Coco Gauff was cheered on by Michelle Obama at the US Open, but it will be Elena Rybakina or Aryna Sabalenka who will become the first lady of Flushing Meadows.

American hearts were broken for a second time when Rybakina came from a set down to sink Gauff 3-6 6-4 6-4, a couple of hours after Sabalenka had sent Jessica Pegula packing in her home city.

Rybakina, the 27-year-old from Kazakhstan, stole the world number one spot from Sabalenka by reaching the semi-finals, and on Saturday she will attempt to prise the US Open title from her grasp as well.

“I feel like it was a great match, and of course, a lot of people wanted Coco to win. It’s normal. I think everyone understands,” she said.

“In the beginning I felt like it was a very nice atmosphere, and only in the end when I was up in the third set crowd really supported a lot Coco. But I tried to focus on myself and tried to not listen.”

A break of serve for 4-2 and a commanding hold to love put Gauff on the way to taking the first set, but her serve and forehand wobbles returned at precisely the wrong time to gift Rybakina the second

As the tension rose deep in the decider, a wide Gauff forehand gave Rybakina break point, which she took for 5-3, but a stunning backhand on the run, accompanied by a scream of defiance, kept the home favourite afloat.

However, a Rybakina volley in the next brought up two match points and she took the first when Gauff’s desperate overhead flew long.

Gauff, who won the title in 2023, said: “It hurts. Yeah, it’s all great, but I think the competitor in me, this is the tournament I want to perform at.

“I mean, I did perform, but it’s the one that you want to come out with a win.”

Sabalenka had earlier overpowered Pegula 7-5 6-2 to reach her fourth successive final here.

The two-time defending champion took her winning streak in New York to 19 matches and is now one victory away from the ‘three-peat’.

Third seed Pegula, beaten by Sabalenka in the 2024 final, had served superbly during the first set, winning 18 out of 20 points behind her first serve.

That was until 5-6, when Sabalenka suddenly unleashed three blistering returns to bring up three set points, taking the second when Pegula’s forehand fell into the net.

More break points arrived in the fourth game of the second set and a 91mph return put the top seed in total control.

A business-like victory was wrapped up in an hour and 20 minutes and celebrated with a simple clenched fist.

“No complaints, I’m super happy to be able to play such tennis,” said Sabalenka. “I was so desperate to win, I wanted it badly.”

Pegula, 32, is still looking for a maiden grand slam title and admitted she faced an almost impossible task with Sabalenka in that mood.

She said: “I don’t know who p****d her off today – hopefully it wasn’t me totally, but it might have been – I don’t know. She played insane. She played a super-high level.

“Honestly, I don’t really know if there was much I could do today.”

Fire officers were called at around 7.30pm on Wednesday, September 9, following reports of a man in the River Croal near Hacken Bridge in Darcy Lever.

Crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service attended the area around Smiths Road and Hacken Bridge Road.

However, no person was located during the response.

GMFRS confirmed its services had been called out following the reports, but agencies were quickly stood down after searches failed to locate anyone in the water.

The incident came after residents reported seeing a man enter the river, prompting the emergency response.

No further details about the reported sighting have been released.

The extreme right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has won a decisive victory in a regional election in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, gaining nearly 44% of the vote. However, it fell just short of the outright majority needed to govern alone, so negotiations are underway to determine who will run the state.

One small party, the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), stands as possible kingmaker. Formed in 2024 by high-profile figures who broke away from the radical left-wing Die Linke, the BSW won five seats in Saxony-Anhalt’s parliament. During the election campaigns, BSW founder and eponymy Sahra Wagenknecht signalled an openness to work with the AfD in the state.

She remarked in August that the BSW’s election goal was “to remove the incumbent Christian Democratic Union minister [Sven Schulze]” and “end this firewall idiocy”. Germany’s mainstream political parties have long refused to work or form coalitions with the radical right. This is known as the “firewall”.

On election night itself, the lead candidate for the BSW in Saxony-Anhalt, Claudia Wittig, stopped short of endorsing the AfD’s Ulrich Siegmund as minister president. But she said: “there are, of course, projects that we can very well imagine doing with the AfD”. She made these remarks in a television broadcast while stood beside the AfD’s leader, Alice Weidel.

The BSW and AfD sit on different ends of the traditional left-right political spectrum. But they share more common ground than you might imagine. Both parties are anti-establishment and firmly against immigration, making the argument that immigration numbers need to be reduced.

This is despite Germany already widening deportations as part of a nationwide shift towards stricter migration controls. Germany resumed deportation flights to Afghanistan in 2024, for example, initially focusing only on people with criminal records before widening the policy.

Despite a significant overlap, their anti-immigration stances are not entirely aligned. While the AfD has proposed mass deportations and ending the right to asylum entirely, the BSW is less extreme. It does not propose ending the right to asylum or deporting people solely due to their ethnic background.

Instead, it argues that restricting immigration numbers is important in order to keep the welfare state alive. This is a core principle in the party’s ideology, which experts call “left-conservative”.

Another area of common ground is Russia. Both parties demand a stop to Germany’s weapon deliveries to Ukraine. They argue that military support is prolonging the war there, draining domestic economic resources and escalating the risk that Germany is dragged into direct conflict with Russia.

The AfD and BSW are also closely aligned on proposals to end Russian sanctions, which have been in place since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They want to resume energy imports from Russia and begin receiving Russian gas again via the Nord Stream pipelines. These proposals are also related to both parties’ scepticism of renewable energy.

Not a straightfoward relationship

There are similarities between the two parties at the state level, too. But these are less clear cut. The AfD has announced that, if it does lead the next government in Saxony-Anhalt, it intends to terminate the public broadcasting arrangements. It claims public broadcasters are government mouthpieces biased towards mainstream parties.

The BSW similarly argues that public broadcasting is part of a “cancel culture” and should inform, rather than try to push an agenda. However, the BSW advocates for reform rather than the outright abolition of public broadcasting.

Other AfD proposals include changes to the school curriculum to end “inclusion” in mainstream education, where children with special needs currently learn alongside other students. Its manifesto in Saxony-Anhalt also included plans to place refugees in separate classes at school rather than teaching students together.

The BSW, on the other hand, advocates greater inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms and calls for funding specialised classroom support. And while the AfD advocates for culture war projects like banning LGBTQ+ flags, the BSW does not explicitly support a ban or mention LGBTQ+ issues in their Saxony-Anhalt manifesto.

The BSW’s national party platform has, however, adopted positions that critics characterise as transphobic.

Advertisement

Saxony-Anhalt may well become the first German state to be led by a radical right government since the second world war. But the context is important. Saxony-Anhalt is a small state made up of 1.7 million voters, just 2.5% of the German electorate. As such, its political landscape should not be taken as representative of the country as a whole.

The conditions for an absolute AfD majority in Saxony-Anhalt were also favourable. The east German state has a higher unemployment rate than the national average and there is widespread dissatisfaction there with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz. Many voters in the state blame the federal government for feeling left behind and unrepresented.

Yet the AfD did not succeed in securing their electoral goal, an outright majority, leaving it reliant on other parties to form a government. All eyes should thus be on the BSW, its most likely partner – not only in Saxony-Anhalt but also in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, where voters head to the polls later in September.

Neighbours also fear the development could cause parking issues

New homes are set to built at a warehouse site despite sewage fears after a nearby pumping station “flowed for a month”. Plans for two one-bed bungalows and five three-bed homes in Fulbourn were brought to South Cambridgeshire District Council’s planning committee on Wednesday (September 9).

A new office would also replace an old one, offering a greater number of jobs than before. David Chaplin, the applicant, said he’d worked “positively” with council officers to address concerns and “significantly amended” the plans such as by reducing the number of homes from nine.

He added that the local highways authority did not object on parking grounds, even with the narrowing of Rushden Close from 7.2m to 5m. But a written statement on behalf of neighbours asked the number of homes to be further reduced to five, arguing that drivers will “invariably park on the pavement”, blocking the footpath.

David Cottee, secretary of the Fulbourn Forum, said the plans would lead to more parking on adjoining road Home End which has a “blind corner” with Manor Walk. He said: “Any on-road parking outside the proposed offices will force vehicles and cyclists into the middle of the road just before the blind corner. Fulbourn deserves better – a less dense scheme for both housing and offices would enable a more appropriate and better quality development.”

David Smith, chair of Fulbourn Parish Council, said sewage overflow had been a problem before on nearby Stonebridge Lane where the pumping station is. He said: “At the beginning of the year, that road was absolutely covered in raw sewage.

“That backs onto the side of the recreation ground – we had to stop the under 15s playing football there in case the ball went into the raw sewage. It’s a really, really, serious concern because it literally flowed for a month before they got the problem sorted.”

He questioned whether the pumping station would be able to cope with the extra sewage from another seven properties. Council officers clarified that, although Anglian Water objected to the plans, the developer has a legal right to connect to the sewer system. They also said they were unable to add any conditions relating to streets outside the application site.

Cllr Anna Bradnam, chair of the planning committee, said parking was a “major concern” but could be dealt with by a management plan. The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “So the residents are going to have to understand there are sometimes days of the week when the refuse vehicle is coming, and they don’t park on the street otherwise they’ll cause confusion.

“But actually I think this is an improvement on the previous application – it has reduced in size.” The application was granted with nine votes in favour and one against.

Together, Together is the third concert tour by the English singer-songwriter, supporting his fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Dates have already taken place in 2026 in Amsterdam, London, Brazil and Mexico City.

A 30-night residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City is ongoing, before this year’s shows finish in Australia in December.

Harry Styles announces new UK tour dates for 2027

Now, Harry Styles has revealed that he will be returning to the UK for more shows next year.

The tour will take place across America, in cities such as Dallas, LA and Chicago, before coming to Europe, in Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Rome.

Styles has also confirmed dates in Dublin and London in August.

The shows will take place on August 18 and 20 at Croke Park in Dublin and August 25, 27 and 28 at Wembley Stadium.

Baby Rose will support the shows in Dublin, with Tears for Fears supporting at Wembley, which will be the final shows of the tour.

The announcement comes after the former One Direction star sent an email to fans yesterday teasing new 2027 dates.

In the message, he said: “When we decided to do the 2026 tour I knew it would be special but what you turned it into was far beyond what I could have imagined.

“I love playing music, I love being with all of you and being a part of the love and joy you all create together every night.

“That’s why I wanted you to be the first to know we will be adding 2027 dates, which honestly, at first I found daunting.

“Being an artist is the only life I’ve ever known really, I have been doing this since I was 16 years old, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to still be sharing these moments with you.”

Styles shot to fame as a teenager in One Direction alongside Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson after the group was formed on ITV singing competition The X Factor in 2010.

They went on hiatus in 2016, almost a year after Malik left, and the Worcestershire-born star launched his solo career.

Until this year, he had kept a relatively low profile since the end of his 2023 tour and recently explained this stemmed from the pressures of a life in the spotlight and needing to take a break from music.

“Tomorrow’s announcement will be the final cities of Together, Together,” Styles continued.

The star hinted about his plans for the future, and added: “After that, I don’t know what comes next for me, but I know that I’m excited to find out.

“I can’t wait for us to keep dancing with all our friends, I hope to see you there.

“Thank you for coming out to see us, and for all the love and support you’ve given me over the years.

“All my love – H.”

Recommended reading:

When do Harry Styles tickets go on sale?

Tickets for Harry Styles’ Wembley shows are on Amex Presale on Tuesday, September 15.

This will be followed by a Fan Presale on Wednesday, September 16.

General sale is the following day, on Thursday, September 17, with all sales beginning at 11am.

Will you be trying to get tickets to Harry Styles’ tour next year? Let us know in the comments.

The final batch of tickets are now on sale for the LaplandUK Christmas experience 2026

Advertisement

The ‘Glastonbury of Christmas’, Lapland UK, is returning to the north west this year – and the final batch of tickets is now being released.

Tickets for the four-and-a-half-hour festive family experience, which sells out every year, will be on sale from midday on Friday (September 11). Now in its 20th year, having opened its first site in Ascot in 2007, LaplandUK will also return to its Cheshire site for 2026.

Last year saw the introduction of ‘Lapland Manchester’ – a northern expansion based at Capesthorne Hall in Macclesfield.

Created as the second doorway to the ‘Elven World’ which owners Michael and Alison Battle created to build their experiences around, it combines ‘breathtaking immersive sets, world-class theatrical production and captivating live performance’ LaplandUK says.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

The experience begins with a special boxed invitation for a child to visit the magical world. On the day of the visit, the journey takes families through the ‘Enchanted Forest’ and into the Elven World. Children will lend a hand making toys in the Toy Factory, decorate gingerbread in Mother Christmas’ Kitchen and explore the Elven Village, before making their way through the snowy forest for their special meeting with Father Christmas.

Unlike the original Ascot ‘doorway’, the Cheshire site is entirely indoors. But Michael and Alison told the Manchester Evening News how incredible effort goes into bringing the outside in.

“Lapland Manchester has its own character, of course, but we’re giving the same experience so it’s seamlessly in line with what we’ve done for 20 years at Ascot. It’s all part of the world that we’ve created.

“Manchester Lapland is all indoors – the site at Capesthorne meant it had to be and we were also conscious of the weather in the north of the country being a bit more volatile. So we worked hard to make sure it still has the feeling of being outdoors so families are transported into the Elven World and the Enchanted Forest in the same way they have been before.

“We brought 320 tonnes of mulch in and had huge trees brought in – which was quite something when we’re covering the size of 22 football pitches. We worked really hard to create that feeling of being outside.”

And the founders said that ‘believe it or not’ Lapland Manchester garnered even greater visitor feedback in its opening year than its well-established south England counterpart.

Michael and Alison added: “Childhood is a precious and fleeting moment, and we created Lapland to honour those magical years. We truly cannot wait to welcome Small Folk back into our world this Christmas and help families create treasured memories that we hope will stay with them for a lifetime.”

When asked whether returning visitors will notice any new aspects to Lapland Manchester this year, the answer was simple: “We’re always improving.”

Those improvements, they say, will come in the form of a shift to ‘slow magic’ – with longer dwell time, more personalisation and deeper storytelling, reflecting what families “increasingly want from premium festive experiences“.

How to get tickets

An initial batch of tickets went on sale in March, priced between £65 and £195 per person – with tickets the same price for both adults and children. Now families will have the final chance to get tickets for this year’s most-sought-after Christmas event when the last batch of tickets goes on sale at midday on September 11.

Tickets will be available via www.laplanduk.co.uk, with families encouraged to move quickly to secure one of Father Christmas’ final invitation

Lapland Manchester opens 7 November to 24 December.

What’s new for 2026?

New Invitation Box

A newly redesigned, premium invitation box – completed earlier this year – means March bookers will receive their invitations by end of summer, ready to be hidden ahead of the magical delivery moment.

This comes in response to complaints from some families last year that they were left waiting for their invites as their entry date got close.

Reindeer Stables

Every child will now get to make their own magical reindeer food with the Elves (included in ticket), to take home for Christmas Eve. Last year, this was at an additional cost.

Mother Christmas’ Kitchen – Extended Time

There will be more time in the kitchen for gingerbread decorating and a longer, more intimate storytime with Mother Christmas and the Elves.

The Elven Village – More Time to Explore

Guests will also now have extended time in the Elven Village – which is one of the most popular spots in the attraction.

This is where you can go ice skating, as well as letter writing in the post office, visit shops and also purchase hot and cold meals and drinks.

One of the criticisms last year was that parents felt they had to rush in this area, Ticketholders were previously allocated timeslots to move through to the next area – which is the Reindeer Stables after 90 minutes – and then head on to meet Santa.

Last year, families were told to expect around 4.5 hours inside the experience, so this year you can expect to stay inside longer if you wish.

Returning Portal – Enhanced Finale

Bosses say they have made significant Investment into the “portal” moment “returning Human Folk to the UK” at the end of the Lapland experience.

They say they aim to “create a bigger, more emotional end to the experience”.

New toy

The founders also confirmed in their Facebook video on Tuesday night that there will be a “new toy” that children will make in the Toy Factory to help out Father Christmas and the Elves.

At last year’s attraction, children all made a polar bear toy at this stage. No further details were given about the new toy though, so that’s set to be a big talking point come November.

By ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER

Published: 23:22 BST, 10 September 2026 | Updated: 02:11 BST, 11 September 2026

Israel has blown up a key tunnel network built by the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, causing a 4.1 magnitude tremor from a blast that filled the night sky with flames and billowing plumes of smoke. 

The explosion on Thursday, which sent shockwaves rippling across the region for miles, obliterated the major underground complex built by the Iran-backed terrorist organisation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday evening it had demolished the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. It is understood 1,100 tons of explosives were used.

Footage released by Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz shows the dark night skies emblazoned with orange fire as smoke billows out from the destroyed tunnels. The video was captioned: ‘We promised and we delivered. The terrorists were eliminated and the Ali Taher tunnels were destroyed. Kudos to the IDF.’

Advertisement

Meanwhile, the operation was captured by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Israeli sources said dozens of Hezbollah fighters were found dead inside the tunnels – which have long been seen as a flashpoint in the Israel-Hezbollah war. 

‘This is strategic terrorist infrastructure that was built over two decades, with Iranian funding and planning,’ said a joint statement by Netanyahu and Katz.

The destruction ‘completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge – above and below ground,’ the statement added.

The United States Geological Survey meanwhile reported a 4.1 magnitude tremor in the area, after Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israel carried out a ‘massive explosion’ on the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatieh region, ‘causing tremors and a powerful rumble’.

Advertisement

Israel has blown up a key tunnel network built by the Hezbollah group in Lebanon on Thursday

 The explosion on Thursday, which sent shockwaves rippling across the region for miles, obliterated the major underground complex built by the Iran-backed terrorist organisation

Footage released by Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz shows the dark night skies emblazoned with orange fire as smoke billows out from the destroyed tunnels

Advertisement

AFP journalists in south Lebanon also said they heard ‘huge explosions’ on Thursday evening. ‘We were sitting there and everything shook,’ Joelle Fares, who recently moved to Majayoun, said.

The Israeli army said the Hezbollah infrastructure extended for more than two kilometres (1.2 miles) and contained ‘dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), as well as machine guns, dozens of anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosive devices’.

The underground compound also included a command centre of Hezbollah’s ‘Badr’ unit, the army added.

A military official said that some of the militants that had operated in the area of the ridge had abandoned it, while others were ‘eliminated by aerial strikes and artillery fire’.

Advertisement

Israel announced last week that it had captured the Ali al-Taher ridge. Located about 15 km (10 miles) from the Israeli border, the hills have a commanding view of a broad sweep of southeastern Lebanon.

In March, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the Middle East war in support of its backer Iran. There had been a lull in violence after the understanding reached between Iran and the United States in June, followed by an agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

But strikes have increased in intensity in recent days. During negotiations, the United States, which sponsored the talks, proposed that the Lebanese army take control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, but Hezbollah refused, a source close to the parties told AFP.

Beirut authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people in total since March, and Israeli forces continue to occupy a so-called ‘security zone’ in the south.

Advertisement

The Ali al-Taher ridge was controlled by the Israeli military from 1982 to 2000 during its occupation of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is believed to have built an extensive underground network following the Israeli withdrawal. 

Reuters reported earlier this month that Iran had warned the United States against an Israeli attack on the ridge. 

READ MORE: Inside the weapon-filled tunnels beneath a Lebanon castle which was long a Hezbollah stronghold and used to launch deadly strikes and drones

By SOPHIE CHURCH – POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 22:04 BST, 10 September 2026 | Updated: 02:17 BST, 11 September 2026

China could bring Britain to a ‘standstill’ by switching off access to our power grid, a former MI6 chief has warned.

In an ominous address, Sir Richard Dearlove claimed on Wednesday that Beijing could hold the UK to ‘ransom’ by growing our dependency on Chinese steel and tech – then cutting our supplies when it chooses.

Speaking to MPs and peers in Parliament, the former chief spy said: ‘Peacetime dependencies give China strategic leverage, and in a crisis it gives them weapons of mass disruption which could literally bring this country to a complete standstill.’

He added: ‘Britain and its allies do retain the capacity to design and assemble the apparatus on which the grid depends.

Advertisement

‘But the material without which none of this can be built is now concentrated in the hands of the very country which the director general of MI5 has identified as the most serious threat to Britain’s national security.’

This comes as Andy Burnham on Tuesday spoke to President Xi for the first time since becoming Prime Minister.

Sir Richard Dearlove claimed on Wednesday that Beijing could hold the UK to ‘ransom’ by growing our dependency on Chinese steel and tech – then cutting our supplies when it chooses

Advertisement

Sir Richard warned that President Xi is fulfilling his dream of global domination by 2049 ‘under our very noses’

Andy Burnham on Tuesday spoke to President Xi for the first time since becoming Prime Minister

A Downing Street statement said the leaders committed to ‘a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership between the UK and China’.

But Sir Richard warned that President Xi is fulfilling his dream of global domination by 2049 ‘under our very noses’.

Advertisement

And he said that Britain ‘complacently deindustrialising’ had become a ‘chronic danger’ as China exerts control over critical minerals markets.

‘In ceasing to manufacture it has exported its exposure to the energy systems of its suppliers, some of whom are strategic adversaries.

‘Our foreign policy is therefore fettered and could even be held to ransom.’

China has been steadily increasing its global steel exports as Britain and other countries in Europe have seen their industrial bases decline.

Advertisement

And Britain last year raced to save British steel after its Chinese owners Jingye sought to close the blast furnaces at Scunthorpe.

Shadow home office minister Alicia Kearns blasted Labour last night for ‘making our country less resilient and less safe’ by relying on China for essential materials.

She said: ‘Ministers should be taking measures to protect the grid and the British people’s access to energy.

‘Instead, they are insisting on overground electricity, making it much easier for foreign powers and terrorists to take down the grid.

Advertisement

‘This demonstrates their denial about the scale of the threat.’

This comes as Labour was branded the ‘Welfare Party’ after Mr Burnham on Wednesday said that national security ‘cannot come at the expense of social security’.

Ms Kearns added that Labour’s ‘failure to fund defence leaves us exposed, and their obsession with net zero leaves us reliant on other countries’.

Labour MP Graeme Downie, who chairs campaign group the Coalition on Secure Technology, told the Mail: ‘The government needs to show it is aware of this threat and is defending against it, and through that, they need to better inform the public about what they should do to prepare for the possibility of power interruptions should they occur.’

Advertisement

And North Durham Labour MP Luke Akehurst said: ‘We need to take Sir Richard’s warning about dependency on China for key products and technologies extremely seriously.’

Japan has protested a new world map adopted by the UN after it showed the disputed Kuril Islands as part of Russia.

Japan’s government demanded a correction to the map, known as the Equal Earth cartographic projection.

The UN General Assembly voted on Friday to adopt a new map of the world, passed with the support of 164 nations, including France and the UK, while the US voted against it.

The new map fixed the discrepancy with the Mercator map, which was created in 1569 and showed the African continent as being of similar size to Greenland – even though it is in reality about 14 times larger.

However, Japan is among several countries that have disputed the new map because it shows the Kurils, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, in the same colour as Russia.

Japanese government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, said the new map “contained a depiction contradicting the Japanese government’s position”.

“We lodged a protest with the map site’s operator through our diplomatic channel to demand the correction of this depiction,” Mr Kihara told reporters.

He said Japan “needs to prevent misconceptions of our territories and geographical names from spreading”.

The island has remained a bone of contention between Russia and Japan after a chain of islands was seized by the former Soviet Union in 1945, which then expelled the Japanese population.

Last month, Japan protested after Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the disputed Kuril Island in August. It marked his first visit to the island, sparking condemnation from prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who said the Russian president’s visit “offends the sentiments of the Japanese people”, and that it was “absolutely unacceptable”.

She insisted the islands were “an inherent part of Japan’s territory, both historically and under international law”.

Moscow responded by “categorically” rejecting the statement, “which we consider politically inappropriate, insulting and, of course, legally unfounded”.

Relations have deteriorated sharply since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after which Japan joined its Group of Seven partners in imposing sanctions on Moscow.

Ukraine last week abstained on the map in the UN vote after it showed annexed Crimea in a different colour to the rest of the country. Ukraine said it opens a “Pandora’s Box” violating the UN Charter and international law.

While India voted in favour of the map the foreign ministry said “an inaccurate or misleading depiction is unacceptable” after the new map showed India’s border with Pakistan, the Line of Control, as a separate dotted line.

The map carried a disclaimer that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not been agreed upon by India and Pakistan, even as India depicts Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh within its boundaries.

Plans to join a row of three shops in Church Lane, off Spurriergate, together to form a single unit have been approved by City of York Council.

An application from Bench Mark Designs stated the works would see detritus including wall lights, artwork and graffiti-style rendering removed and the buildings’ crumbling façades rebuilt.

Council planning officers stated the changes would help preserve and enhance the features of the buildings and the wider area.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Plans approved by the council would see access to the upper floors of the buildings created from Church Lane.

Dividing walls on the ground floor would be removed, with the application stating that a larger space would be more attractive to potential tenants.

Toilets and kitchen facilities would also be provided.

Shop fronts would be altered including by creating a new shared entrance, removing the current graffiti-style paintwork and repainting the render.

Plans stated the shop fronts were currently a mixed bag of styles.

The application stated: “At present the shops are in a very poor condition, various tenants have embellished them.

“The intension is to remove all the detritus.”

Council planning officers stated the latest plans were an improvement on ones for the works which had previously been refused.

Officers stated: “The revised design would be in keeping with the character of the building and the surrounding conservation area.

“The works would support the reuse of the commercial unit and enable a complaint access to the upper floors.

“The reoccupation of the vacant ground floor units would contribute positively to the appearance of the streetscene.”