Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, says Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield shows how Labour can beat Reform.
Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election by a huge margin, paving the way for a battle for the leadership of the Labour Party.
The new Labour MP polled 54% of the total vote, receiving a whopping 24,927 votes. Reform’s candidate, Rob Kenyon, came next with 15,696 – which was 34% of vote share. Restore’s Rebecca Shepherd won 3,111 votes, which was a share of 6%.
In his victory speech, Mr Burnham said: “Everyone knows that politics isn’t working. Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”
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He added: “We must now take this path, and put this country back on the right path, and bring people back together and get things working properly again.”
After the result, Nigel Farage hit out, saying he was “disappointed” with the party’s vote share and blaming people voting to ‘get Starmer out’ for the poor showing.
Turnout for the by-election was nearly 59 per cent – higher than the 2024 by-election. Mr Burnham is now expected to launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir, who issued a statement congratulating him following the result.
We’ll bring you the latest news following the result…
Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, says Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield shows how Labour can beat Reform.
Wes Streeting has congratulated Andy Burnham on his ‘astonishing victory in Makerfield’.
He says it is ‘proof’ that Labour needs to ‘change’ in order to win again.
The former health secretary is widely expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer, and could be Mr Burnham’s rival for the leadership role if he can muster enough support to enter the contest.
Over in Ashton-in-Makerfield, our reporter Chris Gee has already had to apply some suncream as he speaks to locals on a bright June morning.
Steve Johnson, 59, was out to buy a newspaper when he stopped to chat.
He said:
“The result was no surprise to me – Burnham was popular as Manchester mayor and he’s carried that support. I’m hopeful that having such a high profile MP will be good for Ashton and he can deliver. The town definitely needs it.”
Pauline Barker, 78, was taking her cockerpoo Scooby to the groomers. She praised her new MP’s track record as mayor.
Back in Hindley, Ed Barnes has spoken to resident Jamie Derbyshire, who hopes Andy Burnham’s win could be a ‘fresh thing for Labour’.
Former New Labour strategist turned podcaster Alastair Campbell says the ‘huge’ win for Andy Burnham, with a 23 per cent vote swing since the local elections last month, is ‘not to be sniffed at’.
He also believes that ‘we are through peak Reform’ – and that Nigel Farage’s party ‘absolutely can be stopped’.
Manchester council leader Bev Craig – herself heavily rumoured to be Labour’s candidate to replace Andy Burnham as mayor – has shared her congratulations to Makerfield’s new MP.
She also congratulated Sandra Walmsley on winning a Bury council by-election for the party overnight.
Coun Craig wrote on X:
“An incredible result for @AndyBurnhamGM – showing what happens when you offer hope of delivering real change. For too long too many have felt left behind or ignored-we’ve shown hope beats grievance & division. A great night also for @BuryLabour winning their by-election too!”
The Green Party has already had success in Greater Manchester this year – picking up several seats on Manchester council last month and winning the Gorton and Denton by-election.
The party says it will be ‘campaigning hard’ in next month’s mayoral election.
A Green Party spokesperson said:
“We welcome the defeat of Reform’s divisive and misogynist campaign, and congratulations to Andy Burnham. Our candidate Sarah Wakefield ran a brilliant campaign highlighting the positive change the Green Party brings to our communities and that we are an island of belonging, not strangers. Keir Starmer now needs to go as Prime Minister. But if Andy Burnham replaces him, we don’t really know what we are going to get.
“His U-turns on a range of issues from his pledge to stick to the failed fiscal rules, to his denial of genocide in Gaza, raises the real prospect he will turn out to be just more Keir Starmer with a northern accent. This should ring alarm bells for anyone crying out for real hope and change. The Greens will be campaigning hard to win the by-election for the Greater Manchester mayoralty and, as we showed in the Gorton and Denton by-election and local elections in the area, it is going to be a clear Greens vs Reform race in this election.”
There were also two by-elections on the east coast of Scotland overnight.
Reform UK finished second to the SNP in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, and third in Aberdeen South behind the winning Conservatives and runner-up SNP.
Combined with Robert Kenyon’s defeat in Makerfield, Reform leader Nigel Farage said it was a ‘disappointing morning, but we keep going’.
He said:
“In Scotland, we were pleased to come second in Arbroath, but the Conservatives had a win in Aberdeen South. Well, good for them. There’s an irony though, that it was Jeremy Hunt’s budget that destroyed investment in the North Sea. They’ve won, and I think what we’ll see now is the Conservatives will have their pockets of strength around the country.
“But, in the North of England, the Midlands, South Wales and many other areas, the Conservative vote now averages in by-election after by-election around about two per cent. So Reform still is the big national party on the centre-right. A disappointing morning, but we keep going.”
This is Nigel Farage’s message on Makerfield in full:
“Well the Makerfield by-election was a dramatic, emphatic win for Andy Burnham, with a vote share that nobody could quite see coming. In many ways, he’s a popular local mayor, just as Boris Johnson was a very popular mayor in London just a few years ago. What really happened here is it was ‘vote Burnham, get Starmer out’, which of course was our campaign message leading up to the locals of May 7. So we were slightly hoist with our own petard.
“As for the Reform vote share, well I thought we would get 18,000 votes. We got just shy of 16,000, so I’m disappointed by that – no question about it. But I would say this. There’s a couple of thousand voters there who would normally have gone out and voted Reform, who voted Restore, and I would say directly to them – what do you want? We are the challenger party to the left in this country, and I would urge you to think again. I really, really would.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has spoken out on the Makerfield result.
He says Andy Burnham secured an ’emphatic win’ with a vote share that ‘nobody could quite see coming’.
Mr Farage added: “What really happened here was vote Burnham, get Starmer out.”
He says he is disappointed ‘no question’ that Reform came a couple of thousand votes below his target, and he has appealed to those who voted Restore Britain: “I would urge you to think again.”
Andy Burnham’s time as Greater Manchester mayor has come to an end.
His victory in the Makerfield by-election marks the end of a run which lasted nine years, one month and 15 days.
While in Westminster, eyes will turn to what happens next on Downing Street, in Greater Manchester there will be another crucial vote taking place on July 30.
So who could replace Mr Burnham as the region’s mayor?
Wayne Jones OBE, chair of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, has offered the organisation’s congratulations to Andy Burnham this morning.
He admits it is a ‘shame to lose such an effective mayor’, but believes the new Makerfield MP will continue to be a ‘staunch advocate’ for the region.
He said:
“Greater Manchester Chamber would like to congratulate Andy Burnham on winning the Makerfield by-election. As mayor of Greater Manchester, he can look back with pride on solid achievements such as the introduction of the Bee Network and the MBacc, which will have long-term impacts on the way local people travel and study.
“Andy Burnham has already said he will take part in a Labour leadership election, and his campaign is bound to highlight his successes in Greater Manchester as proof that he can get things done.
“Although it’s a shame to lose such an effective mayor before his term of office is over, I’m sure he will continue to be a staunch advocate for Greater Manchester and the wider North West, whether his future lies in Downing Street or in another role. As a chamber we have always worked well with the mayor and his team and I look forward to developing a strong relationship with his successor in the years ahead.”
Ed Barnes is in Hindley, one of the other Wigan borough towns that make up the Makerfield constituency.
He has spoken to Chris Leech, who is glad the by-election is over.
Chris Gee has spoken to Craig Cartwright, 42, from Bryn.
He believes Andy Burnham ‘will be good’ as Makerfield MP, and is not concerned about the prospect of him becoming PM.
A man dressed as a fox. Count Binface inspecting the toilets. The elaborate headgear of the Monster Raving Loony Party.
Wiganers could have been fooled for thinking it was Boxing Day with all the striking looks on display.
It was actually a by-election that could shape the future of the country – and there were plenty of colourful moments.
It was a disappointing night for Reform UK, whose candidate Robert Kenyon couldn’t topple Andy Burnham in Makerfield.
The party still grew its vote share though – and deputy leader Richard Tice believes the result simply demonstrated people’s desire to boot Sir Keir Starmer out of 10 Downing Street.
Communities secretary Steve Reed, a close ally of Sir Keir Starmer, has welcomed Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election.
But he says Labour should now be focused on replacing him as mayor of Greater Manchester, rather than a leadership fight.
He told Times Radio:
“First of all, I think Andy’s going to need a bit of family time because by-elections are incredibly stressful and intense, but what will happen next is Andy is no longer the mayor of Greater Manchester, so there will be a by-election for that position.
“We saw from the result in Makerfield this is going to be a straight Labour-Reform fight. We cannot risk the biggest regional politician in England going over to Reform because of all the division that they would want to sow across the north-west of England, all the damage that they will want to do.
“So all of us in the party celebrate Andy’s victory now, but we need to come together and make sure we win that by-election for the next mayor of Greater Manchester.”
Asked if he believed Mr Burnham would be better at delivering Labour’s agenda in Government than Sir Keir, Mr Reed added:
“There is no one person that can make the challenges of Government easier. We’ve got to get the balance right between growing the economy and investing in our public services that were broken.”
There are more camera crews on the streets of Ashton-in-Makerfield than residents this morning.
Rachel Wise, leader of Stockport’s Labour group, has given her praise for Andy Burnham’s victory on the other side of Greater Manchester overnight.
She said:
“It’s a tremendous result. It should give us all confidence that once again, when presented with a choice between Reform’s divisive politics and an alternative, most people choose hope. We all want politicians that get it; who know that well-functioning public services are vital to allowing people to get on and enjoy their lives. Congratulations to the people of Makerfield for so decisively backing a message of hope, growth and inclusion.”
He said he was leaving the count for a pint – and it looks like he got it.
This tweet from Ben Hobbs, vice chair of Young Labour, shows the new Makerfield MP with a beer in his hand.
It looks like a Cruzcampo pint glass to me…
Unite the Union general secretary Sharon Graham says Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield has brought a ‘glimmer of hope’ to workers.
But she warns that the victory ‘does paper over the cracks’ when it comes to Labour’s relationship with the working class.
She said:
“There is absolutely no doubt that over the last two years workers and the working class have fallen out of love with Labour. The win for Andy Burnham in Makerfield is a glimmer of hope but it must not be taken as a business as usual mandate.
“It is clear that there now needs to be an orderly timetable for a leadership election and Keir Starmer must do the right thing and step down. The inevitable leadership election must be fought on real change and policies. Not personalities or better speeches.
“This result does paper over the cracks that workers feel abandoned by Labour and they will continue to abandon Labour in droves if there is not a significant change in economic and political direction. Rearranging the deckchairs and incremental reforms just won’t cut it.
“Britain now needs a vision. Workers and communities need hope. We must invest in Britain and jobs, stop everyday people paying for crisis after crisis not of their making. Straightforward policies such as capping energy prices immediately, releasing the crippling freeze on tax bands, introduce a wealth tax to fund our public services and a comprehensive industrial plan backed by real money, would be a good start.”
Local democracy reporter Chris Gee is out on the streets of Ashton-in-Makerfield this morning, taking the temperature from voters as they wake up to a new MP.
He has already spoken to Alan Lowe, 53, who was taking his labrador Stanley for an early morning stroll.
Alan said:
“I honestly don’t think Burnham will be MP for Makerfield for long – there were special circumstances yesterday that won’t be there for a general election. I thought it was oppressive and aggressive from all the parties around Ashton yesterday – the efforts to get people out to vote.”
Former Warehouse Project and Parklife boss Sacha Lord, who previously served as nighttime economy tsar under Andy Burnham, says the former mayor’s victory in Makerfield is a ‘huge moment for the UK’.
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice believes Andy Burnham benefitted from tactical voting to get Sir Keir Starmer out of office.
He told BBC Breakfast:
“The reality is, we have had the election. The key takeaway is voters who voted for Mr Kenyon at local elections and other Reform councillors, some of them decided – in order to guarantee that Keir Starmer, the most unpopular prime minister in living memory is ousted – they actually chose tactically to vote Andy Burnham. That is the key takeaway, whether you like it or not.”
From the MP for Ashton, Tameside, to the new MP for Ashton, Wigan.
Angela Rayner has just tweeted her congratulations to Andy Burnham.
She says ‘the people of Makerfield voted for hope’.
Sir Keir Starmer has so far insisted he will contest any challenge to his leadership.
Sky News’ Beth Rigby is reporting that the PM’s position remains unchanged, despite Andy Burnham’s thumping win in Makerfield.
Labour increased its share of the vote by nearly 10 per cent from the general election.
And while it was a disappointing night for Reform UK, the party still managed to increase its vote share over 2024.
In his winning speech, Mr Burnham told his Labour colleagues that the party was facing its ‘final chance to change’.
He said:
“I do say to my own party: this is a final chance to change. This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance.”
Labour had three questions about Andy Burnham.
Could he win Makerfield? How convincingly? And what will it mean for the future of the party?
The first two have now been answered.
Manchester have been told they would be stupid to sell Marcus Rashford to Arsenal.
Arsenal have been mentioned as a possible destination for the England international, but former United forward Louis Saha has warned Old Trafford chiefs that they would regret sanctioning any deal with the reigning Premier League champions.
He said: “For me, selling Marcus Rashford to Arsenal is a complete no-go. I wouldn’t give any strength to the reigning Premier League champion.
“Look at Robin van Persie coming to United and helping them win the league. There’s no good in those kinds of deals for the selling club.
“You have Rashford, who went to Barcelona and they won La Liga. He was a massive asset.
I think that giving a discount on assets to your rival for the Premier League is stupidity.
“I consider Rashford a real danger for anyone who wants to compete in the league. If this guy is in form, he’s able to score 20-25 goals. So no, don’t give that power to somebody you consider a rival.”
Livingston Football Club has teamed up with one of the county’s most famous teams with plans which will create a dedicated training facility for the club, and boost facilities for one of the county’s oldest clubs.
West Lothian Council’s Executive has been asked to approve a plan proposing a 30- year lease of Pumpherston Juniors’ ground at Drumshoreland Place in the village to Livingston FC.
Currently Pumpherston Juniors Football Club (PJFC)- originally founded in 1896- lease the football ground from the council under the terms of a Community Benefit ground lease that is due to run until 31 March 2041.
The facilities at the ground include an 11-a-side grass pitch, a small sports court with a synthetic surface, changing facilities and car parking. The site is the home ground of PJFC, who currently play in the East of Scotland pyramid system.
The council has been approached jointly by PJFC and Livingston Football Club (LFC) with a proposal that would see PJFC renounce their existing Community Benefit lease and a new thirty-year commercial lease of the facilities at Drumshoreland Place granted in favour of LFC.
Under that joint proposal, LFC would undertake significant capital investment in the facilities at the football ground, replacing the existing grass pitch with a new 3G pitch, as well as installing new flood lighting and providing modern changing facilities.
The proposed works would be fully funded by LFC and would significantly improve and modernise the existing facilities at the ground.
The proposed new lease to LFC and their subsequent capital investment would mean LFC has a dedicated training facility for their first team, women’s team, reserves team, along with their nine affiliated clubs.
LFC also have a Scottish Football Association (SFA) requirement to convert the existing synthetic playing surface at the Almondvale Stadium to grass ahead of the 2027 season and the proposed new lease would ensure they continue to have access to training facilities during the new pitch installation works at Almondvale Stadium.
If LFC do not have access to alternative training facilities during the pitch installation works at Almondvale Stadium, they would be unable to install that new pitch, which is an SFA requirement should LFC secure promotion back into the Scottish Premiership.
LFC have explored the provision of training facilities in and around the footprint of Almondvale Stadium, however it has not been possible to identify a viable solution due to the physical restrictions of the property.
PJFC supports the proposal, and their own security of tenure at Drumshoreland Place would be secured by way of a legally binding sub-lease between themselves and LFC that would run concurrently with the proposed new thirty-year lease between LFC and the council.
Under the terms of that sublease, PJFC would have access to the facilities to fulfil their home fixtures and training sessions at no cost to PJFC.
The lease would generate £10,000 per annum for the council.
Council officers are recommending that it is considered to be in the council’s best interests for the existing lease to PJFC to be renounced, for a new thirty-year lease to be granted to LFC.
The council’s Executive will decide on Tuesday.
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Scottie Scheffler has positioned himself for a tilt at completing the career grand slam, though he faces a formidable challenge in overcoming Wyndham Clark’s commanding six-shot advantage at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
The world number one, who made straight for the practice green following his round of 69 that lifted him into a share of second place, celebrates his 30th birthday on Sunday. With Father’s Day also falling on the same date, he’ll be hoping for a treble celebration.
Yet Scheffler must not only work out how to post a score low enough to apply genuine pressure on Clark – who is attempting to become the first player since Martin Kaymer in 2014 to lead a US Open from start to finish – but also rely on his fellow American’s fortune and recovery skills finally running out.
Clark demonstrated remarkable resilience, converting vital par saves from 14 feet, seven feet, six feet and three separate putts from five feet. He also delivered some spectacular shotmaking, none better than a 275-yard approach that finished inside five feet to set up the tournament’s first eagle at the par-five 16th.
That stroke extended his cushion to seven over his nearest challengers, and Clark’s good fortune persisted at the following hole where, despite finding thick rough, he received a free drop due to a television tower before being permitted to replace his ball after it rolled away twice.
Questions were also raised regarding the extent of his ‘gardening’ along his putting lines during the final holes on the Poa annua surfaces, which are notorious for becoming progressively more challenging as the day progresses. The regulations permit golfers to tap down spike marks, though Clark took a considerable amount of time perfecting his putting lines.
A missed five-foot par putt on the final hole gave hope to those trailing behind, as he completed a level-par round of 70.
Since the first Masters in 1934 there have been 13 previous instances of players holding a six-shot advantage or greater after three rounds, with Greg Norman’s 1996 collapse at Augusta being the sole exception to converting such leads into victory.
Scheffler, who will partner Clark in the final pairing, commented: “I think it’s appropriate to understand what’s at stake,” adding: “I think understanding the moment and giving it your best shot I think is all part of the process.
“I mean, I’d rather be leading but I have an opportunity to go out there and have a great round and give myself a chance to win the tournament.”
While Scheffler managed to stay competitive, Rory McIlroy’s quest for his first US Open title since making his major breakthrough in 2011 ended in disappointment. After a promising outward half of two-under 33, his challenge unravelled spectacularly.
Three consecutive birdies from the fifth brought him within four shots of Clark, who was just teeing off, but an overhit approach at the challenging 10th for the second day running sparked a collapse. Five dropped shots on the back nine resulted in a 40 and an overall 73, leaving him three over par with his hopes in tatters.
Clark remained confident about his prospects, saying: “I feel good. I have got more and more comfortable every time I have got in these positions,”.
“I’m hoping I can bring my A-game finally.”
There are only five players under par, with Sahith Theegala (70), Tom Kim (72) and Sam Stevens (72) joining Scheffler, while four sit at level par. English pair Matt Fitzpatrick, who laboured to a 74, and Tommy Fleetwood, who battled his way to a level-par 70, are one over.
Fleetwood memorably carded a final-round 63 when the US Open last visited Shinnecock, falling short by a single stroke, but given the present conditions, a similar performance appears improbable.
A man who was stabbed in Failsworth is fighting for life in hospital. Emergency services attended Hale Lane on Friday evening (June 20).
The victim was rushed to hospital with serious stab wounds. He remains in a critical condition this morning (Sunday), according to Greater Manchester Police.
Two men, aged 19 and 46, were later arrested in Moston on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. Officers were seen in attendance on Hale Lane, near the junction with Moston Lane East, on Saturday morning.
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A crime scene investigation van was also pictured on the scene as forensic officers scoured the area for evidence. A GMP spokesperson said on Saturday: “We are investigating an incident on Hale Lane, Failsworth, last night that resulted in a man needing hospital treatment for stab wounds.
“We have arrested two men, aged 46 and 19, on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. We will provide further updates when we have them.”
OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian officials arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to formally launch negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program and build out the fragile interim deal to end the war in Iran.
The framework was signed last week, and now top U.S. and Iranian negotiators are in a 60-day sprint to reach an agreement on the technical details that hold massive implications for the world economy and global security.
Iran dealt two quick blows to the interim agreement with the United States on Saturday, angered by Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon, saying it had closed the Strait of Hormuz and announcing that while its negotiators were going to Switzerland for talks, not much is likely to happen there.
Yet only days after signing the agreement, it’s being stress-tested after fighting escalated in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah — and by the subsequent announcement by Iran’s military that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that transits a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas.
Vance had originally been slated to be on the ground at the picturesque Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne on Friday, but his departure from the United States was delayed after fighting escalated in Lebanon and Iranian officials canceled plans to attend the talks.
Delegations from the U.S. and Iran, as well as mediators Pakistan and Qatar, arrived at the picturesque mountainside resort near Lake Lucerne on Sunday morning. Talks were expected to begin soon, according to the Swiss government.
U.S. Central Command disputed Iran’s claim that it had once again shuttered the strait and said U.S. forces continued to monitor the situation to ensure traffic continues to flow through the waterway. Vance has said that millions of barrels of oil have moved through the strait in recent days.
Vance departed the U.S. just after Iranian state TV said Iran’s negotiators had arrived in Switzerland. Tehran’s negotiators include parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with central bank and oil officials.
The U.S. vice president joins special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who have already been on the ground to begin sifting through the technical details of the nuclear talks.
The talks between the U.S. and Iran will also include Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, as well as Qatari mediators. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sharif will also meet separately with each delegation from Iran, Switzerland and the U.S. “to reaffirm Pakistan’s enduring commitment to dialogue and durable peace in the region.”
Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, arrived at Emmen Air Base outside Lucerne just before 6 a.m. local time, according to his office.
While Vance said he planned to be in Switzerland for just “a day or two,” leaving much of the detailed negotiations to be spearheaded by Witkoff and Kushner, his role in the talks has heightened scrutiny of the vice president at a time when he’s actively considering a 2028 presidential campaign.
Trump and Vance have come under searing criticism from parts of their own party for the deal, with Republican hard-liners unfavorably likening it to a nuclear agreement signed by the Obama administration that Trump and the GOP have insisted did nothing to actually terminate Iran’s nuclear program.
The agreement signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian immediately allows Tehran to sell its oil freely and paves the way for Iran to tap into billions of dollars in assets that are currently frozen. It also calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were targeted in U.S. strikes last summer.
The agreement says commercial vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days without a charge, but does not preclude future fees imposed by Iran. Trump made his own threat on Saturday to levy U.S. tolls on the strait if there is no deal with Iran in 60 days, insisting in a social media post that the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”
The Trump administration has been working to reassure global markets that the Iran war has been merely a blip on oil prices, as Americans have complained the conflict resulted in hiking gasoline prices ahead of peak summer travel months. After the White House announced the deal a week ago, oil futures dropped almost 8% — and markets are expected to closely track the progress of talks when they open for trading on Sunday evening.
Further complicating matters, neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the deal between the U.S. and Iran, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep his forces in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in the initial days after the agreement between the U.S. and Iran killed 47 people in Lebanon, as well as four Israeli soldiers.
___
Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.
The former pumping station in Sunderland provides some of the film’s most atmospheric period backdrops, helping director Tina Gharavi turn the region into Edwardian Britain for her new adaptation of Woolf’s novel.
Gharavi has lived in the North East for almost 30 years, yet she admits she only discovered Ryhope when she began scouting for sites that could pass as early 20th‑century industrial England.
“It’s such a gem. It is absolutely unbelievably good, you know, like staggeringly good for the region,” she said.
The museum – built around magnificent Victorian and Edwardian beam engines – offered exactly the kind of authentic machinery and architecture the production needed.
Instead of building sets, Gharavi could frame her actors amid real ironwork, brick and steam‑age engineering, giving Night and Day a physical texture that’s hard to fake.
Part of what moved Gharavi about Ryhope Engines Museum was not just the building, but the people who keep it running.
The site is maintained by volunteers, some of whom have been giving their time for decades.
“The men who work there, they’re just incredible because they’ve been doing it as volunteers, one of them for like 40 years, like this guy called Keith,” she said.
“Keith is just my hero, really… I just can’t give enough props to those men who have kept this kind of Edwardian‑Victorian factory alive forever and ever and ever and it’s just so lovingly looked after.”
The lovingly preserved engines and pipework help Night and Day feel rooted in the real industrial world that sits in the background of Woolf’s story about class, work and social change.
Director Tina Gharavi was blown away by Ryhope Engines Museum. (Image: BRIDGE & TUNNEL PRODUCTIONS)
While Night and Day follows the emotional and intellectual lives of characters like aspiring astronomer Katharine Hilbery, it is also very much a story about a country on the brink of transformation.
Suffrage protests, new technologies and shifts in work and family life all loom over the relationships at its centre.
Locations like Ryhope Engines Museum quietly underline that context.
The museum’s great engines speak to the power systems – literal and metaphorical – that kept Edwardian Britain running, while the volunteers’ dedication mirrors the film’s interest in communities and unseen labour.
By shooting in a working heritage site rather than on a backlot, Gharavi adds another layer of authenticity to Woolf’s world.
For the director, using Ryhope was also part of a bigger mission: to showcase the North East as a serious filming destination.
She has talked about the region as “spectacularly diverse”, with everything from cities and coastline to factories and forests available within a short drive.
“I didn’t know about [Ryhope Engines Museum] until I made this film and we were looking for period locations,” she admits – before adding that now, “everyone should visit it” because “it’s staggeringly good.”
Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day could soon see cinema‑goers across the country follow her advice, stepping inside a place where North East engineering history and big‑screen storytelling meet.
Vanessa Feltz has broken her silence after it was announced that her Channel 5 programme is being “rested”.
The news about her self-titled show Vanessa – which she had been presenting since March last year – came earlier this week.
The star has now addressed the decision while speaking on her LBC programme, admitting that she was “shocked” by the move.
She told her listeners: “It was a bit of a shock. It was meant to be a delightful year’s contract, the show was going really well… I was shocked to the core and very upset and I still am.”
The chat show saw Vanessa in conversation with studio guests and members of the public, who called in to the show to share their stories on whatever was being discussed.
However, during its time on air the programme did receive some calls from hoaxers, some of whom posed as characters from EastEnders and recounted plotlines from the BBC soap.
Confirming that the programme was being dropped, a 5 spokesperson said: “Due to afternoon scheduling changes, Vanessa will be rested from July 17th. We thank Vanessa and her team at ITN for 18 months of warm, witty, wise and searingly honest shows.”
“Vanessa remains a valued member of the 5 family and we are discussing future projects together,” they went on.
Vanessa’s television chat show was first broadcast from 1994 to 1998 on ITV, before it was succeeded by Trisha.
She went on to several other projects, working on shows such as Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, BBC Radio 2, This Morning. Then last year she revived her chat show on Channel 5, and it has been airing for an hour on weekdays.
However, after it was rebooted the programme went through some changes – it underwent three redesigns, which affected both the studio and the branding. It was thought that this was a bid to attract more viewers.
As well as her presenting work, Vanessa is known for her appearances on reality TV programmes. She has taken part in series such as Strictly Come Dancing, Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Big Brother.
Vanessa aired on Channel 5.
The boyfriend of a Citibank boss who was found beaten to death at her flat in London has been arrested.
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Marianne Kilonzi, 43, who was vice president of trade and working capital sales, was found dead in her home in Woolwich, south-east London, in January 2025.
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It is an important fixture for both nations in Group G, where it is very much all to play for with each country locked on a point apiece after two opening draws.
Belgium needed a second-half Mohamed Hany own goal in Seattle on Monday to rescue a 1-1 against Egypt, who were denied their maiden World Cup win after a brilliant early strike from Emam Ashour.
Belgium vs Iran is scheduled for an 8pm BST kick-off today, Sunday June 21, 2026.
The match will take place at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood, California.
TV channel: Belgium vs Iran will be televised live and free-to-air in the UK on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 7pm.
Live stream: UK viewers can also watch the match live online via the ITVX website or app, which is free with a sign-up.
Live blog: Follow the game as it happens with Standard Sport’s live blog.
Free highlights: World Cup highlights are being broadcast on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, along with the BBC iPlayer, ITVX app and their websites.
Sporting defender Zeno Debast is expected to remain sidelined for Belgium as he continues to work his way back from a thigh injury suffered on club duty.
Red Devils boss Rudi Garcia is not believed to have any fresh fitness concerns, though may opt for changes after a disappointing performance against Egypt.
All-time leading scorer Romelu Lukaku will be pushing to start ahead of Charles De Ketelaere up front, having forced the own goal by Hany last week.
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Senne Lammens, Mike Penders
Defenders: Timothy Castagne, Zeno Debast, Maxim de Cuyper, Koni de Winter, Brandon Mechele, Thomas Meunier, Nathan Ngoy, Joaquin Seys, Arthur Theate
Midfielders: Kevin de Bruyne, Amadou Onana, Nicolas Raskin, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken, Axel Witsel
Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremy Doku, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Romelu Lukaku, Dodi Lukebakio, Diego Moreira, Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Trossard
Jeremy Doku will look to get off the mark at this summer’s World Cup
Getty
Midfielders Roozbeh Cheshmi and Saman Ghoddos – formerly of Brentford – have both been dealing with knocks for Iran, along with ex-Brighton winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh.
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Hossein Hosseini, Payam Niazmand
Defenders: Danial Eiri, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoka Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati Omid Noorafkan, Ramin Rezaeian
Midfielders: Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Saeid Ezatolah, Mehdi Ghaedi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad Mohebi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Mehdi Torabi, Aria Yousefi
Forwards: Ali Alipour, Dennis Dargahi, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Amirhossein Mahmoudi, Mehdi Taremi
Belgium need a convincing performance here to calm fears that this could be shaping up into a third successive frustrating major tournament, following their last-16 exit at Euro 2024 and shock group stage departure from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But Iran are certainly no pushovers, defying all their well-documented off-field issues at this tournament to play their part in a thrilling opening contest against New Zealand.
We expect them to push Belgium all the way, only for the Red Devils to produce a tense and narrow victory that will all-but seal their place in the last 32.
Belgium and Iran have never previously met in a senior men’s international fixture.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a career-defining decision: step down or fight a challenge from Labour Party rival Andy Burnham.
Starmer has publicly vowed to stay in post, but pressure is building as more and more Labour Party colleagues conclude his time is up. Expectation is growing that he will announce a timetable for his resignation as soon as Monday. That’s the day Burnham will be sworn in as a lawmaker in the House of Commons after winning a special election last week.
Starmer is spending the weekend at Chequers, the country mansion used by British prime ministers, with his family.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said Sunday that Starmer is “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in.”
“I know he is a prime minister who always puts his country first,” Kyle told the BBC, though he said reports that Starmer will resign are “speculation.”
Discontent with the prime minister has been building for months, with Labour lawmakers desperate to reverse the government’s decline in popularity since Starmer led the center-left party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.
He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and has been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the U.K. ambassador to the United States.
Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party and facing a rising Reform UK, the Nigel Farage -led anti-immigration party that consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls.
Burnham, until this week the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, decisively won the seat of Makerfield in northwestern England in a special election held Thursday. He took almost 55% of the 45,510 votes cast, over 9,000 more than the Reform UK runner-up.
Now that he is a lawmaker, he’s in a position to challenge Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party. Burnham’s acceptance speech left no doubt that he wants to lead both the party and the country.
“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working,” he said. “Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”
Starmer congratulated Burnham on Friday, but insisted he would fight any attempt to oust him.
“I will run, I will stand,” if there is a Labour leadership contest, Starmer said. “I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that.”
But Charlie Falconer, a senior Labour member of the House of Lords, said Saturday that Starmer has “absolutely no authority” left.
“There should be an agreed transition process in which Andy and Keir cooperate as to when the handover should take place,” he told the BBC.
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