Italian justice undersecretary Andrea Delmastro has resigned after it emerged he had held a stake in a restaurant linked to the mafia.

His departure was one of two resignations in Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government on Tuesday, after a referendum to reform the country’s judiciary was defeated.

Mr Delmastro, who is a member of Ms Meloni’s Brothers of Italy Party, held a stake in a Rome restaurant alongside the daughter of a man convicted of having ties with Camorra, a mafia group based in Naples.

Mr Delmastro said he had sold his stake when he learned that his 18-year-old business partner’s father, Andrea Caroccia, had been linked to the organisation.

However, a 2023 photo showing him alongside Caroccia later emerged, suggesting the two men knew each other well.

It also came to light that he did not disclose his stake to parliament.

“I have ​always fought crime and achieved concrete, important results,” Mr Delmastro said.

“Although I did nothing wrong, ⁠I made an error of judgment, which I corrected as soon as I became aware of it. I take responsibility for that”.

Along with Mr Delmastro, the justice ministry’s chief of staff, Giusi Bartolozzi, also stepped down on Tuesday.

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Ms Bartolozzi resigned after she controversially urged voters to back the reform so Italy could “get rid ‌of” a judiciary she described as a “firing ​squad”.

The departures added to the political turmoil after the referendum to reform Italy’s judiciary failed on Monday, in the first significant defeat for Ms Meloni and her right-wing coalition.

In a brief statement, Ms Meloni accepted the ​resignations of both officials, and, in an unusual move, also called on her tourism minister Daniela Santanche “to make the same choice”.

Ms Santanche was ordered to stand trail last year on charges of false accounting related to a publishing group she used to own.

She has resisted calls to quit since then, and had enjoyed Ms Meloni’s support.

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The shake-up suggests Ms Meloni is seeking to reassert control by containing the political damage, and signalling she can still act decisively after voters rejected the landmark reforms.

Both Ms Meloni and Justice Minister Carlo Nordio have resisted calls that they should also resign after 54% of Italians rejected the proposal to modernise the country’s judiciary.

Denmark’s centre-left prime minister has said she wants to stay in her job after inconclusive election results left the country facing weeks of coalition talks.

Mette Frederiksen has been seen by some in Britain’s Labour government as a role model for success, especially concerning her tough approach to immigration.

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But her Social Democrats have been left bruised from the left and the right after a campaign dominated by the cost of living, which has proved damaging for incumbent leaders around the world in recent years.

She had called an early election for Tuesday hoping her handling of foreign affairs – notably the crisis sparked by Donald Trump’s ambitions for Greenland – would see voters place their trust in her again.

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What are the results?

While her party is again the largest on 21.9% of the vote, it’s well down on the 27.5% secured in 2022.

Tuesday’s vote leaves the Social Democrats with 38 seats in the 179-seat parliament.

Denmark’s Green party, to the prime minister’s left, won 11.6% of the vote and 20 seats.

The centre-right Liberal Party and Liberal Alliance won 18 seats (10.1%) and 16 seats (9.4%) respectively.

The anti-immigration Danish People’s Party won 9.1% of the vote and 16 seats – its vote share up 7% on last time.

With the left nor the right securing enough votes to form a coalition, it could leave the Moderates party – firmly in the centre ground – as kingmakers.

Led by foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, a former PM, it won 14 seats.

It was part of the 2022-2026 coalition, with the Social Democrats and Liberal Party.

Coalition talks to commence

Ms Frederiksen said she was ready to stay on, saying Denmark “needs a stable government” in an “unsettled” world amid war in Europe and the Middle East.

“We are ready to take the lead,” she added.

Mr Rasmussen echoed the PM’s call for stability, saying Denmark – a NATO and EU member – “is a small country of six million people”, and “we must come together”.

But Liberal Party leader Troels Lund Poulsen, the defence minister, has indicated he will not go into coalition with the Social Democrats again.

Coalition governments are the norm in Denmark, like many other European countries, and there will now be weeks of negotiations about the make-up of the next administration.

What were the key issues?

Ms Frederikson has been PM since 2019. Now 48, she was the country’s youngest ever leader when first elected.

She defended her record during the campaign, citing having to deal with the pandemic, war in Ukraine, and being “threatened by the American president”.

But domestic issues like the cost of living and beyond were front and centre for voters, while she has been squeezed from the left and right.

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Ms Frederikson has overseen one of the toughest approaches to migration in Europe, with refugee status temporary, ⁠conditional support and expectations of integration in society.

Some on the left believe she’s been much too tough, but the Danish People’s Party leader Morten Messerschmidt increased his support with a pledge to ensure net zero migration of Muslims.

On the economy, Ms Frederiksen had sought to enhance her leftist credentials with a wealth tax proposal – one of the policies which drove a wedge between her and Liberal leader Mr Poulsen.

Engineers are working at the scene after the issue at Bolton station

Passengers are being warned to expect a day of disruption affecting trains at Bolton. No services are able to run between Bolton and Preston this morning (March 25) – affecting several Northern and TransPennine Express routes between Lancashire and Manchester.

The issue has been caused by damage to the overhead lines between Bolton and Lostock, according to National Rail. It says passengers are likely to see major disruption throughout the day.

A spokesperson for National Rail said: “Damage to the overhead wires between Bolton and Lostock means that all lines are blocked between these stations. Trains are unable to run between Bolton and Preston until the damage has been repaired.

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“Trains scheduled to run between these stations will divert via an alternative route, resulting in delays of up to 30 minutes. Some services may also be cancelled or revised to reduce congestion whilst trains are diverting. Major disruption is expected until the end of the day.”

The issue is affecting Northern services between Manchester Airport and Blackpool North, Manchester Victoria and Clitheroe, Manchester Airport and Barrow-in-Furness, Manchester Victoria and Southport, and Wigan Wallgate and Stalybridge. Diversions will be in place on these routes, meaning passengers will be delayed throughout the day.

Rail replacement buses are running from Bolton to Manchester Piccadilly at 8am, and from Preston to Manchester Piccadilly at 8.15am, calling at all stations. TransPennine Express services from Scotland to Manchester will also be unable to call at Bolton.

Network Rail staff are on site investigating the issue. A spokesperson for Network Rail in Manchester posted on X: “Due to a track fault in the Bolton area lines are currently blocked.

“Our engineers are working on a fix and will get you on the move asap. This affects services between Preston and Wigan and Preston to Manchester. Check your journey.”

Pickering Town CIC (PTCIC) are leading the bid with support from Beck Isle Museum, St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Ryedale Festival, English Heritage and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Carrie Brackstone, PTCIC Operations Manager said: “The deadline was tight but we quickly managed to draw a good bunch of creatives and volunteers from the Town into a workshop to ask them what ‘their story’ of Pickering would be in order to form the bid. The workshop was a tremendous success with representation from Beck Isle Museum, Pickering Memorial Hall, Ryedale Festival, Kirk Theatre, Pickering Book Tree, Pickering Castle and Pickering Rocks.

“Pickering has a wealth of creative talent and a strong ethos of community volunteering. Over the past three years, we have proved as a small Town that we can make big things happen on a shoe-string; imagine what we could achieve if we were given a bigger budget!

“We also have some brilliant venues in our Town; a heritage railway, a motte and bailey Castle, our Church with its beautiful wall-paintings and a cosy theatre venue. We also have our Market Place which we close twice a year to host larger events like Pickering 1940s Weekend and Pickering Rocks.”

Joy Andrews, North Yorkshire Councillor for Pickering added: “Pickering is a small Town that packs a mighty punch. In many ways, our rural location has given us an advantage as our local musicians and artists have had to hone their skills independent of any formal training. This is evidenced by the thriving live music scene in Pickering and the proliferation of Art Groups at our Memorial Hall. Pickering talent is abundant and home-grown and with support from the PTCIC volunteers, the sky is the limit.”

The route had been closed in both directions between the A67 at Bowes, County Durham, and the A685 at Brough, Cumbria, due to safety concerns amid blustery conditions on Tuesday (March 24).

RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE#A66 in both directions between the #A67 (#Bowes, #CountyDurham) and #A685 (#Brough, #Cumbria).

ROAD CLOSED TO HIGH-SIDED VEHICLES

Due to strong winds.

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The Met Office forecast wind speeds likely to reduce late morning/early afternoon. pic.twitter.com/iDCN6uNX0K

— National Highways: North-East (@HighwaysNEAST) March 24, 2026

In an update on Wednesday (March 25), National Highways North East said wind speeds had now eased sufficiently to lift the restrictions.

A spokesperson said: “A66 has reopened to high-sided vehicles in both directions between A67 (Bowes, County Durham) and A685 (Brough, Cumbria).

Wind speeds have decreased, allowing the lifting of restrictions. We’ll continue to monitor wind speeds and will advise if things change.”

The closure initially came as unsettled weather continued across the region, with the Met Office warning of a sharp drop in temperatures in the coming days.

Forecasters say daytime highs could fall into single digits by midweek, with colder nights and the potential for wintry conditions in some areas, particularly further north.

Motorists are still being advised to take care, as conditions remain changeable with frequent showers and gusty winds expected to persist.

Karen Maidment began her career at the airport in 1981 and took up a permanent post in 1985, before starting her shift in the control tower in 1990.

During her time with the team, she worked her way up to become Head of Air Traffic Services, though her Type 1 diabetes prevented her from qualifying as a full air traffic controller under historic health regulations.

Karen Maidment, who has celebrated 40 years working at Teesside International Airport Picture by Tom Banks (Image: Tom Banks)

She said: “Watching people progress has been so rewarding and fulfilling – and there aren’t many people who get that in a job.

“Watching them go from strength to strength to become marvellous, and safe, Air Traffic Controllers makes me so proud of them – and they should be proud of themselves.

“It’s been marvellous – and I’d recommend this job to anybody.”

Ms Maidment, originally from Fairfield in Stockton, started out on the airport’s information desk before moving into air traffic.

She eventually stepped back from her leadership role in 2024 but continued to support the team with her experience until her retirement in March.

Phil Forster, managing director of Teesside Airport, said: “Karen has been a titan of the Air Traffic team.

“It’s been a privilege to work alongside her and get to know her during my time here – the guidance, support, knowledge, expertise and friendship she’s offered at the airport and in the tower across more than four decades has been invaluable.

“She’ll be sorely missed but on behalf of the entire airport team, I’d like to wish her a long and happy retirement.”

Ms Maidment met her husband Gary at the airport in 2005.

He is now Teesside Airport’s longest-serving Air Traffic Engineer.

During her long career, she waved off Princess Diana and Concorde from Teesside.

Ben Houchen, Tees Valley mayor, said: “Karen has been at the heart of the airport through huge changes – helping us grow and supporting generations of people around her in our Air Traffic Control Tower.

“We owe Karen a huge thank you for everything she’s done, and she leaves behind a lasting legacy at our airport.

“I wish her all the very best for a well-earned and happy retirement.”

Ms Maidment marked 40 years with the airport team last year and finally hung up her headphones for the last time on Saturday, March 21.

The properties were refused unanimously

Two houses in South Belfast have been stripped of their HMO status after their landlords failed to follow correct procedure.

At the March meeting of the Belfast City Council Licensing Council, elected representatives refused HMO applications for 41 Claremont Street, between University Road and Lisburn Road and 32 Flat B Candahar Street, off the Ormeau Road. Both were refused unanimously on the basis of overprovision.

The Claremont Street property previously had an HMO licence issued by the council with a start date of December 2 2020, and an expiry date of December 2 2025. The ownership of the property transferred to Emma Convery from her father on May 2 2021.

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The council report on the application says it “was not made aware of the change of ownership at that time.” In accordance with council policy the licence in the name of the previous owner ceased to have effect on the date of transfer.

An application for a new HMO licence was received from Emma Convery on November 29 last year. An application for a Temporary Exemption Notice was received on December 3 last year and granted until June 8.

On the date of assessment, February 18 this year, 97 percent of all dwelling units in the policy area “Fitzwilliam” were made up of HMOs and other intensive forms of accommodation apartments – well above the 20 percent development limit. There are 74 licensed HMOs with a capacity of 363 persons in the area.

Ms Convery told the committee: “Yes the name wasn’t right for several years, but this was unknown to me that I had to change the name. I was told that it was okay until I had to renew the licence.

“This property is used to house post-graduate health care professionals such as doctors, nurses, midwifery staff and other members of health care teams. I have never had any problems with this property, and it is quite a pleasure to rent out.

“This is the only property we do rent out. I believe in providing affordable accommodation to those close to our hospitals in Belfast.” She added: “I have spent a lot of money trying to get it to this point, and I will be very disappointed if I wasn’t re-awarded the HMO licence.”

The Candahar Street property previously had an HMO licence issued by the council with a start date of January 11 2021, and an expiry date of January 11 2026, in the name of the existing owner Norton Cross Ltd.

A reminder letter was sent to the owner on December 3 last year informing them that they were required to renew the HMO licence before the expiry of the existing licence on January 11 this year. They missed the expiry date, and an application for a new HMO licence was received at the council from Norton Cross Ltd on January 23. A Temporary Exemption Notice was granted until April 27.

On March 2 2026, 26 percent of all dwelling units in policy area “Ballynafeigh” were made up of HMOs and intensive forms of accommodation apartments, which in turn exceeded the 20 percent development limit as set out in policy.

An agent for the property owner told the committee: “This was a simple mistake. I have a spreadsheet with all my HMOs on it, and I have a very good staff, who don’t make many mistakes, but they put in the date December 15 2026 for the renewal, instead of January. It was a simple typographical error.” He said the penalty “didn’t fit the crime.”

Houses of Multiple Occupation, also known as a “house-share” residencies, which landlords lease out to three or more tenants from different addresses, have become increasingly controversial, with some arguing they have negatively affected communities and led to anti-social behaviour in places like the Holylands and Stranmillis in South Belfast, where landlords pack houses with undergraduates and others.

Applications for new HMO licences have increased in other parts of the city in recent years. A series of applications have been refused across the city, but many applicants are successfully appealing the decisions via the Planning Appeals Commission.

HMO licence renewal cannot be refused on the basis of overprovision of such properties in an area, but new licences can be refused on this basis.

While the council policy is that HMO’s should not account for more than 20 percent of any area of housing management, in reality many streets exceed this, with some in the Holylands reaching over 90 percent. Outside housing policy areas the threshold is 10 percent.

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Opposition is mounting to Belfast City Council’s plans to extend Sunday trading hours, with retail groups warning the move could harm workers and independent businesses

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Several organisations have voiced strong opposition to Belfast City Council’s latest public consultation on extending Sunday trading hours during periods of high tourist and visitor numbers.

The council launched the consultation on Monday, March 23, inviting feedback from residents, visitors and business representatives on plans to introduce a ‘holiday resort’ designation across the city.

If approved, the designation would allow larger stores — those with a floor space exceeding 280 square metres — to open for extended hours during certain periods. This would be for up to 18 Sundays between March 1 and September 30 each year, excluding Easter Sunday.

Elected members previously agreed in principle to explore the move in July last year. The outcome of the consultation, which runs on the Your Say Belfast platform until May 14, will help inform a final decision. However, retail trade union Usdaw said it is disappointed the issue has been revisited.

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Usdaw General Secretary Joanne Thomas said similar proposals had been considered multiple times in recent years including in 2024, 2020 and 2017 — with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.

She said: “Usdaw is disappointed that the issue of extended Sunday trading hours in Belfast is yet again being discussed by the City Council. Repeatedly considering extending Sunday trading hours is a distraction from tackling the real issues that impact the retail sector.

“Usdaw has repeatedly fully committed to working with Belfast City Council and others to support and improve the retail experience at the weekend and for tourists. Our members remain opposed to extending Sunday trading hours.

Allowing large stores to open for longer on Sundays would have a negative impact on retail workers, their families and our communities. Longer Sunday trading would take a heavy toll on staff who would come under even more pressure to work, when they would rather be spending time with family and engaging in community, sports and leisure activities or attending church.

“There would also be a detrimental impact on smaller retailers who can already open longer hours on Sundays. These traders rely on the boost in trade they get on Sunday morning, with St George’s Market being a prime example. Even supporters of extended Sunday opening hours have not been able to show it will lead to economic benefits or job creation. Put simply, opening shops for longer does not mean people have more money to spend.

“We all want to see a strong and diverse retail sector in Belfast and across the nation, but that means striking the right balance. We urge City Councillors to listen to the majority of shop workers and retailers who do not want extended Sunday trading.”

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “To completely deregulate Sunday trading and create another normal shopping day shows a poverty of ambition and ideas for the city. It is an idea that belongs to the past and not to a modern progressive 21st century City.

“We need new thinking to animate Sunday mornings and offer shoppers and visitors something different. This proposal will provide large multinationals with even more trading time, directly at the expense of small independent retailers who use trading time on Sunday mornings to sustain their business.”

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

The 32-year-old who will be a notable absentee from the Donegal team when they contest Sunday’s NFL Division 1 final

The surgeon gave it to Paddy McBrearty straight after the fourth operation on his left knee in a decade last October. Time to consider retirement.

So it’s tempting to feel sorry for the 32-year-old who will be a notable absentee from the Donegal team when they contest Sunday’s NFL Division 1 final.

Then again, he almost walked away himself anyway at the end of Donegal’s horror 2023 season, when the future looked particularly grey and bleak. Donegal were relegated from Division 1 that season, were beaten by Down in Ulster and tanked by Tyrone in the All-Ireland series.

That he got two more Ulster titles out of it before retiring, captaining Donegal both seasons, means McBrearty actually did pretty well for himself.

It was his persistence that ultimately got Jim McGuinness to return to the Donegal hotseat for 2024.

And if he hadn’t gone to the lengths he did, calling to his former manager’s door uninvited the morning after Donegal’s 2023 Championship exit, these glory days probably wouldn’t have returned.

McBrearty was captain in 2023 and said: “It was a difficult period, standards had slipped big time. I suppose the position I was in, I took it really, really to heart.

“You learned a lot that year. You knew who was in it for the right reasons and who was only in it for the good days. That’s when you know the really, really good lads.

“Personally, if Jim wasn’t going to come back in at the end of the 2023 season, I probably would have thought about retiring then.

“Because I was coming off a really serious hamstring injury, my business was starting at that stage and I wanted to give that a proper rattle. I wasn’t going to stay on for a rebuild.

“I was glad to get two more years out of it. I had 13 years done at that stage in 2023.”

And yet the surgeon’s words were still hard to hear last October, after the operation in Santry. The rest of the Donegal team were in Cancun at the time, their reward for reaching the All-Ireland final.

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The 32-year-old GAA+ pundit for 2026 said: “It was my fourth surgery on the left knee. I partially tore my cruciate back in 2015 and completely ruptured the cruciate badly in 2018. I came back and got a few years out of it.

“At the end of 2024, I had to go in and get a cartilage repair, meniscus repair. Halfway through the season last year, it was just wear and tear basically, but I didn’t want to know the nature of the injury until after the season.

“I got a scan, bit of damage, got the meniscus cleaned again, got the cartilage cleaned up again. The surgeon then came out and said, ‘Listen, there’s extensive damage there. You need to have a few thoughts about the future. What do you want life to look like at 40?’

“That’s what his exact words were, ‘What would you like your Tuesdays and Thursdays to look like?’

“I said I would like if I was fit to be able to play a bit of astroturf. He said, ‘Well, these are the things you need to consider then’. I took his words on board, got a second opinion, same kind of diagnosis.

“I don’t think I would have contributed a lot this year, to be honest, by the time I got back and was up to the pace of it.”

In only slightly different circumstances, McBrearty could have ended his career with a Hallmark moment – by captaining Donegal to All-Ireland final success against Kerry last July.

He said: “We didn’t get a lot wrong on the day. Obviously I would say there’s a few things that would be changed. We lost the game by 10 points but there was 10 minutes to go and we were only a few points down. I remember I missed a shot into the Canal End.

“I’ve thought about it a lot since, it was a shot that I should have nailed.”

Those are the regrets that beaten All-Ireland finalists have to live with. Even winning Sunday’s Division 1 decider at the expense of Kerry wouldn’t bring any great closure for them, although it would be a statement of summer intent.

McBrearty said: “We had a really good year last year but there was a lot of hurt there as well and a lot of the team would have carried that through the winter. It’ll be interesting to see how they get on on Sunday. I’d say Donegal will want to lay down a marker.”

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