The awards, along with record-breaking funds raised for the Butterwick Hospice and the Moses Project, were handed out at Stockton Council’s annual general meeting. Councillor Bob Cook was also appointed Mayor of Stockton for the next year during the event at Billingham Forum.

Cllr Jim Beall nominated Cllr Cook, saying the former fitter was committed to public service with almost 35 years on the council and 14 years as its leader, describing him as kind, dedicated, reliable, calm, down to earth and affable and a champion for the disadvantaged. He said: “I am confident he will represent the borough with distinction.”

Cllr Cook chose Autism Matters and Neoangels as his charities as mayor. Cllr Marilyn Surtees, praised as a hard working, well respected community activist and champion, was appointed deputy mayor.

Cllr Lynn Hall praised the outgoing mayor, Cllr Stephen Richardson, as tireless and enthusiastic, said he “ensured we were well represented on the world stage” during the Stockton and Darlington Railway bicentenary celebrations, among more than 200 engagements as he raised a “staggering” £46,108 for his charities: “I think we can say you nailed it, Stephen.”

Cllr Tony Riordan said: “Your year as mayor has been nothing short of impressive. You’ve done a wonderful job bringing people together.”

Cllr Richardson said: “It’s been a tremendous honour and privilege. Every visit, every conversation, every event has reminded me how fortunate we are to live in such a remarkable borough. One defined by kindness, generosity and unwavering community support.”

He said Butterwick Hospice and the Moses Project, for which he raised £20,054 each, were both “life-changing” organisations, with Butterwick touching families at their most difficult times and providing comfort and dignity, while the Moses Project lifted people up from their lowest point and turned lives around, adding: “Both of these charities represent the best of our community – care, compassion and hope.”

He gave the following civic awards to people who went “above and beyond” and made a difference in their communities:

• Young Person – eight-year-old Ariadne Goldsmith, for the “amazing achievement” of walking 80 miles and raising just under £2,000 for Young Lives Vs Cancer;
• Service to the Community (Individual) – Janet Hodgson who, at 78, who “continues to inspire generations through her passion for dance”, teaching dance for 60 years at the Janet Dickinson School of Dance and raising over £250,000 for charities;
• Service to the Community (Groups) – Hope Cancer Community Group, a support group “like being in a family unit where everybody understands what the other is going through”;
• Service to the Community (Business) – Choco-Latte for providing a “safe, warm, welcoming community hub for everyone”, helping people with issues including isolation, mental health and dementia;
• Health and Wellbeing – Stockton Volunteer Driver Service, for providing “safe, door-to-door journeys for those unable to use conventional transport”, giving more than 300 people a “lifeline, restoring confidence and independence”;
• Green Award – Bright Minds, Big Futures, a youth organisation which has focused its efforts on sustainability and promoting recycling this year, hosting a thrift event with a catwalk and helping families find low-cost prom outfits;
• Special Award – Olga Maloney, for her “enormous selfless commitment”, working with the Billingham International Folklore Festival “at the heart of the event for nearly 30 years” as artistic director and producer, with similar festivals around the world and tours including Torvill and Dean.

Cllr Richardson also gave long service awards to three council employees for 25 years’ service. Council leader Cllr Lisa Evans announced there would be no changes to her cabinet this year.

A man in his 40s was found dead outside MyBar on Charminster Road in Bournemouth

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder following a man’s death after an alleged violent assault outside a Bournemouth bar.

Officers responded to reports of an attack outside MyBar on Charminster Road at approximately 3am this morning, discovering a man in his 40s from Christchurch, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two Bournemouth men, aged 37 and 46, along with a 34 year old man from Poole, have subsequently been taken into custody.

Police believe several people were present in the vicinity at the time and may have seen the alleged incident. They are being urged to contact Dorset Police online or by telephoning 101, quoting occurrence number 55260048268, as enquiries into the circumstances continue.

The force confirmed there will be a heightened police presence in the locality over the coming days, with members of the public who hold any information or have concerns encouraged to speak with officers. Motorists are also being appealed to share any dashcam footage which may have recorded the incident, reports the Mirror.

An “extensive cordon” remains in place while crucial work at the scene is being undertaken, police say.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicky Jenkins, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who sadly died and a detailed investigation is under way to establish what happened.

“An extensive cordon has been put in place and I would like to thank the public for their understanding while vital work at the scene is carried out. We know there were a number of people in the area at the time who may have witnessed what happened and we would ask them to please get in touch.

“I am also appealing to anyone who was driving in the area and has dashcam fitted to their vehicle to please check it for any relevant footage. Members of the public will see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days and we would encourage anyone with information or concerns to please speak with an officer.”

Those with information are urged to reach out to Dorset Police via their website or by dialling 101, quoting occurrence number 55260048268.

Whitby Coastguard said concerns were raised about the people on the beach in Robin Hood’s Bay on Sunday (April 5).

A coastguard spokesperson said it was able to respond to the incident and the situation was resolved “without the need for further action”.

However, they urged people concerned about the safety of others on the coast to “call 999 and ask for the coastguard immediately”, rather than post about it on social media.

The coastguard spokesperson said posting on social media “is not the way to report an incident”.

“Time matters,” they said. “Waiting, watching, or posting online can delay the help that may be needed.”

The coastguard spokesperson said people “can and do get cut off quicker than expected”, adding: “Not every situation looks “life-threatening” at first… but that can change in seconds.

“… Assessing risk from a Facebook photo, especially at a distance, is not something to joke about.

“These are real coastal conditions. Tides, terrain and access points are constantly changing, cliffs and banks continually collapsing. What may look ‘fine’ from one angle or moment in time can very quickly become dangerous.”

Jacobson was shocked by the gleeful response to October 7 in parts of academia and the hard Left, “though I was hardened to it all”. In 2014 he wrote J, a novel in which “every Jew in the country was expelled, gone, finished, none left”. He believes the “pro” Palestine marches are “genocidal marches, absolutely: ‘get rid of the Jews’”. October 7 and the aftermath, Jacobson says, performed an essential function for Europeans: retrospective absolution for the Holocaust. “It wiped out the Holocaust.” It went further, by charging the Jews themselves with Holocaust in Gaza: “The Genocide”.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa killed two women and a toddler, authorities said Monday, while Ukrainian long-range drones targeted Russia’s key Black Sea port for oil exports.

The nighttime attack on Odesa heavily damaged an apartment block, killing the women and a 2-year-old child, officials said. Rescuers working under floodlights pulled four people from the rubble.

Eleven people were hospitalized, including a pregnant woman and two children — the youngest less than a year old, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

Russia has pounded civilian areas of Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, killing more than 15,000 people, according to the United Nations.

It has also taken aim at Ukraine’s power grid, and the Russia overnight barrages also hit energy infrastructure in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, Zelenskyy said.

More than 300,000 households were without electricity in the northern Chernihiv region after distribution facilities were damaged in attacks, according to the regional power utility.

Over the past week, Russia has launched at Ukraine more than 2,800 attack drones, nearly 1,350 powerful glide bombs and more than 40 missiles of various types, according to Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy expressed concern in a weekend interview with The Associated Press that the Iran war is draining stockpiles of weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself, especially American-made Patriot air defense systems that can stop missiles.

Zelenskyy said Monday that the country’s partners “need to strengthen air defense together so that the interception rate of drones and missiles continues to increase.”

With U.S.-led peace efforts stalled, Zelenskyy added: “Russia has no intention of stopping” its invasion.

Ukraine has fought back by developing its own long-range drones, which now reach targets some 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) inside Russia.

Ukraine has used them recently to hammer Russian oil facilities as Moscow looks to boost its exports after the Trump administration gave it a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints. Kyiv officials complain that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said that eight people, including two children, were injured in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Novorossiisk, one of Russia’s largest Black Sea ports. The attack damaged six apartment buildings and two private houses, he said.

Unconfirmed media reports said the drones targeted the Sheskharis oil terminal at the Black Sea port.

Last week, Ukraine’s drones struck oil facilities in the Gulf of Finland, in northwest Russia.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Iran and the US have been presented with a framework drawn up by Pakistan, with the proposal outlining a two-stage approach including a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

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A potentially groundbreaking two-phase ceasefire proposal that could see the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may come into force as early as today, reports suggest.

according to sources. The proposal sets out a two-stage strategy, featuring a 45-day cessation of hostilities and the reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, two officials confirmed to the Associated Press.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is understood to have been in discussions with US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to the framework, face-to-face negotiations would take place in Islamabad, with between 15 and 20 days allocated to work towards a comprehensive agreement.

The development comes as oil markets reacted sharply on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate – the US benchmark – increasing by 1.86 per cent to exceed $112 per barrel, while Brent – the international benchmark – surged beyond $110.

On Sunday, Axios reported that the US, Iran and regional intermediaries were in discussions regarding a 45-day ceasefire forming part of a two-stage initiative to bring the conflict to a close. However, commentary published on Monday by Tasnim, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC, suggested a 45-day truce “under the shadow of war” has no place in Iran’s policy, reports the Mirror.

The commentary indicated Tehran has consistently rejected temporary ceasefires as they leave the door open for renewed aggression, maintaining that a suspension would enable the US and Israel to reorganise and rearm while keeping Iran vulnerable.

The statement added that, according to Iran’s position, the conflict can only conclude with concrete assurances preventing future US and Israeli attacks, and noted that the Strait of Hormuz would not revert to its previous conditions.

This follows Donald Trump’s profanity-laden warnings directed at Iran and its infrastructure should it fail to reopen the crucial shipping lane by his specified deadline of “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time” (1am BST Wednesday).

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“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” he posted on Truth Social on Sunday. “There will be nothing like it!!!”

He seems to have pushed back the deadline once more, having originally set it for Monday (April 6) after declaring on Saturday (April 4) that Iran had “48 hours” to reach an agreement. That previous deadline had already been postponed by 10 days last month.

At the same time, Iran has launched strikes on infrastructure sites in adjacent Gulf nations and issued warnings about potentially blocking another vital waterway – the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near the Arabian Peninsula.

The Met Office said temperatures in York are due to rise from Tuesday (April 7).

Forecasters expect highs of 18C in York on Tuesday, rising to 21C on Wednesday.

Blue skies and sunshine are expected in the city on Monday afternoon, into Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday is, however, predicted to see temperatures fall back to 13C, the Met Office said.

There is also rain forecast throughout Thursday.

Later in the week, the Met Office expects temperatures to sit around 12C with clouds expected on Friday and Saturday, making way sunny intervals on Sunday.

The forecast comes after Storm Dave brought strong winds which caused disruption across York and North Yorkshire at the weekend.  

Asking a woman about a pregnancy she hasn’t explicitly confirmed is an absolute no-no, but just that happened to Emmerdale’s Isabel Hodgins.

Isabel and partner Adam Whitehead recently welcomed their beautiful baby, a daughter named Georgie Grace, who was born on February 11.

Taking to Instagram, the two announced the birth with a reel, showing Isabel in the throes of labour, before cutting to an adorable black and white snap of her cuddling her brand new bundle of joy just a few weeks later.

Amid keeping fans up to date on her mothering journey, Isabel recently shared a further reel, detailing her return to the gym that was flooded with warm and supportive comments.

@sandrahicks839 commented: ‘Isabel, you are an amazing mum and mother, I think its wonderful that you want to do this, take your time, because this is your time now, lots of love from a big fan.’ @lorrainewilson7874 added: ‘Go mama. Slow and steady though. Your body grew a wee human and birthed her’

@janette.adair.31 said: ‘Go girl go…you are smashing motherhood, take care small steps’, while @ajd2701 wrote: ‘You look fab, I remember having my son and I decided I wanted to be fit and healthy so I could play football with him, run around and play all the silly games he wanted to’.

Fellow soap stars, Catherine Tyldesley and Brooke Vincent also commented, posting: ‘Go on momma!’ and ‘go on my love’ respectively.

Not all of her interactions were as soft and sweet, though.

Isabel took to Instagram and posted a selfie to her story, captioned: ‘Had someone come up to me in the gym today and ask when I’m due…slightly awkward for both of us when I said I had her 7 weeks ago.’

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Big no-no.

Fans, as ever, flooded the post to support the new mum: ‘Happened to me! Awkward! But I smiled! It was there for a very good reason’, said one, with another adding: ‘Oh my goodness I’ve done that!! I was very embarrassed.’

Isabel keeps fans updated

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Isabel has been incredibly active on social media, detailing her new reality as a mum, with fans loving the super sweet content she shares.

Last week, Isabel created an adorable reel, taking fans through a morning with Georgie, captioned: ‘Mornings with my little miss’.

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Giving viewers an insight into her new daily routine, Isabel showed her gorgeous daughter wriggling on the bed, plenty of nappy changes, feeding and a couple of outfit swaps.

A host of Isabel’s co-stars flooded the comment section with kind words and lovely messages, with Danny Miller, who plays brother in law, Aaron Dingle, said: ‘Oh hello!!’, to which Isabel replied with a slew of laughing face emojis. 

Lawrence Robb, who plays Mackenzie Boyd, wrote: ‘Song choice’, with clapping emojis, while Laura Norton, who plays Kerry Wyatt added: ‘Unreal’.

With Isabel celebrating her first mothers day this year, Adam curated a beautiful tribute on Instagram for her, posting a carousel of images, alongside a heartfelt caption.

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‘Your first Mother’s Day,’ he began.

‘As if I didn’t already think you were amazing…but watching you become Georgie’s mum has opened my eyes even more. The love, patience and strength you show every day is incredible. We’re so lucky you’re ours.’

Emmerdale viewers recently saw Isabel’s alter-ego, Victoria Sugden, decide to head to Portugal for a fresh start with step-mum, Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen) and son Harry, after the guilt of killing half-brother, John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), and blackmail from Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), saw her give up her share of farmland to him.

MORE: Viral Emmerdale star confirms social media break ahead of wedding

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