Living under the threat of bombardment is terrifying. Barely an hour passes in Tehran without the sound of an explosion. Nowhere feels safe.

We moved quickly and didn’t stay in one place long. Police stations and checkpoints were being targeted, it seemed. We passed through those as quickly as we could. At night we watched explosions light up the sky, air defence fire opening up in reply.

That is what Iranians are coping with day by day, night by night.

We were only the second international news team allowed into Iran since the start of the war, for a week joining a few others already based there.

It was difficult to get into the country and to reach Tehran, and once there, it was hard to operate and dangerous.

Iran war latest: Tehran tells Donald Trump to ‘try respect’

We took the risk so we could ask two questions that can’t be answered outside the country: How is Israel and America’s air war on Iran affecting its people? And what does its government, battered but not beaten, plan to do next?

At the sites of one airstrike after another, the answer to the first question was tragically clear.

Innocent civilians are bearing the brunt of the Israeli-American campaign, and increasingly so.

Read more:
Inside Iran’s children’s wards after US-Israel airstrikes
Iranians out in strength as thousands attend funeral

Like the pensioner whose daughter was at home in their block of flats when it was hit by missiles. They blew the block apart, and the one opposite, as well as whatever their attackers were targeting. Her body was found in the rubble three days later, he told us through furious tears.

The term precision targeting loses much of its meaning up close. In this case, a centre belonging to the Basij paramilitary volunteer force seemed to have been destroyed – but a lot else besides, an entire city block to be precise.

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Inside Iran’s children’s wards

In a hospital, we were confronted with heart-wrenching tragedy. Four-year-old Anita lay dying in intensive care. She has severe head injuries after her home was caught in an airstrike. Her mother Zeebar cried over her comatose child, telling her: “We are waiting for you, we are waiting for you.” Doctors say Anita is not likely to wake up.

Downstairs, Fatima stood over her grown son, who had received a chunk of shrapnel in his arm, sent flying three blocks, he said, from another airstrike as he had left for work.

“This war must stop,” she told us. “It is innocent civilians being hurt.”

Regardless of what is being targeted, and however precise, the bombs being dropped on a densely populated city will cause civilian casualties.

In January, in Tehran and across the country, people were being shot at by their own security forces when weeks of protests were suppressed.

Thousands were killed, shot dead by the security forces, say activists and human rights groups.

Whenever I mentioned this to government supporters or officials, they blamed foreign agents for stoking the unrest.

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Thousands attend Iran funerals

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The tension we felt in the city goes back to that crackdown too. We were able to operate freely in the places where we were given permission to film, but few people were prepared to go on camera. Off-camera though, people were more open.

One man talked with contempt for the “extreme” nature of the authorities and hoped it would change after the war.

Which brings us to the second question we had come here to ask. What of the government and what it does next? We were not there long, and only in one city, but for now at least, Iran’s leadership appears confidently in control.

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Dominic Waghorn’s final thoughts after a week reporting in Iran

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Suppressing unrest is, of course, easier in a time of war.

But the air campaign may be helping the government too. Many Iranians see it as an attack on them and their country as much as the state. When you are living in mortal fear of your family and home being obliterated from the skies, it is hard not to take it personally.

Israel’s attack on Iran’s major South Pars gas field, for instance, was condemned by one Iranian we spoke to. Why attack that, he asked. For many, an attack on the gas field is an attack on everyone in Iran, regardless of their political affiliation.

The government has fervent supporters too, lots of them. They were out in force in the street for the funeral of Ali Larijani, a top government figure buried with others. Tens of thousands attended.

As we stood among them, the limitations of Israel and America’s ambitions became more glaring.

If you assassinate the leaders of people whose religion embraces martyrdom, this is what to expect.

Iran has a long tradition of honouring the virtues of resistance and no surrender. Iranians are reared on stories of foreign treachery. Their government is drawing on all that to reinforce its support.

Iran seems to have been waiting for this war for years. Its leadership is hydra-headed, programmed to replace itself. It has so far proven surprisingly capable of responding to attacks with speed and strategy despite its enemies’ claims it has been decapitated.

We left with a sense they are bracing themselves now for a long war. For the ordinary people, that means weeks, if not months, more terrifying uncertainty and the risk of death and injury. For their leaders, it means projecting defiance, digging in and outlasting the enemy.

The classic BBC documentary Driving School that made Maureen Rees from Cardiff a household name can still be enjoyed

Long before the phrase ‘reality TV’ was popularised by early 2000s shows like Big Brother, Popstars and Survivor, there was a television docusoap that captivated the nation – BBC’s Driving School.

Driving School paved the way for the fascination with programmes documenting real-life situations, even turning one of its participants into a star.

Debuting on the BBC in 1997, Driving School was a fly-on-the-wall documentary following a group of learner drivers around Bristol and South Wales. Despite being produced on a shoestring budget, it was aired during primetime and gave rise to one of the first reality TV celebrities, Welsh icon Maureen Rees.

The series was conceived and directed by British film and documentary maker Francesca Joseph, with narration provided by Quentin Willson, who would later host the similar programme, Britain’s Worst Driver.

A quarter of a century after its premiere, all six episodes were made accessible on BBC iPlayer and viewers can still enjoy the episodes, reports the Mirror.

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On IMDb, reviewers have lauded Driving School as “hilarious” and a “milestone” in television. One reviewer noted: “It’s largely forgotten now but this series marked a change in TV documentaries.

“It was conceived as a simple documentary about the trials and tribulations of teaching people to drive but as the footage came in it became apparent that the stars of the show were the learners not the instructors. Maureen Reese (sic) rapidly became the pupil that everyone tuned in to see. Each week we wanted to see what danger she would encounter.”

They continued: “A small milestone in the story of TV.”

Another commented: “Doesn’t anybody remember this documentary? It was hilarious! In fact, most of it doesn’t even stick in my mind but I remember Maureen Rees as the mad welsh woman always arguing with her husband and nearly decapitating everyone else on the road. Plus, she failed her driving test about 8 times! It really was a good watch.”

The popularity of Driving School resulted in a four-part celebrity edition which was broadcast in 2003 to support Comic Relief. Presented by Mel Giedroyc, famous faces taking part included Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates, television legend Paul O’Grady, EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy and Big Brother star Jade Goody. They discovered live during the Red Nose Day appeal whether they had been successful. None of them had.

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Meanwhile, Maureen from Cardiff, now 84, went on to enjoy a television career and even released a pop single. She presented the short-lived Really Useful Show, in which she learned car maintenance and appeared as herself in the sitcom Barbara, as well as travelling to the US to be interviewed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In 2001, she appeared as a chapel woman in the coming-of-age film Very Annie Mary, which was set in Wales.

In 2004, she participated in the Channel 5 series Back to Reality, a programme featuring former reality TV stars. She made it to the final day, finishing as runner-up to Princess Diana’s former lover James Hewitt.

Maureen released a single, a cover of Madness’ Driving in My Car, which reached number 49 in the UK Singles Chart, with the video featuring her driving Betsy, her powder-blue 1990 Lada Riva estate.

Driving School is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

Comedian and Taskmaster host Greg Davies will host the 2026 Bafta Television Awards.

Nominations will be announced on Tuesday at midday ahead of the May 10 ceremony at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London.

Davies’ breakthrough role was headteacher Mr Gilbert in E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners, and he hosts Sky’s quiz show Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Channel 4’s Bafta-winning Taskmaster.

The actor, himself nominated for a 2013 Bafta Television Award for playing Ken in the BBC’s sitcom Cuckoo, said: “I see the whole event as an opportunity to wave a flag for this beloved medium and, with the exception of one commissioner, two execs and a co-star that I have personal beef with, I will do everything I can to ensure it’s a night of warm celebration for all.”

Davies, 57, said he was “thrilled” to take on the role.

Emma Baehr, executive director of awards and content at Bafta, said: “His sharp humour, warmth and energy will set the stage for an unforgettable night honouring the very best in British television.

“The ambition, craft, and sheer range of talent on-screen and behind it continues to raise the bar.

“We can’t wait to shine a spotlight on the creatives who defined 2025’s standout programmes.”

Last year’s awards attracted an audience of 2.5 million on BBC One and iPlayer.

They are partnered with P&O Cruises for the fourth year running and the cruise line’s Memorable Moment Award is the only one that the public vote for.

Voting is open for six nominees, including when Jamie, played by Owen Cooper, snaps at the psychologist in Netflix’s Adolescence, and when Alan Carr won The Celebrity Traitors on BBC.

Also up is the “I didn’t make it, did I?” line in Channel 4’s Big Boys, and when police are warned of an ambush plot to silence a key witness in the BBC’s Blue Lights.

Voters can also choose Bob Mortimer and Richard Ayoade’s speed date in Prime Video’s Last One Laughing, and when Byron leaves for Brighton to start university and introduces herself as Paris, in the BBC’s What It Feels Like For A Girl.

The victim, named locally as Scarlett Faulkner, was found by emergency services on Saturday with catastrophic head injuries.

A mum who was savagely attacked on a roadside has been left fighting for her life. The victim, named locally as Scarlett Faulkner, 20s, was found by emergency services on Saturday with catastrophic head injuries.

The scene, on the R494 at Birdhill, Co Tipperary, remained cordoned off by Gardaí, on Sunday, reports Irish Mirror. The R494 roadway – a short distance from the lakeside towns of Ballina and Killaloe, located between Nenagh and Limerick – was closed in both directions to allow Garda forensic investigators conduct a technical examination at the scene.

Ms Faulkner, who is in her 20s, is believed to have been attacked by one or a number of people who were armed with weapons. She was left for dead at the side of the road at around 5.30pm on Saturday. The injured lady is understood to be a respected member of a Traveller family from Limerick city.

Gardaí were working on several theories as to the background of the assault including that Ms Faulkner may have been travelling in a car that was rammed by a group in another vehicle, dragged from her car, and attacked with implements at the side of the roadway.

Ms Faulkner was initially attended to by HSE paramedics at the scene and then airlifted by a Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) Saturday evening. Doctors continued to monitor her at UHL where she underwent scans as her devastated family maintained a vigil.

Paramedics transferred Ms Faulkner from UHL to Cork University Hospital head trauma unit on Sunday where her condition remained serious. Family members posted photographs of Ms Faulkner on social media and asked that people pray that she would recover from her injuries, which Gardaí described as “critical”.

“Come on sister please you can do this. Everyone please (say a) prayer for my sister Scarlett. Love you sister,” stated a Facebook post. Another wrote in a heartfelt tribute: “I love you with all my heart, you will always be my best friend big sister. My heart is shattered in 1 million pieces.”

“God please don’t do this to us ,” they stated. “Last time I saw you was only few nights ago you came to my trailer and when you were leaving. I said Scarlett I love you please mind yourself and you hugged me and kissed me in the jaw you said stop worrying ill be back.”

Another posted: “Could everyone please say a prayer for my cousin Scarlett Faulkner that she makes a full recovery amen.” And, another post read: “Plz god beautiful mother Teresa and saint pio and saint Anthony this girl Scarlett Faulkner will be ok.”

Appealing for witnesses, a Garda spokeswoman said: “Any road users who were on the R494 between Birdhill and the M7 motorway between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday, 21st March 2026 and may have camera footage (including dash-cam) are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí. Investigations are ongoing.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station on (067) 50450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

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One hospital worker said it is a ‘crazy situation’ when trying to leave the hospital along the road

Hospital staff have described traffic along a road where traffic can queue for up to 40 minutes at peak times as an “absolute nightmare”. Some staff at Hinchingbrooke Hospital and the Hinchingbrooke estate deal with traffic problems daily along Hinchingbrooke Park Road.

Especially during peak times, residents and staff never know how long it will take to get out of the road. One worker from Hinchingbrooke Hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, said she finds it an “absolute nightmare” to leave the hospital and get onto the road after leaving work at 3.30pm.

“I finish work and never know if I will have to queue down the road or not,” said the worker. She added: “It can be stressful working for the NHS and when you finish work you just want to drive home without sometimes having to sit in your car for 30 to 40 minutes to get to the bottom of the road.

“We very often have to queue to get out of the staff car park at the top of the hospital before we even join Hinchingbrooke Park Road. This is because the traffic is just backed up all the way down the road up to the hospital and everyone is trying to get out.”

The woman said traffic has been a problem for a “few years” and finds it a “crazy situation” as there is only one road in and out of the estate. She said: “This problem has been going on now for a few years and nothing ever seems to get done about it.

“The lights at the bottom of Hinchingbrooke Park Road don’t seem to help and the traffic just backs up. Once you get past the traffic lights the traffic seems to run easily.”

Another hospital worker, who also wished to not be named, has also experienced problems with the traffic. She said: “Generally, the traffic situation is bad. It can take ages to get out of the hospital car park as it backs up. It has been like this for years.”

Residents who live in the Hinchingbrooke estate are also frustrated with the continuous congestion problems. Keith Cooper said the road is “regularly gridlocked” with “massive delays getting in and out of the estate”.

He added: “We will regularly see blue light runs delayed or stuck. It’s only a matter of time before something catastrophic and avoidable happens as a consequence.

“Emergency services are stretched as it is and the impact of the delays isn’t just about the speed of getting help, but the number of calls a stretched ambulance service can make. If residents in Huntingdon are waiting too long for an ambulance to arrive, even if it isn’t critical, then the traffic problems in Hinchingbrooke are part of the problem.”

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service Trust said: “We have no evidence of this development having any impact on emergency vehicle response to date. Should that situation change, we would liaise with Huntingdonshire District Council directly to identify remedies.”

John Greenhalgh, chair of the Hinchingbrooke Residents’ Association, said he has repeatedly shared concerns about congestion. He said it is “scary to think what could happen” if an emergency vehicle is delayed getting through the road. He added: “Ambulances getting caught is a matter of public safety. Sometimes every second counts.

“It’s been like this for a number of years. You will see ambulances come down from the hospital. They get out and then there is a big HGV and they [ambulance] can’t get through. We are in a situation where it will only get worse with developments.”

Joe Corrall, also part of the residents association, said traffic along the road has got “noticeably worse in the past few years”. He added: “It’s rapidly reaching a point where at peak times any normal journey should expect a 20-minute or more delay just to leave or enter the estate.”

Joe said he is “continually amazed” at how often ambulances appear to get stuck on the road. He added: “When you’ve suffered an injury or are in dire medical care, the last thing you want to hear is that your ambulance is delayed.

“For such a vital service that literally saves lives, it beggars belief that it’s not top of the agenda to protect ambulance access and ensure that help gets where it’s needed fast. Rapid responders heading out to critical injuries know every minute counts.”

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust oversees Hinchingbrooke Hospital. As part of the hospital’s development, the trust is looking at ways to make travel to and from the site easier.

A trust spokesperson said: “As part of the redevelopment of Hinchingbrooke Hospital, we are taking the opportunity to make travel to, from and around the site easier. By improving traffic flow, particularly on Hinchingbrooke Park Road, we aim to create a more efficient and positive experience for everyone who uses our services.

“Our plans include creating a second access road onto Views Common Road, with the aim of improving flows in and out of the site and creating dedicated access for emergency vehicles. Initial feedback to these plans has been positive and we continue to work closely with local residents, parish councils, the planning authority and other local stakeholders including the Ambulance Trust.”

Cambridgeshire County Council is in charge of roads in the county. A council spokesperson said no issues have been raised about emergency services using the road.

However, the spokesperson added: “We’re aware of the congestion along Hinchingbrooke Park Road and understand the concerns raised. It is a busy area in peak periods due to the school and the hospital, so we carried out a study which included traffic modelling to help improve the traffic flow.

“As a result, at the end of last year, we changed the use of the lanes and the operation of the traffic lights. We also adjusted the signals at the railway station.

“We are monitoring these changes, which will help us evaluate the effectiveness of the changes over time. We are still in a period where drivers are adjusting to the new layout.”

North Yorkshire Police said it happened on Friday, March 6, around 8.30pm, in a branch of the Co-op in St Winifred’s Avenue, Harrogate.

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A CCTV image has been released of a man the force said may have information which can assist its officers’ investigation.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “If you recognise the man pictured, or witnessed this incident, or have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the force by emailing nabiel.galab@northyorkshire.police.uk.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

“Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for 000319.

“Please quote reference 12260041386 when passing on information.”

An Air Canada plane collided with a vehicle on a taxiway at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night

An Air Canada plane was involved in a tragic collision with a vehicle on a taxiway at LaGuardia Airport late on Sunday (March 22) night, resulting in two fatalities and several injuries, it’s been reported.

The incident led to the temporary closure of the airport. The New York Post reported that the vehicle involved was a fire engine which collided with the aircraft, leaving four firefighters critically injured.

NBC News reported that the pilot and co-pilot died of their injuries post-collision. A sergeant and an officer, who sustained broken limbs, are reportedly in a stable condition in hospital, based on initial information from sources.

The Express reported no other significant injuries. The incident is believed to have taken place on Runway 4 within Delta’s terminal area around 11:37pm, according to AeroCrewNews and NYCFireWire.

All FDNY units, except for the first-due engine company, were dispatched to the scene, reports the Daily Record.

Local news site Col Live identified the aircraft as Jazz Airlines Flight 646, operated by Air Canada’s regional carrier, Jazz Airlines. The plane, arriving from Montreal, Quebec, had just landed in New York when it collided with a Port Authority emergency vehicle whilst attempting to cross runway 04/22.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has implemented a ground stop, suspending all flights at the airport, citing an emergency. The regulator’s notice indicated a strong probability that the suspension would be extended, although no further details were provided.

Emergency services are understood to continue working at the site, attempting to secure the area. Passengers and airport staff have described the situation as chaotic, with flights facing delays or cancellations.

It’s reported that the airport will remain closed until 2pm on Monday, causing significant travel disruption at one of New York City’s busiest transport hubs. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

Authorities have yet to confirm the identities or condition of those injured. Video footage shared on social media shows evacuation and rescue operations taking place at the airport following the collision, with one clip apparently showing the aircraft’s nose angled upwards as passengers disembarked.

Gout Gout has become a global sensation in recent weeks after breaking the Australian under-20 100m record – but a video of his jaw-dropping run has now gone viral

Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has attracted millions of admirers worldwide after footage of one of his astonishing 100m race was watched over 25 million times since being shared on Saturday.

However, the teenage prodigy, who was born in Queensland, Australia, and is one of even children to parents from South Sudan, actually completed the sprint more than a year ago.

Gout recorded a remarkable 10.04-second time in the 100m sprint at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships back in December 2024. He was just 16 at the time.

But that didn’t stop millions of sports enthusiasts who were astounded by the performance when the footage was re-shared on X by the @Bigqadi account last weekend.

They have been left mesmerised, with many taking to social media to voice their appreciation for Gout.

“Absolutely outrageous from Gout Gout,” one person wrote. “10.04 at the age of 16. Speechless.”

“Damn!!!!! Is this guy real??? Look at the speed!!! Wow. Just wow,” another commented.

“Did anyone remember Usain Bolt whilst watching him?” another added.

“That’s crazy because he sucks out of the blocks. Once he gets that under control, he’s hitting 9s easily. That’s insane,” another wrote.

Gout’s latest attention arrives just weeks after he amazed Australia at the Dane Bird-Smith Shield Meet in Queensland with a time of 10 seconds flat for the 100m.

The teenager, now 17, achieved the quickest time ever by an Australian aged under 20 and the equal-quickest legal run by an Australian man on home soil. Gout has yet to clock a time under 10 seconds for the 100m, but experts believe it’s a question of when, not if.

He is also the fastest 16-year-old 200m runner in history (20.04secs), taking the record of the legend Bolt whose time of 20.13 seconds at the same age was just under a tenth of a second slower than Gout. Gout’s time makes him the fastest 200m runner in Australian history.

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Bolt has praised the young pretender for his talent, admitting “he looks like a young me”, but he also had a warning for Gout.

“If he continues on this track it’s going to be good but it’s all about getting everything right. I mean, it’s never just easy,” he said.

“It’s always easier when you’re younger because I was there, I used to do great things when I was young but the transition to senior from junior is always tougher.

“It’s all about if you get the right coach, the right people around you, if you’re focused enough, so there will be a lot of factors to determine if he’s going to be great, and if he’s going to continue on the same trajectory to a championship or Olympics.”

While Bolt recorded eye-catching times as a teenager he made his huge global impact on the sport when he was 22, breaking the 100m world record and winning the sprint double at the Beijing Olympics.

The soaps regularly get moved about for football matches, and this week is no different.

Here’s what we know about the changes and which episodes the TV schedule shakeup affects.

Emmerdale and Coronation Street to see schedule changes this week

The England v Uruguay match will air from 7pm on ITV1 on Friday, March 27, with kick-off at 7.45pm.

Since it crosses over into the soap slots, Emmerdale and Corrie have both changed their usual schedules.

Emmerdale fans tune into the soap from 8pm on ITV1 on Monday through to Friday but this week, the Friday episode on March 27 will not air.

Instead, fans can look forward to an episode at 6pm on Sunday, March 29.

Coronation Street usually airs from 8.30pm on the same channel on Monday through to Friday but Friday’s episode won’t air.

The soap will, however, air on Sunday too with an episode starting after Emmerdale, at 6.30pm on ITV1.

Apart from these changes for the England match, the soaps will run as normal this week.

On Reddit, fans reacted to the schedule change, questioning why the soaps had to change for the coverage of a football match.

One said: “Why don’t ITV just broadcast the football on itv2 or itv4?”

Someone replied saying: “I agree however I think the reason is that’s it in the contract with the football guys to have matches shown on the most prominent channel.”

This person said: “Why do they think that the whole country cares enough about football to have soaps moved and cancelled?

“Put the football on another channel like ITV4”.

In 2025, ITV announced changes to its soap schedule, including Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

From January 2026, the broadcaster introduced a “soaps power hour” on weekdays with 30-minute Emmerdale episodes at 8pm and 30-minute Coronation Street episodes at 8.30pm.

Coronation Street previously aired for three hour-long episodes a week, while Emmerdale aired four 30-minute episodes and one hour-long instalment.

In May 2025, ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said the company was making “good progress” on a cost-cutting drive, and that she expected to make £30 million of non-content savings during 2025.

ITV also introduced changes to its popular daytime TV shows such as Good Morning Britain (GMB) and Lorraine.

From January this year, GMB has been extended by half an hour, while Lorraine Kelly’s morning talk show has been reduced to 30 minutes for 30 weeks of the year.

What do you think about the schedule changes this week? Let us know in the comments.