Popeyes UK, known for its Louisiana-inspired menu and viral Chicken Sandwich, has now officially confirmed that it is set to open a new restaurant at 4/5 Church Street.

Tom Crowley, CEO of Popeyes UK, said: “York, we’ve heard you loud and clear. We’re buzzing to bring our famous New Orleans flavours to the city.

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“Every new restaurant opens with such incredible energy from our fans, and we can’t wait for York to join the fun.

“Get ready for warm Louisiana hospitality, big flavours and that unmistakable Popeyes crunch.”

The chain, which has grown rapidly since opening its first UK store in 2021, has over 3700 restaurants worldwide and is famed for its fried Louisiana style chicken.

The new York branch will offer Popeyes’ full menu, including its hand-marinated chicken and signature buttermilk biscuits, all prepared fresh daily.

Fans will also be able to enjoy the Popeyes Brekkie Menu, which includes breakfast rolls, muffins, biscuits, and Cajun hash browns.

The opening is part of the brand’s wider plan to bring a “taste of Louisiana” to cities across the UK and will create 70 new jobs.

An exact opening date has not yet been announced, but we have contacted Popeyes for further details. 

Archie Gray 6: Showed plenty of endeavour to get up in support of Moore but lacked quality with his final ball. Looked a little cautious when faced up one-on-one with Millenic Alli, but ultimately Charlton rarely got the ball in the right areas to threaten, especially after Spurs took the lead.

Welch was born in Tynemouth in 1958, but moved to the village of Ebchester with her family at the age of 13.

The relocation placed her close to Consett, where she attended Blackfyne Grammar School and began to find the confidence and direction that would lead her towards a career on stage and screen.

Set above the River Derwent between Consett and Shotley Bridge, Ebchester is a village with a much older story than its celebrity connection.

Its name is linked to the Roman fort of Vindomora, whose remains lie nearby, while St Ebba’s Church stands at the heart of a settlement that has long been shaped by its rural setting, the Derwent Valley and its proximity to the former steel town.

For Welch, arriving in the village came during a defining period.

She had previously attended schools in Whitley Bay and Newcastle, but after the move to County Durham, she joined Blackfyne Grammar School in Consett, where she gained five GCEs.

(Image: GOOGLE MAPS)

Where Denise Welch found drama

Welch developed an interest in acting while at school after being cast in a production of the musical Finian’s Rainbow at the age of 14 – an experience that was a turning point.

She considered training as a teacher after leaving school, but her father and drama teacher encouraged her to apply for the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London instead.

She was accepted, graduated in 1979 and went on to gain her Equity card while teaching dance at Watford Palace Theatre.

A later interview with i-D Magazine also shows how formative those school years were.

Looking back on her teenage years, Welch said she transferred to a local grammar school at 15 and met “a life-changing drama teacher”, who guided her towards drama school in London.

Although accounts differ slightly on the age at which she began at the Consett school, they agree that her County Durham education was central to the decision to pursue acting.

From County Durham to TV fame

Welch began her professional career in the North East, working with Newcastle’s Live Theatre after training at Mountview.

Her early screen credits included Byker Grove and Spender, before she became a household name in ITV drama Soldier Soldier in 1993.

She later played Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street, appeared as Steph Haydock in BBC school drama Waterloo Road, and became a long-standing panellist on ITV’s Loose Women.

Her career has also included theatre work, memoirs and a public campaign to raise awareness of depression and addiction.

Welch’s family connection to the performing world extended to her sons: Matty Healy became frontman of The 1975, while Louis Healy has built an acting career.

There was a sprinkling of magic in the air at the Leicester Square Odeon in London tonight.

The leading ladies of Practical Magic 2 Sandra Bullock, 62, and Nicole Kidman, 59, graced the blue carpet at the star-studded premiere as the sequel to the 1998 cult film gets set to hit cinemas.

Hollywood’s finest Nicole was the epitome of glamour in a custom silver Chanel gown, while Sandra opted for a strapless leopard print dress from Givenchy and black strappy heels as they posed amid rows of candles. 

Nicole has been throwing herself into work this year since her divorce from Keith Urban was finalised in January and has reunited with Sandra – who recently opened up about the death of her partner Bryan Randall – for the project. 

The plot of the sequel, set over 25 years after the original film, is adapted from Alice Hoffman’s 2021 sequel story, The Book of Magic.

The new film – which will be released on September 11 – also stars Joey King and Maisie Williams, while Nicole reprises her role as Sally Owens and Sandra as her sister Gillian, who have been raised as witches and are typically at the centre of town gossip.

Dianne Wiest, Maisie Williams, Joey King, Susanne Bier, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Solly McLeod and Xolo Mariduena

They showed their close bond laughing on the carpet before heading in for the screening

Hollywood’s finest Nicole was the epitome of glamour in a silver gown which featured gold chain detailing

Sandra opted for a strapless leopard print gown from Givenchy and black strappy heels as they posed amid rows of candles

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The two stars of the film held hands at the premiere 28 years after the original film 

The film properly introduces the next generation of the family, Sandra’s on-screen daughters Kylie and Antonia, played by Joey and Maisie respectively.

On the night, Joey, 27, looked stunning at the premiere in a sheer white and yellow dress with a billowing skirt and sported newly dyed red hair. 

While Maisie, 29, was the epitome of chic in a red corset-style dress which showed off her many tattoos.

The film, executive produced the Warner Bros, will also feature Lee Pace and Solly McLeod.

‘The Owens women must once again unite, traveling from their home in Massachusetts to the United Kingdom to confront the source of their magic and save the next generation of their family,’ a synopsis for the film reads.

The two leading ladies surprised fans as they showed up to a Cinespia screening of their 1998 flick at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles earlier this month.

A behind-the-scenes video clip shared on Instagram showed the audience erupting with excitement after the women took the stage.

At the event Sandra said: ‘Practical Magic is the perfect movie to show at a cemetery,’ according to an account from The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, Nicole thanked the crowd for their support in ‘getting this second film made that’s coming to you very soon’.

Nicole confirmed in 2024 that she and Sandra would reprise their roles as orphaned sisters Gillian and Sally – who come from a long line of witches. 

Nicole affectionately leant into Sandra in a sweet moment at the screening

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Nicole and Sandra will return to their roles as the formidable Owens women, who have been raised as witches and are typically at the centre of town gossip

The two leading ladies held hands as they headed to pose for the cameras together

The low-backed garment showed off Nicole’s athletic frame

She looked as youthful as ever at the premiere where she wore her strawberry blonde tresses in loose waves 

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Joey King and Maisie Williams emulated Nicole and Sandra’s close bond

Maisie, who stars as one of Sandra’s onscreen daughters in the upcoming film, wore a stunning red gown

She showed off her sense of style in the corset-style gown which had silver choker detailing 

Maisie appeared to have a witchy tattoo on her back

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Joey opted for a racy look that showcased her lingerie in a sheer green lace

Joey put on a daring display in her see through ensemble

Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing played the eccentric witch aunts named Bridget and  Frances in the film 

Dianne brought the magic to proceedings as she posed on the blue carpet

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Practical Magical 2 will hit theatres on September 11

Nicole confirmed in 2024 that she and Sandra would reprise their roles as orphaned sisters Gillian and Sally Owens (seen in the original film)

Nicole was later pictured arriving at the after party at Flute at Broadwick in Soho

Sandra also attended the event following the premiere

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Joey looked incredible in her sheer number on the night

The girls were raised by their eccentric aunts, played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, who embraced their magical history.

Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the 1998 script, returned to pen the sequel alongside Kelly Marcel and Georgia Pritchett.

Both Nicole and Sandra served as producers, with Susanne Bier directing.

The original Practical Magic earned $68.3million globally, according to The Numbers, falling below its $75million budget.

Despite lacklustre box office figures, the film became a cult classic.

Hoffman has written three other books about the Owens family due to popular demand.

‘I got mail from readers saying that they wanted to have a sequel, that they wanted to know what happened to the characters,’ the author said in 2021.

‘But, I felt like I wanted to know how these characters happened; I wanted to know their history. 

‘So I went back in time and I went to the ’60s in New York City in Greenwich Village – which is my favorite time and I wish we were there right now – and it was a total pleasure.’

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The official in charge of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for Gaza criticized Israel on Wednesday for its attacks on the war-battered Palestinian territory and warned that the alternative to the U.S. proposal is the next war.

Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace high representative, insisted to the U.N. Security Council that Trump’s 20-point plan has not stalled and “has moved from the negotiating table to the engineering table.”

The militant group Hamas has agreed to the proposal’s key provision to disarm and turn Gaza over to civilian rule, he said. But Israel’s ongoing strikes since last October’s ceasefire are still killing Palestinians — though much fewer — and Gazans can’t feel that the conflict is ending, he said.

“After three years of war and 20 years of military operations, I ask, will another strike on a munitions depot stop Hamas from rearming or tightening its grip on Gaza?” Mladenov said. “It will not. It only delays the demilitarization that would happen” and obstructs the transfer to a civilian government.

A recent U.S. deal with Hamas to disarm was seen as a potential breakthrough to end the war, which was sparked by the militant group’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces won’t withdraw from their current lines in Gaza until Hamas has handed over all its weapons.

Mladenov said that at a meeting he took part in last week with Netanyahu and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, “we went through his government’s concerns one by one and narrowed the areas that still require technical work.”

Israel’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Noa Furman, reiterated to the Security Council his country’s commitment to Trump’s plan, but stressed that it can’t succeed while Hamas remains armed. He said Israel is working closely with the U.S. to achieve Hamas’ disarmament.

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, said concerns about Trump’s plan are being addressed and Hamas’ disarmament will be judged on its actions.

Mladenov warned of the distance between the roadmap and what’s happening on the ground, and said if war resumes, there won’t be a roadmap to return to or anything left on the ground to rebuild.

As for the Palestinians, Mladenov said, the Trump plan includes a “credible pathway to a political horizon” and a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. Netanyahu vehemently opposes a Palestinian state.

Birmingham’s flooding comes as the Environment Agency issued 23 alerts for flooding across the country tonight.

Of the 23, one is a flood warning, which means flooding ‘is expected’. That covers Perry Brook, where emergency services have been sent.

It said: “Locations most affected will be Flooding may affect properties and roads around Trehurst Avenue, Chevril Close, Haddon Road and the Bowling Green.

“We are closely monitoring the situation. Take care and avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water.”

The 22 alerts mean flooding is ‘possible’.

It added the warning, and the other 22 alerts which are mostly focused on the Midlands, would be updated at 11am on Thursday (August 27), ‘or as the situation changes’.

Major flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have destroyed homes, roads, bridges and local hydropower projects. The flooding of the Bhote Koshi river is affecting 50,000 residents. More than 100 people are dead, with hundreds more, including international tourists, missing.

This region of the Himalayas had not yet recovered from the Bhote Koshi flooding in 2025 that killed nine people as it washed away a “friendship bridge” linking Nepal and China, disrupting trade and transport for months.

In Sri Lanka, recent floods and landslides struck affected communities that were still recovering from Cyclone Ditwah, which had caused widespread damage only nine months earlier. With little time to recover from the cyclone, communities had no protection from further flooding. More than 15,000 people have been directly affected and 6,800 people were displaced this August.

Disaster risk usually considers how severe the next flood, wildfire, cyclone or drought will be. But the Nepal and Sri Lanka examples show another dimension that is often overlooked: how quickly can a community recover and will it do so before the next disaster arrives?

A disaster rarely leaves a place exactly as it found it. Roads and bridges may remain damaged. Families may have spent their savings. Businesses may still be struggling. Governments can still be financing reconstruction, while hospitals and other public services remain under pressure.

If another hazard arrives before these systems have recovered, it does not encounter the same community that existed before the first disaster. It encounters a place with less resilience and a weakened infrastructure.

A useful way to understand this is through the recovery gap: the relationship between how long recovery takes and how much time is available before another damaging disaster occurs.

Imagine two communities experiencing similar floods. In one, the previous major disaster occurred ten years earlier. Homes have been rebuilt, infrastructure repaired and emergency resources replenished. In the other, another disaster happened only six months ago. Roads remain under repair, families are still displaced or in debt, and public authorities are still paying for reconstruction. The new flood may be physically similar in both places. Its consequences may not be.

Incomplete recovery can substantially increase long-term losses. A 2025 study of recurrent flooding in the Philippines that losses increased by 40% between 2000 and 2018 because of incomplete recover. This suggests that repeated disaster losses are not always simply additive. The first disaster can change the conditions under which the next one occurs and the effects of subsequent disasters can be much more severe.

Recovery has many clocks

Recovery is often described as if a community is either recovered or not, a simplistic binary. It’s more of a sliding scale. Electricity and freshwater supplies may return within days. A damaged road may take months to repair. Rebuilding homes can take years. Businesses may reopen while still carrying substantial debt. Household finances, ecosystems and mental wellbeing can recover on entirely different timescales.

A place can therefore look recovered according to one indicator while remaining highly vulnerable according to another.

It took more than a decade for New Orleans in the US to achieve substantial physical and structural recovery following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. While basic emergency operations and power restoration took weeks to months, full neighbourhood rebuilding, population stabilisation and major flood protection system upgrades spanned 15 years or more. And this was in one of the richest countries in the world.

Recovery is also unequal. Wealthier households may have insurance, savings and access to credit. Poorer households often have fewer resources to repair homes, replace belongings or absorb lost income. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, many poorer households who had hurricane insurance were refused payouts as the damage was deemed to be flood-related because of the burst levees and not by the hurricane. So, it is not only the time between disasters that matters. It is also how much recovery can happen during that time.

This issue becomes increasingly important where climate change alters the frequency or severity of weather extremes. If reconstruction requires five years but another damaging event occurs after two, the interval between disasters starts competing with the time needed to recover. That should change how we manage disaster risk.

Measure recovery, not only damage

Governments are generally good at recording immediate losses: damaged buildings, displaced people, destroyed infrastructure and financial costs. But they also need to know what remains unrepaired months or years later. Recovery monitoring needs to include housing, infrastructure functionality, business activity, household finances, public services and displacement. The question should not stop at “how much did we lose?” It should continue with “how much vulnerability remains?”

Disasters are not isolated occurrences. Floods, wildfires, droughts and storms are often assessed separately. These assessments are essential, but communities experience these hazards through the same infrastructure, economy and population.

The road damaged by one event may be needed for evacuation during the next. An electricity system weakened today may be supporting hospitals or water services tomorrow. Risk assessments should therefore consider plausible hazard sequences and the condition critical systems may be in when another disaster hits. This does not mean predicting the exact order of future disasters. It means abandoning the assumption that every new disaster meets a fully recovered system.

Recovery should not be seen only as the final stage of the disaster that just happened. It is also preparation for whatever comes next. Restoring infrastructure, supporting households and reopening essential services quickly can reduce the vulnerability carried into the next event.

But simply rebuilding the same vulnerable systems recreates the same risks. Recovery should therefore combine speed with adaptation: stronger infrastructure, better redundancy, improved emergency planning and greater support for communities that would otherwise take the longest to recover. Recent research shows that the government plays a critical role in ensuring rapid, efficient and effective recovery.

While asking “how severe could the next disaster be?”, we should also ask “how recovered will we be when it arrives?” Because the next disaster does not start from zero. It inherits what the last one left behind.

By JADA BAS, REPORTER

Published: 14:05 BST, 26 August 2026 | Updated: 03:17 BST, 27 August 2026

The volunteers who work at the fire station said it was ‘sad and disappointing’ to discover the vandalism

Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade has been targeted by vandalism. The fire brigade, located on Bourges Boulevard, reported two incidents of vandalism to their station within a week.

Cars in the car park had their wing mirrors smashed off or bent backwards, and a window was reportedly smashed by a thrown object. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that the smashed window was reported to the force on Tuesday, August 25.

The fire station is crewed by unpaid volunteers. In a statement on social media, the fire service said it is “incredibly sad and disappointing to see a place that exists to serve and support the community as being treated in this way”.

The police force confirmed a crime has been raised and an investigation is ongoing.

A statement by Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade said: “As a brigade and charity, we are fortunate that we don’t often encounter negativity from our community. Unfortunately, recently we have been the target of vandalism.

“We are incredibly proud of our home. We work hard to maintain it, keep it clean and presentable, and ensure it remains a safe and welcoming space for future generations. Our station is also a place where we welcome local Cubs, Beavers and Scouts for visits and activities.

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“Sadly, within the space of a week, we have experienced two incidents of vandalism. Cars parked in our car park have had their wing mirrors smashed off or bent backwards, and one of our windows was also smashed by an object being thrown at it.

“It is incredibly sad and disappointing to see a place that exists to serve and support the community being treated in this way.” The fire brigade has urged anyone with information regarding the incidents to get in touch with them.

A U.S. military judge on Wednesday set a summer 2028 trail date for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three others accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The trial is scheduled to begin June 5, 2028, 18 months later than the January 2027 start that prosecutors had requested. The additional time is needed to resolve pretrial disputes, including disagreements about what evidence can be presented at trial, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael A. Schrama wrote in his ruling.

The U.S. military and successive administrations have struggled for more than two decades to bring to justice the man charged with planning one of the deadliest attacks ever on the United States.

The 2028 trial depends on the case meeting deadlines and milestones along the way and it could again be delayed. A trial was previously scheduled in 2021 but later canceled.

Mohammed is accused of developing and directing the plot to crash hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Another of the hijacked planes flew into a field in Pennsylvania. He faces trial alongside three alleged accomplices: Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa al-Hawsawi.

They are among the last of the detainees held at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

A federal appeals court last year threw out an agreement that would have allowed Mohammed to plead guilty in a deal sparing him the risk of execution for al-Qaida’s 2001 attacks.

That deal stipulated life sentences without parole for Mohammed and two of his co-defendants. It also would have obligated the men to answer any lingering questions that families of the victims have about the attacks. But after negotiating the deal for two years, former President Joe Biden’s administration repudiated it.