“Next week, Stormont will return – as no doubt will the tired sham fights between the two main parties who have collectively failed to offer leadership at a time of acute crisis for ordinary families,” he said.

SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA has hit out at the Executive for what he describes as its “inexcusable silence” during the war in the Middle East, which has sent household energy and fuel costs rocketing.

The South Belfast MLA said that the Executive has, for weeks, failed to offer any meaningful leadership to a public struggling with increased costs, relying only on calls to the UK Government for action while failing to offer any concrete plans to disburse household support with money made available.

Mr O’Toole lambasted the Executive for as yet not having said anything substantive about how or when the £17 million made available to the Executive to support families with heating oil costs would be disbursed.

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“The Executive’s radio silence at a time of crisis has been inexcusable. People in Northern Ireland are the most reliant on both vehicle fuel and home heating oil in these islands, but Ministers have had little to say other than writing letters to London and the occasional photo opportunity or dinner,” he said.

“At a time when Ministers and MLAs are getting a healthy pay rise despite continued poor performance, it will prompt anger and incredulity that local Ministers cannot even make progress in delivering a package of support with the funding that has been made available to them.

“Next week, Stormont will return – as no doubt will the tired sham fights between the two main parties who have collectively failed to offer leadership at a time of acute crisis for ordinary families. It is another damning indictment on our failed politics in need of fundamental change.”

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Kate Allum, Co-op Group’s interim chief executive, said: “Joining forces across Co-op Group and Southern Co-op will create new opportunities for members to have access to a greater range of benefits across a wider society, with more trading opportunities, and in turn more benefits for them and their communities.”

Emergency services were called to a serious crash in Aberdeen where several people were taken to hospital.

Three people have been rushed to hospital after a multi-vehicle crash in Aberdeen where one car had flipped on to its roof. Emergency services attended the scene around 1.30pm at Garthdee Road which has been taped off by police at the junction of Inchbrae Road.

Images taken at the scene show police officers, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and critical care teams all in attendance. The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) confirmed three vehicles were involved in the collision.

Three patients were taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Three special operations response teams, two ambulances and a critical care team were sent to the scene.

Two fire appliances and a heavy rescue unit attended. A SAS spokesperson said: “We received a call at 13:36 to attend a three-vehicle road traffic collision on Garthdee Road, Aberdeen.

“We dispatched multiple resources to scene including three special operations response teams (SORT), two ambulances, and a critical care team. We transported three patients to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Garthdee Road in Aberdeen is closed at the junction of Inchbrae Road due to a crash reported around 1.30pm on Wednesday, 8 April, 2026. Emergency services are in attendance, and the public is asked to avoid the area.”

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Filmed last year, a live final to crown the winner will broadcast from London later in the month

I’m A Celebrity South Africa viewers were left furious over receiving spoilers just seconds into the latest episode of the ITV series.

The All Stars version of the annual Ant and Dec programme kicked off at the beginning of the week. Stars from past I’m A Celebrity series have headed back into the jungle in order to follow in the footsteps of Myleene Klass and become a ‘legend’.

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Filmed last year, a live final to crown the winner will broadcast from London later in the month. Among the first arrivals was former Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas, Coronation Street legend Beverley Callard and singer Sinitta.

On Tuesday (April 7), TOWIE legend Gemma was revealed as one of the first late entrants, alongside Red Dwarf and former Coronation Street star Craig Charles. Gemma famously left I’m A Celebrity after just 72 hours in 2014.

Gemma and Craig had to battle it out for a spot in the main camp by taking on an eating challenge. They feasted on grim dishes Fish Eye Pie, Terror-rine, Brain Freeze and Bloody Moory Shots.

The main camp were asked which celebrity they wanted to back, with David Haye making the decision to choose Craig. That meant that Gemma was the newcomer of Savannah Scrub.

Things became intense as both Gemma and Craig chose to drink 30 shots of a rank liquid in front of them. Ant and Dec announced that it was now a race to see which one of them would finish first, and therefore win the challenge for their chosen camp.

However, just as they started the credits rolled and viewers at home admitted they were ‘raging’ as they have to wait until tomorrow to see the result. Heading into Wednesday night’s (April 8) episode, fans were excited to see who won.

In a surprising mood, the teaser before the opening credits began to roll indicated that it was Craig who won the challenge. The reveal arrived as a result of Gemma being seen in Savannah Scrub expressing her frustrations about the facilities.

Those watching the episode at home rushed to X, previously known as Twitter, to have their say on why they feel like they waited 24 hours for no payoff.

@Jamie2550934 said: “#ImACeleb Who ever decided to show the spoiler before the start needs sacking.” @JamieAstonReels added: “Not #imaceleb showing us that Gemma lost the challenge in the intro when there was a cliffhanger? @imacelebrity.”

@Rosie12_1994 wrote: “#imaceleb why would they show us that talk about spoiling it ffs!” @Mrssammoore posted: “Well done #ImACeleb for spoiling the result of the task we waited 24 hours for – f.sake.”

@dave_oliverr commented: “whats the point in a cliffhanger ending last night if they’re just gonna show us who wins in the previews? #imaceleb.” @MinaaMorris pointed out: “It wasn’t spoilt for us, they were already chosen which camp to be in – they’re winning for meals #imaceleb.”

It’s amazing the damage Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) continue to do, despite being dead. They were both killed weeks ago and yet are still managing to ruin the lives of the Emmerdale locals, Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) being one of them.

He’s currently under suspicion of murdering Ray and in a cruel turn of events, Ray is about to reach out from beyond the grave and make things a whole lot worse.

Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) is clutching at the tiniest straw that new evidence may come to light ahead of their trial on 4th May. He gets his wish, but it doesn’t go the way he hopes.

The Dingles are hellbent on getting Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) freed, which prompts Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley), who’s guilty of framing Moira for her crimes, to approach Bear and pressure him for information that might save her.

Bear gives him a glimmer of hope in the form of a number plate Ray once asked him to hide. Robert uses Kammy to trace it to a storage facility and with the key Marlon (Mark Charnock) found at Celia’s farm, they open it.

The locker is chock full of new evidence, but it doesn’t help Bear, it incriminates him further.

In the interview room, DS Walsh slaps Bear with the first bit of new evidence – bank statements that show Ray made payments into an account in his name.

DS Walsh has a new theory, and it’s compounded by a throwaway comment Bear makes that Ray said he’d always take care of him.

The detective theorises that Bear was in fact Ray’s partner and that he murdered him in a bid for control of the whole organisation.

April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) and Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle) both know otherwise, but at this stage, will anyone be able to help Bear?

MORE: Devastating Emmerdale twist in Bear saga as unexpected character confesses to murder in ITVX release

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MORE: Paddy’s exit ‘confirmed’ after 29 years in Emmerdale ITVX release as the police have him

English World Cup winners Rosie Galligan and Marlie Packer have announced they are expecting a baby together.

Lock Galligan, 27, is due to give birth in October.

The pair, who are engaged, were part of the Red Roses squad that won the Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil last year.

Packer, 36, who has a five-year-old son named Oliver, also lifted the World Cup with England in 2014.

In a joint Instagram post the pair, who both play for Saracens, wrote: “Baby Packer due October 2026 and your mummies and big brother can’t wait to meet you.”

Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.   

Available for over a year

Today, we discuss the ceasefire agreed between the United States and Iran. The deal was agreed last night just hours after President Trump had threatened Iran’s ‘civilisation will die.’

But Israel has continued to strike Lebanon, with the US saying it’s not included in the ceasefire deal. And, Vice-President JD Vance will lead US negotiating talks aimed at the war with Iran in Pakistan on Saturday.

Adam is joined by BBC News chief presenter Caitríona Perry, chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet and Parham Ghobadi from BBC Persian.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you’re in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Gray with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Jem Westgate. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Presenter Carol McGiffin was on the panel of the ITVs talk show for several years

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Former Loose Women presenter Carol McGiffin has said the ITV programme was once “brilliant” and “hilarious” but that it’s “not like that” anymore.

The TV star featured on the show on and off between 2000 and 2023, when she left, reports the Express.

During a recent discussion with journalist and YouTuber Andrew Gold, she reflected on her time with the talk show, explaining: “I started in 2000, so I was there for 13 years and left for five, and then I went back.

“And back in the day, it was absolutely brilliant – even I sit there looking at the old clips on YouTube and just think, ‘Wow, that show was brilliant.’ It was hilarious, it was funny, everybody got on, it was sassy – it was just completely different.”

Laughing, she remarked it’s “not like that” any longer.

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Carol also claimed that she “got censored so many times”.

“We would sit in a meeting and talk about what we were going to be talking about on the show, and I would say something, and they’d be like, ‘No, you can’t say that’,” she revealed.

The star suggested that everyone had to “kind of agree with each other” and reckons that they “still do it now”.

She claimed: “I am pretty sure there are people on that show who don’t think like that, but they do because they want to keep their job.”

When questioned about what she could express during her initial period on Loose Women, which she felt unable to voice later, Carol responded: “Well, we didn’t have the ‘fake pandemic’ then. That was the straw which broke the camel’s back, really.”

She continued: “When I watch the clips, I go, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we were allowed to say that.’

“In some of the skits we used to do with half-naked men, it was just a laugh, and the men were very willing. We didn’t have them tied up around the back. We always got a little bit slated for it but, you know, it was funny, it was just fun. It was a bit embarrassing!”

ITV has been approached for comment.

Loose Women airs on weekdays on ITV and ITVX.

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler found form at the Indian Premier League before winning the match for Gujarat Titans with a final-ball run-out in a remarkable one-run victory over Delhi Capitals.

Buttler, who had gone 18 innings without a fifty including his difficult run at the T20 World Cup, looked closer to his best form in hitting 52 from 27 balls in Gujarat’s 210-4.

He struck five sixes, including one trademark scoop and a towering six over long-on, before being dismissed in the eighth over.

But his influence was not done there as he ran out Kuldeep Yadav – throwing down the stumps with an underarm effort from his position as keeper – as the India spinner and David Miller tried to scamper a single from the final ball with two runs needed.

South Africa international Miller had hit two sixes and two fours in the 19th over before clearing the ropes again in the last, only to turn down a single with two balls to go and then miss seamer Prasidh Krishna’s bouncer to finish.

A crestfallen Miller finished 41 not out from 20 balls while opener KL Rahul made 92.

“Amazing,” Buttler said. “Great to get the win. It was a very lucky throw but I am delighted.

“We desperately needed a win and I am glad we manage to sneak through.”

Buttler’s fifty was his first across formats since a 97 not out in the SA20 in early January.

He averaged 10.9 across eight matches at the T20 World Cup and made 38 from 33 balls and a 14-ball 26 in his previous innings at this year’s IPL.

Here his first runs came with a six over long-on and he followed by hitting India spinner Axar Patel for four over extra cover and another six over long-on.

He then scooped and drove seamer Mukesh Kumar as Gujarat took 63 from the first five overs. India Test captain Shubman Gill also hit 70 from 45 balls and all-rounder Washington Sundar 55 from 32.

“I have been searching for [runs] a little but felt in good touch since I have been here,” Buttler said.

“I have played long enough to know that it will come back at some point.”

The former England captain was bowled by a ball from Kuldeep which skidded low, but the knock was an encouraging return for one of England’s greatest white-ball players, whose place in the national side came under scrutiny during the World Cup.

His tournament included a run of five single-figure scores but England stuck with him throughout their run to the semi-finals.

After the IPL, Buttler will play in the T20 Blast for Lancashire before England’s first white-ball matches of the summer against India in July.

England’s focus switches to the 50-over format this summer with the next World Cup the one-day international edition in the autumn of 2027.

Buttler has not scored a 50-over fifty since February 2023. He averaged 17.9 over 30 international innings across formats this winter.