Actor Ben Miller has provided a further update regarding his popular Cambridge-based detective show, following its recent comeback to UK screens

Death in Paradise star Ben Miller has shared an update on his popular ITV series, Professor T.

On Wednesday (August 26), the 60-year-old appeared on ITV’s This Morning to share details regarding the show’s comeback with presenters Rylan Clark and Josie Gibson.

Providing an update on what viewers can expect from highly anticipated series four, which is set and filmed in Cambridge, Ben also shared that there will be plenty more to come.

Wanting to learn more about filming schedules, Rylan asked, “We know it’s been so popular. Am I right in saying the next two seasons have been filmed now?” Ben confirmed, “Yes.”

Rylan added, “Because we’re a bit ahead in America, right?”

Ben replied: “We’re a bit ahead in America and catching up here. It’s just the way it’s fallen here, we’ve ended up falling a little bit behind. So I suppose the good side is, if you find a show and you enjoy a show, you know there’s more coming.”

After a lengthy wait, Professor T Series four finally returned to screens last Wednesday with Ben Miller’s protagonist taking centre stage.

The new series arrives more than two years after the third instalment finished airing in the UK. However, viewers in the US have already had the chance to watch the latest episodes, following their run on PBS last year.

Earlier this month, Ben also shared that series five will be available to viewers in the United States. He said on Instagram: “On Sunday, August 9th, all 6 episodes of Professor T Season 5 will be available early to stream in the US with PBS Passport and PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video, ahead of the broadcast premiere on Sunday, October 18th.”

But this led to complaints from fans in the comment section, who, at the time, had not seen or heard anything about a release date for series four.

Upset fans said at the time: “Just found out we are a year behind the States, and I’m not happy. Should have seen S4 already over here. I have been wondering why it’s taken so long. Love you, Ben, and what a wonderful show, hence my comment.”

Another said: “And yet in the UK we still haven’t had series four, which premiered a year ago elsewhere. Good news though!” Another fan also said: “Yes, but what about the UK? This long wait is ridiculous.”

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.

Mercury’s cazimi, where the planet is aligned with the centre of the Sun, creates a powerful cosmic surge. Thoughts and actions are sharp.

Aries, Taurus and Gemini, you are firing on all cylinders today. Your brain and intuition work fast, so make the most of this opportunity to do great things.

Trust yourself, and the vision you have for your future. Remain focused and goal-orientated, as amazing things are coming.

Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Thursday August 27, 2026.

Like checking your horoscope every morning? You can now sign up to our free daily newsletter to get a personalised reading for your star sign delivered straight to your inbox.

To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

Your thinking can be super sharp today. Whatever you might be grappling with, you can do with aplomb. These days we are bombarded with so much different information, but you’ll have the happy knack of focusing on what’s really essential. With this level of increased concentration, you can find yourself working efficiently clearing up outstanding tasks quickly.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

You can be quick-witted but also highly creative today, Taurus. This will help you flex into opportunities with ease but also amuse people with your sense of fun. If you do have an interest that you are enjoying, things can speed up and take shape well. If you are meeting up with friends, or having a date night, this can turn out to be a particularly enjoyable day.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

This is a day to trust your instincts as much as your intellect. A conversation, message or piece of information can prove especially useful and help you join the dots on something that’s puzzled you. With the Moon aligning with the North Node, someone you meet or hear from could have an interesting role to play in your future. Your curiosity is the key to this.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

Your ability to see beneath the surface is enhanced today. Whether you are dealing with finances, a family matter or an emotional issue, you can make progress. If you have been researching something important, you’ll absorb facts with ease. A conversation about plans or shared resources can also prove particularly productive and leave you feeling uplifted.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Today’s Mercury Cazimi can shine a light on practical and financial matters. If you’ve been weighing up a purchase, discussing terms or organising paperwork, your mind is razor sharp. Yet with the Moon’s link to the North Node in your opposite sign, look to be open to other people’s perspectives. Although you like to take the lead, collaborations can work well.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

This can be one of the standout days of the year for you Virgo. Your guide, Mercury’s union with the Sun in your sign, sharpens your perceptions and gives you the confidence to express yourself with authority. Just know, however, that any desire to be more individualistic could surprise a colleague or boss, who may be more used to you quietly completing your tasks.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

Some of your best ideas can emerge when you give yourself time to cocoon yourself away, even for a few hours. You can find yourself rooting out some real gems when it comes to research or pondering your next steps. You may also think back to an old role, or a connection you once had. It may take a while to fully recall all the details, but this could prove valuable.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Friends, colleagues or people within your network can provide valuable information today. But as much as this can help you to think long term, or see the bigger picture, you can apply any ideas in a practical, functional way. That’s not always easy to do, but it could come from a genuine desire to get something working better, and in a way that helps others, too.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Your professional reputation has been in the spotlight this week. And today, whether you’re presenting an idea, attending an interview, or simply discussing future ambitions, your words can have even greater impact as the Sun and Mercury forge a powerful alliance. However, this is one of those rare times when you can blend your intuition with those ideas too, Archer.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

A subject that may have once seemed hard to grapple with can suddenly become easier to grasp. Someone with experience or specialist knowledge may offer advice that helps you take your next step with greater confidence. Still, if you have ideas you want to share or promote, it can be a great time to raise your profile and reach more people, particularly online.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

The Moon briefly but powerfully aligns with the North Node in your sign. This can be a telling opportunity to be guided by your instincts as well as your wits. This may mean that you are single-minded, which someone could resist, but if you are looking to tease more from your resources, a mixture of your careful analysis and gut feeling can guide you best of all.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

Mercury is not just about messages, but details. And today, as it combines with the Sun, a relationship matter can be clarified by chatting over all the different angles. So why might you doubt what’s being said, or even how you feel? Well, it could be because there is a subtle but powerful planetary combination today in a more psychological chart zone, that blurs things.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Check out the tarot horoscope reading for the month of August here.

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For decades, discussions about Latin America’s cocaine trade have tended to focus on the same places. Colombia and Peru produce much of the world’s coca, while Mexico’s cartels dominate trafficking into the US. But between these known parts of the supply chain, another country has quietly become important: Ecuador.

Ecuador is not a major cocaine producer. Instead, its location between Colombia and Peru, combined with ports such as Guayaquil and Posorja on the Pacific Ocean, have turned Ecuador into a crucial transit and export hub connecting South American cocaine production with global markets.

A recent US investigation shows how sophisticated these connections have become. On August 20, the US Treasury sanctioned an Ecuador-based trafficking network accused of moving thousands of kilograms of cocaine each month through the eastern Pacific to Mexico and on to the US.

Eight individuals, seven companies and ten vessels were targeted, with alleged connections to Ecuador’s Los Choneros and Los Lobos crime groups and Mexico’s Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels.

Some of the vessels identified by US authorities were linked to apparently legitimate fishing businesses around the coastal city of Manta. Ecuador has a large fishing and aquaculture export industry. Larger vessels allegedly provided fuel and supplies to smaller high-speed boats, which carry cocaine northwards.

We often imagine a clear boundary between criminal and legitimate economies. But, in reality, they overlap. Fishing vessels, exporters, containers and commercial ports can all serve legitimate purposes while also being exploited by trafficking networks.

The banana industry offers another striking example of how the same international trade that is vital to Ecuador’s legitimate economy has created opportunities for organised crime. Ecuador is the world’s largest banana exporter, sending large volumes of produce through its ports in refrigerated containers. Inspecting every container is practically impossible without disrupting legitimate commerce.

In early August, Ecuadorian authorities discovered around 1.2 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a banana shipment leaving Guayaquil for Málaga in Spain. A few months earlier, a Europol investigation also found that fruit-exporting companies were being used as fronts for cocaine shipments from Ecuador to Europe.

This shows that organised crime does not need to construct an alternative global trading system. It can exploit the one that already exists. Cocaine can be produced in Colombia, moved into Ecuador, handled by local groups, transported through a commercial port and eventually distributed thousands of miles away on different continents.

The organisations involved do not need to belong to one criminal empire. Instead, they cooperate when it is profitable. A 2023 report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that trafficking organisations increasingly specialise in particular stages and functions, with brokers and other groups facilitating transportation, finance and logistics.

War on drugs

Ecuador’s emergence as a major cocaine hub illustrates a longstanding weakness of the global US-led war on drugs: enforcement can disrupt trafficking without necessarily dismantling the market behind it.

In January 2026, the UK government described Ecuador as a “platform country” for cocaine produced elsewhere in Latin America. It stated that the majority of cocaine reaching Britain transits through Ecuadorian ports, and that up to 80% of cocaine arriving in Europe passes through the country.

The profits help explain the trade’s resilience. According to the UK government’s own estimates, a kilogram of cocaine valued at around £1,600 at the start of its journey in Latin America can be worth more than £28,000 by the time it reaches the UK. This represents an increase of more than 1,600%.

Europe has become a particularly important destination for South American cocaine. UNODC data shows that cocaine seizures in western and central Europe have exceeded those in North America for several consecutive years.

And Bob Van den Berghe, deputy head of the UNODC’s passenger and cargo border team, said in 2024 that “of 220 tonnes of cocaine seized last year by authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean, 84% was bound for Europe”.

European demand is a key part of the economic system sustaining Ecuador’s crisis. Yet while Europe demonstrates the demand pulling cocaine across the Atlantic, the US response demonstrates the other side of the drug war: an attempt to attack the organisations supplying it.

Washington has designated Los Choneros and Los Lobos, alongside various other Latin American criminal groups, as foreign terrorist organisations. Drug traffickers are framed not simply as organised criminals but as “narco-terrorists” and national security threats.

Defining organised crime primarily through the lens of terrorism makes aggressive and militarised responses easier to justify. This is already visible in US counter-narcotics policy. Over the past year, the US has deployed warships and military aircraft to the Caribbean and has carried out lethal strikes against suspected drug-trafficking boats.

However, cocaine trafficking does not behave like a conventional military enemy. A criminal network does not necessarily need to defeat the state, it just needs to make money. Destroying boats or arresting gang leaders may disrupt operations, but they do not reduce demand for drugs or the profits that allow networks to regenerate.

Ecuador is a great example of how organised crime has adapted to globalisation. Its ports, legitimate trade and strategic location connect South American cocaine production with consumers in Europe and North America.

Unless policy addresses this wider system, governments risk winning battles against individual criminal groups while leaving the profitable market that continually replaces them intact.

At least 160 people have been killed and hundreds of foreign tourists remain missing after flash floods tore through villages on the border between Nepal and the Tibet region.

Thirty-three British tourists are believed to be among those missing, including a 13-year-old girl.

In an update on Wednesday evening, Nepal police said 157 bodies had been recovered and more than 40 people were injured and receiving treatment in hospital. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported 265 missing in the Tibet region’s Gyirong County near the border, and at least three dead, bringing the death toll up to 160 in total.

The Nepal Tourist Board said the number of missing people had risen from 384 to 403. Among the 341 foreign nationals unaccounted for, 47 are from the US, 34 from Australia, and 24 from Canada.

According to the tourist board, 203 of the missing are male and 200 female.

Dramatic video footage showed a wall of water crashing through river banks, bringing down bridges, homes and other infrastructure in villages along the Bhotekoshi River.

Experts said an avalanche from a glacier was the likely cause in the warming Himalaya region.

Officials issued warnings to residents of several of Nepal’s districts and asked them to stay away from the banks of Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers.

Countries express alarm over missing citizens

South Korean government officials said nine citizens working on building a hydropower plant in Nepal were among those reported missing.

Malaysia’s foreign ministry said its embassy received reports from travel agencies that they had lost contact with 11 Malaysians believed to be in Rasuwa district.

Russia’s embassy in Nepal said four citizens reportedly in the affected area were missing.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah and offered help.

“India is prepared to provide Nepal with all possible types of humanitarian assistance. Our teams are closely coordinating on rescue and relief efforts,” Modi said on social media.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain27 August 2026 00:00

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Missing Indian tourists were on pilgrimage in Tibet

Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesman, said 133 of those missing were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet – a sacred site for Hindus.

Also among the missing were 47 people from the US, 34 from Australia, and 24 from Canada, he added.

Joe Middleton26 August 2026 22:53

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China’s Gyirong port affected

China’s official Xinhua news agency said the mudslide hit the Gyirong port, cutting ⁠roads, communications and power links in the Shigatse region near the border.

A rescuer interviewed by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said they had been trying to establish contact with the Gyirong border port but “so far there haven’t been any results”.

All roads leading to the border crossing had been “completely destroyed” after a preliminary inspection with a drone, the rescuer added.

With the deluge of muddy water sweeping down from an estimated nearly 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) ‌above sea level, flood alerts were issued in the populous northern ​Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which border Nepal and where several rivers flow down the ‌mountains into the plains.

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Authorities in Bihar said they had evacuated about 5,000 people from six districts and planned to evacuate a total of 10,000 to 12,000 people.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 21:45

Watch: Horror moment wall of water wipes out Nepal border crossing

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 21:15

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Security footage on camera shows people fleeing

Security footage captured on the Chinese side of the Nepal-Tibet border showed many people fleeing before a torrent of rock, mud and water destroyed buildings and vehicles and took many lives.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences said there was a 4.4-magnitude quake approximately seven `minutes before the time shown on the security footage time-stamp.

Locals from the affected areas of Nuwakot and Dhading were seen gathering outside a Nepali army training centre — the base for helicopter rescue operations — seeking information about missing family members.

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Police were recording the names of the missing just outside the barracks gate, using mobile phone flashlights as their only source of light as the area remained without electricity due to damaged hydropower infrastructure.

In the affected areas, houses, trees and vehicles were submerged or buried in mudslides. Helicopters hovered overhead all day in the area bringing in survivors.

An initial study of Planet Labs satellite imagery indicated that a landslide of ice and rock triggered a debris-laden flood in the Lhende River, about 20 km (12 miles) northeast of the Nepal-China Rasuwagadhi border crossing, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said on X.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 20:45

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At least 160 dead following tragic flash floods in Nepal

Massive flash floods in a border area of Nepal and China on Wednesday killed at least 160 people and left hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing after sweeping through communities and bringing travel in some areas to a halt.

Experts said an avalanche from a glacier was the likely cause in the warming Himalaya region.

Police in Nepal reported at least 157 dead. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported at least three dead and 265 missing in the Tibet region’s Gyirong County near the border.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 20:10

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What caused the fatal flash floods in Nepal?

Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday’s flash flood.

“Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave,” they said in an emailed statement, noting that water levels at one point on the Trishuli river rose by as much as nine meters (27 feet) over half an hour.

The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, had maximum flooding, they said.

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“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group.

He noted the importance of early warnings in “a warming Himalaya.”

The region saw similar flash floods in August last year, when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures.

Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.

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Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 20:00

Missing Indian tourists were on pilgrimage in Tibet

Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesman, said 133 of those missing were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet – a sacred site for Hindus.

Also among the missing were 47 people from the US, 34 from Australia, and 24 from Canada, he added.

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Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 19:30

157 bodies recovered following flash floods, Nepal police says

In an update on Wednesday evening, Nepal police said 157 bodies had been recovered and more than 40 people were injured and receiving treatment in hospital.

The Nepal Tourist Board said the number of missing people had risen from 384 to 403, with 33 UK citizens among 341 foreign nationals unaccounted for.

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According to the tourist board, 203 of the missing are male and 200 female.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 19:08

Andy Burnham: UK will do ‘everything we can’ to support British nationals in Nepal

Andy Burnham said the government will do “everything we can” to support British nationals in Nepal following the floods.

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In a statement, the prime minister said: “These scenes emerging from along the Nepal-China border are devastating.

“My thoughts are with all those affected, including the families and loved ones of British nationals missing in this tragedy.

“We will do everything we can to support British nationals impacted in the region and are in touch with the relevant authorities to offer support.

“I urge British nationals in the region to follow guidance from the local authorities and follow our travel advice.”

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Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 19:00

Popeyes UK, known for its Louisiana-inspired menu and viral Chicken Sandwich, has now officially confirmed that it is set to open a new restaurant at 4/5 Church Street.

Tom Crowley, CEO of Popeyes UK, said: “York, we’ve heard you loud and clear. We’re buzzing to bring our famous New Orleans flavours to the city.

RECOMMENDED READING:

“Every new restaurant opens with such incredible energy from our fans, and we can’t wait for York to join the fun.

“Get ready for warm Louisiana hospitality, big flavours and that unmistakable Popeyes crunch.”

The chain, which has grown rapidly since opening its first UK store in 2021, has over 3700 restaurants worldwide and is famed for its fried Louisiana style chicken.

The new York branch will offer Popeyes’ full menu, including its hand-marinated chicken and signature buttermilk biscuits, all prepared fresh daily.

Fans will also be able to enjoy the Popeyes Brekkie Menu, which includes breakfast rolls, muffins, biscuits, and Cajun hash browns.

The opening is part of the brand’s wider plan to bring a “taste of Louisiana” to cities across the UK and will create 70 new jobs.

An exact opening date has not yet been announced, but we have contacted Popeyes for further details. 

Archie Gray 6: Showed plenty of endeavour to get up in support of Moore but lacked quality with his final ball. Looked a little cautious when faced up one-on-one with Millenic Alli, but ultimately Charlton rarely got the ball in the right areas to threaten, especially after Spurs took the lead.

Welch was born in Tynemouth in 1958, but moved to the village of Ebchester with her family at the age of 13.

The relocation placed her close to Consett, where she attended Blackfyne Grammar School and began to find the confidence and direction that would lead her towards a career on stage and screen.

Set above the River Derwent between Consett and Shotley Bridge, Ebchester is a village with a much older story than its celebrity connection.

Its name is linked to the Roman fort of Vindomora, whose remains lie nearby, while St Ebba’s Church stands at the heart of a settlement that has long been shaped by its rural setting, the Derwent Valley and its proximity to the former steel town.

For Welch, arriving in the village came during a defining period.

She had previously attended schools in Whitley Bay and Newcastle, but after the move to County Durham, she joined Blackfyne Grammar School in Consett, where she gained five GCEs.

(Image: GOOGLE MAPS)

Where Denise Welch found drama

Welch developed an interest in acting while at school after being cast in a production of the musical Finian’s Rainbow at the age of 14 – an experience that was a turning point.

She considered training as a teacher after leaving school, but her father and drama teacher encouraged her to apply for the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London instead.

She was accepted, graduated in 1979 and went on to gain her Equity card while teaching dance at Watford Palace Theatre.

A later interview with i-D Magazine also shows how formative those school years were.

Looking back on her teenage years, Welch said she transferred to a local grammar school at 15 and met “a life-changing drama teacher”, who guided her towards drama school in London.

Although accounts differ slightly on the age at which she began at the Consett school, they agree that her County Durham education was central to the decision to pursue acting.

From County Durham to TV fame

Welch began her professional career in the North East, working with Newcastle’s Live Theatre after training at Mountview.

Her early screen credits included Byker Grove and Spender, before she became a household name in ITV drama Soldier Soldier in 1993.

She later played Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street, appeared as Steph Haydock in BBC school drama Waterloo Road, and became a long-standing panellist on ITV’s Loose Women.

Her career has also included theatre work, memoirs and a public campaign to raise awareness of depression and addiction.

Welch’s family connection to the performing world extended to her sons: Matty Healy became frontman of The 1975, while Louis Healy has built an acting career.

There was a sprinkling of magic in the air at the Leicester Square Odeon in London tonight.

The leading ladies of Practical Magic 2 Sandra Bullock, 62, and Nicole Kidman, 59, graced the blue carpet at the star-studded premiere as the sequel to the 1998 cult film gets set to hit cinemas.

Hollywood’s finest Nicole was the epitome of glamour in a custom silver Chanel gown, while Sandra opted for a strapless leopard print dress from Givenchy and black strappy heels as they posed amid rows of candles. 

Nicole has been throwing herself into work this year since her divorce from Keith Urban was finalised in January and has reunited with Sandra – who recently opened up about the death of her partner Bryan Randall – for the project. 

The plot of the sequel, set over 25 years after the original film, is adapted from Alice Hoffman’s 2021 sequel story, The Book of Magic.

The new film – which will be released on September 11 – also stars Joey King and Maisie Williams, while Nicole reprises her role as Sally Owens and Sandra as her sister Gillian, who have been raised as witches and are typically at the centre of town gossip.

Dianne Wiest, Maisie Williams, Joey King, Susanne Bier, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Solly McLeod and Xolo Mariduena

They showed their close bond laughing on the carpet before heading in for the screening

Hollywood’s finest Nicole was the epitome of glamour in a silver gown which featured gold chain detailing

Sandra opted for a strapless leopard print gown from Givenchy and black strappy heels as they posed amid rows of candles

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The two stars of the film held hands at the premiere 28 years after the original film 

The film properly introduces the next generation of the family, Sandra’s on-screen daughters Kylie and Antonia, played by Joey and Maisie respectively.

On the night, Joey, 27, looked stunning at the premiere in a sheer white and yellow dress with a billowing skirt and sported newly dyed red hair. 

While Maisie, 29, was the epitome of chic in a red corset-style dress which showed off her many tattoos.

The film, executive produced the Warner Bros, will also feature Lee Pace and Solly McLeod.

‘The Owens women must once again unite, traveling from their home in Massachusetts to the United Kingdom to confront the source of their magic and save the next generation of their family,’ a synopsis for the film reads.

The two leading ladies surprised fans as they showed up to a Cinespia screening of their 1998 flick at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles earlier this month.

A behind-the-scenes video clip shared on Instagram showed the audience erupting with excitement after the women took the stage.

At the event Sandra said: ‘Practical Magic is the perfect movie to show at a cemetery,’ according to an account from The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, Nicole thanked the crowd for their support in ‘getting this second film made that’s coming to you very soon’.

Nicole confirmed in 2024 that she and Sandra would reprise their roles as orphaned sisters Gillian and Sally – who come from a long line of witches. 

Nicole affectionately leant into Sandra in a sweet moment at the screening

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Nicole and Sandra will return to their roles as the formidable Owens women, who have been raised as witches and are typically at the centre of town gossip

The two leading ladies held hands as they headed to pose for the cameras together

The low-backed garment showed off Nicole’s athletic frame

She looked as youthful as ever at the premiere where she wore her strawberry blonde tresses in loose waves 

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Joey King and Maisie Williams emulated Nicole and Sandra’s close bond

Maisie, who stars as one of Sandra’s onscreen daughters in the upcoming film, wore a stunning red gown

She showed off her sense of style in the corset-style gown which had silver choker detailing 

Maisie appeared to have a witchy tattoo on her back

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Joey opted for a racy look that showcased her lingerie in a sheer green lace

Joey put on a daring display in her see through ensemble

Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing played the eccentric witch aunts named Bridget and  Frances in the film 

Dianne brought the magic to proceedings as she posed on the blue carpet

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Practical Magical 2 will hit theatres on September 11

Nicole confirmed in 2024 that she and Sandra would reprise their roles as orphaned sisters Gillian and Sally Owens (seen in the original film)

Nicole was later pictured arriving at the after party at Flute at Broadwick in Soho

Sandra also attended the event following the premiere

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Joey looked incredible in her sheer number on the night

The girls were raised by their eccentric aunts, played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, who embraced their magical history.

Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the 1998 script, returned to pen the sequel alongside Kelly Marcel and Georgia Pritchett.

Both Nicole and Sandra served as producers, with Susanne Bier directing.

The original Practical Magic earned $68.3million globally, according to The Numbers, falling below its $75million budget.

Despite lacklustre box office figures, the film became a cult classic.

Hoffman has written three other books about the Owens family due to popular demand.

‘I got mail from readers saying that they wanted to have a sequel, that they wanted to know what happened to the characters,’ the author said in 2021.

‘But, I felt like I wanted to know how these characters happened; I wanted to know their history. 

‘So I went back in time and I went to the ’60s in New York City in Greenwich Village – which is my favorite time and I wish we were there right now – and it was a total pleasure.’

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The official in charge of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for Gaza criticized Israel on Wednesday for its attacks on the war-battered Palestinian territory and warned that the alternative to the U.S. proposal is the next war.

Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace high representative, insisted to the U.N. Security Council that Trump’s 20-point plan has not stalled and “has moved from the negotiating table to the engineering table.”

The militant group Hamas has agreed to the proposal’s key provision to disarm and turn Gaza over to civilian rule, he said. But Israel’s ongoing strikes since last October’s ceasefire are still killing Palestinians — though much fewer — and Gazans can’t feel that the conflict is ending, he said.

“After three years of war and 20 years of military operations, I ask, will another strike on a munitions depot stop Hamas from rearming or tightening its grip on Gaza?” Mladenov said. “It will not. It only delays the demilitarization that would happen” and obstructs the transfer to a civilian government.

A recent U.S. deal with Hamas to disarm was seen as a potential breakthrough to end the war, which was sparked by the militant group’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces won’t withdraw from their current lines in Gaza until Hamas has handed over all its weapons.

Mladenov said that at a meeting he took part in last week with Netanyahu and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, “we went through his government’s concerns one by one and narrowed the areas that still require technical work.”

Israel’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Noa Furman, reiterated to the Security Council his country’s commitment to Trump’s plan, but stressed that it can’t succeed while Hamas remains armed. He said Israel is working closely with the U.S. to achieve Hamas’ disarmament.

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, said concerns about Trump’s plan are being addressed and Hamas’ disarmament will be judged on its actions.

Mladenov warned of the distance between the roadmap and what’s happening on the ground, and said if war resumes, there won’t be a roadmap to return to or anything left on the ground to rebuild.

As for the Palestinians, Mladenov said, the Trump plan includes a “credible pathway to a political horizon” and a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. Netanyahu vehemently opposes a Palestinian state.