“When it comes to transport links for small towns, few can boast the train to Hogsmeade station, where the Hogwarts Express ended its journey north from platform nine and three-quarters,” said Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby.
However, Lord Voldemort is not to blame for Whitby having “one of the worst” connected rail lines in the country.
The MP has urged the Government to demonstrate how “Great British Railways can improve transport links to small towns like Whitby, and open up a world of possibilities for its residents” who she said are being failed by an inadequate railway service.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, June 3, she said: “The villain of the piece is not Lord Voldemort, but Dr Beeching, the minister who cut the Whitby to Scarborough line back in 1965, condemning Whitby to reliance on cars and buses.
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“That Whitby lost its train link to its coastal neighbour is bad enough, but to add insult to injury, the current service that connects Whitby to the nearest big town, Middlesbrough, is one of the worst in the country.
“That is not the fault of the not-for-profit Esk Valley Railway Development Company, a dedicated community rail partnership that runs the line with passion and flair.”
The MP highlighted that the service has only six trains a day, with hours-long waits in the mornings and afternoons, which makes it “impossible to plan for a hospital appointment” and forces residents to spend a night in Middlesbrough “because they cannot get to and from the hospital in a day”.
Ms Hume added that many other constituents, including residents who want to work in Middlesbrough where there are “many more employment opportunities than in Whitby”, were frustrated by the situation.
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She added: “The lack of ambition and investment in this essential transport link for Whitby is laid bare when it is compared with another seaside town, in the south.
“Newquay in Cornwall is not unlike Whitby in size, and it is also at the end of a branch line. Office of Rail and Road figures show that in 2023-24 the Newquay line carried 146,000 passengers, which was down 2 per cent, while the Whitby line carried 257,000, which was up 6.3 per cent.
“Until recently, both lines suffered from poor train services, but Newquay now has 15 trains on weekdays, 14 on Saturdays and eight on Sundays, thanks to a £57 million investment.”
The 27-year-old was seen smirking in the advert as he said: ‘You’re probably wondering why I’m watching the FIFA World Cup 2026 from home… It’s a long story.’
Fans quickly clocked telling details in the ad (Picture: Instagram)
There’s been huge backlash to the ad, with many accusing Brooklyn of capitalising on the family rift (Picture: Instagram)
A silver men’s watch was thought by some to be the Patek Philippe Nautilus watch gifted to him by his father, which has been much discussed in recent months as Brooklyn is still often seen wearing the £220,000 timepiece despite the rift.
Beneath the watch, a stack of unopened letters can be seen on the table, which is pretty conspicuous timing given that Harper Beckham – Brooklyn’s younger sister – was seen outside the LA house owned by Brooklyn and his wife last Friday, trying to hand-deliver him a letter.
The couple’s representatives immediately issued a statement, saying the pair were in New York at the time so not home to answer the door: ‘That photographers were in place as the letter was hand delivered says it all – this was choreographed for the cameras.’
The Beckham family camp immediately responded, with a source stating that: ‘[It] is incredibly sad that this horrible accusation is being leveled at an innocent young girl who just desperately misses her brother.’
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Fans weren’t done there when it came to picking apart the ad, with viewers pointing out that the snow globe on the table at the beginning of the ad would be a remarkable coincidence, given Victoria’s huge snow globe collection was made public in her Netflix documentary series Victoria Beckham.
One Instagram commenter simply wrote, ‘tasteless,’ while another posted, ‘This is so, so bad. Watch that his father gave him on top of all those unopened letters—it sends a public message.’
Brooklyn has not been seen with his family at events over the past year, including the premiere of Victoria’s Netflix documentary, David’s knighting ceremony, and, most recently, the Hollywood Walk of Fame event, which was also attended by Tom Cruise.
Ahead of David’s ceremony, the footballer shut down a question in Variety about his family life.
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Brooklyn and Nicola have taken a firm stance against his family (Picture: Maarten De Boer/Getty Images)
The ad comes just after Harper Beckham was seen delivering a letter to Brooklyn’s house following her father’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony (Picture: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock)
He told the publication: ‘To be honest, I’m sorry to stop you there, but that’s a private matter. That’s the one thing that I don’t want to talk about.’
Although he further reflected: ‘Every day there’s a mountain to climb. I’ve got a life where I’m very busy with what I do.
‘I’ve got four grown kids, the businesses, the club in Miami, but I always want to achieve more. I’ve been like that from a very young age; I was like that as a player and I’ll always be like that. I’ll continue to strive for more.’
‘I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life,’ he said in a lengthy diatribe against them.
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The front of the premises was smashed into with a stolen telehandler
A cash machine has been stolen from a supermarket in a ram raid. Cambridgeshire Police were called to Asda in Ness Road, Burwell just before 5am today (Wednesday, June 17).
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Officers received reports that a stolen telehandler, along with two other vehicles, were used to remove a cash machine from the front of the premises.
Detective Inspector Jim Donington said: “We understand incidents like this are concerning for local residents, particularly given this is the second ram raid in the county in two days.
“Dedicated patrols are in place and we are actively investigating both incidents. We would urge anyone who sees suspicious behaviour, or who knows of vehicles that may have been stolen or are being used in unusual circumstances, to report this to us. Information from the public is vital in helping us prevent further offences and identify those responsible.”
Officers are appealing for information, dashcam, doorbell or CCTV footage that could assist police. Anyone with information should call police on 101 and quote incident 51 of June 17.
It was a decision that stunned the world’s best referees.
France forward Kylian Mbappe was on the attack in the 58th minute against Senegal when he went down inside the box after a challenge by Sadio Mane.
With the game goalless at the New York New Jersey Stadium, referee Alireza Faghani was sent to the pitchside monitor to look at the challenge again.
He returned to the pitch and appeared to point to the penalty spot, much to the delight of the thousands of France fans inside the ground.
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However, their joy was short-lived as Faghani had actually signalled for a goal-kick, before he explained that Mbappe had initiated the contact.
Speaking on BBC One, Darren Cann – the 2010 World Cup final assistant referee – said: “My phone has blown up with messages from several of the world’s best referees who also can’t understand why a penalty wasn’t given.”
Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin, at the game for BBC Radio 5 Live, labelled it a “rubbish decision”.
“Utter nonsense,” added Nevin.
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“No chance at all. How can he [Mbappe] have initiated the contact? The most nonsensical line I have ever heard.”
Former England captain Alan Shearer, at the game for BBC One, said it was a “bizarre” decision not to award a penalty.
“I don’t get it,” added Shearer. “You can see the lunge from Mane and his left leg catches Mbappe.
“How can Mbappe initiate contact if he is in front of him? It’s bizarre, it really is.”
“Juice carton knocked over on the back seat, muddy footprints after a wet school run. This wet and dry vacuum plugs into your 12V socket and tackles both the crumbs and the spills without needing a mains plug.”
10:17, 17 Jun 2026Updated 10:24, 17 Jun 2026
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Maintaining a clean car interior can prove challenging, particularly for families with young children or those whose vehicles see constant use, such as driving instructors or taxi drivers. Regular interior car valets can quickly become expensive, so investing in a portable handheld vacuum for on-the-go cleaning offers a sensible solution.
A wet and dry vacuum cleaner provides a practical and budget-friendly option compared to frequent professional interior car washes, allowing you to keep your vehicle clean whenever it requires a quick refresh. It’s perfect for dealing with everything from crumbs to liquid spills while you’re out and about.
The Hilka 12V Corded Vacuum Cleaneris praised for its adaptability across both wet and dry surfaces, which numerous Argos customers highlight as an especially useful feature.
This wet and dry vacuum plugs directly into a 12V in-car socket, meaning it’s ready to use without the need for charging or a mains power supply.
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It has a 2.8m cable for flexible reach and comes with a crevice tool, upholstery brush and narrow nozzle, making light work of tight gaps, seats and door pockets.
The Hilka vacuum cleanerfeatures a 500ml dustbin, 120W of power and an easy-clean filter, designed to handle both wet and dry messes while staying compact and lightweight at under 1kg for easy one-handed use and storage in the boot.
Back at Argos, the Hilka 12V Corded Wet and Dry Car Vacuum Cleanerhas attracted a string of impressive reviews. One satisfied customer noted: “Excellent cleaner. Bought few weeks ago for my husband as he’s a driving instructor and his car gets messy easily, the product is that good that we’ve even recommended some instructors and they are happy with it.”
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The Argos product listing describes it as follows: “Juice carton knocked over on the back seat, muddy footprints after a wet school run. This wet and dry vacuum plugs into your 12V socket and tackles both the crumbs and the spills without needing a mains plug.”
Another reviewer commented: “Brilliant little hoover, with all the extensions/accessories it picks up very well indeed! Great price, great design and we’re pleased indeed! So; if you’re looking for a very reasonably priced hoover, that works brilliantly…. then this is the right one for you.”
A third person noted: “Excellent tool and worked very well. Thoroughly recommend.”
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However, one customer expressed concerns: “Whilst this is a handy sized unit and the long cord means you can reach the parcel shelf and boot fairly easily, I found it to be underpowered.”
But many shoppers praised the Hilka vacuum cleaner, with another saying: “I was suspicious about how good this would be but it turned out to be really good. Quite powerful and the tools are useful. Great product for the price.”
How to secure the £20 Hilka 12V Corded Wet and Dry Car Vacuum Cleaner for 33p through TopCashback:
Search for Argoson the site, click through and buy the item normally.
Get £15 cashback when you spend £15 or more on an item.
The cashback will track to the TopCashback ‘Earnings page’ within seven days of your purchase.
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Kalidou Koulibaly has publicly criticised the VISA situation in the USA which has meant that a number of countries, Senegal included, are without the bulk of their fans who are unable to enter the country
10:18, 17 Jun 2026Updated 10:18, 17 Jun 2026
Senegal skipper Kalidou Koulibaly has called out the continue VISA issues that have hampered people getting into the US as he claimed “Africa cannot have their people”.
Senegal began their tournament against France on Tuesday night, losing 3-1 in New York, but a number of people from their country were unable to attend with Senegalese nationals facing a travel ban in America.
In December, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation which imposed partial travel bans on Senegal. The other World Cup participants to suffer similar fates were Ivory Coast, Iran and Haiti.
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The proclamation suspended entry into the U.S. for immigrants and non-immigrants, including those travelling under business and tourism category, which is what they would tick in order to attend the World Cup.
Koulibaly, formerly of Chelsea and now playing in Saudi Arabia, told the Athletic: “The federation did the work for us to have parents or our close family with us, but it’s true that some supporters couldn’t fly to America.
“I think that every team can have their people, so I don’t understand why people from Africa cannot have their people. I don’t want to speak about politics or something like this. I just want to speak about football, enjoy football, and I think football is for everybody. I just want to tell this and I hope that the situation will be OK, but for me the most important is that we have to play for our people.”
The travel bans that were brought in before the World Cup include exemptions for athletes, support staff and immediate relatives of those who are playing at the tournament – but not for travelling fans.
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Koulibaly was keen to pay tribute to the fans who were present at the MetLife Stadium. Central Harlem in New York City has a strong community of people with ties to Senegal and the game against France was only a short trip across the Hudson River.
Visa issues have marred the World Cup and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who put in a heroic performance as his country claimed a point against Spain, explained that his mother was not present for the game as she had issues entering the US.
“I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there,” he said. “They passed away a few years ago. My mum could not be here either for a visa issue, and the money we had to pay for it. We did not manage to do this in time.”
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Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
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Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
The BBC’s State Department correspondent Tom Bateman looks at US President Donald Trump’s unusually sharp criticism of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israeli strikes on Beirut.
Trump described the strikes as “vicious,” questioned Israel’s use of force, and even suggested Syria could handle Hezbollah with fewer civilian casualties.
The schedule has been shaken up this week, including tonight (June 17) so you might wonder when you can tune in to watch the drama unfold.
Here’s what we know about the changes and which episodes the TV schedule shake-up affects.
Are Emmerdale and Coronation Street on tonight?
There will be no Emmerdale or Coronation Street episodes tonight because ITV will broadcast two football matches back-to-back.
Tonight, the World Cup matches available to watch on ITV1 are England v Croatia with coverage starting at 8pm and kick-off at 9pm.
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Football fans can also watch the Ghana v Panama match from 11.40pm with kick-off 20 minutes later at 12am.
Soap fans will miss out on an episode on Thursday too, however, the longer episodes on Monday and Tuesday made up for the missing slots.
Do you remember these emotional Coronation Street plots?
After a week of disruption, Emmerdale and Corrie are back to their usual 30-minute slots on Friday, June 19 at 8pm and 8.30pm respectively.
EastEnders has also seen some schedule changes throughout the week due to the BBC’s World Cup coverage.
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Tonight, it will air an hour later than usual (at 8.30pm) as it follows BBC coverage of the Portugal v DR Congo match which kicks off at 6pm.
Have you noticed ITV’s new scheduling this year?
From January 2026, the broadcaster introduced a “soaps power hour” on weekdays with 30-minute Emmerdale episodes at 8pm and 30-minute Coronation Street episodes at 8.30pm.
Coronation Street previously aired three hour-long episodes a week, while Emmerdale aired four 30-minute episodes and one hour-long instalment.
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Have you watched the soaps this week? Tell us what you thought of the new episodes in the comments below.
Educators who participate in the charity’s Youth Conversations Hub have consistently raised concerns about school pupils vaping and, more recently, using nicotine pouches during school time.
ASH Scotland is encouraging people who work with children and young people in Lanarkshire to access the charity’s new free e-learning module to increase awareness about the health risks associated with nicotine pouches.
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Educators who participate in ASH Scotland’s Youth Conversations Hub have consistently raised concerns about school pupils vaping and, more recently, using nicotine pouches during school time.
A report on Behaviour in Schools from the teachers union NASUWT shows 46 per cent of teachers in Scotland say pupils are using nicotine pouches during school time.
The new ‘Nicotine Pouches’ e-learning module produced by the charity aims to help teachers and youth workers to understand how nicotine pouches can impact on children and young people’s health, as their popularity grows.
Nicotine addiction can have a greater impact on young people, affecting their brain development and mental health.
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The flavours and colours of these products, combined with marketing tactics such as sponsorship of Formula One races and promotions at concerts and sporting events appeal to under 18s.
Sheila Duffy, chief executive of ASH Scotland, said: “Our new e-learning module is designed to provide a resource for educators in Lanarkshire to learn about the negative impacts that nicotine use can have on the lives of children and young people.
“Following the upsurge in youth vaping, a new generation is being attracted into using other addictive and health harming products such as nicotine pouches.
“Drawing in new customers produces huge profits for the tobacco industry, but at a cost to the health and wellbeing of our young people and disruption in the classroom.
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“We trust that our new ‘Nicotine Pouches’ e-learning module will help teachers and youth workers in Lanarkshire to build their knowledge and confidence to start discussions with children and help them make informed choices about protecting their health and wellbeing.”
Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official for Scotland, added: “Teachers know that nicotine pouches are being consumed within schools by pupils and have expressed serious concern that national regulation of nicotine products has failed to keep pace with innovation by the companies selling them.
“The recently published guidance for schools on how to address substance abuse among pupils was welcomed but this is only a first step.
“We need a greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention at all ages to stop children and young people from being drawn in to nicotine pouch use.
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“NASUWT has, therefore, welcomed the e-learning materials from ASH Scotland as one part of a wider systemic response needed to tackle substance misuse in schools.”
As concerns escalate, teachers are urged to equip themselves with the knowledge available free at www.ashscotlandmoodle.org.uk
If you work with young people in Scotland and want to join the Youth Conversations Hub, visit www.ashscotland.org.uk/hub
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