excess deaths were associated with waits of 12 or more hours in EDs while awaiting admission.

The body’s State of Emergency Medicine in Northern Ireland report found that, while the overall death figure for 2025 is slightly lower than in 2024 (1,122) and 2023 (1,063), the estimated mortality figure has more than doubled over five years.

READ MORE: The number of accidental deaths and hospital admissions
in a single year in Northern IrelandREAD MORE: ‘I’ve survived two open heart surgeries and a stroke at just 24 years old’

In 2020, the estimated mortality figure was less than half of what it was in 2025 – at 461. A decade ago, in 2016, there were 60 excess deaths attributed to long waits.

The report also contends that overcrowding and long waits in EDs are not the result of an increase in demand, and that the numbers attending departments has “barely changed”, while the number of long waits, and deaths, have “skyrocketed”.

It found that in 2025, one in 12 (8.3%) patients waited 24 hours or longer, while a RCEM survey conducted in December 2025 found that one ED recorded a wait time of over 124 hours – more than three days.

The report makes a number of recommendations for the Northern Ireland Executive.

These include ending corridor care and mortality associated with long waits in ED by the end of the decade, adopting a “whole-system approach to ending ED overcrowding”, with responsibility for performance spread across the entire patient pathway.

The recommendations also include ensuring accountability for ending overcrowding and to implement measures to make excess deaths associated with long waits in ED to be treated with the same seriousness as deaths in other medical specialties.

Dr Michael Perry, Northern Ireland vice president for the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, urged that the situation is treated like the “catastrophe in need of redress that it is”.

“Behind these numbers are stories of families ripped apart by avoidable deaths which have happened because successive governments have failed to grab the ED crisis by the horns,” he said.

“We must not let the slight reduction on the previous year give us false assurance that the problem is being fixed. Such a glacial pace of progress is not good enough.

“Our health service has the highest rates of long waits in EDs, and deaths per capita resulting from them, of any UK nation. That statement should shock our policymakers to the core.

“Politicians and system leaders need to treat this like the catastrophe in need of redress that it is.”

Dr Perry said it is a “fixable problem”.

“While, sadly, we cannot help the loved ones who have already experienced a bereavement at the hands of a broken system, we know what measures can prevent future heartbreak,” he said.

“Our report contains the answers. Accountability, a whole-system approach to patient flow and targets to ending corridor care and deaths associated with long waits will make the difference.

“We look forward to hearing from policymakers eager to put these measures in place.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “The minister and department acknowledge the continued pressures on our emergency departments.

“This is a complex problem with no quick fix but the only medium to long term solution is to reduce demand and manage demand differently.

“That means reducing the number of people coming through ED doors, as well as getting people out of hospital as soon as they are fit for discharge to free up beds.

“Our reset plan is attempting, over the next three years, to refocus our work towards earlier support and intervention, prevention, providing neighbourhood-based care and encouraging people to take more responsibility for their own health on a routine basis.

“We are also looking at how we can care for our frail elderly patients better by providing more care closer to home and preventing avoidable admissions to hospital.

“However, we recognise that this will take time to have an impact and it is not helped by the very challenging financial position.

“In the interim, we will continue to manage the quality of care we are able to provide to the best effect ensuring the needs of our patients and staff remain our priority.

“The minister has discussed patient flow and hospital discharge issues with HSC chief executives, and all agreed the need to increase community capacity was the most important single change that is required.

“This is consistent with the reset plan towards a neighbourhood model of delivery.”

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The tree in question is location outside 26 Lostock Junction Lane, Lostock.

It is Mrs Beaumont, who lives at number 26, who applied to have the preservation order repealed.

A preservation order prevents a tree being chopped down, uprooted, felled, or in any way altered without specific, written council permission.

Permission has been sought in this case because the tree is located on a public footpath and is causing a ‘physical obstruction’.

The pavement has been reduced to a width of around 90cm due to encroachment from the tree, from a starting width of 2.2m.

The oak outside of 26 Lostock Junction Lane (Image: Google Maps)

The application notes that the UK standard for a minimum pavement width is between 1.5m and 2m, meaning the path is now under that.

This is causing a ‘substantial obstruction and trip hazard’ for anyone walking on the ‘narrow passage’, according to the application.

The tree is not only a hazard for pedestrians, according to Mrs Beaumont, but hazardous to drivers as well.

This is because the oak blocks the Beaumonts’ view as they they pull out of their driveway, making it difficult to see if traffic is coming towards them.

The application form also notes that the tree is of ‘low quality and value in the landscape’, with some parts in ‘advanced decay’.

Bolton Council‘s planning department will now decide on whether the tree preservation order will be upheld or whether the tree can be chopped down.

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HOW would we manage without frozen chips? Easy, quick and convenient, they are a staple freezer item in most homes. Simply pop them on a baking tray, stick them in the oven, and, 20-or-so minutes later, your tea is ready.

The market is thriving, with supermarkets now competing with big brands like McCain, which pioneered what became known as oven chips in Canada, and introduced them to the UK in 1979.

By the 1990s and early 2000s oven chips became increasingly popular, leading to a significant drop in chip pan fires and offering a healthier option with roughly half the fat of deep-fried chips.

They can be teamed up with almost anything, from a basic bowl of chips with tomato sauce, to British favourite fish and chips, chicken and chips and pie and chips. And, of course, with bread and butter for a chip sandwich. Most varieties can also be grilled or air-fried.

I tried eight varieties of chips from leading supermarkets. I oven-cooked them. Here’s what I thought.

*Four Seasons (Aldi) Straight Cut Chips,1.5kg, £1.65

These were quite small in length compared with some others, but had a decent potato taste. They crisped up nicely on the outside – not too crisp, just enough – to an appetising colour and were soft and fluffy inside. Good price, if you like them.

Pros: taste and texture.

Cons: chips were quite small.

Mark: 3/5

*Hearty Food Co. (Tesco) Straight Cut Chips, 1.5g. £1.65

Hearty Food Company oven chips from Tesco.jpeg (Image: Supplied)

Like Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, there were a lot of quite small chips in this bag, among the chips of acceptable size, Cooked to a good colour. The outside was nice and lightly crisps, the inside fluffy. They had a good, fairy natural potato taste. Quite nice, but let down by the size issue. Good price, if you like them.

Pros: good appearance, natural potato taste.

Cons: a lot of small chips.

Mark: 3/5

*Morrisons Savers Straight Cut Chips, 1.5kg, £1.65

Like Tesco and Sainsbury’s, there were a lot of small chips mixed within this bag. The chips crisped up well, with a decent colour, and the texture inside was light, but they tasted very bland, rather floury. Good price, if you like them.

Pros: crisped up well, good texture.

Cons: floury taste.

Mark: 2/5

*M&S Food Straight Cut Chips, 1.5kg, £2.50

The front of the bag says these are made using only British potatoes, which is a plus point.

When cooked these had an appetising golden colour, lightly crisp surface and a light, fluffy inside. They had a mild, very natural potato flavour which I liked.

Pros: very pleasant, light and fluffy.

Cons: more expensive.

Mark: 4/5

*Straight Cut Chips by Asda, 1.5kg, £2.67 (these seemed expensive and when I checked online they are now £2.20).

Quite long chips – the longest of the selection. They didn’t crisp up much on heating and had a dry texture. Though they were correctly cooked, they tasted as though they needed longer in the oven – they were floppy and rather cardboardy.

Pros: more chip for your money.

Cons: dry, with a cardboardy taste. Cost more than the others.

Mark: 2/5

*Iceland Straight Cut Chips, 1.25kg, £2.00

Winner – these oven chips from Iceland (Image: Supplied)

These were a good-sized chip. Prior to cooking they were the lightest in appearance and looked very unappetising, but they crisped up well, and had a good colour. The potato was light and fluffy. In taste these were the most similar to chip shop chips. I enjoyed them very much..

Pros: good appearance and taste.

Cons: none.

Mark: 5/5

*Sainsbury’s Stamford Street Chips, 1.5kg, £1.65

Like Morrisons and Tesco, this bag contained quite a lot of small chips among the mix. Having said that, the texture was light and fluffy, and they had a good potato taste.

Pros: texture and taste.

Cons: a lot of small chips in the bag.

Mark: 3/5

*Harvest Basket Straight Cut Chips (Lidl), 1.5kg. £1.65

These were thicker than most, a good size and a nice light golden colour. They had a light consistency and pleasing potato flavour. Not bad at all. Good value.

Pros: size, colour, good taste; good value.

Cons: none.

Mark: 4/5

When Iran began demanding payment in exchange for safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, it offered the option to pay in cryptocurrency. Likewise, the shadowy network of tankers that have smuggled Russian oil to world markets since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have often been paid this way.

Illicit actors the world over have increasingly turned to cryptocurrency as a way to conduct business while avoiding the risk of US sanctions. In so doing, countries like Russia and Iran are drawing on a characteristic of money that has been around since at least the bronze age: its ability to facilitate trade between strangers and across political boundaries.

In my book Shell Money (2024), which investigates some of the world’s earliest forms of money, I show how similar dynamics have been at play throughout history.

Modern currencies like the US dollar and euro are backed by confidence in the financial institutions of nation states – in a similar way to the first metal coins of antiquity, which were issued by Greek city states in order to collect taxes and pay soldiers.

In prehistory, however, there are many examples of monetary systems that developed without state support, such as bronze ingots.

The bronze age (roughly 3300BC to 1200BC) was a time of long-distance voyaging and interregional connectivity. Against this backdrop, having a shared medium of exchange was critical for maintaining trade connections.

Bronze tools were made from copper and tin, which were only available in a few locations in the ancient world. In northern Europe, copper came from sources such as Wales, the Alps, Austria, Sardinia and Iberia, while tin largely came from Cornwall and Devon. This meant that all the copper used in Scandinavia, for example, had to be acquired through long-distance trade.

Much of this trade was dominated by bronze ingots – rings, bars or axe-heads – that were highly standardised in weight and form across regions. This meant that each ingot was interchangeable – a critical characteristic of money. Bronze objects were also broken down into sizes consistent with market-based trade.

The bronze age need for money

Travel during the bronze age would not have been easy. Long-distance journeys would have been dangerous and could take months to complete.

A travelling merchant would have no way to know if the traders they dealt with on one journey would still be around on the return trip. The reciprocity you could depend on in your home community would no longer hold – exchanges needed to be transactional.

Against this backdrop, bronze became standardised into a medium of exchange. By carrying bronze ingots, a traveller could conduct business across the world, confident that wherever they went their money would be accepted.

In other parts of the ancient world, shells and shell beads were accepted as money. The Chinese symbol 貝 (bèi) originated as a pictograph of the cowrie shell and is now used in hundreds of finance-related Chinese characters, including those for buy, sell, wealth and profit. Cowrie shells were traded to China from the Indian Ocean and used as money during the Zhou dynasty.

In North America, small shell beads were used as money and circulated throughout the interior of the continent, thousands of miles from the oceans where they were collected and produced. These examples show that trade money was not restricted to metals but could develop from anything that was desirable and scarce.

The US dollar diminished

The dominance of government-issued “fiat currencies” (meaning they are not backed by physical commodities such as gold) depends on the trust, liquidity and institutional backing they provide.

International trade is currently dominated by the US dollar. However, as we move into an increasingly multipolar world – with competing centres of gravity in North America, Europe and China – we can expect to see the dollar’s role diminish.

Indeed, there is some evidence that this has already happened. The dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency (meaning it is held in large quantities by other governments and central banks to stabilise their economies) has declined from around 70% in the late 1990s to less than 60% today. This trend is likely to continue amid signs of increased US isolationism, strains in North Atlantic cooperation, and the rising economic position of China.

Political fragmentation, however, hardly means the end for international trade. History is rife with periods, from the bronze age on, when political fragmentation coexisted with bustling trade economies. And for those seeking to avoid state control in future, this may mean a growing shift in the type of money that is used.

New forms of money

There are many differences between cryptocurrency in the modern world and the commodity money of prehistory. Cryptocurrency is still rarely used or accepted in daily transactions, is highly volatile and, as with modern fiat currencies, does not have “use value” in the same way as bronze ingots or even shell beads.

Nonetheless, both are forms of “bottom-up” (non-state controlled) money that exist outside of the oversight of any single government or large financial actor.

This lack of state control is exactly what drives sanctioned states such as Iran and Russia to request payments in crypto. As US financial leverage weakens, crypto payments become harder to block and sanction, potentially reshaping how future conflicts are financed.

Cryptocurrency may be well positioned for this environment, continuing to provide one of money’s oldest functions: the ability to conduct business with strangers.

This article references a book included for editorial reasons with a link to bookshop.org. If you click on this link and go on to buy something from bookshop.org, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

PSG were far better than Chelsea in their 8-2 last-16 aggregate win but also vastly more experienced. Chelsea’s second-leg XI had played 137 Champions League matches between them, PSG’s 545. That has to have counted for something. Sunderland and Brentford can attest. Granit Xhaka, 33, and Jordan Henderson, 35, respectively, have added football IQ, not just leadership, to their new teams.

David Alan Kirwan had been visiting the impressive natural beauty at Yellowstone National Park when he rushed into the thermal spring — he would die one day later

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A man endured what is believed to be one of the “worst deaths imaginable” after he dove into a boiling hot thermal lake to save his friend’s dog.

He would end up passing away in hospital due to the severity of his burns just one day later.

David Alan Kirwan jumped headfirst into the thermal spring to save his friend’s dog, Moosie, who had also jumped in to swim in the water.

In an act of true heroism, Kirwan ignored all warnings about the safety of the spring and jumped in to save her.

However, his actions eventually turned out to be in vain, as Moosie was never rescued — either by Kirwan himself or by investigators over the coming days.

Kirwan was burned alive as a result of the dive and suffered horrifying injuries before his death.

Back in 1981, Kirwan was walking through the impressive natural structures of Yellowstone National Park. He had been walking through the park with good friend Ronald Ratliff and his dog, Moosie, according to JOE.

However, what was meant to be a pleasant walk through the magnificent natural park soon turned into a nightmare as they passed the Celestine Spring, a well-known thermal spring in the park.

With temperatures in the spring reaching well over 200°F (93°C), it is known for being a dangerous lake as it pumps out heat straight from the Earth’s core.

Moosie, clearly excited at the pool of water jumped into the hot spring, leaving Ronald and David immediately unsure what to do.

David quickly decided, however, that they needed to save the dog and jumped into the spring to rescue Moosie, who was a mixed-breed boxer.

He dove headfirst into the boiling water of the spring, and immediately began to feel the effects of the near-boiling temperatures. The 24-year-old tried to steady himself as he swam to reach the dog, but soon went underwater himself as he tried to bring the dog to safety.

Ronald, for his part, tried to help haul David out of the water himself, eventually managing to haul him to safety. However, Ronald would go on to suffer serious second-degree burns to his feet as a result.

But David, who dived straight into the hot water, suffered far worse than his friend. The heat of the water had melted David’s skin and when a park ranger tried to take off his shoe, his skin came with it.

The move also left David entirely blinded, as a clearly injured Kirwan screamed out in pain. He could be heard asking: “That was stupid. How bad am I? That was a stupid thing I did.”

He was taken to a hospital in nearby Salt Lake City, where doctors found third-degree burns across the entirety of his body. David fought for his life but died from his injuries the following day.

In a heartbreaking tribute to his son, dad James Kirwan described David as a kind and caring person. He explained: “He liked dogs and when the dog went in, his friend told him not to go in after her, but David went in.”

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The Port Talbot-born actor is currently filming a production he said allows him to ‘return to my Welsh roots’

Welsh acting legend Sir Anthony Hopkins has been drawing crowds during filming in a Welsh town. The two-time Oscar winner is appearing in A Visit To Grandpa’s, an adaptation of the coming-of-age tale by Welsh writer and poet Dylan Thomas.

Filming is taking place in and around Dolgellau, Gwynedd, with road closures in place this week. Sections of the town have been redesigned for the production, and on Thursday Anthony Hopkins was spotted on set.

Ian King, of photography.wales, captured the renowned Welshman in the town, reports North Wales Live. He posted on his Dolgellau Facebook page: “Sir Anthony Hopkins filming in Dolgellau this afternoon. I saw him later in the Marian car part talking with people and having photos taken.”

Councillor Linda Morgan was amongst those who had the opportunity to meet the star today. Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter

She said: “I am really pleased they have chosen Dolgellau for the filming. Very exciting put Dolgellau on the map again. Very well organised. It was great to meet Sir Anthony Hopkins.”

The film follows a young boy who spends a summer on a secluded Welsh farm with his charismatic grandfather, discovering a world of imagination and mischief.

Directed by D.J. Caruso, the production stars Anthony Hopkins as the eccentric grandfather. The cast also includes Artie Wilkinson-Hunt as the boy, Aimee-Ffion Edwards as the mother, Aneurin Barnard as The Hunter, and Celyn Jones as Mr. Griff.

Speaking about the film, the Port Talbot-born actor commented: “This is a powerful and profoundly beautiful story, one that allows me to return to my Welsh roots while exploring the remarkable vision and prose of Dylan Thomas. It is a privilege to collaborate once again with DJ, with whom I share a deep creative bond.”

Manchester City sensation Antoine Semenyo has rejected the assertion that Erling Haaland doesn’t have a rounded enough game. The Norwegian blew Premier League opponents away when he first arrived in England but has since been increasingly scrutinised.

Haaland, 25, has already matched the Premier League goal tally that saw him clinch last season’s Golden Boot (22). And it would be a safe bet to assume he’ll add even more to that total between now and the end of the campaign.

He’s been called on to contribute even more around City’s game as they look to take the title edge off Arsenal this Sunday. But January signing Semenyo already sees the major benefit of playing alongside such an accomplished force up front.

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“He’s a big problem,” he told In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet. “Just in the games, when people mark him; it’s not just one person marking him, it’s like three people.

“It’s like [relieved expression] the space for everyone else is fantastic. But he causes so many problems. He’s tall, fast, can finish. [He’s] essentially the complete striker. Anything in the box, he’ll score.”

While he may have become a fan of his team-mate since leaving Bournemouth, Semenyo isn’t getting ahead of himself in his Haaland appreciation. And he stopped short of putting his colleague on too high a pedestal when asked where he ranks among the best Premier League strikers of all time.

“That’s a tough question,” he replied. “He’ll be up there, for sure. His numbers are a scandal. Forty-one goals in one season.”

He continued: “It’s not even just his goalscoring. What he does for the team, not many people see it but he’s so important.

“Just holding up the ball, bringing players into play, massively important to our game. He can do a lot of things, I’ll give him that.”

The former Premier League Player of the Year will be expected to put all those attributes on display this Sunday. City host Arsenal with a chance to close the gap at the top of the table to just three points, with a game in hand still to play.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Semenyo also believes his side are playing the Gunners at the right time following a run of just one win in five games: “Our form over the last couple of games has been good and we’re playing probably the best football we’ve played in the second half of the season.

“So it’s a good time to play them, I guess. Where they’ve dipped in form, we’ve picked up form, so it’ll be interesting.”

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The government has provided funding for a year-long study into electric autonomous vehicles

A road designated for self-driving vehicles could form part of plans for the expansion of a Cambridgeshire science park. Wellcome Genome Campus is investigating the potential for a dedicated route for electric autonomous vehicles between its Hinxton-based site and Whittlesford Parkway railway station.

The campus said it had received funding from the government to carry out a year-long study. It aims to create a safe, sustainable, and reliable way for people travelling to and from the campus.

Robert Evans, Chief Executive campus, said it would be “game-changing” for the site. He continued: “As we progress with our major expansion – which will see our Campus triple in size over the next 10-15 years – we are looking at new transport solutions that support sustainable growth and better connectivity.”

The campus runs shuttle buses and coaches to and from Whittlesford Parkway. A spokesperson for the Wellcome Genome Campus said a dedicated road for the autonomous vehicles would make it easier for workers and visitors to reach the campus, offer predictable journey times, and help to cut congestion and emissions.

The proposed road could enable a controlled environment for the self-driving vehicles without mixing in normal traffic. The study is funded as part of the CAM Pathfinder Programme by UK Government.