As thousands of Tottenham fans streamed out of their stadium at half-time on Thursday, no one could have been in any doubt about the threat of relegation.

After taking an early lead against Crystal Palace, three goals for the visitors in 12 first-half minutes – sparked by a penalty conceded and red card for Micky van de Ven – condemned Igor Tudor’s side to another miserable defeat.

Spurs remain the only Premier League side without a victory in 2026. Their 11-match winless league run is the club’s longest since 1935, when they went 15 games without winning.

With nine matches to go, they remain one point above the relegation zone and in real danger of losing their Premier League status for the first time.

The thousands of empty seats were telling. The fans who remained until the end met the final whistle with loud jeers as belief of survival appears to be draining from them.

“Anxiety was all through the stadium,” former Chelsea and England winger Joe Cole said on TNT Sports. “The whole performance was tepid.

“There was no bite and no anger and the fans were feeling that. It feels like they have given up.

“It looks like the fans are disillusioned, disenchanted and not believing it.”

When Tudor was appointed as interim boss last month, he said Tottenham “100%” wouldn’t go down. It would take a brave person to say that now.

“Of course i understand the fans [leaving]. It’s normal, they wanted more,” said the Croat, whose has lost all three of his matches in charge.

“I need to choose the right guys: Who is in the boat and who will leave the boat.”

Tudor refused to be drawn into conversations about his future after full-time, despite questions already being raised about whether he would see out the season.

Spurs fan Chris Cowlin told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’m lost for words over what I’ve seen tonight. You want fight, desire and most importantly points.

“It is too much for a lot of people and this is the reality that Spurs might get relegated.

“When we moved to this stadium in 2019 it was meant to be a game changer for us, the springboard for success and always competing for top honours. I’ve never known a time like this.

“We’ve gone through so many managers since moving to this stadium; six permanent managers and four interim appointments. Spurs have gone round in circles.”

Ukraine has raised the prospect of postponing future peace talks aimed at ending its four-year-old war with Russia, because of the Iran conflict.

The latest round of US-mediated negotiations was due to take place in Abu Dhabi starting on Thursday, before it was targeted by Iranian strikes.

Iran latest: ‘Security incident’ near Cyprus RAF base

Ukraine’s president said he had approached the US “about the possibility of changing the location and postponing the meeting for a while due to the ‌war in the Middle East”.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted the comments on X, based on his interview with Italian network ​Rai Italia.

Earlier this week, Mr Zelenskyy said that ​Kyiv was open to other locations for the talks, such as Turkey or ‌Switzerland. He also told Sky News that he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and will do anything to bring about peace.

On Thursday, Ukraine ‌returned 200 prisoners of war ‌in its latest swap ​with Russia, including troops captured in ​Moscow’s siege ‌of Mariupol in early ​2022.

Mr Zelenskyy confirmed the news on X, adding: “Ukraine is working to bring everyone back. No one is forgotten.”

The ⁠Russian foreign ministry also said another 300 soldiers will be swapped on ⁠Friday.

During the Ukrainian president’s nightly ‌video address on Wednesday, he said that his country’s partners, ‌including the US, had ​sought Kyiv’s help in defending against ​Iranian drones.

“Partners are ‌turning to us, to Ukraine, ​asking for help in defending against [Iranian-designed] Shahed drones, ​with expertise and ⁠real operational ⁠experience… there have also been requests from the ‌American side.”

Ukraine has previously suggested it ⁠could share expertise ​with Middle East countries ​if they could ​help persuade Russia ⁠to observe a ceasefire in their war against Moscow.

But Mr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian assistance would only be provided if it did not weaken Ukraine’s own defences. “We help to defend from war those who help us, Ukraine, bring a just end to the war [with Russia],” he said.

On Thursday, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte ​told ‌Reuters that ‌allies will keep supporting Ukraine with “‌what it ​needs to stay ⁠strong in the fight” despite the situation in ​Iran.

Read more from Sky News:
Watch: Hezbollah-Israel border battle
Stories from Ukraine’s children
‘Russian shadow fleet’ tanker seized

Mr Zelenskyy had warned on Monday that a prolonged and intense war in Iran could reduce the air defence systems available to Ukraine and that Russia was preparing a new wave of attacks on infrastructure, logistics and water supplies.

But Ukraine’s president has been an outspoken supporter of the US attack on Iran, striking a contrast with Russia, which has condemned the attacks on its ally.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s army has retaken territory from Russia in recent weeks, gaining more in February than it lost for the first time since 2023, according to ⁠the Finland-based Black Bird Group analysis team.

A key stumbling block in peace talks has been Kyiv’s refusal to give up full control of its eastern Donetsk region to Russia, which Moscow has been unable to fully conquer.

Civil resistance group Take Back Power called it a ‘Draconian overreach’

Fifteen activists from a group which claimed to be behind stunts targeting the Ritz and the Crown Jewels have been arrested on suspicion of planning a mass shoplifting campaign, police said.

The Metropolitan Police said that members of Take Back Power had been planning a campaign to steal from supermarkets before redistributing the goods, according to PA.

Activists gathered at the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster on Thursday evening to take part in “non-violent direct action training”, the force said.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Officers halted the meeting and 15 people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft. One man was bailed and the others were taken into custody.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said: “There is a clear difference between lawful protest and criminal acts.

“This evening’s operation tackled a group who we have grounds to suspect were planning to steal from shops in a large, targeted and organised way.

“Theft is a crime and the public expect the police to deal with it – which is exactly what we have done today.”

Take Back Power, which describes itself as a non-violent civil resistance group, claimed it was behind a stunt which saw apple crumble and custard thrown at a display case containing the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London in December.

Days before that, activists from the group targeted the Ritz Hotel by emptying bags of manure next to its Christmas tree. The group has called for a citizen-led assembly that has the power to tax the rich.

Scotland Yard faced criticism for its arrest of six Youth Demand activists at an event at the Quaker Meeting House in March last year.

More than 30 police officers were involved in the action and the Quakers in Britain group condemned the arrests, saying they were the first at a meeting house “in living memory”.

Mr Harman said after Thursday’s arrests: “While we reflected carefully on those previous concerns before approving tonight’s operation, and took steps to ensure we caused minimal disruption, we ultimately felt we had no choice but to act.

“We cannot get into a situation where groups planning criminal acts can escape police action simply by booking rooms in certain venues. The criminal investigation will now continue.”

A Take Back Power spokesperson said: “The police arrested 15 ordinary people in a place of worship for discussing non-violent civil disobedience.

“This draconian overreach shows what the state is willing to do to protect corporate profits and billionaires, while ordinary people struggle to put food on the table.

“The state is scared of civil disobedience because it works. But when the super-rich have captured our politics, non-violent civil disobedience is the only choice we have to take back our power.”

Chester Road, which runs in front of Penshaw Monument along to Herrington Park from the A19 will be shut to motorists during the hotly anticipated festival from May 22 to 24.

Sunderland City Council confirmed the closure in a letter sent to residents near the park in late February, adding it will bring “significant benefits to the city”, with 31,000 tickets up for grabs.

BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend in Middlesbrough in 2019.

The letter, seen by The Northern Echo, reads: “Whilst we celebrate the positives of bringing such a high-profile event to the city, we also understand that hosting an event of this scale can raise questions for people who live near the event site and we want to share early information with you about what to expect.

“A series of road closures will be in place around the park on event days to manage access safely.

“Resident access will be maintained through a controlled permit system to allow movement as freely as possible.

“If you have specific caring responsibilities or are planning an important social event during this time, we will work with you as part of the traffic management plan to support your needs.

“Please note that Chester Road will be closed from May 22-24, 2026 between Herrington Country Park and the junction with the A19.

“Access will not be available along this section during this period. This closure is required to facilitate shuttle bus operations and provide a safe environment for those attending the event.”

The council added that a ‘drop in’ session at the park will be held for residents with questions and concerns on March 10 between 2-4pm and 6-8pm.

The full line up for the weekend is set to be revealed on Friday (March 6), but previous headliners have included the likes of Sam Fender, The 1975, Harry Styles and Billie Eilish.

Works have already started to make the park festival ready, with many grass areas currently fenced off.

But this is not the first time that the Big Weekend has come to the region – the last time it was at Herrington Park was in 2005, with headliners including the Foo Fighters and The Black Eyed Peas.

In 2019, the festival came to Middlesbrough.

Music stars from around the world arrived at Stewart Park, with around 64,000 festivalgoers watching the likes of Ellie Goulding, Miley Cyrus, Little Mix, Lewis Capaldi, James Arthur, Rita Ora, Stormzy, Anne-Marie, Mumford and Sons and The 1975.

Miley Cyrus headlined the Main Stage on the Saturday, with Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills describing her as “a megastar – she was amazing”.

Meanwhile, X Factor favourites Little Mix kicked off Sunday’s performances, with The 1975 closing the event.

Vitinha has named Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes as one of the ‘top-four’ midfielders in the world but overlooked Arsenal star Declan Rice.

Fernandes is enjoying another impressive season at Old Trafford, scoring seven goals and providing 14 assists in 26 games.

The 31-year-old’s form has helped Manchester United climb back into the Champions League places after they finished just 15th last season.

Vitinha rates Fernandes as one of the best midfielders in the world alongside himself, Joao Neves and the player at the ‘top of the list’, Pedri.

Pedri, 23, has already won two La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey trophieswith Barcelona and the Euros with Spain.

Vitinha has enjoyed similar success at PSG, helping the French giants win three successive league titles and the club’s first Champions League last season.

Given his standing in the game, Vitinha is well-placed to rank some of his contemporaries and was asked by Canal 11 who he rates as the best midfielder in the world.

‘I would put Pedri at the top of the list,’ said Vitinha. ‘He is magical, it is spectacular to see him play. When you play against him, you understand him even better.

‘A top-three? I would go with Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes. They are both on either side of me and Pedri. So, I don’t have a top three but a top four.’

Arsenal’s Rice is perhaps a surprising omission from Vitinha’s list given his form for club and country over the past two years.

Vitinha’s top-four midfielders

Pedri (Barcelona)

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

Joao Neves (PSG)

Advertisement

Vitinha (PSG)

The Gunners spent over £100m to sign Rice from West Ham in 2023 and the England star quickly repaid that huge transfer fee.

Rice has played all but one of Arsenal’s league games this season, helping Mikel Arteta’s side open up a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Arsenal’s aspirations are not just limited to the Premier League, however, with the Gunners still in contention of an unprecedented quadruple.

Gary Lineker believes Rice is one of the three candidates to win the Player of the Season award but says Fernandes is just ahead of the Arsenal star.

‘I think he’s the player of the season for me,’ the former England striker said on The Rest is Football podcast. ‘I know they’ll probably give it to someone that’s going to win something.

‘For me, it’s probably him or maybe Declan Rice if Arsenal go on and manage to clinch the title.

‘I suppose the only other one, if he came back and started banging in all the goals and won City the title, it might be Erling Haaland again.

‘But at the moment, for me, to do what he’s done this season… and he was still the standout player even when they were going through a rotten spell when they were really struggling under Ruben Amorim.

‘I think he’s got such a great footballing brain and technique. What a player, what a player!’

PSG, sitting four points clear at the top of Ligue 1, continue the defence of their Champions League trophy with a last-16 clash against Chelsea.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

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

MORE: Gareth Bale backs ‘genius manager’ to replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United

MORE: Peter Crouch says he would ‘pay to watch’ two Chelsea players after Aston Villa win

MORE: Arsenal trigger first summer transfer and put four players up for sale

Lionel Messi, owner Jorge Mas, and members of the Inter Miami team visited the White House to celebrate their 2025 Major League Soccer Cup victory.

Messi and Mas presented President Donald Trump with an Inter Miami jersey with his name on it and a glittering pink soccer ball trophy.

Trump jokingly asked the team and audience who was better: Pele or Messi?

A new building for the national railway museum and the transformation of a historic walled garden are among the projects shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) North East Awards 2026.

The 17th-century walled garden at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, the New Hall at the Locomotion museum in Shildon, the Pockerley area of the Remaking Beamish project, and The Goods Shed at Hopetown, Darlington, have all been nominated.

Andrew Thompson, RIBA North East Jury chair and associate at Faulkner Browns, said: “The RIBA North East Award shortlist for 2026 captures the richness and ambition of architectural practice in the region.

Walled Gardens at Auckland Castle. (Image: RIBA)

“This year’s projects range from finely crafted homes in picturesque landscapes, sensitive restoration of industrial heritage and a playful creativity applied to seemingly ‘everyday’ typologies.

“A deep sense of commitment to care, craft, and quality runs throughout the shortlist.”

Each project will be visited by a regional jury.

Beamish. (Image: RIBA)

Winners of the RIBA North East Awards will be revealed later this spring and will then be considered for several special awards, including the RIBA North East Sustainability Award and RIBA North East Building of the Year.

Mr Thompson said: “Great architecture should delight, challenge expectations and carry a deep sense of responsibility to client, community, and climate.

Locomotion, Shildon. (Image: RIBA)

“The jury looks forward to visiting each project across the region and assessing them against this high standard.”

Regional winners will then be considered for a highly coveted RIBA National Award, which will be announced in summer.

The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize – the UK’s best new building – will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects and announced in September. The Stirling Prize winner will be announced in October.

A coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report after Angela Darlow, 73, missed the critical treatment window

A coroner has raised serious concerns after a North Wales woman waited more than 23 hours for an ambulance after suffering a stroke at home. Angela Darlow, 73, collapsed at her home in Flintshire on January 6, 2025, prompting her husband to dial 999 for help.

The emergency call was correctly categorised by the Welsh Ambulance Service, but “unprecedented” pressure on the system meant an ambulance did not arrive for 23 hours and 20 minutes.

By the time Ms Darlow was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital, the delay meant doctors were unable to carry out key investigations for a thrombectomy – a procedure used to remove a blood clot from the brain. The treatment is most effective when performed within around six hours of stroke symptoms first appearing, reports North Wales Live. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Instead, she was treated with antiplatelet medication and admitted to the hospital’s stroke ward. Her condition stabilised and she was moved to Mold Community Hospital on March 7, 2025, with a poor prognosis.

She passed away from the effects of the stroke at hospital three months later, on June 7. She was aged 73.

An investigation into her death began on June 13, 2025, and concluded following an inquest on February 5, 2026.

The inquest returned a narrative conclusion, finding that Ms Darlow died of natural causes but that opportunities for medical investigations and possible treatment were missed due to the lengthy delay in ambulance response and transport to hospital.

Kate Robertson, Assistant Coroner for North Wales (East and Central), submitted a Prevention of Future Deaths Report to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles. Copies were additionally forwarded to the Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust.

Within the report, she stated: “The facts in Angela’s death speak for themselves. I continue to remain concerned about the time it is taking for ambulances to arrive in the context of the multifactorial reasons for this which include patient flow in hospitals and limited social care provision. People are dying due to these issues and yet we are no closer to improvement.”

She added: “In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action.”

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.

The scheme, which caps the bills of certain households who use high amounts of water, is to expand eligibility to include those on disability living allowance, attendance allowance, or personal independence payments (Pip), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

I have witnessed Iraqi and Iranian Kurdish fighters working with American forces in Iraq and Syria over many years.

The Kurds were instrumental in stopping Islamic State (IS) fighters from spreading into much of northeastern Syria and Iraq.

Could they be called again to help the West? It’s a thought that’s being widely talked about.

Iran latest: ‘Security incident’ near Cyprus RAF base

For their part, the Iranian-Kurdish militia living in neighbouring Iraq are literally chomping at the bit to cross the border and join a popular uprising against the Iranian regime.

I know this because they’ve told me.

In recent days, like the American bases, the bases of Kurdish armed groups have been struck by rockets and drones from Iran as well.

For safety, they spend as much time as possible off base as they prepare for war, which is why I met a senior political figure in the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran, in a deserted building, in a town nestling below mountains that lead to Iran.

Karim Parwizi will command one of the armed elements preparing to cross the border.

He told me they have been planning to take up arms against Iran for years, but believe that now is the time to join the American-Israeli war.

“For many years, for decades, this regime has attacked us, killed our people, and carried out acts of genocide against us,” he said.

“Now that the regime is becoming weaker and weaker, we see this as an opportunity to finally move toward achieving our freedom.”

Iran has threatened to bomb Kurdish towns and cities over the border if they get involved.

I asked Parwizi if they’re worried about those threats.

“The regime does not need an excuse to attack us,” he replied. “For the past 47 years, they have targeted us regardless.”

He added: “Even though this is described as a conflict between the United States and Iran, we have been attacked repeatedly whether we are involved or not.

“We have lived under constant threat. So no, they do not need any justification to attack us, they have been doing it for decades.”

Advertisement

Share

Iran jet downed over Tehran after ‘dogfight’

How much military cooperation remains, or has even increased, between the Americans and Kurds since the war against Islamic State is the subject of some conjecture.

Officially at least, neither American nor Kurdish political leaders have indicated it has changed one way or another.

Strategic American bases and runways lie in Iraqi Kurdistan, so the US military presence here is a constant.

‘This time is different’

Zanyar, a member of the Peshmerga – as Kurdish fighters are called – told me he and others want to follow the encouragement of US President Donald Trump to Iranian civilians to rise up against the government and its security forces.

I met him in a safe house for families of the fighters actively preparing for battle.

Zanyar’s wife and infant were killed in an Iranian missile strike here four years ago – remember Iran has been attacking the Kurds on and off for years.

Crossing the border to fight the regime and its forces is now personal for him, and he, like so many others, says now is the time.

Read more:
Sky News reporter forced to take cover from rocket fire
Spain PM unafraid of Trump’s wrath – analysis

“It’s true that in the past there were moments when people tried to rise up, but the efforts were not coordinated, but this time is different,” Zanyar told me.

“You have people inside Iran who are openly dissatisfied with the regime, you have opposition groups that are more united and determined to remove it, and importantly, much of the international community now agrees that this regime must go.

“That coordination makes this moment different, and it gives us hope that this could be a real opportunity for change.”

Would a Kurdish ground incursion kickstart a nationwide uprising in Iran – or herald the start of ethnic sectarian chaos instead?

Like so much in this war, nobody is sure of the endgame.