By WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 18:29 BST, 20 September 2026 | Updated: 23:00 BST, 20 September 2026

Dozens have been affected by the loss of power, although for some it has now returned.

Other properties may not have it restored until 2am.

It is due to an incident on the high voltage cable that provides electricity to your home or business

Electricity North West sent text alerts to affected customers shortly after 8pm, warning of a “potential loss of power” and acknowledging it was not the first outage to affect the area.

The message said: “We know it’s not the first time and understand this can be very frustrating.”

According to the update, the outage was caused by “suspected damage to the cables”.

The company said it had begun work to restore power remotely and warned residents that their electricity supply could go on and off while engineers attempted to fix the fault.

The latest incident follows a series of recent power cuts affecting Ainsworth and nearby areas, leaving some residents questioning the causes behind the repeated disruptions.

One resident said: “Quite honestly, it’s another day, another power cut.

“ENW said a lot of them are caused by bird strikes, but I’m finding that hard to believe right now.”

In a further update sent to customers, Electricity North West said it had escalated its response to the latest outage.

The company said: “We now have a team on their way to site to assess the damage and understand what repairs are needed.

“We will send you a further text message with more information once this has been looked into.”

The company’s website currently lists an apology to customers and says they hope to have the power back on later this evening.

It says: “We are sorry you are experiencing a power cut.

“We are currently investigating the issue.

“We estimate to have your power restored by 20/09/26, 22.15.”

The fresh outage is likely to add to growing frustration among residents, with many once again left waiting for their electricity supply to be restored.

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 21:41 BST, 20 September 2026 | Updated: 22:59 BST, 20 September 2026

Donald Trump has publicly told supporters to act like he is on the ballot, and claimed that he can be the difference-maker for Republicans in tough midterm contests. 

But the president has reportedly privately signaled to advisers close to him that his own actions during the first two years of his term may have cost his party dearly in the November elections. 

Trump ‘definitely feels like some of his decisions have led to the dynamics where he’s unpopular and things aren’t looking great for the midterms,’ one individual close to Trump admitted to the Washington Post.

Trump’s sobering realization has made him more intent on mitigating Republicans’ expected election losses, according to the Post, citing four people with knowledge of Trump’s recent comments. 

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The president’s fears may be grounded in reality, as new polling from NBC released Sunday showed that over half of Americans, 55 percent, believe that Trump’s policies have hurt the economy.

Per NBC, Trump’s overall approval rating is 41 percent, the lowest of his second term.

Trump has deployed his cash in key midterm states. No Going Back PAC Inc., which is connected to Trump’s MAGA Inc., has reserved more than $68 million for advertising. 

One bright spot for Republicans in NBC’s poll is that Democrats only edge Republicans by five points in the battle for control of Congress, 50 percent to 45 percent, significantly smaller than the 12-point lead they had in the midterm 2018 election cycle.

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President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally last week in Gastonia, North Carolina

Voters cast their ballots inside the Arlington County Courthouse as early voting begins in Virginia ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, in Arlington, Virginia, on September 18, 2026. Early voting for the November 3rd midterm elections got underway Friday in several states, beginning a process that will spread across most of the country in the coming weeks

NBC also noted that ‘Trump himself is a powerful motivating factor,’ as ‘more voters — including nearly half of independents — say they consider their vote a signal of opposition to the president than at any other time in three decades of NBC News polling before midterm elections.’

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Most prognosticators expect Democrats to win back the US House of Representatives, as Republicans are struggling to bolster enthusiasm for congressional candidates and laboring to overcome voters’ concerns about the economy and the war in Iran.

The Senate will be tougher with battleground races in Maine, Ohio, Michigan and Alaska set to determine control of the chamber.

Numbers released this week for statewide races in Alaska and Texas in seats that Republicans currently hold showed the Democratic candidates pacing ahead. 

An AARP poll in the Alaska Senate race released Thursday had Democrat Mary Peltola leading among all likely voters, polling at 46 percent to Republican Senator Dan Sullivan’s 41 percent. 

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In North Carolina, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper is up by a staggering double digit margin over former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley.

A Carolina Journal poll released Thursday placed Cooper with a 15 point lead.

North Carolina’s last Democratic US Senator was Kay Hagan, who served from 2009 to 2015. But Cooper served for two terms as governor from 2017 to 2025, lending him strong familiarity in the state.

As messaging wars rage on in key states across the country, ballots are already being cast. Mail-in ballots have already been sent to voters in several states, and in-person early voting started in Virginia on Friday.

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Fox News’ lone liberal host clapped back at President Donald Trump’s frequent criticism of her, asking, “Why is this man not busier?”

The 80-year-old Fox fanatic has often shared his opinions of the network online, especially of its outspoken left-leaning host Jessica Tarlov, who he called “one of the worst ‘personalities’ on television” in April — as well as “a real loser” in July.

Trump has also called Tarlov “one of the Least Attractive and Talented People on all of Television.”

Tarlov, 42, addressed his frequent criticism on the podcast Pod Save America, saying, “Why is this man not busier? There are better things to do.”

“If I had a son I would definitely teach him that when you grow up you should write about how a woman looks on television and sounds, and then call her ‘a big dummy,’” Tarlov retorted.

Tarlov was on the podcast promoting her book, I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends, which hit bookstores on Tuesday. The book, which is a mesh between memoir and advice, details how she handles that type of criticism.

“By the president coming after me and looking at the content of the criticism, I actually got to a place where I genuinely feel like when people pick on you because of style, that you’ve just done really well on substance,” she said.

“That feels good, the inner monologue feels good. It’s still sad and crazy,” she added.

Tarlov, who joined Fox News as a commentator in 2017, is known as the primary liberal voice on the network’s “The Five.” She recently signed a three-year contract with the network — despite Trump’s suggestion that the show would be better off without her.

“I’m trying to show that a Democratic voice like mine can exist there, without an apology,” she told the Los Angeles Times about her Fox position. “And that a person with strong liberal beliefs can bring that same perspective to a host of outlets and places.”

When asked about Trump trying to get her fired, she recently told The Guardian, “I think that [Fox CEO} Suzanne Scott and the entire leadership team know exactly who I am, and that they want me to keep doing what I’m doing.”

She continued: “And if it aggravates him – he would just get annoyed at somebody else, anyone. If he’s in a bad mood, he’s in a bad mood. And I think he understands that as well.”

“I’ve never had a conversation with him, but the idea of posting ‘Dear Fox executives, fire Jessica Tarlov’ or calling into The Five and saying the show would be better without her, I don’t think he thinks that means that I’m going to get fired from my job. … But yes, in general, we don’t respond to it, and there’s no reason to, and honestly it just makes it worse.”

According to National Rail, emergency services were called to an incident close to the tracks, resulting in all lines being blocked through the area.

In an earlier update posted on social media, National Rail said: “The emergency services dealing with an incident near the railway at Moses Gate means all lines are blocked.”

The disruption affected services between Bolton and Salford Crescent, with trains cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised.

National Rail has since confirmed that all lines between Bolton and Salford Crescent have now reopened.

However, disruption is expected to continue while services recover.

In a further update, National Rail said: “All lines have now reopened between Bolton and Salford Crescent.”

The rail operator later added: “Disruption is now expected until 21:00.”

Passengers are being advised to check before travelling and allow extra time for their journeys as the timetable returns to normal.

No further details about the nature of the incident have been released and Greater Manchester police have been contacted for details. 

In an updated post on social media just after 21.30, National Rail confirmed that trains can now run as normal between Bolton and Salford Crescent.

Hundreds of dangerous sex offenders are due to be freed from jail under Labour‘s prison reform plans despite a series of U-turns by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The Conservatives warned that 700 sex criminals will be ‘let loose on the streets’ as Labour abolishes so-called imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences.

It comes after Labour repeatedly flip-flopped over a separate programme to free thousands of criminals from jail early.

After a public outcry Mr Burnham was forced to exclude offenders convicted of rape, serious child sexual and grooming offences, and later expanded exclusions to those convicted of manslaughter and other ‘unlawful killing’ offences.

Earlier this month Justice Secretary Alex Norris outlined separate proposals to release 2,271 inmates still serving the controversial IPP sentences in order to free up space in the overcrowded jails.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures obtained by Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy show 700 inmates serving IPPs are sex offenders.

Of those 379 have never been released and the remaining 321 have been recalled to jail, for breaching parole terms or committing fresh crimes.

A further 791 offenders on IPPs were convicted of ‘violence against the person’, such as GBH or other assaults.

In addition 522 were convicted of robbery, 77 of criminal damage or arson and 65 of possession of weapons.

Mr Timothy said: ‘Labour wants to abolish IPP sentences, but this would mean up to 700 dangerous sex offenders being let loose on the streets.

‘Two in three IPP prisoners are there for violent or sexual crimes, and they have not been released because the Parole Board says it is not safe to do so.

‘Labour must rule out releasing these dangerous sex offenders, and instead focus on building more prisons, expanding capacity, and maximising the space that we have.’

IPPs were introduced by Sir Tony Blair’s government in 2005 and allow offenders to be jailed indefinitely if they are ruled to pose a risk to the public.

They were abolished for new crimes in 2012 but many criminals previously handed the sentence have remained inside because the Parole Board has ruled they are still not safe to be released.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris told MPs earlier this month that he would ‘act on a long-standing injustice’ and abolish all remaining IPP sentences.

‘They were rightly abolished a decade ago, but offenders are still locked up for far longer than envisaged, often for crimes that, if committed today, would see them spend much less time in jail,’ he said.

‘Of those who have never been released, 99 per cent are beyond the tariff imposed by the court, and 80 per cent have served 10 years or more beyond it.

‘The number of IPP offenders has been reducing, but the Prime Minister and I want to go further.

‘We will soon bring forward legislation to end the sentence, once and for all, by the end of this Parliament.’

Mr Norris recognised that ‘some of these offenders have committed serious crimes’, adding: ‘Public safety will always be my top priority, but we must balance that with fairness on sentences.’

He vowed that IPP releases would be ‘safe and sustainable’.

One solution proposed by the Commons’ justice select committee in 2022 is to resentence all offenders on remaining IPP sentences.

But Labour has indicated this would carry an ‘unacceptable risk’ because the criminals would have to be freed without any probation supervision.

An official MoJ report found that 97 prisoners who were freed from IPP sentences between 2014-15 and 2023-24 committed serious further offences including murder, manslaughter, rape and serious sexual assaults.

The separate prison early release scheme was drawn up by now Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood when she was in charge of the MoJ.

Over the summer, new PM Mr Burnham moved to exclude rapists and other serious sex offenders from the programme.

He then had to announce further exclusions after forceful protests by the family of Pc Andrew Harper, after it emerged two of the officer’s killers had been due to benefit from early release.

An MoJ spokesman said: ‘While we must end the unfairness of these sentences for those who have more than served their time, we know some IPP prisoners will still pose a risk to communities.

‘That’s why we will work cross-party and with experts in this field to make sure we get this right.

‘It will take time, and public safety will be at the centre of our approach.’

Britain should ensure aid money is earmarked specifically for overseas food assistance to protect its security interests, the report, which was commissioned by the organisation United Against Hunger and Malnutrition, argues.

The UK’s overseas development budget (ODA) has been drastically reduced in the last six years, falling from 0.7 per cent to 0.3 per cent of GDP.

Defence spending is up but largely earmarked for the military – and is not designed to address the root causes of global instability. 

The drop in aid – which equates to roughly £6.5 billion in real terms – has hit food assistance programmes particularly hard. 

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), the largest provider of food relief globally, received £448 million of British aid money in 2024, a figure cut to £322 million last year. 

The organisation has had to drastically scale down operations, including giving emergency food packages to pregnant women and young children, in places like Somalia, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Haiti. 

“[Britain] needs to protect and prioritise spending on proven nutrition interventions, including supplementary and emergency therapeutic foods such as [….], breastfeeding support and ready-to-use therapeutic food. 

“There isn’t really a choice between spending money and saving money. It’s between spending modestly before a crisis and paying far more for it afterwards,” Prof Gordon said. 

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security

The Middle Inn, on Front Street, was included in Rover’s regional top five after an assessment by the pet care company’s Tavern Testers.

The testers judged pubs on access, atmosphere, dog facilities, safety and the experience for dogs and their owners.

A picture of three dogs enjoying the Middle Inn in Bamburgh. (Image: The Middle Inn on Facebook)

This recognition is the latest accolade for the village pub, which is a known stop for visitors and local people exploring the Northumberland coast.

Located in the centre of Bamburgh, The Middle Inn is a traditional English pub renowned for its welcoming atmosphere, hearty food and large beer garden.

The venue describes itself as offering Northumbrian hospitality alongside a menu featuring traditional pub favourites made with fresh, local produce.

Diners can choose from light lunches, sandwiches and classic dishes, while visitors can also enjoy a selection of local cask ales and spirits.

With Bamburgh Castle and the village’s sweeping beach attracting thousands of visitors each year, the pub has established itself as a popular place to eat and drink after a day exploring the coast.

Its central location and spacious outdoor seating area make it particularly attractive to walkers, families and holidaymakers visiting the area.

Several independent dog-friendly guides have praised the pub’s welcome for dogs.

The listings say dogs are welcome throughout, with treats at the bar, dog ice cream and plenty of beer-garden space.

According to Rover, the awards were designed to identify pubs that go above and beyond for canine guests..

For The Middle Inn, the result adds to its reputation among dog owners visiting the Northumberland coast.

The North East rankings placed The Middle Inn fourth, behind The Brandling Villa, The Star Inn and The Owl & Otter.

Mr Cowell, 66, broke his back in an electric bike accident in 2020 and has since undergone several operations, including a recent “routine” procedure last month.

While he rests, a guest judge will join Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and KSI for the Blackpool auditions.

Simon Cowell “gutted” to be missing filming for Britain’s Got Talent

A source told The Sun on Sunday: “Simon is of course gutted to be missing the auditions, but it’s important that he rests up now so he can make a full recovery.

“It was a routine op that went well and he knows the team will find a fun guest judge to spice up filming and keep the audience on their toes.

“The current thinking is that producers will choose a male comedian to stand in for now, but decisions are being made currently.

“It’s quite last-minute, so a lot of talent is already booked up for that period.”

Production company Fremantle is expected to postpone around half of the six-day filming schedule until January to allow Mr Cowell to return as head judge.

The media mogul has spoken openly about how the accident changed his perspective on life and health.

He told The Sun newspaper: “I was so close to living the rest of my life in a wheelchair, it gives you a completely different outlook on life.”

Despite the pain, Mr Cowell described the accident as a turning point.

He said: “If I had to go through this all over again I actually would do it, because I think breaking my back was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

“I didn’t know really how unfit I was until I had to start doing all the exercises.

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“But I feel better today than I did three years ago when it happened.”

Since the accident, Mr Cowell has lost three stone through changes to his diet, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption.

Who would you like to see stand in for Simon Cowell on Britain’s Got Talent? Let us know in the comments. 

The village is only home to around 700 people – but it’s right next to one of Cambridgeshire’s most dangerous roads

Locals who live in a small village next to a notoriously dangerous road say the area is used as a “cut through”. Guyhirn is a small village in Cambridgeshire that’s only home to around 700 people.

While the River Nene divides the village from this road, Guyhirn is situated very close to the A47. Some residents in Guyhirn have said they are “wary” of the road, which is the only main route that connects the village to other places such as Wisbech.

Rebecca Parsons, who’s lived in Guyhirn for 20 years, said the A47 is a “nightmare” especially when there is a crash on the road. She added: “If they ever close it, all of the A47 comes through Guyhirn. They’ve [cars] churned up all the grass down [this road]. And it can be noisy, especially if they’re doing the roadworks all of the time.”

Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said the village is used as a “cut through” for the A47. He said: “The A47 makes Guyhirn a very noisy place. Depsite there being a hill and river in between us and the road, you still manage to hear everything. I use the road a lot, but that’s because it’s the only main road out of here.”

The resident said he understands why the road has such a “bad reputation”, adding: “There are a lot of accidents that happen on it. They need to majorly improve it because, I think it’s one of the worst roads in Cambridgeshire.”

Richie King also uses the A47 frequently and said he sees “silly people” using it. He added: “Living here [in Guyhirn], you get a bit of disturbance from the A47. If it’s not the constant noise of people speeding through here, then it’s emergency services on the A47 itself.

“The traffic can pile up through here sometimes as well. The village itself doesn’t have a lot of trouble, but the road is our main problem.”

Ms Withers, who wished to not include her first name, said that despite there being “no alternative” road out of Guyhirn, she is “very wary” of using the A47. She added: “There are too many idiot drivers that use it.

“It impacts our village if anything happens on it. A lot of traffic comes through it and then it causes more disruption. Drivers also come speeding through here, so it’s unsafe at times.”

Speaking about the A47, a National Highways spokesperson said: “Our ambition remains that no-one should be harmed while travelling or working on our roads and we continue to invest in safety improvements across the region. Road safety is a shared responsibility, and we work closely with partners, organisations and road users to help us collectively achieve this ambition.