​Unique Home Properties’ application seeking retrospective permission for shopfront advertising in Scarborough’s conservation area has met with opposition from town councillors.

​Located at 91-91A Westborough, the vape and confectionery shop installed its signage “without prior advertisement consent” due to an “inadvertent oversight and not to circumvent planning”.

However, members of Scarborough Town Council’s community and place committee said the signage was “garish”.

​Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday, February 25, Cllr David Knowles said: “It’s hideous and garish signage, especially in a town conservation area.”

​The committee voted unanimously to oppose the application over its visual incongruence with the area.

​However, North Yorkshire Council has not set a date for deciding on the proposal.

​In a submission to the planning authority, the agent for the applicant said: “Our client acknowledged the need for consent and submits this retrospective application in good faith.

“The signage is human-scale, unobtrusive and visually compatible with the surrounding streetscape.”

​The agent added: “We respectfully request that the council grant retrospective advertisement consent for the signage.

​“Our client is willing to consider any reasonable adjustments the Planning Department may require to ensure compliance and visual amenity.”

The co-ord is an easy and chic outfit to throw on for any occasion

If your life is very busy and you often find yourself running from the office to plans with friends, you might need outfits that look good both for work and an evening event. You might be looking for versatile pieces to add to your springtime wardrobe.

Tesco’s clothing brand F&F has just released the F&F Tie Detail Midi Skirt in Khaki that can be worn with the matching F&F Satin Twist Front Hem Button Up Co-ord Shirt in Khaki. The shirt has a “twist front hem for a flattering finish” and long cuffed sleeves.

The midi skirt is an “elegant” piece with a “flowing silhouette and classic waistband” and a tie detail that gives it a more “modern edge”. The skirt is currently on sale for only £10 and the shirt is being sold for £18.

The co-ord was posted to the Tesco F&F Instagram page, which currently has 886K followers. The post was captioned: “From desk to dinner, The Perfect Satin Co-ord is the duo you’ll reach for again and again. Shop F&F Capsule Spring 01 in-store and online. Shirt, £18. Skirt, £19.50.”

If you want to get your hands on the co-ord or any of F&F’s other items, you can go to the Tesco website to browse all of its pieces. You can also go in person to a Tesco store with a clothing department.

If this satin set is not quite what you are looking for, Boden has some items that you might like instead. There is this Valentina linen Skirt, which would be easy to style with a range of pieces already in your wardrobe, or this Hampstead Linen Blend Blazer that can be worn with the matching Canonbury Linen Trousers.

New Look also has plenty of options for spring like this Light Blue Scoop Neck Button Up Waistcoat that comes in a range of different colours and can be worn as a set with the Light Blue Wide Leg Pleated Trousers. There are also these Black Cotton Rich Crochet Tipped Wide Leg Trousers, which can be worn with the Black Cotton Rich Contrast Stitchy Knit Tie Waistcoat and would be great for warmer weather.

This comes amid a restructure of its technology and data teams and head office changes, the firm announced.

The grocery giant said most of the cuts would impact its technology and data division, as it restructures the unit into one dedicated team for Argos and two for Sainsbury’s.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “By maximising the power of our data and technology, we’re freeing up our teams to concentrate on what matters most – delivering great food, brilliant service and fantastic value for our customers.”

The firm, which employs around 140,000 staff in total, is also rolling out changes across its store leadership, creating four new regional store director roles dedicated to convenience shops, as well as overhauling its Argos delivery model and creating a separate leadership board for the Argos business.

This month, Argos said it would be building a marketplace to give customers more choice.

It said the development would allow customers to shop more brands under one roof, while continuing to benefit from quality, reliability and convenience.

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Argos’ marketplace aims to “reflect its heritage, scale and values” and “will not be an open or unregulated platform”, the retailer said.

Sainsbury’s added that there would be “a clear focus on quality, product safety and customer confidence.”

It added: “Over time, we also believe Argos’ distinctive Click & Collect model is an exciting area to explore and further set the marketplace apart.

“With Fast Track delivery and Click & Collect available across more than 90% of UK postcodes, seven days a week, Argos is well placed to offer convenience at scale as the marketplace grows.”

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Graham Biggart, Managing Director of Argos, said: “Introducing a marketplace within the next year marks an exciting next step in Argos’ multi‑year transformation.

“It reflects what we know customers want – more choice, more convenience and more reasons to shop with confidence.

“With over one billion visits to our website each year and a brand built on value, trust and quality, we see a real opportunity to offer an even wider range of products that complements our core ranges and the highly valued suppliers we work with today.”

Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda video game series celebrated its 40th anniversary in February 2026. Millions of players across the world have grown up alongside the 21-title series, from the release of the original game on the Famicom gaming system in 1986, to the most recent game, Echoes of Wisdom, published for the Switch in 2024.

The Zelda games were inspired by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto’s childhood in the Japanese countryside. They frequently involve complex environmental exploration and problem solving.

Over time, the series has moved from pixelated forests into high resolution, awe-inspiring landscapes. In that time, Zelda has become an intergenerational success, released in new forms for new generations with each Nintendo console.

Many Zelda games serve as flagships for these new consoles, tying the game experience into new technological capacities – showcasing the motion control of the Wii, the dual screens of the DS, and the joystick first introduced on the the N64. Just as the console technology has evolved, so has the Zelda series.

The series is one of Nintendo’s biggest commercial successes, with an estimated 150 million copies of the games sold worldwide. The most popular game within the series, Breath of the Wild (released on the Switch in 2018), has sold more than 34 million copies to date.

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review – a masterclass in rewarding curiosity

Beyond the game

As well as fun past times, video games can be important vehicles for social connection and personal development. The Zelda series grapples with age-old struggles of good versus evil and destruction versus creation.

I’m the editor of the Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Legend of Zelda – an open-access book which explores the social and psychological impact of the series across a variety of domains. In the book, researchers like myself show how engaging with virtual stories and problems can help us to better understand our own day-to-day lives. For example, recent research from social scientist George Farmer shows that playing video games can be a helpful form of stress relief during times of crisis.

The moral dilemmas presented in the Zelda games also help to train players for real-world social action. Experimental psychologist Kathryn Francis argues in her chapter that the games provide players with an immersive virtual space for moral reflection and development.

In my own chapter, I analysed the environmental narratives of the games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom to assess their potential impact on players. I argued that experiencing the environmental devastation wrought by villains in the games, and having the power to save the world in this setting might also equip players with the tools and motivation to address the climate crisis in real life.

The Zelda series can also help players to understand and interrogate their identities, and the roles we play within our own lives. The games allow players to explore what it means to be a hero, villain, or a princess with increasing freedom of expression and action.

They can choose to save the world as quickly as possible (by doing a “speedrun”) or they can take their time to get to know the community and environment. This freedom of play allows for different experiences which appeal to different types of players, making the series particularly versatile. In the games players get to experiment with different quests and narrative paths, and learn more about themselves, their values and preferences in the process.

Forty years on, the Zelda franchise shouldn’t just be seen as a purely economic success. Rather, it should be understood as a cultural powerhouse which has had a very real impact on the lives of millions around the world.

Given the generational staying power of these games, many Zelda fans across the world will be eagerly awaiting the next step for the series. What might the 40th anniversary celebrations bring? Will a new title be revealed? What will the first Switch 2 Zelda game be? Will the virtual world translate well to the upcoming live-action film?

Regardless of the answers to these questions, the series likely will likely to have a significant impact on its players around the world for decades to come.

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Officers were called to the scene earlier this week and an investigation into the death is ongoing

Police have provided an update following the discovery of a body in a Welsh river earlier this week. Emergency services were called to the Dock Road area of Connah’s Quay on Tuesday, February 24.

North Wales Police has now confirmed that officers recovered the body of a 41-year-old man after initiating a search for a missing person, reports North Wales Live. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

A spokesperson for the force said: “The death is being treated as unexpected whilst investigations are ongoing. The coroner has been informed.

“Our thoughts remain with the man’s family and loved ones who request that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.”

Dock Road was cordoned off whilst emergency personnel attended the scene, with a substantial police presence reported in the area.

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The Gogglebox cast were left screaming during Friday’s episode after watching gruesome scenes from Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time

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The Gogglebox cast were left screaming during Friday’s episode after viewing a squeamish moment from Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time.

During the latest instalment, the cast members caught up with the latest television programmes, which included Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time.

The Channel 5 programme sees Professor Alice Roberts explore 900 years of St Bartholomew’s Hospital – Britain’s oldest on its original site. From medieval miracle cures to modern cardiac and cancer care, Professor Roberts explores all that is on offer.

During the latest episode on Wednesday evening, Professor Roberts recreated a grisly 17th-century operation on a ‘patient’ suffering from an enormous bladder stone. The scenes were broadcast on Friday’s Gogglebox with the cast members reacting to the squeamish moment.

After displaying real bladder stones from over the years, which left the Gogglebox cast astounded over the size, Professor Roberts then got stuck into a 17th-century operation on a dummy model to extract a bladder stone, reports the Mirror.

It was explained on the programme that bladder stones can develop if patients don’t drink enough water to which Gogglebox’s panicked Lee Riley told Jenny Newby: “I don’t drink enough water, you know!”

The programme then explained that in the 17th-century, it was “too dangerous” to operate from the top as it was too close to the bowels. Instead, they would operate from underneath, going through the “root of the penis and prostate” without any anaesthetic. Professor Roberts then performed this exact operation on a dummy model.

Reacting to the scenes, Gogglebox’s Giles Wood exclaimed: “I think I’d rather call it a day, wouldn’t you?” before shielding his eyes, adding: “Has it finished yet Mary?”.

Meanwhile, Lee also had to avert his gaze, exclaiming: “Can you imagine?” to which Jenny quipped: “I’m glad you’re suffering for a change!”.

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

Viewers were also left feeling squeamish over the scenes as they took to Twitter, now X, to share their thoughts. One person said: “I have no words ! #Gogglebox” whilst a different account added: “I’m having to cover my ears for this bit ! #Gogglebox.”

A different viewer joked: “If that wasn’t a great advert for drinking more water, I don’t know what is. #GoggleBox#Stones” whilst another wrote: “From now on I’m going to be drinking gallons of water daily. #Gogglebox!”.

Gogglebox continues on Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4.

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A 12-foot statue of St Patrick holding a pint of Guinness was removed from outside Temple Bar pub in Dublin after just 24 hours – but artist Marc Kelly says it could return next week without the pint

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The creator of a towering St Patrick statue clutching a pint of Guinness, which stood outside Temple Bar pub for barely a day before being taken down, has expressed optimism that the artwork could return next week following some modifications.

The 12-foot figure appeared outside the famous Dublin watering hole on Thursday morning, instantly sparking debate amongst residents. Workers initially installed the statue above the pub’s entrance, with Ireland’s patron saint proudly hoisting a Guinness.

However, the piece underwent swift alterations when workmen returned to cover the pint with a black bag, before replacing it with a green one shortly afterwards.

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Opinion across the capital was sharply divided over the installation, with critics branding it an unsightly addition whilst supporters applauded the tribute to Ireland’s patron saint.

Regardless of the mixed public reaction, Dublin City Council ordered its removal within 24 hours of it going up. The directive came after consultations between the council’s Planning Enforcement Section and the property owner, reports the Irish Mirror.

By Friday morning, the statue – complete with its pint of Guinness – was being hoisted onto a lorry by workers, bringing the brief display to an abrupt conclusion. A Dublin City Council representative informed the Irish Mirror: “Dublin City Council became aware of the installation yesterday morning. Following discussions between our Planning Enforcement Section and the owner of the premises he agreed to remove it by lunchtime today. The structure has been removed, as was agreed.”

Although Dublin City Council requested its removal, Marc Kelly, who created the installation, confirmed the artwork will undergo modifications, with the pint being taken away and the statue expected to return to its plinth within a week.

Speaking to presenter John Cooke on RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline, he explained: “There was a request for a few changes,” and “And we decided just it should come down and come back up to us in Monaghan for some light work, and we’re going to get him back down to Dublin again then as soon as possible after.”

When questioned about the specific alterations, Marc revealed a request had been made to take away the pint – with optimism that St Patrick would make a swift return.

“Just some changes to make to it. And obviously the pint was covered and that, so we were just in discussions with the clients and that.

“So they requested that we make an adjustment to that design element, which won’t, hopefully take too long, so we’ll get it back and people getting it photographed again as soon as possible.”

Marc expressed his eagerness to see the installation reinstated in Dublin promptly, confirming the required modifications were underway. “Well, I don’t know, personally. I suppose I’m just working with the client on their request, and they’re obviously interacting with others, so they’ve just come to us this morning, said we have asked for it to be taken down, and if you can make the necessary adjustments as soon as possible, they’d love to see it back. And we’d love to see it back in Dublin pretty quick.”

The artist, from Sculp.ie, creates stage pieces for comedian Joanne McNally, Mr Tayto and Game of Thrones, and produced the giant Euro coin for CMAT’s latest album. He explained to John that the St Patrick sculpture was a collaborative effort.

“We’re a team of sculptors, really, and we would just take a design like this, it’s obviously drawn in house. We would have approval.

“Then we would buy in huge blocks of polystyrene, which is sculpted by hand, and the likes of St Patrick here, he’s then wrapped in fibreglass to give him like a boat or a car body finish for the elements that we have.

“That’s spray painted then so it goes into another process of sanding and spraying. There’s a fair bit of work that goes into them.

“And including, obviously, structural steel. St Patrick has a huge structural internal frame, so he would be secure if he’s suspended from a building. So there’s a team of people just with lots of different processes, and a job like that just entails lots of different work.”

The artist explained that creating a piece on this scale demands substantial effort and investment, with a dedicated team grafting for four weeks straight to achieve the desired result.

“There is a lot of cost,” he said. “With this sort of scale, I say that when you go into the steel work, you have to get structural steel made. There’s a fair bit of time spent on design before you even begin sculpting.

“And then you’ve got to have to have the necessary machinery to make it possible. Something like this, you could have a team of people maybe on it for up to four weeks solid.

“There is, obviously, a lot of expenses involved to make sure that it’s done to a spec that’s of a good standard for public arenas like this. It has to be impressive, and it has to tick all the boxes for clients as well.”

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Small business owners are being urged to sign up for free DWP occupational health training before the March 31 deadline, with warnings that replacing an employee lost to ill-health costs over £11,000

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a warning of an £11,000 cost ahead of a March 31deadline.

Small business owners and managers are being urged to take advantage of a free government-backed scheme before it closes at the end of next month. The alert comes as recent figures show that losing just one employee due to ill-health can cost a small business more than £11,000.

The DWP is now promoting its free ‘Support with Occupational Health’ training, designed to help create a ‘healthier, more resilient workforce’.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, DWP said: “Replacing an employee lost to ill-health costs small businesses over £11,000. Our free training course will help you build a healthier, more resilient workforce.”

The department added that nearly 2,000 managers have already signed up to the programme. Urging people to ‘sign up now’, it emphasised that the deadline to register is March 31, reports the Mirror.

The training is part of a wider initiative to help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) better manage sickness absence and support staff living with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Delivered through the International Workplace platform, the ‘Support with Occupational Health’ (SOH) course is aimed at businesses with between 1 and 249 employees based in England.

The online course is designed to be flexible, taking around 60 to 90 minutes to complete. It equips managers with the necessary tools and confidence to: For many small businesses, the loss of a key staff member can be significant.

Beyond the £11,000 cost associated with recruitment and training for a replacement, sickness absence can result in a decrease in productivity and increased strain on remaining team members.

Government data indicates that by intervening early and providing the right support, many employees who leave the workforce due to health issues could have stayed in their roles.

How to sign up

The course is free and results in a certificate of completion upon finishing. To register or learn more about the eligibility criteria, you can visit the official Support with Occupational Health website here.

Sky News has uncovered new details about the timings and locations of photographs featuring Bill Clinton and paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, forming a comprehensive timeline of their relationship.

The photos, included in the Epstein files and verified by Sky’s Data and Forensics team, were taken on numerous Clinton Foundation trips where Epstein was present.

The former US president has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and has said he did not know about the sex offender’s crimes. Being included in the Epstein files does not imply wrongdoing.

In 1992, records show Epstein donated $2,000 to Mr Clinton’s successful presidential campaign on 30 January and 8 June – a small fraction of the $62m his campaign raised overall.

After being sworn in as president in 1993, Mr Clinton was pictured in September with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell after an event for donors to a White House restoration project.

The event was said to have been for donors and records list Epstein and Maxwell donating $10,000 to the White House Historical Association the same day as the event. Hillary Clinton hosted the event with her husband Bill Clinton.

Freedom of information (FOI) records show that Epstein visited the White House 17 times from 1993 to 1995.

In 1996, Mr Clinton was re-elected for a second presidential term.

A few years later in 1999, records from the Federal Election Commission show Epstein donated $20,000 on 29 October to Hillary Clinton’s senate campaign. This donation shows no suggestion of wrongdoing.

In 2001, Bill Clinton left office, creating the Clinton Foundation, with the mission to “strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence”.

In 2002, Mr Clinton visited Epstein’s New York residence once, as confirmed by Mr Clinton’s spokesperson Angel Urena.

Sky News has verified numerous photographs taken on Clinton Foundation trips where Epstein was present.

In May 2002, Mr Clinton set off for his trip around Asia for the Clinton Foundation on Epstein’s plane. They visited, Russia, Singapore, China, Bangkok and Brunei in a three-day period.

These photos were taken on 25 May 2002 at Don Mueang International Airport, then with pictures at Wat Phra Kaew, a Buddhist temple.

Thumbnails show what appears to be Epstein’s plane on the platform at the airport.

Many pictures from the Asia trip were already public but have been verified for the first time by the Sky News Data and Forensics team. Using images released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Sky News analysed photo thumbnails alongside enlarged photos, to locate and date certain photos on this timeline, cross-referencing them with flight logs and email exchanges.

This set of photographs was in Brunei in the Emperor suite at the Empire Hotel.

The suite is a luxurious accommodation that spans 665 square metres (over 7,000 square feet) and features a master bedroom, private dining area, swimming pool, sauna, steam room, grand piano, and a cinema.

An article in Vanity Fair on Epstein placed a photo of the two on a plane on the Brunei trip. Another photo released by the DOJ shows Mr Clinton in the same seat, with the same clothes, holding his arm around a redacted girl. This photo does not imply any wrongdoing.

A few months later, in July, Mr Clinton and Epstein were pictured together at the royal wedding of King Mohammed VI in Morocco on 12 July 2002. Flight logs show they flew back to Santa Maria together the following day.

Thumbnails from an album released by the DOJ, labelled “Morroco king wedding”, show Mr Clinton on Epstein’s plane.

In Santa Maria on a stopover, before going on a Clinton Foundation trip around Africa, Mr Clinton is pictured with someone who was later identified as one of Epstein’s victims. She is massaging his shoulders in Santa Maria airport. No Epstein victim has accused Mr Clinton of wrongdoing.

At the end of September 2002, Mr Clinton embarked on his Africa trip, alongside Epstein. The trip included locations such as Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique and South Africa.

In the same year, Mr Clinton commented on Epstein in New York Magazine that he “appreciated his [Epstein’s] insights and generosity during the recent trip to Africa to work on democratisation, empowering the poor, citizen service, and combating HIV/AIDS”.

After this trip, Mr Clinton ended up flying to London with Ghislaine Maxwell and other passengers.

Mr Clinton and Epstein visited London in September 2002. Photos verified by Sky News place Mr Clinton at 10 Downing Street and the Churchill War Rooms, alongside Maxwell and others, including the actor Kevin Spacey. Being included or pictured in the files is not evidence of wrongdoing.

A year later, Epstein’s Birthday Book was created by Ghislaine Maxwell. The book is described as a bound collection of birthday letters compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. A message signed ‘Bill Clinton’ was left in the book. It praised Epstein’s ‘childlike curiosity’ and ‘drive to make a difference’.

Later that year in November, another Clinton Foundation trip took place in the Far East, once again using Epstein’s jet.

Photos verified by Sky News show Mr Clinton at dinner with Epstein, Maxwell, Mick Jagger and Doug Band in China. The photos can now be placed at China Club restaurant in Hong Kong, a private members’ club.

Flight logs published in the Epstein files show Mr Clinton was in Hong Kong between 6 and 9 November.

On 7 November, the Rolling Stones had a concert in Hong Kong at Tamar Site for the Harbour Festival. Footage from that night shows Mr Clinton was in attendance. Following this, pictures released by the DOJ show backstage photos of this concert where it appears Epstein was also in attendance.

Continuing their relationship, in 2010, Ghislaine Maxwell was a guest at the wedding of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s daughter Chelsea.

Hillary Clinton was questioned about Maxwell attending the wedding during her deposition with the House Oversight Committee. She stated she knew Maxwell “casually as an acquaintance”, and that Maxwell “came as the plus one, the guest, of someone who was invited”.

Bill Clinton has always denied any wrongdoing. In 2019 after Epstein killed himself in jail while facing sex trafficking charges, a Clinton spokesman said that he “knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York”.

“In 2002 and 2003, President Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein’s airplane: one to Europe, one to Asia, and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation.”

The Data x Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

The 30-year-old man is due to appear at York Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Saturday, February 28).

It comes after North Yorkshire Police were called to an address in Trinity Lane, off Micklegate, York at around 3.20pm on Thursday (February 19).

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As The Press reported, a 40-year-old man was subsequently taken to hospital with wounds consistent with a stabbing, where he currently remains.

Two men and three women, aged between 28 and 58, were arrested in connection with the incident.

A force spokesperson said: “One man has been charged with obstructing police, assaulting police and possessing a knife.

“Another man has been released with no further action.

“The remaining suspects have been bailed, with bail conditions in place, while our enquiries continue.”  

Anyone who has information that they have yet to share can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101. Please quote reference NYP-19022026-0285.