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Local News

• Young actors take centre stage in Antigone production at Ramsbottom theatre

  A group of young performers are set to appear alongside experienced actors in a new staging of Antigone at a local theatre in Ramsbottom.

• School Dancers to head over to Blackpool to compete after winning competition in Blackburn

  DANCERS from Whitworth Community High School earned themselves a place in the Lancashire final, when they will compete in Blackpool with the county’s best.

• Whitworth Community High School win Rochdale Music Service High School Choir of the Year Competition

  TWO superb songs saw Whitworth Community High School win the Rochdale Music Service High School Choir of the Year title.

• Middleton businesses respond after making the minimum wage underpayment list

  Two Middleton businesses have responded after appearing on a government list of employers who failed to pay the minimum wage. The companies say the findings do not reflect the full circumstances and that any underpayments were corrected.

• Rochdale MP backs campaign with TV star to push for tougher online safety rules for children

  Rochdale MP Paul Waugh has joined a national campaign alongside a television athlete to call for stronger protections for children using social media and smartphones.

• Government approves £20m regeneration plan for Heywood

  Plans for how £20m of government funding will be used to regenerate Heywood have been approved, allowing projects to move forward.

• Middleton man to walk 348 miles for British Heart Foundation after family health battle

  A Middleton man is set to walk around 348 miles to raise money for the British Heart Foundation after his son was born with a serious heart condition.

• Youth centres in Rochdale set for upgrades after new funding secured

  Youth centres across Rochdale borough will be improved following more than £100000 in new funding. Work is expected to be completed by May 2026.

• Langley streets and park named in honour of local soldiers after dedication service

  A dedication service in Langley has marked the naming of several streets and a park in honour of four soldiers with strong links to Middleton. The event brought together families, leaders and residents on Saturday 21 March.

• Greater Manchester Housing First worker joins European training programme

  A housing worker from Greater Manchester has joined a European training programme aimed at expanding expertise in tackling homelessness.

• Students take to the slopes on Austria skiing trip

  AN INCREDIBLE ski trip saw 40 students from Whitworth Community High School take to the slopes in Kitzbühel in Austria.

• Bury North MP visits award winning site manager at Walmersley housing development

  Bury North MP James Frith visited a housing development in Walmersley to meet an award winning site manager recognised for national construction standards.

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Local Sports

• FC St Helens 1-2 Ramsbottom United

  Rams had to dig deep but first half strikes from Jacob Holland-Wilkinson and Richie Baker, the latter direct from a corner kick, proved just enough for all three points.

• AFC Liverpool 0-2 Ramsbottom United

  Ramsbottom United had the opportunity to show what they're made of as they travelled to the Atlantic Coast and the hinterland of the docks to play the ‘non-league Reds,’ AFC Liverpool, at Bootle on Tuesday evening.

• Ramsbottom United 1-1 Litherland REMYCA

  Ramsbottom faced table propping Litherland at home under the lights on Tuesday evening, a glorious spring-like day led to a green pitch prepared by hard working volunteers. Litherland, clad in red, are enduring a torrid time this season, going through three managers but notched an impressive four-one victory at the weekend.

• Ramsbottom United 1-0 Padiham

  Maine Walder’s free-kick on the half hour proved the difference in this hard-fought encounter with fellow promotion rivals Padiham at the HWRS on Saturday afternoon. A first home league win over our near rivals since all the way back in 2009.

• Ramsbottom United 0-1 Euxton Villa

  The Rams lose their first home league game of the season and waste an opportunity to gain ground on leaders Wythenshawe.

• Ramsbottom United beat Chadderton in high stakes clash to stay in title race

  A lovely spring day as Ramsbottom United welcomed an in-form Chadderton side, coming into the match of on a run of thirteen games unbeaten including eight straight victories, a daunting proposition, with both teams flying high in the North West Counties Premier League.

• Sheffield Eagles score eight tries to defeat Rochdale Hornets in Championship clash

  Rochdale Hornets suffered a 44 to 20 defeat against Sheffield Eagles as the visitors maintained their unbeaten start to the Betfred Championship season. The South Yorkshire side ran in eight tries in an entertaining contest.

• Bury’s unbeaten run ends with 2–0 home defeat to Vauxhall Motors

  Bury’s long unbeaten run came to a sudden and underwhelming end defeated 2-0 at home to playoff chasing Vauxhall Motors.

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Lifestyle

• Rochdale MP backs campaign with TV star to push for tougher online safety rules for children

  Rochdale MP Paul Waugh has joined a national campaign alongside a television athlete to call for stronger protections for children using social media and smartphones.

• Middleton man to walk 348 miles for British Heart Foundation after family health battle

  A Middleton man is set to walk around 348 miles to raise money for the British Heart Foundation after his son was born with a serious heart condition.

• Monthly artisan market launched in Middleton town centre

  A new monthly artisan market has been launched in Middleton, bringing independent traders and handmade goods to the town centre on the last Sunday of each month.

• Rochdale children celebrated at World Book Day awards event

  Young readers from across Rochdale gathered at the Children’s Library to receive awards in a borough wide World Book Day competition led by local MP Paul Waugh.

• Gabrielle to headline Rochdale Feel Good Festival 2026 with Ash and Starsailor

  Rochdale Feel Good Festival has announced its main stage headliners for summer 2026, with Gabrielle set to perform in the town centre.

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Greater Manchester

• Greater Manchester Housing First worker joins European training programme

  A housing worker from Greater Manchester has joined a European training programme aimed at expanding expertise in tackling homelessness.

• Huge wildfire breaks out at Scout Moor as flames seen for miles

  A large moorland fire has broken out on Scout Moor, sending thick plumes of smoke across Rochdale and East Lancashire, prompting a major emergency response.

• Tribute paid to Oldham man who died after three vehicle collision in Royton

  A man who died following a collision involving three vehicles in Royton has been named as Michael Margetson from Oldham. His wife has paid tribute to him and asked for privacy for the family.

• Green MP Hannah Spencer delivers maiden speech in Parliament during International Women’s Day debate

  Green Party MP Hannah Spencer has delivered her first speech in the House of Commons, reflecting on her journey from training as a plumber to representing her community in Parliament.

• Social care worker honoured after saving life of injured police officer

  A deputy team manager from a Rochdale-based care organisation has been commended for saving the life of a police officer who was seriously injured while on duty.

• M60 closed near Prestwich after multi-vehicle crash saw two rushed to hospital

  Traffic halted and delays expected following collision between junctions 16 and 17

• M66 traffic stopped southbound due to ongoing Police incident

  Traffic was stopped this evening on the M66 southbound between the A56 and Junction 1.

• 🚒 LIVE: We join Greater Manchester fire crews in Rochdale tonight for a ride-along

  Live updates during the evening as we embed with GMFRS for a behind-the-scenes look at frontline fire service work during one of the busiest times of the year.

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Local Entertainment

• Young actors take centre stage in Antigone production at Ramsbottom theatre

  A group of young performers are set to appear alongside experienced actors in a new staging of Antigone at a local theatre in Ramsbottom.

• La Traviata revival brings traditional opera staging to Manchester audience

  A touring production of Verdi’s La Traviata has arrived at Manchester Opera House, presenting a traditional interpretation of the 19th century opera with an international cast.

• Barry Kerr wins inaugural Folk Album of the Year award in Rochdale

  Irish artist Barry Kerr has been named the first winner of the Folk Album of the Year Award for his 2025 record Curlew’s Cry. The announcement was made during a ceremony at Rochdale Town Hall on St Patrick’s Day.

• Review: The Battle: Blur v Oasis (1995) at the Manchester Opera House

  I was 13 in 1995, right in the middle of the whole Blur vs Oasis era, and like most Manchester teens at the time, I loved both, but let’s be honest, Oasis had the edge.

• Gabrielle to headline Rochdale Feel Good Festival 2026 with Ash and Starsailor

  Rochdale Feel Good Festival has announced its main stage headliners for summer 2026, with Gabrielle set to perform in the town centre.

• Tony Walsh to host Rochdale poetry event celebrating town’s cultural year

  Performance poet Tony Walsh will host an afternoon of live poetry in Rochdale as part of the town’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture. The event will take place at Number One Riverside on Saturday 21 March and will also launch two poetry anthologies created by local writers.

• Rochdale Music Stories presents Kenion Street at Heywood Civic

  Manchester is known by many for its historically renowned music scene; however, the scenes and sounds of Madchester, Oasis and the likes commonly overshadow the notable influence of surrounding towns within Greater Manchester. Rochdale, Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2026, is one of those towns whose musical influence is understated and a lot of the time, unknown.

• Cancer choir calls for new members as rehearsals resume in Bolton

  A Bolton choir for people affected by cancer is inviting new singers to join as it begins rehearsals for the new year.

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Elections

• Green Party selects Tottington resident Chloe King as candidate for Bury by election

  The Green Party has selected Tottington resident Chloe King to stand as its candidate in the upcoming Tottington ward by election in Bury.

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UK

• Pharmacist describes being threatened with screwdriver as staff face 'escalating abuse'

  A pharmacist has described the moment a patient threatened him with a screwdriver because he wouldn't provide the medication they wanted, as a poll suggests staff are facing "escalating abuse" from patients.

• Can Labour hold on to power in Birmingham despite bin strikes and bankruptcy?

  Birmingham has been a Labour city for the past 14 years - but come 7 May, that could all change.

• Rents reach highest-ever level relative to earnings, driven by lack of housing supply

  More people in the UK are renting, and they're paying a growing share of their income to do so.

• Alejandro Garnacho: Ex-Man Utd star convicted of speeding away from training ground days before he left

  Ex-Manchester United footballer Alejandro Garnacho has been convicted of speeding away from the club's training ground just days before he left.

• Resident doctors in England to strike for six days after Easter bank holiday

  Resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - are to strike for six days in the ongoing row over pay and jobs, the British Medical Association announced.

• British forces cleared to board Russian 'shadow fleet' ships in UK waters

  British forces are to be given permission to board sanctioned ships sailing through UK waters.

• London Marathon could be extended to two days in 2027

  London Marathon organisers are considering holding the event over two days instead of one from next year.

• Ex-boyfriend found guilty of manslaughter of woman's young son left with brain damage after beating

  A woman's former boyfriend has been found guilty of the manslaughter of her young son, who died two years after a beating which left him with brain damage.

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Entertainment

• Woman pleads not guilty to attempted murder of Rihanna after shooting at star's home

  A woman charged with the attempted murder of Rihanna following a shooting at the singer's home has pleaded not guilty.

• BBC announces former Google boss Matt Brittin as new director-general

  Former ‌Google executive Matt Brittin has been announced as the BBC's new director-general.

• Lily Allen, Olivia Dean and Wolf Alice among stars nominated for Ivor Novello Awards 2026

  Lily Allen, Olivia Dean and Wolf Alice are among some of the musicians nominated for this year's Ivor Novello Awards.

• Wildlife Photographer of the Year: People's Choice winner named

  The 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year has named its People's Choice winner, selected from more than 60,000 entries and voted for by the public.

• Jay-Z felt 'uncontrollable anger' after sex assault allegations

  Jay-Z has said he felt "uncontrollable anger" after a sexual assault lawsuit was filed against him.

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Sport

• Mohamed Salah Q&A: Who made the call for the Liverpool star to leave? What do Liverpool and the player do now and does it affect Arne Slot's future?

  Mohamed Salah's shock announcement that he is leaving Liverpool is the big story of the week. But the real question is: what now?

• Mohamed Salah: Liverpool forward to leave Premier League club at the end of the season

  Mohamed Salah has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, thanking the club for for "the best time of my life".

• Liverpool target Bayern Munich's Michael Olise as Mohamed Salah replacement - Paper talk and football transfer gossip

  The top stories and transfer rumours from Thursday's newspapers...

• England Ashes review: Past captains question accountability for series defeat after Brendon McCullum, Rob Key avoid ECB sacking

  Former England captain Michael Atherton believes fans will find it ‘extraordinary’ that no jobs were lost for ‘mistakes’ made during their heavy Ashes defeat in Australia.

• Alessia Russo and Beth Mead on north London derby against Spurs and Gunner Girls documentary

  Alessia Russo and Beth Mead surprised members of Arsenal's U9 community girls teams as the club launched their new documentary series 'Gunner Girls', saying it was 'great to be part of their journey' when meeting the youngsters.

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Strange

• The transfer trick couples can use to reduce their tax bill - but there's one catch

  Married couples and civil partners have an advantage they should make use of before the tax year comes to an end on 5 April.

• Masked fan unplugs VAR monitor during German football match

  A masked fan unplugged a VAR monitor during ‌a German second division football match.

• Elon Gust and Dame Judi Drench among storm names sent to Met Office

  Elon Gust and Dame Judi Drench are among the names that have been submitted to the Met Office for UK storms.

• Police officer sacked and banned from profession for using WFH trick

  A police sergeant has been sacked for using a picture frame to weigh down her laptop keys and give the false impression she was working from home.

• The energy habits that cause the most family arguments

  On a day when energy bills are making headlines, we thought we'd share new research on the energy habits that lead to the most household arguments.

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Videos

• Starmer to chair COBRA meeting over Iran war's impact on the economy, Sky News understands

  Sir Keir Starmer is to chair a COBRA meeting today, Sky News understands.

• British forces cleared to board Russian 'shadow fleet' ships in UK waters

  British forces are to be given permission to board sanctioned ships sailing through UK waters.

• Seedance 2.0: Could this uncannily good AI make blockbuster films that are worth watching?

  If you spend much time on social media, you'll have surely noticed the surge in AI-generated video filling up your feed.

• War delivers 'biggest leap in UK manufacturers' costs since 1992'

  UK manufacturers are grappling with the biggest monthly leap in their costs since 1992, according to the first snapshot of the Middle East conflict's effect on the economy.

• Government looking at decoupling electricity and gas prices to bring down bills

  Ed Miliband has told Labour MPs he is committed to looking at unhitching electricity prices from gas in a bid to bring down household bills.

• Hundreds of teenagers to be banned from using social media for trial period

  Hundreds of British teenagers are set to take part in a trial to find out how effective a ban or restrictions on social media would be. 

• Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media trial

  A jury in Los Angeles found ‌Google and Meta liable for a woman's social media addiction in a landmark social media lawsuit.

• Resident doctors in England to strike for six days after Easter bank holiday

  Resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - are to strike for six days in the ongoing row over pay and jobs, the British Medical Association announced.

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Politics

• British forces cleared to board Russian 'shadow fleet' ships in UK waters

  British forces are to be given permission to board sanctioned ships sailing through UK waters.

• Can Labour hold on to power in Birmingham despite bin strikes and bankruptcy?

  Birmingham has been a Labour city for the past 14 years - but come 7 May, that could all change.

• What is the controversy over Morgan McSweeney's stolen phone?

  The government is facing questions after it emerged that the prime minister's former chief of staff's phone was stolen, leading to the likely loss of his messages with sacked US ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson.

• Resident doctors in England to strike for six days after Easter bank holiday

  Resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - are to strike for six days in the ongoing row over pay and jobs, the British Medical Association announced.

• Election leaflets in foreign languages would be banned under Tory plan

  Election campaign leaflets and posters published in foreign languages would be banned ahead of polling day under Tory proposals.

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Technology

• Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media trial

  A jury in Los Angeles found ‌Google and Meta liable for a woman's social media addiction in a landmark social media lawsuit.

• Instagram and Facebook owner Meta ordered to pay £280m for knowingly harming children

  Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, has been ordered to pay $375m (£280m) in damages after it was found to have knowingly harmed children's mental health.

• Hundreds of teenagers to be banned from using social media for trial period

  Hundreds of British teenagers are set to take part in a trial to find out how effective a ban or restrictions on social media would be. 

• Seedance 2.0: Could this uncannily good AI make blockbuster films that are worth watching?

  If you spend much time on social media, you'll have surely noticed the surge in AI-generated video filling up your feed.

• 'Weather whiplash' warning as England recovers from drought after heavy rain

  England has recovered from drought after four months of above average rainfall, but officials are concerned about future dry spells.

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World

• Are US-Iran peace talks actually happening? Everything we know so far

  Donald Trump's claim that members of his administration are negotiating with Iran on the ongoing conflict has caused more confusion than clarity. 

• Instagram and Facebook owner Meta ordered to pay £280m for knowingly harming children

  Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, has been ordered to pay $375m (£280m) in damages after it was found to have knowingly harmed children's mental health.

• Palestinian teenager was starved in prison before death, judge rules

  A Palestinian teenager was starved in an Israeli prison before his death, a judge ruled before closing the case.

• Skeleton of Three Musketeers' d'Artagnan may have been found under Dutch church

  Remains found under a church floor in the Netherlands could belong to the famous musketeer d'Artagnan.

• Floods in Kenya leave 88 dead and thousands displaced

  The number killed in floods in Kenya has risen to 88, the government has said, as two rivers burst their banks causing more displacement.

• Denmark election: PM Frederiksen faces fight to stay in post after losses

  Denmark's centre-left prime minister has said she wants to stay in her job after inconclusive election results left the country facing weeks of coalition talks.

• The Iranian former commander who could be Trump's pick to negotiate with

  A former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has emerged as a possible US contact for talks - as the new Supreme Leader's condition remains uncertain.

• Wildlife Photographer of the Year: People's Choice winner named

  The 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year has named its People's Choice winner, selected from more than 60,000 entries and voted for by the public.

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Business

• Government looking at decoupling electricity and gas prices to bring down bills

  Ed Miliband has told Labour MPs he is committed to looking at unhitching electricity prices from gas in a bid to bring down household bills.

• Mark Kleinman blog | See the latest stories from Sky News' City editor

• Hedge fund manager Crispin Odey claimed he groped woman because he was under general anaesthetic, tribunal hears

  A former hedge fund manager claimed he groped a colleague's breasts because he was under general anaesthetic, a tribunal has heard. 

• UK firms hit as Iran war delivers biggest costs rise in 44 years

  UK manufacturers are grappling with the biggest monthly leap in their costs since 1992, according to the first snapshot of the Middle East conflict's effect on the economy.

• Pet owners to pay no more than £21 for prescriptions after major investigation

  A price cap will be placed on pet prescriptions, the Competition and Markets Authority has announced following a three-year investigation.

• Iran war: Further fuel price hikes ahead but supplies 'stable', says Petrol Retailers Association

  There is no end in sight to rising fuel prices but supplies are "stable", according to an industry body.

• Starmer to chair COBRA meeting over Iran war's impact on the economy, Sky News understands

  Sir Keir Starmer is to chair a COBRA meeting today, Sky News understands.

• 'Transfer trick' couples can use to pay less tax | Money newsletter

  More than 175,000 people have now signed up to our free Money newsletter, which brings the kind of content you enjoy in the award-winning Money blog directly to your inbox every Friday.

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Rochdale Council Leaders Column

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Rochdale Council Mayors Column

• Mayor reflects on cultural events and community engagement across Rochdale

  My mayoral year is entering its final two months and, as always, the last few weeks have been extremely busy. A key theme of recent events has centred around culture, including musical performances, religious festivals, poetry evenings and sporting occasions. 

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