The home of Darlington RFC and Darlington Football Club, Blackwell Meadows, played host to the TeamLuke Family Fun Day.

TeamLuke Foundation chairman Mark Bell said: “Luke would have thrived in this environment.”

More than 1,600 people attended the TeamLuke Family Fun Day at Blackwell Meadows in Darlington to support a charity fundraiser in memory of Luke Bell (Image: Supplied)

“He would have enjoyed all the different activities we had on the day.

“Luke loved being around people and having fun. The family fun day captured that.”

The event was held in memory of Luke Bell, who sadly lost his life to neuroblastoma, a rare form of children’s cancer.

More than 1,600 people attended the TeamLuke Family Fun Day at Blackwell Meadows in Darlington to support a charity fundraiser in memory of Luke Bell (Image: Supplied)

Families got to experience a range of giant inflatables including an assault course, bouncy castles, giant darts, axe throwing, a ‘death’ slide and drop, gladiator dual and destructor.

Alongside this, they could turn their hand to mini golf and sample the range of food vendors on site, whilst enjoying live entertainment from the Party Boppers, The Decades, Michael Hirst Music and the Polaroids.

Mr Bell said: “He would have really enjoyed watching the rugby matches.

Climbing activities (Image: Supplied)

“The players ran out onto the pitch to some of his favourite songs.

“Both his sister and I represented his team and he would have taken great pleasure in that.

“It was a very emotional day seeing everyone get behind the charity.

“Collaborating with the Wooden Spoon Society on the day was incredible, they are a brilliant charity and they immerse themselves in what these events are all about.

Family fun (Image: Supplied)

“Many players have commented about the day capturing the spirit of rugby.”

The Wooden Spoon Society took to the field in its eye-catching red, green, blue and white colours for the first time as part of the event.

Matt Mitchell, rugby and communities manager with Wooden Spoon, said.”This event was a fantastic collaboration between two charities to support children and young people,”

“The rugby matches were played in great spirit and the whole day created a terrific family atmosphere for everyone involved.

Facepainting for the young (Image: Supplied)

“Events like this showcase the power of rugby to bring people together while raising vital funds and awareness for important causes.”

The charity rugby matches offered a new experience bringing together teams from TeamLuke, Wooden Spoon Society and Darlington RFC, for men’s, women’s and veterans’ rugby all while being accompanied by a pitch-side DJ.

Darlington Building Society marked the occasion by donating a cheque for £930.

Family fun (Image: Supplied)

In the run-up to the event, it held a treadmill fundraiser covering 114 miles with volunteers teaming up to take on the distance in their Darlington branch.

Mr Bell said: “The volunteers on the day went above and beyond.

“They made people feel welcome and worked really hard, which is a massive support to the foundation.

Money raised for TeamLuke (Image: Supplied)

“Our sponsors have been a huge support.

“This year the event was bigger and better with the addition of live music.

“Thank you to our sponsors Hubspoke Media, G & A Security, Darlington Building Society, Darlington Roofing Contractors, Resilient Business Systems Limited and TG Med.”

More information can be found at www.teamluke.org.uk.

Musical entertainment (Image: Supplied)

Mohamed Nassar, 58, was on a break when he began choking and suffered a cardiac arrest at the Salford Tesco Express store, his family say

The relatives of a Tesco security officer who remains in a critical condition after choking during his shift have expressed their heartbreak. Mohamed Nassar, 58, was on duty at the Tesco Express branch on New Bailey Street in Salford, near Manchester city centre, on Friday, May 8, when the devastating incident unfolded.

During his break, he started choking on a doughnut and went into cardiac arrest, according to his family. Emergency services arrived at the scene and ultimately succeeded in reviving him.

Nevertheless, his heart had stopped beating for a total of 23 minutes, and his distraught relatives say they’ve been informed he has sustained severe brain damage as a consequence, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Father-of-three Mohamed and his family relocated to Manchester from London in 2020 and reside in Ardwick. A former musician, he works for a third-party security firm where he’s been employed for around five years.

His 23-year-old son, Seif Abdelwaneis, said his mother, Nancy Elkarnshawy, along with his sisters Nariman, 28, and Malak, 14, were left utterly stunned when they got a call informing them he’d collapsed at work.

Seif said: “It was very emotional finding this out. Especially for my mum, she was crying a lot. We went straight to the hospital.”

Mohamed remains on life support in intensive care, where medical professionals are conducting assessments to establish the severity of his brain injuries. Doctors have told his family that it will be “very difficult” for him to survive, Seif said. The family maintains a constant presence at his hospital bed at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI).

Seif characterised his father as the “kindest person”. “He would do anything to help people” he said. “He’s very outgoing, very social.

“All the customers know him and have a good relationship with him. He’s known for helping them and carrying their bags and things like that.

“But more than anything he’s a very loving dad. He cares so deeply about his family. All his friends and colleagues have said that, that all he ever talked about was us. He spent so much time with my little sister. He had also become a grandad as well and loved that.”

Mohamed served as the family’s primary breadwinner, and a GoFundMe appeal has been launched to provide financial assistance as they face ‘the most devastating time of their lives.’

“The impact on us is really huge” Seif added.

Osarugue Onaghise, store manager at the Manchester Bailey Tesco Express branch, commented: “On behalf of all our colleagues at our Manchester Bailey Express store, we remain deeply saddened by this tragic incident and our thoughts are with Mohamed and his family at this difficult time.”

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Erling Haaland has paid a heartfelt tribute to outgoing Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, saying it was the “honour of a lifetime” to work with him

Erling Haaland has shared a tribute to departing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and suggested he “made greatness feel normal”.

The Norwegian has spent the past four years under the guidance of the Catalan tactician, who has recently announced the end of his decade-long tenure at the Etihad. This makes Guardiola the manager Haaland has worked with for the longest period during his career – and the one who delivered him the greatest success.

Haaland arrived at City in 2022 following several prolific campaigns with Borussia Dortmund and joined a side who had secured silverware without deploying a traditional No.9 – prompting a subtle adjustment in their approach.

The forward netted twice on his debut and concluded his time under Guardiola with 162 goals. He contributed to City’s treble triumph in his maiden year, shattering the Premier League record for goals in a single season and has praised the impact the former Barcelona manager had on his career and the club.

He said on social media: “A coach who never stopped teaching. It sounds crazy to say this, but you made greatness feel normal.

“Even after hat-tricks, wins and trophies, there was always another lesson, another challenge and another level to reach. That mentality changed this club forever and changed me too. The honour of a lifetime to work with the best. Thank you for everything, boss.”

During a minor dip in form earlier this season, Guardiola declared: “Erling is the best striker in the world.” Throughout his managerial career, he has previously worked with the likes of David Villa, Samuel Eto’o, Robert Lewandowski and Sergio Aguero.

Haaland’s time under Guardiola concluded with the pair claiming the domestic cup double. The Norwegian has lifted the Premier League title twice and this season claimed his third Golden Boot in just four years.

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A number of City’s squad have spoken warmly of Guardiola as he readies himself to leave English football behind. He has broken countless records and bid an emotional farewell to the club’s supporters on the final day of the campaign.

Bernardo Silva, who departs Manchester after nine years, said: “He’s my father of football. I am really grateful for everything he did for me, the way he trusted me, the way he supported me during the bad moments, the way he helped me see football in a different way and then obviously winning helps.”

A much cooler spell is expected next week after the UK experienced its hottest May on record

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Scotland is forecast to face a major temperature drop next month after this UK experienced a heatwave in the last few days. Weather charts indicate 11 UK counties could experience temperatures of 5C or lower, with the Met Office cautioning of a “changeable period” on the horizon.

A significantly cooler spell is anticipated next week following temperatures that provisionally reached 35C at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in London on Tuesday, according to the Met Office. This came after a blistering weekend during which the UK shattered its previous record for the warmest May temperature.

On Monday, Kew Gardens hit 34.8C, surpassing the earlier record of 32.8C established in 1922 and 1944. Nevertheless, minimum temperature charts from WXCharts, which utilises MetDesk data, indicate that during the early hours of next Tuesday (2 June), temperatures could linger between 4C and 7C throughout Scotland and northern England.

Across Scotland, the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire in the north, alongside Jamestown in Dumfries and Galloway in the south, could witness temperatures dropping to a brisk 4C, reports the Mirror.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland, the Midlands, southern England and Wales are forecast to experience minimum temperatures in the high single figures

Counties set to see 5C or below on Tuesday

Scotland

• Aberdeenshire
• Angus
• Highland
• Moray
• Perth and Kinross
• Scottish Borders
• South Lanarkshire
• Dumfries and Galloway

England

• North Yorkshire
• Cumbria
• Northumberland

In its forecast for Monday, June 1, to Wednesday, June 10, the Met Office states: “A changeable period, as a sequence of Atlantic weather systems move in from the west to bring a mixture of drier spells and some showers or longer spells of rain at times.

“The best of the drier conditions are more likely towards the south and east, with the rain generally more frequent in parts of the west and northwest, although there will be drier interludes here also.

“Temperatures will be near-normal overall, with the warmest spots most likely across eastern areas. It will also be breezy at times, most especially across northwestern areas.”

The Met Office’s forecast for June 11 to 25 suggests weather patterns will probably be “changeable or unsettled” initially, before high pressure takes greater control from the middle of the month, delivering drier and calmer spells.

“Temperatures are expected to be near normal at first, but probably rising above average later,” the national forecaster states.

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A Trump-Kennedy Center official warned a federal judge that stripping the president’s name from the renowned arts institution would cause unbearable financial damage, marking the latest twist in a months-long legal battle.

Charles Matthew Floca, the center’s 39-year-old executive director, filed a declaration Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing the institution’s funding is inextricably linked to President Donald Trump.

“President Trump’s fundraising on behalf of the Center is exemplified by the tens of millions of dollars already raised,” Floca wrote. “Further, the President has committed to raise $150 billion on its behalf from private donors over the next two years.”

“Should President Trump’s name be removed from the Center, that vital fundraising connection will be severed, causing irreparable harm and fundamentally destabilizing the Center’s development efforts, severely impairing its trust-fund artistic programming, and rendering the continuation of ongoing trust-funded operations financially nonviable,” he continued.

Floca’s declaration is part of a lawsuit filed in December 2025 by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat, challenging the board’s decision to permanently add Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, following his installation as board chair. Since he took charge, Trump reportedly wants to move away from “woke culture” and push for performances that cater to a broader audience.

The Independent has reached out to Beatty and the White House for comment.

Beatty, an ex officio trustee of the center, described the rebranding as an unlawful “personal vanity project.” She also said she was silenced during a board meeting when she attempted to oppose the name change.

“Only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center. President Trump and his cronies must not be allowed to trample federal law and bypass Congress to feed his ego,” Beatty said in a December 22 news release. “This entire process has been a complete disgrace to this cherished institution and the people it serves. These unlawful actions must be blocked before any further damage is done.”

Her lawsuit also challenges the 79-year-old president’s plan to close the center for two years to carry out restoration and renovation work.

The center remains open for now but is scheduled to shut down after the Fourth of July. Its website and signage have already been updated to reflect the board’s name change, and large lettering bearing Trump’s name was installed on the building’s marble facade in December.

In March, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper partially sided with Beatty, ruling that she must be given a “meaningful opportunity to provide input.” He did not address the name change, however, saying that issue would be taken up later, according to ABC News.

At an April hearing, Cooper pressed Trump administration attorneys on why a complete two-year closure of the center was necessary.

Trump-Kennedy Center officials have argued that renovations are necessary to repair water damage and upgrade seating.

More Americans than not side with Beatty, according to a December 2025 YouGov poll. In the survey, 66 percent of respondents said they disapproved of renaming the center after Trump, while just 18 percent approved.

New guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) sets out stricter penalties for benefit fraud, with claimants potentially losing payments for up to three years – and facing court or a prison sentence in the most serious cases

Individuals receiving benefits could see their payments suspended for months or even years if found guilty of fraud, under new guidance issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The updated regulations reveal that even a first-time offence can result in benefit payments being halted for 13 weeks, with more severe sanctions for subsequent violations or particularly grave cases. A ‘loss of benefit’ penalty may be imposed when someone is convicted of benefit fraud, accepts a caution, or agrees to settle an administrative penalty rather than facing court proceedings.

For an initial offence, claimants may have their benefits suspended for 13 weeks – an increase from four weeks. A second violation committed within a five-year period can trigger a 26-week suspension.

Should a third benefit fraud offence occur within five years of the second (and within 10 years of the first), and the third offence leads to a conviction, the loss of benefit penalty will extend to three years.

In particularly severe instances, such as organised fraud or using someone else’s identity, the maximum three-year penalty can be imposed straightaway, reports the Daily Record.

Nevertheless, the regulations also clarify that not all benefits will necessarily cease entirely. Where a person receives multiple benefits, the DWP may alternatively reduce other payments to enforce the penalty.

Independently of the loss of benefit penalty, anyone found to have committed fraud will typically be required to repay any overpaid sums in full. Offenders may also be hit with further financial penalties. In certain instances, the DWP can propose an administrative penalty instead of prosecution, typically amounting to up to 50 per cent of the overpayment, with a maximum limit of £5,000.

Even agreeing to this form of penalty can still result in a separate loss of benefit sanction for a four-week period.

For more severe violations, proceedings can be brought before the courts, where individuals could face heftier fines or, in the most extreme circumstances, imprisonment.

The DWP states that benefit fraud encompasses deliberately supplying false information, neglecting to report a change in circumstances, or claiming support to which someone is not entitled.

Which benefits can be reduced or stopped?

The following benefits can be reduced or stopped as a penalty for benefit fraud:

• Carer’s Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Income Support
• Industrial Death Benefit
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Industrial Injuries Reduced Earnings Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Retirement Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Unemployability Supplement
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• War Disablement Pension
• War Widow’s Pension
• War Pension Unemployability Supplement
• War Pension Allowance for Lower Standard of Occupation
• Widowed Mother’s or Widowed Parent’s Allowance
• Widow’s Pension or Bereavement Allowance
• Working Tax Credit

The DWP clarified that the following benefits cannot be reduced or stopped as a penalty in their own right, but if they are implicated in benefit fraud, any benefit listed above may be reduced or stopped as a penalty instead.

• Attendance Allowance
• Bereavement Payment
• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Christmas Bonus
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Council Tax Benefit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Graduated Retirement Benefit
• Guardian’s Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Constant Attendance Allowance (if a Disablement Pension is payable)
• Industrial Injuries Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance (if a Disablement Pension is payable)
• Personal Independence Payment
• State Pension
• Social Fund payments
• War Pension Constant Attendance Allowance
• War Pension Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance
• War Pension Mobility Supplement

Claimants are advised to maintain accurate records and report any change of circumstances without delay.

Anyone uncertain about their situation or concerned they may have made an error is encouraged to contact the appropriate department or seek independent advice.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to attend the NBA Finals game between his hometown team, the New York Knicks, and the winner of the Thunder-Spurs series.

“I think I’ll be going to one of the games, I was invited by numerous people,” Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting when asked if he planned to attend the championship.

The president, a longtime Knicks fan, will return to Madison Square Garden in June to watch the team play in the championship that fans have been hoping for since 1999, the last time the Knicks played in the NBA Finals.

“Great to see it,” Trump said of the team’s success. “The Knicks have really suffered for years.”

If the president follows through, the NBA Finals will join the list of major sporting events Trump has taken time out of his schedule to witness since returning to the White House. Last year, the president attended the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, U.S. Open men’s finals, FIFA Club World Cup Final, the Ryder Cup and several Ultimate Fighting Championship events

The New York Times was the first to report that the president was considering attending the NBA Finals.

Had the Knicks lost Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, the president would have made a surprise appearance at Madison Square Garden Wednesday for Game 5, those familiar with the planning told the New York Times.

Trump confirmed that he was going to see the team play Wednesday, but since the Knicks won 130-90 against the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday evening, he will head to the NBA championship series.

The Independent has asked the White House for comment

The president told TalkRadio 77 earlier this month that he was still a fan of the New York Knicks and said he was impressed that the Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers.

Not only is Trump a fan of the New York Knicks, but he has a good relationship with James Dolan, the CEO and executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Sports, the company that owns the Knicks.

“I get along with Jim Dolan, and I think he’s a really nice guy, and he’s entitled to a good team because he’s suffered a little bit,” Trump told TalkRadio 77.

He reiterated the strength of his relationship with Dolan Wednesday, telling reporters that Dolan directly invited him to watch the Knicks play.

“He’s having a good year,” Trump said of Dolan. “Boy, what a team. They win all their games. They have some great players.”

While Trump is known to attend golf games and UFC fights as president, he is less likely to attend NBA games – though he has a long history of doing so. Trump frequently took his family to NBA games in the 1990s and 2000s, before he became a politician.

Like Trump’s appearance at the Super Bowl, attending the NBA Finals would make him the first sitting president to attend the championship series.

Former President Barack Obama attended Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors in 2019, but he was already out of office. Former President George W. Bush attended Game 2 of the 1999 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs, though he was governor of Texas at the time.

EastEnders fans were left “confused” by scenes that played out in Wednesday night’s episode as Vicki Fowler prepared to walk down the aisle but got waylaid on the tube

EastEnders fans were left “confused” by scenes that played out in Wednesday night’s episode. On the latest instalment of the long-running BBC soap, Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) was due to tie the knot with Ross Marshall at Walford Park, and her adoptive half-sister Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) even popped back for the occasion.

When Vicki’s half-brother Mark called to say there was a problem with the wedding car, the pair of them ended up on the tube. Forced to travel in her wedding dress, Vicki’s fellow passengers couldn’t help but laugh at her as they took pictures. Mark found the humour in situation and gladly posed for photos as he enjoyed a bar of chocolate.

She said: “I am on a tube in my wedding dress! I don’t wanna hear your excuses, Mark, and keep those chocolatey fingers away from me! I could’ve got in the car with Kathy and Sharon.“

Mark said: “I wanted you on my own, didn’t I? It’s my last chance to tell you that even though you’re becoming a Marshall, you’ll always be a Fowler to me,” to which Vicki smiled and said: “Once a Fowler, always a Fowler. But I’m still fuming with you!”

It was then that the lights flickered on the tube and the carriage ground to a halt, as it was announced there was a delay on the District line due to a broken down train ahead of them.

Just as the panic began to set in, the tube sprang to life again and they were on their way to the wedding and a short time later, Mark was seen carrying Vicki over his shoulder into the service.

All this time, Ross had been convinced that she had “done a runner” but she insisted that was not the case, although Ross was confused as to why best man Zack Hudson, who Vicki has been having an affair with, also hadn’t turned up.

Zack eventually turned up in a bad mood, and the celebrant started speaking, Ross began to put two and two together. Ross said to Vicki: “He’s been telling me not to trust you. Why would he do that? Was it him? Is he the bloke you slept with?” Vicki didn’t answer, but her silence and the look on her face pretty much confirmed all Ross needed to know.

However, despite the high drama of that moment, fans were actually left wondering what the whole farce on the tube was for, given that the wedding venue should’ve been walking distance from Vicki’s house.

Taking to Reddit, one fan said: What on earth were they doing on the tube? I thought that park area was literally a 2 minute walk away I do accept with soaps/dramas that not everything can be completely realistic, but there’s a line surely!”

A second wrote: “I literally said the same thing when i watched it. I was like isn’t it just down the road?!” and a third said: “Didn’t the announcer say there was a broken down train in front of them… But the lights flickered off in THEIR train?”

“I’m confused as to why Vicky and Mark needed to get the tube on #EastEnders.. I always assumed the container junction is where The Dagmar was originally. I could have that wrong, I’m just going by set pictures.”

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Palace ended the Premier League season down in 15th place amid a seven-match winless run, though have long since had their main focus on this competition after brushing aside the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk and Fiorentina in the knockout stages. They are now favourites to overcome a Rayo team who are preparing for their first top-level final of any description as they continue to defy the odds under Inigo Perez, finishing eighth in LaLiga for the second successive campaign despite a tiny budget while overcoming Strasbourg in the last four of the Conference League.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alabama on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to use a congressional map favoring Republicans in this year’s elections, despite a lower court’s ruling that the redistricting plan intentionally discriminates against Black people.

The state’s Republican leadership filed an emergency appeal with the justices a day after a three-judge court refused to let the state use a map it adopted three years ago that has a majority Black population in just one of its seven congressional districts.

The judges instead required Alabama to continue using a court-ordered map that was put in place for the 2024 elections that includes two districts where Black residents comprise a majority or close to it.

Attorney General Steve Marshall told the court that the state did not intentionally discriminate against Black residents and should be allowed to hold elections this year under a map chosen by lawmakers, not judges.

The appeal is the latest development in the fallout from last month’s Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Black-majority district in Louisiana and weakened the federal Voting Rights Act. That ruling has led Republicans in several Southern states, including Alabama, to take steps to reshape voting districts with large minority populations that have elected Democrats.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.