An Israeli strike in southern Gaza on Saturday killed two Palestinian siblings, including a 15-year-old girl, and wounded at least seven people, according to the Nasser Hospital where the casualties were received.

The attack targeted tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in the sprawling Muwasi camp, killing Islam Moussa, 15, and her brother Abdullah Moussa, 30.

The Israeli military acknowledged conducting a strike in the Muwasi area, claiming, without evidence, that it had targeted a Hamas militant.

At the hospital, relatives were seen weeping over the dead bodies, which were covered in white burial shrouds.

Separately on Saturday, the Israeli military struck a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in western Gaza City, wounding at least 12 people, according to the Shifa hospital. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s ambulance service said two individuals were critically wounded and that the majority of the injured were women. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this strike.

Israeli forces continue to carry out near-daily strikes and shelling across the besieged Palestinian enclave despite agreeing a US-brokered “ceasefire” with Hamas in October. Israel maintains it’s targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat and is responding to ceasefire breaches.

Since the so-called ceasefire came into effect, Israel has killed more than 1,030 people across Gaza, according to the local health ministry. Last week, the ministry stated that Israel had killed over 250 children in Gaza since the ceasefire began.

A team of independent experts commissioned by the UN has accused Israel of deliberately shooting children in Gaza and reiterated that Israel has committed genocide in the territory. Israel denies the claim.

Israel launched a war on Gaza in October 2023 after some 1,200 people were killed during a Hamas attack on southern Israel.

Israeli forces have since killed over 73,050 Palestinians in Gaza, displaced the majority of its 2.2 million population, and turned much of the densely populated territory into rubble.

The memorial bears the names of nine men from the congregation of the Methodist church on Victoria Road in Darlington who lost their lives, and of one woman – Miss Ruby Denham – who died, aged 28, a fortnight before the war ended.

She is the first known female to appear on a memorial in the town.

The memorial lost for 60 years and now awaiting restoration

The ‘handsome’ memorial was found last year in a house in Richmond where it appears to have been taken when the church closed in 1966.

If £5,500 can be raised it is intended to have it restored and mounted in the Memorial Hall at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

The hospital, of course, was built to honour the town’s dead after the First World War, and the Memorial Hall has the names of 700 fallen townsmen on its walls. Those names include three members of the Bradford family, two of whom won the Victoria Cross, and to whom the entrance porch is dedicated.

“The restoration has the support of the Royal British Legion, the hospital’s NHS Trust, the War Memorials Trust and the North East War Memorials Project,” says project manager Stephen Hill.

“Adding the memorial to this splendid location will give it pride of place in the porch beneath the plaque dedicated to Roland Bradford VC MC.

“We would now love to hear from any relatives of those named on the memorial.”

A crowd of people waiting outside the Victoria Road Methodist Church in the mid 1960s waiting to see the elephants from Billy Smart’s Circus parade through the town centre to South Park, advertising the circus’ arrival

The New Connexion Methodist Church was built in 1884 in the French-Gothic style on Victoria Road, just as Bank Top station was being rebuilt as a statement piece of architecture at the top of the street. The church, with its elaborate tower-top canopy, must also have been very impressive in its heyday.

The Victoria Road Methodist Church is now Bathroom World, and no longer has its pointed canopy on top. Picture: Google StreetView

When it closed it became a warehouse, but for the last 50 years it has been the Bathroom World showroom.

The plaque was unveiled on September 27, 1921, by Major Sir Henry Havelock Allan, of Blackwell Grange. In its brief report, the Echo’s former sister paper, the Northern Despatch, says it bears the names of the “nine members of the church who fell in the war”.

Ruby’s name is the tenth on the memorial, so when she died on October 31, 1918, aged 28, she may not have been directly involved in the war effort.

Her full name was Sarah Alice Ruby Denham. She lived with her parents, Elizabeth and John, in Hawthorn Street near South Park.

She died ‘suddenly’ in Soham, near Cambridge, at the home of her brother and sister-in-law. Her death certificate says she died of influenza and pneumonia – the second lethal wave of H1N1 Spanish flu swept Britain in the autumn of 1918, peaking around Armistice Day in November with young adults aged between 20 and 40 hardest hit.

It also says she was a chemist’s assistant, so she could have been involved in the medical side of the war.

The ten names, including Miss Ruby Denham, on the war memorial

None of the nine men’s names on the memorial appear to be commemorated elsewhere in the town.

“The memorial has been damaged but can be repaired sympathetically,” said Steve. “It is currently stored in a warehouse in the hospital, but we have found a local stonemason with all the necessary specialist tools to restore it to its former glory.”

The finances for the appeal are being handled by the North East War Memorials Project, the charity which runs a fabulous website listing all the region’s memorials. To find out more and donate, please email stevehillconsult@btconnect.com. If you can tell us any more about any of the names, please get in touch.

Pte Albert Catchpole
Royal Army Medical Corps and 8DLI
Died: September 26, 1918
Age: 22
Albert was a gas fitter and plumber with Darlington Council before the war, and lived in Valley Street North with his parents, Albert and Emma, in High Northgate. He was their only son. He died a prisoner of war and is buried in Hochheim Hill Cemetery in Worms in Germany – Worms was one of the biggest PoW camps with many men sent out as part of the ‘arbeitskommando’ to work on the land. He probably died either of his wounds or in an accident related to the work.

Pte Francis Herbert Elders
Canadian Infantry, 78th Battalion
Died: October 30, 1917
Little is known about Francis although the best guess is that he emigrated from Darlington to Canada before the war and came back to fight with the Canadian Infantry. He is buried at Potijze Chateau Grounds Cemetery in Belgium, so he was probably wounded fighting in the Third Battle of Ypres and brought back to the dressing station in the chateau grounds where he died.

On July 25, 1916, the Northern Despatch printed a picture of George Welburn, who had been killed 10 days earlier in the Battle of the Somme. He was only 19 and he is named, with his brother, on the Victoria Road church memorial

L-Cpl George William Welburn
King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Died: July 15, 1916
Age: 19
George, of Cobden Street in the Bank Top area, was fighting with the Church Lads Brigade of the King’s rifles when he was killed near Albert in the Battle of Bazentine Ridge, which was part of the Battle of the Somme.

On February 18, 1916, the Northern Despatch newspaper printed pictures of the three sons, three brothers and nephew of Annie Welburn, of 52 Cobden Street, who were away fighting. Two of her sons, George and James, are named on the Victoria Road church

Pte James Welburn
West Yorkshire Regiment
Died: June 6, 1918
Age: 23
The elder brother of George, he was a railway porter before the war. He is buried in a large cemetery near Boulogne, which suggests he had been injured on the frontline of the Battle of the Aisne, a major last-ditch German offensive in northern France, and had been taken to hospital on his way home, but died.

His parents George, a railway signalman, and Annie, had a third son, Hylton, who was hospitalised in Newcastle with wounds he sustained in the war.

In fact, as well as her sons, Annie had her three brothers and a nephew away fighting. One brother was killed and another wounded, so her little house at 52 Cobden Street saw some agonies.

J Hullah

Are there any Hullahs in Darlington? Have there ever been? We can’t find any trace of this soldier.

The Commonwealth War Grave Commission website lists 13 Hullahs who were killed in the First World War, and James or Joseph could be our man. They both served with the Machine Gun Company and died in 1917 near Ypres but have no obvious connection with Darlington.

Cpl Fred Magden
Royal Engineers
Died: April 8, 1917
Age: 22
Before the war, Fred, of Montrose Street, was an apprentice chemist. When he died he was serving with the 2nd Special Company of the Royal Engineers which was made up of men with chemistry skills – often graduates – who were in charge of Britain’s gas attacks. He was killed near Arras, in northern France, when a high explosive shell exploded in his billet, accounting for 53 casualties.

Able Seaman Edward Lumsdale
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Hawke Battalion
Died: November 9, 1915
Age: 17
The Royal Naval Division was formed in 1914 of Navy reservists who were then trained as infantrymen. Young Edward, an NER signal lad, died at Gallipoli in Turkey, from where his body was never recovered. His parents, Florence and Alexander, lived in Greenwell Street.

Pte Frank Webster
1st/8th Durham Light Infantry
Died: March 31, 1918
Age: 23
Before joining the DLI Frank had been a crossing fitter at the Railway Plant Company and before that an apprentice butcher. He was killed in the German attack known as Operation Michael, near Amiens, towards the end of the war. He left his mother, Jane, of Cobden Street.

Drummer JT Park
Border Regiment
Died: June 30, 1916
Not much is known about the drummer who was serving in Peshawar in India when he died.

Ruby Denham’s brush with a fraudster in Darlington was reported in many newspapers across the country. This is from the Darlington North Star on August 25, 1916

Miss Ruby Denham
Died: October 31, 1918
Age: 28
Ruby, of Hawthorn Street, was a chemist’s assistant who died of influenza.

She was involved in a curious case in August 1916 when, coming out of a shop in Leadyard, she dropped her glove. A Glaswegian who said his name was Robert Stevenson, immediately came to her aid. They got talking, he asked about her gold ring which she gave to him. He slid it on his little finger and, to her dismay, he said it wouldn’t come off.

He told her he was a professional footballer, like her brother, then said he was a munitions inspector in need of money. Somehow he came into possession of her 6s 9d.

They met the following day and he did not return her ring or money so she eventually went to the police, who arrested him in Feethams.

He failed to produce his registration card, which it was illegal not to carry, but he did have a piece of paper saying he was ‘Finlay Weir, munitions inspector, to be supplied with petrol at any garage with whatever he wants. By order, Minister Munitions’.

It was a fake. He claimed he was simply on a ‘jollification’ in Darlington, but it emerged that he had been convicted of dishonesty in Hartlepool, Glasgow and Leeds, and was wanted in Hamilton and Middlesbrough.

He was sentenced to six months hard labour and it was ordered he be handed over to the military authorities, as he was an absentee from the forces, on his release.

England fans in New York and back at home cheered on their country as it won against Panama to the top group.

Jude Bellingham put England ahead from Bukayo Saka’s corner after 62 minutes, which was followed by Harry Kane scoring the second goal five minutes later, making him England’s record World Cup scorer.

England are now through to the round of 32 as Group L winners in the World Cup.

Read the full story here.

England’s World Cup fixtures changed overnight after FIFA shake-up

England’s rivals in the round of 32 at the World Cup have been officially confirmed following the end of the group stages. The Three Lions will face DR Congo in the first knockout round of the tournament as they continue with their bid for silverware.

Thomas Tuchel’s men enjoyed an unbeaten group stage, topping Group L with seven points after a draw with Ghana and victories against Croatia and Panama. A 2-0 triumph over Panama in their final group match sealed their place at the top of Group L.

Attention will now turn to their next game against DR Congo, which is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1. The fixture will be played in Atlanta with a 5pm UK time kick-off confirmed.

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Senegal had appeared likely to be England’s next opponents. But FIFA’s rule change for the 2026 World Cup means there are so many moving parts with only eight of the 12 third-placed teams progressing.

Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa scored twice as DR Congo beat Uzbekistan to progress to the knockout rounds and they will now face the Three Lions instead of Senegal.

England’s fixture is not the only one to have been confirmed, with all 16 round of 32 matches now finalised following the conclusion of the group stages.

A number of ties had already been rubber-stamped in the days prior to Saturday night’s fixtures, with co-hosts the United States set to come up against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Several other high-profile clashes are also on the horizon in the next round. These include Brazil vs Japan, France vs Sweden and the Netherlands vs Morocco.

Defending champions Argentina will go up against Cape Verde, while the Ivory Coast are set to take on Norway in the opening knockout round of the competition. England’s draw also sets up a potential last-16 encounter with the winners of the Mexico-Ecuador match, provided they progress past DR Congo.

There is also the possibility of a quarter-final showdown against Brazil, Ivory Coast, Japan or Norway.

Should Tuchel’s side advance that far, the Three Lions would then face a semi-final tie against one of Argentina, Cape Verde, Australia, Egypt, Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia or Ghana.

The full World Cup round of 32 draw

1. South Africa vs Canada
2. Germany vs Paraguay
3. Netherlands vs Morocco
4. Brazil vs Japan
5. France vs Sweden
6. Ivory Coast vs Norway
7. Mexico vs Ecuador
8. England vs DR Congo
9. USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
10. Belgium vs Senegal
11. Portugal vs Croatia
12. Spain vs Austria
13. Switzerland vs Algeria
14. Argentina vs Cape Verde
15. Colombia vs Ghana
16. Australia vs Egypt

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Lozan Barbers, on Edgmont Avenue, has been shortlisted for The Bolton News Best Barber Shop Award 2026.

Owner Mahmod Omar opened the business in March 2002 after completing a business management course through Bolton Enterprise Service.

Mahmod said: “Yes, I feel very well, very good. It means a lot.

Poster (Image: NQ)

“I proudly opened Lozan Barbers, a venture that has since become a cornerstone of the local community.

“Over the years, I have navigated numerous challenges and opportunities, always conducting my business legally and with the utmost professionalism.

“I have maintained an impeccable record, with no legal or regulatory issues, and have earned the trust and respect of my clients and neighbors alike.”

The barber shop has welcomed customers from across Bolton since opening, and Mahmod has remained its owner throughout.

Mahmod loves his barbershop (Image: Mahmod Omar)

In his finalist application, Mahmod said he has also mentored aspiring entrepreneurs and taught barbering skills to students, with many going on to open their own businesses.

Mahmod added: “It’s customers, all different, different customers, all Asian, English, any Kurdish, all different, different people.

“I’m happy with my job.

“I am passionate about giving back. I have volunteered extensively, mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and teaching barbering skills to students.

“Many of these individuals have gone on to open their own shops and establish thriving businesses, a testament to the effectiveness of our community-focused approach.

“Lozan Barbers is more than just a barbershop; it is a welcoming space where everyone feels valued and respected.”

Mahmod said he has worked as a barber since 1995.

In his application, he described Lozan Barbers as a cornerstone of the local community and said he has always aimed to create a welcoming space where everyone feels valued and respected.

Readers can vote for their favourite finalist by picking up a copy of today’s Bolton News.

A force spokesperson said: “Due to the nature of the incident, local officers were in contact with officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London as they conducted their initial enquiries. While investigators are keeping an open mind as to any potential motive, the incident is not being treated as terrorism.”

England’s opponents for the round of 32 stage at the World Cup have been confirmed

England’s opponents in the round of 32 at the World Cup have been officially confirmed following the conclusion of the group stages. The Three Lions are set to face DR Congo in the first knockout round of the tournament as they continue their campaign across the Atlantic.

Thomas Tuchel’s side enjoyed a successful group-stage, finishing top of Group L with seven points after victories over Croatia and Panama, plus a draw with Ghana. England sealed a 2-0 win over Panama in their final group fixture on Saturday night, which confirmed their position at the top of Group L.

Now, they will turn their attention to the next round and a meeting with DR Congo. The clash is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1 in Atlanta, with a 5pm kick-off (BST).

Senegal had appeared likely to be England’s next opponents. But overnight results have since determined that the Three Lions will instead face DR Congo. after they stunning Uzbekistan 3-1 in the 3am kick-off, with Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa scoring twice.

Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!

It is not only England’s fixture that has been confirmed, with all 16 round-of-32 ties now set following the conclusion of the group stages. A number of matches had already been confirmed in the days prior to Saturday night’s fixtures, with co-hosts the United States due to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Several other eye-catching ties are scheduled for the next round including Brazil vs Japan, France vs Sweden and the Netherlands vs Morocco. Defending champions Argentina will face off against Cape Verde, while the Ivory Coast will go up against Norway in the first knockout round of the tournament.

The draw also presents England with a potential last-16 clash against the winners of Mexico and Ecuador, should they progress past DR Congo. There is also the possibility of a quarter-final encounter against either Brazil, Ivory Coast, Japan or Norway.

Should the Three Lions advance that far, a semi-final berth would pit them against one of Argentina, Cape Verde, Australia, Egypt, Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia or Ghana.

The full World Cup round of 32 draw

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1. South Africa vs Canada
2. Germany vs Paraguay
3. Netherlands vs Morocco
4. Brazil vs Japan
5. France vs Sweden
6. Ivory Coast vs Norway
7. Mexico vs Ecuador
8. England vs DR Congo
9. USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
10. Belgium vs Senegal
11. Portugal vs Croatia
12. Spain vs Austria
13. Switzerland vs Algeria
14. Argentina vs Cape Verde
15. Colombia vs Ghana
16. Australia vs Egypt

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The incident took place at Catterick Garrison at about 2.15pm on June 4, when a man drove off without paying for fuel.

Officers are appealing for help to identify the person pictured in the CCTV still as they may have information that could help the investigation.

Email mark.burrows@northyorkshire.police.uk if you know who they are.

Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Quote reference number 12260102948 when contacting police about this crime.

It has been listed as an Asset of Community Value

A Cambridgeshire town community centre could soon be put up for sale. Fenland District Council has confirmed that the owner of Whittlesey Youth and Community Centre in Scaldgate intends to sell the property.

The community centre has been listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). This means the building’s main use has recently been or is presently used for the local community and could do so in the future.

Due to this, an interim moratorium period has been triggered and will last until July 29, 2026. During this time, community interest groups can bid for ownership of the group centre.

In a statement, Fenland District Council said: “During this period, a community interest group may request in writing (in the format specified by the relevant legislation) to be treated as a potential bidder for the asset.

“Should such an application be received (which complied with the legislative requirements) the full moratorium period specified by the legislation will expire on 28 November, 2026.”

A Community Interest Company, Phoenix Youth Provision said they “don’t want the council to sell it for housing, we want it to return to its original purpose, a youth centre for our young people”.

If no bids or expressions of interest are submitted by the deadline, the ACV will not stop the sale and the owner can look to sell the property on the open market.