The York Chocolate Festival is returning to the city centre with a host of chocolate-themed events, featuring demonstrations, hands-on fun, and family-friendly activities.

Running this Easter, the festival celebrates York’s historic ties to the confectionery industry with a packed programme for visitors of all ages.

Organised by York Food Festival, the event will take place in central locations including Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Centre.

Visitors can browse an artisan chocolate market, take part in tastings, and follow the Chocolate Taste Trail through York’s independent businesses.

There will also be free children’s activities, live demonstrations, and chocolate-making workshops.

Sophie Jewett of York Cocoa Works said: “York Cocoa Works are looking forward to being part of this year’s York Chocolate Festival and sharing more about our chocolate making process and the industry that the city was once famous for.

“It’s wonderful to welcome so many enthusiastic chocolate learners who are excited and passionate to discover more about how chocolate is made.”

Children can get creative at St Sampson’s Centre with educational chocolate-themed activities, while Parliament Street will host a Chocolate Egg Bar Making workshop where they can design and decorate their own chocolate bar.

One of the festival highlights will be the Chocolate & Sugar Sculpture Gallery.

The exhibition will showcase chocolate creations by award-winning chocolatier Ashley McCarthy, who will craft a horse-racing-inspired chocolate sculpture during the event.

The gallery will also feature sugar art by internationally acclaimed pastry chef Florian Poirot, winner of the Best Sugar Showpiece award at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie.

Sugar work is an intricate form of culinary art where cooked sugar is shaped into decorative forms using moulding, pulling, and blowing techniques.

Live demonstrations at St Sampson’s Centre will include sessions led by Michael Hjort and Sophie Jewett, who will share their expertise with festival-goers.

Visitors can enjoy tastings, learn about chocolate artistry, and explore York’s chocolate-making heritage throughout the festival.

Organisers say the event promises to offer something for everyone, from seasoned chocolate enthusiasts to families looking for Easter holiday activities.

The York Chocolate Festival is free to attend and aims to honour the city’s chocolate legacy while inspiring a new generation of chocolate makers.

Full details of the festival programme and timings are available at yorkchocolatefestival.com.

The Vanity Fair Oscars after-party returned for the biggest night in Hollywood, with some eye-popping looks on what was a grey carpet.

This year’s Los Angeles party saw the guest list slashed in half as part of a bid for increased exclusivity – but several of the most familiar faces were still in attendance.

The event was held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art after the 98th Academy Awards ceremony, during which One Battle After Another clinched the coveted best picture award, while Michael B Jordan and Jessie Buckley took home the gongs for best leading actors.

Kim Kardashian, 45, was among the stars at the VF bash, tottering before the cameras in mammoth platform heels and an appropriately Oscars gold dress. 

But Kim bafflingly completed the look with coloured contact lenses and distinctly unkempt hair. Perhaps her longtime hair stylist Chris Appleton was given the day off?

Elsewhere on the carpet, her two Jenner sisters were also in attendance, with Kendall, 30, in a baby blue number and Kylie, 28, donning her thrice-Oscar-losing boyfriend Timothee Chalamet, 30, as well as a black gown with a dramatic slit at the waist.

Since the big bash coincided with Mother’s Day, it was only fitting that momager Kris Jenner was there. The 70-year-old wore a tulle prom dress of sorts, arriving with her boyfriend Corey Gamble at the end of a gloved hand.

As far as the eyebrow-raising fits went, Jeff Goldblum’s wife Emilie Livingston, 43, might have taken the night with her bum-baring leotard, paired with sheer tights, which she wore next to her 73-year-old husband, who was dressed for distinctly cooler climes.

Other couples on the carpet together were Dua Lipa and Callum Turner, who beat the James Bond rumours by opting not to wear a classic tuxedo, instead pairing a regular humdrum suit with a grey shirt. 

Elsewhere on the carpet, Julia Fox, 36, rocked up in an apparent take on period dress, with a detailed floral bodice and exaggerated shoulders.

There was also Love Story star Sarah Pidgeon, who is currently playing Calvin Klein publicist Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy on the Disney Plus drama and so fittingly decided to wear…Calvin Klein.

The Vanity Fair bash was once the hottest ticket in town in the 1990s, with a guest list that only granted entry to the upper echelon of Tinseltown. The first ever iteration of the event invited just 100 people, including Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Prince, Robert De Niro and Anthony Hopkins.

Yet, in recent years, the party had become a victim of its own success, with a dwindling sense of exclusivity. 

The magazine’s new editor Mark Guiducci decided to slash the numbers in half, banning social media from inside the event and limiting all press to Vanity Fair journalists alone (the rest have been relegated to the grey carpet outside).

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Dressed in a red wig with heavy white make up, like the antagonist from the film, he could be seen playing table tennis with Chalamet in Marty Supreme, running across the stage of the Globe in Hamnet, in the car with Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another and trying to get into the juke joint in Sinners.

Martin Parker, 49, of Hewley Avenue, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order by not telling police about an internet enabling device he possessed. He was jailed for 20 weeks and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs.

Timothy Thrasher, 31, of no fixed address, denied causing a woman actual bodily harm in Scarborough, but was convicted at trial. He was jailed for 52 weeks, made subject to a two-year restraining order made to protect the woman, and ordered to pay £650 prosecution costs and a £187 statutory surcharge.

Christopher Hodkinson, 41, of The Reeves, Acomb, pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order twice by being at an address he was forbidden to attend and being with a woman he was banned to be with.  He was jailed for 18 weeks and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs.

Philip Pool, 55, of Lowfields Drive, Acomb, pleaded guilty to carrying a knife on the A1237 York Outer Ring Road. He was given a two-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and must pay £85 prosecution costs and a £154 statutory surcharge.

CHICAGO (AP) — Successive punches of snow and wind were set to impact the eastern half of the United States on Monday as severe weather swept across much of the nation and made roads impassable in the Upper Midwest.

Forecasters said mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., were at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes. The cold front was expected to move off the East Coast by Tuesday, bringing sharply colder weather in its wake, forecasters said.

The late winter blast comes as Hawaii continued to be affected by a separate storm system that caused severe flooding over the weekend.

Forecasters warn about line of storms, tornadoes

The National Weather Service that warned a line of severe storms with damaging winds would cross much of the Eastern U.S. After firing up Sunday, the storms were crossing the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys.

The storm threat was expected to enter the Appalachians, then move toward the East Coast, where “severe thunderstorms with widespread damaging winds and several tornadoes” were expected, the service said.

A stretch from parts of South Carolina to Maryland appeared most likely to experience the greatest damaging winds Monday afternoon, the weather service said. That could include Raleigh, North Carolina, Richmond, Virginia, and the nation’s capital.

Officials said schools in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, would be closed Monday. Gov. Josh Stein urged residents to enable emergency alerts on their phones ahead of expected wind gusts of 74 mph (119 kph).

Beyond the threat to lives and property, “whether it’s wind gusts from a squall line, blizzard or snow, or just wind because of the storm, you’re looking at several major airports being impacted,“ said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys.

Big snows in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan

An area from central Wisconsin to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was likely to see over 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow, with higher isolated totals on the peninsula, Roys said. Lower snow accumulations in places such as Chicago and Milwaukee will likely create trouble for commuters on Monday, he added.

Jim Allen, 45, who lives on the Upper Peninsula, said his family stocked up on necessities and he was ready to clear snow several times Sunday with a shovel and snowblower.

“We’re basically prepared to just kind of hunker down for a few days if we need to,” Allen said.

More than 600 flights were canceled at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight disruptions. Dozens more through Detroit were scrapped. O’Hare and Midway international airports in Chicago reported more than 850 cancellations.

Power outages remain, some from earlier high winds

More than 210,000 utility customers in six Great Lakes states were without electricity Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us. Some originated on Friday when gusts in the region reached 85 mph (137 km). Widespread outages also were reported in parts of Pennsylvania and Arkansas.

In Nebraska, about 30 National Guard members were deployed to combat multiple wildfires across a broad swath of range and grassland, state officials said. One fire-related fatality was reported.

Landslides, rescues, collapsed home on Maui

Rain continued falling on Sunday in Hawaii, where acres of farmland and homes have been flooded, roads have been closed and shelters opened. Some areas of Maui received more than 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said in a social media post.

Maui County later on Sunday downgraded an evacuation notice and said crews were pumping water from retentions basins to keep them at safe levels.

Resident and real estate broker Jesse Wald, who recorded video of a coastal road’s collapse Saturday, said other parts of the road were flooded out by mud and sediment.

“In the 20 years I’ve been here I’ve never seen this much rain,” he said.

__

Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writers Julie Walker in New York and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, also contributed to this report.

Kizzy David, Ashleigh Jones, and Oluchi Okoroafor, all nurses with Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, have been named finalists at the 2026 Student Nursing Times Awards.

Oluchi Okoroafor, a registered nurse on Ward D3, has been shortlisted in five categories: Student Nurse of the Year: Adult, Most Inspirational Student Nurse of the Year, Student Innovation in Practice, the Mary Seacole Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion, and Outstanding Contribution to Student Affairs.

Ms Okoroafor said: “It feels like a powerful recognition not just of my hard work, but of the patients, mentors, colleagues, my family, and fellow students who have shaped my nursing journey.”

Ms Okoroafor is nominated for five awards (Image: NHS)

Originally from Nigeria, Ms Okoroafor moved to the UK in 2016.

She was inspired to pursue nursing after witnessing the care and compassion shown to her family when her daughter was born prematurely in 2018.

She said: “Nursing has challenged me to step outside my comfort zone, think critically outside the box and lead with compassion.

“I’ve especially valued the opportunities to advocate for patients, support fellow students, and contribute to initiatives that improve inclusion and practice.”

Ms Okoroafor completed an international placement in Finland and mentored Dutch nursing students during their international nursing week.

She now works as a registered nurse on D3.

She said: “My time at Royal Bolton Hospital has been inspiring and transformative.

“I have felt highly supported by all team members, encouraged and empowered to grow.

“The culture of teamwork and patient-centred care here has reinforced why I chose nursing in the first place.”

She said: “Excellence is not about perfection, rather it’s about consistency, resilience, hard work, compassion, and courage.

“I want students to know that their voices matter, that innovation can start with a simple idea, and that advocating for inclusion and diversity strengthens our profession.”

Also recognised is Kizzy David, who is a finalist for the Practice Supervisor of the Year award.

“This nomination inspires me to continue working hard.” (Image: NHS)

Ms David said: “As a nurse at Bolton Royal Hospital, this recognition is a humbling validation of my dedication to providing exceptional care and support to my team.

“It fills me with immense pride to be acknowledged for my role in fostering a positive learning environment and nurturing the next generation of nurses.

“This nomination inspires me to continue working hard, striving for excellence, and contributing to the growth and success of our incredible nursing team.

“It’s a privilege to serve the patients and the community, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference every day.”

Ashleigh Jones has also been named a finalist in the Learner of the Year: Post-registration category.

Winners will be revealed on Friday 24 April 2026 at a ceremony in London.

Ms Okoroafor said: “If my journey encourages even one student to believe in themselves, take initiative, and lead with integrity, then I will consider that a true achievement.”

The Student Nursing Times Awards winners and finalists will be celebrated on Friday 24 April 2026 at a ceremony in London, bringing together the nursing community to shine a light on the brightest talent making their way into the profession.

Rev Eric Arthur Ruehorn, 92, died peacefully at Fairfield Hospital on February 28 following a brain haemorrhage.

Eric was the parish vicar at St Mary’s Church in Hawkshaw for 25 years before retiring in 1999.

Born in Openshaw on July 4, 1933, he spent most of his early life in the Manchester suburb. He went on to marry his late wife, Vera Kelshaw, at St Clement’s Church in 1954.

The pair went on to have two children, Paul and Lindsey Ruehorn (now Rigby).

Rev Eric Arthur Ruehorn with his late wife Vera Ruehorn nee Kelshaw (Image: supplied)

Eric was officially ordained into the priesthood in 1961, taking on his first role at a parish in Mosley in 1964.

The family moved to Bury ten years later, where Eric took on his position at St Mary’s Church in Hawkshaw.

He was also involved in the wider community, providing support at the Holcombe Moor Training Camp and as a Chaplain at Fairfield Hospital in Bury, offering pastoral, spiritual and religious guidance to people of all faiths.  

Son Paul Ruehorn, 70, is a retired funeral director.

He said: “When I worked in funerals, people of all regions would ask me if we were related, as they knew him.

“My dad offered advice to churches across the area, would welcome any ministers and was well known in the Diocese of Manchester.

“His brother-in-law moved to the USA and became Bishop of Albuquerque in New Mexico. My dad was ordained as an honorary member of the Church of America when he visited.”

“He never really retired and was heavily involved with the Bible Society and Christ Church in Walshaw, doing family weddings and christenings.”

Daughter Lindsey, a retired paediatric nurse of 40 years, added: “I was delighted to be able to take my dad on holiday to the Cotswolds last September, a trip he very much enjoyed.”

Rev Eric Arthur Ruehorn (Image: supplied)

Eric and his family enjoyed holidays to Cornwall and Devon when the children were younger, before travelling as a couple to Spain, Malta and Morocco once their family had grown up.  

He also played golf and was a member at Rossendale Golf Club in Haslingden.  

Eric was a beloved grandpa to a blended family of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

The funeral service will be held on at 2pm on Monday, March 23 at Christ Church, Walshaw, with the family requesting guests wear ‘bright colours only’ – followed by a private committal at Radcliffe Crematorium.

Family flowers only, donations if desired to The Bible Society, with all enquiries to The Co-op.  

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States’ war with Iran is entering its third week, but Congress has yet to publicly test the Trump administration’s case for the conflict.

Republicans in Congress have so far side-stepped public debate over the war, even as Senate Democrats reach for every tool at their disposal to demand hearings with Trump administration officials. Increasingly frustrated, Democrats are threatening this week to force a series of votes on the war, hoping that the effort to gum up the Senate’s voting schedule will prod Republicans to action.

“We’ve had no oversight whatsoever over what the executive is doing as we’re spending a billion dollars a day, and we have failed to have any real substantive debate or discussion,” said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.

The role of Congress in the deliberations is an unsettled question with enormous stakes, given that lawmakers have the power to shape the trajectory of the conflict as it grows in cost and casualties. So far, 13 military members have been killed and billions of dollars have been spent, but President Donald Trump has not sought congressional approval for attacking Iran.

As the 17th day of the conflict dawned Monday, Republican lawmakers remained mostly resistant to the idea of quickly forcing public testimony before Congress.

How GOP leaders are handling calls for hearings

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters last week that he didn’t expect public hearings specifically on the Iran war, but noted it would inevitably come up in the regular rhythm of testimony on military policy and spending.

“They have briefed us,” Thune, R-S.D., said, pointing to classified briefings from the Trump administration. Those sessions have been held behind closed doors and most lawmakers refuse to disclose more than the broad topics of discussion.

Thune also noted there have been regular news conferences from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They are “answering the hard questions that are being asked,” Thune said.

The GOP chairs of committees dealing with national security have also said they don’t have plans in the near term to hold hearings specifically on the war, though some acknowledged the value of lawmaker questioning.

Sen. Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued that the regular run of hearings on Capitol Hill would provide lawmakers with plentiful opportunities to ask questions.

“We’re going to conduct generous oversight, thorough oversight,” said Wicker, R-Miss.

Some Republicans are looking ahead to an expected supplemental budget request from the Trump administration to cover the costs of the war. That request, however, is likely weeks away and faces a difficult path through Congress.

Democrats have pointed out that the Pentagon has already received additional funding from Republicans’ marquee tax cut law that was passed last year and provided funding for GOP priorities, including at the Pentagon.

Wariness growing from some Republicans

Still, agitation from a few Republicans at the lack of high-level responses from the Trump administration is starting to show, especially as they brace for a hefty war bill from the administration.

“I don’t want to just be given the invoice from the Department of Defense, saying this is what it’s going to cost,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “I want them to be engaged with us.”

She added that it was important for lawmakers to get information both in classified briefings and public hearings “so that the public can better understand this, too.”

Another GOP senator on the powerful Appropriations Committee, Louisiana’s John Kennedy, exited a classified briefing last week fuming that it had been a “total waste of time” because the officials were not able to provide the answers that top-level Cabinet officials could.

Republicans have almost uniformly backed Trump’s decision to launch an attack on Iran, though many are wary of a lengthy conflict. Trump has cycled through different objectives for the war, ranging from crippling Iran’s military capabilities to a demand for “unconditional surrender.”

“I think we have to let the objective play out as far as we can, and if then the effort gets murky on how to get to the objective, that might be a good time to have some hearings, but it’s too early,” said Sen. Cynthis Lummis, a Wyoming Republican.

But as the midterm elections approach, Republicans are also aware that public support for the war remains tepid.

“I wish we could disclose a lot of this publicly because it would make it a whole lot easier to explain to the American people,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., adding that classified briefings were necessary to protect U.S. service members now that the war is under way.

How Democrats may force a debate

Democrats, meanwhile, are threatening to do just about everything in their power to bring attention to the war, even if it means repeatedly forcing votes that fail.

A group of six Democrats has said that unless hearings are scheduled with Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Cabinet officials, they will call up daily votes on a series of war powers resolutions that if passed would require Trump to gain congressional approval before carrying out any more attacks on Iran. Similar resolutions have already been rejected by both chambers in the Republican-controlled Congress.

The votes, however, would eat up valuable time on the Senate floor and set the ground for a debate on the conflict just as Senate Republicans plan to spend much of the week trying to pass Trump’s priority legislation to impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting.

The group of Democratic senators also hinted at using other tactics to slow the Senate’s work on other business.

Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, told reporters that unless there is a commitment for public hearings, “We’re not going to let the Senate go on with business as usual. We’re not going to let the Senate be silenced.”

Paul Bradley tragically died aged just 35

The family of a dad-of-three have been left with an ‘unimaginable hole in their lives’ following his sudden death aged just 35.

Paul Bradley had previously struggled with illnesses and went through both a liver and kidney transplant. But in 2023, as he just entered his thirties, he received a heartbreaking diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease (MND).

Just three years later, on March 5, 2026, the dad-of-three sadly died. Paul, from York, was described as being a ‘beautiful soul’ and ‘kind-hearted man’ whose world revolved around his family.

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His best friend, Jack Pullen, said his wife Emma and children have been left ‘shattered’, Yorkshire Live reports. Jack said: “Paul was the kind of person who brought warmth and kindness wherever he went. A devoted husband, a loving son and brother, a loyal friend and above all an amazing father.

“His world revolved around his family. Those who knew him well will remember his generosity, his humour, and the way he always made time for others.”‘

Donations to support Paul Bradley’s family can be made here.

Jack explained that Paul ‘fought hard’ against all his illnesses – including multiple transplants. Jack said: “Paul showed bravery and courage throughout both liver and kidney transplants.

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“He then lost his battle at age 35. Some losses are impossible to understand. The sudden loss of Paul – a beautiful soul, and kind-hearted man, has left his family and everyone who loved him utterly heartbroken.”

Because of his prior conditions, Paul was unable to take out life insurance, now not only leaving his family ‘shattered’ but also struggling financially. Wife Emma – who gave up her job in Paul’s final months to be his full-time carer – has been left in a particularly difficult situation; one that is hard for family and friends to watch.

Jack said: “In the midst of such heartbreaking loss, his family are now facing the difficult practical and financial realities that come with losing someone so suddenly. Paul was unable to ever get any life insurance due to his previous medical history.

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“As a child, Paul had a kidney and liver transplant. He then went on to have two more kidney transplants, the last being in 2021, which leaves Emma paying the mortgage alone, with no income. Paul’s adapted vehicle, which was on loan, will now be taken back, leaving the family without transport.”

As a way to try and support the family that has become as ‘close as his own’, Jack has set up a fundraiser to support the Bradley’s. So far, over £8,000 has been raised, but Jack is keen to keep pushing.

Jack said: “More than anything, I want to help honour Paul’s memory by surrounding his family with the same kindness and love that he showed to so many people throughout his life.”

Donations to support Paul Bradley’s family can be made here.