A dispersal order is in place until midnight

A dispersal order was in place after “around 50 young people” forced a business to close this evening.

Police were called to Ashton-in-Makerfield town centre at around 7:49pm following reports of a disturbance caused by a large group today (Sunday, February 8).

According to local councillor Danny Fletcher, the owner of Hel’s Kitchen was ‘left intimidated’ and her mobile phone was ‘knocked out her hand’ as she filmed members of the group who were congregating outside her store.

The M.E.N believes that a KFC restaurant next door to Hel’s Kitchen on Gerard Street, had to close due to the disturbance. The dispersal order is in place until midnight, says Cllr Fletcher.

Cllr Danny Fletcher told the MEN: “I’m aware of the video circulating tonight showing a large group, around 50 young people, outside Hel’s Kitchen in Ashton town centre. The business owner felt intimidated and had her phone knocked out of her hand. Staff next door at KFC also contacted the police and felt scared to leave the building. That’s completely unacceptable.

“I spoke directly with our local police inspector this evening. Officers were assigned and arrived on scene at 7.49pm. A dispersal order is now in place until midnight.

“To be clear, this is not the first time we’ve seen this kind of anti-social behaviour in the town centre, and it will be stamped out. I’ll be meeting GMP’s senior team and our local schools to tackle the pattern, not just the incident. There will be consequences for those responsible.”

He added that he had checked the business’s owner was ok, and that he’d be calling into the cafe in the coming week.

Cllr Fletcher added: “We’ll be going through the video and CCTV with local schools and partners to identify those involved and prevent a repeat.

“Everyone, residents, businesses and staff, deserves to feel safe in Ashton town centre. We’re taking this seriously and acting now.”

According to the Washington Examiner, Miller at one meeting “eviscerated” federal immigration officials for not doing enough to detain undocumented migrants across the US. Since then, the administration has ramped up enforcement in a growing list of major American cities, including Washington DC, Charlotte, Chicago and, most recently, Minneapolis.

The travel agency planned holiday packages to destinations across the United States and Canada, as well as various cruises

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A UK travel agency that specialised in trips to North America has stopped trading.

It has been reported that all flights and holiday packages booked through Simply Florida Travel Ltd have been cancelled. The travel agency, based in Glasgow, offered holiday packages to destinations including Disneyland, Disney World, Universal Studios, New York City, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Miami and various cruises.

Companies House records showed that the independent travel agent filed to be struck off the register on October 13, 2025. It was officially dissolved on January 6 and ceased trading as an Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing scheme-protected travel provider on January 20.

Its website is no longer available.

The Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing scheme (ATOL) is a UK financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority. It protects consumers who book package holidays or flights with participating travel firms.

Consumers who require assistance regarding their booking, should contact TTA directly by emailing customerservices@thetravelnetworkgroup.co.uk.

Several other UK travel companies have shut down in recent months, including Regen Central Ltd, Gold Crest Holidays, Great Little Escapes, Jetline Travel and Asiara UK Ltd.

Greater Manchester Police officers were making enquiries into reports of begging and anti-social behaviour on Chorley New Road in Horwich yesterday evening, Saturday, February 7.

While in attendance, GMP officers searched a man under section 23 of the drugs misuse act.

After the search, he was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a Class A and Class B substance.

The news was shared by the police on social media, their post read: “HORWICH – The Bolton west team have recently received numerous reports of begging and ASB outside the shops on Chorley New Road, Horwich.

“Officers attended on the evening of Saturday 7th February 2026 to make enquiries into the reports.

“Whilst in the area, officers from the team conducted a search of a male under section 23 of the misuse of drugs act, he was subsequently arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a Class A and a Class B substance.”

The eighth series of Pilgrimage will begin just south of Whitby Abbey’s ruins, and sees seven well-known personalities of different faiths and beliefs setting off for 12 days covering over 390 kilometres of unique trails across North East England to explore the lives of early Celtic Christian saints.

The route also takes in the UNESCO site of Durham Cathedral and their final destination, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

A spokesperson for the corporation said: “Travelling on foot and by bus, our celebrities are immersed in profound encounters with nature and the landscapes that helped inspire early Celtic Christianity.

“From stunning coastlines and remote moorlands to the rolling hills of the Cheviots with its spectacular views, it is an epic journey of deep discovery.”

Taking part in the series’ three sixty-minute episodes are:

• practising Christian and leader of the dance troupe Diversity, Ashley Banjo
• Spooks and Cold Feet actor Hermione Norris, who believes the divine can be found in all living things
• atheist, TV personality Tasha Ghouri
• stand-up comedian and observant Muslim, Hasan Al-Habib
• radio presenter, Jayne Middlemiss who describes herself as spiritual
• comedian, Ashley Blaker, now agnostic, was once a practising Orthodox Jew
• actor and self-proclaimed “a la carte” Catholic, Patsy Kensit

After an encounter with Whitby Abbey ruins, the pilgrims travel along a curated network of trails celebrating three of England’s most revered 7th century northern saints – Hild, Oswald and Cuthbert.

Travelling light, with only their backpacks, they overnight in everything from wooden pods and basic bunkrooms to an off‑grid hostel.

Their journey takes them north along the Way of St Hild to Runswick Bay before turning inland towards Durham.

After tackling 224 steep ‘steps of doom’ as they are known locally to reach their first glimpse of the cathedral, they take part in a medieval‑style pilgrim foot‑washing ritual and visit the shrine of St Cuthbert.

Later stages take the pilgrims to Heavenfield – tied to St Oswald’s 7th‑century battle to claim the Kingdom of Northumbria – Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall and Newcastle’s Reform Synagogue, founded in part by Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis, along with the local community.

The pilgrims also call at Nether Springs retreat centre, Warkworth Castle’s medieval hermitage – accessible only by boat – and the Cheviots, where they crest Wide‑Open Hill for 360‑degree views before reaching Cuthbert’s Cave and, ultimately, the tidal Pilgrims’ Way to Lindisfarne.

Daisy Scalchi, the BBC’s head of religion and ethics for television said: “What better way to embrace different perspectives and outlooks than walking with people who can open our hearts and minds to new ways of seeing the world.

“Pilgrimage is like no other show on TV and I’m so excited to see a new group strap on their walking boots for what will be an inspiring journey through one of England’s most dramatic landscapes”

Executive producer Caroline Matthews, of CTVC, said: “With a fantastic new cast, this series delivers a wonderful moment to explore life’s big questions, faith and culture whilst exploring the spectacular landscape of Britain’s North East.

“As ever, stripped of their creature comforts, there is strong camaraderie, tears, joy and a fabulous amount of humour to get them through their epic journey.”

It has a population of just 56 people

Driving down the A1 you would quite easily miss the turning for the quiet and tiny village of Diddington. Cambridgeshire’s smallest village is an absolute gem despite not really having much there.

It sits directly next to the busy dual carriageway and covers only 526 hectares. According to the Office for National Statistics, it had a population of just 56 people in 2016. This makes it one of the smallest villages in Cambridgeshire.

In fact, it’s so small that it doesn’t even appear on TripAdvisor! That’s probably due to the fact that it only has a church and village hall, which doesn’t really account for much tourism.

Its main attraction is its local church, the parish Church of St Lawrence. Unlike many other churches in the county, this tiny little village church has the original 13th-century font still present.

For most of the 20th century, it wasn’t even used as a village. During the Second World War, it housed prisoners of war and was used as a transit camp, then it became home to the 49th American Station Hospital, the second largest American hospital in England.

After the war, it became a Polish Resettlement Camp for displaced people and remained home to a large Polish community until the late 1950s. For such a small place, it has a very fascinating and diverse history.

Today, it is home to people who love the Cambridgeshire countryside and the quiet life. Surrounded by acres of fields, it is visited mainly by dog walkers who want to let their dogs roam free through the beautiful landscape.

Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media tycoon and fierce critic of Beijing, is set to be sentenced Monday in one of the most prominent cases brought under a China-imposed national security law that has virtually silenced the city’s dissent.

Three government-vetted judges in December convicted Lai, 78, of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. Lai, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under Hong Kong’s security law that Beijing deemed necessary for the stability of the Chinese special administrative region.

The democracy advocate’s arrest and trial have raised concerns about the decline of press freedom in what was once an Asian bastion of media independence. The government insists the case has nothing to do with a free press, saying the defendants used news reporting as a pretext for years to commit acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.

Lai’s sentencing could heighten Beijing’s diplomatic tensions with foreign governments. His conviction has drawn criticism from the U.S. and the U.K.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he felt “so badly” after the verdict and noted he spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about Lai and “asked to consider his release.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government also has called for the release of Lai, who is a British citizen.

Lai’s daughter, Claire, told The Associated Press that she hopes authorities see the wisdom in releasing her father, a Roman Catholic. She said their faith rests in God. “We will never stop fighting until he is free,” she said.

Judges ruled Lai was the mastermind

Lai founded Apple Daily, a now-defunct newspaper known for its critical reports against the governments in Hong Kong and Beijing. He was arrested in August 2020 under the security law that was used in a yearslong crackdown on many of Hong Kong’s leading activists.

During his 156-day trial, prosecutors accused him of conspiring with six former Apple Daily staffers, two activists and others to request foreign forces to impose sanctions or blockades or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong or China. Lai testified for 52 days in his own defense, arguing he had not called for foreign sanctions after the law’s introduction.

In December, the judges ruled Lai was the mastermind of the conspiracies and never wavered in his intention to destabilize the ruling Chinese Communist Party. They took issue with what they called his “constant invitation” to the United States to bring down the Chinese government with the excuse of helping Hong Kongers.

Urania Chiu, lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes University, said the case is significant for its broad construction of seditious intent and application of the term “collusion with foreign forces” to certain activities by the media. The implication is particularly alarming for journalists and those working in academia, she said.

“Offering and publishing legitimate critiques of the state, which often involves engagement with international platforms and audiences, may now easily be construed as ‘collusion,’” Chiu said.

Lai is serving a nearly six-year prison term over fraud allegations in a separate case and has been in custody for more than five years. In January, lawyer Robert Pang said Lai suffered health issues including heart palpitations, high blood pressure and diabetes. Although Lai’s condition was not life-threatening, Pang argued his client’s health, age and solitary confinement, which the prosecution said Lai requested, would make his sentence “more burdensome.”

The prosecution said a medical report noted Lai’s general health condition remained stable.

Co-defendants may get reduced sentences

The former Apple Dailly staffers and activists involved in Lai’s case entered guilty pleas, which could help reduce their sentences to be handed down Monday. Under the security law, reporting on offenses committed by others may result in reduced penalties and some of the staff members served as prosecution witnesses.

The convicted journalists are publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, executive editor-in-chief responsible for English news Fung Wai-kong and editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee.

The two activists convicted in the case, Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, also testified for the prosecution.

Before sunrise, dozens of people were in line outside the court building to secure a seat in the courtroom.

Former Apple Daily employee Tammy Cheung said she could only support them spiritually by seeing them. Cheung hopes the defendants will be released from prison soon, saying it would be great if they could reunite with their families before the Lunar New Year next week.

“Whatever happens, it’s an end — at least we’ll know the outcome,” she said.

Case considered a blow to Hong Kong media

Lai founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony. The publication drew a strong following with reports that were occasionally sensational, investigative scoops and short, animated video reports. Articles supporting the city’s democracy movement, including anti-government protests that rocked the city in 2019, attracted many pro-democracy readers.

Lai was one of the first prominent figures to be arrested under the security law in 2020. Within a year, some of Apple Daily’s senior journalists also were arrested. Police raids, prosecutions and a freeze of its assets forced the newspaper’s closure in June 2021. The final edition sold a million copies.

In 2022, Hong Kong plunged 68 places to 148th out of 180 territories in the press-freedom index compiled by media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders. The city’s latest ranking was 140th, far from 18th place in 2002.

The festival will also mark the UK’s National Year of Reading by joining forces with the Go All In campaign, a free children’s programme that aims to encourage children and young people to reconnect with reading, with a dedicated Children’s Zone full of storytelling and crafting activities held throughout the weekend.

Successive governments have refused to name their agent citing the long-standing policy of neither confirm nor deny

A Westminster committee has urged the Government to formally name the former agent known as Stakeknife.

The Army’s former spy within the IRA during the Troubles was widely believed to be west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who was 77 when he died in 2023.

Operation Kenova, a probe which examined the activities of Stakeknife, who has been linked to at least 14 murders and 15 abductions, concluded that more lives were probably lost than saved through the operation of the agent.

However it was unable to confirm Stakeknife’s identity in its final report in December after the Government refused its authorisation to do so.

Successive governments have refused to do so, citing the long-standing policy of neither confirm nor deny (NCND).

Then, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said the Government was considering its position on naming Stakeknife following a Supreme Court judgment related to the disclosure of intelligence information in the case of the murder of Paul Thompson.

Kenova chief Sir Iain Livingstone, and PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, who previously led the investigation, have urged the Government to name Stakeknife.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee joined that call in a report published on Monday.

The MPs from across a number of parties concluded that revealing the identity of Stakeknife would be “strongly in the public interest”.

They also contend it would “help build trust and confidence in the agencies of the state among all communities”.

It comes after the committee held an evidence session on Operation Kenova last month, during which it heard from Sir Iain and Mr Boutcher.

The report said the committee has been reassured that formal identification would not put any active agents at risk, discourage existing agents from continuing their work, or deter the recruitment of new agents.

It also contends that naming Stakeknife would also indicate to agents guilty of conduct beyond acceptable limits that they will not be protected or shielded from the consequences of their actions.

Committee chairwoman Tonia Antoniazzi said refusing to name Stakeknife is having an impact on their victims.

“As Operation Kenova’s final report makes clear, the ongoing refusal to confirm or deny Stakeknife’s identity is having a profound and lasting effect on victims and their families who have already been through so much,” she said.

“Given the reassurances we’ve heard that active agents won’t be put in harm’s way and future recruitment won’t be compromised, formal identification in this specific instance is appropriate, proportionate and in the public interest.

“By naming Stakeknife, the Government can send a strong signal that agents who cross a line will not receive the protection of anonymity and help to build trust and confidence across all communities in Northern Ireland.”

The committee has recommended that the Government should review, in consultation with MI5 and the PSNI, the application of NCND in all legacy-related cases, considering specifically the principles outlined in this report.

It also indicated that it plans to monitor Government progress on the implementation of Operation Kenova’s other conclusions and recommendations.

Mr Boutcher welcomed the committee’s report and reiterated his call for the Government to identify Stakeknife, saying this would “bring much-needed closure to many victims and families”.

“The committee recommendation supports the findings of the Operation Kenova report, which included that Stakeknife should be named with a specific recommendation for a review of the UK Government policy on its neither confirm nor deny (NCND) policy as it is applied to cases that occurred during the Troubles in Northern Ireland,” Mr Boutcher said.

“The application of NCND must not be allowed to cover up acts of wrongdoing by the state. I am grateful for the committee taking such care in examining this matter.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “The behaviour described in Operation Kenova’s final report is deeply disturbing.

“It should not have happened, and in recent decades, there have been significant reforms to agent handling practice, including through legislation.

“The use of agents is nowadays subject to strict regulation, overseen by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

“The Government is not yet in a position to formally respond to the request by Operation Kenova to name Stakeknife as there remains ongoing litigation, and consideration of the recent judgment in the Thompson Supreme Court case.

“The Secretary of State has committed to updating Parliament on the matter as soon as he is able to.”

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