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Shorthand •

Anyone can play table tennis

Words by Toby Almond
Para table tennis has been part of the Paralympic Games since its launch in 1960. But it was only until 18 years later, when it’s Olympic counterpart made its debut.
Over the years, the sport’s nature has been completely transformed, from only allowing wheelchair users to compete, to having more than 40 million players worldwide.
Para table tennis also goes much further than just being a game. For many people living...
The Tab •

University tutors pay tribute to 'warm' Leeds student who died in Woodhouse Lane car crash

Tributes have been paid to a “warm” and “welcoming” student after he died following a serious crash in Leeds near the university.
Owen Ford, 18, died earlier this week following the incident on Woodhouse Lane, on March 5th.
He was taken to the to hospital in critical condition suffering life-threatening injuries after he had been hit by a silver Toyota Prius private hire car.
Police confirmed the student sadly died earlier this week.
Owen was studying aeronautical and aerospace engineering at th...
The Tab •

Man arrested on suspicion of raping a woman on Huddersfield University campus

The woman reported being attacked by a man who had offered to help her get home from a night outTW: This article includes mentions of SA and rape.
Police are investigating the report of a woman who claimed she was raped by a man she met on a night out in Huddersfield.
The woman told West Yorkshire Police officers she met the man at around 2am on Sunday (1st March), near to the McDonalds in the John William Street area, where he offered to help her get home.
The woman, who is in her 20s, said was...
Redditch Standard •

Holocaust to be remembered in Redditch

The first is an Outdoor Commemoration Service at the Redditch Holocaust Memorial Marker, Redditch Town Hall Centre, from 10.30am to 11am.

After this, is a ticketed indoor event will take place at the Ecumenical Centre, Evesham Street, from 11am until 1.45pm, where attendees will have the opportunity to hear a first-hand testimony from survivor of the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Leija Golos.

‘Bridging Generations’ is this year’s theme across the country, as a reminder that the responsib...
Bromsgrove Standard •

Bromsgrove MP Bradley Thomas backs social media ban for under-16s

Members promise to follow the example of Australia, which became the first country to introduce the policy last month.

Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch said her party would also aim to ban smartphones in school.

Mr Thomas said: “We must take action to stop children from being exposed to violence, pornography and extremist content.

“Experts warn this is a contributing to deteriorating mental health, poor sleep, isolation and knock-on effects for learning and behaviour.

“When I met with a lo...
Bromsgrove Standard •

What happens if Worcestershire loses power? County Council tests emergency communication

The exercise, held last month, brought together trained volunteer radio operators who set up specialist equipment on the Malvern Hills, Clee Hill and the Long Mynd.

The three sites allowed the counties to link council headquarters in Worcester, Hereford and Shrewsbury, using independent radio systems that do not rely on mobile networks, landlines or the Internet.

The test simulated how messages could be passed quickly between counties to help manage resources.

Coun Satinder Bell, Worcestershi...
Worcester Observer •

Bike Worcester launch flooding app for cyclists

It provides information regarding current river levels, using at Environmental Agency level monitors at Barbourne and Diglis.

Bike Worcester has reported previously on the increasing frequency of riverside paths flooding and the impact this has on people travelling by bike in the city.

Dan Brothwell, Chair of Bike Worcester said: “The app came out of a need from the cycling community to know whether the paths were flooded or not so they could plan their route accordingly.

“When the river leve...
Bromsgrove Standard •

Bromsgrove’s Harry Bennett Foundation set to mark it’s sixth anniversary

During their visit, Ian Smith, the High Sheriff of Worcestershire, Coun Samuel Evans, Chairman of Bromsgrove Council and Coun Sam Ammar spent time learning about HB9’s work across the district.

The foundation supports local young people and sports teams to help them access sporting opportunities which provide benefits to physical and mental wellbeing.

Harry’s passing had a profound impact on his family, friends and the South Bromsgrove High School community.

His parents, Andy and Yvette Benne...
Derbyshire Times •

‘It’s a huge problem for our roads’ says locals as Derbyshire sees the highest rise in pothole compensation claims

The survery, carried out by motoring group The RAC, found that pothole compensation claims to local authorities across the countyr have risen by an average of 91% from 2021 to 2024Derbyshire has seen the highest rise in pothole compensation claims, with Glasgow and Oxfordshire being second and third.In a freedom of information request, the RAC found that the number of claims in Derbyshire annually, has jumped from 224 in 2021, to a staggering 3,307 in 2024.However, the study also found that onl...
Greatest Hits Radio (West Yorkshire) •

Leeds woman in Bondi at time of shooting describes "sheer terror"

A woman from Leeds who was in Bondi at the time of the terrorist attack, described it as “sheer terror” after running to safety. Kelly Wright who is from Leeds, is on holiday in Sydney staying in Little Bay, down the coast from Bondi. She was sat trying to order drinks at a bar with her family and said: "Suddenly about 100 people came running towards us onto the pavilion terrace, we did what anyone would do as your human instinct and ran with them."“At this point we didn’t know why we were runn...
The Tab •

Leeds student's family call for police probe into her death after buying poison online

Grace Nevens’ family are challenging the police’s decision not to investigate the supplierThe family of a “kind” former University of Leeds student have called for a police investigation after she died following the ingestion of poison bought online.
Solicitors representing Grace Nevens’ family have questioned the police’s decision not to investigate the supplier, believing it is “likely” the person selling the poison would have inferred Grace intended to use it to end her life.
The 22-year-old,...
The Tab •

Keir Starmer has just revealed his favourite music from back when he was a Leeds student

The prime minister said studying at Leeds opened him up to ‘a new chapter of music’Keir Starmer has just revealed his favourite music from his days at the University of Leeds.
The prime minister said he’s a fan of the late 70s Scottish post-punk band Orange Juice – a group he discovered after moving to Leeds to study law.
“The whole cultural experience going from rural village life to a really busy, diverse, fantastic city like Leeds, and it came with a new chapter of music,” he told BBC Radio 3...
Leeds Now •

Leeds museums funding increase ‘vital’ to stay open

A Leeds Museum sharing just under £1m funding has said it is “absolutely essential” to keep it open.


The funding comes from a £20m pot from the government’s Museum Renewal Fund, where Leeds museums secured £952,000 of this.


“Currently there is a deficit in the local authority between what it costs to run museums and what is available, so receiving the funding is vital” said Christopher Sharp, the Keeper of the Leeds Industrial Museum.


The Museum Renewal Fund is part of the government’s...
Leeds Now •

Airedale Hospital workers vow to continue striking

Support workers at Airedale Hospital have vowed to continue striking until the “two-tier workforce” has been resolved.


Union members say the strikes are a response to pension, sick pay, annual leave, and Sunday working enhancements being poorer for staff not employed by the NHS.


Desa Bower, a catering hostess said: “I wanted to be treated fairly and to be able to retire with a good pension like my other colleagues will.”


“They’ll be retiring with a big pension and will be able to do nic...
Leeds Now •

Shipley performers take to the skies for the first time

Shipley performers have taken to the skies for the first time in an aerial show over the market square.


Bloom was the latest event part of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 which combined acrobatics, choir singing, dance and opera to celebrate the people of Shipley.


Many of the cast members were new to aerial performing and joined the training programme after auditioning with the contemporary circus company Upswing.


James Mounsey from Shipley was one fourteen artists who performed on th...
Leeds Now •

The area in Leeds where you’re twice as likely to have your bike stolen

The latest West Yorkshire Police data, made available on the Leeds Observatory has revealed that Little London and Woodhouse ward has remained the hotspot for bike theft in the city, with more than double the thefts than other areas.


From September 2023 – August 2024, there were reported 412 incidents, and 263 from July 2024 – June 2025.


The area has consistently seen double the amount of thefts than any other ward in Leeds, the second being Hunslet and Riverside with 131 thefts in the lat...
The Tab •

University of Leeds rises nine places in the Guardian University Guide 2026

Leeds Beckett and Leeds Trinity University also ranked higher than last year The University of Leeds has risen nine places in the Guardian University Guide 2026 Rankings.
Climbing the ratings to 28th, the university’s subjects made the top 10 of their respective tables.
This includes: Children’s nursing (6th), journalism (7th), media and film studies (7th), electrical and electronic engineering (8th), social work (8th), general engineering (9th) and dentistry (10th).
The university also came 11t...
The Tab •

Musical inspired by The Wedding Present will be set at the University of Leeds

Reception begins at the university, where the band was first formed The new musical Reception is set at the University of Leeds, and is inspired by the music from David Gedge and his bands The Wedding Present and Cinerama.
The backdrop for the musical is the summer of 1985, which is the same time The Wedding Present originally formed. A story of love and breakups, it questions whether friends should make the effort to keep in touch with each other throughout the years.
Audiences follow the lives...
The Tab •

Prospective University of Leeds medicine student killed in a hit-and-run

His family described him as a ‘one in a million, and adored by his brother and two sisters’A prospective University of Leeds medicine student has been killed in a hit-and-run.
Ashton Kitchen-White, 19, died after being hit by a red Ford Focus as he was crossing Middleton Ring Road, in Beeston Park, Leeds on Friday the 16th.
He was due to begin his studies to become a doctor at the University of Leeds.
West Yorkshire Police said Regan Kemp, 26, from St Just, Penzance, and Liam Miller, 24, from Po...