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Local News

• ‘Devastated’ family pay tribute as police investigate death of Bacup man Luke Harden

  A murder investigation is under way after the death of 36-year-old Luke Harden in the early hours of Saturday morning in Bacup. His family say they are “devastated” and described him as a loving son, brother, and friend.

• Estate worried about what’s next for ‘Rochdale’s Chernobyl’

  Tearing down trees next to ‘Rochdale’s Chernobyl’ sparked fear back in 2004. Over two decades later, the same fear remains.

• Rochdale grooming gang member Adil Khan vanishes during deportation process

  A convicted child sex offender from the notorious Rochdale grooming gang has absconded from the UK, Greater Manchester Police has confirmed.

• Postal voters warned to re-apply or risk losing their vote ahead of 2026 deadline

  Rochdale Borough Council has reminded thousands of residents they must re-apply for postal voting by January 2026 or risk being removed from the postal register due to new national rules.

• Man in his 20s stabbed outside Rochdale Wetherspoons as police launch investigation

  A man has been taken to hospital after being stabbed outside a busy pub in Rochdale town centre in the early hours of this morning.

• Middleton locals react to their last bank closing

  The last bank in Middleton will soon close its doors, leaving locals feeling ‘disgusted’.

• Trams running again after major repairs to Victorian tunnel completed on time

  Services between Crumpsall and Bury have resumed after urgent repairs were carried out on a historic Metrolink tunnel to ensure safety for decades to come.

• Greater Manchester Police targets human trafficking gangs in new crackdown on immigration crime

  A specialist GMP unit is dismantling criminal networks exploiting migrants through fake documents, sham marriages, and modern slavery

• Man dies after being pulled from River Irwell as police launch investigation

  A man who was rescued from the River Irwell in Salford has died in hospital, prompting an investigation by Greater Manchester Police into how he came to be in the water.

• Gold rush for Middleton as town has a double-win in Britain in Bloom 2025

  Middleton's community effort and green pride land a double victory at the RHS competition

• Man dies after being found injured on Bacup street as murder probe launched

  Two arrested as police appeal for witnesses following fatal incident in Bacup.

• Tesco hikes price of bags for life to 40p in UK-wide supermarket change

  Tesco has raised the cost of its reusable carrier bags, sparking frustration among some shoppers while the supermarket says the move supports sustainability goals.

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Greater Manchester

• ‘Devastated’ family pay tribute as police investigate death of Bacup man Luke Harden

  A murder investigation is under way after the death of 36-year-old Luke Harden in the early hours of Saturday morning in Bacup. His family say they are “devastated” and described him as a loving son, brother, and friend.

• Rochdale grooming gang member Adil Khan vanishes during deportation process

  A convicted child sex offender from the notorious Rochdale grooming gang has absconded from the UK, Greater Manchester Police has confirmed.

• Trams running again after major repairs to Victorian tunnel completed on time

  Services between Crumpsall and Bury have resumed after urgent repairs were carried out on a historic Metrolink tunnel to ensure safety for decades to come.

• Greater Manchester Police targets human trafficking gangs in new crackdown on immigration crime

  A specialist GMP unit is dismantling criminal networks exploiting migrants through fake documents, sham marriages, and modern slavery

• Man dies after being pulled from River Irwell as police launch investigation

  A man who was rescued from the River Irwell in Salford has died in hospital, prompting an investigation by Greater Manchester Police into how he came to be in the water.

• Man dies after being found injured on Bacup street as murder probe launched

  Two arrested as police appeal for witnesses following fatal incident in Bacup.

• Police step up patrols as Halloween and Bonfire Night approach in Greater Manchester

  Officers promise robust action against antisocial behaviour as part of 'Darker Nights' campaign

• Crumpsall terror attack victim’s family thanks public for overwhelming support

  The family of Melvin Cravitz say messages, vigils and small acts of kindness have brought strength in the wake of a devastating synagogue attack

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Local Entertainment

• True crime stage show with live psychopath test coming to Rochdale this November

  Rochdale true crime fans are being invited to test their own inner darkness as a nationwide live show exploring staged murders arrives in town next month.

• Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Littleborough as youth theatre brings magic to the stage

  Families across Rochdale are invited to take a journey to Oz this half-term, as the Holy Trinity Youth Theatre Workshop prepares to stage its own version of The Wizard of Oz in Littleborough.

• TV gardening star Frances Tophill digs into homelessness support and young talent in Rochdale

  A group of Rochdale schoolchildren got their hands dirty for a good cause, thanks to TV gardener Frances Tophill, who joined forces with a Manchester garden centre to support a homelessness charity.

• Bullying and abuse claims shake Sound of Music cast in St Gabriels ADMS amdram group

  Multiple cast members speak out as theatre group fails to respond to serious safeguarding allegations before show’s next performance.

• EXCLUSIVE: Rochdale’s Touchstones cultural heart is being rebuilt for everyone

  Roch Valley Radio was given exclusive access to the extensive renovation of Touchstones Rochdale, where scaffolding and sawdust are giving way to a bold new vision for the borough’s cultural future.

• REVIEW: “Tradition!” roars Tevye as Fiddler on the Roof returns to Manchester

  With heart, humour and haunting clarity, the Palace Theatre’s revival of Fiddler on the Roof is more than a musical, it’s a mirror held up to history and today’s world.

• Festive magic arrives in Bury as North Pole Safari Trail transforms town centre

  Free augmented reality trail, festive lights switch-on and family events launch Christmas celebrations in Bury

• Rochdale’s music legacy takes centre stage with iconic Cargo Studios reunion

  Rochdale’s rich musical heritage was centre stage at a packed launch event marking the beginning of a new borough-wide celebration called ‘Rochdale Music Stories’, featuring big names like Peter Hook, Clint Boon and Andy McCluskey.

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Local Sports

• Bury back to winning ways with home win against Kidsgrove

  Back at home and back to winning ways Bury comfortably swept aside Kidsgrove Athletic 2-0 at Gigg Lane thanks to second half goals from Tyler James and Kai Evans.

• MP joins basketball club to back grassroots sport in Bury North

  Bury North MP James Frith took to the court with under-10s at Elton Basketball Club during a recent visit, praising the club’s grassroots spirit and its impact on local youth.

• Heywood hockey hero teen netminder Jack Morton wins gold in Spain without conceding a single goal

  A 13-year-old schoolboy from Heywood has stunned the international inline hockey scene after returning from Spain with a gold medal and an unbeaten record in goal.

• Mayfield Movers raise over £6,500 in epic 52-mile charity walk to Blackpool

  A team of determined Rochdale fundraisers have smashed their first major challenge, raising thousands for local good causes on a gruelling 52-mile walk from Rochdale to Blackpool.

• New five-court padel club approved as demand to play the sport rockets

  A five-court padel club is to be built to cater for ‘rapidly growing demand’ to play the sport.

• Rochdale’s Muhammad Ali honoured as UK’s first diabetic pro boxer to stay undefeated

  Muhammad Ali, a professional boxer from Rochdale who was the first diabetic athlete in the UK to receive a licence to fight, has been formally recognised by the World Boxing Council for his trailblazing achievements.

• Bury’s winning run ends in the Black Country as Sporting Khalsa strike twice

  Bury suffered a dark day down in the Black Country as they were soundly beaten 2-0 by Sporting Khalsa bringing their recent winning run to a sudden halt.

• From Rochdale to Las Vegas as brothers bring home jiu-jitsu world titles

  Rochdale MP celebrates Perez brothers’ international jiu-jitsu victories

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UK

• 'I thought I was going to die': Passenger tells of panic during knife attack on train

  A student has told how she thought she "was going to die" during a mass stabbing on board a high-speed train.

• Police rehearsed a knife attack scenario on a train line in March - here's what went differently this time

  British Transport Police held an emergency exercise for press officers in March, which ironically involved a stabbing on a train travelling south near Huntingdon.

• 'They've got a knife, I've been stabbed': Eyewitness recalls horror attack on high-speed train

  A passenger who witnessed a mass stabbing on board a high-speed train heading for London told Sky News he heard someone yelling: "They've got a knife. I've been stabbed."

• Andrew could be stripped of remaining honorary military title, defence secretary says

  Andrew Mountbatten Windsor could be stripped of his honorary rank of vice admiral, the Defence Secretary has said.

• Vitor Pereira sacked as Wolves manager just weeks after signing new contract, as club remains winless and bottom of the Premier League

  Wolves have sacked head coach Vitor Pereira, with the club sitting bottom of the Premier League table and without a win this season.

• Temperatures in UK expected to be warmer than usual this week

  Temperatures early next week are expected to be above average in the UK for the time of year, forecasters have said.

• How and when to see the beaver supermoon - the biggest full moon of the year

  The biggest supermoon of the year will be visible in skies for multiple days next week. 

• Kemi Badenoch 'rebuilding' Tory party as she marks first year as leader

  Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said she is "rebuilding" the party as she marks her first year in the job.

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Entertainment

• Forget the gym - a 'cultural workout' could be the key to better health

  Culture lovers have long believed in the healing power art. Now, science has caught up, with new research showing it has measurable benefits on the body.

• Thieves steal more than 1,000 items from museum's collection in 'brazen' heist

  Thieves have stolen more than 1,000 items from a museum's collection in California, including jewellery, carvings and Native American artefacts.

• Man jailed after burgling Damien Hirst's studio while wearing GPS tag

  A man who burgled one of Damien Hirst's studios and was caught by police who traced the movements of his GPS-enabled ankle tag has been jailed.

• 'We're having the time of our lives': Westlife on 25 years of touring, family fame and fans

  They were one of the main staples of noughties music in the UK and Ireland and to celebrate 25 years of touring, Westlife have returned to the spotlight again.

• Presenter Kirsty Gallacher 'still in shock' after being attacked in street

  Kirsty Gallacher has been flooded with well wishes from famous friends after a stranger attacked her in central London.

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Sport

• Vitor Pereira sacked: Wolves dismiss Portuguese boss after winless Premier League start and Carabao Cup defeat

  Wolves have sacked head coach Vitor Pereira after their winless start to the Premier League season continued with a 3-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday.

• Wolves sack Vitor Pereira: Gary O'Neil and Rob Edwards of interest as club search for new head coach

  Gary O’Neil and Rob Edwards are two managers of interest to Wolves in their search for a successor to Vitor Pereira, who was sacked on Sunday.

• Wolves sack Vitor Pereira: Recruitment errors and poor team selections - how it went wrong for the Portuguese coach

  The final image of Vitor Pereira on the pitch as Wolves manager was a damning one. As the away supporters at Craven Cottage chanted for him to be sacked in the morning, there was applause for the Brazil international midfielders Andre and Joao Gomes.

• Will Still sacked: Southampton part ways with manager after 13 games with club three points above Championship relegation zone

  Southampton have sacked manager Will Still.

• Women's Cricket World Cup: India beat South Africa by 52 runs in epic final as Deepti Sharma stars for hosts in Navi Mumbai

  India have won the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time after a thrilling 52-run victory over South Africa in a rain-delayed final in Navi Mumbai.

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Strange

• Glasgow Central: Rush-hour delays after swan found on tracks at major UK railway station

  Rail passengers in Scotland faced major delays and cancellations during Monday evening's rush hour after a swan was found on the line at the country's busiest railway station.

• Police in Derbyshire solve mystery of crocodile found in canal

  Police hunting for a crocodile in Derbyshire have said the search turned out to be "more fluff than fear".

• Long-lost Spanish treasure worth $1m discovered off Florida coast

  Long-lost Spanish treasure worth an estimated $1m (£740,000) has been discovered off the coast of Florida.

• Ashraf Mahrous: Egypt's 'strongman' wrestler pulls ship using his teeth

  An Egyptian wrestler is hoping he has set a world record after pulling a 700-ton (635,000kg) ship with his teeth.

• Pokemon pushes back against ICE deportation video - joining list riled by Trump administration

  Pokemon has said it did not give permission for the show's popular theme song to be used in a video showing deportations posted by the US government.

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Videos

• Andrew urged to 'be a man' and tell police about his time with Epstein

  Andrew Mountbatten Windsor should “be a man” and tell police about the time he spent with Jeffrey Epstein, a lawyer representing some of his victims has said.

• 'They've got a knife, I've been stabbed': Eyewitness recalls horror attack on high-speed train

  A passenger who witnessed a mass stabbing on board a high-speed train heading for London told Sky News he heard someone yelling: "They've got a knife. I've been stabbed."

• Hurricane Melissa leaves 28 dead after tearing through Jamaica

  A total of 28 people have died following Hurricane Melissa's rampage across Jamaica, the government has confirmed.

• Police rehearsed a knife attack scenario on a train line in March - here's what went differently this time

  British Transport Police may have been in a better position to respond to the Huntingdon stabbing because in March it held an emergency exercise in which a man went berserk with a knife on a train travelling south of Peterborough.

• 'I thought I was going to die': Passenger tells of panic during knife attack on train

  A student has told how she thought she "was going to die" during a mass stabbing on board a high-speed train.

• Government warned against 'deplorable' budget strategy

  The government hinting at a rise in income tax at the budget only to not go through with it in a bid to win over voters would be "deplorable", according to Labour peer Harriet Harman.

• Climate change made Hurricane Melissa four times more likely, say scientists

  Hurricane Melissa was made four times more likely by climate change, according to a study.

• 'Significant' step in establishing national restorative justice programme for Post Office victims

  A "significant" step has been taken in establishing a national restorative justice programme for victims of the Post Office's Horizon IT scandal.

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Politics

• Kemi Badenoch 'rebuilding' Tory party as she marks first year as leader

  Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said she is "rebuilding" the party as she marks her first year in the job.

• Reform councillor defects to Tories after becoming 'uncomfortable' with party

  A Reform UK councillor has defected to the Tories after becoming "uncomfortable" with Nigel Farage's party.

• PM won't discipline chancellor despite 'regrettable' email oversight in rental licence row

  Sir Keir Starmer has said Rachel Reeves will face no further action over her "inadvertent failure" to obtain a rental licence for her south London home.

• Government warned against 'deplorable' budget strategy

  The government hinting at a rise in income tax at the budget only to not go through with it in a bid to win over voters would be "deplorable", according to Labour peer Harriet Harman.

• Rachel Reeves survives permit row, but questions it raises cut deeper

  Rachel Reeves was never going to resign over her failure to apply for a permit to rent out her house in south London.

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Technology

• Apple and Amazon defy expectations with latest results

  Tech giants Apple and Amazon have defied industry predictions with better-than-expected financial results.

• Before and after images of Jamaica show destruction left by Hurricane Melissa

  The scale of the destruction left by Hurricane Melissa as it tore across Jamaica is now being revealed by the first photos taken by satellites.

• Climate change made Hurricane Melissa four times more likely, say scientists

  Hurricane Melissa was made four times more likely by climate change, according to a study.

• TikTok accused of 'backtracking' on safety commitments

  TikTok is being accused of "backtracking" on its safety commitments, as it puts hundreds of moderator jobs at risk in its London office. 

• How and when to see the beaver supermoon - the biggest full moon of the year

  The biggest supermoon of the year will be visible in skies for multiple days next week. 

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World

• Hurricane Melissa leaves 28 dead after tearing through Jamaica

  A total of 28 people have died following Hurricane Melissa's rampage across Jamaica, the government has confirmed.

• Two Louvre jewellery heist suspects 'convicted over theft in 2015'

  Two of the suspects in the Louvre jewellery heist were convicted of involvement in the same theft case a decade ago, French prosecutors have revealed.

• Five German mountaineers die and two rescued after avalanche in Italy

  Five German mountaineers have died in an avalanche in northern Italy.

• Nigeria responds to Donald Trump's threat of military action due to 'slaughter' of Christians

  Nigeria has responded to Donald Trump's threat of military action by suggesting it would welcome help tackling Islamist insurgents, but insists America must respect its sovereignty.

• At least 26 people dead after Kenya landslide

  At least 26 people have died and 25 others are still missing after a landslide in western Kenya during heavy rains.

• Remains of three more hostages handed over by Hamas, says Israel

  The remains of three more hostages have been handed to the Red Cross in Gaza, according to Israel.

• As Russia marks Stalin's political repression, some fear the country's dark history could repeat itself

  In the shadow of the headquarters of Russia's FSB security service, formerly the home of the Soviet-era KGB, people came to lay flowers this week.

• Tense days ahead as tens of thousands line streets for anniversary of Novi Sad tragedy

  The organisers said they didn’t want people to bring banners or whistles, and there were no political speeches. Today was about commemoration, not protest.

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Business

• Murdoch-backed Brave Bison in £50m bid for M&C Saatchi division

  A deal-hungry London-listed marketing group backed by Rupert Murdoch and Lord Ashcroft, the former Tory treasurer, has made a £50m approach to buy a division of M&C Saatchi.

• City tycoons plot cash shell float to fund $5bn takeover deal

  A group of senior City figures is in talks to raise hundreds of millions of pounds for a new listed vehicle that would be used to target a major corporate takeover.

• 'Significant' step in establishing national restorative justice programme for Post Office victims

  A "significant" step has been taken in establishing a national restorative justice programme for victims of the Post Office's Horizon IT scandal.

• Former TGI Fridays chief in move to snap up UK chain 

  The manager of the bulk of TGI Fridays' restaurants around the world has swooped to buy its British operations in a deal which preserves all 2,000 jobs at the chain.

• Apple and Amazon defy expectations with latest results

  Tech giants Apple and Amazon have defied industry predictions with better-than-expected financial results.

• TikTok accused of 'backtracking' on safety commitments

  TikTok is being accused of "backtracking" on its safety commitments, as it puts hundreds of moderator jobs at risk in its London office. 

• Trump's upbeat opinion of his meeting with Xi brushes over thornier issues

  For all the brinkmanship, for all the high stakes and attempts to wield maximum leverage, in the end, there was clear recognition from both the US and China that a degree of stabilisation was necessary.

• Donald Trump says tariffs will be cut after 'amazing' meeting with Xi Jinping

  Donald Trump has described crucial trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as "amazing" - and says he will visit Beijing in April.

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Rochdale Council Leaders Column

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Rochdale Council Mayors Column

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