There will be four Titanic Fleadh market dates, while the new Writer’s Square market will be from June to October

A Titanic market has been approved for the Belfast Fleadh this summer, as well as a regular Sunday market on Writer’s Square.

At a Belfast City Council committee meeting this week, elected representatives gave the thumbs up for an external market at Titanic as part of the 2026 Fleadh, and a series of markets at Writers’ Square in the Cathedral Quarter.

Belfast for the first time will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. Qualifying competitors from all over the world will showcase the best of traditional music, song, dance and language in All-Ireland competitions.

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With a minimum of 700,000 visitors from across the world, it is anticipated to be the biggest cultural event ever held in Belfast. Tourism NI estimates the 2026 Fleadh will bring £60 million into the Northern Ireland economy. It was recently announced Belfast will host the Fleadh again next year.

Belfast City Council has exclusive rights to hold markets in Belfast. Anyone wishing to operate a market or car boot sale within Belfast must apply to the council for permission.

The “Titanic Quarter Night Market” will be brought by Urban Events, working on behalf of the Belfast Maritime Trust, Titanic Belfast, and Titanic Quarter Belfast. There will be 40 stalls at Hamilton Dock, located in front of the SS Nomadic, during Fleadh 2026.

A council report for the City and Growth and Regeneration Committee states: “This programme is designed to enhance the existing cultural offering within the Titanic Quarter across the Fleadh period, working alongside scheduled activity such as the Belfast Film Festival outdoor movies and walkabout entertainment. The intention is not to compete with the city centre programme, but to provide a high-quality, accessible alternative that supports the wider visitor experience.”

August 6 and 7 will see the Titanic Quarter Night Markets Evening, August 8 and 9 will see the Titanic Quarter Food Festival, a daytime food festival showcasing high-quality local producers and street food traders, celebrating the best of regional and artisan food offerings.

Elected representatives also agreed to a regular series of markets, including Sunday markets, at Writers’ Square. The dates are June 28, July 5 and 19, August 23 and 30, September 6, 13, 18, 20, 27 and October 30. All are 12pm to 5pm except September 18 and October 30 which are 5pm to 10pm.

The council report states: “The proposed Writers’ Square market is not intended to compete with or detract from St George’s Market, but instead to respond to a separate and currently unmet need within the Cathedral Quarter.

“The location, time of year (peak season), format and scale have all been designed with St George’s Market in mind, to ensure the proposal does not detract from or compete with it. The market is aimed at serving a different audience and part of the city, particularly visitors and footfall already within the Cathedral Quarter, rather than drawing from St George’s.”

It adds: “In addition to supporting tourism, hospitality, commercial and residential activity within the Cathedral Quarter and wider North Belfast, the market also plays an important role in increasing positive use of Writers’ Square. This also helps address ongoing anti-social and problematic behaviour in the area, which the Cathedral Quarter BID, DfC and PSNI have been actively working to combat.”

In March Belfast Council agreed to open Bridge Street, High Street and Royal Avenue for temporary street trading applications, excluding the sale of alcohol, within the road-closure pedestrianised area of the Fleadh from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. There will be another scheme introduced for dealing with street trading applications for the sale of alcohol.

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Advice for pensioners thinking of making a Pension Credit claim, including homeowners on a low income who may still be eligible

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Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit intended to assist older people on lower incomes by supplementing their weekly earnings and opening the door to further financial support. However, charities and welfare advisers have repeatedly cautioned that a significant number of pensioners fail to claim because they wrongly assume homeowners are ineligible.

Guidance published on GOV.UK confirms that individuals can still qualify for Pension Credit if they own their property, hold savings or receive a State Pension. An award of as little as £1 per week is sufficient to unlock assistance with housing costs, heating bills and Council Tax.

The DWP recently confirmed nearly 78 per cent of all new claims for Pension Credit are processed – from initial application to award decision letter – within the target timeframe of 50 working days (10 weeks). This means older people on a low income making a new claim this month, could receive their first payment and any arrears by August.

Married pensioners with a combined weekly income of less than £363.25 per week, or single pensioners with an income of below £238.00 could be eligible for Pension Credit, reports the Daily Record.

For 2026/27, Pension Credit tops income up to £238.00 a week for single people and £363.25 a week for couples. Some people may receive more depending on their circumstances, including disability, caring responsibilities or housing costs.

What counts as income

Your income includes:

• State Pension
• other pensions
• earnings from employment and self-employment
• most social security benefits – for example, Carer’s Allowance

What does not count as income

Not all benefits are counted as income. For example, the following are not counted:

• Adult Disability Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• DWP Christmas Bonus
• Child Benefit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Personal Independence Payment
• social fund payments like Winter Fuel Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction

Savings don’t automatically disqualify someone from claiming Pension Credit, though they can influence the amount received. Based on GOV.UK guidance, savings exceeding £10,000 are considered when determining entitlement.

For those with more than £10,000, every £500 above this threshold is treated as £1 weekly income. For instance, someone with £11,000 in savings would have this counted as £2 income per week.

Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva caught Pep Guardiola’s eye in Manchester City’s win over Crystal Palace

Pep Guardiola hailed Manchester City’s old hand and returning star after Manchester City kept alive their Premier League title hopes with a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Phil Foden shone on his first start since Nottingham Forest’s visit in March, while Bernardo Silva again earned the praise of his manager with the captain one of expected FA Cup final starters to keep his place amid six changes.

Foden, who caught the eye off the bench against Brentford at the weekend, produced his best performance in months with two assists and left the pitch to a standing ovation when replaced late on.

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Asked if that was Foden’s best showing for a while, Guardiola said: “Playing as a holding midfielder, but in the last 20-25 minutes v Brentford he was outstanding.

“It is not about laziness or not running, he is running all the time and helps Bernie and then without the ball we want [him] close to the box and he is unique close to the box.

“Bernie I like a lot, the last game v Brentford for his defensive intuition. Second ball he is there. He has something unique. Everything is replaceable in life like managers and sporting directors but there are players which are a bit more difficult.

“Bernardo is a grandfather already and Phil is still a little boy. He’s 24-25 and have a lot to improve. He has to be who he is and after the experience, step by step.”

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Pet dog Maisie, fell deep underground down near Blakey Ridge on last Friday.

Maisie had fallen around 6.5 metres down a narrow windy pit on the North York Moors on Friday.

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Gravity had carried her through several extremely tight gaps leaving her trapped deep underground.

What followed was a six hour joint effort involving Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team (SRMRT) North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, North Yorkshire Police & Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA).

A spokesperson for SRMRT said: “After the dog fell around 6.5 metres into a narrow winding pit, it quickly became clear this was far beyond a standard rescue. The underground system was extremely tight, awkward and technical, requiring specialist confined-space rescue skills.

“That’s where the cave rescue team from UWFRA came in.

“Cave rescuer Lucy carefully squeezed through incredibly tight passages deep underground to reach the dog before safely bringing her back to the surface.”It was an outstanding joint effort involving UWFRA, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, North Yorkshire Police and our own team members — all working together for one successful outcome.

“Incidents like this are a great reminder that rescue rarely happens because of one team alone. It takes different organisations, different specialisms, and people willing to go to extraordinary lengths when it matters most.

“We’re hugely grateful to everyone involved.”

“Please consider donating if you can to these amazing volunteers who that made a for a fantastic outcome. Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team

Motherwell gave Hearts renewed hope five minutes from time, though, when Liam Gordon, shortly after coming on, fired home following a series of saves from Sinisalo, which was quickly followed by Blair Spittal curling into the bottom corner to wrap up a commanding 3-0 victory over Falkirk.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-US war with Iran, further strengthening ties with a Gulf nation that normalized relations with Israel in 2020, his office said Wednesday.

Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” according to the statement.

The announcement came just a day after the U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed that Israel had sent Iron Dome air-defense weapons and personnel to operate them to the UAE. The publicly acknowledged deployment of Israel’s military to the Emirates underlined the growing relationship between the two countries.

The UAE, which has not commented on the reported visit by the Israeli leader, has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached last month. It has been trying to signal to nervous investors that it remains open for business and safe.

Last week, the United Arab Emirates state news agency WAM reported that Netanyahu was among the leaders who called the Emirati president to condemn Iranian attacks and express their solidarity with the Gulf federation.

It was rare public acknowledgment of direct talks between the two countries, which normalized relations in the 2020 Abraham Accords and have strengthened their ties during the Iran war. That agreement was criticized by Iran.

Iran in the past has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates.

Israeli leaders have made occasional visits to the UAE in recent years after normalizing relations.

Iran demands Kuwait release detainees

Iran’s foreign minister accused Kuwait of attempting to “sow discord” by detaining four Iranians that the Gulf Arab country accuses of being Revolutionary Guard operatives.

In a post Wednesday on X, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi demanded the Iranians’ immediate release and said Iran reserved the right to respond.

“This illegal act took place near an island used by the U.S. to attack Iran,” Araghchi wrote.

A day earlier, Kuwait said four men were detained and two escaped while trying to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf on May 1.

Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of a Chinese plan to build infrastructure across the world. It also came under Iranian attack during the war.

Iranian human rights lawyer released

Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been released from prison more than a month after being detained, a rights group and her daughter said Wednesday.

Sotoudeh, who is known for defending activists, opposition politicians and women prosecuted for removing their headscarves, was detained by Iranian intelligence agents at her house in Tehran in April.

Her release comes as U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in China for a long-anticipated visit that is expected to touch on the war in Iran.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which closely tracks developments in Iran, said that Sotoudeh was released on bail from Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Her daughter, Mehraveh Khandan, posted on social media that Sotoudeh was released on temporary custody. Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency also reported Sotoudeh release.

Sotoudeh has been imprisoned multiple times. Her activist husband, Reza Khandan, has been imprisoned in the same prison as his wife.

Nobel Peace laureate needs long-term care

Doctors who examined Nobel Peace laureate and activist Narges Mohammadi more than a week after she collapsed at a prison in Iran say she needs months of treatment, according to her foundation.

Mohammadi, 53, was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital in northwestern Iran on May 1 after she fell unconscious. She was released on bail nearly 10 days later and transferred to a hospital in Tehran where her specialists examined her.

The doctors said her vascular disease has worsened since she was last checked in 2024 and recommended an eight-month treatment course .

She was awarded the Nobel in 2023 while in prison and has been jailed repeatedly throughout her career. Her latest imprisonment began in December when she was arrested in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.

___

Schreck reported from Dubai. Associated Press reporter John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

Investigators revealed she had secretly taken out multiple life‑insurance policies on her husband

A mother who wrote a children’s book about helping youngsters cope with grief after her husband’s death has been jailed for life — after it emerged she murdered him herself.

Kouri Richins, 26, poisoned her husband Eric, 39, with a fentanyl‑laced drink at their home near Park City, Utah, in March 2022. The real‑estate agent was convicted in March of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, fraud and forgery.

Prosecutors said she was driven by mounting debts from her house‑flipping business, which was millions of dollars in the red, and by plans to start a new life with another man.

Investigators revealed she had secretly taken out multiple life‑insurance policies on her husband and wrongly believed she would inherit his $4 million estate. Jurors also heard she had tried to kill him weeks earlier, on Valentine’s Day, by giving him a sandwich laced with fentanyl.

On Wednesday (May 13), her deceased husband’s birthday, Richins was sentenced at the Summit County Courthouse to life in prison.

She had laced Mr Richins’ drink with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl, leading to her arrest in May 2023 while promoting her children’s book “Are You with Me?” about a boy coping with the death of his father.

Mr Richins’ family tearfully remembered him as a skilled outdoorsman, hardworking businessman and loving dad to his three sons during the emotional trial.

“Eric was their coach, their father, but most important, was their very, very best friend,” his father Eugene Richins told jurors.

A jury was shown text messages between Richins and her lover in which she fantasised about leaving her husband and gaining millions in a divorce. Prosecutors also presented internet search history from her phone, including queries about the lethal dose of fentanyl, luxury prisons and how poisoning is recorded on a death certificate.

‘I think my wife tried to poison me’

The court heard that Richins had first attempted to kill her husband weeks earlier, on Valentine’s Day, by giving him a sandwich laced with fentanyl.

Mr Richins suffered hives and briefly lost consciousness after taking a single bite of the sandwich, which his wife had left for him on the front seat of his truck on February 14, 2022.

Prosecutors said she had bought the sandwich from a local diner in Kamas at the same time she acquired several dozen fentanyl pills. A housekeeper later told investigators she had sold Richins the pills in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, and that Richins subsequently complained they were “not strong enough” and asked her to obtain a more potent batch.

Two of Mr Richins friends recalled phone conversations from the day in a witness statement. After injecting himself with his son’s EpiPen and chugging a bottle of Benadryl, he woke from a deep sleep and told a friend: “I think my wife tried to poison me.”

The trial was set to last five weeks, but ended early after she waived her right to testify. Richins’ legal team rested its case without calling any witnesses, with her lawyers saying they were confident prosecutors had not produced sufficient evidence to convict her of murder.

Still, an eight-person jury found her guilty on all counts after deliberating for just under three hours on March 16.

Eric Richins’ sister Amy said she was “just very happy that we got justice for my brother” after the conviction, adding that she could now focus on supporting his sons.

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‘I would never ever leave you,’ Richins tells sons

Speaking publicly for the first time at her sentencing hearing, Richins said she wanted to convey a message to her sons, with whom she has not been able to speak since early 2024, after custody was transferred to her husband’s family.

“The one thing I need you boys to know is that I did not abandon you,” she said. “Regardless of what anyone tells you, I would never ever leave you, boys. And I am so sorry that even for one second you think that I did.”

In a court filing this week, the Summit County Attorney’s Office invoked the Richins’ three sons as they urged Judge Richard Mrazik to sentence Richins to life without parole.

“The boys deserve finality and should not have to revisit their father’s murder at future hearings or worry about the Defendant’s potential parole,” prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memorandum. “Given the tremendous trauma and upheaval that the Defendant inflicted upon their childhood, this Court should ensure that she does not harm their adulthood.”

The couple’s eldest son – now aged 13 – said he misses his dad but not his mum. “I’m afraid if she gets out, she will come after me and my brothers, my whole family,” the boy said, according to the filing. “I think she would come and take us and not do good things to us, like hurt us.”

The incident happened on a busway

Police have released an image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with an indecent exposure which happened in broad daylight. Cambridgeshire Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward following the incident in St Ives.

The incident happened in broad daylight last month, and officers are investigating. The indecent exposure happened on the busway near Meadow Lane, on April 28 at about 9.15am.

Sergeant Andy Caruana, from the St Ives neighbourhood team, said: “This was a very distressing experience for the person who witnessed it. We would appeal for anyone who knows the man or anyone with information to get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police online or via 101 quoting crime reference 35/ 35/31161/26/. Always dial 999 in an emergency.

Phil Foden shone as Manchester City moved back within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a comfortable 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush both struck from Foden passes in the first half before Savinho added a late third as City kept their slender title hopes alive at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

With both title challengers having two games remaining, City do still have a chance of securing a seventh league crown in nine years.

Yet after Pep Guardiola made six changes and, with the game played in a subdued atmosphere, there appeared an acceptance the odds were heavily against them and focus had shifted to the FA Cup final.

City were frenetic against Brentford on Saturday but Arsenal’s victory over West Ham on Sunday seemed to have changed the mood.

City arguably benefited on this occasion from facing a Palace side whose eyes may already be on the Conference League final. On this evidence, however, they can expect few favours when Eagles play Arsenal next.

There was an obvious positive in the performance of Foden, who was making his first Premier League start in more than two months.

After two seasons of struggles with form and fitness, there was ample evidence of why the club are prepared to offer him a new contract.

His selection however, while Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku were among the substitutes, indicated Guardiola was looking ahead to Saturday’s Wembley clash with Chelsea.

City were slow to get going and Palace thought they had scored in the second minute.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shot looked to have crossed the line before Gianluigi Donnarumma clawed away but Brennan Johnson was ruled offside in the build-up.

Yeremy Pino also had an effort deflected narrowly wide and Chris Richards headed over from the resulting corner.

City gradually settled and grew in confidence after Rayan Ait-Nouri rifled a shot into the side-netting.

Foden then took centre stage as he played Semenyo in on goal with a clever backheel. The Ghana international finished clinically.

Palace almost responded instantly as Tyrick Mitchell tested Donnarumma but Marmoush could have doubled City’s lead when he jinked into the area, only for a heavy touch to let Maxence Lacroix clear.

Marmoush made no mistake after 39 minutes, turning and firing past Dean Henderson after Foden brought down a high ball in the area.

Foden almost set up another when he crossed for the fit-again Josko Gvardiol, who was making his first appearance since January, but Henderson saved his header.

Palace rallied after the break as Ismaila Sarr shot at Donnarumma and Jorgen Strand Larsen blazed over.

But the visitors were unable to trouble City regularly and substitute Cherki combined with Savinho to wrap up the scoring, six minutes from time.