The eco-friendly characters, created in 1968 by children’s author Elisabeth Beresford, will relaunch this summer as part of a full-scale global revival that includes new YouTube content blending original 1970s episodes with contemporary live-action and influencer-led shows.

Originally made famous by the BBC’s 1973 stop-motion series, the loveable Wimbledon Common dwellers became cultural icons for their environmental message about reusing and recycling objects they found.

Neil Blair, founding partner and agent at The Blair Partnership, which now manages The Wombles’ rights, said: “The Wombles is an iconic British brand with strong cultural appeal, distinctive characters with core values that translate and resonate globally.

“It is a rich content opportunity and, with rights now aligned plus a clear development pipeline in place, the property is ideally positioned for expansion across multiple platforms and categories.

“We see significant potential to build The Wombles into a multiplatform international franchise for a new generation of audiences.”

The relaunch will see the original 1970s episodes made available on a new official YouTube channel, alongside fresh content in live-action and digital formats.

This will include collaborations with social media influencers and young presenters, who will explore themes of reuse and sustainability through arts, crafts, cooking, and gardening.

The Wombles are coming back!

If they emerged from Wimbledon Common this morning, what piece of rubbish do you think they’d be most shocked to find?

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A first-look image from the new content reveals updated versions of some of the most familiar characters.

These include Orinoco in his trademark red hat, Wellington the scientist, and Alderney, named after the Channel Island where Beresford spent her later years.

Unlike the classic stop-motion series narrated by Bernard Cribbins, the new Wombles will be brought to life using digital animation.

Plans for the franchise go well beyond YouTube.

The Blair Partnership has consolidated all intellectual property rights for The Wombles and is developing an interactive digital game, audio productions featuring celebrity casts, new storybooks, and expanded merchandise.

There are also opportunities for television, film, theatre, live events, and mobile apps.

This is not the first attempt to modernise The Wombles.

In 2020, the characters were redesigned to reflect greater diversity, including a darker-skinned Wellington and a social media presence that promoted International Women’s Day and climate action.

The reboot was dubbed the “Woke Wombles” by some.

At the time, Beresford’s son Marcus Robertson criticised the changes, calling them “insulting to her memory.”

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ITV commissions two new series of record-breaking hit show

Despite previous efforts, including a series announced in 2023 that never materialised, the latest relaunch has the backing of a unified rights structure and a comprehensive content pipeline.

The original series ran on the BBC from 1973 to 1976.

In the new programmes, influencers will join the Wombles to demonstrate how to reuse everyday objects through arts and crafts, cooking, and gardening.

Are you happy to see the return of The Wombles? Let us know in the comments

The U.S. military attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, killing one man and leaving two survivors, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.

The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 208 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed a boat traveling in the water before being hit by the strike and bursting into flames.

Southern Command said it “immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors.”

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The strikes have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars. The U.S. military’s first strike in early September drew particular concern from some lawmakers and those who study military law.

Two men on the boat initially survived the attack that killed nine others, and they were clinging to the wreckage when the vessel was struck again, killing them. The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, insisting it was done “in self-defense” to ensure the boat was destroyed and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

But some legal scholars said a second strike killing survivors would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not.

The Pentagon’s watchdog said in May that it plans to look into whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the strikes.

However, the evaluation is focused specifically on what’s known as the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle and not on the legality of the strikes, the inspector general’s office said.

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — A Long Island architect who lived a secret life as New York’s Gilgo Beach serial killer is being sentenced Wednesday after admitting in court that he murdered eight women.

Rex Heuermann faces the likelihood of a life prison sentence when he goes before a judge in Riverhead, New York. Family members of his victims are expected to address the court.

The sentencing caps an extraordinary investigation that solved one of New York’s most perplexing mysteries — one that began as a series of seemingly unconnected, and largely unmarked disappearances of young women, but became the focus of true-crime documentaries, books and podcasts after police began discovering the victims’ skeletal remains in the sandy scrub along a coastal parkway.

Heuermann, who has remained largely silent through multiple court appearances since his 2023 arrest, will also have a chance to speak Wednesday, but it’s not immediately clear if he will. His lawyers didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.

Asa Ellerup, his ex-wife, and their two grown children have said through their lawyers that they won’t be attending the sentencing out of respect for the victim’s families.

Heuermann, 62, of Massapequa Park, pleaded guilty in April to charges that he murdered seven women: Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla.

Though he was never charged in her death, he also admitted in court to killing an eighth victim, Karen Vergata. Heuermann said he strangled his victims, many of them sex workers, and dismembered some of their bodies.

Most of the women disappeared between 2000 and 2010, and most of their remains were found on a desolate parkway not far from Long Island’s Gilgo Beach, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Manhattan.

But two of the killings took place years earlier. Costilla’s remains were found in 1993, more than 60 miles (100 kilometers) away in the Hamptons, while Vergata’s remains were found in 1996 on Fire Island, more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Gilgo Beach.

The case spilled into view in 2010, when investigators started to find remains along Ocean Parkway while looking into the disappearance of another sex worker, Shannan Gilbert, whose death was ultimately ruled an accidental drowning.

Eventually, they matched DNA from a pizza crust Heuermann had discarded in a Manhattan trash can to genetic material extracted from highly degraded hair fragments found on the women’s remains.

Investigators amassed other evidence against Heuermann, including cellphone and tracking data showing Heuermann arranged meetings with some of the victims shortly before their disappearances.

Then in 2024, after Heuermann’s arrest, prosecutors recovered what they described as a “blueprint” for the killings from his computer files. Among the documents was a series of checklists with reminders to limit noise, clean the bodies and destroy evidence.

As part of his guilty plea, Heuermann has agreed to cooperate with the FBI’s behavioral analysis unit to help catch other serial killers.

He’s been housed in the county jail in Riverhead since his arrest in July 2023, but will serve out his term in a state prison to be determined later.

Heuermann has spent the past three years alone in a segregated cell, reading crime novels, occasionally being visited by his lawyers or family, and striking up a brief correspondence with the infamous “Happy Face Killer,” according to Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, who oversees the Riverhead jail.

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Families, councillors and supporters gathered in Malton Market Place on Saturday to demonstrate their support for Cauwood Day Centre and collect further signatures for the petition opposing its proposed closure.

The petition has now reached 1,200 signatures – with support growing every day.

The campaign is being led by parents Caroline Garrod and Stuart Moss, alongside North Yorkshire Councillor Keane Duncan.

It has also secured backing from Kevin Hollinrake MP, the mayors of Malton, Norton and Pickering, Ryedale Special Families and councillors from across the political divide, including Joy Andrews (Pickering), and Steve Mason (Ampleforth and Amotherby).

Cauwood Day Centre, based in Old Malton Road, provides specialist support for disabled adults with complex needs and is described by families as a “vital lifeline”.

Cllr Keane Duncan said: “We are united for Cauwood and standing together as a community with the vulnerable people and families who rely on this vital service.

“Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition so far. The strength of support from across Ryedale and beyond has been overwhelming.

“North Yorkshire Council initially planned to close Cauwood Day Centre without any consultation whatsoever. We believed that was deeply flawed, unfair and potentially unlawful.

“Efforts by families, councillors and the wider community secured a very welcome reprieve – but the fight to save Cauwood is far from over.

“We are incredibly grateful to our MP, councillors, town mayors and charities for their support. It can be unusual for politicians to agree across the political divide, so this support shows the importance of Cauwood.

“We would also like thank every single one of the 1,200 people who have now signed the petition. The message is clear: Cauwood is needed, valued, and must be saved.”

Kevin Hollinrake MP said: “I pay tribute to the determination of this campaign, led by parents Caroline and Stuart, alongside Cllr Keane Duncan, who have worked tirelessly to highlight the importance of the services provided by Cauwood Day Centre.

“With more than 1,200 people now backing the petition, it is clear there is deep concern about the proposed closure without any consultation or plan for alternative provision.

“I am pleased to support this cross-party effort and will continue pressing for assurances that these vital services will continue. At present, it is far from clear how that will be achieved if the council’s closure plans proceed.”

Parent Caroline Garrod said: “We’re not giving up on the fight. We’re keeping on going until they accept that this facility is needed and must be saved.”

Jason Aldrich, Mayor of Malton, said: “Vulnerable residents and their families deserve stability, dignity and proper support – not the sudden withdrawal of essential services.

“We are united at Malton Town Council in our condemnation of this decision.

“It is astounding that the proposal was put forward without proper consultation with families and carers who would be devastated by the impact of the proposed closure.

“Malton will not stand by while vital care is taken away from those in our community who are in the most need.”

Mayor of Norton, Cllr Di Keal said: “This closure will have a wholly detrimental impact on users who suffer from physical disabilities, alongside their parents and/or carers. There are no facilities with the specialised equipment and staff to client ratio available in Malton and Norton that their loved ones with moderate to severe conditions could attend as an alternative facility. They will inevitably be forced to travel to access such specialised care, which is unacceptable for the service users and their families.

“Many parents of users of the centre are older residents of our towns and describe Cauwood as a ‘lifeline’ for them in the sometimes difficult and physically demanding circumstances of caring for an adult disabled person.

“If the centre were to close, and no suitable alternative provided, this will place an even greater emotional and physical strain on these families, which could lead to a crisis requiring more serious intervention from social services and the NHS. This closure is a false economy.”

Parent Stuart Moss said: “Our fight to keep Cauwood open is so important because it’s a vital lifeline to me as a parent and to Matthew as one of the service users.

“The news of this potential closure is devastating, and that’s why we must fight to stop this decision.”

Heidi Ridgewell, family support worker at Ryedale Special Families, said: “Cauwood provides a valuable service for adults in the Ryedale area.

“There is nothing else of its type. Sensory rooms, Changing Places toilet — these are facilities that have had a lot of investment put into them and we would hate to see it close.

“Where are these young adults going to go? That’s an answer no one is getting. Ryedale is very rural. Cauwood is very unique and at present there is no plan B.”

North Yorkshire Council has said it is committed to supporting people across the county with a wide range of care services and our priority is making sure adults with learning disabilities, autism or other care needs.

Campaigners are encouraging more residents to sign the petition, available here: form.jotform.com/cllrkeaneduncan/save-cauwood

Jeremy Clarkson revealed his devastating cancer diagnosis to Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland, who were distraught.

Clarkson’s Farm is back with the final episodes of season five and the series took a tragic turn as Jeremy Clarkson announced a shocking health diagnosis.

The start of the season saw the former Top Gear host open up about his heart scare, but he had more bad news to reveal in episode seven.

Clarkson pulled land agent Charlie Ireland and farm manager Kaleb Cooper in for a meeting where he tried to hold back tears as he announced: “I’ve got cancer.”

“I’ve known since May”, he told Kaleb, who was in disbelief and was seen wiping away tears. “I had a medical, you know, back in May. I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy done and it is cancer, and it’s aggressive, but it’s really early.”

He hoped he would be able to have treatment after the harvest, but Kaleb urged him to “look after himself” and leave the farm to others to deal with.

“I just wish you a very, very speedy recovery,” Charlie replied, with Clarkson reassuring him: “I promise I’ll be fine.”

After dealing with the harvest, Clarkson announced the cancer was in his prostate and that he had undergone a procedure to remove part of it.

He confirmed: “The prostate, 10 per cent of it’s dead. The 10 per cent where the cancer is.”

Later in the episode, he shared from a hospital bed that some of the treatment had “gone awry”.

“I’m going to be here for a little while,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. What I wanted to say was if this is all successful, I’ll see you in season six, and if it isn’t, I won’t. Take care, everyone.”

Before the final episodes of season five aired, Clarkson took to Instagram to warn viewers they would be “really, really difficult” to watch.

He shared: “Hello everybody, I have got some good news and some sombre news. Good news is Hawkstone [brewery] has finally had an advert accepted and it’ll be shown just before kick-off in the England match.

“Sombre news, Clarkson’s Farm. Ordinarily we try to keep the show charming and cheerful, but the final two episodes which drop in the middle of the night tonight are none of those things really.

“They are a difficult watch, they are really, really difficult.”

Since the release of the episodes, the star has not given any further updates about his health.

Clarkson’s Farm season 5 is on Prime Video

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares were mixed and oil was trading below $80 a barrel on Wednesday as markets watched for details on the interim agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end the war.

U.S. futures edged higher ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision announcement and after Wall Street closed mixed near their record highs.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was 0.8% higher at 69,926.08 near its all-time high set this week, after official data showed Japan’s exports jumped 17% in May from a year earlier, helped in part by strong demand for high-tech products.

South Korea’s Kospi edged 0.2% lower to 8,706.10 with losses in big technology stocks tracking a sell-off of artificial intelligence-related shares on Wall Street. Samsung Electronics, the country’s most valuable company, fell 1.9%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.8% to 24,273.95, while the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.1% to 4,089.26.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.5% to 8,965.30.

Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.5%. India’s Sensex rose 0.3%.

Oil prices stabilized after falling sharply earlier on optimism of an end to the war and a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, crucial for oil and gas transit worldwide. But challenges remain, including if the peace deal includes Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon.

Brent crude, the international standard, traded 0.3% lower at $78.76 per barrel early Wednesday after falling more than 5% on Tuesday. It was still elevated compared to the roughly $70 a barrel level in late February before the war started.

Benchmark U.S. crude was down 0.4% to $75.78 a barrel.

“Normalizing (oil) flows will take time,” economists at HSBC wrote in a note this week. “Hurdles include mine clearance, insurance reinstatement, emptying excess Gulf oil storage, repositioning ships, and restarting idled production fields.”

In the U.S., the Fed on Tuesday began its two-day meeting, the first under its new chair Kevin Warsh, that would discuss interest rates with a decision announcement set for Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressing the Fed for lower rates to help stimulate the U.S. economy, but fresh worries are rising on worsening inflation over the Iran war-caused energy shock.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

Police and an air ambulance have responded to the incident on Shields Road in the Byker area of Newcastle with a massive cordon in place and many officers seen responding

Emergency services have descended on a Newcastle street with a wide area sealed off after a major “disturbance” overnight.

An Air Ambulance supported the response which centred on Shields Road in the city’s Byker neighbourhood as a person was left seriously injured, the ambulance service said.

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