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Tom Cookson, the widower of author Dame Catherine Cookson, has died in Newcastle upon Tyne, just three weeks after his wife

Tom Cookson, the widower of author Dame Catherine Cookson, has died in Newcastle upon Tyne, just three weeks after his wife. He was aged 86. They had been married for almost 60 years and met on the south coast of England, where they were both living. It was with his encouragement that she began writing.

An appeal by French far right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen against the loss of his civic rights for assaulting a political rival has been postponed until next September.

Le Pen's political future has been in doubt since the ruling in April by a court which removed his right to vote or to stand for election for two years for assaulting Socialist candidate Annette Peulvast-Bergeal during electoral campaigning last year. His decision to appeal the ruling suspends the loss of his civic rights in the meantime.

Villagers living near Althorp - where Princess Diana is buried - are bracing themselves for a two-month tourist invasion.

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Around 150,000 people are expected to visit the Northamptonshire estate over the next two months. More than 2,000 are due tomorrow when the estate opens its gates for the first time since Diana's death in August last year.