The Grafix Make Your Own Sand Bottle (Star & Heart) sold by Asda has been recalled because it may be contaminated with asbestos.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) said the product does not meet the requirements of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011.

They warned that asbestos is a banned substance and poses a risk to health even at low levels of exposure.

(Image: Asda/OPSS)

Anyone who has purchased the toy is being urged to stop using it immediately and dispose of it.

The OPSS said: “If the sand is still in its packaging, place in a heavy-duty plastic bag, double tape it securely, label it clearly and store in a secure location out of the reach of children.

“If the sand has been used, clean up sites where the product was used using wet cloths to avoid generating dust. Wear gloves and a mask. Double bag the sand, gloves, mask and cloths.

“Keep children and other people away from areas where the sand has been used until the area has been cleaned.

“Return the product to your nearest Asda store for a full refund. You do not need to provide the receipt.”

An Asda spokesman added: “Stop using the product immediately.

“RMS International are recalling the product as at the time of shipment and supply it passed the standard PLM testing, however new SEM testing has indicated that it may contain traces of asbestos.

“Asbestos fibres can present a health risk if released from the product and inhaled.

“As customer safety is our highest priority, we are undertaking this recall as a safety measure.

“For further information, please contact Asda or visit the OPSS page on asbestos in consumer products.”

The product had been sold exclusively at Asda supermarkets since August 2021.

Authorities in India say a woman with a suspected Ebola infection has been placed in quarantine at a hospital in the southern city of Bengaluru.

More follows

​Proposals to build a residential annexe for the mother of the owner of a Whitby house has been rejected by the council after neighbours warned of the impact of a proposed ‘parking platform’.

​The property at Westlands Avenue is located in a residential area of Whitby, less than half a mile from the town centre.

​Officers said that the proposed parking area would “harmfully interrupt an established boundary treatment, and its visual appearance would juxtapose harshly with the pleasant backdrop of the site, and the surrounding established residential area”.

9 Westlands Avenue, Garden Looking West. Applicant

​Planners also noted that the two-bed annexe would be located close to the neighbouring dwelling at Southlands Avenue, and it would result in an “unacceptable feeling of dominance and enclosure on this neighbouring property”.

​According to a council report, the proposed outdoor area would not be adequate for a two-bed and stated that the limited level of outdoor provision would result in “a cramped living space for future occupants and significantly harm the amenities for future occupiers of the annexe”.

Proposed Elevations, 9 Westlands Avenue. Applicant

Planning officers concluded: “It is clear that the level of parking and amenity for the proposed annexe could not be adequately provided for within the site, the sum of which would be parking serving the site which would overspill off-site into other residential areas, causing detrimental harm to the public highway.”

​The application was refused by North Yorkshire Council on Friday, May 22.

​

While holidaymakers are reminded to check their passport is still valid before booking a holiday, there is another check they’ll need to do that they might not know about.

This week, His Majesty’s Passport Office issued a warning to all British passport holders, which applies to those with new and older passports.

Brits must sign passports to avoid airport delays

Travel tip: Sign your passport before you go — unsigned passports can cause delays at border control.
(Under 12s or those unable to sign don’t need to.)
👉 https://t.co/mW0bj5PS7h#TravelReady pic.twitter.com/138nBgc6k2

— His Majesty’s Passport Office (@HM_Passport) May 25, 2026

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On X, the official account for the Passport Office said: “Travel tip: Sign your passport before you go — unsigned passports can cause delays at border control.”

The government website further encourages people to make sure their passport is signed: “Sign your new passport as soon as you get it.

“You can’t use it until you do.”

Children under 12 don’t need to sign their passports, and the same applies to anyone who is unable to sign their passport due to a disability.

If this is the case, you will see ‘the holder is not required to sign’ on the page where your name and photo is.

Where should you sign your passport?

British passport holders must sign on the ‘holder’s signature’ line and make sure to use a black ballpoint pen.

If you make a mistake or need to find out more about the requirement, you can use the Passport Adviceline.

The new EU Entry and Exit System explained

You can use the online web chat, fill out an online enquiry form or contact HM Passport Office by phone or post.

How much does a British passport cost?

If you haven’t yet applied for a new passport, it’s worth knowing that prices increased in April.

Here are the new prices:

Standard online application:

• For adults – £102 (up from £94.50)
• For children – £66.50 (up from £61.50)

Standard postal application:

• For adults – £115.50 (up from £107)
• For children – £80 (up from £74)

A Premium Service (one day) application made from the UK will cost £239.50, up from £222.

Recommended reading:

A standard online application that’s applied for from overseas will cost £116.50 for adults (increased from £108) and £75.50 for children (up from £70).

If you apply from overseas for a new standard passport by post, you can expect the price to jump from £120.50 to £130 for adults and from £82.50 to £89 for children.

Have you booked a holiday abroad this year? Tell us where you’re going in the comments below.

Energy experts say the scheme could transform freezing homes into cheaper-to-run properties, while helping households slash monthly costs during the cost-of-living squeeze.

Here’s what’s really on offer – and when it’s expected to happen.

Free home upgrades for millions

Under the Warm Homes Plan, around 3 million homes are expected to be improved by 2030.

That includes:

• 1.3 million social homes
• 1.7 million privately owned or rented properties funded directly through the scheme

If eligible, households could get upgrades completely free of charge, including:

• Solar panels
• Heat pumps
• Home batteries
• Loft insulation
• Cavity wall insulation

Sustainability expert Simon Bones says every property will get a tailored plan designed to cut bills and improve efficiency.

“The government’s home energy efficiency plans, largely contained in the Warm Homes Plan launched in January this year, aim to make homes in Britain more efficient,” he says.

And unlike older schemes focused mainly on insulation, the new push is heavily geared towards modern tech that can dramatically reduce energy use.

The full details are listed here.

Boiler upgrade scheme could cut £9,000 off bills

One of the biggest discounts already available is through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Right now, households can get:

• £7,500 towards a new heat pump
• Rising to £9,000 from July for some oil and LPG households switching to greener heating

That could wipe out a huge chunk of installation costs.

Heat pumps are usually expensive upfront, but experts say the grants make them far more realistic for ordinary households.

Landlords face strict deadline

Private landlords are also under pressure.

By October 2030, most rental properties will need to hit the equivalent of an EPC C energy rating – or landlords may not legally be able to rent them out.

That means millions of tenants could benefit from:

• Better insulation
• New heating systems
• Lower energy bills
• Warmer homes in winter

Experts warn a massive landlord retrofit scramble is now likely over the next few years.

New builds to come with solar panels as standard

The Government’s Future Homes Standard will also tighten rules for newly built homes from 2027.

Many new properties are expected to include:

• Solar panels as standard
• Air-source heat pumps
• Much tougher insulation requirements

The aim is to make homes cheaper to run from day one.

Experts say households should check their home’s EPC rating immediately.

If your property is rated D, E, F or G, you could be considered energy inefficient. That may improve your chances of qualifying for upgrades or support

Renters are being urged to contact landlords and ask what improvements are planned.

Homeowners are being told to look into:

• Green cashback mortgage deals
• Low-cost retrofit loans
• Free online home energy checks

Why do more UK homes not have solar panels and heat pumps?

Despite the generous grants, many households still face a major hurdle: upfront costs.

A full retrofit can still cost between £10,000 and £20,000, depending on the property.

The Government has promised £2 billion in low-cost loans, but details are still unclear.

Experts say cheaper finance could be the key to persuading more middle-income homeowners to upgrade.

Recommended reading:

Supporters of the Warm Homes Plan say the long-term savings could be huge:

• Lower heating bills
• Reduced electricity costs
• Better protection from future energy price spikes
• More comfortable homes year-round

And with energy prices still a major concern for families across Britain, demand for grants and discounts is expected to soar.

​Albemarle Chambers in Scarborough’s town centre will be turned into a laundrette offering dry cleaning services after a plan by Unique Home Properties was given the green light.

​The public self-service laundrette will allow residents to wash and dry their own laundry using coin- or card-operated machines, while assisted laundry services, where customers can drop off laundry to be washed, dried, ironed and professionally packaged for later collection, will also be available.

​According to submitted plans, commercial and corporate laundry services will also be provided to service hotels, guesthouses, care homes and other corporate businesses.

​The laundry will be dropped off at the premises and collected following processing or delivered via managed transport arrangements, the plans state.

​Dry-cleaning services would operate as an ancillary component of the business.

​The vacant property was recently converted to create three commercial units on the ground floor with 12 residential apartments on the upper floors.

​The commercial unit 4 in Albemarle Crescent has been vacant for a long time, the applicant noted.

​Located off Westborough, the area is characterised by a “strong mix of retail, service, food and drink and professional uses at ground floor level, with residential apartments and ancillary uses above,” a report states.

​It adds that the site “benefits from excellent accessibility, being within walking distance of residential neighbourhoods, public transport routes and local amenities”.

​The application was approved by North Yorkshire Council, subject to conditions, on Friday, May 22.

Taylor Swift has filed a trademark application covering her voice and stage image. It includes a photo of her performing in her distinctive bejewelled Eras Tour bodysuit and two voice recordings: “Hey, it’s Taylor” and “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift.”

It’s the latest example of the singer using her status and power to challenge industry norms and assert the rights of artists.

In 2014, Swift removed her entire catalogue from Spotify in protest at the low level of artist remuneration generated by the platform (later relenting in 2017). In 2019, she began rerecording her previous albums in protest at the acquisition of her back catalogue by alleged industry foe Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, giving her back control over masters of her songs. The new “Taylor’s Versions” outperformed the original versions on streaming services.

Although the actor Matthew McConaughey beat Swift to the punch by successfully trademarking some of his famous spoken lines of movie dialogue earlier this year, she appears to be the first music artist of note to take the step. The move raises some interesting issues in terms of copyright law and the rights of music artists.

‘Passing off’ and deepfaking

In music, both sound recordings and the songs which they embody are protected by copyright law. Much of the income generated by the music industry is based on the commercial exclusivity to exploit these forms of intellectual property (IP), which that law ensures.

All of Swift’s vocals are protected from copying in terms of being sampled without permission. But the question of whether or not a vocal being performed (or manufactured in the case of AI) to sound like Swift is a copyright infringement is less clear.

In 1988, Bette Midler successfully sued Ford Motor Company for using an impersonator to perform her songs in TV adverts. This case suggests that deliberately copying a singer’s voice, style and tone can amount to passing off. In UK law, passing off is a common law tort involving misrepresentation that causes reputational or financial damage. In the US, similar protection is provided under the Lanham Act, which also guards against misleading imitation.

This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

Swift has also experienced the darker side of deepfakes, including fake pornographic images and AI-generated photos showing her wearing a “Swifties for Trump” T-shirt ahead of the last US presidential election.

The US Take It Down Act, covering explicit deepfake content was passed into law in 2025. Similar protection is possible in the UK via the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

While further legislation is being developed in the US to address AI-generated impersonation more broadly, Swift’s move to trademark both her voice and visual likeness suggests a desire to retain stronger legal control over her identity. This may give her a basis for pursuing civil action under common law or intellectual property rights when objectionable AI-generated content appears. Given her significant wealth and influence, such legal routes may also allow for faster enforcement than relying solely on the criminal justice system.

The trademarks registered both by McConaughey and Swift arguably only offer protection for exactly what has been registered on the basis of the scope of a trademark being “what you see is what you get”.

However, the fact that many platforms require proof of IP registration before taking down potentially infringing content suggests that having these trademarks in place will act as a powerful deterrent against future fakes at the very least.

Training data

A more complex issue for Swift and artists in general is the use of their existing works as data by AIs to create new works. For example, I could prompt an AI to write a song for me in the style of Fearless-era Swift but performed by a voice that is a cross between Norah Jones and Diana Krall. It would be very hard to prove that any particular piece of IP had been infringed, as the AI would be synthesising dozens of songs and performances to achieve its creation.

However, new content would have been created via the mining of existing IP; a songwriter’s moral right of integrity protects against adaptation of their works without permission, and musicians and songwriters have become increasingly concerned that they are not being recompensed sufficiently, or indeed even consulted about AI using their work.

In the UK, the Musicians Union has launched an initiative demanding consent and remuneration for AI training and AI-generated music. The UK government has pulled back from its previous line of allowing an exemption for AI training on copyrighted works in favour of more creator control after strong opposition to this stance from the creative industries.

The UK Performing Rights Society, which collects royalties from around the globe for its songwriter and composer members (and their publishing companies) when their work is performed live, broadcast or streamed, has declared that it will not register AI-generated works. However, it will register works which it classes as AI-assisted. This leads to the question of how much human input needs to be evidenced for a piece of music to be copyright-able.

In UK copyright law, the Copyright, Design and Patents Act allows for recordings “generated by computer” but a song or composition needs to display originality to acquire the law’s protection – a product of skill, judgement and labour which should arguably involve significant human involvement, but how much?

There have been some positive developments for artists’ earnings, with certain AI companies recently reaching settlements with major music rights holders over the use of training data in music generation. However, artists such as Swift may still need stronger protection to prevent the unauthorised use, imitation and commercial exploitation of their distinctive vocal styles.

The current regulatory grey areas around AI’s use of IP have been likened to the wild west. With her trademarking initiative, Swift has donned her Stetson, pinned on her five-point star badge and declared herself the new sheriff in town.

After enjoying hit singles such as Mary’s Prayer and The Second Summer of Love with Danny Wilson, the Dundee-based singer has turned to the small screen.

When frontman Gary Clark was riding high in the charts almost 40 years ago with Scots pop band Danny Wilson, it became a running joke that folk thought it was his name.

After enjoying hit singles such as Mary’s Prayer and The Second Summer of Love with Danny Wilson, the Dundee-based singer has become a successful songwriter and has worked on a series of films and TV shows with acclaimed Irish director John Carney.

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So when it came time to work on his latest movie, Power Ballad starring Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd, Gary couldn’t believe it when he read that Jonas’s character would be called Danny Wilson.

“It was a bit of a joke by John Carney in an early draft of the script and he just kept going with it, and I’m like, ‘Surely at some point he’s going to change this’, and he never did.

“So we’ve got Nick Jonas playing Danny Wilson and it’s like life imitating art imitating life imitating art or something.”

As the band’s singer, Gary would often get called Danny Wilson, so is amused to be now writing songs for Jonas’s Danny Wilson.

He admits that the band name was confusing for some.

Bandmate and brother Kit came up with the idea after they needed to make a hasty change from their original name Spencer Tracy, when they signed the record deal.

“The label were concerned we couldn’t trade under that name. It was my brother’s idea to use Danny Wilson, who was a fictional character that Frank Sinatra played in a movie called Meet Danny Wilson.

It was so last minute and we just went ‘Aye, that’s a good idea, that’s fun’. And then people constantly called me Danny and I was like, ‘What did we do that for?”

The new movie Power Ballad, about a fading boy band star (Jonas) who befriends a wedding singer (Rudd) and enjoys a career revival, is the fourth time he has worked with Carney, who had made his name with the hit music film Once.

He recruited Gary for 2016 musical Sing Street, about a schoolband in Eighties Dublin and has become Carney’s go-to collaborator, working on a stage version of Sing Street, film Flora and Son, with Eve Hewson, and Amazon TV series Modern Love.

“For Sing Street, his original idea was to reach out to a bunch of different people who had hits in the 80s.

“His brother had given him the first Danny Wilson album and he remembers listening to it on his yellow sports Walkman.

“He originally reached out to me to write one song and he just loved it and said, ‘Do you want to do the whole film with me?’

“So that’s how we started and we’ve kind of been working together ever since. It was a life changing phone call.”

That working relationship is now more than a decade long and he’s loved it.

“I took to that like a duck to water. John and I work really well together. He’s in Dublin, I’m in Dundee and we just ping pong stuff. We will get together in the studio but a lot of it’s done long distance.”

For Power Ballad, Gary had to work closely with leading stars Rudd and Jonas to help get them in the same groove.though it helped that he had met and worked with Nick.

Gary revealed: “He used to date Delta Goodrem and I was working on an album with Delta in Los Angeles.

He came in to write a few songs so I knew how good he was. He’s a total pro.

“With Paul, I had less background on him musically. It was hard to find clips of him singing. Then I found a clip of him on YouTube singing Wichita Lineman, and I said, ‘Oh, wait a minute, he can really hold a tune, you know?

“The first time I worked with him was literally day one of recording his vocals in the studio. I didn’t know what to expect but I was really blown away.

“He’s absolutely great and will work for hours and hours to get you what you want.

“He really is a pro but he’s also a lovely guy to have around. The way he comes across on screen is what he is like.”

Gary loves being a writer and producer for a wide range of artists and projects, and is currently working with Emma Thompson on a Nanny McPhee musical version.

While he had no complaints about living the pop star life with Danny Wilson in their heyday, he admits he’s always had a notion for purely songwriting.

“My dad was a huge fan of the great American songbooks and loved to play us stuff like Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and he would always talk about the songwriters by name, like Rodgers and Hart or Cole Porter.

“So I always had it in the back of my mind that I’d love to write songs for others. You don’t really know how to do it. It just finds you strangely enough.

“Towards the end of Danny Wilson, I started getting people asking me to write stuff. And so it just shifted very gently, rather than me making it happen. And that’s very similar with the films.

“I’d had a lot of things placed in films and I absolutely love the thrill of hearing your stuff on the big screen. But I didn’t know how to get into writing stuff and in the back of my mind thought that’d never happen. And then John Carney called me because he liked Danny Wilson.”

While he travels a lot for work, Gary is proudly still based in Dundee, and loves bringing his work to his hometown.

He appeared at a premiere of Flora and Son at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) when it was released, and will also hold a special screening of Power Ballad there next month.

He was delighted to give the movie its first Scottish screening just down the road at the Sands International Film Festival in St Andrews in April.

“That was a great festival at Sands. The film got an amazing reaction and the Q&A afterwards really impressed me as a lot of the young people there were studying film so had seriously good questions I had to really think about.

“It was great fun premiering it so close to home.”

*Power Ballad is in cinemas May 29, and Gary will attend a special screening at the DCA June 6. For more information on the Sands International Film Festival, visit www.sands-iff.com.

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