With its deep valleys, streams, and rocky hills, the rugged Saddleworth Moor is a beautiful part of the UK.

But it seems actually stepping foot in the area in the North West of England can feel rather different, given it’s grim history.

A social media post even went as far as to claim that being there feels akin to ‘entering the doors of hell’.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter) a user named @PippyBing said: ‘I really don’t think there is a more disquieting, haunting or frankly frightening location than Saddleworth Moor. It feels like entering the doors of hell. Even driving through it is a horrible experience. A dreadful energy about the place.’

More than 472,000 people have viewed the post, with almost 2,000 liking it and dozens commenting to share their thoughts, and it seems the sentiment is shared by many.

What do visitors say about Saddleworth Moor?

@Sidsmith438031 replied: ‘You drive over there from Manchester on a bright sunny summer’s morning and the temperature plummets, goes darker and actual fog engulfs you. I’m not a lover of it.’

And @PSchweizer478 commented: ‘I had a relative who used to drive alone through those parts. She would always gradually get the feeling someone was in the back seat but be too terrified to turn around until she was home. We always laughed about it but then I went there. Genuinely creepy vibe.’

@therealbigjonno described it as an ‘evil, hopeless place’, while others thought it was ‘bleak’, ‘eerie’ and ‘desolate’.

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But not everyone felt this way, especially those who live in the area who were able to separate it from its history. @opensout wrote: ‘I walk across it quite often. It’s beautiful.’ As @nopenothappy claimed it had a ‘Wuthering Heights vibe’.

A user known as @louiemack20 also didn’t see an issue, saying: ‘I lived there for years. It’s a stunning place. I lived in the edge of Dove Stone. Beautiful especially on a sunny day.’

‘I live in Saddleworth. It’s a beautiful place. All this mean, moody atmosphere stuff is a joke,’ added @theoldbloke. 

What happened in Saddleworth Moor?

Located in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, Saddleworth Moor is perhaps most commonly known for being the burial site of victims of the Moors Murders – a series of five child killings committed by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in and around Manchester between 1963 and 1965. 

The killings are referred to as the Moors Murders because three of the children were buried there. A fourth, Keith Bennett, is also suspected to have been buried at Saddleworth Moor, but his remains have never been found, despite many searches.

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These aren’t the only tragedies to have taken place on the moorland, as it was also the site of a plane crash in August 1949, when a BEA Douglas DC3 crashed into a hill near Oldham, killing 24 passengers and crew members. 

Most recently, in 2018 and 2019, a record number of wildfires broke out on the moors in scenes which were described as ‘apocalyptic’. 

While there is a lot of negativity associated with the area, it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s plenty of natural wonder to be enjoyed at Saddleworth Moor thanks to its iconic landmarks and abundance of wildlife – especially, birdlife. 

Visitors may be able to spot red grouse, merlin, pipits, short-eared owls, curlew, dunlin and golden plovers. The area is also home to frogs, toads, mountain hares and voles, and various plants.

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Those walking or hiking in the area can check out notable landmarks including the obelisk and Pots and Pans Stones above Uppermill and Greenfield. Local legend claims the stones are left behind from a battle between two giants, named Alphin and Alder who were fighting over the love of Rimmon, a water  nymph.

There’s also the Trinnacle, a remote rock formation near the town of Oldham, that stands at approximately 30ft high. (It’s not recommended to climb on the rocks). 

And after your walk there are a number of picturesque villages in the surrounding area, such as Delph, Diggle and Uppermill, where you can swing by a cafe or pub for refreshments, or browse shops.

The UK’s rainforest ‘haunted by a ghost’

The UK is home to patches of temperate rainforests – rare habitats that are thought to be even more endangered than those found in the tropics.

They’re found on the Western coastlines in the UK – and one in Dartmoor National Park, Devon, was previously named in a list of Britain’s best ‘off the beaten track’ locations to visit.

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Wistman’s Wood, known as Wistman’s Wood National Nature Reserve, is important for its fragile mosses, lichens, heathland and grassland species.

With oak trees growing in odd directions, alongside granite boulders and wildflowers, a walk through Wistman’s Wood can feel like stepping into an otherworldly fantasy land.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that visitors report spooky goings on after dark.

Some report seeing a ‘ghost dog’, or hearing eerie whispers as the wind blows.

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Legend has it that there’s an angry pack of bloodthirsty hellhounds who hunt across the moors at night, searching for lost souls and explorers who’ve lost their way. They’re even said to guard the gates to the Underworld.

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It was the first time that the Real Madrid forward has scored in both legs of a knockout tie. His timing was excellent as was his strength of character with Trent Alexander-Arnold saying: “What happened last week has happened. I don’t want to say it’s in the past because I don’t want to downplay how big an issue it is and what actually happened. But our focus was getting through, that’s all that mattered to us. It was about winning the game, let our football do the talking.

“It was not so much he needed to score to send a message or show his mentality. We know what he’s like. He doesn’t need to prove anything because he has shown it time and time again how good he is. He steps up when we need him most.” He did indeed.

Real have players injured, and the likes of Jude Bellingham made their way to the dugout for the final whistle, but there is little for Manchester City to fear if they draw the 15-time winners on Friday.

It means José Mourinho and Benfica are out which, given the disgraceful way they reacted after Gianluca Prestianni stood accused of racially abusing Vinícius in the aftermath of the goal in Lisbon, also felt appropriate.

Appallingly Mourinho had suggested that Vinícius, who has been a regular victim of racism, had somehow incited the crowd as he celebrated after scoring. So, he brought what allegedly happened upon himself, José?

Benfica then ludicrously declared there was a “defamation campaign” against their player who suggested he had not uttered anything racist, saying he had used an “anti-gay slur” and the whole, disgraceful episode continued.

It meant there was even more attention on this high-profile encounter and it did seem to affect a depleted Real until Vinícius’s goal.

Benfica had chances but their exit means that Mourinho has lost his last 10 Champions League knockout ties – an unwanted record that is unmatched in the competition. But he got what he deserved.

The Glasgow GP opened up about how she had hit ‘rock bottom’ when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

BBC’s Morning Live doctor Punam Krishan has given an emotional update about what she has learned in the six months after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Having been “shaken” by the life changing news at first, she bravely underwent treatment in January.

The Glasgow-born GP has since gone back to work following the treatment as she shared with her followers on social media she is on the mend. In a new update on what the diagnosis has taught her, Dr Krishan shared that finding out she had cancer made her feel like she was being “hit by a bus”.

Taking to Instagram, the 42-year-old is seen to be sitting in her car after her shift. In the caption of the video, she wrote: “Six months ago, I learned something I wish I’d known earlier. Control is mostly an illusion. Today is not.”

Reflecting on her journey with cancer, she said: “I’ve just finished clinic for the day and I wanted to share something with you. I’m going to take you back to the moment I was told I had cancer, because I think that there is something in that moment that could be helpful to us all.

“And it’s something that I really wish I had known before that day. Something that maybe we can practise now so that we don’t have to wait for something awful to teach it to us.”

Opening up about the moment she received the diagnosis, Dr Krishan described it as the “worst day” of her life, reports the Mirror. She added: “Like literally rock bottom. It felt like being hit by a bus and I still fully can’t describe it. But in that second, every ounce of control I ever thought I had, it just disappeared.

“All the plans ahead, the job titles, the roles I carried-the things that I thought mattered so much suddenly, everything felt completely irrelevant. It genuinely felt like my heart had stopped.

“And in a moment like that, when everything feels frozen, the only thing that you’re actually left in control of is your next breath. That’s it. Just the next breath.”

The Strictly star, who describes herself as a “huge control freak”, shared that she struggled to grasp the idea that she doesn’t have complete control of her future. However, she realised that this doesn’t stop life from continuing to move along.

She said: “But then tomorrow came, and then there was another tomorrow. And although those days were so unbelievably hard, we got through them by focusing only on the next breath and the next step. Not the whole week, not the next six months or year-just the next thing.”

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Opening up about how she lives now, she said: “Six months on, hand on heart, I don’t live the same way that I used to. I don’t plan too far ahead anymore. I don’t try to micromanage everything because the real truth is that we don’t actually know what is round the corner for us.

“And yet, we live, we schedule, and we stress as if we do. All you really have here is today, and then the next thing that you can do within that. And strangely, that has been incredibly liberating for me. It didn’t come easily, but it’s become my philosophy now, my way of life.”

While daily routines such as work and showing up for your friends and family are things you can control, Dr Krishan urged her followers to loosen their grip on the bigger things.

She concluded: “I mean, take it from me. Don’t wait until something stops you in your tracks to realise that we don’t have as much control as we think we do.

“So, with that in mind, just do today. Enjoy today. Rinse it for all that it is giving you, especially all the wee ordinary bits. And just let go of all the rest.”

York Minster is marking the 800th anniversary of the canonisation of St William of York with the launch of books exploring Christian healing and sainthood.

The first book, Breaking, not Broken: Ableism and the Church after Constantine, is by the Reverend Canon Tim Goode, Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster.

Canon Goode said: “As a residentiary canon at York Minster, I feel a deep empathy with the medieval pilgrims who travelled to St William’s shrine in search of healing.”

The second title, The St William Window at York Minster: Rediscovering a Miraculous Narrative, is co-authored by Professor Sarah Brown and Professor Christopher Norton of the University of York, and tells the story of one of the largest narratives in medieval stained glass ever created.

Professor Brown said: “The window tells the story of the life and miraculous events associated with St William of York.”

Book launches will take place at the cathedral on March 11 and March 18.

Both events start at 6.30pm.

The books will be available for purchase at the events and through the York Minster Shop in-store and online.

Antrim are still locked in a relegation battle despite beating Carlow last weekend and face Dublin and Down in their final two games as they bid to secure their status in Division 1B

Neil McManus has pinpointed Antrim’s Division 1B ties with Dublin and Down as ‘some of the biggest games we’ve had’ in years.

Former Saffrons star McManus isn’t expecting Davy Fitzgerald’s side to beat Dublin at Corrigan Park on Sunday.

But he is anticipating a big performance after finally getting off the mark in the group by beating Carlow last weekend.

Antrim are still locked in a relegation battle but if they can beat Down in the final round, having already overcome Carlow, that might be enough to avoid dropping to Division 2.

“I don’t think there’s anything more important at the minute for Antrim GAA than Antrim to stay up,” said McManus. “It’s a big task, obviously, given that we have Dublin at home and then Down away.

“The Down game is especially massive and results could still be very unkind. You could end up with two wins in the League and still find yourself going down on score difference if other results were to go in an unfortunate way.

“All you can do is perform really well in Corrigan this weekend and try to bring that form on the road with you to Down in the last game.

“So there could be nothing more important than that. Staying in Division 1B is just a sacrosanct for Antrim’s senior hurling team because if we were to be relegated, in terms of trying to get players into the panel, driving the standards, well, it becomes a less attractive option immediately.

“So it’s huge that we stay in Division 1B, massive. These few games are some of the biggest games we’ve had for a long time.”

McManus’ life story and Antrim career will be the subject of a Laochra Gael episode on TG4 this evening (9.30pm).

How Fitzgerald would like to have a player like the Cushendall man in his attack right now.

McManus, who retired after the 2023 season, recalled playing in a powerful attack that contained Conor McCann and Niall McKenna.

Now, he noted, they’re working off a smaller and lighter set of forwards, whom he reckons are more skilful and suited to the summer.

“I don’t think we’ll see the best of this Antrim team until we get into the Joe McDonagh, when we’re on the drier sod,” he said.

“You think of the pace of the likes of Keelan Molloy, Seaan Elliot, James McNaughton, Conal Cunning, Conor Johnston, they can destroy you with the sort of pace we didn’t have.

“So Davy has had to play a little bit differently; dropping deeper, trying to run the ball out and mistakes cost you dearly when you’re playing that way.”

Antrim felt they should have beaten Wexford in Round 1 while nobody expected them to beat Clare in Round 2.

It was the heavy defeat to freshly promoted Kildare earlier this month that really frustrated supporters.

“I’ll say this, it doesn’t matter what tactics you play, whenever the level of intensity, aggression and work rate is where it was for that Antrim against Kildare game, we were just a mile off what was expected whenever you pull on an Antrim jersey,” said McManus.

“I’ve heard numerous players essentially state that. They were very clear that this was not going to reoccur in Corrigan Park against Carlow, and it didn’t.”

McManus was Antrim’s top scorer back in 2010 when they beat an Anthony Daly managed Dublin at Croke Park in the Championship.

It’s a level McManus believes the Saffrons can aspire to again, even if Dublin did go on to win Leinster and National League titles, as well as qualify for an All-Ireland semi-final in 2025.

“We drew with Dublin in the Leinster championship three years ago,” noted McManus. “That’s not a long time ago. I don’t think Davy has that same level of depth available to him at the minute and I think Dublin have progressed as well in those three seasons.

“But as a county, to aspire to be at the level that Dublin are at, that is not an unrealistic aim in any way, shape or form.”

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — The violence that erupted in Mexico after the death of a powerful drug lord has left many questioning whether the country will be able to co-host the World Cup in just over three months.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino thinks it can.

“Of course, we are monitoring the situation in Mexico these days, but I want to say from the outset that we have complete confidence in Mexico, in its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and in the authorities, and we are convinced that everything will go as smoothly as possible,” Infantino said late Tuesday in a press conference in Colombia.

“Mexico is a great country, like in every country in the world, things happen; we don’t live on the moon or another planet,” Infantino added. “That’s why we have governments, police, and authorities who will ensure order and security.”

The Mexican army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, on Sunday, sparking several days of violence. Cartel members burned cars and blocked roads in nearly a dozen Mexican states and authorities report that at least 70 people have died.

Four high-level soccer matches from the local leagues were postponed last Sunday, including one in the central city of Queretaro, where Mexico is scheduled to play against Iceland late Wednesday in a friendly match.

Thirteen World Cup matches are scheduled to be held in Mexico, including the opening game in Mexico City on June 11 between the co-host and South Africa. Guadalajara, the central hub for the Jalisco cartel, is scheduled to host four.

Colombia is set to play one game in Mexico City and one in Guadalajara.

“Our first two matches are in Mexico, but we know they will overcome this and move forward,” said Ramón Jesurún, the president of the Colombian Soccer Federation. “I have absolute and total confidence in my geopolitical thinking that this is an issue Mexico will overcome, and overcome very quickly.”

Other nations have expressed more concern. The Portuguese soccer federation said Tuesday that it was closely monitoring developments ahead of a planned friendly against Mexico in March. Jamaica is set to play New Caledonia in Guadalajara on March 26 in an intercontinental playoff semifinal, with the winner advancing to face Congo for a World Cup spot.

“The games are at the end of March, so we still have another month to see what happens; but it is making me very nervous, to be honest,” said Michael Ricketts, the president of the Jamaican Soccer Federation. “We will be listening out for CONCACAF and FIFA to give us instructions (on) whether they are playing the games or whether they are immediately looking for other options.”

Another Mexican city, Monterrey, will host a playoff where Bolivia plays Suriname and the winner faces Iraq for a spot in the tournament.

On Monday, Sheinbaum said there is “every guarantee” that the World Cup matches in Guadalajara will be played as planned and added that there was “no risk.”

“We are in regular contact with the presidency and the authorities in Mexico and we are monitoring the situation,” Infantino said. “The World Cup is going to be an incredible celebration”.

___

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

In the Old City of Jerusalem, Mohammed Liftawi is sitting on his chair and waiting for something to happen.

He runs two shops, packed with clothes, bedding, jewellery, souvenirs and ornaments, and he hasn’t sold anything for days.

The tourists who should be thronging these streets aren’t here.

We are only a short walk from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most important sights in the Christian world, and Jaffa Gate, one of the main entrances to the city’s historic warren of sites and shops.

But it’s quiet. Worryingly quiet.

‘I think there will be another war’

“Jerusalem is very empty,” he says, waving an arm at the quiet street. “We have no tourists, we have nothing. They have fled because of the war.”

Having survived the COVID lockdown, his business is now having to cope with another slowdown. And now Mohammed fears another shock.

Does he think there will be another war, I ask. “To be honest, from what I hear, yes I think so. I think there will be another war. And nobody likes war.”

That may be true, but there are certainly those who are more open-minded to war than others.

‘Take off the head’

At Jaffa Gate, we bump into Moshe Cohen, 23, who’s actually quite keen on military action against Iran starting as soon as possible.

“I hope it starts in a few days,” he tells me, smiling.

I ask why. “Because they give all the money to Gaza, to Hamas. Everything comes from them. It’s a lot of money. So you have to take off the head and make the world a better place.”

So what if Americans were to decide not to attack Iran – should Israel go alone? “Yes we should. If they [the Americans] don’t want to, then we’ll have to go first.”

Alongside him, his friend, Bezalel, nods in agreement. They have no doubt at all that an attack on Iran has to happen.

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Cuban forces kill four on US-registered boat
Inside Mexican drug lord’s final hideout

By contrast, Khalil Al-daqaq freely admits he doesn’t know what’s round the corner.

His shop, a short stumble from the Holy Church, has been run by his family for decades. He first worked here as a child – he’s now 67. Friendly, welcoming and happy to chat.

‘Some people are really scared’

“Trade is bad, but we are surviving,” he tells me. “It could be worse. I’m a very optimistic person. In this country, you have to be.

“It’s tense here. Unexpectedly. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the coming days. Or the next hour. Some people are really scared, but you know – what will happen, will happen.

“But people will always want to come here. When it is calm and peaceful, they will return. It’s a holy place for everyone. What we are missing over here are logical, sensible guys. For the leaders… we’re just numbers to them.”

And that sense of fatalism is a line you hear regularly – a feeling that it’s not worth worrying about the future because it will happen soon enough.

We bump into Yaakov Simcha, a 21-year-old who has come here from New Jersey to study the Torah, Judaism’s most important text.

So what, I ask, is going to happen?

“I have no idea. I’m not nervous or anything. I believe in God, and I believe that whatever he wants to happen is going to happen. And so, you know, I think his plan is going to work.”

He smiles at me. “Whatever happens, happens. It’s his plan. I’m just going to sit back and continue my studies.”

A large emergency response was pictured at the scene

Fire crews raced to a street near Manchester city centre after a fire erupted at a flat. At least six fire engines were called to the scene on Middlewood Street, in Salford, at around 7.40pm.

It followed reports of a blaze that had broken out at a nearby apartment. The road remained open however fire crews lined the road and remained in attendance for around 45 minutes.

The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said specialist equipment was used after the flat had become filled with smoke ‘due to a pan that had been left unattended’. No injuries were reported.

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A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Shortly after 7.40pm on Wednesday 25 February, fire engines from across Greater Manchester, including the turntable ladder from Manchester Central, were called to reports of a flat fire on Middlewood Street, Salford.

“Crews arrived quickly and used specialist equipment to clear smoke from a flat that was caused by a pan that had been left unattended.

“Firefighters checked neighbouring flats and made the area safe before departing after approximately 45 minutes at the scene.”

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The Americast team assembles for a late evening/early morning special as President Trump delivers the longest State of the Union address ever. On the agenda was a full-throated defence of the administration’s record, hailing a “turnaround for the ages,” whilst playing down the Supreme Court’s ruling against his signature tariff policy (with the judges themselves in the crowd).

Despite the speech lasting nearly two hours, there was little to suggest a change of course from Trump’s favourite taking points. He focused on the economy, immigration, the Democrats…. And the US men’s olympic hockey team.

But with growing voter dissatisfaction souring the polls, will Trump’s sales pitch be enough to counter sliding approval ratings and convince voters to stick with him for November’s midterm election?

HOSTS:
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• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by Rufus Gray, Grace Reeve and Kris Jalowiecki. The technical producer was Stephen Bailey. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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