Sir John Fitzgerald, founded in 1926 on Tyneside, has commissioned a special ale to celebrate 100 years in business.

The new 4.1 per cent blonde ale has been brewed by Heaton-based Anarchy Brewery and will be served in each of Sir John Fitzgerald’s 15 venues across the region.

Dawn Miles, co-founder of Anarchy Brewery, said: “We are very proud of the Centenary Ale and of having supplied Sir John Fitzgerald since 2012.

“It is a great honour to be asked to produce this for them and to be part of the company’s centenary celebrations.”

Sir John Fitzgerald operates a range of popular pubs and bars, including The Crown Posada and The Bridge Hotel in Newcastle, as well as venues further afield such as Twin Farms in Kenton Bank Foot and the recently refurbished Fitzgerald’s in Wardley.

Centenary Ale will feature in a year-long programme of community events and charitable fundraising activities.

Barry Ladhar, director at Sir John Fitzgerald, said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our relationship with Anarchy Brewery and making Centenary Ale a cornerstone of our celebrations.

“Reaching 100 years is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the generations of customers, staff, managers and communities who have supported Sir John Fitzgerald over the decades.”

Sir John Fitzgerald was acquired by the Ladhar Group in December 2020.

Further details about the Centenary Ale and the celebrations can be found at anarchybrewco.com.

England return to the pitch tonight as they take on Ghana in their second group game. 

Kick-off is at 9 pm, and the game will be played live on BBC One. 

We have compiled a list of the best pubs in Bolton to watch every England match in this year’s World Cup. 

Fan Park Toughsheet Stadium

Where better to watch a football match than at Bolton Wanderers.

There will be a live DJ setting the vibe before kick-off
Matchday food and exclusive drink deals all night
Tickets ONLY £5 and it includes your first drink (Beer or Soft Drink)!
Entry from 5.30pm

For tickets visit https://www.universe.com/events/three-lions-fan-park-tickets-T49PV0?ref=share-widget-buffer?

The Railway, Chapeltown Road, Bromley Cross 

This family-friendly pub will be showing England’s game across all five screens and serving food until 8 pm, with a two-for-£17.50 meal deal or five small plates for £26. 

Bytes, Market Street, Westhoughton  

The retro gaming bar has a giant outdoor screen hosting a fan park experience. They have match day deals like ‘World Cup Wings’ and 4-pint pitchers. 

Bookings are available for outdoor seating, with walk-ins welcomed. 

Beelys Bar, Chorley New Road, Horwich 

England’s game can be watched on seven TV screens, alongside two large projectors, with surround sound throughout the bar. 

Drink offers include 2-for-£15 football-themed pitchers, “Left Wing Zing” and “The Blue-tiful Game”. 

Grey man, Hindley Road, Westhoughton  

This pub will be showing the game on a big outdoor screen with a large seating area, with six indoor screens and air conditioning throughout to keep customers cool. 

They have several pre-match drinks deals on offer, with a £3.20 pint available till 6 pm. 

The Cross Guns Inn, Blackburn Road, Egerton Village 

England will be shown on six large TV screens in this pub, with classic bar food available to order throughout the game. 

The Met Office has issued a rare alert across England and parts of Wales, with a so-called “heat dome” settling over western Europe.

Temperatures could reach up to 40C later this week, exceeding the previous UK June record set in Hampshire in 1976 and approaching the all-time UK record of 40.3C from July 2022.

To battle and to protect children, schools across the UK have decided to close for a few days as the heat is expected to bring widespread disruption.

⚠️⚠️🔴 Red weather warning issued 🔴⚠️⚠️

Extreme heat across parts of central/southern England and Wales

Wednesday 0900 – Thursday 2100

Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs

Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/IwXnyU1E7y

Advertisement

— Met Office (@metoffice) June 22, 2026

Are schools being closed during the red warning heatwave?

The red warning, in place from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday, covers an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham.

It is reserved for the most severe weather events and signals “severe and significant impacts” including health risks to the wider population and potential danger to life.

High humidity and very warm nights are also forecast, meaning people will find it difficult to cool down overnight.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has issued guidance to its members on managing the heat and when to consider closing schools.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: “While there is no legal ‘upper limit’ for temperature in schools, (school leaders) will certainly be doing all they can to mitigate the effects of such high temperatures.”

What schools are being closed?

Scores of schools across England and Wales have announced full or partial closures to protect pupils.

The Buckingham School in Buckinghamshire will be shut on Wednesday and Thursday, with students asked to complete work online.

In a statement, the school said: “Because most of our buildings cannot be cooled adequately and there is little shade outside, we have taken the difficult decision to close the school site on both days (Wednesday and Thursday).”

St John’s Marlborough in Wiltshire will close early on Tuesday and remain shut on Wednesday and Thursday, reopening on Friday.

The Dorcan Academy in Swindon said on-site learning will end at 11.30am on Tuesday and the school will remain closed for the following two days.

Schools in Sutton and Haringey in London have also been forced to close from Tuesday through to Thursday.

Temperatures are set to soar on Tuesday 🌡️

Here’s the 4cast for the day ahead ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/TtwVYEXyyG

— Met Office (@metoffice) June 22, 2026

Others plan to remain open but finish around midday, including Pewsey Vale School, Dilton Marsh Primary and Malmesbury School in Wiltshire, Ditton Park Academy in Slough, The Bulmershe School in Reading, Cheam High School in Surrey and Sydenham School in London.

To check if your child’s school will close, visit their own website or your local council.

For a wider reach, visit the gov.uk website in England and Wales and the mygov.scot website for Scotland.

What areas are covered by the red warning for extreme heat?

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a red health warning for six regions: the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, South West, London, and the east of England.

Recommended Reading

The warning, covering 1am Wednesday to 11pm Thursday, signals “a risk to life for even the healthy population” and impacts beyond health and social care.

Risks include potential disruption to transport, food and water supplies, energy infrastructure, and businesses.

Transport bosses have advised people to avoid all but essential travel due to the risk of rail lines buckling, road surfaces melting and general heat-related disruption.

Is your child’s school shut? Let us know in the comments.

With Amazon’s Prime Day sale in full swing, shoppers have until 26 June to snap up some of the biggest deals of the summer. If you’ve been considering a new pair of wireless earbuds, there are some particularly impressive savings on Apple’s coveted models.

One of the best deals we’ve seen is on the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation, which have been reduced by £45. That’s a saving of 25 per cent, taking the buds down to the cheapest price we’ve seen for this model to date. Released in 2024, the buds include Apple’s H2 chip, voice isolation and MagSafe charging support.

Those looking to spend even less can also pick up the standard AirPods 4, without active noise cancellation, for £80, thanks to a discount of more than 30 per cent.

Keep reading for the best AirPods deals we’ve seen so far (they’re music to our ears).

Read more: Best Amazon Prime Day iPad deals in 2026

AirPods 4 wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation: Was £169, now £125.40, Amazon.co.uk

The Independent’s tech critic David Phelan tested the AirPods 4 as soon as they launched in September 2024. In his Airpods 4 review, David described the audio quality as “strong” and said: “Listening to music is exemplary, even with noise-cancelling off, offering decent breadth of sound and fidelity in vocals and mid-range notes.”

These are MagSafe compatible and David described them as “amazingly small and light”, adding that they come with a feature you may find handy if you’re prone to losing your earphones. “There’s also a speaker on the bottom of the case so if you lose your AirPods, you can cause the case to make a sound to help you find it,” he wrote.

They’re designed for better comfort over long periods than previous models, and David confirmed that they were “definitely comfortable”.

You’ll get a battery life of five hours if you choose to use noise-cancelling, and four hours with. Plus, you’ll get up to an hour’s listening time after a five-minute charge time.

AirPods 4 wireless earbuds: Was £119, now £79.80, Amazon.co.uk

These earbuds feel similar to their premium counterpart “with the same comfortable fit and intuitive controls where you press to pause or play, for instance,” writes tech critic David Phelan in his review. However, they don’t come with active noise cancellation.

If this feature isn’t important to you, you can save 32 per cent on the AirPods 4, which brings the price down to £79.80.

David described them as “the best-value AirPods ever” and praised their “neat design, tiny case, good battery life and excellent sound.”

For more expert advice, we’re answering all of your Amazon Prime Day questions

Police raided a home on West Lane, in Middlesbrough, after an illegal bike was spotted being driven dangerously.

They said a bike was found along with suspected cannabis and class A drugs.

Five males, aged 17, 18, 19, 20 and 45 were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences.

All are currently on bail whilst enquiries continue.

PC John Skerritt, from Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The illegal use of bikes is often linked to other criminal matters, and puts innocent members of the public in danger.

“We won’t tolerate those who use these bikes to carry out criminality – not on our streets.

“Please contact police if you have information on illegal bikes, where they are stored and who is riding them, and also any information on drugs activity in your local area so that we can take action.”

Traffic monitoring system Inrix has described it as a multi-vehicle accident.

The says: “Two lanes closed and queueing traffic due to multi-vehicle accident on M4 eastbound from J34 A4119 (Miskin) to J33 A4232 (Cardiff West And Services).”

It adds: “Lane 2 (of 2) is also closed on the offslip road at J33.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that six people have been arrested for damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as the iconic Washington, D.C. site increasingly becomes a flashpoint over the president’s $14-million-plus rehabilitation project gone awry.

In a social media post, Trump claimed without supporting evidence that there had been a “350 foot gash” in the paint as the administration faces a self-imposed deadline to fix the botched renovation before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration next week.

Trump said another seven people were cited for damaging the pool. “It was purposefully and criminally done, and somebody had to work very hard, probably in the dark of night, to create such a condition,” Trump wrote.

The Park Police and Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump’s assertion.

The Associated Press verified that one man was arrested after touching the already-peeling paint as federal workers try to deal with an algae bloom in the water. The liner was installed as part of the project to repair the century-old pool, which included a new layer to its bottom in a color Trump has dubbed “American flag blue.”

Trump said that “some of the water” will be drained from the pool “either immediately before or after the Fourth of July, to do the permanent repair.”

It was unclear from his post what the scale, scope or cost of the permanent repair would be.

National Guard members and U.S. Park Police have been patrolling the deck around the pool after Trump insisted vandals were responsible for damage to the liner.

Trump pitched the original improvements as intended to clean, beautify and reinforce an iconic site that he said had become dilapidated and dirty because of previous presidents’ neglect. Algae has plagued the pool for a century, and Trump insisted that the newly installed “American flag blue” coating, which he selected himself, would turn the pool into a gleaming expanse along the National Mall.

Yet within weeks of Trump declaring the rehabilitation completed in time for Independence Day, the water was plagued by a vivid green algae bloom that clouded the pool’s coating. A piece of liner, about 4 square feet, was observed Friday partially floating in the pool. The Associated Press saw additional pieces in the water Monday.

A mayoral by-election was triggered when Andy Burnham resigned following his return to the House of Commons after winning the Makerfield by-election.

Residents in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester will elect the new mayor on July 30.

Bev Craig is currently leader of Manchester City Council and Deputy Mayor for Economy, Business and Inclusive Growth for Greater Manchester.

She has pledged to set out a “bold vision to build on progress made over the last decade” and deliver what she describes as “the next chapter” for the region.

A former council estate child whose family experienced unemployment, ill health and financial hardship, Bev Craig said Greater Manchester “transformed her life” after she moved to the city-region at 18.

After 15 years of working in local communities, leading Manchester City Council and campaigning for Greater Manchester, she says she wants “every person, community and borough” to share in the region’s success.

Bev Craig, Labour’s candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Greater Manchester is a special place – from the industrial revolution, the trade union and cooperative movements and the suffragettes – this place has always fought for progress.

“This place changed my life and I owe it everything it gave me opportunities I could never have imagined, and I’ve spent my career trying to give something back.

“While Westminster left places like ours behind, Greater Manchester has taken control of our own future and we’ve started building our own success.

“Working alongside former mayor Andy Burnham, we have achieved so much over the – bringing buses back under public control, creating jobs, attracting investment, and pushing Greater Manchester forward as a real powerhouse of the North West.

Andy Burnham’s MP victory automatically triggered an election to find a new mayor (Image: NQ)

“But for too many people, who work hard and do the right thing, life still feels too hard and unaffordable.

“As mayor I will apply a simple test: will it make life better?

“I will work every day for us to make sure everyone shares in the success Greater Manchester is building – making sure there’s more money in people’s pockets, pride in every town centre with a New High Streets Fund, a new generation of council and affordable homes and an expanded Bee Network that freezes fares and that works for all of us.

“That’s why I’m standing to be mayor, to build a Greater Manchester that works for everyone.”

Bev Craig enters the race with what her campaign describes as one of the strongest records of delivery in local government.

So far, Geraldine Coggins (Green Party) and Marlon West (Restore Britain) have confirmed they are also standing in the election.

CHICO, Calif. (AP) — A shooting at a library in Northern California left two people dead and an 18-year-old suspect has been arrested, police said Tuesday.

Police responded to a 911 call soon after 5 p.m. Monday. Chico police Chief Billy Aldridge said gunshots and screams could be heard on that call from the Chico branch of the Butte County Library. Chico, a city of about 100,000 people, is 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.

The suspect fled out the back of the library as officers entered, but additional law enforcement personnel behind the building took the suspect into custody, Aldridge said during a news conference.

“The incident this evening was obviously very sad, traumatic for a lot of people. Very traumatic for our community,” Aldridge said.

The streets around the library were closed temporarily and a family reunification center was set up for the people who were inside the building.

A man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting a man in a library and another man in a convenience store in 2023. In 2020, a suspect was sent to a mental health facility after he pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing a library security guard in Spring Valley, New York. A teenager who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting two public library employees in Clovis, New Mexico, in 2017 was also sentenced to life in prison.

The man allegedly barricaded himself inside a town hall office alongside two staff members before he covered himself in ‘flammable liquid’ – this is a breaking story

A man has held two people hostage and doused himself in gasoline inside a town hall in Germany.

The perpetrator entered the building in Lengerich before barricading himself inside an office alongside two members of staff. He then started pouring “flammable liquid” on himself and brandished a lighter.

An evacuation was triggered and a major operation was launched, with multiple streets closed off.

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