In an interview with The Times, Lord Walker, who is also the Government’s cost-of-living tsar, said he agreed with his fellow high street giant boss and said: “We call it shoplifting, which sounds like a cheeky bit of pilfering, but actually we should just call it out for what it is, which is violent crime.

The Tory leader said the people who have moved over to Reform and are “his problem now” on a visit to Wilton in Redcar on Thursday (April 2).

It comes after the former UKIP leader launched a campaign in Houghton-le-Spring last week ahead of the local elections, saying Britain was broken.

In a speech at Sunderland Live Arena, the Clacton MP said the May 7 polls were a “referendum on our entire political class”.

In recent months, several high profile Tories have jumped ship to Reform, including former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, former shadow minister Robert Jenrick, and former home secretary Suella Braverman.

But during her visit to Redcar, where she announced that a Conservative Government would axe carbon tax, Ms Badenoch criticised some of the defectors. 

She said: “I think I’ve been very clear that Nigel Farage has been doing my spring cleaning. These are people who were causing problems in the Conservative Party. 


“They’re his problem now.” 

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch in Sunderland (Image: owen humphreys)

Ms Badenoch made the comments responding to a question about former Reform housing spokesman Simon Dudley, who was sacked this week after he said the Grenfell Tower fire in London was a “tragedy” but that “everyone dies in the end”.

The Tory leader said: “The fact is, it is quite inappropriate to say everyone dies in response to a tragedy. 

“That’s the sort of chaos you get from Reform, they are full of people who are in politics, not for public service, but for self service, and we are well shot of them.” 

During the launch in Sunderland, Nigel Farage said the party would campaign on “local policies” and on seeking to control council tax levels, but that the local elections would also be a “vital stepping stone” to changing the Westminster Government.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in Sunderland (Image: NORTH NEWS AND PICTURES)

He said: “This effectively will be a referendum on our entire political class and our message is simple.

“If you want real change, if you want different people, if you want those with the courage, who are prepared to stand up and put the interests of British people first, not international treaties or bogus organisations, if you want people who will make sure that it’s British people that go to the top of social housing lists, and not young men who’ve just arrived by boat, if you want change on May 7, you’ve got a chance to vote for change.”

He added: “Something remarkable is happening out there, and it’s because people understand that the two-party system has broken Britain.”

“We’ll begin on May 7, with that campaign, and indeed for the general election, May 7 is an essential, vital stepping stone.

“While local government matters, it’s winning national government ultimately that we have to achieve to change things and turn this country around, change attitudes, and get out of the negativity of managed decline.

“Let’s start believing in Britain and believing in ourselves.”

Stormont’s Economy Minister has called for fuel duty to be slashed amid rising costs

The cost of petrol and diesel is continuing to rise across Northern Ireland with some forecourts closing to customers due to fuel shortages. The Consumer Council’s Fuel Price Checker, which is updated weekly, shows that the current average price of petrol in Northern Ireland is 149.1p per litre, while diesel is 177.8p.

Compared to last week, the cost of petrol has risen by 4.5p while diesel has increased by 8.1p. Since March 5, soon after the US-Israel war with Iran began, the average price of petrol has increased by 22.9p per litre, while diesel has risen by 44p.

The price of fuel varies depending on where you are in Northern Ireland, with some areas coming in below the regional average. Fuel prices here are set by independent retailers based on global oil costs, exchange rates, and local competition at forecourts.

READ MORE: Stormont Minister calls for ‘immediate reduction’ in fuel dutyREAD MORE: Minister says ‘fuel continues to be delivered as normal’ amid concerns of shortages

This week, the cheapest place locally to buy petrol is the Dungannon area, where prices are 6.7p below average at 142.4p per litre. Magherafelt is the most expensive area to fill up on petrol, with prices 7.8p above average at 156.9p.

For diesel, Coleraine is the cheapest area to buy this week, with prices 7p below average at 170.8p per litre. Armagh is currently the most expensive area to buy diesel in, with prices 8.1p above average at 185.9p.

The continually rising prices have led to Stormont’s Economy Minister urging the UK Government to immediately slash fuel duty. Minister Archibald said she raised concerns over the impact of petrol and diesel prices during discussions with the Cabinet Office on Thursday morning, and also in a letter to Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle.

She pointed to action which has been taken by the Irish government to temporarily reduce excise duty for motor fuels as the impact of the war in the Gulf continues.

“Fuel duty must be reduced as a matter of urgency,” she said. “Petrol and diesel prices across the north have risen by between 20% and 40% in just a matter of days, creating sudden and unmanageable costs for households and businesses.

“The Irish government has already acted by reducing Mineral Oil Tax across petrol, diesel and marked gas oil. That action has been widely welcomed by consumers and businesses in the south.”

Ms Archibald said the UK Government “must now act with the same urgency.”

“Alongside an immediate reduction in fuel duty, the planned fuel duty increases due to come into effect from September must be withdrawn if fuel prices remain elevated,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Treasury said: “We have the right economic plan for a more volatile world, taking a responsible approach to supporting working people in the national interest.

“Fuel duty is frozen until September and we’re enabling targeted support for those facing higher heating oil costs. We’re also acting to protect people from unfair price rises if they occur and to bring down food prices at the till.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Cameron Boozer was at the center of everything for Duke this season.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward proved tough enough to score through physical play. Rangy enough to space the floor and shoot from outside. Deft enough as a passer to find teammates, whether against constant double teams coming for him as the top name on every scouting report or while running the entire offense from up top.

“You just want to affect winning in whatever way you can,” Boozer said.

The high-end NBA prospect did that all season for a team that won 35 games, reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll, claimed the top overall seed for March Madness and reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. Now he’s The Associated Press men’s college basketball national player of the year, only the fifth freshman to earn the honor and the second in a row for a Duke program that keeps adding to the longest list of winners in the country.

“It just goes to show more about what our team has done, just because I think that really helps awards like this, having great team success,” Boozer told the AP. “It’s really just not me.”

Boozer, named unanimous first-team AP all-American last month, received 59 of 61 votes from AP Top 25 voters in results released Friday. BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, another potential top NBA pick, received the other two votes after averaging a national-best 25.5 points per game.

A short list

Boozer, son of Duke and longtime NBA player Carlos Boozer, ranked averaged 22.5 points (ninth in Division I) and 10.2 rebounds (12th) while finishing tied for the national lead with 22 double-doubles. He also averaged 4.1 assists while posting efficient shooting numbers at 55.6% overall and 39.1% from 3-point range.

He joins fellow Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg last year, another Duke player in Zion Williamson (2019), Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2012) and Texas star Kevin Durant (2007) as freshmen to win the AP award. Each went No. 1 or No. 2 in the NBA draft that year.

“I’m very grateful just that I’m even in those (NBA) conversations,” Boozer said. “I think a lot of people dream of being where I am. Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back and just remember that once upon a time, you were a kid dreaming to be here. So I think it’s very special.”

His coaches think the same of him.

“We’ve been fortunate enough the last two years to have two of the best freshmen to ever play in college basketball back to back,” Duke associate head coach and former Blue Devils player Chris Carrawell said. “And Cam is right up there.

Boozer is Duke’s ninth AP winner, each coming from a different player. UCLA is the next closest with five winners, though that included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1967 and 1969) and Bill Walton (1972 and 1973) as two-time selections.

UCLA, Ohio State and Duke rival North Carolina are the only other programs with as many as three different players to win the award.

Big-game successes

Boozer arrived at Duke alongside twin brother Cayden after the two led Miami’s Columbus High to four straight state championships. By late February, the Blue Devils were starting a four-week reign atop the AP Top 25 that would carry to March Madness. Boozer — who said he looks at winning as a skill — routinely posted top performances in Duke’s biggest games, including during a rugged nonconference slate.

He matched a season high with 35 points in a November win against Arkansas. He followed with 29 points against defending national champion Florida. He also had big performances at Michigan State (18 points, 15 rebounds) and flirted with a triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) in a February win against Michigan.

Along the way, he pushed through bumps and shoves. He closed Sunday’s season-ending loss to UConn with 27 points and his right eye swollen from a first-half blow.

“There’s no agenda other than figuring out a way to win,” Wolverines coach Dusty May said. “I’ve seen him play a number of times this year where there’s six guys in the paint, and it’s not as if he’s jumping 40, 50 inches off the floor. His desire to rebound the ball, to set physical screens, to play to his advantages, is as impressive as any freshman that I can recall.”

Managing pressure

The other challenge was managing the scrutiny that comes from expectations for greatness. A missed shot. A turnover. The 3-for-17 shooting while battling rising frustration and Virginia shot-blocker Ugonna Onyenso in the ACC title game.

“He does a great job of flushing it and not letting it dwell on him too much,” Cayden said. “That’s something he’s always been able to do since we were younger. Obviously I talk to him when he needs me to. And I sometimes just understood that, hey, he’s going through something, give him some space for a little bit and he’ll figure it out.”

Cameron said getting away for time alone and putting down the phone helps. He points to prayer and even a recent effort to read more.

The rest of the time, though, he’ll throw himself into becoming a better player. There’s comfort in that routine, the results yet to fail him.

“I think just being prepared alleviates pressure,” Cameron said. “Being ready for a game, watching film, working out, knowing you put your time in, being confident in yourself — I think all that takes away a lot of the pressure that people talk about. At the end of the day, pressure really is what you put on yourself.”

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

I had a sneak peek at what the Loftlines development will bring to Belfast when it opens in the Titanic Quarter this summer

Construction work is due to be completed this summer on Loftlines – a landmark development that will bring 778 new homes to Belfast city centre.

Set within the iconic Titanic Quarter, Loftlines is one of Northern Ireland’s most ambitious regeneration projects and will be the city’s first major residential scheme to be built in 25 years. The development is home to Northern Ireland’s first Build-to-Rent (BTR) homes.

Ahead of the scheme opening to the public in July or August, Belfast Live was given the opportunity to spend some time in a similar scheme in England. Build-to-Rent schemes have massively increased in popularity across England over the last decade, with many opting to move into similar developments in places like Liverpool, Manchester and London.

The scheme in Belfast has been created by Legal and General, which owns a development in Leeds called Tower Works, where I stayed for a couple of days to get a feel for what living in one would be like. This development, much like Loftlines in Titanic Quarter, is pretty central but not directly in the middle of the city, so it didn’t feel too busy around it.

What can people expect?

I stayed in a studio apartment in the Canalside building, and, like many BTR schemes, it is one of a few buildings in the development. While the apartment was not massive by any stretch of the imagination, it was very modern and really well presented throughout. The finishings on it were great and had a lot of storage for such a small space, which definitely helped make it feel bigger.

Even though this was a studio, it was designed so the bedroom still felt separate, not the kind where you felt like you were sleeping in the kitchen. It is worth noting that the apartment range spans from studios to three bedrooms, and the best fit depends on lifestyle and needs.

From the moment we arrived, it was noticeable staff were very friendly, and the front-of-house team at reception were on hand for anything we needed. This concept, in itself, is a little alien to Belfast, with few developments offering a full-time receptionist to help with any needs.

Something equally as handy was that they were on hand for any parcels you might be having delivered, which are then kept in a secure room for you to collect when you’re ready. This in itself will save so much time trekking to the post office for another missed parcel, and something many would find very handy.

While there, I was shown around the amenities, in both Tower Works and Tura, a new BTR scheme in Leeds, to see what was on offer. There was a gym on-site and it was definitely high-end, but it was something we could see in other developments throughout Belfast.

However, it was the other amenities, like the large private dining facilities you can rent for you and a group to host dinner parties, that showed this is bringing something brand new.

It didn’t stop there; there were communal ‘living spaces’ where groups could gather to watch TV on large screens, which would be great for things like the World Cup. There were also pool and shuffleboard tables you could play on at any time.

On top of this, there were also places to work ‘from home’, but also feel like you were getting out of your apartment. These amenities went a long way toward expanding your living quarters beyond the apartment you were in to the entire building.

Often, a complaint about apartment living is the lack of outdoor space, and once again, these schemes try to tackle this issue. While they don’t have private gardens, they do have large communal courtyards and rooftops that anyone can use to catch a few rays during the warmer months.

However, these spaces are completely redundant if no one uses them as they are intended. During our stay, there was a community event to celebrate Eid with a wreath-making class. I went along to see how much interest there was among residents in these events and to find out from them what it was like to live here long-term.

About 20 people showed up and the activity took place at a large table, so everyone had an opportunity to chat. I spoke to one group and asked them openly whether it was as good as I had perceived so far. This group all came to live in this development as strangers, but were now firm friends as a result of resident events.

They were all from different walks of life and ages, but were able to actually bond as neighbours, which is something that rarely happens these days. They now all arrange to go to these events together and also meet up outside of resident events.

A community has clearly been created there through the hard work of the staff, who all arrange and put on these events. Most of which are free, and those that aren’t carry a small charge, depending on what it is. These friendships were real and would not have happened had they not lived here. It is not easy to bring people together anymore, and this scheme has succeeded in doing so.

BTR is brand new for the local market, and before now, the two most popular avenues for housing were private rental or home ownership. This differs in the sense that every apartment within the building will remain in Legal and General’s hands and only ever be rented out, but not like a typical private rental with a landlord.

Loftlines in Belfast is making fast progress ahead of its planned opening this summer, so I visited the site and compare what I had seen in England. While there is still some way to go before it is habitable, the show apartments matched the quality of those in Leeds and really lines up with the strategy they have in other schemes.

Like Leeds and other BTR schemes, Belfast will have on-site staff available at all times. Much of the same amenities like a gym, private dining room, games area and outdoor space. It also now has some incredible views of one of the best parts of Belfast, the Titanic Quarter.

Iconic site ‘overshadowed’

Steeped in history, the Titanic Quarter, before Loftlines, was home to the Titanic Museum – named the world’s leading tourst attraction in 2016 – and hotel, but not much else. There was very limited development there prior to this, except for The Arc, which meant it had some wide-open spaces. Loftlines has come under fire for being quite an imposing addition to our skyline and blocking the view of the architectural spectacle that is the Titanic Museum.

While it would be ideal to always have uninterrupted views of such buildings, it was always in the plan to develop the area and add more housing.

When renting one of the apartments, a basic set of furniture, including a dining table, chairs, a sofa, a bed, and a mattress, will be provided. On top of this, residents are free to, and encouraged to, decorate as they please. This includes hanging things on the wall and painting if they wish. If a tenant wishes to decorate but doesn’t fancy DIY, the scheme can provide someone to paint at a cost. There will also be maintenance on site, which means that if any issues arise with your apartment, they will be solved quickly in-house.

The Loftlines development has supported 650+ jobs and local businesses through the construction and delivery of the scheme. £92 million has already been spent locally within 40 miles of the scheme, with 90% of the supply chain partners being local. In addition, around 50% of personnel working on the scheme are from BT1-BT17 postcodes.

There are further plans for the development, which include a convenience store and a restaurant. This will serve the general public and add further employment opportunities for the city.

One fear is that, in developing this, there would be no sympathy for the area’s, the city’s, and indeed the country’s history. So when posed with the question about whether it was considered when planning the scheme, I was told that “the interiors were designed by one of the UK’s most experienced BTR interior design specialists, Lister + Lister, who were inspired by the rich heritage of the area and authentic colour palettes found in Belfast’s iconic dry docks and this can be seen in what has been delivered so far”.

Major step forward

We are in the midst of a housing crisis throughout the country, and this is a major step forward in addressing Northern Ireland’s housing shortage. It also provides market choice for those who want elevated city living. It will also go some way toward addressing the issue of a large number of student accommodation units in the city, leaving young professionals moving out of those areas with more choice about where to go next.

Belfast experiences high levels of ‘brain drain’ as it stands, so it will be interesting to see whether this trend helps reduce it.

This scheme will not only plug a gap in the housing market but also raise the standards of the private rental market, as it will have to compete with Loftlines and the amenities it offers. It isn’t perfect, but it marks a new era for the city and will bring it into line with other major cities, offering people elevated living in the heart of Belfast.

At the time of publishing, pricing for Loftlines was unavailable, but Belfast Live was told “it will be competitive”.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here

The incident took place on the A71 near East Calder this afternoon.

A crash involving a car and a caravan has seen a major Scots road closed off by emergency crews.

The collision occurred this afternoon on the A71 near East Calder, which saw the road closed in both directions around 2pm. Images from the scene showed a Mini Cooper smashed through a large caravan as debris is sprawled across the road.

A recovery vehicle can be seen parked beside the caravan. A cop car is seen stationed in front of the crash, cordoning off the stretch of road. It is not known if anyone was injured in the collision.

Police Scotland has been approached for comment.

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Donald Trump has responded after a US F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran, marking the first time a US jet has been downed by enemy fire in the conflict

Donald Trump has spoken out following the downing of a US fighter jet in Iran.

When questioned by NBC News about whether the shooting down of the F-15E Strike Eagle impacts negotiations with Iran, the US president responded: “No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war.”

Trump refused to discuss the continuing search and rescue operation for the missing crew member and voiced irritation regarding certain media reporting of the mission due to its delicate nature, NBC News stated.

The incident represents a significant intensification of the conflict, now entering its fifth week, marking the first occasion a US jet has been brought down by hostile fire. Three American F-15E jets were accidentally shot down by friendly Kuwaiti forces on March 2 amidst an Iranian aerial offensive. All six crew members successfully ejected and were retrieved in stable condition, the US military confirmed at that time.

An F-15E carries a price tag of approximately $31 million for variants delivered in the late 1990s, while more recent models cost nearer to $100 million, according to specialist publication Airforce Technology, reports the Mirror.

Separately, a second US warplane is believed to have crashed in the Persian Gulf today, with the pilot managing to eject safely over water.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, nicknamed the Warthog, came down near the Strait of Hormuz at roughly the same time as an F-15 was shot down over Iran, two officials informed The New York Times. The pilot of the single-seat aircraft was recovered by US forces.

The officials declined to provide additional details surrounding the circumstances of the incident. Iranian state television has claimed that “an American A-10 aircraft was shot by the defence systems of the Army Air Defence Force and crashed in the Persian Gulf in southern Iran”, according to the Iranian Army.

The broadcaster stated the Warthog went down close to the Strait of Hormuz. The aircraft carries a price tag of approximately $18.8 million, as reported by specialist news outlet Military Machine.

This development follows Trump’s sharp criticism on Tuesday of allies reluctant to contribute more substantially to the US military campaign against Iran, instructing them to “go get your own oil” and insisting it wasn’t America’s responsibility to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz.

Global leaders have grappled with ending Iran’s grip on the strait, which has triggered widespread ramifications for the world economy and represents its most significant strategic asset in the conflict. The UN Security Council was due to address the issue on Saturday.

Trump has oscillated between issuing warnings to Iran should it fail to reopen the waterway and urging other countries to “go get your own oil”. On Friday, he declared via social media that “with a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, and MAKE A FORTUNE”.

Since hostilities commenced with US and Israeli air strikes on February 28, upwards of 1,900 individuals have perished in Iran. An assessment published on Friday by the US-based organisation Armed Conflict Location and Event Data determined that civilian fatalities were concentrated around attacks on security and state-affiliated locations “rather than indiscriminate bombardment” of built-up areas.

Over two dozen individuals have tragically lost their lives in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while 19 fatalities have been reported in Israel, including 13 US service members. In Lebanon, the death toll exceeds 1,300 with over a million displaced. Additionally, ten Israeli soldiers have been killed on Lebanese soil.

You didn’t know you needed Auf Wiedersehn Mallorca, a 1976 multi-lingual holiday hits complication complete with frollicking fraulein, until you see it poking from a pile of old vinyl at Dundrum car boot sale.

A discreet once-over, don’t look to keen. “Much?” “A pound, they were my mother-in-law’s records” Done. Where you gonna get anything for a pound much less a musical masterpiece from the early days of mass tourism?

This is what markets used to be like – older generations still have PTSD from being dragged as children around the old St George’s in Belfast which was once a dark and dank midden of fishmongers, fruit and veg, junk and bric-a-brac. Now it’s mostly hipsters and cruise ship tourists. But Dundrum car boot is a glorious riot of sights and sounds held most Sundays in the grounds of Dundrum GAC on the Newcastle Road in Dundrum Co Down.

My unofficial guide for the day, who would only give his name as Eddie, met me at the pitch gates bright and early at 8am a few Sundays ago. “You need to be the early bird or the best stuff goes quick, and if you like it buy it ‘cos some other git will swoop in behind you and have it”. Wise words we can all live by.

Eddie is a rummager by nature and mapped out our route through the tangle of stalls, cars, trestle tables and heaped flotsam and jetsam. Handshakes were fired his way from the regulars. I think I dislocated a wee finger getting a rigorous handshake from Big McAllister The Master Angler. Two mitts like sledgehammers. Eddie also pointed out some other characters, Ruta The Florist, The Crafty Cockney, The Veg Man, The Dogfood man, The Signs Man. There was a slight theme to the monikers I noticed.

A slow start, due to the handshakes, but soon we were away. But Eddie pulled me to one side for a whispered debrief and he had one final bit of local lore to share. Apparently. Now, apparently, a modern masterpiece was found at Dundrum and made its way to an auction in New York where it was valued at a potential $6million.

The story goes that a small Edward Hopper (1882-1967) original entitled The Study of High Noon was unearthed here in 2007 for buttons, posted on ebay for $580 and was soon recognised as the real deal and sold for millions. I got stuck right in to the bargain hunting with a renewed vigour.

And what was my first buy, a £5 ornamental concrete skull. Why? Why not. Have you a £5 ornamental concrete skull?

With the heady scent of victory in my nostrils – that might be the burgers and onions being fired up at the fantastic chip hut actually – I move on slowly and methodically to my next purchases. I’m in a flow state now and my eye has settled in to sort the tat from even more tat.

After Mallorca, comes a souvenir medal all the way from Paris with Napoleon himself on it. What the little Corsican corporal would make of Bruce Springsteen Born In the USA or 20 Buzzin Tracks (Energy Rush II) on cassette is anyone’s guess (the two for £2). I think he was a CD man myself.

Ed tells me these came from The House Clearance Man’s stall. And once you took in the contents of the tables it became clear someone’s old life or home was laid out for sale. The cassettes were in an old black plastic carry case/sorter. The type once seen in every ‘good’ room or teenager’s bedroom. in the 80s and early 90s. There was clothes, ornaments, kitchen utensils, tools, tool box. There was even a GCSE Art sketch pad filled with paintings, doodles and portraits of faces long changed. Not worth Edward Hopper’s $6million but once priceless.

And there lies the beauty of a good car boot, all humanity is here. Warts and all. Speaking of warts my final buy was a bit warty. A cry from one of the vendors went up: “Three pigs’ ears for two poun’.” Stopped in my tracks.

Now I know pigs don’t have three ears naturally so I guessed these were loose. And like a grim Woolworth’s pick’n’mix three choice dried slithers of hide from The Butcher were selected and bagged up for my dog to chew on.

With a short drive to Belfast looming we retired to the highly-recommended Frenchs Cafe & Bistro for a restoring fry and cup of tea where Eddie cast a dismayed eye over my purchases before I headed home to sort out my loot.

Just need a record and cassette player now – will be back next Sunday.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

At least eight people are dead, and a child injured, after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan late on Friday.

The eight dead and injured child are all members of the same family and were involved in a house collapse, Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesman for the Kabul governor, said.

The earthquake struck Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 110 miles (177km), according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

Provincial health authorities in the country have been put on alert.

Strong tremors were also felt in Pakistan’s ‌capital, Islamabad.

The region is highly seismically active, with earthquakes causing thousands of deaths in recent years.

Last August, a 6.0 earthquake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 1,400 people, and injured at least 3,250 others – destroying villages and trapping people under rubble.

Read more from Sky News:
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Most of the casualties in that disaster were in the country’s Kunar province, where people typically live in wood and mud-brick houses along steep valleys.

In November, a 6.3 earthquake struck Samangan province in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 27 people and injuring more than 950.

While in 2023, thousands were killed when a 6.3 quake, followed by strong aftershocks, rocked western Afghanistan.

The Boyzone star opens up to his nephew Ruairí Keating about grief in his new BBC travel show Ronan Keating’s Wild Atlantic

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Ronan Keating has struggled with bereavement after losing his brother.

The Boyzone singer journeyed back to Ireland’s west coast for his latest BBC travel programme.

During Friday’s (April 3) instalment of The One Show, footage from Ronan Keating’s Wild Atlantic showed the musician speaking with his nephew, professional footballer Ruairí Keating, about the passing of his father and Ronan’s sibling, Ciarán Keating.

Ciarán was killed in a road collision in 2023 while travelling to watch his son play football, with his wife Annemarie sustaining serious injuries.

In a deeply moving exchange, Ronan disclosed that “our lives haven’t been the same” following his brother’s death, describing him as his “hero”, reports the Irish Mirror.

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READ MORE: Coronation Street fans spot ‘clue’ Keith Duffy is returning to soap after 15 yearsREAD MORE: Ronan Keating says ‘I still struggle’ as he opens up on devastating death

The Life Is A Rollercoaster performer said: “I’ve kind of parked my emotions for the last two years. I haven’t been able to really deal with it, with the loss.

“And I think this journey that I’m on is me trying to understand more, so that I can somehow grieve and let go because I found it very hard.”

Fighting back emotion, Ronan added: “He was so proud of you and he will still be so proud of you in everything that you’re doing. All of you kids, you were his world.

“I never get to say it but like, I was the baby. He’s my hero. I’ve very hard.”

Ciarán’s son Ruairí also revealed that he continues to “looks up” while playing football and thinks he can still spot his late dad amongst the spectators, and confessed the “hardest part” is no longer witnessing his father’s name appear on his phone following each match.

Ronan proceeded to explain that his brother served as his motivation for undertaking Wild Atlantic as a venture.

He previously stated: ‘It started as a celebration of the west coast of Ireland, the Wild Atlantic Way, the cliffs, the beaches, the people.

“I spent so many summers there, so it already meant a lot to me but as we began filming, it naturally evolved into something more personal.”

Alluding to Ciaran’s decision to reside on the west coast, Ronan continued: “So the journey became about understanding that decision, what drew him there, what he found there.”

‘It turned into a very emotional and very beautiful exploration of his love for that part of Ireland mine too.”

The One Show and Ronan Keating’s Wild Atlantic are available to watch on BBC iPlayer