Developers Peel Land have been given the go-ahead to restore the Dovecoat building at Hulton Park, an early 19th century structure that has long needed repair.

The proposal, lodged in November last year, was linked to the developer’s plan to build 1,450 homes at Lee Hall along with a link road at Park Avenue.

A heritage statement said: “Hulton Park was formerly the estate of the Hulton family.

“It contains the remnants of an 18th century designed landscape, though its condition has deteriorated since the family vacated in the mid-20th century.

“It is bound to the east by Newbrook Road and residential development at Over Hulton, to the north by the A6, and to the south by existing residential development in the environs of Hag Fold station.

The Dovecoat is found on Hulton Park (Image: Newsquest)

“The western boundary includes residential development and open fields.”

It added: “The Dovecote that is proposed to be repaired and restored is grade II listed. It is a brick structure and dates from the early 19th century.”

The plans to restore the Dovecoat were received and validated by Bolton Council on Monday November 17 last year.

The heritage statement said: “The Dovecote was added to the statutory list in 2005 and comprises an early 19th century red brick structure with a grey slate roof.

“It is octagonal in shape, with a hipped roof and internal nesting boxes.

“It possesses historic and architectural interest as a good example of a dovecote of this period, and for its association with Hulton Hall, which was demolished in 1957.”

The restoration work will include stripping away the roof tiles with each one then to be recorded for re-use before repairs needed on the roof structure are looked at.

The pointing in the brickwork will be carefully raked away by hand before being 100 per cent re-pointed.

Any bricks that need to be replaced will be reclaimed from somewhere else on the Hulton Park the estate. 

Bolton Council announced on Friday March 20 that the restoration plan had been approved.

Iran launched another blistering attack against Israel and American allies in the Gulf on Tuesday after dismissing Donald Trump’s claims that Washington and Tehran were holding “productive” talks to end the war as “fakenews”.

The Israeli military reported a fresh wave of missile attacks, triggering air raid sirens across the country, including Tel Aviv, where blasts from interceptions were heard. Homes in the north were damaged by falling debris. No deaths were reported.

Kuwait also responded to drone and missile attacks overnight, while Saudi Arabia intercepted a wave of more than 20 drones and Bahrain activated alert sirens. Explosions continued to rock Iran through the night, heard in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan and Karaj.

There was no sign of de-escalation after Iran rubbished Donald Trump’s claims that talks towards a ceasefire were ongoing with an unnamed “top person” in Iran.

Administration officials told Politico yesterday that the White House was eyeing Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf as a potential US-backed leader, and an Israeli official told Axios that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were negotiating with him instead of the new supreme leader.

Reassurances were further muddled as a social media account in Ghalibaf’s name said no negotiations have so far taken place, and Iran’s foreign ministry said the regime had not responded to American requests to talk.

Iran and Pakistan discuss war amid speculation around possible peace talks

Amid speculation around possible future talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, Iran’s foreign ministry says it has held a call with its counterpart in Pakistan.

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Ministers emphasised the importance of safeguarding stability and lasting security in the region, a statement said.

Iran’s president also spoke with the prime minister of Pakistan, exchanging views on regional developments and the consequences of the war, Iranian media reports.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:46

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White House says diplomacy ‘fluid’ – but won’t yet commit to talks timeframe

The White House on Monday was cautious to handle rumours of a forthcoming meeting between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan.

Responding to reports that US vice president JD Vance could lead a US delegation in talks in Islamabad, press secretary Karoline Leavitt would not rule out the possibility – but told reporters to await a formal announcement.

“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US will not negotiate through the press,” she told the BBC.

“This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House.”

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James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:38

Iran has just 1,000 missiles left, estimates Israeli thinktank

An Israeli think tank estimates that Iran could have as few as 1,000 missiles left in its stockpile, having already spent more than half.

The Alma Research Centre estimates that Iran likely had around 1,500 missiles by the end of the 12-day war last summer.

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In the eight months that followed, it likely would have been able to build a further 1,000.

After three weeks of war, it estimates Iran’s arsenal could have fallen back down to 1,000 – even if it can quickly replenish stocks.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:32

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Iran arrests almost 500 accused of ‘stirring public opinion’ amid war

Iran’s police says it arrested 466 individuals accused of ‘stirring public opinion’ and ‘online propaganda in favour of the enemy’, according to the IRNA news agency.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:24

Sirens sounding across Israel as Hezbollah claims rocket attack

Sirens were sounding across Israel’s Acre and the Krayot suburbs of Haifa on Tuesday morning after Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack from Lebanon.

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Israel’s army says it intercepted most of the rockets.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:10

Trump determined to reach deal with Iran, Israeli officials believe

Donald Trump appears to be determined to reach a deal with Iran aimed at ending hostilities in the Middle East, three senior Israeli officials said on Tuesday.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that they viewed it as unlikely that Iran would agree to US demands in any new round of negotiations, which broke down with the start of the war at the end of February.

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Those demands were likely to include curbs on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, the sources said.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:04

Major airlines cancel more flights as Middle East conflict escalates

Global air travel remains severely disrupted, with many people still unable to fly as planned to destinations after the Iran war forced the closure of major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Among the airlines cancelling flights:

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IAG-owned British Airways has extended cancellations of flights to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31 and to Doha until April 30, while adding flights to Bangkok and Singapore. Flights to Abu Dhabi remain suspended until later this year.

Wizz Air has suspended flights to Israel until March 29, and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman and Jeddah from mainland European destinations until mid-September.

Qatar Airways said it would operate a revised limited number of flights until March 28.

Etihad Airways said it was operating a limited commercial flight schedule between Abu Dhabi and select destinations.

Emirates said it was operating a reduced flight schedule following a partial reopening of regional airspace.

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Germany’s Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways, has suspended flights to Tel Aviv through April 9, and to Beirut, Dubai, Amman, Erbil and Abu Dhabi until March 28. Flights to Tehran are suspended through April 30 and to Riyadh until April 5.

Air France has cancelled Tel Aviv and Beirut flights until March 28 and Dubai and Riyadh flights until March 24, as well as a March 25 departure from Dubai.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:00

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Iran threatens to strike Israeli troops in Gaza

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warn that they will target Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip “without any limit” if Israel targets civilians in Palestinian territories and Lebanon, per IRNA news agency.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 08:47

Watch: Aftermath of Iranian missile barrages in central Israel

James Reynolds24 March 2026 08:30

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Are Washington and Tehran in talks to end the war?

Donald Trump’s claims that the US and Iran were already in talks to end the war were pounced upon by the regime in Tehran, which said the US president was only trying to soothe damaged markets and denied any such conversations had taken place.

Trump said yesterday that negotiators spoke on Sunday and could speak again on Monday, sparking a flurry of market activity and hopes of de-escalation just hours from Trump’s deadline to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face ‘obliteration’.

Iranian officials cited in local media soon said there were no such discussions, before a spokesperson for the foreign ministry put out a statement claiming that while the US had tried to get in touch, Iran had not responded.

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Trump did say in his comments to reporters that he was speaking to a “top person” in Iran and did not acknowledge new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei as leader, indicating the US might not be going through the official channels.

An Israeli official told Axios that Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was negotiating with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, before Trump administration officials told Politico that Ghalibaf was being eyed for a future leadership role, supported by the US.

A social media account in Ghalibaf’s name on Monday afternoon said that no negotiations have been held with the US, claiming “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets”.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 08:10

Danes are voting in a general election called early by the country’s prime minister, in apparent hopes of exploiting public support for her firm stance on Greenland.

Mette Frederiksen, 48, is hoping to secure a third term in office for her centre-left Social Democrat party in Tuesday’s poll, which she called several months before she had to.

Her popularity, which has faded during her second term, has been boosted by her refusal to bow to US President Donald Trump’s pressure over the ownership of the kingdom’s semi-autonomous territory.

Hoping to unseat her are two opponents from the centre-right, one of whom, Liberal Party candidate Troels Lund Poulsen, is defence minister in Ms Frederiksen’s coalition government.

The other, Alex Vanopslagh, of the Liberal Alliance, recently admitted he took cocaine earlier in his time as party leader, which may have dented his chances.

The anti-immigration Danish People’s Party looks well-placed to bounce back from a very weak showing at the last election in 2022.

No single party is expected to win a majority under Denmark’s system of proportional representation, meaning another coalition from either the leftist “red bloc” or right-wing “blue bloc” is the likeliest outcome, possibly after lengthy negotiations.

Ms Frederiksen’s outgoing three-party administration was the first in decades to straddle the political divide.

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From January: Why Trump backed down on Greenland

Greenland, which took up much of the government’s energy in recent months, hasn’t been prominent in the campaign because there is broad agreement on its place in the kingdom.

Ms Frederiksen warned in January that an American takeover of the vast Arctic island, a proposal heavily criticised by Denmark’s European allies, would mean the end of NATO.

The crisis has since receded, as Washington joined talks with Denmark and Greenland over an Arctic security deal.

Read more on Sky News:
Iran attacks Tel Aviv and Gulf states
Russia launches wave of strikes on Ukraine
Why this video is freaking out Hollywood

More than 4.3 million people are eligible to vote for the new Folketing, or parliament, in Copenhagen, which is elected for a four-year term.

The single-chamber body has 179 seats, with two each representing Greenland and Denmark’s other semi-autonomous territory, the Faroe Islands.

Petrol and diesel have risen in cost again, new figures from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero show.

On 16 March, the average price of unleaded petrol at pumps in the UK was 140.28p per litre. For diesel, the average price stood at 158.78p per litre.

Today, the department announced the average price on 23 March was 144.16p for unleaded and 166.88p for diesel.

That is a weekly rise of 3.9p for unleaded and 8.1p for diesel.

The rise in fuel prices comes amid the continued energy crisis sparked by the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Tehran is blockading the Strait of Hormuz, stopping the flow of oil through a vital shipping route leaving the Middle East.

However, motorists should not drive slower nor buy fuel differently because of the oil crisis, an energy minister has said.

Michael Shanks said British drivers did not need to change their habits, despite suggestions from the International Energy Agency (IEA) aimed at conserving fuel.

The IEA has advised motorists across the world to reduce their speed on highways, share rides and work from home when possible to reduce how much petrol or diesel they use.

Asked by Times Radio if British drivers should change their habits, Mr Shanks was a told the broadcaster: “They should do everything as absolutely normal because there is no shortage of fuel anywhere in the country at the moment.

“We monitor this every single day, I look at the numbers personally. There’s no issue at all with that.”

The minister added: “People should go about their business as normal. That’s what the RAC and the AA have said. It’s really important people do that.

“There’s no shortage of fuel and everything is working as normal.”

Jane Ashton, head of music and entertainment at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “This is such a special fundraiser for us as Oasis have been huge supporters of the charity for almost 25 years, and we’re so very grateful to them for choosing us to receive the proceeds from the first edition, as well as be associated with such an iconic tour and product.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish voters went to the polls Tuesday in a general election, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeking a third term at the helm of the Scandinavian country after a standoff with U.S. President Donald Trump over the future of the kingdom’s semiautonomous territory of Greenland.

More than 4.3 million people are eligible to have their say in the vote for the new Folketing, or parliament, in Copenhagen, which is elected for a four-year term.

Frederiksen called the election in February, several months before she had to in apparent hopes that her resolute image in the crisis over Greenland would help her with voters in the European Union and NATO member country.

In her second term, her support had waned as the cost of living rose — something that, along with pensions and a potential wealth tax, has been a prominent campaign issue.

The 48-year-old center-left Social Democrat is known for strong support of Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion and for a restrictive approach to migration — continuing a tradition in Danish politics that now goes back two decades.

Seeking to counter pressure from the right and pointing to a possible surge in migration because of the Iran war, Frederiksen announced proposals this month that include a potential “emergency brake” on asylum and tighter controls on criminals who lack legal residence. Her government had already unveiled a plan to allow the deportation of foreigners who have been sentenced to at least one year in prison for serious crimes.

Two center-right challengers hope to oust Frederiksen as prime minister. One is in her current government — Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen of the Liberal, or Venstre, party, which headed several recent administrations.

The other is Alex Vanopslagh, 34, of the opposition Liberal Alliance, which calls for lower taxes and less bureaucracy, and for Denmark to abandon its refusal to use nuclear power. But a recent admission from Vanopslagh to taking cocaine earlier in his time as party leader may have dented his chances.

Further to the right, the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party looks well-placed to bounce back from a very weak showing at the last election in 2022.

No single party is expected to come anywhere near winning a majority. Denmark’s system of proportional representation typically produces coalition governments, traditionally made up of several parties from either the “red bloc” on the left or the “blue bloc” on the right, after weeks of negotiations.

Frederiksen’s outgoing three-party administration was the first in decades to straddle the political divide. It remains to be seen whether this election will result in a repeat, with the centrist Moderate party of Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen possibly acting as the kingmaker.

Greenland, which took up much of the government’s energy in recent months, hasn’t been a significant issue in the campaign because there is broad agreement on its place in the kingdom.

Frederiksen warned in January that an American takeover of Greenland would amount to the end of NATO. But the crisis has simmered down, at least for now.

After Trump backed down on threats to impose tariffs on Denmark and other European countries that opposed the U.S. taking control of the vast Arctic island, the U.S., Denmark and Greenland started technical talks on an Arctic security deal.

Denmark’s single-chamber parliament has 179 seats. Of those, 175 go to lawmakers from Denmark itself and two each for representatives from thinly populated Greenland and the kingdom’s other semiautonomous territory, the Faroe Islands.

___

Moulson reported from Berlin.

Madonna has recreated an iconic scene from the “Like A Virgin” music video with the help of Hollywood actor Julia Garner.

The pair sat in a Gondola as they lip-synced the words to the pop star’s 1984 hit, which features the singer riding down a canal in Venice on one the iconic boats.

“Like A Virgin……again and again,” the 67-year-old wrote as she shared the clip on Instagram on Monday (23 March).

Madonna and Garner are both in the city to film for season two of the AppleTV+ series The Studio. Garner is also set to play the pop princess in a potential biopic, though in September 2025, the actor confirmed the film remains a “work in progress”.

Andy Murray retired from tennis in 2024 and has been spending more time on the fairways instead of at home

Andy Murray was spotted on the golf course with wife Kim Sears at the weekend, breaking a rule that he believes she set for their relationship.

The former tennis great previously said he believes his wife prefers him to be out of the house and on the fairways himself. Sears’ appearance on the course alongside their dog Bonnie therefore goes against the rule he claimed on the Romesh Ranganathan Show.

Discussing how his wife feels about his consistent appearances on the golf course, Murray said: “I don’t think she wants me in the house all day bothering her, to be honest. So, yeah, she’s fine with it, so long as I help drop-off and pick-up [the kids to and from school].

“I don’t think she massively wants to see me during the day. [At least] That’s what I think.”

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It seems that the pair were enjoying a child-free date at the weekend as Murray posted a photo to his Instagram story of Kim sitting on the fairways grinning. The ex-tennis star’s partner posed for the camera alongside Bonnie with some casual wear on, including a hooded sweatshirt, jeans and a pair of sunglasses.

Murray put one red love heart emoji above the picture, showcasing his love for his partner and his pet. The pair share four children together – Sophia, ten, Edie, seven, Teddie, five, and Lola, four.

However, the couple look to have sent their kids elsewhere as they enjoyed a quiet weekend together. Murray has been enjoying sharpening his golf game since retiring from tennis and admits he has considered a career switch.

He said: “I’m considering becoming a golf caddie, hopefully for a professional golfer at some stage. I love golf and if you love that sport, it would be a great job.

“If you are working with a top golfer and being there when they have a great moment on the course, and feeling like you can help a little bit with decisions and things like that, I think it would be a brilliant job.”

In fact, Murray also seems to want to test himself on the greens as well. He added: “I want to try and play in the regional qualifying [of The Open] at some stage.

“A couple of my friends have done it, and it would just be a fun thing to do if you got to the level where you’re able to do that, I would do it, but I certainly don’t think I would have any chance of qualifying for The Open.

“I’m fully aware of how good the players that play in those events are and how good the pros are in comparison to amateurs. Even guys that play off +2, 3 [handicap] are miles off what these guys are.”

It seems that wife Kim would support her husband in pursuing a golf career, especially if his words are anything to go by in terms of getting peace and quiet at home.

Experts at TotallyMoney are urging everyone with a mobile phone to text ‘INFO’ to 85075 ahead of potential price rises in April.

The text is free and it allows you to find out if you are out of contract and free to leave.

James McCaffrey, from TotallyMoney, explained: “With April just around the corner, there’s a lot of talk about mobile contract price hikes – and with mentions of inflation-linked rises, percentage increases, and new Ofcom rules, it all sounds more complicated than it should be. 

Why Martin Lewis wants everyone to know this phone number

“The simple way to find out if you can switch providers and start saving money is to text ‘INFO’ to 85075. Shortly after, you’ll receive a message from your provider to let you know if you’re still in contract, or if you’re free to leave. 

“Switching is easier than you might think, with the process usually completed within one working day. Shop around by going direct to providers and using comparison sites, and once you’ve found a better offer, sign up and your new provider will take care of things – including transferring your number. 

“Before you commit, check the network coverage in your area and where you work, and don’t forget to check roaming charges if you travel abroad. And remember, if you switch and you’re not happy, you’ll have at least two weeks to cancel without paying a penalty.” 

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has also previously encouraged viewers to text ‘INFO’ to 85075.

Mr Lewis also advised everyone to switch to cheap Sim-only deals, which can be found on price comparison websites, while finding a low-price network that uses the same signal as your current network.

02, EE, Vodafone and Three are the main signal providers, with cheaper mobile providers, such as Tesco and GiffGaff, using their signal.

If you text ‘PAC’ to 65075 you can get your PAC code and give that to your new network, requesting that your mobile number be moved across to your new company.

The Money Saving Expert added: “You send the text and you may well get a message back that says ‘we are very sorry to hear that you want to leave so here is your PAC code but, by the way, we can offer this deal if you are willing to stay’. I have heard it could be way less than half price.”

Jade McLellann first reported problems last year – but says her landlord Larkfield Housing Association has allowed the problem to get worse.

A mum-of-two is battling her housing association after drainage issues turned her dream garden into a “hazardous swamp”.

Jade McLellann first reported problems last year – but says her landlord Larkfield Housing Association has allowed the problem to get worse. She says her children, one and four, are unable to play outside – and the flooding has even destroyed some of their toys.

Jade says the garden looks like a ‘swamp’ and the home is also plastered with mud inside. She says she eventually gave up battling the brown sludge after spending countless hours cleaning because she says she’s ‘just wasting’ her time.

Jade, of Greenock, said: “Before I moved here I was in a flat, so I thought, ‘this is great, my wee boys are going to have a place to play.

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“My oldest was just turning a year, and it was a great garden. But now all his toys are in the bin because they all got ruined.

“It’s heart-breaking watching the place where my kids should be able to play turn into a swamp because basic repairs haven’t been done.”

Her sons are confined to the house while at home because of the potential health risk Jade feels the garden poses. She said: “My youngest wee boy was in and out of hospital at birth. I’ve always got the fear ‘what if he puts something in his mouth? I don’t know what’s in that’.

“He’s restricted to the living room, and that’s not fair – in his own home. My kids should have access to my full house, but they don’t, because it’s not safe.”

She said access is also an issue because when it rains flood water can form at the back steps. Jade said: “Obviously my youngest would be in my arms, but I can’t take my four-year-old through that to get out. It wouldn’t be safe at all.

“I’ve had to constantly paint, and all my flooring needs replaced. Everything’s minging.”

The problem dates back to last May but Jade says that at the time it ‘wasn’t anything crazy’. Nonetheless, she reported it to Larkfield Housing Association, but says she wasn’t seen until October.

Eventually the garden was assessed, and an attempt was made to drain the pipes underneath it using a jet wash – but that flooded the garden so badly that water got into the house.

Jade added: “They said that the garden needed to be ripped out and replaced because the pipes underneath were broken. I didn’t hear anything from October until January, and someone came out pm January 15. I was under the impression at that point they were coming to replace the garden, because that’s what I was told in October.

“As soon as he stood on the garden, he said that the ground has collapsed and there’s no way to fix it. I’ve then been fighting since January until now to get them to sign off on the works.”

Another jet wash was attempted – but again it made things worse, with Jade describing it as ‘a very silly choice’.

She said: “When I wasn’t in, they let themselves in and did it anyway, which then caused my kitchen to be flooded, as well as creating a big puddle on the path. The path was completely gone because of how much water there was left.

“I was told that they would attempt to drain the water when they did the works. I was told that they plan to do it four more times before the repairs are done. And I’m thinking ‘absolutely not, because you’re making it more of a hazard’.”

A spokesperson for Larkfield Housing Association said: “We are sorry a quick resolution for this surface water drainage system issue has not been possible.

“This is a complex repair involving a number of contractors and agencies – including the local authority, who are carrying out their own investigations alongside ours.

“We have been working closely with our tenant to ensure they receive all available support while this repair work is ongoing, and have been taking necessary measures to ensure safe access to their home, such as jet washing steps and pathways to keep them clear.

“Civil works are arranged to take place in early April to repair the damaged pipework, and we will continue to provide all support while we work with our partners to get this resolved as soon as possible.”

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