Conwy Council's 6.5% hike branded 'bad management pure and simple'Conwy County Council's cabinet has backed a proposed 6.5% council tax increase for 2026/27, with residents criticising past spending decisions and calling the rise unaffordableView Image Council tax is an annual fee imposed by your local council (Image: getty)North Wales Live readers have responded forcefully to news of yet another proposed council tax increase in Conwy. ‌Conwy ratepayers are confronting a 6.5% council tax hike as council leaders attribute the "awful financial situation" to the UK and Welsh governments. Propose an extortionate rise in Council Tax yet again and blame the rise on all parties but themselves. Article continues belowEm Pea adds: "Every rise in council tax should be matched by a reduction in the councillors' salaries. Do you believe that a 6.5% increase is justified?

Paul McCartney says seeing 'so much' of Linda is 'crazy'Sir Paul McCartney's new documentary Man On The Run features previously unseen footage of his late wife Linda and chronicles the formation of WingsView Image Paul McCartney and his wife Linda (Image: Getty Images)Sir Paul McCartney has described his latest documentary as "wonderful" to watch, as it allowed him to see "so much of" his late wife Linda. Sir Paul said on his website: "It's crazy; like a period of my life flashing before my eyes. ‌"One of the big things for me is seeing so much of Linda, which is great for me and the kids." Following The Beatles' break-up in 1970, Sir Paul and Linda established Wings in 1971 alongside former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Participants were asked how much alcohol they drank each week, measured in standard UK units, with one unit equal to eight grams of pure alcohol. Visceral fat is of particular concern as it surrounds vital organs such as the liver and pancreas. It is far more harmful than the softer fat under the skin and is strongly linked to heart disease and diabetes. The scans showed that as alcohol intake increased, so did the proportion of visceral fat. Men in the highest drinking group carried up to 13.5 per cent more visceral fat than those drinking the least.

After decades of under-investment in the second city, significant funding is being released and growth is happening. But it must be pointed out every European nation worth its salt places a special focus and funding programme on its second city. We want to do that and Cork City Council is happy to take the lead. Cork is already a WHO Healthy City, a Unesco Learning City, a Rainbow City, and a City of Welcomes. Valerie O’Sullivan is chief executive, Cork City Council

DUNMORE writer Yves Donlon showcasing the book ‘The Rest is Silence’, which they self-published. Finding medieval magic in writingWriter from DunmoreA young writer from Dunmore is hoping to add more stories to Shakespeare’s Hamlet universe from new perspectives. Currently living in North Yorkshire, England, Yves is researching the medieval pilgrims as part of their PhD programme at the University of York. Alongside the PhD, they are also writing another fantasy novel set in the medieval fantasy world. “Fantasy has always been something I have been drawn to and started writing when I was in the final year of school.

The release of the latest season of Netflix's Drive to Survive has revealed the poignant moment former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner broke the news of his sacking to his Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell. 'All... all done and dusted,' Horner confirmed as he kissed Halliwell on the forehead, before sitting down at the table and accepting a waiting latte. Halliwell looked visibly emotional as Horner gave her the scant details of his meeting, before asking: 'How do you feel?' Back at their Cotswolds home, Halliwell tried to lift the mood by suggesting that Horner might be trying to 'eat his feelings'. 'But I am not going to come back for just anything,' Horner clarified at the European Motorshow in Dublin.

We’ve picked the brightest young prospects at each of the 10 Premier Division clubsIn a week where young Irish players were in the headlines, from Shamrock Rovers’ Michael Noonan to former Galway United man Alex Murphy, here are the teenage talents who have been capturing attention and will hope to follow in the footsteps of Mason Melia (€1.7m move to Spurs) and Victor Ozhianvuna (initial €2m pre-contract deal with Arsenal) in the future.

Co-CEO Brian Fenton reminded us that theatres need their audiences. “Every art decision is a money decision and every money decision is an art decision,” he added. File pictureI’ve enjoyed the Future Cork series running in the Irish Examiner this week, with pieces written by people involved in the shaping of Cork, its character, economy, and infrastructure. Cork’s stark imbalance in infrastructure and education needs to be corrected if we are to create a truly happy, healthy and creative Future Cork. The flagship Future Cork event happening today will hopefully tackle issues like these.

The Cork footballers will have captain Ian Maguire available for their Round 6 home fixture against Kildare after his proposed two-match suspension was reduced to one on Thursday night. Maguire’s case went before the Central Hearings Committee last night as Cork challenged the assertion in referee Conor Dourneen’s report that the midfielder had struck with force during an off-the-ball altercation with Meath’s Adam O’Neill in the second-half of last Sunday's 1-23 to 1-21 victory over the Royals. To strike with force carries an automatic two-match ban, but Cork were successful in having Maguire’s suspension reduced to a single game. So while the midfielder will be absent for Sunday’s trip to Derry, he will be available for their final home outing of the League, against Kildare on Saturday, March 14. Read More Alan Connolly says Cork hurlers must become more adaptive to avoid All-Ireland final repeat

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka was left speechless and in tears after receiving a touching letter from his parents Adenike and Yomi on the occasion of signing his new £300,000-per-week contract at the club. 'From the very first days you kicked a ball around the house and in the park, we could see the joy it brought to you,' the letter read. Bukayo Saka was left unable to speak as he read aloud a letter from his parents after signing a new Arsenal contract'Remember, success is not measured only in achievements, but in character. As he finished reading out the letter on CNN, who had presented it to him, Saka struggled to speak as he was left on the verge of tears. Having won individual plaudits for both Arsenal and England performances, the missing piece in Saka's career to date is silverware.

For Offaly, the 2026 campaign is all about finding their feet at a higher altitude. Not that you’d know it to talk to Ciara Maher, who lined out at midfield for the Faithful County last Saturday. “We're milking cows at home, my father is full-time farming and there's four of us in it. I milk a herd of cows there in the evenings… I've been farming since I was small, I just have a huge interest in it. Any other evenings I wasn't training, I was able to hang on.” Admittedly, it will take some working out.

Health boss warns of potential job losses as NHS merger is defendedThe Lincolnshire integrated care board has merged with ones in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire as part of a series of ‘clustering arrangementsView Image East Lindsey District Council (Image: Oliver Castle)Health chiefs have warned of potential job losses as they defended a decision to merge Lincolnshire’s key NHS decision making body with those in neighbouring counties. Members of East Lindsey District Council’s overview committee heard that the changes were part of wider NHS reforms to cut costs and deliver more efficient services. ‌She added: “We are in the middle of a really very significant structural change as part of the NHS changes so that needs to be well managed. “Our big problem is – because I live in the north of East Lindsey – at least a third of our population go out of Lincolnshire. Article continues below“The complaints that I receive about treatment, the cancer services are poor – we’ve just had them at health scrutiny.

'AI leisure centre of the future' planned in North LincolnshireSeparately, the council plans a multi-million pound programme of refurbishments and upgrades to its leisure facilitiesView 2 Images Ancholme Leisure Centre, off Scawby Road, Brigg (Image: Google Streetview)An 'AI leisure centre of the future' is planned in North Lincolnshire. It is part of a range of leisure centre improvements and changes planned in the local authority area. This is separate, though, to the AI leisure centre of the future plans. "There are also plans for an AI leisure centre of the future to replace the Ancholme Leisure Centre, which is now over 50 years old and is now looking very dated." Grimsby Live understands the AI leisure centre would be linked to a potential S106 agreement tied with the proposed major AI data campus near Elsham Wolds Industrial Estate.

The common parasite can survive up to two weeks on contaminated surfaces and children can get infected again even after being treated. ‌Threadworms, also known as pinworms, are tiny white parasitic worms that live in the large intestine and rectum. It’s a highly contagious parasite that is passed when a person ingests threadworm eggs, which can be picked up on contaminated surfaces, bedding or hands. ‌There are five key symptoms of threadworms, some of which may only be noticeable at night or after your child has gone to the bathroom. View 3 Images Children can get threadworms again after being treated (Image: GETTY)‌He added: “Change and wash clothing and bedding daily.

The 36-year-old stars alongside Christian Bale in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s horror film The Bride!, which follows Frankenstein (Bale) as he travels back to 1930s Chicago to ask scientist Dr Euphronious to create a companion by reviving a murdered young woman, The Bride (Buckley). The upcoming film is inspired by the 1935 original The Bride Of Frankenstein which starred Elsa Lanchester. Speaking at the film’s world premiere in London, Buckley told the Press Association: “Elsa Lanchester is on screen for about three minutes in the 1935 version, and she makes such an impact. world premiere in London (Ian West/PA)The Bride! The Bride!, which also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Jake Gyllenhaal and Penelope Cruz, will be released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland from March 6.