Today, the Press approached the four Labour MPs in our region- York Central’s Rachael Maskell, York Outer’s Luke Charters and Selby MP Keir Mather.

As previously reported, the four MPs were all asked by the Press whether or not they supported Sir Keir staying on as Labour leader and PM and if he did go, who should replace him.

They were also asked whether the resignation of his Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney changed anything and when might the PM resign.

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First to respond was Luke Charters who condemned both Jeffrey Epstein and Lord Mandelson, saying getting on with the jobs of being MP was his “relentless focus.”

However, his statement did not contain any mention of his support or otherwise of the  PM, even though that was directly asked for.

Next came Rachael Maskell, who simply responded: “With the PM about to address the Parliamentary Labour Party, I will listen carefully to what he has to say to understand how he proposes to take things forward.”

Just now a statement released by Alison Hume, who won Scarborough and Whitby from the Conservatives in July 2024 said: “I was elected eighteen months ago as part of a Labour government tasked with delivering the change this country wanted to see after years of decline.

“We are starting to see the positive impacts that only a Labour government can make; free school meals and breakfast clubs, renters’ rights, the Employment Rights Act.

“This is not the time for a leadership election.  The Prime Minister has my full support. We have a five year mandate from the British people and we must not waste a second on in-fighting. The last thing we need is the kind of instability we said we would get rid of.

She added: “My main priority, as always, is working hard for the people of Scarborough, Whitby and villages.”

As the Press previously reported, Downing Street has been rocked by the resignations of Sir Keir’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and his Director of Communications Tim Allan.

This afternoon Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar called for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down, however he has been backed by Labour Deputy Lucy Powell.

The Prime Minister is set to address Labour MPs about the Mandelson affair and his leadership later today.

Keir Mather has yet to respond.

American skier Lindsey Vonn says she has “no regrets” after a crash in the women’s downhill competition at the Winter Olympics resulted in a “complex tibia fracture” which will require multiple surgeries.

The 41-year-old’s arm got stuck in a gate just 13 seconds into her run on Sunday at Olimpia delle Tofane in Cortina, throwing her off balance.

She was treated on the slope for a lengthy period before being airlifted off the piste to Ca Foncello hospital in Treviso, where she had surgery on a fractured left leg.

The 2010 Olympic downhill champion was already racing with ruptured ligaments in her left knee but was determined to compete in her fifth and final Games.

“Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would,” she said in a post on Instagram on Monday.

“It wasn’t a story book ending or a fairytale, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it.

“While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets.

“Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself.”

Vonn crashed in Switzerland in the final race before the Olympics nine days before competing in the downhill event in Italy.

In a media conference on Wednesday, she confirmed she had torn her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) but expressed determination to compete.

The two-time world champion says the torn ACL and her previous injuries, including a partial right knee replacement, “had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever”.

Vonn’s decision to race has led to widespread praise for her bravery but also criticism about the dangers and potential risk of permanent damage.

“It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport. And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life,” she said.

“We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try.

“I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying.

“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.”

Timothy Horrigan, 42, has been recalled for breaching his licence conditions following his release from prison on Tuesday (February 3).

Extensive enquiries to find Horrigan, police said, have been ongoing in connection with a non-molestation order.

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An appeal has since been launched by North Yorkshire Police – who said they believed Horrigan to be in the Harrogate, Ripon and Northallerton areas.

Horrigan, who is described as white, 6ft tall, with dark-coloured greying hair and of a medium build, also has links to Hull and Bradford.

A force spokesperson said: “For immediate sightings of Horrigan, please call North Yorkshire Police on 999.

“Information can also be provided by calling us on 101. 

“Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

“Please quote reference number 12260021139 when providing details.”

Ukranian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych claims the International Olympic Committee has banned his helmet featuring images of people killed in the war in his home country, in a decision that “breaks my heart”.

The 26-year-old wore the helmet during a Winter Olympics training session in Cortina, and had promised before the Games to use the event as a platform to keep attention on the conflict.

The IOC is yet to confirm publicly if it has banned the helmet.

“The IOC has banned the use of my helmet at official training sessions and competitions,” said Heraskevych, who was a Ukraine flagbearer in Friday’s opening ceremony, on Instagram, external.

“A decision that simply breaks my heart. The feeling that the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honoured on the sports arena where these athletes will never be able to step again.

“Despite precedents in modern times and in the past when the IOC allowed such tributes, this time they decided to set special rules just for Ukraine.”

Heraskevych told Reuters that many of those pictured on his helmet were athletes including teenage weightlifter Alina Peregudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko and ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, and stated some of them were his friends.

Heraskevych said Toshio Tsurunaga, the IOC representative in charge of communications between athletes, national Olympic committees and the IOC, had been to the athletes’ village to tell him.

“He said it’s because of rule 50,” Heraskevych told Reuters.

Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.

He said earlier on Monday that the IOC had contacted Ukraine’s Olympic Committee over the helmet.

The IOC said it had not received any official request to use the helmet in competition, which starts on 12 February.

Meanwhile, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Heraskevych “for reminding the world of the price of our struggle” in a post on X, external.

The post continued: “This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a ‘political demonstration at a sporting event’. It is a reminder to the entire world of what modern Russia is.”

Heraskevych, Ukraine’s first skeleton athlete, held up a ‘No War in Ukraine’ sign at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, days before Russia’s 2022 invasion of the country.

Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

Heraskevych had said he intended to respect Olympic rules which prohibit political demonstrations at venues while still raising awareness about the war in Ukraine at the Games.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 athletes from Russia and Belarus were largely banned from international sport, but there has since been a gradual return to competition.

The IOC cleared 13 athletes from Russia, external to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) in Milan-Cortina.

BBC Sport has approached the IOC for comment.

A local councillor says he is regularly contacted by frustrated residents looking to find their parcels

Residents in Co Tyrone have had to use social media to match front doors in order to track down wrongly delivered packages from Evri.

Those living in the Dungannon, Coalisland and Moy areas of East Tyrone have reported having a number of issues with the delivery service in recent months with many saying they have been unable to get packages delivered to the correct addresses that were supposed to be delivered by the company.

A number have taken to social media in order to post pictures of their parcels at someone’s front door in the hopes of tracking down the actual location that their parcels have been delivered.

READ MORE: Unlicenced driver caught after parking her car obstructively outside a police stationREAD MORE: Belfast man hits out at Evri after “constant issues” with deliveries

Local representative councillor Dan Kerr told Belfast Live that he gets calls from frustrated local residents on a weekly basis asking for help trying to find the address their parcels have been delivered to and claims that Evri is usually the company that was meant to deliver the packages.

Prior to Christmas he spoke at a council meeting and arranged for representatives to meet with Evri to discuss their concerns, however he says that the issues still remain.

Councillor Kerr said: “This is a problem that has been rampant across Dungannon, Coalisland, Moy, Arboe and all around the area for some time now and people are getting fed up with the poor service.

“It is like playing pass the parcels for some people as they have no choice but to post pictures of the front door where their parcels have been delivered online in the hopes of finding out where they actually are. I am getting people contacting me every week asking for help to track down deliveries.

“I spoke about this at council prior to Christmas and arranged a meeting with Evri and we were told that these issues were due to increased number of packages they were dealing with prior to Christmas and that some were down to issues with subcontractors who are no longer working for them, but the issue still seems to be continuing.

“These deliveries could be worth a lot of money and people deserve much better than the service they are receiving.”

An Evri spokesperson said: “Evri handles more than 900 million parcels each year with the vast majority being delivered successfully and on time. We’re sorry that a small number of local residents have experienced an issue with their deliveries. We’ve taken swift action to support a new courier on the round and we’ll closely monitor service levels to ensure deliveries meet our high standards.”

“The overwhelming majority of our couriers are highly regarded by customers, with an average star rating this year of 4.6 out of 5”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter.

The UK foreign secretary has said a 20-year jail term handed down by a Hong Kong court to pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai is “tantamount to a life sentence”.

The 78-year-old media tycoon and British citizen was found guilty ​of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one ​count of publishing seditious materials in December last year.

He had denied all the charges against him, ‌saying in court he was a “political prisoner” facing persecution from Beijing.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper agreed with that assessment and, in a statement, called the sentence a “politically motivated prosecution” aimed at Mr Lai “for exercising his right to freedom of expression”.

“For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence. I remain deeply concerned for Mr Lai’s health, and I again call on the Hong Kong authorities to end his appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family,” she added.

Lai’s son, Sebastien, told Sky News the case was a “show trial” and the result was not a surprise.

“I think many people expected it. This is essentially a life sentence… a death sentence,” he said.

China risks making Lai ‘martyr’

Commenting on the prospect of his father being released, he added: “I’m just holding out hope. I think we are in a situation now where it is in both Hong Kong and China’s best interest to release him as well.

“This is very damaging for their reputation. If my father dies, he becomes a martyr.”

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Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison

Mr Lai’s lawyer gave no comment when asked if he would appeal his sentence.

On Sunday, the Hong Kong court said that Mr Lai’s sentence was in the most severe penalty “band” for offences of a “grave nature”, and that it was enhanced by his being the “mastermind” and driving force behind foreign collusion conspiracies.

Mr Lai, who founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested in August 2020 after China imposed a national security law following massive anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

Lia’s health ‘exaggerated’, say police

The long-standing critic of ⁠the Chinese Communist Party had previously been sentenced for several lesser offences during his five years in prison.

Mr Lai has spent more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement. His family say his health has worsened as a result and that he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart palpitations.

‌The head of Hong ​Kong police’s National Security Department ⁠said on Monday, however, that claims of ‌his frail health are “exaggerated”.

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From December: Jimmy Lai’s son says UK government must ‘do more’

Speaking after the verdict, Sky’s Asia correspondent Helen-Ann Smith said she spoke to Mr Lai’s biographer Mark Clifford last month.

“He’s really the embodiment of what they fear,” she cites the author and close friend of the jailed tycoon as saying.

“A principled person, absolutely refusing to back down, smart, articulate, and crucially with a platform.”

Lai’s plight has been criticised by world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UK ‍Prime Minister Sir Keir
Starmer.

Sir Keir discussed the case with ‌Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, according to people briefed on the talks.

Read more from Sky News:
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Several Western diplomats told the Reuters news agency that negotiations to free Mr Lai would likely start in earnest after his sentencing, and depending on whether he appeals.

Calls for Jimmy Lai’s immediate release

There has been widespread criticism of the jail term. The ‌United Nations human rights chief ​called for the verdict to be quashed and Mr Lai released.

“This verdict ‌needs to be promptly ‌quashed as incompatible with international ​law,” said UN High Commissioner for ‍Human Rights Volker Turk.

The EU’s diplomatic service, the European External Action Service (EEAS), said it “deplores the heavy prison sentence” and called for Mr Lai’s “immediate and unconditional release”.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, added that the prison term was “effectively a death sentence” and was “both cruel and profoundly ⁠unjust”.

Speaking to Reuters, a former Apple Daily reporter who gave his name as Wong, said that “now that ‘red lines’ have formally become part of the judgments and sentences, the news industry – already severely weakened – will shrink even further”.

The Palace has not yet been approached by officers looking into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct

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The King has made clear his “profound concern” at allegations over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct and will “stand ready to support” the police if approached over the claims, Buckingham Palace said. Thames Valley Police has confirmed it is assessing suggestions that the King’s brother shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The reignited crisis which has engulfed both the monarchy and Westminster has shown little sign of abating since the US authorities’ recent dump of millions of documents associated with the paedophile financier Epstein.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct.

“While the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.

“As was previously stated, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”

The Palace has not so far been approached by Thames Valley Police over the claims which relate to Andrew’s time as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment.

The Prince and Princess of Wales meanwhile publicly addressed the Epstein scandal for the first time on Monday, with Kensington Palace saying they were “deeply concerned” at the “continued revelations” and that their thoughts “remain focused on the victims”.

As The Press reported, cameras started rolling in St Mary’s, off Bootham, on Monday morning (February 9).

Crew members set up cameras and tents in the residential street with the filming appearing to focus on a guest house near the Marygate car park end of the street. They also set up a base in Marygate car park.

Filming for new thriller, Scorn, gets underway in St Mary’s, off Bootham in York, on Monday (February 9) (Image: Dylan Connell)

The film crew is due to be in St Mary’s until Friday, with the street closed until then.

It has now been confirmed that the crew is filming new erotic thriller, Scorn.

Adria Arjona (Image: Kevin Berru)

Topic Studios, the company behind the film, said it features Adria Arjona and Kingsley Ben-Adir.

Arjona, who has starred in Father of the Bride, Hit Man and Blink Twice, was spotted having lunch with her boyfriend, the Hollywood actor Jason Momoa, at the Whippet Inn last month.

Aquaman star Jason Momoa, left, with Whippet Inn owner Martin Bridge after the actor called for lunch in York on Friday, January 30 (Image: Whippet Inn)

The American couple were described as an “absolute delight” by the restaurant’s assistant general manager, Taylor Lloyd, who served them.

Read more: ‘Oh my God, it’s Aquaman!’ – Hollywood star dines in York and is a ‘delight’

Ben-Adir, meanwhile, played Bob Marley in the Bob Marley: One Love biopic, and also featured in Barbie.

Kingsley Ben-Adir (Image: Supplied)

Filming for Scorn, directed and written by Sarah-Violet Bliss, has already taken place in Leeds.

The film will follow a woman who begins a passionate affair with a married man. “When he then tries to re-cast their love as just a fling, she refuses to go away quietly,” a press release issued by Topic Studios said.

Topic Studios said it is fully financing and producing the film alongside Dylan Clark – producer of the Penguin and The Batman: Part I and Part II – and Brian Williams, as well as Aftersun director Amy Jackson.

Sarah-Violet Bliss (Image: Sela Shiloni)

The studio said it has produced more than 40 film and television projects earning 10 Academy Award nominations, 10 Golden Globe nominations and 12 Emmy nominations.

Its recent projects include Alex Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s Wicker, starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård; Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville, starring Covino, Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona and Kyle Marvin; and Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain, starring Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Topic Studios also produced HBO’s 100 Foot Wave, as well as acclaimed documentaries It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley; and the Oscar-shortlisted Folktales.

The film will be the latest to feature York as its backdrop.

A second series of Patience, the Channel 4 crime drama set in York, aired at the start of the year.

Filming for festive movie Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint, starring Richard E. Grant, Celia Imrie and Adjoa Andoh, also took over streets in York city centre last November.

Former Ballon d’Or winner Ruud Gullit hailed two Arsenal players after the Gunners’ continued their Premier League title charge with an emphatic win over Sunderland.

The Gunners, bidding to become Premier League champions for the first time since 2004, temporarily moved nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City with a 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Martin Zubimendi broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time before second-half substitute Viktor Gyokeres scored twice to put the game to bed.

Arsenal’s 17th league win of the season opened up a nine-point gap at the top of the table before Man City’s incredible comeback win over Liverpool later in the weekend.

The Gunners have matchwinners all over the pitch but ex-Chelsea captain Gullit picked out England star Noni Madueke and his Dutch compatriot Jurrien Timber for special praise.

‘One player I really like at Arsenal is Jurrien Timber,’ Gullit told Gambling Insider. ‘He is very strong and looks convincing in everything he does.

‘He is a fantastic player and one of the finest in the division, which you have to be to be a regular starter in Arsenal’s defence at the moment.

‘I saw him in the youth teams at Ajax and he was always a good, strong player. I like the way he plays.

‘He doesn’t moan, he gets on with his job and is a real team player. As well as that, he is so clever tactically and talented technically.

‘He had a real setback with that long-term injury when he first joined Arsenal, but he has bounced back from that and adapted to the Premier League so well.’

Timber has established himself as a key member of Mikel Arteta’s squad since recovering from his long injury lay-off, playing in all but one of Arsenal’s league games so far this season.

Arsenal paid almost £40m to sign Timber from Ajax in 2023 but the Netherlands international has already gone a long way to repaying that fee.

Gullit has also heaped praise on Arsenal summer signing Madueke, insisting he has been a ‘really good signing’ for Arteta.

Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal spent over £50m to sign Madueke from London rivals Chelsea but Gullit has been impressed by the 23-year-old.

‘Noni Madueke is a good player, but he is having to play second fiddle to Bukayo Saka when both players are fit,’ Gullit added.

‘If both are fit, Madueke is on the bench. When he is on the pitch, however, he is very handy and always a big threat, and I actually think one thing that stands out about him is how hard he works.

‘As much as I think he is dangerous on the ball, I think it goes unnoticed how good he is off it, helping the team. He is doing well at Arsenal and has been a really good signing for them.’

Arsenal will hope to continue their march towards the Premier League trophy on Thursday when they face London rivals Brentford.

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“They generally put themselves last, they put their animals first, and they don’t know how to switch off.”

A man from Northern Ireland has urged other farmers to treat their mental health as seriously as they would physical safety on the farm, as farmer wellbeing is at its lowest point in four years.

The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) is marking its ninth annual Mind Your Head week from February 9 to 13, by looking at tackling the issue of suicide risk in the UK agricultural industry.

The campaign is calling on farmers, rural organisations, colleges and Young Farmers Clubs to start life-saving conversations, learn practical skills and connect communities to support – addressing what many now recognise as the industry’s “biggest hidden problem.”

READ MORE: MLA emotional as she pays tribute ‘amazing little boy’ killed in road accidentREAD MORE: Young Lisburn farmer raising awareness of mental health in the industry after losing friends to suicide

Gyles Dawson from Co Armagh has been working in the agri-business sector for over 30 years, is a part-time farmer, and works for the charity Rural Support to ensure agricultural workers in Northern Ireland have the support they need.

He said the demand for help regarding mental wellbeing is “rising sharply.” In the year 2024-2025, Rural Support received 446 calls through their confidential support helpline, a 22% increase on the previous year, with the most common age group being those from 45-54.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Gyles said: “The most alarming thing is two in five of those calls are people showing suicial ideation, which is very concerning. The top concerns we are seeing are financial difficulties, mental health struggles, succession planning, and weather issues.

“We have seen a 55% increase in counselling referrals and a 54% rise in the overall business mentoring support we provide. There is an awful lot for farmers to navigate, but we can work alongside them to offer support.”

He said Rural Support are proud to support the Mind Your Head campaign, adding that farmers need to reach out for help when they need it, and must treat their mental wellbeing as seriously as physical safety on the farm.

Gyles added: “Farming is hard work, seven days a week, with many farmers working 60+ hours a week. Many are struggling with rural isolation, alongside financial stress and uncertainty.

“Weather makes a significant difference to farming practises. Then you have family succession pressures, and unfortunately 91% of farmers now see mental health as one of the biggest hidden challenges in the industry.

“In bygone days, farmers would have had employees to help out on the farm. Mechanisation has helped tremendously, but the issue now is because farm incomes over the past two years have not been so good, you’re finding a lot of farms are having to cut back on employee labour. They’re working longer hours themselves, which causes a rise in fatigue and the possibility of farm accidents increasing.

“Farmers generally put themselves last, they put their animals first, and they don’t know how to switch off. They are very resilient people and will go a long way before they actually go out and ask for help.”

The latest research from the Farm Safety Foundation found that overall wellbeing within the farming community lags behind the UK general population and has fallen to its lowest point in four years. This is measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), a widely used national measure of positive mental health.

Mental wellbeing among farmers over 40 years old hits a four-year low, with the sharpest decline being among those aged 61 – historically the most resilient group. Until recently, this age group consistently reported mental wellbeing levels above the UK average – a sign of resilience in one of the toughest professions. But that resilience is now under severe strain.

As for the support provided by the charity Rural Support in Northern Ireland, Gyles said: “We provide support through community-based counselling and business mentoring, we will go out to a farm and provide that support there.

“Farmers feel safe in their own environment, and if we can meet them in their own environment, then that tends to drop the barriers a little bit more, and they feel more open to talk, and it combats that rural isolation part as well.

“We also have a crisis support and non-crisis support platform. So the crisis support platform consists of business mentors and mental health counsellors who provide that service directly on farm to farmers, and then we have sort of the non-crisis side of things which is the likes of Plough On groups which are to combat loneliness.”

Stephanie Berkeley, Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said: “Over the past nine years, we have made significant strides in raising awareness and improving education around mental health. However, when it comes to suicide prevention, progress has been far more limited.

“While agriculture in the UK benefits from rural support groups and charities who deliver vital, high-quality support, a critical gap remains: there is still very little suicide prevention training tailored specifically for those working in agriculture.

“Farming brings a unique set of pressures – long hours, isolation, financial uncertainty, generational expectations and physical risk. Conversations about suicide in rural communities require approaches that are real, relatable and rooted in lived experience. Without training designed for the realities of agricultural life, we risk leaving those most vulnerable without the tools they need to recognise warning signs and intervene effectively.”

Stephanie continued: “Farming is tough. Long hours, hard graft and a mindset that says ‘just get on with it.’ That grit is admirable – but it is also why some farmers leave it too late to ask for help.

“As we enter 2026, we want to address the issue of suicide awareness and prevention. Too many farming families are quietly carrying the weight of crisis and loss. The message this year is simple: learn the steps, start conversations earlier and look out for each other. When communities know what to say and what to do, lives can be saved.”

To find out more about Rural Support, click here. You can also call their confidential helpline on 08001381678.

Anyone who needs to talk to someone about mental health issues can call the Samaritans on 116123 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.