Boroughs of Hackney, Islington, Camden, Redbridge, Newham, Harrow, Ealing, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and this week Croydon, Bromley and Greenwich are pitted against each other in “Red vs Blue” teams. “Havering Wars” and “Rainham Wars” posts have also begun circulating among pupils in east London.

Iran has offered to never stockpile nuclear material and will reduce its current stockpile to “almost nothing”, in return for elimination of sanctions,  according to sources close to the high-stakes talks which took place indirectly with the US in Geneva on Thursday.

It is understood to be the first time, through multiple rounds of talks, that Tehran has made such an offer and they are now willing to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to “down-blend” their stockpile either by converting it into fuel or exporting it.

Specifics, such as enrichment levels, are yet to be discussed in detail but Iran would remain “well below the 20% level that is the red zone” one person with knowledge of the talks said. However there has been no decision on what would happen to its existing nuclear facilities.

The US team of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held indirect negotiations with an Iranian delegation that included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the Swiss city; the talks were mediated by the Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.

Following the conclusion of the talks, Albusaidi tweeted that “significant progress” had been made but offered no specifics. Araghchi tweeted that the talks were “the most intense so far” and reiterated Tehran’s demand that sanctions are lifted, although that remains a major sticking point between the sides. The White House is yet to comment.

Through conversations with people who have direct knowledge of what was discussed, Sky News understands Iran is also willing to offer the US companies access to its considerable oil and gas reserves and has suggested it could look to purchase American products, such as civilian aircraft, if sanctions were lifted.

It’s hoped this will appeal to US President Trump, who typically treats foreign policy as a business transaction and might be persuaded by the promise of economic rewards.

The possibility of a non-aggression pact, where Iran and its proxies would formally agree not to attack first, is also being considered.

Advertisement

Share

Sky’s Middle East correspondent Adam Parsons gets a sense of the mood.

Despite the positive vibes, however, considerable gaps remain and it’s understood there is still a long way to go before the two sides are in a position to agree to a binding and realistic deal. The threat of war remains high with a massive US military build-up on standby in the region.

Hawks in Washington and Israel strongly believe Iran is just playing for time and will be urging the US president to take action.

“I will remain pessimistic until I see the military being pulled back,” a senior diplomat said, but following the Geneva talks “we are now in a good place to agree that Iran remains a non-nuclear weapon state”.

One issue that wasn’t discussed in detail was Iran’s ballistic missile programme. In recent days the US administration has claimed, without evidence, that Iran has the ability to strike mainland US. Iran’s preference is for that to be dealt with regionally, possibly through talks with the Gulf Co-operation Council first, rather than Washington.

In a further sign of progress, technical talks will be held in Vienna on Monday. They will focus on three main points: How to deal with Iran’s current stockpile and in what timeframe; how a future monitoring mechanism could work; and to understand Iran’s plans for a civil nuclear programme over the next decade or so.

Depending on other events, the main negotiating teams are expected to meet again in around a week’s time, although exact details and a location are yet to be confirmed. It’s likely to be in the Middle East.

Read more from Sky News:
Zelenskyy tells Sky he’s ready to meet Putin
AI willing to go ‘nuclear’ with wargames

On the face of it, the Geneva talks seem to have made genuine progress and possibly averted the immediate threat of war, but Mr Trump’s position is still the big unknown and he might yet decide that regime change is preferred to what could be long and complicated nuclear discussions.

The situation remains incredibly tense and the window for action, if that is what Trump decides on, is closing with his military forces unable to remain on high alert indefinitely.

The presenter of BBC Gardeners’ World has shared some handy tips

Advertisement

Monty Don, a beloved horticulturist and lead presenter of Gardeners’ World, has shared a job ideal for March. And with the beginning of the month just around the corner, it’s time to get cracking.

As part of a “monthly gardening checklist”, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine has said that now is the time to jot down your ideas. Its website urges people to “tidy up borders” and “remove established and newly-germinating weeds.”

In a video on the same website, Monty Don shows how to remove weeds by hand. And in the step-by-step guide, he said that the March job is probably easier than you think.

He explained: “The important thing to realise is that weed is simply a plant in the wrong place.”

Looking at a weed amongst peonies, he notes that there are nettles, dandelions and chickweed all growing around it – and these are all types of weeds. To get rid of them, “you need an implement of some sort.”

Showing a small, curved tool, he stresses: “Quite honestly, anything will do. What matters is getting in there.”

He takes the sharp tool, gently goes under the plant, and pulls out its roots. Easy.

While some weeds can take a while to appear, others can grow easily and spread quickly. On the topic of chickweed, experts at RHS note that gardeners need to remember “chickweed seeds spread easily on muddy boots and in topsoil and garden compost, so pay attention to good garden hygiene, and avoid moving soil from a patch where you have allowed chickweed to grow.”

When it comes to dandelions, the RHS suggests that gardeners with borders and beds “might want to limit their numbers if they are growing small or young plants that could be swamped or outcompeted by dandelions.”

And touching on stinging nettles, the experts say there is actually some “good news” as people “can easily control the spread of stinging nettles by deadheading and removing seedlings.”

Monty says: “It’s very important to do it now so they don’t seed and they don’t take over. The other thing about weeds is to do it a little bit at a time.

“Do one metre properly, and that’s far better than doing 10 metres half-heartedly.”

Advertisement

When it comes to these pesky plants, the Gardeners’ World website also notes that you should “clear old crops and weeds from the veg plot, then dig over the soil, mixing in compost as you go.”

Another March job is to “dig over any gaps in borders, removing the roots of perennial weeds.” You can watch Monty Don’s guide to weeding here.

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of England’s last fixture in the Super 8 stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Victories over Sri Lanka and Pakistan have already secured their place in the last four for the fifth tournament running and a win today would put them through as group winners, but we do not know what that would mean in terms of venue for their semi-final as that depends on whether New Zealand can run them closely enough in defeat to eliminate Pakistan, who play Sri Lanka tomorrow. Should the Kiwis defeat a team coached by their countrymen Brendon McCullum, Jeetan Patel and Tim Southee, they would go through as group winners, consigning England to a very tough semi-final against South Africa, the best team in the tournament by miles. Having said that, India and West Indies would also be formidable opponents. 

The match in Colombo is being played on the same turning pitch used for NZ’s 61-run victory over their hosts on Tuesday when Mitchell Santer used five spinners, including himself, and Rachin Ravindra took four for 27. England, presuming that they stick to the same side as they have done for the last five games, will have four spin options in Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell, plus the knowledge that they have twice beaten their opponents in this tournament when hosted on the subcontinent.

With spin so predominant it makes sense for Harry Brook to continue at No3, giving him time against the wonderful Matt Henry should Jos Buttler’s slump continue, before facing an ordeal by tweak. His hundred on Tuesday off 50 balls was perfectly paced and his partnerships with Sam Curran and in particular Will Jacks were noticeable for the way they ran the field ragged, turning singles into twos. Although alarms about Buttler’s form have overshadowed the build-up, England have shown in this tournament that they have never been less reliant on their greatest ever T20 batsman. And that has to be a good thing.  

“It’s become a common sight for all of us who travel around London on bikes, on foot or in vehicles to see these electric bikes, which have been modified, tearing around at frightening speed, causing clearly significant danger to other persons”, said the judge, in his sentencing remarks.

Bukayo Saka is set to be available for Arsenal’s Premier League match against Chelsea on Sunday following his injury concern last weekend.

In the 4-1 win away to Tottenham last Sunday, Saka fell awkwardly on his ankle and immediately signalled to the bench.

Saka was able to walk off the pitch unaided and was replaced by Noni Madueke in the closing stages of the game.

Arsenal, who are five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, will host Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

When asked if Arsenal have any new injury concerns for the game against Liam Rosenior’s side, Arteta said on Friday: ‘No so far, we’re waiting for tomorrow, the last training session, to understand if we have one or two available from last week.

‘We are hopeful. Max [Dowman] will play some minutes tonight with under-21s, Kai [Havertz] will train tomorrow and Ben [White], let’s see.’

Chelsea, meanwhile, sit fifth in the Premier League after their 1-1 draw at home to Burnley last Saturday.

Earlier this month, Arsenal sealed a 1-0 win at home to Chelsea in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final and Arteta is unsure whether Rosenior will adopt a similar approach to the game.

‘We don’t know, I mean, they’ve done different things, they can change throughout the game,’ Arteta said.

‘They have the players and they have a manager who is very comfortable doing that, so we’re prepared, we’re going to be prepared for the possible scenarios that we can face throughout the game, and try to do better than them.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Michael Carrick sends message to Man Utd board over getting defender deal done

MORE: ‘Very happy’ – Mikel Arteta hints at Arsenal transfer plans for ‘dominant’ £45m star

MORE: Liam Rosenior rules two injured Chelsea stars out of Arsenal showdown

We have waited for England to click in this tournament. This win was not perfect but it was undoubtedly their best of the tournament so far.

Jacks is in the middle of the best form of his career – a run that gives England serious threat.

His runs, in addition to his 2-23, were match-winning and won him the player-of-the-match award for the fourth time in this competition.

But Jacks may not have been able to pull off the heist without 21-year-old Ahmed, whose six from the second ball he faced brought the chase to life in his first World Cup match.

His second, hit off the vastly experienced Santner, effectively sealed the deal.

Ahmed, who also took a wicket with his first ball, was picked for the conditions here. Can England really leave him out next week?

The big issue that remains is the form of Jos Buttler. He was out for a two-ball duck – his fifth single-figure score in a row.

Phil Salt also nicked off in the first over while Brook made 21, Jacob Bethell 21, Tom Banton 33 and Sam Curran 24 – all contributions but not match-defining scores.

Jacks and Ahmed ensured that will not be the focus, however. England may face India in Mumbai next week. What an occasion that would be.

Angel on the Green, in Bishopthorpe Road, is back open after a two-month closure while work was carried out at the venue.

The pub, which opens as a café during the day, has been given a new open plan look created by knocking through walls inside the building.

Carrying out the work in the Victorian building was no easy feat, said the pub’s general manager, Bella Brunton, who praised the contractor, Elvington Park Builders.

“They were absolutely fantastic,” she said of the firm that carried out the work. “I’d like to say a big thank you to Tim and the rest of his team – they smashed it out of the park.”

The Angel on the Green team ahead of the reopening on Friday (February 27) with general manager Bella Brunton, back right (Image: Dylan Connell)

Inside Angel on the Green, in Bishopthorpe Road, York, which has reopened after a major renovation (Image: Dylan Connell)

The refurbishment comes as the Angel approaches its 10th anniversary, after opening in December 2016.

Bella said the pub had been planning the refurb for the past two years and felt the time was right after returning to a healthy financial footing following disruption caused by the pandemic.

“It’s really improved,” she said of the upturn in trade. “And now we want to celebrate that – and make it even better.”

The Angel will be celebrating its reopening on Friday (February 27) with back-to-back live music from 4pm.

Angel on the Green, in Bishopthorpe Road, York, which has reopened after a major renovation (Image: Dylan Connell)

Bella said the reopening will come as good news to regulars who have been left with no option but to drink elsewhere since the Angel closed on New Year’s Eve.

She did, however, add that the closure failed to stop many regulars from stopping at the pub to look in at the work.

“We felt like we were in a zoo – in a good way,” she said of the large number of people stopping to look in the window. “It’s good that everyone is so interested in what we’re doing.”

Pub’s regulars at ‘the heart of what we do’, says manager

Bella said a strong community has been created around the pub, which resulted in some regulars fearing it would lose its “Angel-vibe” if it was refurbished.

“But quite a lot of people have said it’s still got that same feel which is nice,” she said, adding that the pub’s regulars are at “the heart of what we do”.

Recommended reading:

The pub is a community venue, owned by a group of York residents and run by local staff, “who are all integral to the Angel”, according to Bella.

She said the team has been “working their socks off” to get the venue ready for its opening night.

Customers can expect the same high standards, she said, but “amplified”. “We’re working to do everything to the best of our ability so that when people do come in, they feel a sense of trust.”

The four teenagers, aged between 18 and 19, chased their victim and repeatedly struck him with a machete, leaving him with damaged bones and a fractured skull as he lay helpless on the ground

A baby-faced gang of teenagers repeatedly struck a boy with a machete, raining down blow after blow as he lay helpless on a pedestrian crossing.

The four pals chased their victim through Hemlington, Middlesbrough, in the early hours of April 29 last year before launching a “truly horrific and brutal attack” on the 17-year-old.

Wayne Boyd, 19, Kaya Azhar, 18, Leon Keenan, 18, and Tyler Bradley, 18, stood trial in December for their role in the horrific beating. Two of the group were convicted of attempted murder and the other two of wounding with intent, under joint enterprise.

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

On Friday, Bradley and Boyd appeared at Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced for attempted murder. Keenan and Azhar arrived from prison to be sentenced for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

A fifth defendant, 18-year-old Ebony Watt, joined the boys in the dock as she was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Advertisement

The exact nature of the victim’s injuries – as well as the impact the attack had on him – are unknown, as he refused to cooperate with the police investigation.

But Home Office pathologist Dr Jennifer Boulton, who carried out a report on the injuries, told the trial that the victim was struck so hard with the machete, it damaged his bones. He suffered a fractured skull in the attack and underwent further surgery on his arm, reports Teesside Live.

The 17-year-old had been out shopping with a friend at the Viewley Centre that afternoon before meeting up with Watt and two other women, the court heard. The teenage boys went back to Watt’s home, where a disagreement broke out between the victim and one of the girls later that night.

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said the victim and his friend then left Watt’s home. Watt messaged her friend Wayne Boyd saying: “They’re walking and coming back. Hurry up. Fast time.”

Boyd then contacted Bradley. The two teens, along with Keenan, turned up at Watt’s home – but the victim and his pal had not returned, as Watt feared. They did return shortly after midnight and Watt then messaged Boyd and Azhar: “They’re here. Come now fast”.

Azhar arrived on a scooter and the other three travelled on an e-bike, the court was told. The victim then fled, but was chased by the group, who first began attacking him on a balcony on Elmhurst Gardens. In CCTV footage, Azhar was seen “encircling” the boy on an electric scooter. The victim leapt over the balcony before the men chased him down Cramlington Close.

CCTV captured Azhar carrying a “zombie knife” and Bradley and Keenan were also armed with large knives. The victim’s friend ran another way, and the pack pursued their victim across the Viewley centre car park. When the victim fell on the pedestrian crossing on Hemlington Hall Lane, Mr Perks said the attackers pounced.

Nearby residents “heard the victim’s screams” and shouted at the attackers to stop. The victim managed to drag himself over a fence into the Phoenix Park estate where people came to his aid before emergency services arrived.

Mr Perks said Azhar did not take part in the attack, but stayed close to the men before messaging Watt that he wanted to come back to her house. In a message to Azhar, Watt told him to hide his knife in a hole in her garden fence “cos if bobbies come, I’ll get the blame”.

In one text message, Bradley said the police “drones were up” and that he was “going to jail” – prompting him to turn off his mobile phone. Boyd messaged friends asking if anyone could supply him with some trainers to swap into, before checking into a hotel on Acklam Road, with Bradley. Each of the four were found and arrested over the course of the next few weeks.

Advertisement

Mitigating for Bradley, Paul Newcombe asked the court to consider a suspended prison sentence, saying: “He has behaved completely out of character.” Judge Francis Laird disagreed, adding: “He has 17 convictions for 47 offences, how can this be out of character?”

Mr Newcombe told the court that his client’s previous convictions were for “minor violence”, with him once throwing a creme egg at a McDonald’s worker and hitting a female shop worker.

Jonathan Gittins, representing Boyd, said: “He has not found life inside easy. He regrets his actions everyday. He wishes he had walked away. He knows he’s let his family down, particularly his mother who is in court”. Boyd suffered “a difficult childhood and has ADHD” the court heard.

Brian Russell said that his client, Azhar, made “very poor decisions” that night when he took a zombie knife to Watt’s home and “joined in with events”. But Mr Russell said that Azhar did later show the police where he hid his weapon, and forensic tests then proved he didn’t use it in the attack. The barrister said: “He’s learnt a tough lesson” having made “stupid and disastrous decisions”.

Keenan’s barrister said he “wasn’t carrying a knife but accepts he was convicted as part of a group attack”, adding: “Most 17-year-olds receive guidance from parents who tell them not to go out with knives – he didn’t have that guidance.”

Ebony Watt “was pregnant at the time” and the father of the child “had taken his ex-girlfriend on holiday to Turkey,” barrister Lee Goodchild said. “She is attracted to the wrong people – she is without strong figures in her life”. The court heard that Watt is homeless and “sofa-surfing”.

Judge Francis Laird said: “This was a truly horrific and brutal attack. He was fortunate to have escaped with his life”.

For the attempted murder of the boy, Bradley was handed a 17-year extended sentence, made up of 14-years in prison and three-years on extended licence in the community. He will serve two-thirds of the prison component before the parole board can consider if it is safe to release him.

For the same offence, Boyd was handed a 16-year extended sentence, comprising of 13 years in custody and three years on extended licence. He will also serve two-thirds of the prison component before the parole board can consider if it is safe to release him.

Keenan was handed a 50-month sentence for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Kaya Azhar was sentenced to 48-months jail, for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. For perverting the course of justice, Ebony Watt was handed a two-year community order.

“Giving you a very short custodial sentence would do immeasurable harm to you and your daughter” the judge said to Watt, who must attend 25-rehabilitation days and undertake a six-month mental health treatment requirement.