Hopes and Beans in Whitby has applied to turn existing holiday let apartments into five hotel rooms as part of a plan to refurbish its town centre site.
The ground and part first floors are in use as a cafe and a new scheme would see the sympathetic restoration of the existing building at 2, St Ann’s Staith, near the town’s iconic swing bridge, and would include the reconfiguration of the holiday apartments into hotel accommodation.
The hotel rooms would be accessed and serviced via a ground floor reception café and bar.
Current accommodation on the first floor was converted into holiday let use in 2023, and last year the applicant’s plans for a seven-room hotel were approved.
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North Yorkshire Council’s environmental protection team has not raised objections but did recommend conditions limiting construction hours if the scheme is approved.
The site comprises a pair of buildings located at 2, St Ann’s Staith and floors above number 3, St Ann’s Staith. The buildings have undergone extensive alterations over the years, some of which are being reversed by the current owner as part of a sympathetic restoration, according to plans.
St Ann Staith, Whitby. Applicant
The existing first floor accommodation would be reconfigured as two hotel bedrooms, operated by and accessed through the ground floor reception café, while the second floor accommodation would be reconfigured as three hotel bedrooms.
Access to the second floor accommodation will be improved and will be more direct with a new staircase.
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“Currently the second floor is accessed by circulating through the first floor former cafe seating area to an unprotected staircase,” according to a submitted design statement.
The neighbouring building is the Grade-II Listed Custom House at No. 1 St Ann’s Staith.
The applicant said: “The proposed sympathetic works to the facade of number 3 St Ann’s Staith will improve both the building itself together with having a positive impact upon the terrace of neighbouring buildings and the wider Whitby Conservation Area.”
The planning authority has not set a date for deciding on the application which is currently open to representations from members of the public.
Football fans can snap up more than 100 stickers from Panini’s latest collection as stock dwindles at many online retailers
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Panini’s beloved World Cup sticker collection has returned for this summer’s tournament, and it’s been selling fast. The 2026 edition has been flying off the virtual shelves at many retailers, leaving fans with big gaps in their collection.
By doing so, new members will receive a £15 welcome bonus and cashback at BargainMax, effectively reducing the Panini sticker bundle to £4.82 after cashback. As it includes a total of 112 World Cup stickers, this works out at roughly 4p per sticker.
The deal is exclusively available for new TopCashback members, while existing members will pay £19.82 after cashback. This undercuts rival retailers like Amazon, which charges £25.42 (was £26.48) for the same bundle, while a 50-packet bundle and 100-packet bundle come in at £62.50 and £124.98 respectively.
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It comes as retailers like Argos, Sports Direct, and Selfridges sold out of much of their stock earlier this month. This year’s tournament has been expanded to 48 teams, which means the FIFA World Cup 2026 Sticker album comprises a whopping 980 stickers to collect.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Sticker Collection Mega Multiset
BargainMax customers can 112 Panini stickers in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Sticker Collection Mega Multiset for roughly 4p each by shopping through TopCashback.
This includes portraits of legendary players like Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as iconic team badges for all 48 teams playing this summer. The TopCashback deal comes as the World Cup enters the final days of the first wave of group games, with England set to play their first fixture on Wednesday (June 17).
The Three Lions will face old rivals Croatia in Dallas in the Group L opener. Scotland will then follow up their first World Cup win in 36 years when they play Morocco in Boston on Friday (June 19).
For fans yet to secure their new football strip ahead of the games, England fans can get 15% off the new Nike 2026 shirts at Kitbag with the code AFF15, while Scotland’s latest adidas home kit is available at JD Sports.
Search for BargainMax and click ‘Get Cashback Now’.
Shop and checkout as usual.
Cashback will track and appear in the TopCashback account within seven working days of purchase.
The cashback will become payable and available to withdraw and spend after BargainMax has paid TopCashback the commission for the purchase.
As for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Sticker Collection Mega Multiset, Amazon customers have awarded the bundle a 4.2-star rating after more than 150 reviews. One said: “Really worth the money, got Ronaldo and Messi in the first 10 packs.”
Another said: “The stickers are good quality, colourful and well printed, with a nice mix of players, teams and special stickers.”
However, the same collector also highlighted a drawback to the Panini stickers, adding: “As with any sticker collection, duplicates are inevitable, particularly once your album starts filling up.”
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Meanwhile, another happy customer said: “Perfect starter pack, my son is extremely happy.”
Saturday at Parklife 2026 includes sets from Skepta, Sammy Virji, Nia Archives and Josh Baker
This weekend Parklife Festivals returns with a star-studded lineup. Tens of thousands are expected to flock to Heaton Park to see some of the music industry’s biggest acts take to the stage.
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Manchester’s biggest music festival, Parklife, returns on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June with festival-goers turning out to see headliners including Calvin Harris, who has not headlined a show in Manchester since playing at the Manchester Arena in 2013.
One of the country’s biggest music events, it regularly draws in more than 80,000 people over the weekend and this year marks 16 years since it was first founded. Previously, the festival has been headlined by hit hop titans like 50 Cent, Snoop Dog, and Tyla the Creator as well as Manchester acts such as Liam Gallagher, The 1975 and Aitch.
Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter
This year’s edition will also see British MC and rapper Skepta, Garage and bassline DJ and producer Sammy Virji, and Swedish songstress Zara Larsson will also take to the stage. Manchester-based DJ and producer Josh Baker will be returning to the festival having had his set quite literally shut down at the event last year.
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Others confirmed to be playing will be Chris Stussy, Nia Archives, Kettama, Marlon Hoffstadt, Bou, Rossi, Silva Bumpa, and local Atherton lad Morgan Seatree, who went viral after bringing his grandma out on stage with him during his set at the festival last year.
Other big names include Armand Van Helden, Shy FX, Clementine Douglas, Ewan McVicar, Prospa, Rudim3ntal, and Chloé Caillet. Parklife 2026 will also feature a range of takeovers from the likes of XXL, Worried About Henry, Modern Funktion and Ghosts Of Garage.
It’ll be a busy weekend across Greater Manchester too. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has said more than a quarter of a million people will be travelling to the various events over the weekend.
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Over at the Etihad Stadium, Take That are set to perform a series of shows on all three days. Etihad Campus will also host the Women’s Netball Final at the Co-op Live from 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
The city will also welcome Lily Allen and the B52s across three nights at the AO Arena; and the Women’s Cricket World Cup will draw thousands to Emirates Old Trafford on 21 June when South Africa take on India.
You can read our full guide including when the festival starts and end, what you can take in and how to get there and home here.
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Saturday, 20 June stage splits and set times:
The Valley
Alexandria – 12-1pm
Prospa – 1-2:30pm
Josh Baker – 2:30-4pm
4am Kru – 4:30-6pm
Nia Archives – 6:30-7:30pm
Skepta – 8-9pm
Sammy Virji – 21:30-11pm
Panorama
Ellia Jaya – 12-1pm
Julian Fijma – 1-2:30pm
Bullet Tooth – 2:30-3:40pm
SOSA – 15:40 -5pm
Cloone – 5-6:30pm
Alisha – 6:30-8pm
Rossi – 8-9:30pm
East End Dubs – 9:30-11pm
Matinee
Niamh – 12-1pm
ATRIP – 1-2pm
mph – 2-3pm
Oppidan – 3-4pm
Effy – 4-5pm
Malugi B2B Sam Alfred – 5-6:30pm
Marlon Hoffstadt – 6:30-8pm
Morgan Seatree – 8-9pm
Mall Grab – 9-10pm
Daria Kolosova – 10-11pm
Magic Sky
North Base – 12-12:40pm
Catching Cairo – 12:40-1:25pm
LENS – 1:25-2:15pm
Born on Road – 2:15-3:05pm
Kanine – 3:03-4PM
Wilkinson – 4-5pm
Dimension – 5-6pm
Bou – 6-7pm
Hedex – 7-8pm
Andy C – 8-9pm
K Motionz – 9-10pm
Mozey – 10-10:50pm
G Stage
Mya – 12-1pm
A For Alpha – 1-2:30pm
The Trip – 2:30-4pm
Kepler – 4-5:30pm
Locky B2B Phill de Janeiro B2B Benji King – 5:30-7pm
England fans will be tuning in to the first of (hopefully) many World Cup 2026 matches on Thursday as the Three Lions face Croatia in Dallas.
London’s pubs are expected to be swarming well before kick-off at 9pm, with fan zones, restaurants, and bars all primed for crowds of England supporters.
But the later start also means the match will not finish until 11pm – throwing many people’s travel plans into jeopardy.
Unlike pubs – which will be opening beyond usual hours around some matches – the transport authority has not announced any plans for later trains or extended operating hours beyond its usual weekend night service.
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Luckily, we’ve spelt out exactly which lines will be running across the TfL network, plus some other ways of getting back home so you know for certain whether there is time for one more pint.
How to get home after England v Croatia
TfL is expecting a surge in late night travel across its 18 primary lines over the course of the tournament as fans make journeys across London to soak in the atmosphere of England’s most anticipated sporting event.
Tubes will be busier, especially as punters rush home to catch the last train after games.
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The last train from Elephant & Castle to Harrow & Wealdstone will depart at 23:47. Those looking to travel further than Harrow & Wealdstone will need to get the 23:58 service from Euston.
There is a later train at 00:23 from Elephant & Castle, terminating at Queen’s Park.
The last southbound train from Harrow & Wealdstone to Elephant & Castle departs at 23:54. There is one later train from Harrow & Wealdstone at 00:31, terminating at Queen’s Park.
Busy commuters make their way home
NurPhoto via Getty Images
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The last train from Epping to West Ruislip will depart at 23:45. Later trains will terminate early at Snaresbrook, Leytonstone, and Woodford.
The last train to West Ruislip from Liverpool Street is scheduled for 00:23.
The last train to Epping from West Ruislip will depart at 23:53.
The last eastbound train on the Circle line from Hammersmith departs at 00:30, terminating at Edgware Road.
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Those looking to get to Liverpool Street will need to catch an earlier service at 23:51 or 00:22.
The last westbound train from Edgware Road leaves at 00:05. A later service at 00:31 terminates at High Street Kensington.
On the District line, the last train from Ealing Broadway to Upminster will depart at 23:41. A later eastbound service will operate at 00:21 from Ealing Broadway, terminating at Hammersmith.
Westbound, the last train from Upminster to Ealing Broadway will depart at 23:44. The last train to Wimbledon will run at 00:49 from High Street Kensington, while last trains to Ealing Broadway will run at 00:52 from the same station.
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The last train on the Hammersmith & City line eastbound will depart from Hammersmith at 00:30, terminating at Edgware Road.
For services to Barking, the last train is at 00:22.
The last Westbound trains will leave at 00:36 from Aldgate, terminating at Hammersmith, or 00:41 from Aldgate, terminating at Edgware Road.
The last train from Barking will depart at 23:59.
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TfL is expecting a surge in night travel
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The last train southbound/eastbound from Stanmore will leave at 00:13 while the last train from Stratford northbound/westbound is scheduled for 00:11.
The Metropolitan line has later services for journeys to Wembley Park, Finchley Road, and Baker Street.
The final northbound service from Aldgate to Chesham departs at 00:03 while the last train to Uxbridge departs at 00:13.
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England fans are expected to arrive in their masses to cheer on the Three Lions
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Passengers can also take the 00:43 service from Baker Street to Uxbridge or the 00:49 train from Baker Street to Wembley Park.
Services to Watford depart at 23:48 from Aldgate or 00:12 from Baker Street.
The last trains to Aldgate leave at 23:06 from Uxbridge and 23:00 from Chesham.
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There are later trains at 23:30 and 23:23, but passengers may be required to change at Baker Street or Harrow-on-the-Hill to complete their journey.
On the Northern line, the last train from Morden to High Barnet leaves at 00:05. From Battersea Power Station to Edgware, the last train leaves at 00:28.
The last train from Edgware leaves at 00:52 and at 00:50 from High Barnet. The final southbound service from Finchley Central leaves at 01:13.
The last trains eastbound from Heathrow Terminal 5 and Uxbridge both leave at 00:18. The last train to Cockfosters leaves from Heathrow Terminal 5 at 23:42.
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From Rayners Lane, the last train eastbound leaves at 00:51, terminating at Acton Town.
Westbound, the last train from Cockfosters leaves at 23:54.
On the Victoria line, the last southbound train to Brixton leaves Walthamstow Central at 00:10.
There is one later train at 00:53 terminating at Seven Sisters.
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From Brixton, the last train leaves at 00:28.
The last train from Waterloo to Bank leaves at 00:20. From Bank to Waterloo, the last service is at 00:26.
The last service from Stratford to Woolwich Arsenal will depart at 00:15.
From Woolwich Arsenal, the last train will depart at 00:14.
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The last train to Lewisham from Bank will leave at 00:30. Trains to Bank from Lewisham will depart at 00:18.
Night buses are operating as usual through the night and of course, Londoners can use a host of e-bike operators, including Lime and Forest bikes.
But remember, it is illegal to ride an e-bike under the influence of alcohol.
Widow’s Bay sunsetted its bonkers summer season with a special stormy goodbye to its guests, who presumably booked their hols after Martha’s Vineyard had already been snapped up.
The tenth and final episode was titled We Hope You Enjoyed Your Time! I did, but Kenny and Ruth probably did not. And neither will eight others, if those tolling church bells are anything to go by.
The Apple TV show has been a sleeper summer hit, with word-of-mouth buzz that, increasingly, feels like a relic of a bygone TV-watching age.
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But that’s the whole point of Widow’s Bay: it’s like stepping back in time. There’s no phone service. Tom Loftis (a towering Matthew Rhys performance) has an actual Rolodex on his desk. The Lovely Bones is still a popular choice at book clubs.
The finale proved the island is even more antiquated than all that. For instance, they didn’t do away with human sacrifice as many years ago as the rest of us did. As a result, the show gifted us the most uncanny training video since Severance’s animated Keanu Reeves cameo.
Patricia and Wyck are trying their damndest to keep a handle on the unruly tourists (Picture: Apple TV)
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Widow’s Bay season two has already been confirmed. Good thing too, since showrunner Katie Dippold and her crack team of creatives/production design geniuses (still not over the Teeth game and/or Patricia’s grimoire) have some loose ends to tie up. So let’s break down that tour de force finale.
RIP Ruth (?)
The penultimate episode set up the finale as a trolley problem over whether or not to kill the sweet, doddering Ruth.
A telltale brooch and Rosemary’s genealogy identified her as the sole surviving descendant of Frances Warren. If she kicks the bucket, so too does the curse on Widow’s Bay.
Because Tom’s chant of ‘cancer, cancer, cancer’ doesn’t manifest the desired results in her medical files, he tries first a pill combination and then a pillow to get the job done. But ultimately, there’s no point.
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After a trip down memory lane through all the guys (and girls) who made a pass at her, Ruth tells Tom the thing she’s never told another soul. She had a child with a married man (‘Pullout method just doesn’t work!’). That daughter went on to marry Tom.
Ruth takes Tom on a trip down memory lane through all the guys (and girls) who made a pass at her (Picture: Robert Clark/Apple TV)
So if you’re one of the ravenous Widow’s Bay fans on Reddit who predicted Tom’s son Evan would be a Warren descendant, take a bow.
The only way he will be able to leave the island is in a coffin, or on his way into one. Tom realises he’ll never go to college/a Red Sox game after all.
But an unknowing Bashir walks in and shoots Ruth to save his child. I gasped.
Ruth is still alive when we last see her, but things don’t look good. If she does live, she might have found a taste for telling people about Evan’s ancestry.
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The shelter and that creepy training video
Surely if your storm shelter has a radioactive symbol by the door, don’t go in, right? That will be the homespun wisdom I’ll take from this episode, alongside ‘Never enter a room that contains a creepy torture chair’.
While Tom is debating whether to kill Ruth before being usurped, back at the shelter, the proverbial is hitting the fan. Patricia and Wyck are trying their damndest to keep a handle on it all, even with food and water supplies that are long past their best-by dates.
It’s not just unruly tourists. Everything about the shelter screams ‘Bad things have happened here! And will again!’ Rosemary was once instructed never to enter. Patricia finds a note that reads, ‘If you can read this, I’m already dead.’
It’s dire stuff. And we haven’t even got to what Dale finds.
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Dale makes a disturbing discovery in the shelter (Picture: Apple TV)
While pursuing the shelter backrooms for some light entertainment to weather the storm, he flicks on a vintage film reel. On it is an instructional video for human sacrifices of yore, as well as the ‘facilitators’ sending them down to their deaths.
We’re told that after a ‘very fair, very rigorous selection process’ the so-called offerings were chosen and had to ‘accept their fate and take pride’. Evidently Widow’s Bay was once upon a time even worse; if you were deemed ‘wanting in some way,’ the town hall was liable to toss you into the shelter to be consumed by whatever in God’s name is beneath that cellar hatch.
‘Your sacrifice will save countless members of our community from suffering,’ says the smiley yuppie on the video. Then they show harrowing images of half-naked offerings with sacks over their heads, being led to their demise.
Next is the key detail. The island has ‘made its needs known’ via the tolling church bell. ‘One soul for each bell toll.’
The tolling bells
We first heard the bells toll at the start of the show’s second episode, Lodgings. The late Reverend Bryce went to check on them and found both bells still locked up, covered in cobwebs.
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The bells are something of a dinner bell for the island, and we now know they’re also of numerical importance.
Evan is the last surviving descendant of Frances Warren (Picture: Apple TV)
PJ presumably had no idea about any of that when he shut Kenny in the creepy cellar. He’s always doing bad things at the worst possible time, such as sneaking into the underground network of tunnels to smoke a joint with Evan and that one mainland girl (who I’m starting to question might be a sinister siren of sorts, because how is she still holidaying on Widow’s Bay?).
Anyway, town hall cog Kenny is the island’s first victim we’ve seen. He gets stuck behind the self-locking door. Then: ‘Something’s happening!’ Before: ‘Oh God! Oh God!’ Whatever it is isn’t good. When Evan goes back in afterwards, the doors to its domain are slightly ajar.
Those bells toll again as the season ends with Tom throwing Ruth’s brooch in the sea (surely that means she’s dead?).
They ring out eight times, which makes sense given that when we last heard them, it was nine.
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So when we return to Widow’s Bay (hopefully soon), the island won’t yet have transformed into Martha’s Vineyard. It’s still hungry!
Bashir and his newborn
Will Bashir face justice for maybe killing Ruth? (Picture: Robert Clark/Apple TV)
We never see Bashir’s very sweet wife give birth, but we can only assume the baby is coming or has come. Their newborn is likely about to be consigned to the same fate as Evan: island entrapment.
But Bashir now knows there is a descendant who could lift the curse on his own child. That is shaping up to be the central quandary of season two, besides the question of which eight suckers are heading into the basement next.
Bashir has shown he’s willing to take matters into his own hands (justice for Ruth) and presumably, won’t see any consequences for it, since the rule of law seems conspicuously absent thus far.
Evan and Tom versus Bashir – who will take it? Or who should take it? We’re back to the trolley problems.
Thomas Tuchel says that he is “not ready to adapt” England’s playing style at the World Cup despite the heat – as it would “give up” the team’s strengths.
Since starting his job as head coach in January 2025, Tuchel has made a point of saying how much he likes the physicality of English domestic football and that the national side should replicate that style.
The 52-year-old’s squad selections have followed that thinking with an emphasis on physicality and powerful running when he picked his 26-man squad for the tournament.
“They want to be active with the ball,” the German told BBC Sport about his England side before their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday (21:00 BST).
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“We have a young group. We have a courageous group. We have a brave group of players.
“So let’s let’s go for it. I mean, no one guarantees you that we win. So we want to at least try it, our style and our belief.”
The temperatures in the USA, Mexico and Canada are extremely high and mandatory hydration breaks have been introduced in all matches, effectively breaking them into quarters.
And speaking at the news conference before the Croatia match, Tuchel said hydration breaks can “change the character of each half”.
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He acknowledged the three-minute intervals give coaches chance to “change and reset” during games while delivering “group messages”.
Temperatures in Dallas will be more than 30C by the time England kick off their opening Group L game – but the effects of the heat will be reduced because the Dallas Stadium is one of the air-conditioned indoor venues being used at this World Cup.
And starting the tournament in that stadium has given Tuchel belief that his side can impose their style on Croatia “because we play indoors”.
But the England boss did reference the impact of the heat has had on his players at their Kansas City training base.
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“Yesterday, it was very hot even here in training,” Tuchel said.
“And we could feel that it has a more impact than, for example, today. So let’s see.
“I’m just not ready to adapt into a different style of football because of circumstances that we cannot influence. I think we would just give up our strengths.”
Four minutes in, Messi raced clear and put the ball past Algeria’s keeper, Luca Zidane, only for the offside flag to prevent what would have been a fairytale start. Fans celebrated as if they had won the World Cup. Journalists turned to each other with a look of the inevitable. It was happening. This was just a delay.
There were a few moments of concern when Messi’s studs caught the top of Aissa Mandi’s heel but, no action was taken, and the Argentine took full advantage.
By the 18th minute, Messi’s moment arrived. Twenty-five yards out, he shifted on to his left foot and curled a superb effort towards the top-right corner.
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Goalkeeper Zidane – son of France legend Zinedine – got both hands to it, but the strike had too much power. Kansas City Stadium exploded with noise as Argentina fans celebrated Messi’s 14th World Cup goal. It was the start of a historic evening.
As former Everton midfielder Leon Osman observed: “Messi is celebrating like it’s his first World Cup goal. With the ability he has, he never seems to age. It’s a brilliant ball into his feet and, as you’d expect, he finishes it superbly.”
Two decades on from his first appearance on this stage, and now in a record 27th World Cup match, Messi continues to defy his age. Throughout the match, he was constantly scanning for options, constantly anticipating Argentina’s next move. He looked fit, fast and threatening.
After 60 minutes, Messi struck again. A costly error from Zidane allowed the ball to roll into Messi’s path. With typical composure, Messi placed the ball into the net to move within one goal of becoming the joint-top scorer in World Cup history. In doing so, he became the oldest player to score two goals at the World Cup.
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To this point, age has not blunted Messi’s ability. Since turning 35, he has scored 10 World Cup goals – more than Harry Kane, Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry have each scored in total.
Hartlepool Borough Council recently scrapped its “free after 3pm” parking offer at Middleton Grange Shopping Centre and introduced Sunday parking charges as part of its 2026/27 budget.
The changes, which also end free Saturday parking in December, are intended to generate additional income after the council voted to freeze core council tax.
Connor Stallard, a Liberal Democrat campaigner, said: “It’s the last thing our town needs.”
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Mr Stallard added: “I’ve been across town this week talking to local businesses, and the feedback from them is they’re really concerned.”
Although the parking policy was introduced by the previous Labour administration, it was unanimously backed by all councillors present when the budget was approved.
Council officers estimated in March that removing free parking incentives would save £60,000.
Mr Stallard said: “From the conversations on the doorsteps, it’s clear local residents want easier access to our town centre, and these charges risk driving trade away and turning Hartlepool into a ghost town.
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“I’m calling for an urgent rethink on these charges so we can ensure local residents and businesses can benefit.”
A council spokesperson said: “These changes form part of the council’s 2026/27 budget which was approved earlier this year.
“The charges reflect a requirement for the car parking service to generate additional income to offset the decision to freeze core council tax.”
The same parking proposals were put forward in the previous year’s 2025/26 budget but were saved after the council received a “positive” local government finance settlement.
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Despite the council’s financial reasoning, Mr Stallard warned that the timing could not be worse for businesses already under pressure.
He said: “It could drive away customers.”
He argued that limiting free parking removes a vital incentive for shoppers and could further harm a town centre already facing economic challenges.
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump wraps up talks with world leaders at the Group of Seven summit on Wednesday where he’s been trying to sell his tentative agreement with Iran as a pact that will ensure the Islamic Republic never develops a nuclear weapon — even though he’s offered scant specificity about how that would be implemented.
Trump and his fellow leaders are closing the formal talks of the leading industrial nations at a lakeside resort in the French Alps on Wednesday with sessions on the future of artificial intelligence and fostering economic growth.
But first, Trump finds himself trying to quell skepticism about the Iran agreement, a difficult task given that neither the White House nor Iran have released the text of the deal. He also faces jitteriness from key ally Israel about ending the conflict under these terms.
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“It’s a great document,” Trump said of the memorandum that has yet to be revealed, even though U.S. and Iranian officials are set to formally sign it at a ceremony on Friday at a stunning resort on Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne.
“Here’s what it says: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. It won’t have one to buy, to develop — it will not have a nuclear weapon. And I would say that’s about 99.9% of what I wanted,” he said.
But Trump will continue to have to do a sales job. Some members of his own party are doubtful that the deal he’s agreed to is strong enough to defang Iran’s nuclear program. At the same time, he faces an anxious international community looking for him to follow through on his promise that the deal will reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic, and keep it open.
What’s in the deal
White House and Iranian officials have sometimes offered contradictory interpretations of what is in the agreement.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israel’s continued occupation of southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, would violate the deal.
“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” Araghchi said.
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Meanwhile, Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he did not think an attack on Hezbollah by Israel would necessarily sink the agreement, though he said he was “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah.”
“It just goes on forever,” he said of Israel’s strategy. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed nearly 4,000 people, including hundreds of civilians, and displaced more than 1 million since March 2. “Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed,” Trump said.
Trump’s relationship with Modi has been impacted by the Iran war
Trump on Wednesday is also expected to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a choppy moment in the U.S.-India relationship, in part because of the war.
The leaders’ meeting comes just a week after three Indian sailors were killed in a U.S. military strike on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman in the midst of the American blockade targeting oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Indian Foreign Ministry has formally protested the incident.
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Trump and Modi had a warm relationship during the U.S. president’s first term, but it’s become more complicated since Trump’s return to office.
Trump will also hold one-on-one talks on Wednesday with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, one of the three Middle Eastern leaders who are attending the summit at the invitation of its host, French President Emmanuel Macron.
The G7 leaders met on Tuesday with el-Sissi as well as Qatar’s ruling emir and the president of the United Arab Emirates for a working lunch. They discussed developing energy supply routes out of the Gulf, including via Egypt.
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Before the Iran war, a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime chokepoint that Iran has effectively shuttered since the first days of the conflict.
“Part of the discussions were, ‘OK, how can we imagine, finance, and build infrastructures, sometimes on the terrestrial part, that will be able to go outside of the track of the Strait of Hormuz?’” French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said in an interview.
Macron will honor Trump with a dinner at Versailles
The palace was the residence of French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. It regularly hosts heads of state and foreign dignitaries.
“I’m a fan of beautiful places, and I was leaving in the afternoon, and then the French president who happens to be a very nice man, invited me to dinner at Versailles,” Trump said. “And Versailles is not gold leaf — Versailles is the real deal. And I said I’d like to do it.”
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Madhani reported from Geneva. AP writers John Leicester in Evian-les-Bains, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed reporting.
Even the German himself stepped away from his trademark philosophy in his final years at Anfield, yet he was afforded time for the tactical transformation despite suffering 14 defeats across all competitions in the 2022/23 season.
Klopp, 59, understands the demands that accompany managing one of the biggest clubs in world football and has already advised the Reds’ owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), on how to support Iraola in his maiden campaign.
Klopp’s previous remarks on the significance of time for a manager to implement change resurfaced amid Liverpool’s four-match losing run under Slot this season. When discussing his successor taking over in the summer of 2024, Klopp said: “We had a lot of contact after that.
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“He’s a super good guy. He got the best out of this team, and they became champions in an incredible manner. It’s not about Arne showing the world what he can do – it’s about getting the best out of the team.
“That’s exactly what he did. Change always has an impact. And change always needs time. If he keeps the exact same team as last season – Darwin Nunez still there, Luis Diaz still there, for example – they start playing and have problems, [people say] ‘We need change.’
“Now the new guys are there, and they are really good players. It’s just not working out at the minute. Development needs time. Nobody can change that. People need time to adapt. It’s all good.”
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Iraola inheriting the reins from Slot is arguably a more significant shift than the Dutchman succeeding Klopp, given the stark contrast in their approaches. The Spaniard will need to mould the squad into the tireless, finely-tuned unit his Bournemouth team became – a world away from the Reds’ laboured system.
Early struggles may emerge and should be viewed as expected following such a dramatic change in manager. Nevertheless, FSG must reflect on Klopp’s remarks and his own beginning at Liverpool, which was plagued by unpredictability, before reaching a verdict that could shape the club’s destiny for years ahead.
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