News

Two men from Manchester arrested in connection with the murder of Aya Hachem

Aya Hachem, 19, was killed in a shooting near her home in Blackburn on 17th May.

The Manc The Manc - 7th July 2020
Lancashire Police

Lancashire Police have made two further arrests in connection with the murder of Aya Hachem from Blackburn.

Aya Hachem, 19, was killed in a shooting near her home in Blackburn on 17th May.

Lancashire Police have today confirmed that a 30-year-old from Manchester was detained by Spanish police after a European Arrest Warrant was executed in Fuengirola on Saturday 4th July, and a 33-year-old Manchester man has been arrested today on suspicion of assisting an offender in connection with the murder.

In an official statement released today, Lancashire Police said: “Police in Spain have made an arrest in relation to the murder of Aya Hachem, 19, from Blackburn.”

“The 30-year-old from Manchester was detained after a European Arrest Warrant was executed in Fuengirola on Saturday (July 4th).”

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“He is being held on suspicion of Aya’s murder and the attempted murder of the man officers believe was the target of the shooting which killed her on Sunday, May 17th. He is currently subject to the extradition process so he can be brought back to Lancashire and be charged with the offences.”

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“In addition, today (Tuesday, July 7th), a 33-year-old Manchester man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, with warrants being executed at addresses on Grassmere Road and Moss Lane in Partington, Manchester. Searches are on-going at those properties.”

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“The total arrested in connection with Aya’s death now stands at 21.”

“Of these:

  • Seven people have been charged with her murder and the attempted murder of the intended target of the shooting
  • Two people have been released on bail pending further enquiries
  • Eight people have been released under investigation
  • Two people in custody (one of those is in Spain)
  • Two people have been released without charge.”

Lancashire Police would like to continue to remind people that information or video footage in relation to this inquiry can still be sent via the Major Incident Public Portal here.

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Anybody with any other information can contact Lancashire Police on 101, quoting log number 0412 of May 18th, or anonymously via independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

This is a breaking news story – More to follow.

News

Some of the best St. Patrick’s Day deals, offers and specials in Manchester city centre this year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Best St Patrick's Day deals offers and specials in Manchester 2026

St Patrick’s Day 2026 is nearly upon us, and we can’t wait to drink a river of Guinness, sing old Irish classics, dance a jig and be generally merry.

It’s a good job we know exactly where to make the most of the festivities then, isn’t it?

The best Paddy’s Day deals and offers around Manchester | 2026

1. Cheap Guinness and brilliant, beefy pies at The Black Friar – Salford

First up on our list this year, the beautiful Black Friar pub and bistro over on the edge of Salford is doing £4.50 Guinness for St. Patrick’s Day 2026 – one of the best prices you’ll find in town these days.

But that’s not all: they’re also doing a special Guinness and Beef Pie special, which you can grab with a pint of the good stuff for £17, plus £15 bottles of wine, as well as beers and cocktails for just a fiver. You can book a table HERE.

Credit: Supplied/The Manc Group

2. St Patrick’s Day specials at Hello Oriental – Oxford Road

More of a fun little one-off rather than a deal or discount, per se, but when we saw that even pan-Asian food hall Hello Oriental was getting involved with Paddy’s Day, we couldn’t ignore it.

As well as they’re already viral spice bags, they’re also doing a Black Bean Guinness Noodles dish – available with chicken or completely vegan – and we’ll admit we’re very keen to try it for ourselves.

@the.manc The salt and pepper spice bag has landed at @Hello Oriental MCR – but the big question is, are you going sweet and sour or curry sauce? 🤤 #themanc #manchester #spicebag #irish #ireland #manchesterfood #manchestereats #hellooriental #saltandpepper #takeaway #takeawayfood #manchestercitycentre #manchesterfoodie ♬ original sound – The Manc

3. Lots of the black stuff at Black Cat Club – Central

No-nonsense here: £5 pints of black gold, £2.50 shots of Baby Guinness, and a special ‘Frozen Fat Frog’ cocktail, which is basically an alcoholic slushie with Blue WKD, Smirnoff Ice and Orange Bacardi Breezer.

They’ve also got a special Irish-themed food menu for the weekend, too, including Guinness-glazed wings, spice bags, which can be enjoyed with crispy chicken and chip shop curry sauce.

Plus, there are always games to be played. (Credit: The Manc)

4. A big St. Patrick’s Day party on Peter Street – Deansgate

Albert’s Schloss remains one of the best nights in town for all seasons, so it’s no surprise that they’re throwing a smashing St. Patrick’s Day bash every year.

This time around, there’ll be ‘Kunst Kabarat’, Celtic comfort foods like pie, Irish boxty and sticky toffee pudding serving out of the Cook Haus, as well as prizes to be won like free merch, drinks tokens and even £100 off your bill. Tickets are available now.

Credit: Albert’s Schloss (supplied)

5. Free entry and MUCH more at O’Malleys – Portland Street

At the other end of the spectrum, you could argue that free entry isn’t anything too spectacular, but it’s becoming increasingly common on Paddy’s Day, and luckily, O’Malleys has lots of other stuff going on too – all the way until 4am.

How about merch, ‘Seflie Guinness’ (with you face on) from their ‘Stoutie’ machine, a happy hour running from 3-6pm on 16, 18 and 20 March, with £6 cocktails, £4 selected beers/ciders, £18 house wine and £5 Guinness available? Oh, and they also do bottomless Guinness brunches, too, so yeah – there’s plenty.

6. Guinness pastries, pies and plenty of pints at O’Connell’s – Oxford Road

It may not be the Thirsty Scholar anymore, but what that does mean is they go extra ham over at O’Connell’s at this time of year nowadays – and they’re bringing back an exclusive fan favourite special as well.

As well as the recent and extremely popular beef and Guinness collab with V. Goode Pies returning for the day, they’ve also teamed up with Half Dozen Other to create a Guinness Pain Suisse – yes, really – which will serve as arguably the best pub snacks in the entire city come 17 March 2026.

Credit: The Manc Eats/Half Dozen Other (via Instagram)

7. 50% off special Paddy’s Day cocktails at Slug & Lettuce – Piccadilly (only)

Everyone knows the Slug, it doesn’t need any introduction – BUT, they’ll likely be busy all week around Paddy’s Day and do have a banging offer this year.

They’re doing a Paddy’s Apple and Lemonade made with the brand’s fruity Irish whisky, topped with apple juice and lemonade for half price between 16 March and 12 April, when you download the MiXR app ahead of time. Simple as that.

Read more:

Now, this is by no means a comprehensive list; we just thought we’d put you on to a few good ones we’ve seen in and around the city.

And, of course, if you spot any good St. Patrick’s Day deals in Manchester, do let us know and drop them in the comments for everyone to make the most of.

We hope you enjoy the celebrations, and please drink responsibly.

Before you leave us, you might as well check out some of our favourite Irish pubs and bars in the area for Paddy’s Day 2026…

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The very best Irish pubs and bars in Manchester

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/supplied

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Ofcom says tech and social media platforms ‘must enforce’ their minimum age rules

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Social media phone

Ofcom has issued an urgent warning, calling on major sites and apps to enforce their minimum age rules with highly-effective age checks.

As it examines continued failings by these services, the online safety regulator says it has this week written to the major sites and apps that young people use the most – including Facebook, Instagram, Roblox, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube – requiring them to prove to parents a ‘genuine commitment’ to protecting children online.

Since the UK’s online safety laws came into force last year, Ofcom says it has been investigating nearly a hundred different services.

The regulator has taken enforcement action, secured changes to disrupt the sharing of child sexual abuse material, and seen high-risk services either get in line or block access to the UK altogether, as well as ensuring that millions of daily visits to porn sites now require highly effective age checks.

Major platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, Discord, and Reddit have also introduced age controls to prevent children accessing adult or harmful content.

But still, there is more that needs to be done.

“While there are many examples of progress to be welcomed, the industry has not done enough,” Ofcom said in a damning statement.

It claims parents, carers, and guardians have ‘lost trust in tech firms’ ability to keep their children safe’, even despite the Government is consulting on further legislative measures to address public concern.

Four ‘clear’ demands for further action have been set out by the regulator this week – effective minimum-age policies and reinforcement of these, strict child grooming protections, safer feeds and algorithms for children, and an end to product testing – particularly AI tools – on children.

People on mobile phones
Ofcom says tech and social media platforms ‘must enforce’ their minimum age rules / Credit: Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)

Ofcom says it has given the aforementioned platforms a deadline of 30 April to report back to it on the action they will take, and then the following month, the regulator will report on how the companies have responded and announce any next steps for regulatory action.

Speaking on the warning issued this week, Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, said: “These online services are household names, but they’re failing to put children’s safety at the heart of their products.

“There is a gap between what tech companies promise in private, and what they’re doing publicly to keep children safe on their platforms.

Read more:

“Without the right protections, like effective age checks, children have been routinely exposed to risks they didn’t choose, on services they can’t realistically avoid. That must now change quickly, or Ofcom will act.”

Featured Image – Julian Christ (via Unsplash)

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