News

Featured

• Social prescribing helping Bury patients rebuild their lives

  Patients across Bury say social prescribing has played a vital role in improving their mental and physical health, as NHS leaders encourage more people to seek support through talking therapies and community based help.

• EXCLUSIVE first look inside the transformed Heywood Civic

  Roch Valley Radio has been given an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Heywood Civic ahead of the official launch, offering the first look at a landmark redevelopment that will see the venue reopen as a fully accessible cultural and community hub.

• More than 100 volunteers power Roch Valley Radio as World Radio Day 2026 is marked

  World Radio Day is today, 13 February 2026, and is a moment to celebrate the impact of broadcasting across the globe, it is also a chance to recognise the people behind the microphone who keep local radio alive every single week.

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Local News

• Emergency services respond after people report illness at Bury premises

  Emergency services were called to a premises on Silver Street in Bury shortly before 2.30am this morning after several people became unwell.

• Together for Bury selects Greg Keeley as Tottington by election candidate

  Together for Bury has confirmed that former councillor Greg Keeley will stand for the party in the forthcoming Tottington by election.

• Hannah Spencer elected new MP for Gorton and Denton

  Hannah Spencer has been elected the new Green MP for the constituency of Gorton and Denton. Spencer succeeds former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who resigned on health grounds earlier this year.

• Observers report high levels of family voting in Gorton and Denton by election

  Accredited election observers have reported what they describe as unusually high levels of family voting during the Gorton and Denton Westminster Parliamentary by election.

• By-election called in Tottington

  An April by-election will take place in Bury after the shock departure of a Tottington councillor, the local authority has confirmed.

• Tottington voters to choose new councillor in April by election

  Voters in Tottington will go to the polls on Thursday 2nd April 2026, following the resignation of Councillor Luis McBriar.

• Bury Council sets budget to protect services amid ongoing financial pressures

  Bury Council has approved its budget for the year 2026 to 2027, setting out plans to safeguard key public services while managing a reduced but still significant funding shortfall.

• People in Rochdale will see council tax bills go up – but it’s not all bad news

  People in Rochdale will see their council tax bills go up from April. But it’s not all bad news. 

• Middleton man jailed after CCTV shows axe attack that left victim with collapsed lung

  A 38 year old man has been jailed for more than 12 years after carrying out a planned axe attack on a man in Middleton, leaving him with life threatening injuries.

• Three teenage boys charged after knifepoint robbery in Prestwich

  Three teenage boys have been charged with a series of offences following a knifepoint robbery on Bury New Road in Prestwich on Tuesday evening.

• Dancing to She’s Electric and waving banners from a bus, Labour make one final push to stop the unthinkable

  As ‘She’s Electric’ blared from an open top bus, Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell started dancing to gee her up activists one final time. It’s the Labour Party’s last day of campaigning ahead of the Gorton and Denton by-election, and the mood has been surprisingly jolly.

• Three-way fight goes to the wire in Gorton & Denton

  As polling day draws closer, the contest in Gorton & Denton appears to be a tight three-way race. Polling by Opinium Research, released on Tuesday evening, shows the Greens and Labour with a narrow lead, both sitting on 28%, with Reform just a point behind on 27%. Some will have already cast their vote through postal voting, but many will be heading to one of the 45 polling stations that are in the constituency.

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Local Sports

• Shakers maintain perfect run with emphatic win in top-of-the-table clash

  In a Friday night top of the table clash Bury emerged victorious over Lower Breck. A storming second half saw the Shakers score three goal casting off their demons and beating the Merseyside club for the first time in Liverpool.

• Rochdale Hornets beaten by Hunslet as Faraimo scores five at Crown Oil Arena

  Rochdale Hornets suffered their first league defeat of the 2026 Betfred Championship season as Hunslet ran in eight tries in a 42 to 6 win at the Crown Oil Arena.

• Rochdale extend unbeaten run with comfortable win over Woking

  Rochdale remain top of the Enterprise National League after a 3 to 0 home victory against Woking on Saturday, extending their unbeaten start to 2026.

• Bury cruise past Sporting Khalsa as Stepans and Touray record fifth straight win

  First half goals from Rustam Stepans and Mo Touray were enough to complete a comfortable victory for Bury over Sporting Khalsa at Gigg Lane.

• Managing director Andy Duff to step down at end of 2025 to 2026 season

  Rochdale AFC has confirmed that managing director Andy Duff will leave his role at the end of the current 2025 to 2026 campaign.

• Hornets fight back to maintain unbeaten start with win over Keighley

  Rochdale Hornets came from behind to secure a 24 to 10 victory over Keighley Cougars and preserve their 100 per cent start to the new Betfred Championship season.

• Bury Council approves £4.5 million investment in leisure centres

  Bury Council has approved £4.5 million of investment to improve its leisure centres in Ramsbottom and Bury town centre.

• Rochdale and York MPs back campaign for extra National League promotion place

  The MPs for Rochdale and York have joined forces to support a national campaign calling for two automatic promotion places from the National League, as they joked about which of their clubs will finish top this season.

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Lifestyle

• REVIEW: Sequins, sass and survival as Priscilla struts into Manchester

  The 30th anniversary tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert has arrived at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, bringing disco anthems, striking costumes and a story rooted in love and resilience to the city until 28 February 2026.

• Whitefield women’s-only gym helping community cohesion

  It’s an experience that will be familiar to many women. You’re at the gym, minding your own business, maybe belatedly trying to put some of those new year’s resolutions into action.

• Beloved community and cafe to be broken up by Prestwich demolition

  It’s the end of the morning rush at You & Me cafe in Prestwich’s condemned Longfield Centre.

• Rochdale Culture Awards finalists revealed ahead of Town Hall ceremony

  Nineteen individuals, creatives and organisations have been shortlisted for this year’s Rochdale Culture Awards, with winners set to be announced at Rochdale Town Hall on Friday 27 March.

• Heywood 1940s Day is at risk without urgent call for volunteers

  Organisers of Heywood 1940s Day have warned the popular event may not go ahead this year unless more volunteers come forward within the next five days.

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Greater Manchester

• Greater Manchester Police prepare for Brit Awards debut in Manchester

  Greater Manchester Police have confirmed a comprehensive policing operation is in place as the Brit Awards take place in Manchester for the first time. The ceremony will be held tonight at the Co Op Live arena.

• Hannah Spencer elected new MP for Gorton and Denton

  Hannah Spencer has been elected the new Green MP for the constituency of Gorton and Denton. Spencer succeeds former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who resigned on health grounds earlier this year.

• Lucy Powell appears to concede defeat in Gorton and Denton by-election

  Labour’s Deputy leader Lucy Powell has appeared to concede defeat in the Gorton and Denton by-election. 

• 🟥 LIVE: Updates from the Gorton and Denton by election count

  Voters in Gorton and Denton will decide their next Member of Parliament tonight, with the result expected in the early hours of Friday morning.

• Dancing to She’s Electric and waving banners from a bus, Labour make one final push to stop the unthinkable

  As ‘She’s Electric’ blared from an open top bus, Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell started dancing to gee her up activists one final time. It’s the Labour Party’s last day of campaigning ahead of the Gorton and Denton by-election, and the mood has been surprisingly jolly.

• REVIEW: Sequins, sass and survival as Priscilla struts into Manchester

  The 30th anniversary tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert has arrived at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, bringing disco anthems, striking costumes and a story rooted in love and resilience to the city until 28 February 2026.

• "I want to earn trust back in Politics": Hannah Spencer talking about the upcoming By-Election

  The Green Party candidate, Hannah Spencer, has spoken to Roch Valley Radio about the By-Election and her ambitions if she was to be elected on the 26th February, saying the election will be decided by "a handful of votes".

• Cafe near Old Trafford fined more than £10,000 after rat infestation and allergen breach

  A cafe close to Old Trafford has been fined more than £10,000 after environmental health officers found evidence of rats and uncovered a serious allergen failure during separate inspections.

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Local Entertainment

• REVIEW: Sequins, sass and survival as Priscilla struts into Manchester

  The 30th anniversary tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert has arrived at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, bringing disco anthems, striking costumes and a story rooted in love and resilience to the city until 28 February 2026.

• Review: Operation Mincemeat turns wartime deception into a five star musical

  Just as the real Operation Mincemeat was a plan that shouldn’t have worked, the idea of turning it into a musical feels equally improbable.

• Rochdale Culture Awards finalists revealed ahead of Town Hall ceremony

  Nineteen individuals, creatives and organisations have been shortlisted for this year’s Rochdale Culture Awards, with winners set to be announced at Rochdale Town Hall on Friday 27 March.

• Heywood 1940s Day is at risk without urgent call for volunteers

  Organisers of Heywood 1940s Day have warned the popular event may not go ahead this year unless more volunteers come forward within the next five days.

• EXCLUSIVE first look inside the transformed Heywood Civic

  Roch Valley Radio has been given an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Heywood Civic ahead of the official launch, offering the first look at a landmark redevelopment that will see the venue reopen as a fully accessible cultural and community hub.

• Crowdfunder launched to create mural honouring Stone Roses and Primal Scream legend Mani

  A community crowdfunder has been launched to create a large scale mural in Failsworth honouring Gary Mani Mounfield, the former bassist of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream, while raising money for Maggie’s Centre in Manchester.

• More than 100 volunteers power Roch Valley Radio as World Radio Day 2026 is marked

  World Radio Day is today, 13 February 2026, and is a moment to celebrate the impact of broadcasting across the globe, it is also a chance to recognise the people behind the microphone who keep local radio alive every single week.

• Review: Single White Female, Manchester Opera House

  Single White Female is one of those films loads of people remember from the 90s, the kind of thriller you’d stick on with friends and end up shouting at the screen by the end.

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Elections

• Together for Bury selects Greg Keeley as Tottington by election candidate

  Together for Bury has confirmed that former councillor Greg Keeley will stand for the party in the forthcoming Tottington by election.

• Hannah Spencer elected new MP for Gorton and Denton

  Hannah Spencer has been elected the new Green MP for the constituency of Gorton and Denton. Spencer succeeds former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who resigned on health grounds earlier this year.

• Lucy Powell appears to concede defeat in Gorton and Denton by-election

  Labour’s Deputy leader Lucy Powell has appeared to concede defeat in the Gorton and Denton by-election. 

• Observers report high levels of family voting in Gorton and Denton by election

  Accredited election observers have reported what they describe as unusually high levels of family voting during the Gorton and Denton Westminster Parliamentary by election.

• The count begins as polls close in Gorton and Denton by-election

  The polls have officially closed in the Gorton and Denton by-election. It follows a dramatic campaign, full of twists and turns. 

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UK

• Starmer is cautious on Iran because he knows the chaos Trump's strikes could trigger

  Sir Keir Starmer is treading a characteristically cautious diplomatic path in his response to the attacks on Iran by the US and Israel.

• One dead and others injured at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports - as missile threat grounds flights

  One person has died and seven have been injured after an "incident" at Abu Dhabi's Zayed airport, while four were also hurt at Dubai International - reportedly due to an overnight Iranian attack.

• Skydiver dies after jump in Devon

  A 49-year-old man has died after jumping from a plane in Devon on Saturday afternoon.

• Minister resigns after row over 'reprehensible material' gathered on journalists

  Josh Simons has resigned as a Cabinet Office minister amid a controversy over a thinktank he used to run, which was accused to paying a PR firm to investigate journalists.

• Who is Josh Simons - and why has the ex minister resigned?

  Josh Simons may not be well known outside of Westminster, but his name has generated much controversy in recent weeks - and now he has resigned.

• Brits 2026: Olivia Dean dominates awards, winning album of the year

  Olivia Dean has dominated this year's Brit Awards, winning album of the year, artist of the year, best pop act and song of the year.

• Back my asylum overhaul or risk Trump inspired ICE-style raids, warns Mahmood

  Shabana Mahmood is set to introduce new legislation to overhaul the UK's asylum system as part a tougher approach to migration.

• Thinking of paying off student loan early? You should know about expert's £60,000 rule | Money newsletter

  More than 165,000 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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Entertainment

• Brits 2026: Olivia Dean dominates awards, winning album of the year

  Olivia Dean has dominated this year's Brit Awards, winning album of the year, artist of the year, best pop act and song of the year.

• Brit Awards 2026: The surprise performers, tributes, and bits you might not have seen

  Manchester legends, suprise appearances from Bjork and Dua Lipa, and a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne complete with a message from Dolly Parton - this was the Brit Awards 2026.

• Brit Awards 2026: The full list of winners

  Brit School graduate Olivia Dean was the queen of this year's Brit Awards, taking four gongs including album of the year.

• Brit Awards fashion 2026 - all the best looks from the red carpet

  The Brit Awards exist to celebrate the stars behind the best music of the past year - but the red carpet is all about the fashion.

• Neil Sedaka, singer of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and Laughter In The Rain, has died

  American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka has died aged 86.

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Sport

• Pep Guardiola tells fans to 'respect religion' after Ramadan break booed during Man City's win at Leeds

  Pep Guardiola urged fans to "respect religion" after audible boos were heard during a brief stoppage to allow a number of players to end their Ramadan fast in Man City's win at Leeds.

• Erling Haaland injury: Pep Guardiola unsure on when Man City striker will return and complains about fixture schedule

  Pep Guardiola admits he is not sure when Erling Haaland will return from injury after the Manchester City striker missed his team's win over Leeds on Saturday.

• Hull KR coach Willie Peters delivers seething verdict on massive Super League loss to Leeds Rhinos in Las Vegas: We let our fans down

  Hull KR head coach Willie Peters said his side delivered their worst performance under him as they "let their fans down" with a 58-6 loss to Leeds Rhinos in Las Vegas.

• Liverpool finally exploit value of set pieces and Granit Xhaka's impact key in Sunderland improvement - Premier League hits and misses

• England Lions match in Abu Dhabi cancelled amid Middle East crisis

  A match between England Lions and Pakistan Shaheens, scheduled ‌for Sunday in Abu Dhabi, has been cancelled after the United States and ‌Israel launched strikes on Iran, the England and Wales Cricket Board have confirmed.

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Strange

• 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.

• Obama says aliens 'are real' - but he hasn't seen any

  Barack Obama has said aliens are "real" in an interview, before later taking to social media to clarify his comments.

• 'Britain's loneliest sheep', Fiona, gives birth for first time

  "Britain's loneliest sheep" has given birth for the first time.

• Fire-juggling unicyclist caught performing on crossing

  Police have caught a man juggling fire while riding a unicycle on a pedestrian crossing.

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Videos

• Netflix withdraws Warner Bros bid as Paramount offer declared 'superior'

  Paramount Skydance is on course to win the Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) takeover battle after rival Netflix stepped away.

• Trump has tipped the Middle East into a massive war that could last weeks

  Donald Trump has rolled the dice again, stunning the world by choosing the most extreme option over Iran.

• Trump's furious response to Anthropic is as much about power as it is about AI safety

  In the most clear and consequential policy move on AI safety yet, the Trump administration has announced it will blacklist a leading AI lab over its refusal to allow unfettered access to its technology for military purposes.

• The US war against Iran marks a new era of conflict and peril

  The world's autocrats, from Vladimir Putin to Xi Jinping, will surely be sleeping a little less easy after the death of Iran's supreme leader in an operation backed by Donald Trump.

• Green's stunning by-election win proves Polanski surge is real - but what now for Starmer?

  At the wedding venue in Gorton and Denton the Green Party chose for the news conference to mark a seismic by-election victory on national television, it was clear that Zack Polanski and his team were new to all of this.

• Paranoia and absolute power: Ali Khamenei led Iran with supreme self-confidence

  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled Iran for decades, fuelled by paranoia, absolute power and a belief in his own divine destiny.

• Back my asylum overhaul or risk Trump inspired ICE-style raids, warns Mahmood

  Shabana Mahmood is set to introduce new legislation to overhaul the UK's asylum system as part a tougher approach to migration.

• AI willing to 'go nuclear' in wargames, study finds - amid 'stand-off' between Pentagon and leading AI lab

  As the deadline looms for a leading AI lab to hand over its tech to the US military, a study has appeared suggesting AI models are more than willing to go nuclear in wargames.

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Politics

• Starmer is cautious on Iran because he knows the chaos Trump's strikes could trigger

  Sir Keir Starmer is treading a characteristically cautious diplomatic path in his response to the attacks on Iran by the US and Israel.

• Minister resigns after row over 'reprehensible material' gathered on journalists

  Josh Simons has resigned as a Cabinet Office minister amid a controversy over a thinktank he used to run, which was accused to paying a PR firm to investigate journalists.

• Who is Josh Simons - and why has the ex minister resigned?

  Josh Simons may not be well known outside of Westminster, but his name has generated much controversy in recent weeks - and now he has resigned.

• Greens' stunning by-election win proves Polanski surge is real - but what now for Starmer?

  At the wedding venue in Gorton and Denton the Green Party chose for the news conference to mark a seismic by-election victory on national television, it was clear that Zack Polanski and his team were new to all of this.

• Back my asylum overhaul or risk Trump inspired ICE-style raids, warns Mahmood

  Shabana Mahmood is set to introduce new legislation to overhaul the UK's asylum system as part a tougher approach to migration.

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Technology

• Trump's furious response to Anthropic is as much about power as it is about AI safety

  In the most clear and consequential policy move on AI safety yet, the Trump administration has announced it will blacklist a leading AI lab over its refusal to allow unfettered access to its technology for military purposes.

• AI willing to 'go nuclear' in wargames, study finds - amid 'stand-off' between Pentagon and leading AI lab

  As the deadline looms for a leading AI lab to hand over its tech to the US military, a study has appeared suggesting AI models are more than willing to go nuclear in wargames.

• Collagen supplements 'may boost skin health' but they're not an 'anti-wrinkle quick fix', study suggests

  Collagen supplements should not be seen as a "quick fix" for wrinkles, experts have said, but they do have "legitimate" benefits.

• Vegetarian diet can slash risk of five cancers by up to 30%, study finds

  A vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of five types of cancer by as much as 30%, a study has found.

• 'Miracle' boy expected to be paralysed due to spina bifida able to walk after ground-breaking surgery in the womb

  A three-year-old boy who would almost certainly have been born paralysed because of a severe spinal abnormality is able to walk after having ground-breaking stem cell surgery while still in the womb.

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World

• The US war against Iran marks a new era of conflict and peril

  The world's autocrats, from Vladimir Putin to Xi Jinping, will surely be sleeping a little less easy after the death of Iran's supreme leader in an operation backed by Donald Trump.

• Paranoia and absolute power: Ali Khamenei led Iran with supreme self-confidence

  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled Iran for decades, fuelled by paranoia, absolute power and a belief in his own divine destiny.

• One dead and others injured at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports - as missile threat grounds flights

  One person has died and seven have been injured after an "incident" at Abu Dhabi's Zayed airport, while four were also hurt at Dubai International - reportedly due to an overnight Iranian attack.

• Iranians take to streets with different reactions to death of supreme leader Ali Khamenei

  Iranians have been seen taking to the streets to react to the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in video clips that began to emerge after the attack on Saturday.

• Big blasts heard over Dubai as people run for cover from Iranian missiles

  The US and Israel have begun a war with the apparent aim of toppling Iran's regime - and we are beginning to learn the consequences.

• Trump has tipped the Middle East into a massive war that could last weeks

  Donald Trump has rolled the dice again, stunning the world by choosing the most extreme option over Iran.

• Where has been hit? Iran retaliates across Middle East after US-Israel strikes

  Multiple locations in Iran have been targeted by joint US-Israel strikes, and Tehran has launched retaliatory missiles across the region.

• Trump launches war against Iran

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Business

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

• Paramount strikes deal to buy Warner Bros Discovery for $110bn

  Paramount has struck a $110bn deal to buy Warner Bros Discovery.

• Thinking of paying off student loan early? You should know about expert's £60,000 rule | Money newsletter

  More than 165,000 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.

• Netflix withdraws Warner Bros bid as Paramount offer declared 'superior'

  Paramount Skydance is on course to win the Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) takeover battle after rival Netflix stepped away.

• AI willing to 'go nuclear' in wargames, study finds - amid 'stand-off' between Pentagon and leading AI lab

  As the deadline looms for a leading AI lab to hand over its tech to the US military, a study has appeared suggesting AI models are more than willing to go nuclear in wargames.

• Ocado to cut 1,000 jobs under restructuring plan

  Ocado is to cut around 1,000 jobs as part of a plan to slash costs and restructure its operations.

• EU not doing enough to stop Russian shadow fleet, European Parliament president says

  European countries are continuing to fund Russia's war in Ukraine by buying oil and gas, the president of the European Parliament has admitted.

• AI bubble remains intact for now as Nvidia continues to defy expectations

  The world's most valuable company has reported another series of expectation-defying results, lessening fears, for now, of an AI bubble bursting.

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Rochdale Council Leaders Column

• Council leader’s column: Why Middleton’s regeneration and this year’s budget matter for our borough

  When I became leader of the council in 2021, I set out my vision for the borough, key priorities and the services local residents want and expect the council to deliver.

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Rochdale Council Mayors Column

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