overhaul

A MASSIVE UK train station is set to shut for 9 days for a “once-in-a-lifetime overhaul”.

Network Rail are investing £8million in the upgrade in order to reduce future disruptions on train services.

Manchester Piccadilly train station is set to receive track and signalling upgrades in February next year.

The southern approach to station was built in the 1980s and upgrades to its critical stretch of track has been due for some time.

Network Rail explained that issues with its outdated infrastructure can disrupt all trains running in and out of Manchester.

This amounts to around 400,000 trains into the station every year.

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In a prior warning to passengers, they have advised that no trains from the south and east of the city will run into Manchester Piccadilly.

This will last for nine days over February half term (Saturday 14 – Sunday 22).

Some trains from across the north will also be impacted as well as direct connections to Manchester Airport station.

Services normally running to and from Manchester Piccadilly will terminate at other stations, including Stockport.

Platforms 1-12 will be closed but the concourse will remain open to the public.

There will be a limited service westbound from platforms 13 and 14.

More detailed information about alternate travel plans are to follow in due course.

Julien Dehornoy, Network Rail’s North West & Central deputy regional managing director, said: “We’re investing £7.9m in renewing the Piccadilly corridor, a stretch of track critical to the journeys of around 400,000 trains into Manchester every year.

“This work is going to significantly reduce disruption for the many passengers who regularly use this route.

“Once the job is done, we will have a better, more reliable railway. 

“The major overhaul over six railway lines can only take place during a full railway closure and we are working closely with train operators, TfGM and Manchester City Council on alternative travel plans to keep people on the move.

“The full details on which will be published in mid-November.” 

Days after a photo went viral showing damage that the aircraft carrier USS Truman incurred during a February collision with a freighter was apparently painted over, the Navy released an explanation.

“The exterior cosmetic damage to USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) sustained from the collision will get repaired during the ship’s upcoming Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding as planned,” a Navy official said. “Immediately following the collision, while in Souda Bay, Greece, new bulkheads were installed inside each of the damaged spaces to establish weathertight integrity.”

The carrier is expected to begin RCOH in the next twelve months. We have reached out the Navy for a firmer date.

Truman was damaged during a collision with the cargo ship M/V Besiktas-M off the coast of Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea.

A photo taken at the time showed multiple large tears through a sponson on the starboard side of the stern end of the ship near one of the aircraft elevators. It was unknown at the time whether there was damage elsewhere. You can see the damage in the following photo taken at the time.

About a week after the collision, Truman was back at sea conducting routine operations after being in port in Greece for repairs. The Navy announced at the time that Truman waas conducting routine operations in the Mediterranean after leaving Greece’s Souda Bay following a so-called Emergent Repair Availability (ERAV). The carrier first arrived in Souda Bay for the ERAV, which was immediately preceded by a more comprehensive damage assessment, on Feb. 16.

The photo showing the painted-over damage was taken on Monday, during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the vessel in Norfolk, Virginia, to celebrate the Navy’s 250th birthday. Though the event was attended by thousands, the damage was partially hidden from view by a huge Navy banner.

It was not until the photo appeared on social media that questions were raised about the existing damage and why it hadn’t been repaired. We reached out to the Navy on Monday and finally received the aforementioned response.

“The U.S. Navy’s ability to rapidly repair its warships anywhere in the world is a testament to our lethality and the warfighting advantage of relationships with Allies and partners,” the Navy official added on Friday. “RCOH is a multi-year project, performed only once during a carrier’s 50-year life and includes refueling of the ship’s two nuclear reactors, as well as significant repair, upgrade and modernization work.”

We will continue to monitor the progress of repairs to the Truman and provide updates when available.

Contact the author: [email protected]

A huge theme park that once attracted half a million visitors in a single year has been left to rot for over a decade. However, it could soon be transformed into something completely different

A creepy, abandoned theme park that has been left to rot for 13 years could finally be handed a fresh breath of life.

Constructed back in 1983, and themed around the legends of King Arthur, the Magical Kingdom of Camelot attracted a staggering 500,000 annual visitors back in its heyday. Renowned for its grand white castle entrance, the theme park – which went through several ownerships – boasted several scream-inducing rides and roller coasters including Whirlwind and Excalibur.

The Knightmare roller coaster, which came to the park towards the end of 2006, is believed to have cost £3 million to build – and quickly became one of the most beloved attractions at the park. However, as the years went on – Camelot’s popularity started to plummet.

READ MORE: Huge abandoned UK underground station frozen in time walked over by millions

By 2005, the theme park, located in Chorley, Lancashire, was only attracting around 336,000 annual visitors – and in 2012, it closed to the public for good. Experts over at Together Money, who offer mortgage and loan products, valued Camelot Theme Park – which sits on some 140 acres – at a whopping £800 million.

It’s therefore no surprise the abandoned site has attracted the attention of property developers, namely Story Homes who want to build a huge housing estate on the land. The company applied to bulldoze the theme park and build similar schemes back in 2017 and 2019, but both applications were refused over objections on the use of greenbelt land.

However, developers have submitted a fresh application to Chorley Council outlining their plans to construct a mega residential development. This consists of up to 350 homes (50 per cent of which would be classed as affordable), a 186.9 square metre community hub, along with ‘associated habitat creation, landscaping, open space, parking, footpaths, cycleways, drainage and other infrastructure’.

“The vision for the site is to deliver a development that provides an exceptional quality of place, underpinned by the highest standards of design and sensitive placemaking,” the supporting planning application statement reads. “The proposed development will deliver the homes that people need, responding to the acute housing and affordability crisis in the Borough by delivering the type, tenure and quality of market and affordable housing, alongside community infrastructure, that will create and support a new community.

“The vision for the site is supported by a generous landscape led masterplan that respects the wider Green Belt and woodland context and provides new green spaces, green infrastructure and habitats as a fundamental element of a new landscape framework.”

At the time of writing, the planning application has received a dozen public comments – with the overwhelming majority slamming the proposals. One furious resident said it would ‘destroy’ the local villages, adding: “There’s absolutely no benefit to this except a money grab for a small group of people. This needs rejecting permanently what an absolute disgrace.”

They argued such construction would ‘destroy wildlife, overload services, increase traffic and lower village house prices’. Another agreed, scathing: “I formally object to the proposed development of 350 houses on the grounds of its significant and detrimental impact on the local area. The development would dramatically increase vehicle traffic on narrow, rural roads that aren’t designed to accommodate such volumes. This would lead to a rise in noise pollution and pose safety risks to pedestrians, cyclists, and existing residents.”

Others argued the development would put too much constraint on local amenities and lead to overcrowding – suggesting the site should be turned into a leisure development instead. However, not everybody seemed to disagree with the application.

One person commented: “There are too many keyboard warriors who don’t know the facts and basically don’t want any more housing in the area. As long as the development is sympathetic to the local nature, I think it is an ideal use of a brownfield site.”

First Homes has published noise impact, air quality, transport, and preliminary roost assessments – along with documents detailing its ecological appraisal. All of these can be viewed here.

The application was validated on Friday, June 20, 2025, and is currently awaiting decision.

Should the development go ahead? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

One of Spain’s most infamous party regions is distancing itself from rowdy Brits through a series of brutal clampdowns, and a multi-million pound regeneration that has just completed its first phase

A popular Spanish resort appears to be ditching its boozy reputation thanks to a major transformation.

For years, Majorca’s infamous town of Magaluf has become synonymous with rowdy, drunken Brits, cheap alcohol, and blaring nightclubs. The Magaluf Strip, officially known as Calle Punta Ballena, was the place for Stag and Hen Dos, as well as those wanting to get so drunk they’d forget all about the ‘I HEART SPAIN’ tattoo they had inked on their bum cheek the night before.

However, as anti-tourist sentiment gains momentum across Spain and the Balearics – it seems Magaluf’s party-mad status is about to change. The town has already cracked down on binge-drinking and anti-social behaviour through a series of brutal rules. This includes all-inclusive resorts capping alcoholic beverages to just six a day, while bar crawls and public drinking are both prohibited.

READ MORE: Beautiful country witnessing 5.7m tourism boom hit with FCDO warning

The clamp-down has slowly altered Magaluf’s questionable image, paving the way for a fresh start. This has recently been epitomised by a huge promenade refurbishment that was inaugurated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony last weekend (Sunday, June 22).

The promenade, which is now called Paseo Marítimo having been renamed after the founder of Meliá Hotels International, Gabriel Escarrer Julià, has undergone a ‘complete rearrangement and beautification’ with all of its infrastructure and services being ‘renewed’. This includes new lighting, sewage systems, street furniture, and an irrigation network.

As previously reported, 650 metres of the promenade has been revamped in the initial phase, starting at the corner of the famous Nikki Beach and extending to Pirates Square. The work also includes the introduction of artificial sand dunes and palm trees grouped to form a ‘small oasis area’.

According to Daily Majorca Bulletin, the refurb has been funded thanks to a €4 million grant from the EU Next Generation funds as well as €1 million of tourist tax revenue (equating to around £4.28 million). It is believed the second phase, which is also being partly funded by tourist taxes, will commence later this year – as early as November.

Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual, who attended the inaugural event, is said to have highlighted the ‘importance’ of the work that has been completed, arguing it is a further landmark in the ‘transformation of Magaluf’ which aims to bring about a ‘change in image’. While the impact of British tourists wasn’t explicitly mentioned, it’s clear the town is trying to distance itself from its party-mad past.

To mark the work being complete, the town hall is believed to have organised a ‘special day of events’. This includes a Gastro Fair, beach sport games, and a folk dance, reports local media.

Brits keen to check out Magaluf’s new and improved image can fly directly from a slew of major UK airports, including London, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast. If you’re flexible with dates, you can grab return fares for as little as £28 in July.

Accommodation in Magaluf is equally affordable, home to a slew of no-thrills apartments, hostels, and cheap hotels. For example, a week’s stay (July 21-28) at the three-star HSM Don Juan will set you back £1,161. This is based on two people sharing.

However, if you want a more luxurious week away in the sun, check out Sol Barbados. This beachfront hotel boasts its very own waterpark and outdoor pool, as well as kids’ entertainment, modern rooms, and a 24-hour front desk. Staying here on the exact same dates costs £2,402.

*Prices based on Skyscanner and Booking.com listings at the time of writing.

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June 6 (UPI) — Several thousand veterans converged on the National Mall on Friday at a rally among 200 events nationwide against a proposed overhaul that includes staffing reduction and some services shifted.

The Veterans Administration counters the new proposed budget is higher than last year, processing of claims have sped up and it’s easier to get benefits.

Veterans, military families and others participated in the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, which was the Allies’ amphibious invasion of German-occupied France.

The protests, which were organized by a union, took place at 16 state capitol buildings and more than 100 other places across 43 states.

“We are coming together to defend the benefits, jobs and dignity that every generation of veterans has earned through sacrifice,” Unite for Veterans said on its website. “Veteran jobs, healthcare, and essential VA services are under attack. We will not stand by.”

Speakers in Washington included Democrats with military backgrounds: Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, former Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and California Rep. Derek Tran.

There were signs against President Donald Trump, VA Secretary Doug Collins and Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire who ran the Department of Government Efficiency. They said those leaders are betraying the country’s promises to troops.

“Are you tired of being thanked for our service in the public and stabbed in our back in private?” Army veteran Everett Kelly, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, asked the crowd.

“For years, politicians on both sides of the aisle have campaigned on their support of veterans, but once they get into office, they cut our benefits, our services. They take every opportunity to privatize our health care.”

The Trump administration plans to cut 83,000 VA staffers and shift more money from the federal health care system to private-sector clinics.

The administration’s proposed budget for the VA, released on Friday, slashes spending for “medical services” by $12bn – or nearly 20% – an amount offset by a corresponding 50% boost in funding for veterans seeking healthcare in the private sector.

The Department of Veterans Affairs employs approximately 482,000 people, including 500,000 workers at 170 hospitals and 1,200 local clinics in the nation’s largest health care system.

In all, there are 15.8 million veterans, which represents 6.1% of the civilian population 18 years and older.

VA officials said the event was misguided.

“Imagine how much better off veterans would be if VA’s critics cared as much about fixing the department as they do about protecting its broken bureaucracy,” VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz said in a statement to UPI. “The Biden Administration’s VA failed to address nearly all of the department’s most serious problems, such as rising health care wait times, growing backlogs of veterans waiting for disability compensation and major issues with survivor benefits.”

Kasperowicz told UPI disability claims backlog is already down 25% since Trump took office on Jan. 20 after it increased 24% during the Biden administration.

He said VA has opened 10 new healthcare clinics around the country, and Trump has proposed a 10% budget increase to $441.3 billion in fiscal year 2026.

The administration’s proposed budget for the VA reduces spending for “medical services” by $12 billion – or nearly 20% – which is offset by a 50% boost in funding for veterans seeking healthcare in the private sector.

Kasperowicz said the “VA is accelerating the deployment of its integrated electronic health record system, after the program was nearly dormant for almost two years under the Biden Administration.”

The event was modeled after the Bonus Army protests of the 1930s, when veterans who served in World War I gathered in the nation’s capital to demand extra pay denied after leaving the service.

Irma Westmoreland, a registered nurse working at a VA hospital and the secretary-treasurer of National Nurses United, told the crowd in Washington: “It’s important for every person to keep their job, from the engineering staff to the housekeeper to the dietary staff. When cuts are made, the nursing and medical staff will have to pick up all their work that needs to be done.”

One of the UK’s most beloved holiday park brands, Haven, has unveiled ambitious plans to transform its Kent Coast site with a hefty £10 million investment – and work has already begun

A giant holiday park is ploughing a whopping £10 million to transform one of its sites, as it promises guests there will ‘never be a moment to be bored’.

Haven – which has 38 sites dotted along the Great British coastline – is upgrading its Kent Coast resort to create a brand new swimming complex. It will feature a splash activity zone, falling rapids slide, and see the current outdoor pool be converted into another huge indoor pool.

The huge investment follows previous refurb work, including a new state-of-the-art 1,200-seater venue with big screens, an outdoor terrace, and a bar and kitchen. Kent Coast’s arcade also recently had a makeover – joining the Creative Studio space where guests can unleash their creativity with activities like pottery making and Make a Bear.

READ MORE: Three UK seaside towns set for £150m Butlin’s boost with eyes on ‘fourth site’

Alongside the swimming pool investment, Haven invested £1.35 million into opening a new J D Wetherspoon pub, The London Stone, which opened back in March. This was part of a much wider £6.7 million investment after the holiday park partnered with the pub chain to open three other JDW sites at Devon Cliffs, Cleethorpes Beach, and Haggerston Castle.

The expansion of its J D Wetherspoon partnership is also part of a broader £8.3 million boost to enhance food and beverage offerings in 2025. This has already resulted in two new Burger Kings opening up at Hopton Holiday Park and Lakeland Holiday Park.

Haven told the Mirror it is also working on ‘modernising’ its holiday home accommodation and adding more pitches across its portfolio. Work on Kent Coast Holiday Park began at the end of 2024, and is due to be completed by the end of the year.

In a statement sent exclusively to the Mirror, Simon Palethrope, CEO of Haven said the £10 million investment will create a ‘brilliant new experience’ for holidaymakers. “Whether it’s the thrill of the new Falling Rapids, enjoying a splash in the new AquaPlay centre or toddlers learning to swim in the new Confidence Water area, there’s something for everyone,” he added.

“To add to this, grabbing a bite in our new J D Wetherspoon pub, taking part in Haven’s Adventure Village, or simply relaxing in one of our stylish holiday homes, there’s never going to be a moment to be bored. With pool works already underway and due for completion by the end of 2025, we look forward to welcoming guests to enjoy an even more memorable stay.”

The park remains open as usual, and Haven has vowed to keep disruption to a minimum. If you’re wanting to book a staycation at the park, four-night breaks start from just £49.

*Prices based on Haven listings at the time of writing.

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May 24 (UPI) — President Donald Trump signed four executive orders to overhaul the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and hasten the process and deployment of new nuclear power reactors in the United States.

They allow agencies to build reactors on federally owned land, revamp the NRC, create new timelines for construction permits, and expand domestic uranium production and enrichment capabilities.

Trump on Friday signed the orders called: Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security and Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base.

Nuclear executives joined Trump, including Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez, who leads the largest operator of nuclear plants in the U.S.

Constellation wants to restart operations at Three Mile Island, aiming to bring the Unit 1 reactor back online in 2028. The Unit 2 reactor at Three Mile Island was the site of a partial meltdown in 1979.

“We’re wasting too much time on permitting and we’re answering silly questions, not the important ones,” the Constellation CEO said.

The agency is also reviewing whether to restart the mothballed Palisades plant in Michigan.

Dominguez said nuclear energy is best-suited to support artificial intelligence data center needs with consistent, around-the-clock service.

Between 1954 and 1978, the United States authorized construction of 133 civilian nuclear reactors at 81 power plants. Since 1978, the NRC has authorized a fraction of that number, and only two reactors have entered into commercial operation.

“Instead of efficiently promoting safe, abundant nuclear energy, the NRC has instead tried to insulate Americans from the most remote risks without appropriate regard for the severe domestic and geopolitical costs of such risk aversion,” according to one of the executive orders.

Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, who now heads the Nuclear Threat Initiative and Energy Futures Initiative, said the moves could increase safety or security risks.

“Reorganizing and reducing the independence of the NRC could lead to the hasty deployment of advanced reactors with safety and security flaws,” Moniz, a nuclear physicist who served under President Barack Obama, said.

NRC overhaul

The 50-year-old independent NRC regulates nuclear reactors. The new executive order dictates reductions in force “though certain functions may increase in size consistent with the policies in this order, including those devoted to new reactor licensing.”

The NRC shall also create a team of at least 20 officials to draft the new regulations.

The order will not remove or replace any of the five commissioners who lead the body, according to the White House.

The NRC will work with the Department of Government Efficiency, the Office of Management and Budget, and other executive departments and agencies on the reorganization, according to the White House.

The public hearings process at the agency also will be streamlined, the executive order said.

New reactors

Trump’s orders also create a regulatory method for the departments of Energy and Defense to build nuclear reactors on federal land, the administration official said.

The commission will be required to decide on nuclear reactor licenses within 18 months and, within 60 days, the secretary of energy is expected to issue guidance on what counts as a qualified test reactor.

The order says that qualified test reactors can be safely operational at Department-owned or Department-controlled facilities within two years.

“Federal Government has effectively throttled the domestic deployment of advanced reactors, ceding the initiative to foreign nations in building this critical technology,” the order reads. “Our proud history of innovation has succumbed to overregulated complacency.”

Two new reactors that recently came online at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, Ga., took seven years longer than planned to build and came in $18 billion over budget.

The secretary of state is also expected to “aggressively pursue” at least 20 new agreements by the close of the 120th Congress “to enable the United States nuclear industry to access new markets in partner countries.”

“We’re also talking about the big plants — the very, very big, the biggest,” Trump said at the signing. “We’re going to be doing them also.”

Other changes

Another of the orders Trump signed seeks to fully leverage federally owned uranium and plutonium resources declared excess to defense needs.

Trump also wants a pilot program for reactor construction and operation outside the National Laboratories.

Within 240 days, the agencies are expected to develop management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste, and deployment of advanced fuel cycle capabilities “to establish a safe, secure, and sustainable long-term fuel cycle,” according to the order.

Additionally, the order directs the Department of Education to work toward increasing participation in nuclear energy-related apprenticeships and career and technical education programs.

Belgium has threatened to pull out of next year’s contest unless the current system – which is open to ‘manipulation’ – is changed

Big changes are expected to the Eurovision voting system next year after a string of complaints to organiser the European Broadcasting Union over potential vote-rigging. It comes after Israel finished in second place having won the public vote by a massive margin.

Several countries have now claimed that the current system, in which individuals can vote up to 20 times from one device, is open to “manipulation” and have demanded an investigation.

RTVE, Spain’s public broadcaster, and VRT, the Flemish public broadcasting company, are leading the drive for new rules, backed by Slovenia, Iceland, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands and Finland. It comes after Israel and Ukraine each won their semi-final, which are 100% decided by the public televote, with Israel then finishing second overall.

READ MORE: Doctor Who’s next two series already written despite ‘Disney funding cuts’

Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 7 October attacks by Hamas, scored a total of 357 points to come runner-up with her song New Day Will Rise.

Belgium was so incensed by the way the votes stacked up, they announced an intention to pull out next year “unless the voting system at the contest changes”.

The nation called for an investigation after Israel received 12 points from the Belgian public despite getting zero from the jury, made up of music industry professionals. It was the same story for Spain and the UK, where the result was met with widespread surprise given the ongoing war in Gaza.

Flemish MP Katia Segers said: “A system in which everyone can cast up to 20 votes is a system that encourages manipulation. Whether this manipulation occurred in our country and all other participating and non-participating countries must be investigated.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for Israel to be excluded from the contest, as Russia has been, saying: “There can be no double standards.”

The EBU’s Martin Green gave assurance that the voting system used was “the most advanced in the world” but added: “We remain in constant contact with all participating broadcasters of the Eurovision Song Contest and take their concerns seriously.”

One UK source said a return to the juries having a 50/50 vote at the semi-final stage, alongside the public, was now a likely outcome, along with a reduction in the number of votes allowed from each device.

“They can’t continue with the fiasco of televoting in its current form,” they said. “The public are voting for political reasons and it makes a mockery of the ESC being a supposed music competition.

“Juries are clearly voting Israel down to try to avoid a politically-motivated win, which undermines the whole contest. It’s a shambles.”

Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision provoked an angry backlash, coming after weeks of humanitarian aid being denied in Gaza, leading to thousands of Palestinian deaths. Protestors threw paint and tried to storm the stage during Yuval’s performance in Basel, Switzerland.

An open letter denouncing Israel’s entry and calling for the country to be banned was signed by 4,000 musicians, artist and music industry professionals from five Nordic countries.

UK fans were dismayed after Remember Monday scored the dreaded ‘nul points’ in the public televote and finished in 19th place. Referring to the UK being one of the “big 5” nations which pay for the competition and in return are guaranteed a place in the final, one said: “It’s time to stop funding this total farce.”

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