“There may well be gossip, there may well be rumours”

Former Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie has insisted he is focused on getting reselected to run as a candidate for his party in the next election amidst claims he could be ‘deselected’.

The ex Army captain has held an Assembly seat for the UUP in the Upper Bann constituency since 2016 but reports claim that Mr Beattie could be replaced as a party candidate.

There has been speculation that some within the UUP want to see another candidate run in Upper Bann at the next election in 2027. Councillor Kyle Savage’s name has been mooted by some as a potential candidate.

Mr Beattie said he would not comment on the UUP selection process as it is an “internal party process”, adding “it wouldn’t be right or proper for me to comment on that, so I won’t be commenting on that”.

READ MORE: ‘I never heard misogynistic language in PSNI’, says UUP leader Jon BurrowsREAD MORE: UUP leader ‘disgusted’ after character references provided for convicted paedo teacher

However, speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show, Mr Beattie confirmed his name has gone forward as a potential UUP candidate to stand in the next Assembly election.

“It’s been in for quite some time, and I will go forward for selection and I will be selected or not selected,” he said.

“I’m now in the process and I can’t talk about that.”

Asked whether current UUP leader Jon Burrows supports his bid, Mr Beattie said: “Jon hasn’t stopped anyone from applying for an Assembly election, so Jon would support me putting my name forward in the same way he would support anyone else who is allowed to put their name forward.”

Mr Beattie added: “There may well be gossip, there may well be rumours, I’m focused on what I want, and what I want to do is represent the people of Upper Bann, and I will continue to do that, hopefully for the remainder of this mandate and will be selected to run for that next mandate. That’s what I’m focused on and that’s all I’m going to be focused on.

“If I am not selected, then I must decide where I go because there is a human element to all of this, and I’m human like everybody else, so I have to decide where I go if I am not selected.

“This is my job, this is what my family rely on, members of my staff, I’ve got staff members, and I’m worried about them as well, but that happens every single election. Every single election time is like the most visible job interview you’re ever likely to get.”

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LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told members of his Cabinet on Tuesday that he has no intention of resigning as calls within his Labour Party for him to step down grew louder.

Starmer is trying to shore up support within his Cabinet following a febrile few days in the wake of hefty losses for the Labour Party in local elections last week, which if repeated in a national election would see it overwhelmingly ejected from power.

The meeting, which lasted about an hour, took place as around 80 Labour backbenchers, or nearly a fifth of the party’s representation in the House of Commons, said Starmer should stand down, or at least set out a timetable for his departure. Under Labour party rules, 81 lawmakers are needed to formally trigger a leadership contest.

However, no one has yet announced they will stand as a candidate for the leadership, directly challenging Starmer.

First resignation

On Tuesday, junior minister Miatta Fahnbulleh became the first member of his government to step down, urging Starmer “to do the right thing for the country” and set a timetable for his departure.

Fahnbulleh, who is considered to be on the left of the party, said she was proud of her service, but that the government hadn’t acted with the vision, pace and mandate for change it had been given by voters.

“Nor have we governed as a Labour Party clear about our values and strong in our convictions,” she said.

Despite winning a landslide election victory in July 2024, Labour’s popularity has sunk and Starmer is getting much of the blame.

The reasons are varied, including a series of policy missteps, a perceived lack of vision, a struggling British economy and questions over his judgment — especially over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to Washington despite the envoy’s ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Starmer defiant

At the start of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said he took responsibility for the losses in last week’s local elections across the U.K. but that he would fight on. Labour was squeezed from right and left, losing votes to both the anti-immigrant Reform UK and the “eco-populist” Green Party, as well as nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales. The result reflects the increasing fragmentation of U.K. politics, long dominated by Labour and the Conservatives.

Starmer said that there’s a process to oust a leader and that it hadn’t been triggered.

Under Labour’s rules, candidates must have the support of a fifth of the party’s House of Commons lawmakers — a number that currently stands at 81.

“The country expects us to get on with governing,” Starmer said. “The past 48 hours have been destabilizing for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.”

That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations — that shows that investors are putting a higher price on taking on government debt.

Some voices of support

As Cabinet ministers left 10 Downing Street, some voiced their support for the embattled prime minister.

Works and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said nobody publicly challenged Starmer at the meeting, while Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the prime minister was showing “really steadfast leadership.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against Starmer, did not comment as he left the meeting.

“Wes Streeting, do you want the job, or not?” one person yelled from across the street. “Are you measuring the curtains?”

He was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a gaggle of reporters outside.

Though no one in his Cabinet has challenged Starmer, he will be aware that someone else within the parliamentary party could trigger the leadership process.

The next U.K. national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029, but British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a general election.

Starmer had hoped to regain momentum with a speech on Monday intended to kickstart his fightback, and an ambitious set of legislative plans to be set out by King Charles III at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.

___

Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

The deal cements the Harrogate-based brewery as the club’s post-match celebration and recovery partner.

Cold Bath Brewing Co. is a Harrogate-based independent brewery known for its quality core range and Cold Bath ISO, an alcohol-free isotonic lager built for modern drinking occasions.

The club says the partnership puts Cold Bath at the heart of the hospitality matchday experience at the LNER Community Stadium, with the brewery’s range, including Cold Bath ISO, its unique alcohol-free isotonic lager, and perfectly positioned around the club’s post-match philosophy: Refresh, Restore, Reward.

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Brews in brief: Cold Bath Brewing Co

Jim Mossman, Founder of Cold Bath Brewing Co, said: “Partnering with York RLFC puts Cold Bath right at the centre of the matchday experience. “These are athletes who give everything on the pitch – for both the Knights and the Valkyries – and we want to be the brand that’s there when the final whistle blows.

“Whether it’s a cold one from our core range or Cold Bath ISO for the players in the locker room, we’re proud to be part of the journey from the last tackle to the first celebration.”

Karen Tyson, Chief Commercial Officer of York RLFC, said: “In the ever-evolving landscape of isotonic drinks, we are delighted to partner with Cold Bath – a brand with integrity and a vision that aligns perfectly with what York RLFC stands for.”

For the players, the partners say that means Cold Bath ISO – a carefully crafted alcohol-free isotonic lager designed to aid recovery, replenish what the game takes out, and taste like a reward rather than a compromise.

For supporters, it means raising a cold one in the stands or the bar knowing they’re drinking something made with the same care and commitment the team shows on the field.

The pair add Cold Bath’s Locker Room Partnership reflects a shared belief between brewery and club: that the moments after the final whistle – win or lose – matter just as much as the game itself.

Recovery is part of performance. Celebration is part of the culture. And the right drink makes both better.

The deal spans both the Knights and the Valkyries, making Cold Bath a partner across men’s and women’s rugby league in York, and marks another step in the brewery’s expansion across Yorkshire, they add.

Russia’s war in Ukraine is reaching a turning point as the initiative is likely shifting in Kyiv’s favour, experts monitoring the conflict say.

Moscow’s spring offensive failed to yield gains as its forces recorded a net territorial loss – of about 113 sq km – last month for the first time since August 2024, The Institute for the Study of War, an American think tank, claimed.

Battlefield losses are mounting as well, Ukraine’s defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov claimed earlier this month, declaring a Russian casualty count of 35,000 per month, far more troops than Moscow would be able to recruit.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said Russia had no intention of ending the war, leaving Kyiv to brace for further attacks.

“Russia has no intention of ending this war. And we are, unfortunately, preparing for new attacks. ⁠But peace must come. That is exactly what we are working for,” he said.

Both sides reported fighting along the long frontline ​despite the ongoing ceasefire, and each accused the other of launching drone and artillery strikes.

Zelensky says Russia launched over 200 drones at Ukraine overnight

Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight at Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.

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“Overnight, more than 200 attack drones were launched against Ukraine. Aerial bombs were used again on the front – more than 80 of them, and over 30 air strikes were recorded. Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region,” Zelensky said on X this morning, sharing photos of the areas hit in the overnight strikes.

He added that energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged in the attack.

“…there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway… People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities,” he said.

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 12:00

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Putin suggests war in Ukraine is ending

Vladimir Putin said after the Victory Day commemorations that he thought the war was coming to an end.

He said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, with Germany’s former chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, as his preferred partner.

But European foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday, rejected Putin’s suggestion about Schroeder. They dismissed any role for Schroeder, who has worked for Russian state companies and cultivated a close relationship with Putin.

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Russian state news agencies reported yesterday that Russia’s defence ministry had said it had recorded 23,802 ceasefire violations by Ukraine since the start of the ceasefire.

Russian troops had responded ‌in kind to Ukrainian attacks, the ministry was quoted as saying.

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 11:30

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The ex-German chancellor and Putin’s ‘buddy’ who Russia want to mediate Ukraine peace talks

Vladimir Putin hinted over the weekend that he foresaw the war in Ukraine coming to an end soon, while raising the prospect of talks with the EU to draw up new security arrangements for a post-war Europe.

The Russian president told reporters that he would be open to reopening lines of communication with Ukraine and Europe, ideally mediated by former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

“For me personally, the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr Schröder, is preferable,” Putin said, asked on Saturday if he was willing to engage with Europe.

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 11:00

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UK sanctions dozens over ‘Russian campaign to deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children’

The UK has sanctioned dozens of people and entities allegedly involved in the forced deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children.

New measures target 29 people linked to a Russian campaign to forcibly deport and militarise children, and a further 56 linked to information warfare.

More than 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported to Russia and within the occupied territories of Ukraine.

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Among those forcibly deported, an estimated 6,000 children have reportedly been taken to re‑education camps and subjected to propaganda designed to erase Ukrainian identity.

As part of their response, the UK unveiled an additional £1.2m in funding to help identify and return Ukrainian children to their homes and communities.

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 10:35

Ukraine suggests ‘ceasefire’ for airports with Russia

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Europe can help the war-hit nation achieve a ceasefire with Russia – starting with each other’s airports first.

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“We probably need a new role of Europe in our peace efforts. Maybe we would try to resolve or to achieve a so-called airport ceasefire,” Sybiha told Politico yesterday in Brussels.

Sybiha, a close-aide of Volodymyr Zelensky said the proposal seeks a limited Moscow-Kyiv agreement not to strike airports which helps Putin as well.

The Russian leader, he said, may have an incentive to engage with such a deal which helps him protect major Russian hubs like Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport and St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport.

“Maybe our European allies, by establishing a platform, or maybe an ad hoc group, we could discuss [the airport ceasefire],” he said.

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Sybiha said Zelensky has already discussed the idea with some European leaders.

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 10:15

Europe rejects Putin’s pick for peace mediator: ‘Not very wise’

The EU’s foreign policy chief on Monday rejected Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could represent Europe in future talks with Moscow on European security arrangements.

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Putin told reporters on Saturday that he believed the war was “coming to an end”, and said he would be open to negotiating new security terms with Europe, ideally via Schröder as a mediator.

But Kaja Kallas dismissed the offer this morning as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, you know, that would not be very wise,” she said, adding that as Schroder had lobbied for Russian state companies, “he would be sitting on both sides of the table”.

After leaving office in 2005, Schroeder almost immediately took a job as chairman of a controversial German-Russian gas pipeline consortium and has faced heavy criticism in Germany for his closeness to Putin.

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European Council President Antonio Costa said last week he believed there was “potential” for the EU to negotiate with Russia, and to discuss the future of the security architecture of Europe.

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 09:55

Watch: Zelensky says Russia has ‘no intention’ of ending war

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 09:35

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Ukraine reports 180 battlefield clashes as fighting kills three

The General Staff of Ukraine’s military, in a Monday morning report, said 180 battlefield clashes had been recorded along the front line over the previous 24 hours.

The General Staff said on Monday ⁠afternoon that ​Russian troops had carried out 38 new assaults on Ukrainian positions, adding: “Artillery ​shelling of border areas continues.”

Regional governors in Ukraine reported on Monday that at least three people had been killed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia and southern Kherson ​regions over the past 24 hours.

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 09:15

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EU targets Russians with sanctions over alleged abduction of Ukrainian children

The European Union has imposed sanctions on 16 officials accused of helping Russia to abduct tens of thousands of children from Ukraine and force many to change their identities or be put up for adoption.

Sanctions were also slapped on seven centres suspected of indoctrinating the children or training them to serve in the armed forces, either for Russia or pro-Russian militias inside Ukraine.

Over 130 people and “entities” are now under EU travel bans and asset freezes over the abductions.

EU headquarters said the measures target “those responsible for the systematic unlawful deportation, forced transfer, forced assimilation, including indoctrination and militarized education, of Ukrainian minors, as well as their unlawful adoption and removal to the Russian Federation and within temporarily occupied territories.”

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Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, about 20,500 children have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-held territories in eastern Ukraine.

EU officials say many of the children are stripped of their Ukrainian identity and culture, given Russian passports and put up for adoption. Some are forced into schools for indoctrination or into military camps.

“Russia is trying to erase their identity,” Latvian foreign minister Baiba Braže said yesterday at a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels, where the sanctions were endorsed.

“When you look at the Genocide Convention, it’s one of the features of the genocide crime. So, it’s very serious.”

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Arpan Rai12 May 2026 08:55

Zelensky says Russia launched over 200 drones at Ukraine overnight

Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight at Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.

“Overnight, more than 200 attack drones were launched against Ukraine. Aerial bombs were used again on the front – more than 80 of them, and over 30 air strikes were recorded. Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region,” Zelensky said on X this morning, sharing photos of the areas hit in the overnight strikes.

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He added that energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged in the attack.

“…there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway… People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities,” he said.

Arpan Rai12 May 2026 08:46

The incident took place on a footpath next to the park in Trefoil Drive in Killinghall, near Clover Way, at 7.30pm last Monday (May 4)

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“A large, ginger coloured, Labrador cross, was let off the lead, it ran to attack the victim’s dog, the victim fell to the ground and was bitten by the Labrador when he tried to fend it off,” said a spokesperson for the force.

Police are appealing for witnesses and any footage that could help identify the owner or person in charge of the dog.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Constable 1222 David Fulford at david.fulford@northyorkshire.police.uk.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two national agencies fighting corruption in Ukraine have named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff as an official suspect in a major graft investigation.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced late Monday that Andriy Yermak is suspected in an alleged 460-million-hryvnia ($10.5 million) money-laundering scheme.

The announcement coincided with, but was not connected to, the end of a three-day U.S-brokered ceasefire that decreased the fighting but failed to stop it altogether as Russia’s invasion of its neighbor stretches into its fifth year with no sign of a peace settlement within reach.

Ukraine offered to extend the pause in hostilities, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. But he reported Tuesday that Russia launched over 200 drones against Ukraine overnight, striking civilian infrastructure and killing at least one person and wounding another six.

“It is time to strengthen our positions and force Moscow to end the war,” Sybiha said on X. Russian President Vladimir Putin “must realize that it will only get worse for him.”

Western analysts say Ukraine’s battlefield position has recently improved as it deploys cutting-edge drone technology to hold Russia’s bigger army at bay.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its air defenses intercepted 30 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine.

Zelenskyy holds talks with CEO of US firm Palantir

Zelenskyy said Tuesday he met in Kyiv with the CEO of Palantir Technologies, Alex Karp, as part of Ukraine’s growing cooperation with the U.S. defense sector.

The Ukrainian leader said in a social media post that Ukraine and Palantir “can be useful to each other.”

“We discussed directions of technological development both in the context of combat operations and civilian needs,” Zelenskyy said.

Palantir Technologies is an artificial intelligence software company that helps global defense agencies. It specializes in software platforms that pull together and analyze large amounts of data and has been partnering with Ukraine for several years.

AI can help combatants quickly sift and decipher a huge volume of battlefield information, enabling more accurate attacks, among other things.

Graft investigation embarrasses Zelenskyy

Corruption investigators said in an announcement on the Telegram messaging app that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.

The move is a step short of formally charging Yermak, who resigned in November. He was the country’s lead negotiator in talks with the U.S and left during the scandal that brought the biggest threat to Zelenskyy’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The investigation is deeply embarrassing for the Ukrainian leader as he pushes for his country to be admitted as a member of the European Union, a process which likely will take years. Endemic corruption is one of the obstacles slowing Ukraine’s admission.

Yermak was a trusted confidant of Zelenskyy, who resisted persistent pressure to replace him, and a powerful figure in the government.

Zelenskyy made no public comment on the anti-graft agencies’ announcement, but his press officer Dmytro Lytvyn said “the investigation is ongoing, it’s early to draw conclusions.”

Any charges against Yermak may take months

Investigators said Yermak is suspected of being involved in laundering money through construction projects near Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. They searched his home in November. No other suspects have been named.

Yermak’s attorney, Ihor Fomin, called the suspicion notice groundless and denied his client’s involvement in the alleged laundering of 460 million hryvnias through an elite construction project outside Kyiv.

“In my view, this entire situation has been provoked by public pressure,” Fomin said in an interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.

A decision on whether to bring formal charges against Yermak could still take months.

At the time of Yermak’s resignation, Zelenskyy said he was rebooting the presidential office and thanked Yermak for his work on peace negotiations.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The victim spent more than three weeks in hospital

A Wetherspoons customers was followed out of the pub and attacked in the street by a group of people who had spent Christmas Day morning drinking in the bar, a court has heard. Jorie Rees, Hayley Murphy, Daniel Evans and Jackson Greensalde set upon their victim as he sat on a bench and repeatedly punched and kicked him before making off.

All four defendants have now been locked up for what a judge at Swansea Crown Court described as an attack displaying a “pack mentality”. A fifth individual involved in the incident has not been found and remains at large.

Harry Dickens, prosecuting, told the court that the victim of the assault attended the Potter’s Wheel pub on The Kingsway in Swansea city centre on the morning of Christmas Day last year. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

He said the complainant fell into conversation with an unknown male and subsequently joined him sitting with the four defendants.

The court heard that around midday the complainant went to the toilet where he was assaulted by a male who has not been identified. The complainant then returned to the group and confronted them about being involved in the assault on him before walking out.

The prosecutor said the complainant walked down Dillwyn Street and onto Oxford Street but was followed by the defendants who were shouting at him. Rees, Murphy, Evans and Greenslade continued to follow the man along Oxford Street until he sat down on a bench at which point they “set upon” him with each defendant punching and kicking the man. Mr Dickens said “all parties delivered various blows” but it was not possible to say how many each had delivered or in what order.

The court heard the defendants then walked off and the males were seen to “gesticulating” in the direction of their victim in what the prosecution said was “mocking” behaviour.

The prosecutor said that the following day the victim was taken to Morriston Hospital by ambulance suffering with lacerations and bruises and a “reduced level of consciousness”. He said the man also had a chest infection which the prosecution cannot say was linked to the assault, and said complications developed which mean he ultimately spent more that three weeks in hospital.

Meanwhile the assault had been reported to the police, and the four defendants were identified and arrested. Rees, Murphy, and Evans all answered “no comment” to questions asked in interview.

In his interview, Greenslade said he could not recall the incident. He said he had been in Neath at the time but then added he had been having a psychotic episode, that he did not know his co-defendants, and that he had fought with someone in the pub toilets after they had made an inappropriate sexual remark about children.

Jorie Rees, aged 21, of Margam Road, Taibach, Port Talbot; Jackson Greenslade, aged 32, of Alexandra Road, Swansea city centre; Hayley Murphy, aged 38, of Geiriol Road, Townhill, Swansea; and 29-year-old Daniel Evans, of no fixed abode, had all previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm when they appeared in the dock via prison videolink for sentencing. They had originally been charged with robbery but the prosecution offered no evidence in regard to that matter.

Rees has 12 previous convictions for 36 offences including a “large number” of dishonesty matters, and possession of a bladed article. In November last year he was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for assaulting emergency workers and was on licence for that matter at the time of the Christmas Day assault.

Greenslade has three previous convictions for six offences including drugs matters, theft, and criminal damage; Murphy has 27 previous convictions for 57 offences including public disorder, assaulting an emergency worker, dishonesty matters, and drug trafficking; Evans has two previous convictions for three offences including possession of a bladed article.

David Singh, for Rees, said it had to be conceded his client had taken part in a “unprovoked group attack” on the vicitm. He said it was acknowledged that at the age of 21, the defendant had already accumulated a significant antecedent record and said it was clear his client was a young man who needs “professional intervention” and is someone “who needs to grow up”.

Emily Bennett, for Evans, said the defendant had previously worked as a painter and decorator and had lived in the Blaenymaes area but currently was without stable accommodation. She said the father-of-one accepted he had been in a “highly emotional” state on the day in question and had consumed alcohol which led him to act in a way which was not usual for him.

Huw Davies, for Greenslade, said his client accepts that his behaviour on Christmas Day 2025 was “appalling”.

Sarah John, for Murphy, said for family reasons linked to her daughter, her client had been at a “low point” on the day in question, and said she was remorseful for her actions.

The barrister asked the court to take into account the defendant’s “difficult background” which included spending time in the care system as a child, and being the victim of domestic violence. Ms John went on to say Murphy had been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and schizophrenia.

Judge Huw Rees said that on December 25 the defendants had not been at home and none of them had been “remotely celebrating the true meaning of Christmas”. He said the foursome along with another unidentified male had set up on their victim “with a pack mentality” and said each was jointly responsible for what happened.

The judge told them: “It goes without saying you need help and support. The best help and support you can get is self-discipline to abide by society’s norms and demands”.

With one-third discounts for their guilty pleas Rees was sentenced to 16 months in prison, Evans to 12 months in prison, and Greenslade to 12 months in prison. With a one-quarter discount for her guilty plea – which was entered later in the court process – Murphy was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The defendants will each serve up to half their sentences in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Each defendant was also made subject to a five-year restraining order banning them from contacting their victim.

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Opening with Great Lakes, the reverence of the surroundings and the reflective offering let the songs breathe and unfold.

With a sound and style reminiscent of Fleet Foxes and Ray Lamontagne, there is an honesty in Smith’s writing where restraint becomes a strength. The beautiful Freezing Winds of Change was followed by the stirring Joanna, a song about connection and distance and which tonight included extracts from Van Morrisons’s Tupelo Honey.

John Smith, National Centre for Early Music, York. (Image: Gareth John)

Throughout the evening, Smith’s storytelling included tales of illness, touring, songwriting and relationships. The restlessness of Burden of the Road was followed by the haunting Hummingbird before Smith introduced Sanctuary, a fan-requested track inspired by his move from Kent to Merseyside as a 19-year-old.

He spoke of the challenge and torment of song writing and how some songs are often formed years after the initial scraps of an idea. His mid‑set sequence included Milestones and Town to Town, highlighting the depth of Smith’s song writing.

Smith introduced his cover of the Richard Thompson classic Down Where the Drunkards Roll as he moved through his set with the perfect balance of grit, introspection and narrative drive. Smith also spoke of his relationship with singer-songwriter and mentor Joe Henry as he sought Henry’s opinion on his track Trick of the Light, one of this evening’s highlights.

Smith introduced the stunning Save My Life as the saddest song he’d ever written and moved towards the end of the set with the lovely Salty and Sweet. Tonight’s set felt carefully crafted.

John Smith has released his album Gatherings. (Image: Gareth John)

Far Too Good carried a quiet emotional weight, while the final notes of Winter brought the evening to a fittingly beautiful and haunting close. This was not a performance built on spectacle, but on craft and connection with audience and instrument.

In a venue that favours simplicity and nuance over noise, and in promotion of his April 2026 album release Gatherings, John Smith delivered a set that was both thoughtful and assured, a reminder that sometimes the most memorable concerts are the ones that simply trust the songs.

Review and photos by Gareth John

​The conversion of an 18th-century Grade-II listed former post office in the centre of Whitby has been approved by the council.

​The Crown Bar, which now also features a log burner, is located in a terraced property at 100, Church Street.

​The site was formerly used as a post office but had been vacant for several years and now “invites visitors into a world where gothic fiction and local heritage collide”.

​“The interior leans fully into Whitby’s connection with Dracula, wrapping guests in a moody, immersive setting that feels equal parts museum, storytelling chamber, and late-night haunt,” according to the bar’s website.

​The application was approved despite Whitby Town Council raising concerns “that the proposal does not appear to provide adequate accessibility or servicing arrangements”.

​“In particular, the only toilet is shown up a step with no clear step-free route from the front retail area, and no log storage has been identified on the submitted plans,” WTC added.

​However, planning officers said the proposal was considered appropriate and noted that the internal alterations, including fireproofing of timbers, the installation of a log burner, and internal decorative work, did not raise any objections from the conservation officer.

​A planning report states: “The proposed development would not result in structural alteration to the building, or loss of historic fabric.

​“There are proposed features which are to be attached to the historic masonry of the walls and floors, with an island bar fixed to the ground and shelving to the walls. These are modest additions and do not significantly alter the significance of the designated heritage asset and is not considered to result in harm to the significance of the designated heritage asset.”

​The development includes the installation of a new fascia signage board, which officers said would be placed over the existing, early to mid-20th century, shopfront fascia sign, “which will be retained and concealed”.

​North Yorkshire Council concluded that the development would not have a harmful impact on the historic building and approved the application on Friday, May 8.

Learner drivers now have to follow a new set of rules when booking their driving tests as the Driving Standards Agency (DVSA) cracks down on bots auto-booking them.

The DVSA opted to change its rules as average waiting times for a practical examination now exceed 22 weeks, with individuals using automated programmes – known as ‘bots’ – to secure available slots rapidly and resell them at inflated prices.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report published in December found that learners were paying up to £500 to book a black market slot, far in excess of the standard £62 booking fee.

Under new laws, it’ll be against the law for driving instructors, or anyone else, to book tests for pupils. They will not be able to change, swap or cancel a test for someone else either.

Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said that these changes wouldn’t solve all the issues currently facing learner drivers, as more test examiners are needed.

“Learner drivers continue to face unacceptable delays in accessing driving tests,” she said.

“The data clearly shows more needs to be done to really get a handle on the situation and start to push waiting times back. To really improve waiting times over a prolonged period, there needs to be unrelenting focus from the DVSA on retaining and recruiting driving test examiners.”

Here is what the changes mean for learner drivers.

Who can book a driving test?

From Tuesday, only learner drivers can book and manage their driving test. This is a change from previously, where driving instructors could take control of these bookings. Tests already booked by instructors are unaffected.

How many times can a booking be changed?

Learner drivers will only be able to change their booking twice, in a rule that’s been in place since 31 March. Prior to this, learner drivers had up to six changes.

People can change the date or time, test centre or swap appointments with other learner drivers. Changing more than one thing at once – such as the date and test centre – counts as one change.

What doesn’t count towards the change limit includes:

If the DVSA changed your test due to bad weather, your changes would be reset, but you would only be able to make these extra changes by phone.

If a learner needs to make more changes after using up the two, they will need to cancel their test and book a new one. Prospective motorists have up to 10 working days before the test date to cancel the test and get a full refund.

Where can a test be moved to?

From 9 June, learner drivers will only be able to change their booking to the three nearest test centres. You can also use your second change to revert back to the test centre you first booked at on that current booking. Current rules stipulate that learners can move their test to any available centre in the country.