The Light opens on Saturday, August 22 in Durham City and represents a major investment in creativity, culture and community. It will bring together art, history and science in exciting ways, providing a welcoming and engaging space where visitors will experience internationally significant exhibitions, created in partnership with leading national and global institutions.

The Light will be a place for creativity and innovation to thrive, communities to gather, and artists to collaborate.

Cllr Karen Allison and Cllr Joe Quinn, Cabinet member for planning, investments and assets (Image: Durham County Council)

Once home to the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum and Durham Art Gallery, the attraction will include a permanent DLI gallery to help bring the region’s proud military history to new audiences. Featuring images, sounds, hands-on activities and rich sensory experiences, We Are The Durhams builds upon the venue’s military heritage to tell a deeply human story of identity, belonging and community.

More than just an exhibition space, The Light has also been designed to include facilities for hosting private events and conferences. A ground floor café, meanwhile, will provide a place for visitors and passers-by to stop for refreshments. Set within beautiful natural grounds, The Light also offers outdoor space for visitors to explore, play and enjoy, alongside quieter areas designed for reflection.

Entry to The Light and We Are The Durhams is free.

The Light will be home to a permanent Durham Light Infantry gallery (Image: Durham County Council)

The attraction will open with a spectacular exhibition of international light art. Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light will launch the venue’s ambitious cultural programme, featuring ground-breaking works by artists who use light in extraordinary ways — Tracey Emin, Dan Flavin, Olafur Eliasson, and Chila Burman to name just a few.

Inspired by one of the 19th century scientists who first created artificial light, Victory Over the Sun will immerse audiences in a range of sensory effects, increasing their understanding of how we see and experience light, and showcasing the links between light, science and nature. The North East’s own part in this story will also be celebrated, with a replica of the first British lightbulb, invented by the Sunderland-born physicist Joseph Swan, included within the show.

The Light will provide an immersive experience (Image: Durham County Council)

Other featured artists include Maarten Baas, Yto Barrada, Tina Bech, James Clar, Shezad Dawood, Spencer Finch, Ceal Floyer, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Katrin Hanusch, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Jenny Holzer, Hilary Jack, Glenn Ligon, Erin McDougle, Steve McQueen, Tatsuo Miyajima, Ivan Navarro, Katie Paterson, David Shrigley, Liz West and Cerith Wyn Evans.

Victory Over the Sun has been curated by Natasha Howes, senior curator at Haigh Hall, former principal curator at Light Night Leeds and former senior curator at Manchester Art Gallery.

The Light will open seven days a week (Image: Durham County Council)

To celebrate the opening of the new venue, The Light will come alive this summer with an action-packed opening weekend launching a season of activity designed to inspire visitors of all ages to come together and get creative.

The programme will continue for the remainder of the school holidays, with the venue opening seven days a week and offering a mix of indoor and outdoor activities for children and families. Inspired by the theme of “light” — a reference to both the DLI and the extraordinary works featured in Victory Over the Sun — visitors can expect spectacle, hands-on creativity and inspiring ideas. Further details of the opening programme will be announced later this month.

The Light artistic director Tony Guillan (Image: Durham County Council)

Cllr Karen Allison, the council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “We are incredibly excited to welcome people to our new cultural venue The Light this month.

“By remodelling and extending the existing 1960s building, we have created a modern and spacious venue capable of hosting world-class contemporary exhibitions. A dedicated DLI gallery, meanwhile, will bring stories from the Regiment to life in ways that have never been possible before.

“The building has always been both a museum and an art gallery and this tradition will continue at The Light. Through exhibitions such as Victory Over the Sun, we will celebrate County Durham’s heritage and innovative spirit through spectacular works of art, while providing opportunities for artists to collaborate and for our residents to enjoy a fun and inspiring day out.

The spacious venue is capable of hosting world-class contemporary exhibitions (Image: Durham County Council)

“The Light is also simply a wonderful and relaxing place to spend time, whether that be viewing the amazing artworks, meeting friends for lunch in the café or enjoying a stroll around the grounds. I would encourage everyone to come along and experience what’s on offer.”

The Light’s location, at the heart of Aykley Heads, will also make the venue an anchor institution of Durham’s innovation district.

Acting as a meeting place and a creative hub, it will support the game-changing ambitions of the new district and play a key part in the sustainable growth of the site.

The Light will support County Durham’s economy (Image: Durham County Council)

Cllr Allison added: “In County Durham we have a long-standing commitment to culture-based regeneration.

“We recognise the transformational impact it has on our communities and our economy, and this is reflected in the prominent role The Light will play in Durham’s innovation district.

“Culture and tourism are major contributors to County Durham’s economy, bringing in more than £1 billion a year. The Light will support this by drawing in more visitors and making us a more attractive place to live, work and invest.”

The Light is a place for creativity and innovation to thrive (Image: Durham County Council)

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During August, The Light will be open every day, from 10am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; from 10am to 8pm on Thursday; and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. The café will be open from 10am to 4pm.

From September, the venue will be closed on Monday and Tuesdays, with other opening hours remaining the same.

The Light brings together art, history and science (Image: Durham County Council)

Victory Over The Sun will run until Sunday, January 17, 2027. Tickets are now available to book online at thelightdurham.org.uk priced at £10 for adults and £2.50 for children under 18 for a two-hour timed entry slot.

An exhibition season pass is available priced at £25. Tickets will also be available to buy on the door when the venue opens priced at £12.50 for adults and £2.50 for children.

To find out more, visit The Light and follow @thelightdurham on Facebook and Instagram.

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News just in: an optimised vagina has become a status symbol among the rich and famous. If you’re thinking ‘how ridiculous’ then the following information will only cement your opinion. Pearl clutchers, I suggest you skip the next paragraph.

In a wild case of oversharing, Bryan Johnson (the tech entrepreneur and biohacking fanatic who wants to live forever) told his 1.8million X followers that a recent test proved his girlfriend Kate Tolo has a top one per cent vagina. He then went on to reveal (and apologies if this has you choking on your muesli) that her reward for such high-achieving hoo-ha was oral sex. From him.

I know, I know, designer vaginas are not a new phenomenon. The mid-Noughties saw an explosion of labiaplasties and ‘rejuvenation’ treatments, but back then the focus seemed to be entirely on aesthetics and fitting into an unrealistic (and male-centric) ideal propagated by the porn industry.

In 2026, down-there optimisation comes under the auspices of wellness. The Times recently reported on a US gynaecologist, Dr Sally Greenwald, who jokingly referred to her rich and famous clientele (her bills run to tens of thousands of dollars) as the Billionaires’ Vagina Club.

Refreshingly, rather than creating a perfect, er, environment for men, it seems Dr Greenwald’s disciples employ her services entirely for themselves. Their shopping list? A healthy sex life with increased libido and orgasms plus reduced laxity, discomfort, dryness, irritation and infection. They are not prepared to accept that childbirth plus menopause plus ageing means you will inevitably live with suboptimal nethers.

As ever, there is good and bad: regarding the latter, there’s now a whole industry poised to capitalise on our doubts and insecurities, primed to sell us things we don’t need or that don’t work and, at worst, are dangerous. Having a status vagina feels like another stick to beat women with. (Case in point: ‘bleaching’ with a laser to make it look lighter and pinker is now a thing.)

I’m sure I’m not alone in having spent aeons feeling my own vagina is a long way off from being considered top one per cent. I’ve had two (largish) babies, am prone to infection and peri-menopausal, you get the picture. There can’t be many of us who haven’t absorbed some shame around our genitalia.

At best this new focus on vaginal health will remove some of the taboos. It will hopefully open up discussion, fund innovation and find solutions for the problems that decrease our quality of life.

It’s heartening that the increased awareness around menopause has been a gamechanger for women’s intimate health. There is also a slew of new products to address dryness and improve sexual satisfaction. The vaginal microbiome is now being studied and may hold the key to improving intimate health (the test Johnson’s girlfriend had was by a US company Tiny Health, which focuses on this). Fem tech is also offering ever more machines that promise to tighten, treat stress incontinence and increase sexual pleasure.

So let’s take the good and ignore the bad. You never know, one day we might even close the orgasm gap.

TREATMENTS THAT WORKED FOR ME

Oestrogen pessaries

As I’ve suffered with stress incontinence and recurrent UTIs, I was prescribed the Vagifem pessary by my HRT doctor. Delivering a targeted dose of oestrogen strengthens the vaginal tissue and reduces dryness and irritation. It helps. A lot.

Emsella chair

This treatment for stress incontinence (with a side order of vaginal tightening) works by sending electric pulses up your foufou. You sit on a ‘chair’ fully clothed for half an hour and it gives you the equivalent of 11,000 pelvic floor exercises. I had a course of five and felt the effects for six months (I’d say my symptoms lessened by 50%) but it’s a temporary (and expensive) fix. Emsella costs from £59 a session at therapieclinic.com or try the Pelvic Floor Toning Therapy at The Lanesborough (£200 for 45 minutes, lanesborough clubandspa.com).

Urethral bulking

This was the most effective treatment for helping lessen my stress incontinence. It involves injecting a water-based gel into the walls of the urethra to create a narrowing at the bladder neck, which means your body needs to do less work to keep continence intact. The procedure is performed under general anaesthetic. Post-op, I was a bit sore and couldn’t exercise or have sex for a month. Two years later, I’m still ‘dry’. It will last between two and seven years. Ask your GP for details.

Emfemme 360

Designed to treat laxity, dryness and stress incontinence, this involves a wand going into your vagina and heating its walls to 41 degrees. Heat stimulates new collagen which creates a younger-acting vagina. It’s painless and slightly embarrassing but only lasts eight minutes. I went to Dr Galyna (a pro at making it less awks) and experienced an improvement that was marked but not miraculous. For maximum results you’ll need three sessions and a top-up every two years. (From £1,500, email reception@drgalyna.com.)

LUXE FOR LESS

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray (£29.50, lookfantastic.co.uk) has long been considered the gold standard make-up fixer. Now budget brand MCoBeauty has acquired the original formula and used it in its All Dayer (£15, superdrug.com).

Beauty speak: buffering

This is the technique of applying a moisturiser before an active product (eg retinol) to minimise the chances of skin irritation. According to cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting, this ‘slows down the penetration of your active and helps protect your skin barrier while it becomes acclimatised’.

Eau to go

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A huge operation was launched in the Rumworth area of Bolton last year

A year-long crackdown on a troubled estate in Bolton has led to a 30 per cent reduction in crime, police have said.

Greater Manchester Police launched Operation Coronation in the Rumworth area in May last year. The crackdown was launched amid ‘persistent’ reports of anti-social behaviour, drug-related crime and the exploitation of vulnerable residents on the Thornbank Estate.

As part of the operation, two closure orders were issued in the area as three further addresses were also closed through ‘tenancy action or voluntary surrender’. A new Urban Care and Neighbourhood (UCAN) centre was also opened in the centre of the estate.

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Over the last 15 months, police said the number of incidents reported has halved and crime volume has reduced by almost 30 per cent. A police chief said the estate has been ‘transformed’ during the crackdown.

The operation, between GMP, Bolton Council and Be One Homes, came to an end this week. Sergeant Oliver Cooper, from GMP’s Neighbourhood Team in Bolton said: “This operation has been significant in increasing public confidence and safety.

“Ensuring people feel safe amongst their own homes and communities is the main focus of neighbourhood policing, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see the impact this operation has had for residents and overall community wellbeing. I’m truly proud of my officers and teams for the immense work they’ve put in for this operation.

“The operation has transformed a high-demand estate”

“Their commitment and dedication to this work has had visible results and had an extremely positive impact amongst the public. The operation has transformed a high-demand estate, protected vulnerable people, disrupted crime, and most importantly, delivered meaningful and lasting change.”

Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Akhtar Zaman, said: “This is a great example of partnership working to ensure residents of the Thornbank Estate can live in a safe and secure community that they can be proud of.

“The success of Operation Coronation lies in the right mix of engagement and cooperation while also taking tough direct action where necessary. The support available at the UCAN centre will ensure this positive work will continue into the future.”

Gemma Hotchkiss, enforcement manager at Be One Homes, added: “We’re committed to working in partnership to address antisocial behaviour and improve the quality of life for our residents. The progress made through Operation Coronation shows what can be achieved when organisations work together, alongside residents, to tackle issues that matter to local communities.

“We’ll continue to support residents and work closely with Greater Manchester Police and Bolton Council to ensure neighbourhoods remain safe and welcoming places to live.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street will get financial updates from some of the nation’s biggest retailers this week, along with more details from the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting.

Home Depot reports its latest results on Tuesday, followed by Target and Lowes on Wednesday, and then Walmart on Thursday. The results will help give investors a more detailed picture of how businesses and consumers are handling stubbornly high inflation.

The rate of inflation remains solidly above 3%. The ongoing U.S. war with Iran prompted a surge in oil prices, which jolted gasoline prices. Higher prices on everything from gasoline to groceries and any goods that are shipped could prompt people to shift or cut spending.

Results from Home Depot and Lowes could provide more insight into the housing market and whether people are spending more or less on home improvements. Results and forecasts from retail giants Target and Walmart could provide more insight into how households are budgeting and spending.

Wall Street and economists will get more details about the Fed’s interest rate policy when the central bank releases minutes from the July meeting on Wednesday.

The Fed once again held its interest rate steady in July amid worries about stubborn inflation, the jobs market and the direction of the economy. But three officials dissented in favor of higher rates during the meeting. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh described the policy discussion to reporters as a “good family fight.” Wall Street expects at least one rate hike before the end of 2026.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that India’s decades-long Maoist insurgency was nearing its end but warned that the country now faced a new battle against what he called “dimagi Naxals,” or people who align with the movement’s ideology.

In his address to the nation on India’s 79th Independence Day from the ramparts of New Delhi’s 17th-century Mughal-era Red Fort, Modi said Maoist violence was “breathing its last” after years of security operations against the insurgency, once described by Indian authorities as the country’s biggest internal security threat.

Also known as the Naxalite movement, it challenged state authority across large swathes of central and eastern India for decades, leaving thousands of civilians, rebels and security personnel dead.

“We have succeeded in getting rid of armed Naxals in the jungles, but ‘dimagi Naxals’ (intellectual Naxals) are looking for opportunities to create violence and unrest,” Modi said. “They have to be identified and isolated.”

“They want to drag the society on the wrong path,” he added.

Modi also unveiled a series of measures aimed at boosting self-reliance in sectors ranging from defense to agriculture, with a strong focus on youth.

The outreach to young people comes weeks after a youth-led protest movement, the Cockroach Janta Party, emerged as a rare challenge to Modi’s government and helped force the resignation of his education minister. While Modi did not mention the protests, he repeatedly highlighted initiatives aimed at young Indians, including AI skills training and free online coaching for competitive exams.

He said India had transformed from a “fragile” economy into the world’s fastest-growing major economy over the past decade and reaffirmed his government’s goal of turning the country into a developed nation by 2047, the centenary of its independence.

The Naxalite movement, inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, began in 1967 with an uprising in the village of Naxalbari in eastern India, and grew into a decades-long armed rebellion championing the rights of landless farmers, the rural poor and Indigenous communities.

Modi said the Maoist movement had “destroyed the future” of generations of young people and credited his government’s security and development policies with sharply reducing Maoist violence since taking office in 2014.

Heathrow Airport has warned access to Terminals 2 and 3 is restricted because of flooding.

Water in the central terminal area means anyone trying to travel to or from either of these terminals cannot travel by road.

Instead passengers are being advised to travel by rail and tube and to avoid using cars.

“Our teams are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, we apologise for any disruption caused,” the airport said early on Saturday.

The disruption comes during the school holidays, one of the busiest periods for the airport.

Heathrow said 19 July was its busiest day of the year so far as many schools broke up for summer, with 267,000 passengers passing through.

The airport was recently affected by disruption to railway services, after a water leak prompted the closure of a tunnel.

The Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman delivered a memorable performance, blending hits from his band days and solo career – as can be seen in these 32 photos from Holly Johnson’s hit-filled Scarborough show.

Our reviewer Dave Lawrence said it was a fitting end to another great evening of music in Scarborough as “Johnson’s voice displayed no evidence of wear or tear since Frankie’s breakthrough performance on The Tube 43 years ago, which thrust the band into the nation’s consciousness”.

We’ve chosen the best photos from the night – of both the fans and stars – for our gallery featuring Holly Johnson and his special guests, the legendary ABC and Heaven 17 – with images by Dave Lawrence, and show promoters Cuffe & Taylor.

Thousands of fans turned out to see Holly Johnson play Scarborough Open Air Theatre last night, Friday, August 14, with special guests ABC and Heaven 17. (Image: Cuffe & Taylor)

The Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 season, presented by TK Maxx, continues tonight, Saturday, August 15, with the Hollywood Vampires, featuring Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, and Tommy Henriksen.

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The American rock supergroup have returned to the UK and Europe this summer for their first live dates in almost three years, including their hugely anticipated show at Scarborough Open Air Theatre.

Their show at the venue attracted a sold-out audience back in 2023.

The venue is celebrating a record-breaking 2026 programme of 26 headline concerts, including Rick Astley, Tom Jones, Madness, Scissor Sisters, Teddy Swims, The Streets and Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter.

Have you been to any of this summer’s shows? Share your highlights in the comments below.

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Spanish city of Granada in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The regional government said houses and cars were damaged, but no injuries had been reported.

The earthquake hit the metropolitan area of Alhendín just after 1am on Sunday.

Spanish television channel TVE showed debris strewn on the street and some damage to cars in the popular tourist city.

Andalusian emergency services rescued a number of people from damaged buildings.

Antonio Sanz Cabello, vice-president of the Andalusian regional government, said in a post on X on Saturday that authorities had declared an emergency.

“If you’re in Granada, you’ve felt the earthquake, you’re okay, and your home shows no damage, stay calm and avoid entering and exiting buildings unnecessarily,” he said.

“On the street, stay away from facades, cornices, balconies, walls, and other elements that could fall.”

Slipknot have finally addressed the growing speculation that Sid Wilson has left the band in a now-deleted confirmation.

Last month, a source claimed that Wilson, 49, was out of the group permanently but posts from band members seemed to contradict this.

Guitarist Jim Root warned fans not to ‘believe everything you read’ before yet another source said Wilson’s behaviour had been the catalyst for his exit.

Now, Slipknot has confirmed Wilson is leaving the band, only to delete that statement minutes later.

Taking to Instagram, the heavy metal band wrote: Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson. We wish him the best with his future endeavours.

Fans screenshot the announcement and have widely shared it but the Wait and Bleed singers have not addressed the issue any further.

Speculation started on July 31, when TMZ’s source reported Wilson was ‘notified late Friday afternoon that he’s been permanently kicked out of the band.’

Slipknot stayed quiet but Root shared: ‘Don’t believe everything you read. Stop. Think. Take a breath. Sit with it for a while. Maybe. Just maybe even wait until there’s more information.’

However, no more information came forward from the group or Wilson to clarify the situation.

Then TMZ doubled down on the report, revealing sources ‘with direct knowledge’ had told them the group had ‘finally had enough of his behaviour’.

‘Namely, the way he treated his bandmates,’ the outlet claimed. ‘We’re told the firing was a long time coming — not some abrupt decision made in the heat of the moment.’

But at the inaugural World Scratch Invitational earlier this week, Wilson introduced himself as ‘from the world famous Slipknot’.

His Instagram bio still reads ‘@slipknot gang since 1997’ and he has not unfollowed his bandmates. The official account also still follows him.

Slipknot’s lineup hasn’t had the easiest time of late with Chris Fehn, longtime percussionist, being dismissed in 2019 over a financial legal dispute.

In 2023, Craig Jones – who had been with the group since 1996 – up and left with no public explanation.

That same year, drummer Jay Weinberg was also fired over what the band called ‘creative differences’. He said he was ‘blindsided’ and ‘heartbroken’ by it.

Wilson is yet to address the split, having been posting about his DJing and home life on socials rather than mentioning Slipknot directly.

He might have not said anything but his ex Kelly Osbourne had some sharp words for him, even if she didn’t call him out by name.

The 40-year-old shared a string of cryptic Instagram Stories urging someone to ‘take some responsibility’ before demanding the return of her dogs, belongings, and even child support.

The TV personality then suggested she had reached the end of her tether. ‘I want to be happy and I have a beautiful son to raise,’ she continued.

‘Leave me alone. Let me heal. I can’t protect you from yourself anymore.’

She also told him to ‘wake up’ and ‘take some responsibility’. Yikes.

Metro has reached out to Slipknot and Wilson for comment.

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