The Gateshead flyover, a staple part of the town’s road network bringing traffic into Newcastle, was closed in December 2024 due to safety concerns.

Inspections had revealed that the structure was ageing and deteriorating.

(Image: Joe Sheridan/Northern Echo Camera Club)

This led to concerns about the cost-effectiveness of maintaining it versus removing it and redesigning the surrounding roads.

The current removal of the flyover brings about a significant transformation in the way people navigate through Gateshead.

Temporary traffic arrangements and detours have been put in place for the duration of the demolition.

The dismantling process, which is expected to last until October, requires the use of special machinery, such as “munchers”.

A Gateshead Council spokesperson said: “They work by using ‘mechanical jaws’ to gradually crush through the concrete and steel structure.”

For areas where the concrete is denser, the operators resort to using a steel ram to fragment the material before returning to the mechanical jaws.

There is currently a staggered demolition process, which hopes to arrive at the Five Bridges roundabout in late June, moving to the Park Lane roundabout.

The last part to come down will be above the Tyne and Wear Metro tunnels.

In order to prevent collapse during demolition, steel props, each weighing ten tonnes, have been installed beneath the structure.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers took his time before deciding he wanted to come back for a 22nd season. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback already has made up his mind about a 23rd: There won’t be one.

“This is it,” Rodgers said Wednesday when the four-time NFL MVP was asked if this would be his final year.

The 42-year-old did not expand on why he came to that conclusion. Maybe because there was no need.

Rodgers acknowledged that he thought his time in Pittsburgh — and perhaps the league — was over when Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stepped down the day after a blowout first-round playoff loss to Houston in January.

Things changed when Pittsburgh hired Mike McCarthy a few weeks later, a decision that Rodgers said he may have played a small role in when he encouraged Steelers general manager Omar Khan to talk to McCarthy. Rodgers and McCarthy spent 13 years together in Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl while becoming a playoff fixture.

McCarthy and Rodgers stayed in constant communication in recent months as Rodgers weighed whether to run it back one last time. While there was no one tipping point, the relative health of his 42-year-old body and the chance to have his career come “full circle” with a team that spent the offseason upgrading the offense in hopes of ending a lengthy playoff victory drought led to a reunion he called “surreal.”

“It is like a (bunch of) ‘pinch me’ moments that have happened in the last few days,” Rodgers said following the second day of Pittsburgh’s voluntary organized team activities.

Perhaps because McCarthy hardly came back to his hometown alone.

The familiar faces from Rodgers’ time in Green Bay are everywhere inside the Steelers’ facility, from defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to offensive line coach James Campen. There are “getting the band back together” vibes everywhere Rodgers looks.

When Rodgers plopped into a chair for a meeting on Monday, in many ways it felt like it was 2006, when he was entering his second year in Green Bay as Brett Favre’s backup and McCarthy was a first-year head coach still finding his way.

“Took me back to being a 22-year-old kid,” Rodgers said with a smile.

Only he’s hardly that anymore. While the oldest player in the NFL turned back the clock enough last season to throw for 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions and guide the Steelers to the AFC North title, he also missed a game after breaking several bones in his left wrist and looked very much his age during the second half of what became a blowout loss to the Texans that ended both Pittsburgh’s season and Tomlin’s largely successful 19-year run as head coach.

Still, Rodgers believes he has enough left to attempt the rarest of exits for players of his stature: the ability to go out on his own terms.

McCarthy said Rodgers “can still throw it with anybody,” though the time of year when Rodgers will be asked to really cut it loose is still months away. Perhaps Rodgers’ most important job through OTAs, minicamp and training camp is helping the Steelers prepare for life without him.

While McCarthy and Rodgers stayed in constant communication as Rodgers hung out in Malibu, California, with his wife and weighed his options for 2026, the Steelers selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of the draft, and McCarthy has talked up 2025 sixth-round choice Will Howard at every turn since taking over.

Allar and Howard figure to be in the mix this time next year when the Steelers restart their quest to find a long-term solution at the game’s most important position, a search that’s been ongoing since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in January 2022.

Rodgers’ presence offers a cheat code of sorts. He knows all the answers to the test, particularly when the test is offered by McCarthy. Allar and Howard will get to spend the next seven or so months soaking up what they can from Rodgers about what McCarthy wants and perhaps more importantly, how he wants it.

McCarthy called Rodgers “a tremendous resource” who also happens to be a future Hall of Famer, giving him a certain cachet that might make him a better conduit for what McCarthy is trying to teach than the coach himself.

“It’s like parenting,” McCarthy said. “I could sit there and tell my kids something, and then, like if he’d walk in and tell my son George something, he’d jump out the window and do it.”

While Rodgers took a friendly jab at Favre — whom he sat behind during the first three years of his career — by borrowing a phrase from Favre that mentoring is “not in my job description,” the reality is it’s a role he relishes.

Just not as much as the chance to win. When Rodgers signed with the Steelers a year ago, he called the decision “best for my soul.” It’s much the same this time around.

He likes what the team has done by trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., signing running back Rico Dowdle and drafting wideout Germie Bernard. The offensive line could be better with Troy Fautanu moving over to left tackle. The defense still has a pair of franchise icons in defensive lineman Cam Heyward and outside linebacker TJ Watt.

And now it has a quarterback eager to soak up every last bit of the final chapter of a career that will end with a gold jacket and a bust in the Hall of Fame. Just not quite yet.

“I am excited about these guys,” he said. “I’m excited about the team.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico authorities said three people are dead and more than a dozen first responders were being treated Wednesday for exposure to an unidentified substance after being called to a home east of Albuquerque for a suspected drug overdose.

New Mexico State Police say three of the four people who were found unresponsive inside the home have died and the other is being treated at a hospital in Albuquerque.

During the response, authorities said 18 first responders were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms that included nausea and dizziness. All of the first responders were transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where they were quarantined and are being monitored.

Two of the first responders were listed in serious condition, said Officer Wilson Silver with New Mexico State Police.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue Hazmat teams were assisting at the scene in Mountainair, a rural community east of Albuquerque, in efforts to identify the substance involved.

“At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne,” Silver said.

Mountainair town officials said there is no threat to the public and a secure perimeter has been established around the home.

The family of the 21-year-old said she had ‘erratic behaviour’ in the months leading up to her death

A university student who suffered “delusions” as a result of a vitamin deficiency caused by a vegan diet later took her own life, an inquest has heard. Georgina Owen, aged 21, from Saffron Walden in Essex, died at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge on September 19, 2019.

In a written inquest into her death, Coroner Elizabeth Gray ruled that Georgina died of a brain injury after taking her own life. Since 2016, Georgina had been on a vegan diet.

The inquest recorded that in August 2019, Georgina’s family said she hadn’t taken her vitamin B12 supplements – needed due to her diet – for at least 12 months. Georgina said she had “forgotten to take them”. Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and specially fortified foods.

The NHS website advises that a deficiency can lead to problems including psychological problems. These can range from mild depression or anxiety to confusion and dementia, as well as extreme tiredness, muscle weakness and problems with vision and memory.

The 21-year-old student, who attended the University of Swansea, told her family she had “bought an organic B12 supplement from Canada, the dosage of which would be 1mg once per day, oral spray”. Her family said Georgina demonstrated “unusual erratic behaviour” in the period leading up to her death.

Georgina’s family referred her to a psychiatrist, who referred to diary entries written by Georgina, and concluded there was no evidence she was “planning to end her life”.

However, her final diary entries did provide evidence of a “possible mental illness and that on the balance of probabilities” Georgina may have experienced “delusions” in her last note.

The inquest also read that investigations were carried out to determine whether Georgina had a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of her vegan diet. If this was true, it would be investigated if it could have “caused her to have psychiatric manifestations in the period before her death”.

Blood tests and expert reports were carried out. The expert reports concluded that the vitamin deficiency had “likely resulted from Miss Owen’s vegan diet of around three years”.

The inquest added: “Evidence also concludes that Miss Owen’s vague signs of cognitive impairment, anxiety, difficulty with simple decision making and fatigue as described by her family in the period before her death suggest a gradually developing psychiatric disorder culminating in the delusional beliefs expressed in Miss Owen’s final letter.”

Madeleine disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on the evening of May 3, 2007, at just three years old.

Her disappearance has been dubbed “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history”.

Now, a Channel 5 drama, titled Under Suspicion: Kate McCann, starring Laura Bayston, is due to air, depicting the interrogation of Kate about her daughter’s disappearance.

Madeleine McCann disappearance explained

The McCann family were on holiday in Portugal in May 2007, Kate and Gerry, Madeleine, who was three, and twin siblings Amelie and Sean, both two.

Family friends and their children were also on holiday with them.

The McCann children were left asleep in the ground-floor apartment while their parents dined with friends in a restaurant 55 metres away.

The parents checked on the children about every 30 to 40 minutes until Kate discovered Madeleine was missing.

Madeleine’s disappearance attracted extensive press coverage in the UK and internationally.

Both Kate and Gerry were subjected to intense scrutiny and faced accusations of involvement in the disappearance.

In 2008, as a result of false allegations of their involvement in Madeleine’s death, they and their travelling companions received damages and apologies from Express Newspapers.

In 2011, the McCanns testified before the Leveson Inquiry into British press misconduct, lending support to those arguing for tighter press regulation.

Where is the Madeleine McCann case today?

In the weeks that followed her disappearance, Portuguese police believed that Madeleine had died in an accident in the apartment and her parents had covered it up.

The McCanns were given suspect status in September 2007, which was lifted when Portugal’s attorney general archived the case in July 2008 for lack of evidence.

Kate and Gerry continued the investigation using private detectives until the Metropolitan Police opened its own inquiry, Operation Grange, in 2011.

The senior investigating officer announced that he was treating the disappearance as “a criminal act by a stranger”, which was likely a planned abduction or burglary gone wrong.

In 2013, the Met released e-fit images of men they wanted to trace, including one of a man seen carrying a child toward the beach on the night Madeleine vanished and shortly after this, Portuguese police reopened their inquiry.

Operation Grange was scaled back in 2015, but the remaining detectives continued to pursue a small number of inquiries described in April 2017 as significant.

In 2020, German authorities declared Christian Brückner their prime suspect for the abduction and murder of McCann, with prosecutors saying that they have “concrete evidence”.

Channel 5 drama Under Suspicion: Kate McCann stars Laura Bayston (Image: Channel 5/PA Wire)

Brückner has previously been convicted of unrelated counts of child sexual abuse and drug trafficking, and has since 2019 served a prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old American pensioner in the Algarve region.

He was released in September 2025 and has not been officially charged with any crime related to the McCann case, and consistently denies any involvement.

Last year, the UK government approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine’s disappearance.

Netflix released an eight-part documentary series, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in 2019, but the McCann family did not support the production of the documentary, refusing to take part and encouraging others not to be involved.

Where are Kate and Gerry McCann now?

According to reports, Kate and Gerry, who are both physicians, still live in the same house they lived in when Maddie disappeared in Leicestershire.

Her 2011 book Madeleine: Our Daughter’s Disappearance and the Continuing Search for Her, gave an insight into her life after 2007.

She revealed how she still buys Maddie birthday and Christmas presents, and the difficultly it was not being overprotective towards twins Amelie and Sean after Maddie’s disappearance.

Kate also quit her job as a GP because she didn’t want her twins to be left alone with child carers and because she wanted to focus her attention on the search.

Kate and Gerry McCann live in Leicestershire today, just over 19 years since the disappearance (Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

She did return to the NHS during the Covid pandemic in 2021, working on the frontline in local Leicester hospitals.

Today Kate works with sufferers of dementia and is an ambassador for the charity Missing People.

Gerry works as a research professor in experimental medicine and a professor of cardiac imaging.

Amelie McCann is studying at Durham University, with twin brother Sean understood to be a champion freestyle swimmer and has even been tipped to represent Scotland at next year’s Commonwealth Games or even compete for Team GB at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

New Channel 5 drama on Kate McCann interrogation

The new Channel 5 drama, Under Suspicion: Kate McCann, will depict the interrogation of Kate about her daughter’s disappearance.

It is set three months after the disappearance, with the media and Portuguese police now treating the McCanns very differently.

The one-off drama maps out Kate’s cross-examination after she and Gerry were named suspects.

A synopsis reads: “In her final interrogation, Kate defies all accusations by answering ‘no comment’ on her lawyer’s advice.

Recommended reading:

“As she leaves the police station, we are reminded that this story began with a mother searching for her child, and that no amount of suspicion, however constructed, will diminish her hope of finding her daughter.”

Laura Bayston stars as Kate McCann in the drama, with Joana Borja as Armanda Duarte Salbany Russel, Hugo Nicolau as Inspector João Carlos and Miguel Freire as Inspector Ricardo Paiva.

James Robinson is Gerry McCann, Ruby Ranson, Madeleine McCann and Carlos Agualusa as Carlos Pinto De Abreu.

Under Suspicion: Kate McCann premieres today (May 20) at 9pm on Channel 5.

Why should I grate an apple into my sourdough starter?

How can I make a sourdough starter with apple?

Airlines have been struggling with jet fuel supplies following the Iran conflict.

Despite this, the Government has advised travellers not to change plans, saying that UK airlines are “not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel” and that “it is typically bought in advance”.

Now, budget airline Jet2 has also reassured passengers, saying it expects to operate flights as scheduled this summer.

Jet2 issues update to passengers amid fuel supply issues

The travel company said today (May 20) that it has “reported positive updates about fuel supply”.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2, said: “We are in regular dialogue with our fuel suppliers, and the current picture is one of increased production and imports, meaning we continue to look ahead with confidence.

“We have already been very clear about our plans to operate our schedule as normal this summer, and our message to holidaymakers is that summer is on.”

Mr Heapy added: “This confidence, on top of the incredible value that our award-winning holidays offer right now, means it is a fantastic time to get that well-deserved holiday locked in, and we know that many people are taking advantage of that right now.

“Everything is geared up and ready for a busy summer and we look forward to welcoming everybody on board and creating fantastic memories with Jet2.”

Jet2 had previously reassured customers that it would not introduce surcharges on any booked flights or holidays to cover cost increases.

It also removed the surcharge provision across all flights and holidays.

Mr Heapy said previously: “Holidaymakers should have every right to book their hard-earned break in the sun, without worrying about being hit with additional costs, and they can have that complete assurance when they book a flight or holiday with Jet2.

“As a result of today’s announcement, customers booking with Jet2 know that they are locking in their price without additional cost surprises later and we strongly believe that is the right thing to do by them.”

Brits warned of long queues due to EES

While travel plans will remain the same, Brits have been warned over lengthy queues this summer due to the EU’s new entry/exit system (EES).

Non-EU nationals travelling in Europe are now required to provide personal data, and have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken.

Major airlines, including Jet2 and Ryanair, have called for the rollout of the new system to be suspended until after the summer to allow for a “smoother airport experience” during peak travel season.

CEO of Ryanair’s Malta subsidiary, Malta Air, David O’Brien, has also threatened to pull all flights to Malta due to the extended wait times caused by the EES at airports.

Brits are now being warned of six-hour waits at airports in Portugal caused by the new EES.

A Portugal travel advisor, known as @travel_luckk on Instagram, said: “Last week a family I advised landed in Lisbon and stood in line for 6 hours and 40 minutes.

“Their toddler slept on a suitcase. They missed their transfer to the Algarve.

“This wasn’t bad luck. This is Portugal in 2026—and almost no one is talking about it yet.”

Porto is currently a quieter and more efficient alternative, according to @travel_luckk, for entry into northern and central Portugal.

Recommended reading:

The Portugal travel advisor said: “OPO is 40% faster through EES than Lisbon right now.

She warned that the travel through Lisbon can be especially difficult, particularly on Monday mornings between 6am and 11am.

Ryanair has called on the Portuguese Government to pause the rollout of the EES until September.

Have you got any holidays planned this summer? Let us know in the comments below.

The 15-year-old girl reported being threatened with a knife during seven horrifying hours

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A teenage girl was saved after being ‘randomly’ snatched off the street. The horrifying incident took place in Bowdon, Altrincham as a 56-year-old man has been arrested.

The girl reported being threatened with a knife during a seven-hour ordeal. The 15-year-old was kidnapped on May 18 and was found in the early hours May 19 in a hotel car park in Knutsford, Cheshire.

The victim, it is understood, was forced into a vehicle on Bradgate Road, Bowdon, at around 6.45pm as she walked alone. She was reported missing at around 9pm ManchesterEveningNews reports.

Police issued an alert for a specific vehicle after a witness was able to report the registration plate having heard the girl’s screams. Cheshire cops found the vehicle on a car park at the Cottons Hotel and Spa in the early hours.

The teenager was inside and a man was arrested at the scene.

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In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: “Officers working alongside Cheshire Police have arrested a man on suspicion of abduction after a teenage girl was reported missing on Monday 18 May in Altrincham.

“A 56‑year‑old man was arrested in the early hours of 19 May and remains in custody for further questioning. Specialist officers are supporting the girl and her family.

“There is no wider risk to the public. Further updates will be provided when appropriate.”

The man arrested was a white male, Greater Manchester Police said. Detectives have been granted an extension to keep the suspect in custody for further questioning.

It is understood the incident is being treated as random and that the teenager is not known to the suspect.

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Brits are being warned to expect a hot bank holiday weekend

The Met Office has said that Brits can expect an “exceptional spell” of warm weather this weekend as the UK is set for a bank holiday heatwave. The forecast follows a period of cooler weather for most of May, which is expected to come to an end this week.

The weather agency has predicted temperatures could soar as we approach the end of the week, with potential for some parts of the UK to see highs in excess of 30C. In a post on X – formerly Twitter – the Met Office wrote: “It’s been a cool May – so far. That’s set to change quite dramatically over the coming days.

“A prolonged period of very warm weather is now increasingly likely. Temperatures will rise to well above average for May with the hottest spots possibly exceeding 30 Celsius.”

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A graphic posted on the social media platform shows the temperature difference compared with averages for the month. It shows a temperature of more than nine degrees from Friday, through to Sunday, across large parts of the UK, including areas of Greater Manchester towards the end of the week.

With most of the country set to see a hot bank holiday weekend, Deputy Chief Forecaster Greg Wolverson has suggested that Brits should prepare for an “exceptional spell” of warm weather. He said: “A very warm period of weather will develop through the weekend and into next week for much of the UK.

“High pressure will be in charge of the UK’s weather over the bank holiday weekend and this should bring fine and settled conditions to most areas. The exception will be parts of northwestern Scotland where it will be cooler and cloudier with some rain at times. There is also a small risk of some thunder in the south late on Friday into Saturday.”

Current Met Office temperature maps forecast parts of the UK to see highs of around 27C on Friday (May 22), with highs of 28C predicted for Saturday (May 23). Temperatures could increase further to 29C on Sunday (May 24), with the Met Office suggesting highs in excess of 30C could be possible on bank holiday Monday (May 25).

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Issuing an outlook on the potential for the UK to see a heatwave, Mr Wolverson added: “Heatwave thresholds – defined as three consecutive days at or above a set temperature – are likely to be reached in parts of the UK from Sunday, most likely in southeastern England. Into next week, these conditions are expected to become more widespread, extending across central and western England and into parts of Wales, as temperatures remain well above average.”

However, with warm temperatures expected for the weekend, Brits are being to plan ahead for hot conditions. RAC breakdown spokesperson Harriet Hernando said: “With the weather set to transition from cold to hot as the bank holiday approaches, we’re going to see a lot more traffic on the roads – and with that comes the risk of many more vehicles breaking down in the heat.

“Before setting out on a long journey, motorists should make sure that their car is summer-ready. One of the biggest risks is an increase in cars overheating, especially when sat in queues of traffic with no shade.”

Nick Giles OBE, MD Leisure, Ordnance Survey added: “With a long weekend looming, and warm weather forecast, it seems the perfect opportunity to set out on an adventure on foot – equipped for the Great British weather, of course. At OS, we want to make the outdoors enjoyable, accessible and safe. I would urge anyone going on an adventure to plan ahead, including checking weather forecasts, their kit, food and drink, and please take a map or the OS Maps app.”

Speeding fines and convictions have risen sharply across the UK in recent years.

There are approximately 7,000 physical speed cameras spread across the UK’s road network.

New figures indicate that more motorists are exceeding limits and more of them are being caught, according to the BBC.

But what could happen if you slam on before a speed camera to avoid getting caught?

What happens if you slam on before a speed camera?

Sudden braking can lead to rear-end collisions, especially if the driver behind is following too closely.

It could also result in a charge for driving without due care and attention.

Quick braking may not prevent a speeding fine either.

While slowing down before a camera often won’t stop you from getting a fine, average speed cameras are designed to catch drivers who speed between two different points.

What happens if you slow down before a speed camera?

The AA explains: “Average speed cameras work by recording your speed at two different points.

“They don’t capture your speed in a single flash.

“Instead, they’ll monitor your speed over a length of road.

“This is so people don’t slow down just before they see a camera and then speed up again afterwards.

“They help to keep the traffic flowing steadily instead of stopping and starting.”

Average speed cameras calculate your speed by measuring how long it takes to travel between two different points on a road.

Speeding penalties

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to your licence.

You could be disqualified from driving if you build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of three years – check your driving licence record to see if you have points on your licence.

Within 14 days of your car being caught speeding, you’ll be sent a:

• Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP)
• Section 172 notice

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AI speed camera that doesn’t flash rolled out across the UK

How far away can a speed camera catch you speeding?

If a speed camera is not visible can I challenge the fine?

You must return the Section 172 notice within 28 days, telling the police who was driving the car.

After you’ve sent the Section 172 notice back, you’ll be sent either a:

• Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)
• letter telling you to go to court

You may have to go to court if you ignore the notice.

Have you ever been caught by a speed camera? Let us know in the comments