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Northern Ireland and Belfast among the cheapest places to rent across the UK, new survey finds

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Belfast Live

Only one place in the UK was cheaper than renting in Northern Ireland with letting in the city slightly more expensive

Competition for rental homes has fallen to its lowest level for the month of February in six years, according to a property website.

Zoopla said the average number of inquiries per property was 4.8 in February, down from 6.5 last year, meaning fewer renters typically competing for each home.

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It marks the lowest level in the month of February since February 2020, when there were around 4.2 inquiries per rental home.

Zoopla said this was “clear evidence” of the rental market becoming more balanced after a peak in competition seen in 2022 and 2023, with improved mortgage conditions having helped more renters to buy their first home.

UK rents for new lets increased by 1.9% over the year to January, reaching £1,319 on average across the UK the website said. In Northern Ireland average rent was £831, up by 8.4%. In Belfast rent averaged at £847, up by 7.6% making it the most cheapest place to rent in the UK regions surveyed – apart from the North East of England at £770, a rise of 4.2%.

The report said: “Rental growth remains stronger in more affordable northern markets where rents are lower. Cities such as Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow are still recording stronger increases of 3% to 4.6%.”

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Zoopla said it expected rents to increase by around 2% to 3% on average across the UK during 2026.

Its rental market index is based on asking rents and adjusted to reflect achieved rents.

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “Market conditions for renters are the best they have been for six years.

“The rental market is moving back towards balance as demand cools and more homes become available to rent.

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“Renters are facing less competition for homes and slower rent increases than in recent years. Localised changes in demand and supply are resulting in rents falling in some cities but this will be only a short-lived trend.

“However, supply remains well below pre-pandemic levels, which means increasing the number of rental homes remains key to improving affordability for the UK renters over the long-term.”

Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank, said: “More balance has returned across the UK but in the capital, where renting is twice as common, there is still a notable lack of supply in many areas that is pushing rents higher.”

Meanwhile, calculations from property firm Savills indicated that the value of the UK’s private rented sector fell by £48 billion in 2025, while the value of owner-occupied housing stock increased by £185billion.

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The value of the private rented sector has shrunk for three years in a row, according to Savills’ calculations, with the value of homes falling by a total of £79 billion since 2022, as increased house prices have failed to offset the loss of stock.

Lucian Cook, head of residential research at Savills, said: “Over the past 25 years, we’ve grown accustomed to a story of the private rented sector expanding at the expense of people’s ability to get onto the housing ladder.

“But while deep-seated housing challenges remain, lighter regulation in the mortgage market and tighter oversight of the private rented sector are gradually beginning to shift that narrative.

“Changes in tenancy legislation, higher operating costs and increased mortgage rates have prompted many private landlords to reassess their portfolios.

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“Larger landlords, better equipped to absorb added costs and requirements, have taken on some of this stock, contributing to a more professionalised PRS (private rented sector). But others have been sold to owner-occupiers, reducing the sector’s overall size.”

Nathan Emerson, chief executive of property professionals’ body Propertymark, said: “We currently have a rental landscape where demand for properties continues to outstrip available stock.

“When looking at the latest data available, Propertymark members report a near 7% increase in the number of landlords who have chosen to sell their properties year-on-year.”

Here are average monthly rents in regions, nations and a selection of major cities in January and the annual change, according to Zoopla:

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  • East Midlands, £925, 1.4%
  • East of England, £1,251, 1.9%
  • London, £2,187, 1.7%
  • North East, £770, 4.2%
  • North West, £958, 3.0%
  • Northern Ireland, £831, 8.4%
  • Scotland, £878, 1.8%
  • South East, £1,397, 1.9%
  • South West, £1,147, 2.6%
  • Wales, £941, 2.3%
  • West Midlands, £972, 0.3%
  • Yorkshire and the Humber, £866, 1.5%
  • Belfast, £847, 7.6%
  • Birmingham, £998, minus 0.7%
  • Bristol, £1,431, 0.8%
  • Cardiff, £1,193, 2.6%
  • Edinburgh, £1,323, 2.0%
  • Glasgow, £1,030, 3.7%
  • Leeds, £1,024, 0.8%
  • Liverpool, £915, 4.6%
  • Manchester, £1,167, 1.6%
  • Nottingham, £992, minus 0.8%
  • Sheffield, £861, 0.9%
  • Southampton, £1,194, 2.1%

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Instagram down: Users worldwide report being unable to send messages on Meta-owned app

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Boy, 15, arrested for attempted murder after armed attack on school teacher

Instagram was facing widespread technical issues on Wednesday, with users worldwide reporting that they were unable to send messages on the Meta-owned platform.

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University tuition fees system is a ‘mess’, says Sir Nick Clegg

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University tuition fees system is a 'mess', says Sir Nick Clegg

“Threshold freezes have been introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers. The student finance system protects lower-earning graduates, with repayments determined by incomes and outstanding loans and interest being cancelled at the end of repayment terms.”

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Louis Theroux’s manosphere documentary is his most chilling yet

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Louis Theroux’s manosphere documentary is his most chilling yet

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‘I’d disown my son if he came out as gay,’ TikTok influencer Harrison Sullivan AKA HSTikkyTokky proudly declares.

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It’s just one of many nauseating remarks made during Louis Theroux’s 90-minute deep dive into the world of the ultra-misogynistic manosphere, an ecosystem of online communities that spreads harmful opposition to feminism.

Louis, who has departed his usual home on the BBC for his glossy Netflix debut, was inspired to shine a spotlight on the dark underbelly of the group after discovering the so-called King of Toxic Masculinity, Andrew Tate, through his three sons.

‘I had no idea who he was,’ Theroux, 55, admits.

He suspects Tate wanted to take part in the film, but was ultimately nervous.

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‘As a parent I’m obviously concerned. It would be easy to say ”oh well, they don’t take it too seriously”, but at a certain point, a joke is no longer a joke – especially when it’s unchallenged and repeated.’

Louis Theroux attempted to get inside the mind of British TikToker Harrison Sullivan (AKA HSTikkyTokky) (Picture: Netflix)
(L to R) Justin Waller, Louis Theroux, in Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix ?? 2026
Influencer Justin Waller says people don’t believe him when he says he’s happy (Picture: Netflix)

Challenge is exactly what Theroux does with the controversial subjects of his film, but they won’t change their ways for anyone – not even their own mothers.

I met Theroux in 2018 and found it hard to imagine such a gentle giant possesses such a dark back catalogue of documentaries exploring seedy subcultures, as well as the lives of neo-Nazis, notorious killers, and Jimmy Savile, but he always remains self-deprecating even in the face of the very worst of humanity. It’s true that his awkwardness is off the charts.

While Theroux is considered one of the world’s greatest documentarians, his trademark of being a remarkable listener and gentle provocateur doesn’t rattle these antifeminist influencers, who will undoubtedly leave your blood boiling.

Admittedly, I had only heard of HSTikkyTokky and his wide-eyed counterpart Ed Matthews, who have taken over algorithms in the UK with promises to coach young men on how to be ‘proper boys’ through dodgy trading tips and Telegram subscriptions offering explicit content.

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The American subjects, Myron Gaines, Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy (known online as Sneako), and Justin Waller, are equally as problematic for all of the same reasons and then some.

They all come across as so disturbingly convincing at their craft that it’s easy to understand why young boys are infatuated with these hypermasculine men. And parents, like Theroux, are right to be terrified.

Amrou Fudl (Myron Gaines), in Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix ?? 2026
Myron Gaines is best known as the co-host of the Fresh & Fit podcast (Picture: Netflix)
(L to R) [Actor], [Actor] in Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix ?? 2026
Sneako has been banned from multiple social media platforms (Picture: Netflix)

In one scene, boys who look as young as 10 are seen chanting ‘f**k women!’ and ‘all gays should die’ alongside their ‘king’ Sneako, 27, a political commentator and social media personality who was once banned from YouTube for promoting violent, misogynistic content.

Gaines and Waller are both supported by the women in their lives who egg on their behaviour in return for a ‘relaxed’ life. This is all despite several of the men thinking women shouldn’t be allowed to vote and sex workers, some of whom they profit from online, are ‘repulsive’.

Gaines, a suave sportscar-driving ‘success coach’ who mingles with Donald Trump, gives Theroux an exclusive look inside his personal life, which, without knowing anything about him, looks perfect. A pristine mansion, adorable kids, and a beautiful wife.

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But he quickly explains that he’s in a ‘one-sided monogamous relationship’, where he can sleep with as many women as he wants, but the mother of his children can’t speak to other men.

‘I like to tell people we have lanes,’ Kristen admits. ‘My lane is changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning, and his lane is working and providing. It works for us.’

A startling reality given a recent study found 31% of Gen Z men agree that a wife should always obey her husband, compared to 29% of Millennial men, 21% of Gen X men, and 13% of Boomer men.

Louis Theroux in Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere. Cr. Courtesy of Pip/Netflix ?? 2026
Theroux travels to Miami, New York and Marbella to meet the content creators at the heart of the manosphere (Picture: Netflix)

What does red-pilled mean?

A terminology which comes up within the documentary and the manosphere is red-pilling.

It refers to adopting a perspective that believes hidden truths about society, often associated with skepticism toward mainstream 
narratives and, in modern contexts, anti-feminist or far-right ideologies.

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Red pill came from a scene in the 1999 film The Matrix where the main character, Neo, is given the choice between taking a blue pill that would return him to a state of ignorance and a red pill that would show him the truth that humans are enslaved in a simulated reality.

The concept spread in the 2010s within online communities associated with conspiracy theories and extremist ideologies. 

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While the participants in the film all share the same deep mistrust of Theroux and the mainstream media, they refuse to be labelled as misogynistic because they actually ‘love’ women. ‘And since I understand them, I know what is best for them,’ Gaines boasts.

Theroux attributes association with the manosphere with broken childhoods (Sullivan’s single mum worked six-day weeks to put him through private school, while Gaines was nearly put into foster care). You’d have to dig pretty deep to find even an ounce of sympathy.

It’s not just the anti-woman rhetoric and resentment which is folded into the film. The racism is so casual within the manosphere that it’ll make you see red.

I’ve never seen Theroux confronted in such a vicious way within his own territory — and while the cameras are rolling. Amid all the discussions of misogyny, homophobia, and pornography, the most uncomfortable part is seeing him subjected to vile antisemitic comments. They aren’t thinly veiled remarks – they’re blatant and they sting even the viewer.

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It’s like seeing a group of teenagers gang up on your dad.

The empath in every viewer will hope that the behaviour of the manosphere is smoke and mirrors for a bigger issue at play – the copious amounts of money the men are earning online simply by misbehaving.

Undated handout photo issued by Netflix of Harrison Sullivan (HS Tikky Tokky) in Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere. The series due to be released on Netflix on March 11, and sees Louis Theroux explore the impact of online misogyny on young boys as he takes on the manosphere. Issue date: Wednesday February 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Netflix /PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Sullivan doesn’t mind being called a misogynist, homophobic, and a scammer (Picture: Netflix)

These days rage bait is lucrative. Social media platforms reward strong emotional responses, encouraging creators to produce content that incites rage – and Sullivan knows exactly that all too well.

‘Call me a misogynist, call my homophobic, call me a scammer – I’m all those things,’ he brags.

In spite of Theroux’s best efforts to understand and confront the warped views of the manosphere, it almost seems redundant to even bother trying.

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These men are lining their pockets by selling vulnerable boys a dream, and they certainly won’t back down in the face of any criticism.

Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere premieres globally on Netflix on March 11.

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Rory McIlroy compared to Keir Starmer by ex-agent – ‘He’s a liability’

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Daily Mirror

Rory McIlroy may be one of the most popular athletes in the world, but the five-time major winner has been compared to Sir Keir Starmer by his former agent

Rory McIlroy’s former agent has compared the five-time major winner to prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. Andrew “Chubby” Chandler managed McIlroy from his professional debut in 2007 until they parted ways in October 2011.

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McIlroy left Chandler’s International Sports Management (ISM) agency as he felt he was being steered in the wrong direction. The Holywood golfer moved on to join fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell at Horizon Sports Management, but that partnership only lasted two years.

Chandler is confident McIlroy can reach double digits in terms of majors, but believes he needs to retreat from the limelight occasionally. The Northern Irishman has often used any media platform granted to him to air his views about certain subjects, particularly when LIV Golf started changing the golf landscape.

READ MORE: Tommy Fleetwood provides update on stranded family and baulks at question – ‘No excuses’READ MORE: Fresh Rory McIlroy update issued before Players Championship – ‘He might withdraw’

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, Chandler believes McIlroy, who will defend his Masters title next month, needs to do less public speaking and keep many of his thoughts to himself. Chandler said: “Rory talks too much, but he’s an absolute gift for the media.

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“If he gets a microphone in his hands, he’s a liability in terms of saying anything. He’s more of a liability than the Prime Minister.

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“For a while, he was unbelievable. Everything he said, he had to go back and apologise for a month later, including his marriage. Rory just needs to calm down a bit – he thought he was saving the game at one stage but he just talked too much.

“He started to pause and reconsidered what he was saying but I don’t know what his motivation was originally. But I suppose when you’re Rory McIlroy and you constantly have a microphone in front of you. It’s very difficult to refuse it. So I understand. You’re just telling him to calm down a bit.”

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Following his Masters triumph to complete the grand slam last year, McIlroy confessed he found it difficult to stay motivated in the subsequent months. He rediscovered his form with a brilliant victory at the Irish Open before enjoying team success at the Ryder Cup in New York at the year’s end.

McIlroy has displayed flashes of brilliance in 2026, but a concerning back problem has cast doubt over his appearance at The Players Championship this week. Chandler believes the current world number two will add to his haul of five majors – and potentially double that figure.

“Rory should play a bit more freely. It shouldn’t be life and death. My guess is that he’ll win another five majors. I don’t think he’ll get to 15 majors, but I think he’ll get to 10,” the Englishman said.

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“At the end of the day, one of the things you’ve got to factor in is how many majors Scottie Scheffler is going to get. Rory is 36 so if he’s got six really good years left in him, that’s 24 chances to win more majors.

“You would think Scottie is going to win at least six of them. So, the analogy is that players like Ernie Els and, for that matter, Lee Westwood, struggled to win majors when Tiger Woods was in his prime because he won so many of them.

“It’s a similar situation now; it’s easy to say Rory might win a certain number of majors, but if he’s consistently going head-to-head with Scottie Scheffler, he won’t win as many.”

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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

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Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.

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HMRC explains process for claiming tax refunds on pension payments

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Wales Online

The tax department may write to you if you owed a tax refund

HMRC has provided an update regarding tax refunds for pensioners. The department clarified its rules in response to a query from a taxpayer.

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The person said they planned to retire at the end of April, becoming a “non taxpayer”. They queried whether it would be more beneficial to adjust their salary for the upcoming 2026/2027 tax year now to “claim back the tax”.

In response, the department first asked them to specify if they would have a “continuing UK source of income” post-retirement. The person confirmed that their income would solely come from pensions and that their total income would fall “below the personal allowance”.

State Pensioners to face major tax change

According to the personal allowance, you can earn up to £12,570 each tax year without being liable for income tax on this amount. HMRC offered this advice to the taxpayer: “So once you retire and you’ve got your P45, you can contact the helpline and we can take the details over the phone.

“We’ll use the P45 info and instruct your pension provider to refund any overpaid tax through your pension payments.” Another aspect to consider when planning for retirement is your state pension.

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Changes to the state pension

You become eligible for the state pension upon reaching 66 years of age. Nevertheless, this is set to change imminently, with the qualifying age rising from April 2026.

It will gradually increase to reach 67 by April 2028. The full new state pension presently stands at £230.25 weekly, equivalent to £11,973 annually.

The triple lock policy will boost payments by 4.8 per cent from April, lifting the full new rate to £241.30 per week, or £12,547.60 annually, marginally beneath the personal allowance threshold You can check how much state pension you’re projected to receive using an online tool on the Government website.

Should you have been taxed incorrectly by the end of the tax year, which ends on April 5, HMRC will typically get in touch regarding the discrepancy.

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The revenue service will dispatch either a tax calculation letter, commonly referred to as a P800, or a simple assessment letter. You will only receive one of these letters if you’re in employment or drawing a pension.

The letters are dispatched between June and March of the next tax year. If you’re registered for self assessment, HMRC will automatically amend your bill and no letter will be issued.

If you think you are owed an amount but you don’t get a letter, there is an online tool available on the Government website to determine whether you’re entitled to claim a refund.

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Best air purifiers 2026, tested for UK homes

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Best air purifiers 2026, tested for UK homes

“Air purifiers are definitely beneficial, particularly for airborne allergies,” says Dr Costa, who formerly ran paediatric allergy services for a major NHS hospital. “The air purifier will collect and remove small particles from the air, reducing your exposure to things that could potentially be harmful.”

But he is clear that not all air purifiers perform to the same standard. “The effectiveness of using an air purifier depends on the quality of the device,” he says. “Not all of them are the same and not all filter out the smallest particles that can cause particular problems, such as cat dander. It is also important you use them alongside any medical treatment recommended by your doctor.”

While most air purifiers will filter out the most problematic small particles (called PM 2.5 and PM 10), some also clear even tinier particles (PM 1), as well as smoke and chemicals known as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air.

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Some of the best air purifiers also have extra features like cooling fans, warming heaters, dehumidifier functions and Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning you can control the device from an app on your smartphone.

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Glasgow Central high level closed for rest of week after building fire

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Glasgow Central high level closed for rest of week after building fire

“Unfortunately, further work is required to ensure the high level station is safe for trains to operate. Our priority is to make sure that we can reopen Glasgow Central as soon as it is safe to do so and we will continue to work with emergency services, the local council and our train operators to restore services.

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‘There is no real winner in war – everyone comes out losing’ | World News

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'There is no real winner in war - everyone comes out losing' | World News

When the sirens sounded around the city of Beit Shemesh on the second day of the war, Rabbi Yitzhak Biton suggested to his son they find a safe space at home rather than go to the nearest shelter.

But Yaakov felt worried and preferred to go.

Follow live updates on war in Middle East

He and his two younger sisters, Avigail and Sarah, headed out for the shelter beneath the local synagogue. Their parents stayed in the house.

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Yitzhak Biton’s children Yaakov (top centre), Avigail, 15 (right),
Sarah, 13 (left) and Rachel (centre)

Three minutes later, the missile hit.

“There was a tremendous explosion and an enormous blast wave,” Biton remembers. “The ceiling fell in, the windows flew out, everything collapsed. It was a miracle we survived.”

Emergency personnel work at the site of an Iranian strike in Beit Shemesh. Pic: Reuters
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Emergency personnel work at the site of an Iranian strike in Beit Shemesh. Pic: Reuters

Rabbi Yitzhak Biton, whose three teenage children were killed by an Iranian strike
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Rabbi Yitzhak Biton, whose three teenage children were killed by an Iranian strike

The synagogue was destroyed and in flames.

Biton waited as rescue workers slowly began to bring out bodies. Eventually the police asked him to leave.

“We waited at home until they came to take a DNA sample. Then I understood where this was going.”

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Missile strike devastates Israeli town

School and synagogue razed

Nine people were killed at the missile strike on Beit Shemesh, including Yitzhak Biton’s three teenage children.

A school and a synagogue were razed to the ground. It was the deadliest strike on Israel since the war began.

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We meet Biton and his wife, Tamar, sitting shiva, the Jewish seven-day mourning ceremony, in a Jerusalem hotel.

Yitzhak Biton and his 17-year-old son Yaakov
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Yitzhak Biton and his 17-year-old son Yaakov

A steady stream of visitors come to sit with the family and offer their condolences. Their one remaining child, four-year-old Rachel, chases around the lobby on a scooter.

“The girl understands and knows, she sees the change,” Biton says, “but she is coping with it bravely. She knows they have gone to a higher place.”

Faith has helped the couple cope. Tamar does not wish to be interviewed but smiles beatifically for a photograph.

Read more from Sky News:
The impact of war on your finances
Why it took so long to deploy UK warship

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Tamar Biton
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Tamar Biton

Rabbi prefers to talk about children

Her husband is happy to talk to us about his children but as a religious man, he will not be drawn on politics or the decision his government made to attack Iran which has come at such terrible cost to his family.

“I do not interfere in such matters,” he says.

“They were very very special. But I understand that everything is according to the will of the Creator. It is known that in war, in the end, everyone comes out losing. There is no war in which a person comes out a real winner.

“Sometimes the victor is the defeated one.”

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MPs demand urgent action on London grooming gangs

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MPs demand urgent action on London grooming gangs

Public attention on grooming gangs has often centred on the north of England, but last month’s BBC investigation revealed a complex picture in London, with gangs from a range of ethnic backgrounds, including white, operating widely in the capital and frequently exploiting young women.

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I visited Soham after Ian Huntley’s death and it’s clear the town has been ‘hurting since 2002’

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Cambridgeshire Live

I hope this can mark a new chapter for the town

I was only two years old when Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were killed in Soham by the evil Huntley. I don’t remember it, but it’s always something that I remember being spoken about over the years. Especially living in Cambridgeshire, it was something I always knew happened just down the road.

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Huntley died in hospital on Saturday (March 7) after being attacked in prison and as soon as my shift started on Monday, I headed out to Soham to speak to people in the aftermath.

We wanted to speak to the people of Soham and hear their perspective, both on the death, but also how it impacts their town, which has been “haunted” by the tragedy. I went into it apprehensive, as I knew it was a sensitive topic for people in the area.

It took a while for me to find people happy to speak. I tried knocking on doors and talking to people in the high street. For some, it was clear they didn’t want to talk as soon as I explained what the topic of conversation would be.

This was totally understandable, it’s not a nice thing to talk about and the impact on the town was clear immediately. For the people who were comfortable talking to me, they were still apprehensive, but they made their thoughts clear.

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They said Huntley was a horrible man and his death was something people were happy about. On the flip side though it was immensely clear how sad people were that his evil crimes were what Soham was known for.

With his death, the town and families affected have been pushed into the spotlight once again. The final thought now that Huntley is dead, they just want the town to be able to move on.

While out in the town I walked to Soham Village College where Huntley worked at the time of the murders. The school was set back, but as I looked at its pretty building through the gates, I felt sad.

I looked around and it really hit me that these are the roads he walked, these are the grounds he worked on and this was also the place where he dumped the poor girls’ clothes. I felt sad. So many young people have since come and gone from this school, but it is his murderous crimes that the school is most known for.

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After seeing the school, I walked around to College Close, where Huntley used to live. I understand that his house was demolished not long after the girls’ deaths but when I walked around to the road, I didn’t realise how close it was, as it backs onto the school.

I also saw a sign for the Ross Peers Sports Centre, the place the girls were supposed to go to get sweets that tragic night. I felt even more sad and couldn’t imagine what it was like to live in this town at the time.

Hearing from people how much this murder affected such a lovely town, the pain was obvious. It’s clear this town has been hurting since 2002.

Two innocent girls had their lives taken away by an evil man. Now that he’s dead, I hope the town can move on.

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