The project, backed by funding from the North East Combined Authority (NECA), includes 25 properties for social rent on the site of the former Easington Colliery Primary School.

The proposed development would consist of two-storey homes, bungalows and flats on the site of the former school, which was demolished in 2020. 

Earlier this year, Durham County Council secured £645,632 toward the development as part of NECA’s wider £22 million investment to support 1,122 new homes across the North East.

Homes have been planned for the site of the former Easington Colliery Primary School. (Image: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL PLANNING PORTAL)

The application has been submitted by the council’s housing delivery department and has been recommended for approval ahead of a planning committee meeting on Tuesday (June 9).  

Welcoming the funding, Andrew Husband, council leader, said: “It will turn an abandoned, disused site into valuable and much-needed housing for people, with features that will keep living costs down.” 

County Durham’s council house delivery programme includes an ambition to deliver 500 homes over the next five years, with the Easington scheme the sixth major development to come forward. 

Latest council data reveals a current shortfall of 836 affordable homes per year. The unmet need for affordable homes has meant that families in need of a home have had to be placed in temporary accommodation while they wait for a suitable home to become available.  

“The proposed scheme is in a suitable location with the development having excellent links to local services and facilities,” the council added. 

However, a total of two objections have been submitted, raising concerns over a lack of car parking for residents, an increase in traffic and proposed access routes. 

The council’s affordable housing officer also raised concerns with the proposed first-floor flats, saying that they are “not satisfied that they would address a local need and therefore could remain vacant in the long term and would prefer a different house type to be provided”.

“We can’t wait to welcome customers through our doors and celebrate what promises to be a true Sephora Summer.”

One of the most-anticipated openings of the summer, the arrival of Sephora in Scotland is one thing beauty fans will be looking forward to. And they won’t have to wait much longer, as the beauty giant has announced the opening dates for its Edinburgh and Glasgow stores.

The LVMH-owned global beauty brand has revealed its now famous ‘Temples of Beauty’ will open at St James Quarter on Thursday, July 9, ahead of the Glasgow opening on Thursday, August 13.

Both stores will be stocked with Sephora UK exclusives and selective brands, giving fans the chance to shop the likes of rhode, Haus Labs, Makeup by Mario, Merit Beauty, INNBeauty Project, Tower 28 and Half Magic for the first time ever on Scottish soil.

Managing director of Sephora UK, Sarah Boyd, said: “This summer marks a major milestone in Sephora UK’s journey as we continue to bring out unique beauty experience to more communities across the country.

“We’re incredibly excited to be opening our first stores in Scotland, giving beauty lovers access to some of the world’s most sought-after brands and exclusive products for the very first time.

“We can’t wait to welcome customers through our doors and celebrate what promises to be a true Sephora Summer.”

Customers at both stores will be able to enjoy personalised redeemable beauty consultations, gift-wrapping and engraving services, as well as immersive in-store experiences designed to inspire confidence and creativity.

The new stores will also be among some of the first to introduce Sephora UK’s Beauty Scan technology, which allows Beauty Advisors to use an advanced lens to analyse a client’s skin for a more individualised consultation and personalised product recommendations, including oil and hydration levels and foundation shade matching.

Estate director at St James Quarter, Anne Ledgerwood, stated: “Welcoming Sephora’s first Scottish store to St James Quarter on 9 July is a landmark moment for the Quarter and for Edinburgh.

“Securing such an iconic global beauty brand for its Scottish debut reflects its position as the country’s leading retail destination and builds on the strength of our already diverse beauty offer.

“Excitement is already building ahead of opening, and we’re proud to be introducing Sephora to Scotland for the very first time, bringing an exciting new experience for guests to discover this summer.”

What’s more, in line with Sephora UK’s commitment to a seamless omnichannel offering, shoppers will also be able to continue the Sephora shopping experience via the Sephora UK app for exclusive product offers, as well as the MySephora loyalty programme. Through this, clients can earn points on every purchase in-store and online, unlocking exclusive rewards, surprise gifts, early access to launches and invites to special events.

Centre Manager at Silverburn, Diarmuid Donohoe, added: “Sephora opening at Silverburn this August is a really exciting moment for beauty lovers in Glasgow and the west of Scotland.

“Bringing the very best global brands to our community is what drives us, and each new arrival reinforces Silverburn’s position as the go to destination for beauty, lifestyle and fashion in the city.

“We know this is one our guests have been waiting for, and we can’t wait to welcome them to the new Sephora store this summer.”

The opening of stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively feed into Sephora UK’s expansion strategy to open their iconic “temples of beauty” alongside the retailer’s new, small format boutique stores, which will debut this summer at Soho’s Carnaby Street on Thursday, July 23 and Shoreditch’s Old Spitalfields Market on Thursday, July 30.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Mindanao in the Philippines this morning causing buildings to collapse and now Government buildings in Alabel have been ‘suspended until further notice’

Government buildings in Alabel have been suspended until further notice after a huge earthquake struck the Philippines this morning.

Alabel, officially the Municipality of Alabel, is a municipality and capital of the province of Sarangani, Philippines.

The earthquake was felt in Davao City shortly before 7.40am local time on Monday, June 8, 2026. The earthquake was initially estimated at a magnitude 8.2, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has downgraded the earthquake to 7.8 magnitude.

A tsunami threat has been issued for several countries the world waits to see the effects of the quake. Possible tsunami alerts have been issued for the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Palau, Yap, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and the west coast of the United States.

New Zealand and Australia both shared concerns of a tsunami earlier in the day, but later said giant waves are no longer a worry.

A statement from the Local Government Unit of Alabel said: “Upon the directive of Mayor Lilibeth “Ybing” J. Salarda, MPA, all classes at all levels and work in all government offices within the Municipality of Alabel are suspended until further notice due to the recent earthquake. Residents are urged to prioritize safety, remain in open areas away from buildings and other structures, and monitor official LGU channels for further updates.

“For emergencies and disaster-related concerns in the Municipality of Alabel, you may contact the Alabel Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) through the hotline below: 0970-025-7156”

President of the Republic of the Philippines Bongbong Marcos is yet to comment on the incident.

Follow our live blog for the latest updates by clicking here.

About 2,300 North Korean soldiers have died fighting for Russia against Ukraine, according to a BBC investigation. Pyongyang is also accused of supplying ammunition for Russia’s war effort in exchange for oil and aid, a development that has alarmed Washington and its allies, and quietly rattled China.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirate (AP) — Israel launched airstrikes early Monday targeting central and western Iran in response to missile fire from Tehran, attacks that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a regional war.

Iranian state television reported the sound of explosions being heard in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran, without immediately elaborating. A witness in Tehran described hearing at least one large blast somewhere to the west of the country’s capital city. Iran closed the airspace around Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, the country’s main airfield, after the Israeli attack.

Iranian officials offered no details on what had been struck, nor any damage information. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said that Israel used air-launched ballistic missiles in its attack Monday morning, without elaborating.

The Israeli military at dawn in Iran issued a short statement as the strikes started: “A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force struck military targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran.” It did not elaborate.

The White House did not respond to messages about the strikes and whether they were done in coordination with the U.S.

For days, negotiations between Iran and the United States over the fragile ceasefire in the war had been stalled by the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. Israel now occupies southern Lebanon and had moved into areas of the country it hadn’t held in a quarter century — leading to fears about them further widening their campaign.

On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Iran retaliated with its own strike on Israel, which led to Monday morning’s attack by Israel on Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier told a Fox News Channel reporter that he wanted the Iranians to stop firing missiles and return to the negotiating table. He also said that Israel’s strikes in Lebanon earlier Sunday were not coordinated with the U.S. and “I’m not happy about it.”

A senior U.S. official said Trump had called Netanyahu to urge him not to retaliate immediately for the Iranian missile attack. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe a private phone call, said that Trump believed he had convinced Netanyahu to wait.

Trump “got Bibi to hold off for the time being,” the official said. The official would not offer any other details of the call, and there was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.

___ Matthew Lee in Washington and Michelle L. Price in Bridgewater, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Mindanao, which is the second-largest island in the Philippines, was hit by a 7.0 magnitued earthquake this morning. The Foreign Office has now issued an urgent warning to Brits who are due to travel to the area

The Foreign Office has updated it’s travel advise this morning following the earthquake in Mindanao.

Mindanao, which is the second-largest island in the Philippines (after Luzon) and the seventh-most populous island in the world, was hit by a 7.0 magnitued earthquake on Monday June 8. The earthquake was felt in Davao City shortly before 7.40am local time.

The earthquake was initially estimated at a magnitude 8.2, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has downgraded the earthquake to 7.0 magnitude. Possible tsunami alerts have been issued for the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Palau, Yap, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and the west coast of the United States.

The Foreign Office has now warned Brits who are due to travel to the area. The update from the FCDO reads: “On 8 June 2026, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck southern Mindanao. Aftershocks are expected, and there may be damage to buildings and infrastructure in affected areas. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has issued a tsunami threat and advised residents and visitors in affected coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground.

If you are in the affected area:

• Follow the advice of local authorities and emergency services
• Move to higher ground if you are in coastal areas
• Be aware of the risk of aftershocks
• Avoid damaged buildings and infrastructure
• Monitor local media and official sources for updates.

If you are planning to travel to Mindanao:

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

President of the Republic of the Philippines Bongbong Marcos has issued a statement following the earthquake, it reads: “A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of Sarangani this morning, and a tsunami warning is now in effect across several coastal provinces in Mindanao.

“I have directed all relevant government agencies to act immediately. The Office of Civil Defense and the NDRRMC are now coordinating disaster response and monitoring across all affected areas. The DSWD has been directed to pre-position relief goods and ensure that evacuation centers are ready and operational.

“The DPWH is on standby to assess damage to roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure, and to clear routes needed for rescue and relief operations. I am also ordering the suspension of classes in all levels across affected areas in Mindanao until further notice. The safety of our children comes first. DepEd will coordinate with local government units on this.

“To our kababayans in the affected provinces, please heed the tsunami warning. Move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind. The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind. I am in constant communication with our regional offices and local chief executives on the ground. Updates will be provided as the situation develops.”

Follow our live blog for the latest updates by clicking here.

Harrowing footage of buildings crumbling and residents screaming in panic has been circulating on social media this morning, after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines.

The Philippines Government, via the US Tsunami Warning System, has issued a tsunami warning for the country following the devastating tremor near Mindanao. The earthquake, recorded at a projected magnitude of 7.8, was felt in Davao City at just before 7.40am local time on Monday, 8 June 2026.

Residents reported violent shaking, with people evacuating buildings as a precautionary measure.

Tsunami warnings have been declared across a number of territories, including:

• – The Philippines
• – The west coast of the United States
• – Indonesia
• – Palau
• – Yap
• – Taiwan
• – Papua New Guinea

Clips showing buildings collapsing have been widely shared across social media platforms.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has since lifted its tsunami watch warning for the country’s coastline and overseas territories. The cancellation was confirmed by the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) at 10.38am AEST.

“An undersea earthquake of magnitude 7.8 occurred at 9.37am AEST on Monday 8, June 2026 near Mindanao, Philippines,” reads the BoM statement. “No tsunami waves have been observed that pose a threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.

“THE TSUNAMI WATCH FOR AUSTRALIA IS CANCELLED. No further updates will be issued unless the situation changes.”

In one disturbing clip, the Plaza building, home to LOVE Radio Gensan and DZRH News FM, can be seen collapsing dramatically in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Sarangani. Terrified screams from bystanders just metres away ring out as a massive cloud of dust billows into the air.

Andrew Harvey, 42, who runs the Bishop Auckland business Cassie’s Kitchen, has transformed a 1950s ice cream cart into “Edith the Egg Cart” in memory of his grandma, Edith, who died in January aged 91.

The business has been trading around the North East for the last six years, selling handmade Scotch eggs at markets and food festivals.

Andrew Harvey, 42, who runs the Bishop Auckland business Cassie’s Kitchen, has transformed a 1950s ice cream cart into “Edith the Egg Cart” (Image: Cassie’s Kitchen)

Andrew said he had been keeping an eye out for “something a bit different” to help the stall stand out when he spotted the vintage cart on social media about two years ago.

He said: “We usually sell from a market stall or a gazebo, and I’m always looking for a bit of a quirk.

“I saw the ice cream cart online and thought, it’s different, it looks cool, it’s got that old style with glass all the way round.

“I bought it thinking we’d do something with it at some point, but with a couple of tough years in business, it just kept getting put off.

“We’d say, ‘If we have a good December, we’ll sort it,’ and it never happened.”

The cart, which was originally used by Coxon’s Ice Cream in Seahouses, had spent decades by the harbour (Image: Cassie’s Kitchen)

However, that soon changed after his grandma suddenly passed away at the start of this year.

He said: “In January, we lost my gran, and it was a bit of a kick to get it finished.

“I thought, that’s it, I’m going to do it. No more excuses. I’m going to name it after my gran, and that’s what we did.”

The cart, which was originally used by Coxon’s Ice Cream in Seahouses, had spent decades by the harbour and was in a bad state when Andrew bought it.

Cassie’s Kitchen is known for its scotch eggs. (Image: Cassie’s Kitchen)

The 42-year-old said: “It was completely ruined.

“The chassis was rotten, one side had snapped, the axle had snapped, and the roof beams were gone. You could tell which side had been facing the sea.

 “We put a new floor in, stripped it right back to the metal, repainted it, replaced all the roof supports and took out the old ice cream freezer. Apart from the body and the glass, everything is new.”

The refurbishment became a family project, with Andrew’s mum and stepdaughter putting in hours of work to get it finished.

The cart made its first appearance on the May bank holiday at the Great North Feast in the Park at Bents Park, South Shields (Image: Cassie’s Kitchen)

The cart made its first appearance on the May bank holiday at the Great North Feast in the Park at Bents Park, South Shields, which was deliberately chosen so Edith’s hometown would be the first to see it.

Andrew said: “Most of our family is still in South Shields, so on the Saturday when the festival opened, they all came along to see the cart.

“It was quite emotional. They were all really proud and said Gran would have loved it. It was a really special moment, and I’m glad I could share it with my family.”

The cart has his gran’s name on the back (Image: Cassie’s Kitchen)

Andrew said since debuting the new cart, the response has been “amazing.”

He said: “People love it. You get a lot of older people saying they remember seeing carts like that at the seaside when they were little.

“They come over out of nostalgia and then try the Scotch eggs.”

Cassie’s Kitchen now plans to take Edith the Egg Cart to food festivals and events across the region, with the trailer set to become “the face of the business.”

Andrew set up the new cart in memory of his gran Edith (Image: Cassie’s Kitchen)

Andrew said: “Logistically, we can’t take it everywhere, but the idea is it replaces the gazebo at most places and becomes the face of the business.

“I’d have loved to have had it done in time for my gran to see it.

“That was the original plan. Even though that didn’t happen, it’s still really nice to do it in her honour and for the family to see it out on the road.”

It can create a “mini pond”

Birds are far from the only beneficiaries