surprise

Coronation Street fans may want to get the tissues next week, as the soap are set to air the final goodbye for PC Craig Tinker – but one resident fails to attend

It’s set to be an emotional week in Coronation Street next week as Craig Tinker gets the send off he deserves after being brutally killed. However, things are thrown into chaos when one resident fails to show up.

We’ll also see Betsy sneakily visit someone in prison, and a shock arrest for another unlikely resident.

The funeral day starts off in panic when Sarah’s concerned to discover that Kit’s already left for the day. Lisa is then forced to step in and make a heartfelt speech at the funeral after he’s still no where to be seen. But where is Kit?

It’s evident he has a lot on his mind as absence comes after he finds Brody injured in an alley with a broken bottle of whisky next to him.

It’s also a tough week for Lisa – as Carla confides in Betsy that she’s worried for her partner. However, Betsy only adds to the worry as Lisa soon catches her daughter snooping through some of her old files.

If the emotions of the weeks on goings weren’t enough for Lisa, she’s set for another shock when she learns her daughter has lied about her whereabouts.

Unbeknownst to Lisa, Betsy shows best friend Lauren a picture on her phone of the letter she found containing information on her mum, Becky, and is intent on getting answers.

She then seeks support from Lauren, who accompanies her to the prison visiting room where she prepares to meet Logan, the villainous brother of Mason and Matty Radcliffe. Betsy tells him she’s here to find out what really happened to Becky. But will Logan’s return come with the answers she needs?

However, it’s not long before Steve lets slip to Lisa and Carla that Betsy has lied about her whereabouts and in fact ordered a cab to Highfield Prison. How will Lisa and Carla react?

Betsy’s not the only one in trouble – as Maria’s shock altercation leaves her in trouble with the police.

During the Platts barbeque, Maria demands Lou empties her pockets after assuming she’s stolen money from Shona. But are Maria’s accusations correct?

The drama later escalates when Lou is found on the living room floor with a broken coffee table – with Maria standing over her.

The police quickly arrive and tell Maria they’re arresting her on suspicion of ABH. But did she do it?

Elsewhere, there could be more upset for Todd after saying goodbye to his mother Eileen last week. He’s left gutted when Theo cancels their date – could their relationship be on the rocks?

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

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Antiques Roadshow expert John Benjamin was on hand to deliver a valuation on a pair of drop earrings and a sapphire ring

On Sunday’s Antiques Roadshow, expert John Benjamin gave two hopeful guests some disappointing news at the stunning Wollaton Hall in Nottingham.

The episode featured locals bringing in their treasures, with a pair of guests presenting family Art Deco jewellery for valuation. At first glance inside an old tin, John discovered exquisite platinum drop earrings and a sapphire ring.

One of the guests related the tale of his mother receiving the jewels from a friend, who was acquainted with a man with connections to France.

John, upon closer inspection, found a significant alteration: “Someone who has owned these in their history has taken them to a jeweller and said: ‘I’m not sure if I like the fittings!’

“So what they’ve done is they’ve removed the original fittings from the back and they’ve soldered on these long gold sort of posts with nine carat gold screw fittings at the end”, reports Edinburgh Live.

While examining the ring, John revealed a surprising fact about its authenticity, revealing: “Here’s an interesting point, in the 1920s, when that was made, synthetic rubies and sapphires were beginning to appear on the market.”

He delivered the blow when he declared: “The sapphires on the shoulders in the ring are actually synthetic. They’re not real. So, there we are.”

During the valuation, he revealed: “Here’s the bad news, those drops, today, if they were having the original fittings on them. I think would be worth between £4,000 and £5,000.

“But because the fittings have been changed, I think we’ve got to now drop that price to probably £2,500 to £3,000 simply because of a clumsy conversion.”

Regarding the sapphire ring, he estimated: “The ring about £1500.”

This led to one of the guests quipping: “How much is the box worth?” which prompted John to respond with a chuckle: “Priceless, absolutely priceless the box!”

In another segment, art expert Rupert Maas appraised a monochrome painting of Princess Daisy of Pless, an icon of Edwardian high society.

The owner explained how her father had found the artwork in a Watford junk shop for a mere £13.50.

Rupert encouraged her to keep it on display, especially after revealing its surprising value of £2,000 to £3,000.

The owner was shocked, saying: “Really? Gosh! I was thinking you were going to say a couple of hundred,” to which Rupert acknowledged it wasn’t a huge sum but definitely a significant increase from what was paid.

Antiques Roadshow continues on Sundays at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

YOU may have thumbed through an Argos catalogue over the years, but have you ever stopped to think about the name?

It turns out there is a key reason why the brand has its moniker – and its history is also tied to a popular supermarket too (and it’s not Sainsbury’s).

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The Argos name doesn’t come from its founder – Richard Tompkins – but is taken from the Greek city of Argos.

It was also chosen as it would feature high up in alphabetical brand listings.

The history behind the brand is even more fascinating than the name – and despite the brand now being owned by Sainsbury’s, its early ties were with Tesco.

In the 1960s, the founder of Tesco, Sir Jack Cohen, signed up his grocery store chain to the Green Shield Stamps scheme.

This meant that Tesco customers could get stamps when they bought products at his shop. 

They could then use stamps to buy products at the Green Shield Stamps catalogue stores which were located around the country.

The collaboration proved to be a huge success, and helped Tesco gain loyal customers.

It also helped Green Shield Stamps, who was owned by Richard Tompkins, and also gave him the idea that customers could also use cash to buy products from his catalogue. 

He decided to rebrand Green Shield Stamps as Argos in 1973.

Argos actually lost Tesco as a client around 1977, when they ditched using the Green Shield Stamps scheme and focused on lowering prices across the chain.

In 1979, Argos was purchased by British American Tobacco and stopped issuing stamps entirely.

Just over a decade later, Argos was demerged and floated back on the stock market, but had now become a recognisable household brand.

By 2010, over 20 million copies of the catalogue were printed, with many people buying them ahead of Christmas to choose presents.

While Argos had major ties to Tesco when it was launched, it now is owned by one of its main rivals.

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In April 2016, Argos’ parent Home Retail Group agreed to a £1.4 billion takeover by Sainsbury’s – but the brand has struggled over the past few years.

A large number of the high street Argos stores have closed over the past few years, with many being replaced by an Argos outlet in Sainsbury’s stores.

A spokesperson for Argos previously told The Sun: “The transformation of our Argos store and distribution network has been progressing at pace for several years now, improving availability, convenience and service for customers.

“As part of this, we are continuing to open new Argos stores and collection points in many of our Sainsbury’s supermarkets, enabling customers to purchase thousands of technology, home and toy products from Argos while picking up their groceries.”

HISTORY OF ARGOS

FOUNDED in 1972 by Richard Tompkins, Argos revolutionised the British retail landscape with its unique catalogue-based shopping model.

The first store opened in Canterbury, Kent and quickly expanded, becoming a household name.

Customers could browse the extensive Argos catalogue, fill out a purchase slip, and collect their items from the in-store collection point.

The retailer was sold to British American Tobacco Industries in 1979 for £32million before being demerged and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1990.

In April 1998, the company was acquired by GUS plc.

Throughout the decades, Argos adapted to changing consumer habits, embracing e-commerce early on and launching its website in 1999.

This allowed customers to reserve items online for in-store pick-up, blending the convenience of digital shopping with the immediacy of physical retail.

By 2006, Argos became part of the Home Retail Group which was demerged from its parent GUS plc.

At the time, Home Retail Group also owned Homebase and Habitat.

In 2016, Argos, along with its Home Retail Group sister brand Habitat, was acquired by Sainsbury’s.

Since the acquisition, the Argos brand has been integrated into Sainsbury’s operations, significantly expanding its presence through dedicated concessions within Sainsbury’s supermarkets across the UK.

However, due to declining sales, Sainsbury’s discontinued Argos’ iconic printed catalogue in 2020.

Despite these setbacks, Argos has remained true to its roots, offering a wide range of products from toys and electronics to furniture and jewellery.

PRINCE Harry made a shock solo appearance in China on the same day King Charles touched down in Canada for a state visit.

The Duke of Sussex attended a global travel and tourism conference in Shanghai where he discussed the importance of sustainable travel.

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The Prince made the appearance on Monday as part of his role as co-founder of Travalyst, an organisation promoting environmentally friendly travel.

During his address to the Envision 2025 Global Partner Conference today, Harry told the travel industry it needed to do more to hit its climate change targets before 2030.

To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by the end of the decade.

He added that the Asia-Pacific region is “strongly positioned to do this”.

Speaking at the conference, he said: “Climate change isn’t just an environmental challenge – it’s a critical business emergency, costing the global economy $143 billion dollars annually.

“Now is the moment for the industry to reaffirm its commitment to being a force for good.

“Challenges will undoubtedly rise, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that meaningful change never comes easily.

“The true measure of our commitment is how we respond when the path becomes difficult.

“We must never give up.”

Harry’s trip to China, which was kept under wraps until his surprise appearance in Shanghai, is the first time the Duke has visited the country.

His brother, Prince William, made a similar diplomatic trip to China in 2015 — the first official royal visit in three decades.

The Duke’s Shanghai schedule also included hosting Travalyst’s first-ever two-day Executive Summit, gathering industry leaders and policymakers from across the region to hammer out practical solutions for greener tourism.

It marks the beginning of a global series aimed at turning pledges into action.

As Harry took to the stage in Shanghai, King Charles touched down in Canada also on Monday with Queen Camilla to attend The State Opening of the Parliament in Ottawa.

It marks the first time the monarch has done so since Queen Elizabeth in 1977.

In March, the King held a meeting with then-Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, after the Commonwealth leader faced pressure from the US.

Charles and Camilla were welcomed in Ottawa with cries of “welcome home” as they stepped off their RAF flight from the UK.

Their whirlwind two-day trip to Canada has been hailed as “momentous” — seen as a bold show of solidarity with the country as it locks horns with Donald Trump over sovereignty.

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Charles was previously reported to be “concerned” about the growing discord between the US and Canada.

The King and Queen were met at Ottawa’s airport by new Prime Minister Mark Carney, who swept to power following outrage over Trump calling Canada “America’s 51st state.”

Carney called the royal visit “a reminder of the bond between Canada and the Crown… shaped by shared histories, and grounded in common values.”

Charles, on his 20th visit to Canada, took time to meet crowds under the hot midday sun, hearing thanks and cheers from the public.

The King, who is head of state for Canada, is also expected to meet with Indigenous leaders and veterans during the trip, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties and support reconciliation efforts.

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“He’s incredibly clear in his messaging of what he wants and how he wants it done.”

Rodgers joined Celtic in 2016 a few months after leaving Liverpool and won all six domestic competitions in his next two seasons.

A seventh, the League Cup, would follow in December 2018, but he would relinquish the opportunity of a third treble by leaving for Leicester two months later.

Celtic were eight points clear at the top of the Premiership at the time, with Neil Lennon completing the title win and adding the Scottish Cup, but now Rodgers has a second chance to surpass the legendary Jock Stein’s two trebles.

“It is no surprise to me that he has success wherever he goes because he provides the players with a platform to go and perform and that’s the mark of a great coach,” Schmeichel suggested.

“Football now is so detail orientated. You have to be so clear about every aspect you want. He is a very detail-orientated person and he likes things to be done a certain way.

“He demands certain standards wherever he goes and it’s up to players to rise up to those standards and to live by those standards and those values.”

Schmeichel said Rodgers was clear when he arrived at Leicester about what it meant to play for the club and that was heightened with Celtic as “he has the DNA of the club already within him” as a boyhood fan.

“He leaves you in no doubt what it means to be a Celtic player and the responsibility to bear that shirt,” the goalkeeper said.

“His methods are always evolving. He’s a very modern coach with traditional values and I think the best thing for a player – you are left in no doubt what is expected of you. There are no grey areas.

“He’s very clear about what he expects on the pitch and very clear what he expects of you off the pitch. That always creates an environment that players thrive in and that’s shown everywhere he’s been.”

Aberdeen, who finished fifth in the Premiership, have not beaten Celtic in 30 meetings since 2018 and November’s 6-0 thrashing in the League Cup final was just one of three heavy defeats by the Glasgow side for Jimmy Thelin’s side this season.

However, Schmeichel insists that it “would never enter our minds” that completing the treble is a foregone conclusion.

“We will be taking this very seriously, like any other game, with the utmost respect for the opposition and what they can do and their threats,” he added.

“If you take your foot off the peddle just a micro percent, any level, they’ll beat you – teams are that good now. There are no easy games any more.”

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has taken its first concrete action to deliver sanctions relief for Syria, following a surprise policy pivot earlier this month.

On Friday, the US Department of the Treasury announced sweeping relief to an array of individuals and entities, which it said will “enable new investment and private sector activity consistent with [Trump’s] America First strategy”.

The US State Department, meanwhile, concurrently issued a waiver to a 2019 law, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, that would “enable our foreign partners, allies, and the region to further unlock Syria’s potential”.

Trump surprised the international community when, on May 13, he pledged to remove sanctions placed on Syria during the leadership of its now-ousted leader, President Bashar al-Assad.

Friday’s announcements mark an initial step towards that goal, as Syria recovers from abuses under al-Assad’s government and 13 years of civil war.

“As President Trump promised, the Treasury Department and the State Department are implementing authorizations to encourage new investment into Syria,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

“Syria must also continue to work towards becoming a stable country that is at peace, and today’s actions will hopefully put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable future”.

Sanctions relief is critical for Syria to move forward. The United States is issuing a Caesar Act sanctions waiver to increase investments and cash flows that will facilitate basic services and reconstruction in Syria. We support the Syrian people’s efforts to build a more…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 23, 2025

Trump first unveiled his plans for sanctions relief during a tour of the Middle East in mid-May. He said lifting US sanctions would give Syria “a chance at greatness”, since the restrictions left the war-torn country economically isolated.

“It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off,” he said from Riyadh.

Shortly after, Trump met and shook hands with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who had only recently been removed from the US’s “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” list.

Appeal for relief

Calls for sanctions relief had grown following the fall of al-Assad’s government last December. As head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, al-Sharaa spearheaded the offensive that led to al-Assad fleeing the country, bringing the civil war to an end.

The war, which first broke out in 2011, had left Syria’s economy in tatters.

As many as 656,493 people were killed during the conflict, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and a 2020 report from the United Nations estimated that the country suffered total economic losses of about $442.2bn in the first eight years of the war alone.

Sanctions have further dampened Syria’s economic outlook, making it difficult for countries with ties to the US to conduct business there.

Since taking power in December, Syria’s interim government has argued the ongoing sanctions, largely imposed during al-Assad’s rule, would slow development and cause further instability.

Trump’s announcement earlier this month buoyed hope for many Syrians of a new path forward, although the extent of the relief had remained unclear.

Earlier this week, the European Union also announced it had lifted sanctions against Syria.

Friday’s sanctions relief in the US applies to the “the Government of Syria … as in existence on or after May 13, 2025”, according to the Treasury Department.

The reprieve also applies to several previously sanctioned transportation, banking, tourism and fossil fuel entities.

Transactions related to Russia, Iran and North Korea remain under US sanctions.

One of the biggest hurdles, however, is the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, a law that was passed in 2019, during Trump’s first term.

It included broad sanctions that targeted al-Assad’s government and its allies and supporters for atrocities committed against civilians.

The act was named after a former Syrian military photographer and whistleblower who smuggled out of the country a cache of images showing torture and mass killing at detention centres run by al-Assad’s security forces.

But since the law was passed by Congress, it will likely take an act of Congress to completely lift its restrictions.

The president, however, can issue temporary waivers to the law, which is what the Trump administration did on Friday.

In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the waiver will last for 180 days, in order to “increase investments and cash flows that will facilitate basic services and reconstruction in Syria”.

“We support the Syrian people’s efforts to build a more hopeful future,” Rubio said.

Days earlier, Novo Nordisk cut its sales and profit forecast for first time since the launch of Wegovy four years ago.

Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk has pushed out CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen over concerns the company is losing its first-mover advantage in the highly competitive obesity drug market.

Novo Nordisk announced the decision on Friday.

Days earlier, Novo Nordisk cut its sales and profit forecast for the first time since the launch of Wegovy four years ago, though Jorgensen had predicted a return to growth in its biggest market in the second half of this year.

Novo’s chairman, Helge Lund, tried to reassure analysts and investors on a call that the company’s strategy was intact and the plan for executing it had not changed.

He told the Reuters news agency that discussions to replace Jorgensen had occurred over the past few weeks. Novo said earlier that Jorgensen will remain in his role until a successor is found.

Under Jorgensen’s leadership, Novo Nordisk became a world leader in the weight-loss drug market, with skyrocketing sales of its Wegovy and Ozempic treatments.

Analysts and investors were unconvinced of the need to replace him.

“He was leading the company for eight years and was, in my opinion, extremely successful,” Lukas Leu, a portfolio manager at Bellevue Asset Management, told Reuters.

Danske Bank analyst Carsten Lonborg Madsen was similarly caught off guard.

“The way we know Novo Nordisk is that normally you have patience when you’re on the right track, and then you let things move in the right direction once you have the strategy right,” he said.

“It just feels like there’s something that has gone pretty wrong here,” he said on the call.

Novo’s shares have plunged since hitting a record high in June last year as competition, particularly from US rival Eli Lilly, makes inroads into its market share and as its pipeline of new drugs has failed to impress investors.

“The changes are made in light of the recent market challenges Novo Nordisk has been facing, and the development of the company’s share price since mid-2024,” Novo said in its statement.

Shares down

Jorgensen, at 58, has been CEO since 2017. He said in an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2 that he did not see the decision coming, and was only informed very recently.

Booming sales of Wegovy helped make Novo the most valuable listed company in Europe, worth $615bn at its peak in June last year, but its market value has halved to about $310bn.

Novo Nordisk’s share price fell on the news, trading 0.8 percent lower by 14:01 GMT after being 4 percent higher earlier in the day.

The shares are down 32 percent year-to-date and 59 percent from their all-time high.

Eli Lilly has seen US prescriptions for its Zepbound obesity shot surpass Wegovy since mid-March in its biggest market. Eli Lilly shares were up 2.6 percent after the news.

Camilla Sylvest, Novo’s head of commercial strategy and corporate affairs and a consistent presence alongside CEO Jorgensen, stepped down last month without citing a reason.

Former CEO of Novo Nordisk for 16 years and current chair of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Lars Rebien Sorensen, will join the board as an observer with immediate effect with the aim of taking a seat at the next annual general meeting, Novo said.

The company is controlled by the Novo Nordisk Foundation through its investment arm, which owns 77 percent of the voting shares.

ENGLAND’S Phil Foden says he shuns the nightlife to relax with board games and nature.

The Manchester City ace, 24, relishes home life at his country mansion and fishing lake.

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He said: “I love sitting in my garden and looking at all the wildlife.”

Winding down allows him to go fishing with son Ronnie, six.

He said: “I started with my dad, so it’s nice to pass it on.”

And Phil’s private chef cooks for fiancée Rebecca Cooke, mum to their three kids.

Friends join them some evenings.

The midfielder added: “We love to play Ludo and board games.

“I like to chill and relax really.”

He said the family enjoy zoo trips and hiring bouncy castles.

Instead of a footballer off-season trip to Marbella or Ibiza, Phil will be in France “where the fish are a little bigger”.

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