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Local News

• Vets warn festive food could be fatal for pets this Christmas

  Animal charity urges caution as nearly half of UK pet owners plan gifts for their pets.

• MP condemns Rochdale firm over ‘fire and rehire’ tactics before Christmas

  A Greater Manchester MP has condemned a Rochdale-based company in Parliament for trying to reduce workers’ pay just before Christmas using controversial employment tactics.

• Wheelchair-accessible ‘Pennine Queen’ boat launches at Hollingworth Lake

  A new chapter in inclusive outdoor activities has begun at Hollingworth Lake with the official launch of the ‘Pennine Queen’ a fully wheelchair-accessible Wheelyboat now available for community use.

• Rochdale Mayfield canteen to become community café thanks to lottery funding

  A long-standing part of Rochdale's rugby scene is getting a new lease of life, as Rochdale Mayfield ARLFC prepares to convert its old canteen into a modern community café.

• Magic, mayhem and mega laughs as Aladdin shines in Middleton

  A vibrant cast delivers festive joy in this year’s pantomime at Middleton Arena.

• The big ‘Bee Network Boats’ proposal Andy Burnham’s team ‘would support’

  It’s a warm May day in 2038, around 5:40pm. You’ve just finished work in MediaCity and you need to meet some friends in town by 6pm.

• Heavy delays near Prestwich and Simister Island after M60 breakdown blocks lanes

  Traffic is building around Prestwich and Simister Island this morning after a vehicle broke down on the M60

• Man charged with terrorism offences following synagogue-related arrest at Manchester Airport

• Bolton Cancer Voices to host festive concert at Bolton Parish Church

  A special evening of seasonal music is set to take place this weekend as Bolton Cancer Voices presents ‘Christmas With Friends’ at Bolton Parish Church.

• Rochdale Trading Standards win national award after £16 million fake goods seizure

  Rochdale’s Trading Standards team has been honoured with a national award for its leading role in protecting families from counterfeit goods and illegal drugs.

• Police appeal after man in his 20s stabbed in Rochdale

  Officers are appealing for information following a serious stabbing in the early hours of Saturday morning in Rochdale

• Rochdale MP hails record road funding to tackle potholes and improve journeys

  A major increase in road repair funding has been welcomed by Paul Waugh MP, who says the investment will make a real difference to Rochdale’s roads after years of decline.

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Greater Manchester

• The big ‘Bee Network Boats’ proposal Andy Burnham’s team ‘would support’

  It’s a warm May day in 2038, around 5:40pm. You’ve just finished work in MediaCity and you need to meet some friends in town by 6pm.

• Heavy delays near Prestwich and Simister Island after M60 breakdown blocks lanes

  Traffic is building around Prestwich and Simister Island this morning after a vehicle broke down on the M60

• Man charged with terrorism offences following synagogue-related arrest at Manchester Airport

• Two arrested after high-speed chase following Oldham burglary

  Two men have been arrested after a burglary in Oldham led to a 10-minute police pursuit reaching speeds of over 100mph.

• Wildlife Trust launches £1 Christmas appeal to restore local habitats

  Lancashire Wildlife Trust has launched a festive appeal encouraging residents to donate just £1 to help protect wild spaces and struggling species across the region.

• Critical Wanted Unit wins GMP’s top award after tracking most dangerous criminals in Greater Manchester

  Greater Manchester Police’s elite fugitive-hunting team has been named Team of the Year at the Chief Constable’s Awards, recognising its outstanding results in locating and arresting the region’s most dangerous criminals.

• REVIEW: Proud Mary moments and painful truths in Tina Turner’s unforgettable stage story

  A powerful portrayal of the rock legend's life hits all the right notes in Manchester.

• Top Hat Musical revival brings vintage glamour and strong performances to Manchester

  A night at Manchester Opera House brings 1930s Hollywood glamour to life with top-class performances and plenty of heart.

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Local Entertainment

• Magic, mayhem and mega laughs as Aladdin shines in Middleton

  A vibrant cast delivers festive joy in this year’s pantomime at Middleton Arena.

• REVIEW: Proud Mary moments and painful truths in Tina Turner’s unforgettable stage story

  A powerful portrayal of the rock legend's life hits all the right notes in Manchester.

• Top Hat Musical revival brings vintage glamour and strong performances to Manchester

  A night at Manchester Opera House brings 1930s Hollywood glamour to life with top-class performances and plenty of heart.

• Teenage musician sets sights on top Manchester music college

  BUDDING performer Isla Connell has been singing and playing instruments since primary school and is now hoping to land a place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

• Heywood AODS honours retiring President after 40 years at the helm

  Heywood Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society has paid tribute to its long-serving President, Keith Greenwood, during a surprise celebration marking his retirement after four decades of dedicated leadership.

• Exhibition train marking 200 years of rail travel to stop in Bury

  A free family-friendly exhibition train celebrating 200 years of modern railway history is set to arrive in Bury in January as part of a nationwide tour.

• Jeff Hordley to DJ at Chorlton’s Garden Bar in tribute to ‘lovely soul’ Mani

  Emmerdale actor and former Revolution 96.2 Presenter set to headline bar’s new event series

• Local theatre group is staging Oscar-winner's dark thriller in Ramsbottom

  A local theatre company is taking on one of the most challenging works by a modern Oscar-winning writer, with a week-long run at The Theatre Royal in Ramsbottom.

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Local Sports

• Rochdale Mayfield canteen to become community café thanks to lottery funding

  A long-standing part of Rochdale's rugby scene is getting a new lease of life, as Rochdale Mayfield ARLFC prepares to convert its old canteen into a modern community café.

• Tributes paid to former Rochdale academy player Ellis Robinson following his death aged 22

  Former Rochdale AFC academy player Ellis Robinson has died, nine years after suffering a life-changing spinal injury while playing football.

• Bury FC launches search for new men’s first team manager amid club restructure

  Bury Football Club is on the lookout for a new men’s first team manager following a senior restructure that sees Dave McNabb move into the role of Head of Football Operations.

• Late Dudley goal not enough as Ramsbottom fall to West Didsbury in Macron Cup

  West Didsbury and Chorlton visited the Riverside in murky, misty and gloomy conditions on Saturday.  The Macron Cup encounter offered a chance to step away from the league action and enjoy a knock-out contest pitting the top two in the North West Counties Premier Division against each other.

• Ramsbottom United smash City of Liverpool in eight-goal thriller on milestone day for manager

  Travelling supporters braved an icy wind interspersed with torrential rain and freezing conditions but it was well worth the effort for a match which will long live in their memories.

• Mayfield RL’s ‘Movers’ raise over £8,500 for Rochdale charities after 52-mile walk to Blackpool

  A group of dedicated volunteers from Mayfield Rugby League Club have raised £8,556.87 after completing a 52-mile sponsored walk from Rochdale to Blackpool in support of three local charitable causes.

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UK

• Man arrested after people 'pepper sprayed' in Heathrow suitcase robbery

  One man has been arrested, and further suspects are being traced, after 21 people needed medical attention following a "pepper spray" incident at London's Heathrow Airport.

• Lando Norris wins F1 World Championship after dramatic decider in Abu Dhabi

  Lando Norris won his maiden Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship on Sunday after coming third in the deciding showdown in Abu Dhabi.

• Mohamed Salah says he has been 'thrown under the bus' by Liverpool

  Liverpool star Mohamed Salah says he has been "thrown under the bus" by the club, and his relationship with manager Arne Slot has broken down.

• Young people may lose benefits if they don't engage with help from new £820m scheme, government warns

  Young people could lose their right to universal credit if they refuse to engage with help from a new scheme without good reason, the government has warned.

• Cruise ship stuck in port after shipping containers carrying bananas fall off cargo ship

  A cruise ship has been forced to delay its departure after shipping containers carrying bananas fell overboard from a cargo ship off the Isle of Wight.

• A peace deal isn't a sure thing, Zelenskyy's UK visit needs more than a warm welcome

  Volodymyr Zelenskyy is heading to Downing Street once again, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be keen to make this meeting more than just a photo op.

• British documentary photographer Martin Parr dies

  Martin Parr CBE, the famed British documentary photographer hailed as "a giant" of his craft, has died aged 73.

• England and Scotland fans discover where their opening World Cup games will be played

  England and Scotland fans have found out where their World Cup group games will be played when the tournament kicks off in June.

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Entertainment

• British documentary photographer Martin Parr dies

  Martin Parr CBE, the famed British documentary photographer hailed as "a giant" of his craft, has died aged 73.

• Piers Morgan's Uncensored nears £100m valuation after stake sale

  Piers Morgan, the broadcaster and journalist, is raising tens of millions of dollars of funding from heavyweight investors as he seeks to turn Uncensored, his YouTube-based venture, into a broad-based global media business.

• Netflix agrees blockbuster $72bn deal for Warner Bros studios

  Netflix has agreed a $72bn (£54bn) deal to secure Warner Bros Discovery's film and TV studios and supercharge its library through rights to top franchises including Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones.

• Celebrities join the Princess of Wales for a carol service to thank Britain's volunteers

  The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children have attended the Together at Christmas carol service where they were joined by Hollywood stars.

• Jamie Oliver revives high street Italian restaurant chain, six years after collapse

  Jamie Oliver is relaunching his high street chain, Jamie's Italian, six years after the business collapsed, causing hundreds of job losses.

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Sport

• Mohamed Salah plunges Liverpool future into doubt by saying Arne Slot relationship has broken down ahead of transfer window

  Mohamed Salah has plunged his Liverpool future into doubt and suggested next Saturday's game against Brighton could be his last for the club.

• NFL scores: Buffalo Bills stun Cincinnati Bengals after Joe Burrow's nightmare finish as Baltimore Ravens lose again

  The Buffalo Bills came from behind to deny the Cincinnati Bengals in a snowy thriller, while the Indianapolis Colts lost Daniel Jones to injury in a significant divisional defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

• Mitchell Lawrie, 15, described as 'future of darts' after 6-3 loss to Jimmy van Schie in WDF World Darts Championship final

  Rising star Mitchell Lawrie fell short in his bid for darting history as Jimmy Van Schie fought back from three sets down to claim a 6-3 victory in the WDF World Darts Championship final.

• Chelsea's record-breaking 34-game unbeaten run ends with shock defeat to Everton as Man City go six points clear- WSL round-up

  Chelsea's record-breaking 34-match unbeaten run in the WSL came to an abrupt end as they fell to a shock 1-0 defeat to Everton.

• Liverpool: Gary Neville hits out at Reds' inconsistency and errors after Leeds fight back for thrilling draw

  "Liverpool's implosion is real," said Gary Neville, after Arne Slot's defending champions blew a 2-0 and then 3-2 advantage at Leeds to draw 3-3 on Saturday Night Football.

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Strange

• Stolen Fabergé pendant passed to police - quite literally

  A Fabergé pendant has been recovered - after police spent six days closely monitoring the man accused of swallowing it.

• 'Drop and cover' earthquake alert turns out to be false alarm

  An earthquake alert preparing people to "drop, cover, hold on" buzzed on phones in the US on Thursday - but turned out to be completely false.

• Spirit animal: Raccoon gets drunk as a skunk in a booze store - and sleeps off hangover in the toilet

  A raccoon has gotten as drunk as a skunk.

• Is Die Hard a Christmas film? The public have spoken - and you might not like the result

  It's a debate that's torn families apart for years - with selection boxes thrown in rage, and stony silences around the dinner table.

• Runaway reindeer sparks emergency rescue operation in Merseyside

  "Christmas is saved" after a large search operation for a runaway reindeer found the animal on a beach in Merseyside, emergency services have said.

• Oxford Dictionary publisher reveals Word of the Year 2025 - do you know it?

  Don't get too upset, but 'rage bait' has been named by Oxford University Press as this year's Word of the Year, beating other online terms.

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Videos

• Child poverty strategy unveiled - but not everyone's happy

  A new long-awaited child poverty strategy is promising to lift half a million children out of poverty by the end of this parliament - but critics have branded it unambitious. 

• Man arrested after people 'pepper sprayed' in Heathrow suitcase robbery

  One man has been arrested, and further suspects are being traced, after 21 people needed medical attention following a "pepper spray" incident at London's Heathrow Airport.

• Inside a secret underground military base in eastern Ukraine

  A hidden, underground military base in eastern Ukraine is so secret, soldiers change into civilian clothes whenever they step outside to avoid drawing attention.

• England and Scotland fans discover where their opening World Cup games will be played

  England and Scotland fans have found out where their World Cup group games will be played when the tournament kicks off in June.

• President Trump may walk away from Ukraine peace process, his eldest son says

  Donald Trump's eldest son has said his father may walk away from the Ukraine peace process, claiming the issue is not a priority for Americans, and signalling Europe needs a better plan.

• Piers Morgan's Uncensored nears £100m valuation after stake sale

  Piers Morgan, the broadcaster and journalist, is raising tens of millions of dollars of funding from heavyweight investors as he seeks to turn Uncensored, his YouTube-based venture, into a broad-based global media business.

• Netflix agrees blockbuster $72bn deal for Warner Bros studios

  Netflix has agreed a $72bn (£54bn) deal to secure Warner Bros Discovery's film and TV studios and supercharge its library through rights to top franchises including Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones.

• Major city may have to evacuate as water supplies run low

  Iran's capital is counting down to "day zero" - the day the water runs out and the taps run dry.

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Politics

• Young people may lose benefits if they don't engage with help from new £820m scheme, government warns

  Young people could lose their right to universal credit if they refuse to engage with help from a new scheme without good reason, the government has warned.

• A peace deal isn't a sure thing, Zelenskyy's UK visit needs more than a warm welcome

  Volodymyr Zelenskyy is heading to Downing Street once again, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be keen to make this meeting more than just a photo op.

• Reform UK denies Nigel Farage broke electoral law

  Reform UK has denied claims of Nigel Farage breaking electoral law.

• Child poverty strategy unveiled - but not everyone's happy

  A new long-awaited child poverty strategy is promising to lift half a million children out of poverty by the end of this parliament - but critics have branded it unambitious. 

• Millionaire former Tory donor defects to Reform

  Millionaire Tory donor Malcolm Offord has defected to Reform UK, saying he would be campaigning "tirelessly" to "remove this rotten SNP government".

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Technology

• Prostate cancer treatment with potential for fewer side effects to be trialled in UK

  A groundbreaking trial for a prostate cancer treatment has been launched in the UK, with the hope of reducing the side effects.

• EU hands €120m fine to Elon Musk's X for breaking social media rules

  Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has been fined €120m (£105m) by the EU after it found rule breaches had left users vulnerable to scams and manipulation.

• Cloudflare: 'Large number of empty pages' on several websites after internet outage

  Several websites, including Linkedin, Zoom and Canva, went down after new issues with internet provider Cloudflare.

• Next week, one of the world's toughest social media bans will come into force

  Australia will introduce one of the world's toughest social media policies for children next week, with a ban that comes into effect on Wednesday.

• Major city may have to evacuate as water supplies run low

  Iran's capital is counting down to "day zero" - the day the water runs out and the taps run dry.

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World

• President Trump may walk away from Ukraine peace process, his eldest son says

  Donald Trump's eldest son has said his father may walk away from the Ukraine peace process, claiming the issue is not a priority for Americans, and signalling Europe needs a better plan.

• Nigerian government secures release of 100 abducted schoolchildren - reports

  Nigeria's government has secured the release of 100 schoolchildren who were abducted from a Catholic boarding school last month, according to local media.

• Lando Norris wins F1 World Championship after dramatic decider in Abu Dhabi

  Lando Norris won his maiden Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship on Sunday after coming third in the deciding showdown in Abu Dhabi.

• A peace deal isn't a sure thing, Zelenskyy's UK visit needs more than a warm welcome

  Volodymyr Zelenskyy is heading to Downing Street once again, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be keen to make this meeting more than just a photo op.

• Woman, 60, and young boy die in house fire

  A murder investigation is underway after a woman and young boy died in a house fire in Edenderry, Co Offaly.

• Hundreds of books at the Louvre damaged in water leak just weeks after £76m heist

  A water leak at the Louvre has damaged hundreds of books – just weeks after jewels worth £76m were stolen from the famous Paris museum.

• Inside a secret underground military base in eastern Ukraine

  A hidden, underground military base in eastern Ukraine is so secret, soldiers change into civilian clothes whenever they step outside to avoid drawing attention.

• At least 25 people dead after major fire at nightclub in Goa, India

  At least 25 people have been killed after a fire at a Goa nightclub, police in the Indian state have said.

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Business

• Events group CloserStill's owner picks banks for £1bn sale

  The owners of one of Britain's biggest trade show operators has picked bankers to oversee a sale next year which could fetch well over £1bn.

• Piers Morgan's Uncensored nears £100m valuation after stake sale

  Piers Morgan, the broadcaster and journalist, is raising tens of millions of dollars of funding from heavyweight investors as he seeks to turn Uncensored, his YouTube-based venture, into a broad-based global media business.

• Netflix agrees blockbuster $72bn deal for Warner Bros studios

  Netflix has agreed a $72bn (£54bn) deal to secure Warner Bros Discovery's film and TV studios and supercharge its library through rights to top franchises including Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones.

• Netflix flexes its muscles and could yet get its way in Trump's America

  Netflix’s $72bn takeover of Warner Brothers is a blockbuster in every sense.

• Oil prices are down but fuel prices aren't - here's why

  It's a debate that has raged since the end of the COVID pandemic but, despite regulatory scrutiny, it's fair to say there's been no clear answer to accusations that UK drivers pay over the odds for fuel.

• Poundland reveals more store closures - here's the full list

  Discount retailer Poundland has revealed another wave of store closures over the winter as part of turnaround efforts by the new owners.

• Jamie Oliver revives high street Italian restaurant chain, six years after collapse

  Jamie Oliver is relaunching his high street chain, Jamie's Italian, six years after the business collapsed, causing hundreds of job losses.

• Child poverty strategy unveiled - but not everyone's happy

  A new long-awaited child poverty strategy is promising to lift half a million children out of poverty by the end of this parliament - but critics have branded it unambitious. 

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Rochdale Council Leaders Column

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Rochdale Council Mayors Column

• Mayor reflects on a busy first half-year of community, culture and commemoration

  I am halfway through my mayoral year and it has been an inspiring and insightful six months. I have been to every part of the community, across our township areas of the Pennines, Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, visiting businesses, schools, care settings, charities, voluntary organisations, seeing at first-hand what makes our borough the amazing place it is to live, work and grow up in.

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