Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has said Wales needs to see change to the nation’s Parliament at May’s election.

Speaking to WalesOnline ahead of the party’s conference in Newport which starts on Friday, February 27, the man who hopes to be Wales’ next First Minister said it would be a bad thing for the nation if change doesn’t happen.

Mr ap Iorwerth said voters need to understand “that it could be Reform [in government] unless people turn up in big enough numbers to vote for Plaid Cymru and I think that’s a message that’s important that people keep in their minds at all times.”

He added: “We need there to be a party that is bigger than Reform and it’s only Plaid Cymru – poll after poll after poll after poll tell you – that could be in that position. I really want to cement that in order to take Wales forward.”

Polls keep flipping between his party or Reform UK top with Labour either third or fourth. If that happened it would be the first time since 1999 that Labour wasn’t in power.

Are those polls right? The Ynys Mon MS said: “The real sense that I get – and I get it from polls consistently and more importantly on the doorstep, speaking with hundreds and hundreds of people throughout Wales – there’s a sense that change has to happen in this election.

“There’s a sense of expectation that the time is now, that it would be a bad thing for Wales were there not to be a change.

“It’s really, really important that we focus on that. In that option for change there are two directions we can head in and it is the positive vision, Wales-focused vision of Plaid Cymru or it is a new Conservative party, the chaos on offer, the lack of focus on Wales that comes from a new party on the populist right in Reform.

“Polls, as one might expect I guess, can vary but the pattern of there being two options, I think, has become pretty established now for, well, you’re talking 18 months.”

Most recent polls have shown Plaid Cymru or Reform UK in the lead and the most recent by More in Common put Reform UK top. Is that a worry, I ask him.

“I think it’s a focus.

“If we want people to believe us that we’re not complacent because we’re not because the election hasn’t happened. Some polls are making it clear that we could win this election but we haven’t.

“It’s really important that people understand that it could be Reform unless people turn up in big enough numbers to vote for Plaid Cymru and I think that’s a message that’s important that people keep in their minds at all times.

“We need there to be a party that is bigger than Reform and it’s only Plaid Cymru, poll after poll after poll after poll tell you, that could be in that position. I really want to cement that in order to take Wales forward.”

In recent weeks the tone from both Labour and the Conservatives has switched with both attacking Plaid as a “separatist” party which will “break up” the UK.

Is that damaging Plaid Cymru? “No,” he said.

“I find it very, very interesting that what you have is other parties paying a lot of attention to us because they know there is a very real possibility that we could be chosen by the people of Wales as that beacon of hope in the election on May 7 and the old guard want to stop that from happening.

“On the ‘separatists’ chants from Labour and the Conservatives people know that I am in no way an isolationist and my belief is in building Wales and in building Wales in partnership with others. But what I hear, and what I think a lot of people hear all the time, is Labour, Conservatives, and Reform just talking Wales down so much and trying to describe Wales as some basket case that should never be able to have an ambition for creating a better society.

“I don’t think that’s a very good look for them.”

Is there a target on Plaid’s back?

“There’s no doubt that Labour are targeting us because they can see the change that is happening in front of their eyes in Wales currently where so many people who have long respected Plaid Cymru and who understand what we are and what we stand for, but for whatever reason, probably because in the old-style politics, Labour could put themselves up as the best way of keeping the Conservatives out, that has all gone.

“So now Labour can see very clearly that it is Plaid Cymru that is able to stand up for Wales and fend off the threats of the populist right or parties that want to undermine Wales.

“It’s not surprising that Labour are entrenching now to a position of attacking Plaid Cymru as they see support for us growing.”

Their manifesto will follow in a few weeks but we know that it won’t include any referendum on an independent Wales in the first four years term of any Plaid Cymru government – Mr ap Iorwerth has made that clear.

But that’s a different tack to the last time Welsh voters were asked to vote in a devolved election.

Then, in 2021, when Adam Price was leader, Plaid said if it formed a government it would offer a Welsh independence referendum within the first term of government should it be able to command a majority.

I wonder aloud if that shift has caused a backlash among his traditional support base. Mr ap Iorwerth said: “I mean quite really honestly no. I was speaking at a Yes Cymru event recently and there wasn’t any backlash there either, in an event which was about independence, and that’s because people know that my belief in Wales, and our ability to shape our own nation, is ingrained deeply in me.

“I want to, and I will always make the case for us being brave enough and confident enough to, go on a journey as a nation but I also believe and people know that I trust the people of Wales when it comes to the pace of that journey.

“The key thing for me is that when I make the case to people why wouldn’t they want to have a debate on whether there’s a different way of shaping Wales’ future? They almost always, whether they believe in independence or not, say: ‘Yeah, absolutely right, let’s have that debate’.

“That is what my politics is all about. It’s about building a better future for Wales, dealing with stuff that we can now, on health, education, and jobs, but also making the case for where we can go when the people of Wales think the time is right.”

He did not expect a backlash, he added. “To be honest with you this isn’t something that I have put together as a policy platform. This is what I believe. And these are the discussions that I’ve had lifelong.

“I find that people agree with me that we should be exploring whether there are other options, whether they support independence or not, but that’s neither here nor there.

“And I find that people like the pace and attitude with which I approach this, which isn’t about separating – it’s about building new relationships. It’s not about breaking Britain up, it is about redesigning Britain, and I find that it’s a positive engagement that I have with people on that basis but this has been my position always.”

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Reports suggest that Huntley was left in a ‘pool of blood’ after the incident

Ian Huntley’s alleged attacker reportedly yelled “I’ve done it, I’ve done it” after the Soham killer was was bludgeoned by a metal pole at a maximum security jail, according to reports.

Durham Constabulary has confirmed that a prisoner, understood to be Huntley, was assaulted in the workshop of HMP Frankland near Durham on Thursday morning and taken to hospital.

The Sun, which first reported the attack, said the killer was knocked unconscious with a metal pole and quoted a source saying his condition was “touch and go”.

According to the paper, a man shouted “I’ve done it, I’ve done it” after the 52-year-old was hit six times. The Press Association understands Huntley was left in a pool of blood after the incident.

Huntley was treated for head injuries and remains in a serious condition in hospital, the force said on Thursday afternoon.

A prisoner in his mid-40s has been identified as a suspect in the attack, according to police.

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “The 52-year-old prisoner who was injured during this morning’s assault in the workshop at HMP Frankland remains in a serious condition in hospital following treatment for head injuries.

“Police forensic teams have examined the scene of the attack throughout the day to gather evidence.

“A suspect, a male prisoner in his mid-40s, has been identified by officers investigating the incident.

“He has not been arrested at this stage but remains in detention within the prison.”

Former caretaker Huntley killed 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4 2002, then dumped their bodies in a ditch.

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Thursday’s assault was the latest attempt on Huntley’s life and he was thought to have been kept under close observation to prevent similar attacks.

He is serving a life sentence with a recommendation that he serves at least 40 years for the murders.

In 2010, robber Damien Fowkes slashed Huntley with a home-made weapon, causing a “severe, gaping cut to the left side of his neck” with a 7in (18cm) wound which required 21 stitches.

Fowkes asked a prison officer: “Is he dead? I hope so.”

He described Huntley as a “notorious child killer, both inside prison and in society in general”.

You never know in life where things are going to take you.

If you had gone back over 100 years and told a certain Sir Ludwig Guttmann that in 2026, we would be celebrating 50 years since the very first Paralympic Games, I am not sure he would have believed you.

The same as I cannot quite believe I was in attendance of my second lighting of a Paralympic flame.

The event, which was held at the amazing birthplace of the Paralympic movement, Stoke Mandeville Stadium, was hosted by 19-time gold Paralympic medalist Dame Sarah Storey.

I heard how the games began back in 1960 in Rome and March 6, 2026, Verona Arena will present ‘Life in Motion’.

It reinforced how important the lighting of the Paralympic Flame is and what it represents.

IPC President Andrew Parsons told how “Stoke Mandeville Stadium is seen as a sacred ground that started out with just 16 war veterans in 1948 for the Stoke Mandeville games”. 

Countess Elizabeth Howe, His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, gave a speech in which she highlighted that “the flame we light here today is more than a symbol, it carries the hopes of athletes, the strengths of communities and the belief that anyone, whatever their circumstance, deserves the chance to move, to compete and to belong”.

In the presence of the Guttmann family, the flame was lit by GB athlete and four-time Paralympic medalist in Alpine Skiing, Millie Knight and four-time Paralympian for the Italian Ice Hockey team, Andrea Macri.

Speaking after the lighting of the flame, Millie advised: “The Paralympics has become about elite sport, about how these athletes are at the top of their game, are the best in the game and they are disabled.

Millie Knight and Andrea Marci with Andrew Parson IPC President and Dame Sarah Storey (Image: Newsquest)

It goes to show that many people are no longer seeing disability at first sport second when it comes to the Paralympics, and whilst the games must keep inclusivity at the forethought of their minds, it highlights how far the games have come.

For the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the campaign Equal Play was launched, in which it was said that every child deserves to be included in PE and sports.

The latest survey has shown that whilst progress has been made, 12 to 15-year-olds are still being let down, so these games could not have come at a better time, as it gives the chance to reignite the campaign.

President of Milano Cortina 2026, Giovanni Malagò, said: “Even if one child with a disability is inspired to take up sport because of these games, then we shall have every reason to be proud of what we have achieved together

“To Millie, Andrea and Andrew, the flame you are about to carry to Italy represents the very best of us.

“It embodies what we can become when we work together towards a common goal capable of transforming millions of lives.”

ParalympicGB has 25 talented Athletes taking part. Among them are Britain’s most decorated winter Paralympian Alpine Skier, Menna Fitzpatrick and new to the circuit, Snowboarder Davy Zyw, who will make history as the first person with MND to compete at the games. 

Dan Brooke, Chair of ParalympicsGB, said: “As we pass the flame from its birthplace to Milano Cortina, we hope it will light up the globe with Italy’s unique passion.

“Best of luck to the organisers, and to all in the ParalympicsGB team.”

As the flame made a special flight following the ceremony, festivals will be held in the coming days as it makes its way to its final destination for the opening ceremony and the games on March 6 to 15.

As our teams make their way out to their destination, from me, I wish all at TeamGB the best of luck.

You can find out more about the history of the Paralympic Games at the National Paralympic Heritage Trust Museum located at Stoke Mandeville Stadium or on their website.

The TV chef, who originates from Malton and grew up on the Castle Howard estate, revealed that when visiting Whitby (one of Britain’s best coastal towns), “you have to” tuck into a portion of the classic seaside cuisine at none other than Magpie Cafe.

Within the last year, the popular foodie spot has been named one of the UK’s best seaside restaurants by The Good Food Guide as well as one of the country’s top places for fish and chips by Delicious magazine.

What did James Martin say about Magpie Cafe in Whitby?

When joining Jenni Falconer on the latest episode of Routes, the travel-focused podcast from LNER, James was asked to recommend his three top places for people to visit in Yorkshire.

Alongside Petergate and the Shambles, situated in York, the 53-year-old, who hosts his own Saturday Morning ITV cooking show, gave a shoutout to Whitby.

He revealed: “You have to have fish and chips, I think at the Magpie. You’ve got to have a large haddock, right?

“A large haddock, mushy peas, you have your lemon, your tartar sauce, you have your Sarson’s vinegar and you have your salt.”

James added: “…You sit there and the wind’s blowing and howling a gale, you sit there and you open up this pot of gold and there’s just this smell and as the steam comes up, it hits your nose.

“But as that steam hits your nose… then you’re in nirvana, heaven, you’re in the pinnacle of fish and chips.”

On its website, Magpie Cafe shares about its history: “The Magpie Cafe is housed in a distinctive black and white building overlooking the harbour in the historic port of Whitby.

“The dining room commands excellent views of the harbour, Abbey and St. Mary’s Church.

“The Magpie Cafe has a long association with fishing and the shipping industry.

“It was built in 1750 as a Merchant’s House and during its history was owned by a member of the Scoresby whaling family and was for a time the pilotage where the pilots would wait for orders to bring vessels into the harbour.”

Aside from the classic fish and chips, just some of the other main menu options currently available include: Magpie fishcake coated in crispy batter on mushy peas with tartare sauce and wedge of lemon, king prawn tails in garlic butter served with a warm ciabatta roll, and calamari, deep fried in crispy batter, served with a spicy dipping sauce.

Currently on Tripadvisor, the fish and chips restaurant has a staggering 6,520 “excellent” reviews.

A customer who visited in December commented: “What can I say. Fantastic fish and chips ……probably the best in the UK.

“Catered for a group of 13 of us would advise you book , we did and it was a seamless experience.

“Waitress was fun , engaging and helped with a couple of menu questions.

“But let’s talk the food. Wide range of tantalising fish dishes, so had the fish and chips regular , you’ll need an appetite of a Polar bear to tackle the large!. Mushy peas fab with tea and some buttered bread. Perfect on a cold Sunday afternoon.

“Great value, great food , fabulous vibrant environment with engaging staff.”

A second person wrote: “One of the best restaurants we have ever been to, the food was magnificent, huge menu and HUGE portions. Our server Val and all of her colleagues were magnificent. Cannot praise this restaurant highly enough.”

A third impressed guest put: “Quite simply The Best Fish, Chips and mushy peas I have ever had in my life. The staff were incredibly efficient and very pleasant. Absolutely exceptional.”

Have you been to Whitby for a chippy lately? Let us know your favourite foodie spots in the coastal town.

Fans of the beloved BBC sitcom are speculating about a potential return three years after the finale.

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BBC Ghosts enthusiasts are certain that the cherished sitcom is set for a comeback following an enigmatic social media post.

The popular programme originally aired for five series between 2019 and 2023, chronicling a collection of spectres from various historical eras haunting a country estate whilst cohabiting with its new living residents – a married pair.

It swiftly became a viewer favourite and featured an outstanding ensemble including Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.

Alongside Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond.

Despite supporters being heartbroken when it concluded three years ago, Matthew Baynton, who portrayed Thomas Thorne, has now sent devotees into a frenzy after taking to his social media to hint at the programme’s return, reports the Mirror.

READ MORE: Call The Midwife viewers in disbelief as BBC announce return 10 years after debutREAD MORE: Prue Leith’s new project revealed after Bake Off exit as star has ‘no regrets’

The actor shared a brief video of the iconic wooden entrance door swinging open entirely on its own. He chose to maintain the post’s mystery by leaving the cryptic footage without a caption.

Predictably, it wasn’t long before supporters shared their responses, with one devotee commenting: “Ohmagaaad what’s going on!”.

Whilst another exclaimed: “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS.” “Are we getting to return to Button House? ! ? !” a third questioned.

“Is it Ghosts the movie? Please say it’s Ghosts the movie,” one admirer begged. Meanwhile another enthusiast urged: “Please say you are making a Ghosts film/Christmas special/new series? Pleeeeeeease! !”

Jim Howick, known for his role as Pat Butcher, and Martha Howe-Douglas, who portrayed Lady Stephanie ‘Fanny’ Button, both shared the same video of a door on their Instagram accounts without any accompanying text.

Ghosts concluded with a festive special but made a resurgence in Australia. The green light for its revival was given last year, with broadcasts commencing in November.

The show’s popularity among fans is undeniable, though it remains uncertain whether a second season is on the cards.

Discussing the decision to bring the successful comedy to Australian audiences, Kylie Washington, the Creative Director for the BBC in Australia, expressed: “We’re excited to bring Ghosts to life with a unique cast of characters that reflect our very own history and culture.”

She added: “Western Australia will provide the perfect backdrop for all their comedic antics and we’re grateful to Screenwest for their support.”

Ghosts seasons 1-5 are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

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Our winters are already getting warmer and wetter.

According to the Met Office, UK winters have already warmed by 1C (1.8F) since the 1950s due to human-induced global warming.

Six of the ten warmest winters on record have occurred since the year 2000, with only one 21st century winter (2009/2010) featuring in the top ten coldest.

This means we are seeing less snow and fewer frosts – in fact we now get around four weeks less ground frost than we did half a century ago.

However, one thing we are seeing more of is rain.

Out of nearly 260 years of records, six out of the ten wettest winter half-years – the period from October to March – have been since the year 2000.

These changes are predicted to continue as the world continues to warm.

In a situation where high levels of greenhouse gas emissions continue, the Met Office expects winters to be between 1 and 4.5C (1.8-8.1F) warmer than they were in 1990 – and up to 30% wetter.

That is because a warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture, so when rain comes it will be heavier and more intense.

Gorton and Denton by-election is taking place

The turnout for the Gorton and Denton has been announced. The polls opened at 7am on Thursday (February 26) and shut at 10pm.

The hotly-contested by-election comes following the resignation of the previous sitting MP, Andrew Gwynne, last month. Mr Gwynne had served as an MP for the constituency since 2005, when it was known as Denton and Reddish.

In the 2024 general election, Mr Gwynne won the seat with over 50 per cent of the vote. He officially resigned on January 22. In his statement, Mr Gwynne, who was sitting as an independent MP after being suspended from Labour, cited “significant ill health” and mental health challenges.

The by-election was seen as a battle between the Greens, Reform and Labour. It has been hit by a row over ‘family voting’, after independent election observers claimed there were ‘extremely high’ cases of illegal ‘family voting’ at polling stations. ‘Family voting’ is when family members enter a voting booth together and collude or direct voting intentions. It is a criminal offence in the UK under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.

In the early hours of Friday morning, the election officials revealed the turnout. The turnout was 47.62 per cent, with 36,903 votes cast.

In comparison, the turnout in 2024 was 46.8 per cent, with 36,560 votes cast.

Follow live Gorton and Denton coverage and by-election results here

During last night’s episode of Question Time on BBC One a debate on the monarchy fit for purpose and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor caused the crowd to erupt into laughter

A live TV debate had to be interupted as the audience erupted into laughter when discussing the latest accusations surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his time as trade envoy.

Fiona Bruce hosted this evening’s Question Time from Birmingham, with politicians, commentators and members of the public. On the panel, from the government, the culture secretary Lisa Nandy; the Conservatives’ shadow home office minister, Alicia Kearns; Jess Brown-Fuller MP from the Liberal Democrats; the chef and television presenter Tom Kerridge and the journalist Esther Krakue.

During the episode a debate on the royal family and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor caused the crowd to erupt into laughter. Audience member, Peter More, asked: “Given the latest accusations surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is the monarchy fit for purpose in the 21st century?”

READ MORE: Andrew ‘would arrive late and only talk to young women’ when he was trade envoy

READ MORE: BBC Question Time sees heartbroken pub owner question his son’s future after catastrophic tax rise

Host Fiona Bruce explained that MPs are not generally freely able to scrutinise the royals in parliament, she said: “very little is known about how much money the royals actually have, estimates vary from £650 million to over £1 billion, no-one really knows and they are also exempt from all kinds of laws and taxes as well.

Jess Brown-Fuller MP from the Liberal Democrats said: “Before being elected I had no idea that politicians were unable to scrutinise members of the royal family in parliament.” She went on to say: “I think it is important for all victims in this country to know that nobody is above the law, regardless of birth right, position, friends, bank balance, nobody should be above scrutiny and nobody should be above the law.”

Journalist Esther Krakue didn’t hold back when she spoke about Andrew, saying: “I appreciate the anger around Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor; he is clearly an entitled, arrogant man with no judgement.” Interrupting Esther, host Fiona jumped in to say: “I have to say at this point he denies any wrongdoing, you may all laugh there but this is my duty and I have to say that.”

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Esther continued: “This is not fair on the working royals who are looking to just do a good job for the country, and the question is how do we stop this from happening?”

Alicia Kearns chimed in saying: “I think the monarchy is incredibly important in this country, I think we’re incredibly proud of our monarchy in this country.” But she emphasised the bigger issue as: “Women said that they were being treated badly, women said they were being abused, we were not seen they were not heard and actually it’s not just Mountbatten and I think there’s a real risk we focus on him and allow other people to slip away into the dark.” She concluded: “But I’m not done until we get through the list of all those men.”

Next week on March 5 Question Time returns on BBC One live from Kettering.

Labour want a probe into claims of high levels of “family voting” in the Gorton and Denton by-election, with the party’s chairwoman describing the findings as “very concerning”.

Anna Turley was among the political leaders to react to a report by election observer group Democracy Volunteers that claimed to have witnessed the illegal practice in 68 per cent of 22 polling stations monitored.

“Family voting” – where two voters either confer, collude or direct each other on voting – was made illegal by the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Turley said: “It’s really concerning to hear. I hope the appropriate authorities will be looking at that, examining it and taking any reasonable steps.”

She added: “Obviously it is very early stages at the moment to assess the information but of course it’s deeply serious because every vote should be personal, secret. That’s the cornerstone of our democracy. So any evidence to the contrary is very concerning and I am sure the relevant authorities will be looking at this in the days and weeks ahead.”

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In a statement, Democracy Volunteers, which had four volunteers working at the by-election, said: “Today we have seen concerningly high levels of family voting in Gorton and Denton. Based on our assessment of today’s observations, we have seen the highest levels of family voting at any election in our 10 year history of observing elections in the UK.”

The organisation said it attended 22 of the 45 polling stations in the constituency, spending 30 to 45 minutes in each, and witnessed family voting in 15 of the 22 polling stations observed.

The group said they observed a sample of 545 individuals casting their vote and saw 32 cases of family voting in total, including nine cases in one polling station.

Manchester City Council, which is overseeing the by-election, was critical of the group for not raising concerns with them earlier, adding that no issues were reported from polling stations beforehand.

Leading pollster Robert Hayward, who authored the leglisation that outlawed “family voting”, told The Independent he may want to raise the matter with the Electoral Commission.

He said: “The report as prepared by Democracy Volunteers is concerning. The Ballot Secrecy Act which I introduced and steered through both Houses into law should have stopped such practices. I am very disappointed and will be discussing these details with Democracy Volunteers further.”

Green Party leader Zack Polanski suggested he would back a probe into family voting. He told BBC Newsnight: “I think it’s important that there’s full transparency about the democratic process, and if the recommendation is that there should be an inquiry or further steps then yes I’d support that.”

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage said it raised “questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas”.

It comes as the Gorton and Denton by-election has gone down to the wire between Labour, the Greens and Reform UK all standing a chance of winning.

The Britain Elects polling aggregator suggested that all three parties could win, with Greens on 31 per cent, Reform 30 per cent and Labour 29 per cent. In the 2024 general election the seat was Labour’s seventh safest with a majority of 13,413 and a 51 per cent share of the vote.

Already, the fate of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership is being pinned to the outcome of the by-election and there have been other allegations of dirty tricks.

The practice of “family voting” was made illegal to prevent people watching family members while they were voting see how they cast their ballot and sometimes telling them how to vote.

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According to its report, Democracy Volunteers deployed four accredited election observers across the Gorton and Denton by-election. The team attended 22 of the 45 polling stations in the constituency, spending between 30 and 45 minutes in each.

John Ault, director of Democracy Volunteers, said: “We rarely issue a report on the night of an election, but the data we have collected today on family voting, when compared to other recent by-elections, is extremely high.

“In the other recent Westminster parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby we saw family voting in 12 per cent of polling stations, affecting 1 per cent of voters. In Gorton and Denton, we observed family voting in 68 per cent of polling stations, affecting 12 per cent of those voters observed.”

The elections bill came after an independent review looked into cases such as the 2014 Tower Hamlets mayoral election, which was declared void by corrupt and illegal practices.

A spokesperson for the acting returning officer at Manchester City Council, which is overseeing the by-election, said: “Polling station staff are trained to look out for any evidence of undue influence on voters. No such issues have been reported today.

“If Democracy Volunteers were so concerned about alleged issues, they could and should have raised them with us during polling hours so that immediate action could be taken.

“We have operated a central by-election hub which has been rapidly responding to reported issues during the day, in liaison with the police v who had a presence at every polling station – where necessary.

“It is extremely disappointing that Democracy Volunteers have waited until after polls have closed to make such claims.”

However, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “This is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas.”

Donald Trump’s team of negotiators — reportedly armed with a laundry list of demands — was largely silent about the future of talks with Iran after emerging from a round of negotiations Thursday in Geneva.

A senior U.S. official described the outcome of Thursday’s talks as “positive” to Axios, while Iran’s foreign ministry described the two sides as making “significant progress”. But the extent to which the teams were able to overcome the real distance reported as the talks began was not known.

But they began with a report from The Wall Street Journal outlining a steep list of demands set forth by the Trump administration for a diplomatic resolution to the issue of Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

And the talks come just over a day after the president, in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, accused Iran of rebuilding the nuclear program that Trump’s own White House claimed was completely annihilated in the summer of last year. This week, his top negotiator, Steve Witkoff, claimed once again that the Iranian government could be just a week away from developing the enriched nuclear material required for making a bomb.

The demands cited by the Journal included the surrender of all Iranian enriched uranium to U.S. hands, zero enrichment capabilities for the foreseeable future, and the total destruction of the three Iranian nuclear development sites: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

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In exchange, the U.S. is promising future sanctions relief if Iran remains compliant with the deal. Negotiations are occurring under the looming pressure of the U.S. seemingly viewing them the last chance to stop U.S. military strikes against the country.

Despite the Iranian team stressing that more talks would take place in Vienna next week, there’s some signs that talks could break down before then. In particular, the reported “disappointment” of Witkoff and Kushner upon being presented with the Iranian offer, and a comment made by an Iranian official to an Al Jazeera reporter rejecting several of the U.S. demands out of hand.

Trita Parsi, co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, predicted to The Independent that while the Iranian official claimed that Tehran would not accept permanent restrictions on enrichment or giving up enriched uranium, the heart of the issue remained the prospect of sanctions relief and the unwillingness of the Iranian side to trust members of the Trump administration who promise that loosening sanctions will ever occur if not done immediately.

“The problem is, the administration is not offering any real sanctions relief, and the Iranians need deep sanctions relief. Their only leverage for getting it is their nuclear program, so they’re going to bargain very hard in order to make sure that they get the right level of sanctions relief for whatever parts of the program, they give up,” said Parsi.

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“If we’re offering them almost nothing, we’re saying that, you know, a lot of it will come much later and there’s zero trust between the two sides, then that’s just not going to work. The Iranians believe, frankly, that they are better off with a war than a deal like that,” said Parsi. “Why should they? There was a deal they were supposed to get sanctions relief and Trump himself, this President, not someone else, walked out of that deal.”

Trump could be inclined to give them that war.

Separately on Thursday, The New York Times reported that the administration is privately eyeing two strategies for armed conflict with Iran, in the event that talks do fail to satisfy the White House’s desire to put a permanent pin in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. One involves limited strikes, in the vein of the attacks last summer, aimed at further disruption of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Another is a much wider operation aimed at targeting key facilities and officials with the intention of forcing the Ayatollah Khamenei from power altogether.

But U.S. officials who spoke to the outlet on background said that despite the U.S.’s large military buildup in the Mediterranean and Arabian seas, American forces are not prepared currently for any sustained operations lasting longer than about 10 days.

Public support for U.S. military intervention in Iran is very low, which the administration recognizes. Even as nearly 50 percent of Americans in an AP-NORC poll published Thursday viewed Iran’s nuclear weapons program as a serious threat, a higher percentage thought it unlikely that the president would “make the right decision” on Iran in the days ahead. 49% of Americans opposed initiating strikes on Iran in another recent poll.

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Since the beginning of his second term the president has been torn between two prevailing schools of foreign policy thought in the GOP — the isolationism and non-interventionism of Steve Bannon and “America First” conservatives, and the more traditional neoconservative view that America’s might should be asserted at all times.

On the Hill, the latter view still finds much purchase among both establishment Republicans and some centrist Democrats. On the issue of support for Iranian protesters, targeting Iran’s nuclear weapons development and even potentially ousting the government, Trump has found support from centrist members of the opposition party.

Support for Iranians protesting the government and facing brutal crackdowns in return remains broadly popular in Congress. An advocacy group of Iranian-Americans called the Coalition of Young Iranians also wrote to the White House this week and urged the president to impose further consequences on Tehran for the most recent crackdowns, which they say included security forces raiding hospitals and clinics to detain wounded protesters and preventing other clinics from treating those injured, sometimes severely, in the deadly clashes between police and protesters.

“Mr. President, we urge you to direct the Departments of the Treasury and State to designate the officials and entities responsible for raiding hospitals and clinics, arresting patients and protesters from medical wards, intimidating or detaining clinicians for providing care, misusing ambulances for security operations, and coercing healthcare personnel to falsify medical records or disclose confidential patient data,” read the letter, which was signed by members of the CYI Medical Committee including Dr. Azadeh Sami, a Virginia-based pediatrician and public health specialist.

That bipartisan dynamic was evident this week as a handful of Democrats announced opposition to War Powers resolutions being sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine in the Senate and Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna in the House that aim to restrict the president’s ability to launch strikes on Iran.

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The White House did not respond to a request for comment Thursday on whether the president believed he had legal authority to carry out such a strike.

Parsi, in his interview, noted that one thing was clear as the White House made destruction of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan its top priority on the list of demands: The White House’s claim of having “obliterated” the Iranian nuclear weapons program and setting it back by years came in direct contradiction to its importance.

“It’s admission that at the end of the day, the 60% [enriched] uranium that is there has not been verified as being destroyed. But if you destroy the sites, you essentially destroy or remove the 60% enriched uranium. And that is something that is an outstanding issue. It disproves the idea of obliteration, obviously,” he said.

“But they’re doing it in a way in which they don’t have to admit that.”