Donald Trump’s claim that members of his administration are negotiating with Iran on the ongoing conflict has caused more confusion than clarity. 

The US president has said multiple times that both sides have had “very good and productive” talks to end the war, which he claims his country has already won.

However, Iran has so far denied that any negotiations have taken place, with the spokesperson for the military mocking the Trump administration, saying in a televised address: “Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?”

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With barrages of attacks still being launched across the Middle East from Iran, Israel and the US, what exactly do we know about potential negotiation talks and what each side wants?

What has Trump said?

The US president said in a post on Truth Social on 24 March that the two countries had been in “very good and productive conversations” for multiple days.

The declaration of progress came just as a deadline he gave to Iran to release its grip on the Strait of Hormuz – or he would “obliterate Iran’s power plants” – was about to come to an end.

As a result, he instructed the US military to postpone “all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure”.

When quizzed about the talks a day later, Mr Trump said his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his special envoy Steve Witkoff, vice president JD Vance and US secretary of state Marco Rubio were the team involved in the negotiations, as well as himself.

Despite the president’s bold claims on negotiations – and that Tehran had “agreed they’ll never have a nuclear weapon” – sources have told Sky News more than 1,000 extra US soldiers are being deployed to the region.

The president approved the deployment on Monday night, and the orders were being written on Tuesday for the headquarters, staff, and some ground forces, with the additional forces potentially being sent in the coming days.

Who is representing Iran?

Mr Trump has said the country is talking to the “right people” to make a deal, but it remains unknown who exactly those people are.

Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, hasn’t been seen or directly heard from since he was named to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed by the US and Israel during the first days of the conflict.

Other potential figures within the Islamic Republic include Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

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‘Negotiating with yourselves’: Iran mocks US

The spokesman of Iran’s top military command, major general Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, vowed that the fighting “will continue until complete victory” a potential defiance to Mr Trump’s claims or a warning to anyone within the Iranian leadership not to back down in talks.

Who is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf?

Are talks actually happening?

Military analyst Professor Michael Clarke believes that talks are indeed going on, but they are very indirect.

He said it appears that Pakistan’s army chief, general Asim Munir, has mediated over a process similar to “Chinese whispers”.

Professor Clarke said it appears Mr Munir, is speaking directly to Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mr Ghalibaf, who he described as the “last man standing” influencing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

He added that Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif has also spoken to Iranian President Mr Pezeshkian.

The information from both those talks has then been relayed to Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner, Mr Trump’s key diplomatic envoys, who then informed the president.

What does each side want?

Since the start of the war in February, Mr Trump has given vague and often shifting objectives for what he wants to achieve.

Across the nearly month-long conflict, he has insisted on the surrender of Iran’s leaders and the removal of all the country’s enriched uranium, which is critical to its disputed nuclear programme.

Iran has refused that demand in the past, insisting it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

The announcement of negotiations may be interpreted as a signal that Mr Trump is wary of the war’s possible long-term damage to the US and global economies. Mr Trump has repeatedly demanded the Strait of Hormuz be kept open.

The Iranian regime has reiterated that the key shipping lane remains open and only vessels “belonging to or associated with the aggressors and those participating in their acts of aggression”, namely Israel and the US have restricted access.

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Professor Clarke added that by Mr Trump postponing strikes on key Iranian infrastructure, Iran believes it now has the upper hand, and has started to “lay out their terms for peace”.

But he added there is “zero chance” their terms would be accepted, which include not giving up ballistic missile capabilities and nuclear capabilities.

The 15-point vs 5-point plan

Similar to the war in Ukraine and Gaza, Mr Trump has said the US has put together a 15-point plan for the end of the conflict in Iran.

The plan has been delivered to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan, who have offered to host renewed negotiations, according to the Associated Press.

While Mr Trump hasn’t given any details of the plan, beyond claiming it involves Iran’s nuclear programme, Israel’s Channel 12 reported it has gathered some of the content, citing a “Western source”.

Some of the reported points include:

Iran has called Mr Trump’s proposal “excessive” adding that Iran will “end the war at a time of its own choosing”.

An official was cited by Iranian state TV as saying that Tehran told the US via an intermediary that it will continue defending itself, setting out five conditions under which Iran would end the war:

• A halt to the “aggression and assassinations”;
• Concrete mechanisms to ensure that Iran will not be attacked again;
• Payment of war damages and reparations;
• An end to the war across all fronts and for all resistance groups involved throughout the region;
• International recognition and guarantees regarding Iran’s authority over the Strait of Hormuz.

What is Pakistan’s role?

Pakistan has offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to the Associated Press.

In a post on social media, Prime Minister Mr Sharif said: “Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict.”

He tagged the accounts of Mr Trump, Mr Witkoff and Iran’s foreign minister Mr Araghchi in the post.

According to three officials from Pakistan, Egypt and the Gulf, the US has agreed “in principle” to join talks in the country, while mediators were still working to convince Iran.

Efforts are centred on “trust-building” between the two countries with the aim of reaching a pause in fighting and a “mechanism” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the officials said.

Is Israel involved?

Notably, Israel is not involved in the move for negotiations.

Israel has previously depicted itself as following Mr Trump’s lead on the conflict but it has still pursued its own war aims beyond those of the US.

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In a statement on Monday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Mr Trump’s diplomatic efforts but said Israel would continue to strike its enemies for the time being.

An end to the war in Iran would also not guarantee an end to Israel’s campaign in Lebanon. There, Israel has seized a new opportunity to try to crush Hezbollah after the militants fired rockets in support of Iran.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Meta and YouTube must pay millions in damages to a 20-year-old woman after a jury decided the social media giant and video streamer designed their platforms to hook young users without concern for their well being.

The California jury’s decision Wednesday in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit could influence the outcome of thousands of similar lawsuits accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm.

The plaintiff, known by her initials KGM, testified at trial that she became addicted to social media as a child and that this addiction exacerbated her mental health struggles. After more than 40 hours of deliberations, a majority of jurors agreed and awarded her $3 million in damages.

Jurors later recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages after deciding the companies acted with malice, oppression or fraud in harming children with their platforms. The judge has final say over how much damages are awarded.

It’s the second verdict against Meta this week, after a jury in New Mexico determined the company harms children’s mental health and safety, in violation of state law.

Meta, the parent of Instagram and Facebook, and Google-owned YouTube issued statements disagreeing with the verdict and vowed to explore their legal options, which include appeals.

Google spokesperson Jose Castañeda said the verdict misrepresents YouTube “which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.” A Meta spokesperson said teen mental health is “profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.”

Meta and YouTube were the two remaining defendants in the case. TikTok and Snap settled before the trial began.

One juror, who did not feel comfortable sharing her full name, said to reporters outside the courtroom that Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony, and how he “changed it back and forth,” did not “sit well” with the jury.

She also said they landed on the $6 million in damages even though some jurors were advocating for a higher amount because they were concerned about giving the sole plaintiff a larger lump sum all at once. But the jury still wanted the companies to understand they felt their practices were not acceptable.

“We wanted them to feel it,” she said.

Jurors listened to about a month of lawyers’ arguments, testimony and evidence, and they heard from Kaley, as well as Meta leaders Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri. YouTube’s CEO, Neal Mohan, was not called to testify.

Kaley said she began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9. She told the jury she was on social media “all day long” as a child.

Lawyers representing Kaley, led by Mark Lanier, were tasked with proving that the respective defendants’ negligence was a substantial factor in causing Kaley’s harm. They pointed to specific design features they said are designed to “hook” young users, like the “infinite” nature of feeds that allowed for an endless supply of content, autoplay features, and notifications.

The jurors were told not to take into account the content of the posts and videos Kaley viewed because tech companies are shielded from legal responsibility for posted content, based on Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act.

Social media identified as substantial factor in causing harm

Meta argued that Kaley’s mental health struggles were not connected to her social media use and pointed to her turbulent home life. Meta also said “not one of her therapists identified social media as the cause” of her mental health issues. But the plaintiffs did not have to prove that social media caused Kaley’s struggles — only that it was a “substantial factor” in causing her harm.

YouTube focused more on the nature of the platform, arguing that it’s a video platform akin to television rather than a social media platform. The company also mentioned her declining YouTube use as she aged. According to their data, she spent about one minute a day on average watching YouTube Shorts since its inception. YouTube Shorts, which launched in 2020, delivers short-form, vertical videos with the “infinite scroll” feature that plaintiffs argued was addictive.

Lawyers representing both platforms also pointed to their safety features and guardrails for users to monitor and customize their use.

Rowland Homes aim to develop the new estate on fields off Arthur Lane, near the village of Harwood in Bolton.

It said the currently protected area ‘meets the grey belt tests’ at a time of housing shortfall.

Among 218 objections received by Bolton Council is one from Harwood golf club, which lies next to the proposed development site.

It has requested ‘a ball strike survey’ as a condition if outline planning is approved. It said there could be a ‘liability to members and the club’.

The club’s objection, said: “We do get a small number of stray golf balls that enter the car park and cause minor damage.

“We would request a ball strike survey as a condition to prevent any future damage to residents and potential liability to members and the club.

“Our grass cutting machines operate from around 6am in summer and we have members playing from a similar time, the potential for a noise impact to residents coupled with a large number of social functions the club holds should be realised in any noise mitigation strategy.”

A planning report has been published which will be to be put before members of Bolton’s planning committee at its Thursday, March 26 meeting.

Planning officers have recommended that outline planning permission be granted.

The report said: “It is considered that the application site meets the definition of grey belt as the development would not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining green belt across the borough.

“The proposal would contribute to the unmet need of housing within the borough and would be sustainably located.

“The proposal would also meet the ‘golden rules’ requirements by providing 50 per cent affordable housing, contributing to education provision and creating public open spaces on site or contributing to improving other open spaces in the borough.

“The proposed development would therefore not constitute inappropriate development in the green belt and the principle of development is acceptable.”

The proposed development would provide 80 homes ranging from one to five bedrooms.

The site covers approximately 2.47 hectares of land across two agricultural fields currently for grazing purposes.

The terrain of the site is generally flat with a gentle slope down from west to east.

The 218 objections to the plans include concerns about the impact on green belt.

One objector said: “The green belt serves a vital role in preventing urban sprawl and preserving the character of the countryside.

“This particular development will reduce the 360 metre strip of green belt separating Bolton from Bury, by 125 metres.

“This is development of the last remaining open parcel in Harwood and the development will encourage further sprawl in the surrounding open areas.”

Other objections outlined worries about traffic, public rights of way and residential amenity along with potential harm to wildlife and trees and lack of local facilities.

The couple, who are getting married later this year, have been able to be together at Indian Wells and Miami, though. Boulter said: “It’s really nice. I do still find it a bit tricky, well not tricky, because it’s a privilege to be at the same place at the same time. It’s just navigating how that looks sometimes is not easy.

“There are times when I may have days off and he’s training the full day, so we don’t get to spend that much time together, but I wake up with him and go to bed with him, so it’s fine.

“It’s a nice feeling to have that support no matter what and the security that he brings me and the love that he brings me is unmatched.”

It has not been the easiest 12 months for Boulter. Having started 2025 inside the world’s top 25, Boulter had slipped to 100th by the end of the year.

“I feel like I went straight back to the drawing board at the end of the year, took a bit of time mentally,” the former British No 1 said. “I really needed it after feeling like I was on a roller coaster the whole time, and could never get off it.

“It was important for me to focus back on my strengths, and show that even in the tight moments. That’s what won me the match [in Miami].”

The reset has paid dividends and this year Boulter has earned more ranking points than compatriots Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal, albeit they are ranked higher. Boulter has a chance to climb from No 67 in Miami and will take on 17th seed Clara Tauson in the second round.

Tristan Roberts, 18, posted a number of chilling messages about killing his mum Angela Shellis and likened himself to the television character Dexter and The American Psycho before carrying out his threats, a court heard

A teenager obsessed with fictional serial killers recorded himself over more than four hours murdering his own mother with a hammer.

Tristan Roberts, 18, had posted a number of chilling messages about killing his mum Angela Shellis and likened himself to the television character Dexter and The American Psycho before carrying out his threats, a court heard.

He was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday and described by the judge as ‘revelling’ in the terrifying control he exerted over his own mother and told he would serve a minimum term of 22 and a half years. The court heard Roberts, who lived alone with his victim after his brother had returned to university, had a twisted fascination with serial killers and had posted on Discord app that she would ‘vanish off the face of the earth’ and he would make it ‘brutal.”

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He also posted misogynistic messages about ‘hating’ and ‘not trusting’ women. Despite his mother doing everything to get him help for his autism and ADHD, he wrote that he wanted to kill her out of ‘revenge, justice and vengence.”

The sustained and brutal attack began at the family home in Prestatyn around 11pm on 23 October last year when Angela, 45, was struck with a hammer and strangled during a four hour ordeal. Roberts recorded himself stating: “This is the moment – we are doing it – we are going to hit her with a sledgehammer.”

At around 3.30am on 24 October, he walked her to a nearby nature reserve and continued to record himself as she screamed and pleaded for her life before she fell silent when he delivered a fatal hammer blow to her head.

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After the murder, he records himself stating: ‘oh god that was terrifying – that felt so crazy’ before complaining his hand was painful and he thought he had broken it. He then added: “I just killed her” before adding “Job’s done.”

Once back home he again posted on Discord under the username ‘tonight’s the night’ “boasting” about the murder. He wrote: “Just had the craziest day ever – beat the shit out of her. Took her to the forest. She kept chatting shit so smashed her skull in so hard with sledgehammer I couldn’t see her face anymore.

“Took her by ankles and took her into deep forest.”

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Before his arrest later that day, Roberts even messaged his own brother Ethan Roberts from his mother’s phone that she was ok when concern was raised no-one had heard from her.

Jailing him at Mold Crown Court today, His Honour Judge Rowlands said it was a “truly awful way for anyone to die, made all the more dreadful by the fact that her attacker was her own son, someone who, it is clear, she both cared for and worried about in the weeks leading up to her death.”

He told Roberts: “This fortunately, is an extremely unusual case, inasmuch as it is clear to me that you both looked forward to inflicting pain and ultimately death upon your mother and that, in recording what you did on a dictaphone over several hours, you enjoyed what you were doing, exercising control over you mother in her last hours, no doubt revelling in what you did as you attacked her, ignoring her pleas for you to stop and to obtain assistance.

“She must have been truly terrified in these the last minutes of her life.”

The judge described the victim as a “much-loved mother and sibling and a respected teacher with much of her life still ahead of her.

“Tragically, her concerns were well-founded as you’d planned to kill her, posting messages on the Discord app on social media to that effect, blaming your mother for your perceived problems. You messaged that you had a hatred of women and felt abandoned, betrayed and bullied by your mother, saying that you were going to kill her for ‘revenge, justice and vengeance’.

“In the weeks leading up to her death you bought a number of weapons online together with protective clothing and spent several hours on the internet researching methods of how to kill, the use of weapons, how to remove traces of blood and DNA, and how to dispose of a body.

“Plainly, no sentence I can pass will adequately reflect either their loss or the value of Ms Shellis’ life.”

During yesterday’s hearing. Prosecutor Andrew Thomas KC said there was extensive pre planning lasting several weeks before the attack and he said the defendant recorded everything on a digital audio device from the initial assault to the fatal blows at the end which were described as “too distressing to play” and may have been kept by the killer as a “trophy.”

The court heard in the recording he was putting on an American accent, which was thought to again be part of his roleplaying.

Mr Thomas said around four heavy blows are heard and the victim’s voice wasn’t heard after the first. The impact shattered the left side of her skull and she died as a result of catastrophic brain injury. He then dragged his mum’s body about 100m and abandoned her in undergrowth where she was found by a walker later that morning.

Mr Roberts added: “He referred to hatred of women as a motive – and wrote he felt abandoned, betrayed and bullied and blamed his mother. He said he was going to kill her for ‘revenge, justice and vengence’ so he could move forward in this life.”

Ethan Richards, the victim’s other son, said in a victim impact statement: “My family will never be whole again. Not a day goes by I question why. All my mum ever did was love Tristan. She put up with way more than any other person would have. She would do anything for him.”

He added: “I don’t want to see him again or want anything to do with him. But I feel clearly he is not mentally well.

“I can not explain why he did it without being unwell. He can not ever be in public if he doesn’t start taking responsibility for what he did to mum and the wider family. I don’t know how he could do this to anyone – let alone the one person who did anything for him. She still loved him and tried to include him with everything.”

Angela’s sister Sarah Gunther added: “Angela showed you love and care. I just wish if you didn’t want to live under the same roof, this could have been resolved in so many other ways.

“The family has been broken and every day we are reminded what you have taken with us. I hope in time you will come to understand the full consequences of your actions and the pain and devastation you have caused. She will be sadly missed by so many and will never be forgotten. I want her to be remembered as a mum who never gave up.

“I feel this was a tragedy that could have been avoided.”

The Royal Navy previously joined allies in action against the vessels which are attempting to evade sanctions

UK armed forces have now been authorised to board and halt Russian oil tankers in British waters. Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would join northern European allies in intercepting the tankers, in an attempt to ‘go after’ the sanction-breaking ships ‘even harder’.

The Royal Navy previously joined allies in action against the vessels. It comes after it last week helped track a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean which was boarded by the French navy.

Moscow’s shadow fleet is reported to be made up of more than a thousand ageing tankers. They illicitly ship oil and other goods out of Russia by flying the flags of other countries, with the aim of evading sanctions imposed by the West since the invasion of Ukraine began.

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The Prime Minister has given approval for the UK to start seizing shadow fleet vessels as he travels to Helsinki, Finland, for a summit with national leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).

The JEF, a military coalition of 10 northern European countries led by the UK, aims to defend against Russian incursions. It also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

JEF countries Finland, Sweden and Estonia have recently intercepted suspected shadow tankers travelling through the Baltic.

Closing off British waters to the shadow fleet is aimed at forcing the Russian vessels into taking longer, more costly sea routes, or risk being intercepted by the UK. Sir Keir said: “We are living in an increasingly volatile and dangerous world, facing threats from different fronts across the world every day.

“As Prime Minister, my first duty is to keep this country safe and protect British interests here and abroad. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets.

“That’s why we’re going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just keeping Britain safe but starving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine. He and his cronies should be in no doubt, we will always defend our sovereignty and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

British forces have already been involved in tracking shadow fleet vessels for several years, and have supported operations by other countries to seize the ships. In January, the UK assisted in the seizure of the oil tanker Marinera by the US.

Previously known as the Bella-1, the Russian-flagged vessel was captured by American forces aided by RAF aircraft and the British supply ship RFA Tideforce in the Atlantic.

Later that same month, Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Dagger helped the French seize another sanctioned ship, the Grinch, in the western Mediterranean, shadowing the vessel through the Strait of Gibraltar. Last week, the French intercepted the Deyna oil tanker in the Mediterranean, supported by the UK.

Libyan authorities have meanwhile towed a suspected shadow fleet oil tanker found drifting in the Mediterranean which was believed to have been hit in a drone strike. The tanker, carrying liquefied natural gas, was towed to avoid a spill in the Mediterranean.

At the JEF summit, the Prime Minister and other leaders are expected to discuss shared security in the so-called High North and the war in Ukraine.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Any effort to keep sanctioned ships out of our waters is important. But Labour’s failure to back our armed forces with the resources they need shows he is in denial about the scale of the threats our country faces.

“Keir Starmer would rather fund a bailout for benefits street than fund our military. Only the Conservatives have a plan to get the welfare bill under control and increase defence spending, keeping the British people safe.”

The fish delivers much of what people love about salmon with similar pink flesh, rich flavour and omega-3 fatty acids

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Many of us are creatures of habit. As much as we like to think of ourselves as adventurous, the truth is that when it comes to food, we often stick to what we’re familiar with. Statistics consistently show that, in terms of fish, this usually means tuna, salmon, cod, haddock and prawns. Salmon’s reputation, in particular, is well earned. It’s loaded with omega-3 fatty acids – essential for brain health – and it’s undeniably tasty.

However, while incredibly delicious, these types of fish come with a hefty price tag in supermarkets. What used to be a regular weeknight meal has quietly transformed into a luxury. Fortunately, professional chef and food expert Anne Wolf at Simply Recipes suggests that trout is the best alternative.

She noted that “trout delivers much of what people love about salmon at a fraction of the price.”

Anne added: “With similar pink flesh, rich flavour, comparable protein, and a good dose of omega-3 fatty acids, trout is an easy, budget-friendly stand-in.”

Trout bears a strong resemblance to salmon, and that’s not coincidental. They both belong to the Salmonidae family, and Steelhead trout, like salmon, grow and mature in the ocean, reports the Express.

The chef pointed out: “Their richer, buttery flavour is so similar to salmon that steelhead trout are sometimes sold as ‘steelhead salmon’.”

Compared to salmon, trout are smaller and have a more delicate taste, with a hint of sweetness.

They are also less oily than salmon, particularly farmed salmon, which is recognised as the fattiest among its relatives.

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Since trout is smaller than salmon, they are typically sold whole, with the head and tail left on and deboned.

Their skin is tender, with tiny scales that are often not required to remove and become crispy when cooked.

To create a stunning presentation, prepare the trout whole, filled with lemon slices and fresh herbs. Alternatively, you can slice the trout into fillets before cooking.

A Palestinian teenager was starved in an Israeli prison before his death, a judge ruled before closing the case.

According to a newly-unsealed court decision, the judge said it was clear 17-year-old Walid Ahmad was starved, but the cause of death was undeterminable.

The case drew attention as he was the first Palestinian under 18 to die in Israeli detention, Palestinian officials said.

Ahmad, described by his family as a healthy teenager, spent six months in Israel’s Megiddo prison before collapsing in March 2025.

His family say he was arrested at his home in the occupied West Bank town of Silwad, during a pre-dawn raid in September 2024, for allegedly throwing stones at soldiers.

An autopsy did not establish a single, definitive cause of death but starvation was likely to be the leading cause, according to the report of an Israeli doctor who observed the procedure.

Dr Daniel Solomon also noted that the teen was suffering from extreme malnutrition and showed signs of scabies.

In the now-unsealed ruling, first published by Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli judge supervising the investigation ordered that the probe be halted in December.

The judge said evidence of Ahmad’s starvation did not prove the cause of death.

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Judge Ehud Kaplan, according to the ruling shared with The Associated Press by Haaretz, wrote: “The fact that he was apparently starved cannot be hidden and should not be hidden.

“But I cannot determine based on the findings of the expert report that there is a causal connection between his poor physical condition and his death, and therefore I cannot determine that the death was caused by a crime.”

He added: “Given this state of affairs, the investigation into his death is exhausted.”

In Israel, judges can be requested to oversee an investigation into deaths of detainees in custody.

They are able to seek and review evidence to determine the cause of death, and establish if it resulted from wrongdoing by any party.

If evidence of wrongdoing is established, the judge can move toward criminal indictments. Or, as was done in Ahmad’s case, they can order an investigation be stopped.

Haaretz published the ruling after successfully filing for a gag order on the case to be lifted.

The US President has claimed that the broadcaster are ‘crooked’ adding ‘they put words in my mouth’ in a new attack on the company for their edit of a Panorama episode

President Trump has launched a new attack on ‘corrupt’ BBC as he claims they put things ‘so horrible’ in his mouth.

Trump addressed his lawsuit against the BBC in his address at the Nation Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) annual fundraising dinner at Washington D.C.’s Union Station.

He said: “They had me saying things that I never said, that were terrible.

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“They put words in my mouth. Sentences and paragraphs so horrible.”

The US President makes reference to the closely analysed Panorama episode broadcast in 2024, which appeared to show him encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol building in 2021.

In the episode, a clip from Mr Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021 was spliced to show him saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”

The edit omitted a part where he said they should march “peacefully”.

The controversy of the broadcast led to the resignation of BBC director general Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness.

At his time of resignation, Mr Davie said there had “been some mistakes made” and that he had to “take ultimate responsibility”.

In his speech on Wednesday, March 25 Trump added: “They admitted they were guilty.

“That’s how crooked they are.”

He addressed the notion of ‘fake news’, telling the audience that other news outlets have also had to pay him before.

Trump said: “CBS had to pay me $38 million for what they said. If you bring lawsuits against these guys, they are so corrupt that they will pay it.”

Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC that will go to trial next year, on February 15.

However, the BBC are arguing that the lawsuit should be dismissed because the US President failed to state successful claims in the lawsuit for defamation and they also claimed there was a violation of a Florida unfair trade practices law.

Court documents from the US District Court Southern District of Florida show judge Roy K Altman rejected attempts by the broadcaster to dismiss the libel case and set the trial date.

The Public Accounts Committee says the burden of maintenance costs associated with over 50,000 road openings and reinstatements that take place annually should be shared with the utilities

An Assembly Committee has issued a warning that tens of thousands of road openings conducted annually by utility firms may be playing a role in the decline of Northern Ireland’s road infrastructure.

The Public Accounts Committee has voiced concerns that the Department for Infrastructure is presently unable to establish the expenses associated with these repairs or offer guarantees that taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for related upkeep activities.

In its Report on Road Openings by Utilities, the Committee says that the financial responsibility for maintenance linked to more than 50,000 road openings and repairs taking place each year ought to be distributed between the utilities.

Nevertheless, the Committee has expressed serious concern that it has not been given assurances that this cost-sharing is happening.

Utility providers deliver vital services including gas, electricity and communications, and undertake essential maintenance on their networks. When such work requires opening up roads and pavements, they bear responsibility for restoring them to an acceptable condition for public use.

As part of its investigation into this matter, representatives from the Department for Infrastructure (which monitors utility company performance) provided testimony to the Public Accounts Committee.

In its findings, PAC has put forward a total of 11 recommendations it wishes to see actioned. The Committee asserts that frequent and repeated road openings can undermine the road structure and contribute to the network’s degradation over time.

Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Daniel McCrossan MLA stated: “Of course there are other causes of defects that the Department is required to repair across the entire network.

“However, when we spoke to officials they couldn’t set out a reliable way of calculating how much of that burden arose from deterioration of the road network linked specifically to utility reinstatements.

“As a result, they couldn’t reassure us that taxpayers were not subsidising repairs that should be properly funded by utility companies.

“We are recommending that by the early Autumn, the Department develops a methodology to determine the cost of maintenance linked specifically to utility reinstatements – and uses it to determine if its cost recovery approach is appropriate and achieving value for money.

“Within a year, we also want to see the Department undertake a full evaluation of the costs and benefits of introducing performance-related financial penalties for utilities.”

The Committee concluded that the state of disrepair of the road network was entirely unacceptable. It pointed to a 2024 Northern Ireland Audit Office finding that more than £3.3 billion worth of maintenance work remained outstanding.

In its findings, PAC highlighted that the disruption stemming from utility works had a considerable impact on motorists and local residents. It pointed to inconsistent contractor conduct, alongside inadequate communication and ambiguous accountability, all of which added to the upheaval and uncertainty faced by households and commercial enterprises.

The Committee expressed its desire to see a significant enhancement in how DfI collected, examined and addressed public complaints – and urged that reporting systems should be straightforward, easy to access and widely publicised.

Deputy Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Tom Buchanan MLA said they were also demanding immediate measures to reinstate a robust inspection scheme by the Department. He stated: “Visual inspection targets have been missed consecutively for seven years. Effective inspections are essential in ensuring reinstatement works are completed to the required standard and defects identified early.

“Another issue has been the suspension of the core testing programme – which can identify defects beneath the road surface. This represents a serious risk.

“Our report also recommends the Department publishes a wider range of performance data from utilities. More transparent and specific reporting would help drive improvements, shine a light on poor performers and give the public greater confidence that issues are being addressed.

“Within the next 12 months we want to see a detailed action plan published which sets out how the data gathered will be used to support decision making and actions.”

The Committee has also requested that a review of warranties relating to reinstatements be conducted within the next six months – to ensure they safeguard public funds.

Warranties are designed to protect taxpayers from short-term expenses resulting from substandard reinstatements – however, PAC believes the current two or three year warranty periods are inadequate.

PAC praised the Department’s innovative digital mapping and AI initiative, which it stated could in future revolutionise how road conditions are assessed and defects are identified – and it acknowledged the benchmarking work being undertaken with the Highways Authority and Utilities Committee (HAUC UK).

The Committee noted that the Department’s capacity to manage road openings by utilities had been hampered by substantial recruitment and retention difficulties, particularly in professional and technical positions. It recognised the Department’s efforts to innovate in workforce development but stated the challenges were system-wide and required coordinated, cross-departmental action.

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