Policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, said: “Record demand for high‑quality, amenity‑rich office space is reinforcing the City’s position as one of the world’s most resilient and attractive business districts, with vacancy in the City Core continuing to fall, prime supply remaining exceptionally tight, and leasing activity reaching its strongest annual performance since 2019. As global capital becomes increasingly selective, the City of London is a place able to deliver complex schemes at scale while adapting to changing patterns of work and occupier expectations.

A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison after he imposed martial law in the country in 2024.

Yoon was found guilty of abuse of authority and masterminding an insurrection, stemming from his mobilisation of military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly in December 2024, in a case that meant he also faced the death penalty.

The 65-year-old staunch conservative had defended his decree as necessary to stop liberals, whom he described as “anti-state” forces, from obstructing his agenda with their legislative majority.

The emergency rule triggered a national political crisis.

Martial law lasted for around six hours, before being lifted after politicians managed to break through a blockade by hundreds of heavily-armed troops and police, unanimously voting to lift the measure.

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From 2024: How six hours of martial law unfolded in South Korea

Prosecutors sought the death penalty in January, saying “his unconstitutional and ‌illegal emergency martial law undermined the function of the National Assembly and the Election Commission… actually destroying the liberal democratic constitutional order.”

South Korea has not executed anyone since 1997 – a move widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment.

The court also convicted and sentenced several former military and police officials involved in enforcing the martial law decree.

Former defence minister Kim Yong Hyun received a 30-year jail term for his central role in planning the measure and mobilising the military.

Read more from Sky News:
British couple sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran, family say
How US military is assembling within striking distance of Iran

Yoon was sentenced last month to five years in prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full cabinet meeting before he declared martial law.

The Seoul Central Court has also convicted two of Yoon’s cabinet members in other cases, including former prime minister Han Duck-soo, who received a 23-year prison sentence for attempting to legitimise the decree by forcing it through a cabinet council meeting, falsifying records and lying under oath. He has appealed the verdict.

A Scottish lesbian group has criticised Olivia Colman for identifying as a “gay man”, describing her comments as “deeply painful” in a public letter.

Earlier this month, the Oscar winner said that she’s “always felt sort of non binary” and “never felt massively feminine” while promoting her upcoming film Jimpa. The 52-year-old has been married to husband Ed Sinclair since 2001, with the pair sharing three children.

Colman’s admission has prompted backlash from Scottish lesbian group The Fantastic Lesbians, who claimed that her comments “diminished [their] struggle” in a letter on social media.

“When someone who has lived openly and comfortably as heterosexual speaks about identifying as gay, it can be deeply painful for those whose lives have been shaped by the realities of actually being gay or lesbian,” a spokesperson for the group wrote in a two-page letter on X on Wednesday (18 February).

“For many people in the lesbian and gay community, sexuality has not simply been a label but a journey marked by confusion, fear, self-interrogation, and often profound alienation from family, faith communities or societies at large.

“Heterosexuality, in contrast, exists within an inclusive heteronormative framework. It is affirmed in media, celebrated in family structures, and reinforced by social expectations.”

The spokesperson highlighted that “many heterosexual people never have to question their orientation” or “come out”. They continued: “They are not typically asked to justify their relationships or prove the legitimacy of their families.”

Concluding the letter, they insisted that their intention is “not to accuse or attack”, but to “express the hurt” around Colman’s comments.

“For many, being gay has required courage, resilience, and sacrifice in ways that heterosexual life simply has not demanded,” they added.

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The 52-year-old currently stars in upcoming drama Jimpa as a mother who travels with her non-binary child (Aud Mason-Hyde) to visit her gay father (played by John Lithgow) in Amsterdam.

Speaking about the film, Colman opened up to Them about her gender identity. “Throughout my whole life, I’ve had arguments with people where I’ve always sort of felt non-binary,” she said.

“I’ve never felt massively feminine in my being female. I’ve always described myself to my husband as a gay man. And then he goes, ‘Yeah, I get that.’”

Earlier in February, Colman’s Jimpa co-star Mason-Hyde called Lithgow’s decision to star in the new Harry Potter series as “vaguely hurtful” and “difficult”. Lithgow is set to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s adaptation of the hit novels.

While Mason-Hyde hailed their co-star as “a beautiful human”, they said that they found his casting as Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore to be confusing due to JK Rowling’s comments about the transgender community.

“I never felt invalidated or questioned or doubted in my identity or in my transness by him,” they told OUT. “I consistently felt that he was a very loving and a very guiding co-star, and so there’s an element of this that feels vaguely hurtful.”

North Restaurant, along Whitburn Bents Road in Seaburn was named the Good Food Guide’s Best Local Restaurant 2025, and the seafront venue has developed a loyal following, earning praise online for its “beautiful location”.

Estate agents, Rook Matthews Sayer, have listed the restaurant for sale.

North is yet to confirm the reason for the closure and did not respond to The Northern Echo’s request for comment in time for publication.

North in Seaburn is up for sale. (Image: ROOK MATTHEWS SAYER)

The agents say the venue has a ‘prime seafront location’, with ‘uninterrupted sea views and direct access to the golden sands’ of Seaburn Beach.

The restaurant currently offers 32 internal covers and 12 external seats.

North in Seaburn is up for sale. (Image: ROOK MATTHEWS SAYER)

The North Restaurant also features an open-plan, fully-equipped kitchen and a dedicated bar area.

The restaurant has a leasehold tenure with six years remaining on the lease, at an annual rent of £21,000.

North in Seaburn is up for sale. (Image: ROOK MATTHEWS SAYER)

On Facebook, the restaurant boasts 6,400 followers and on Instagram, it is followed by 12,700 users.

North in Seaburn is up for sale. (Image: ROOK MATTHEWS SAYER)

The couple are being held at Tehran’s Evin prison.

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A British couple, from East Sussex, have been sentenced to 10 years in Iran on charges of spying while their worried family plead with the UK government to step in.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman have denied the spying charges and their family have been highlighting concerns about their trial and prison conditions. The couple were arrested in January 2025 while travelling the country as part of a world motorbike trip, reported The Star.

They are being held at Tehran’s Evin prison. Joe Bennett. The couple will appear before a court in Tehran in the coming days.

Lindsey’s son confirmed they were only told last week about the sentence. The family are “deeply concerned” for their welfare in prison, and “lack of transparency” in the judicial process.

“My parents have now been sentenced to 10 years following a trial that lasted just three hours and in which they were not allowed to present a defence,” he said.

“They have consistently denied the allegations. We have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage.”

“We were previously told that once sentencing occurred, further action would follow. We now hope the UK Government will act decisively and use every available avenue to secure their release.”

Craig asked the UK Government for help as he is kept in a hellhole prison. “One word would be: help. Full stop,” he told ITV News.

“I don’t understand why we have been here for 13 months, being held hostage in 2026. In what day and age does this (happen)? When does this end?”

He described being held in an “eight-foot cell with a hole in the floor and a sink.” He said the effects of 57 days in solitary confinement had: “Emotionally and physically, it broke me to pieces”.

Craig said the infrequent meetings with his wife are what sustain him.

“I know her prison is just 70 metres away, and I get to see her once a month. For me and for Lindsay, seeing each other is the only thing that’s keeping us going right now. I love my wife dearly. She’s the love of my life.”

The Foreign Secretary said the 10-year jail sentence for Lindsay and Craig Foreman in Iran was “totally unjustifiable”.

“This sentence is completely appalling and totally unjustifiable,” said Yvette Cooper. “We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family.

Joe Foreman, Lindsay’s son, launched a campaign and is joined by former detainee Anoosheh Ashoori and Richard Ratcliffe who fought a public campaign that involved two hunger strikes to have his wife freed from Iran.

They have delivered a 70.000 signature petition calling on the Government to do more to help. During his ITV news Interview, Joe added: “We were previously told that once sentencing occurred, further action would follow.

We now hope the UK Government will act decisively and use every available avenue to secure their release.”

Russell Bowen, a visual effects supervisor who studied creative digital media at Teesside University, has been nominated for Best Visual Effects for his work on The Lost Bus.

It is a survival drama based on a true rescue mission during the devastating 2018 Californian wildfires.

Mr Bowen said: “To be Oscar-nominated alone, regardless of a win, is quite incredible.

“The four of us named as nominees for The Lost Bus represent hundreds of artists who poured their hearts and souls into the creation of the visual effects.”

The film tells the story of a heroic bus driver who saved 22 children from the blaze and includes 1,400 visual effects, with some proving so real that one viewer was reported as saying they could “almost smell the smoke.”

Mr Bowen is part of a four-strong team nominated for the award.

He said: “After joining, I realised it was also the staff that made the place pretty special.

“When guest speakers used to come up to do talks for students about their work in film, from DNEG, MPC, and Framestore, I knew I’d found my career and Teesside was going to help me get there.”

Originally from Pembrokeshire, he graduated from Teesside University in 2009.

Mr Bowen spent 14 years at leading visual effects company DNEG, working his way up from runner to visual effects supervisor.

During his time there he contributed to major films such as Venom, The Fate of the Furious, and Star Trek Beyond.

He now works for beloFX, where his credits include Star Wars: The Acolyte.

Typically based in Vancouver, Mr Bowen is currently working in Dublin on the forthcoming supernatural horror film The Mummy with Blumhouse and Warner Brothers, scheduled for release in April.

The Oscar ceremony will take place in Hollywood on March 15, where he will attend alongside team members Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, and Brandon McLaughlin.

He said: “For me, those are the artists at beloFX, our VFX house based in Vancouver, Montreal, and London.

“I’m proud to represent them at the most prestigious film awards night on the calendar.”

The Lost Bus is directed by Paul Greengrass and is currently streaming on Apple TV following a limited theatrical release.

The film was chosen for the shortlist from a submission of 371.

Other nominees in the visual effects category include Avatar: Fire and Ash, Jurassic World Rebirth, and the vampire horror film Sinners.

Mr Bowen said: “Amazingly, we’re up against some of the very people who inspired me to go into the industry.

“When I heard we’d been nominated, I went through the motions of shock which turned into overwhelming joy.

“I’m just very thankful.”

Sarah offered the man a place to stay for a week, then he attacked her in her sleep

A woman has told of the terrifying moment boiling sugar water was poured over her as she lay in bed after she tried to help a man in distress. Sarah Tragner, 49, was also hit around the head with a hammer.

Sarah had taken Christopher Gillham into her home in Whitstable, Kent, as h e had nowhere to stay. But he turned on her just before 5.30am on Sunday, July 27 – throwing the kettle full of sugar water on her. The dangerous blend is commonly used by prison inmates, with the mixture creating a paste that sticks to the skin, causing deep, severe and long-lasting injuries.

She believes he attacked her because he realised she wanted him to move out. Bleeding, burnt, and dazed, Sarah went outside and managed to call the emergency services.

The ordeal has left her with scars from her knee to her bottom. She also had to have her head “glued back together”.

Mum-of-one Sarah said: “I’m lucky. I’m lucky to be alive. It burned so much. I can’t explain it. I just jumped up and was thinking, what’s this? Then he threw the kettle itself at me as well. I went downstairs and was in shock. I reached for my bag and turned around, and then I felt a whack on the back of my head from a hammer.”

She added: “All I kept saying to the paramedics was that I didn’t know what had happened. I didn’t realise how much my blood was down the back of my T-shirt.”

Gillham had already left the scene when armed police and ambulance crews arrived at the house. W hile Sarah was being treated at the QEQM Hospital in Margate, her doorbell camera alerted her that he’d returned to the property. He then attacked the police officer, who had been left at the scene.

She was also taken to hospital with serious injuries. It is understood she subsequently left the force. Appearing at Woolwich Crown Court, Gillham, of Willow Road, Dartford, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for grievous bodily harm with intent. Other charges, including assault causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage, were dealt with at the same hearing but did not increase the overall sentence.

Two criminal damage charges and an allegation of escaping from lawful custody attracted no additional penalty. The court also imposed a 15-year restraining order. Sarah explained how she’d initially met Gillham on Facebook, where he claimed he was struggling and in need of a place to stay.

She had just lost her mum and split from her partner, and said she wanted to be able to help someone. “We’ve all been struggling before, and I’ve got a spare room in my house,” she said. “There was nothing sexual in it. I thought he looked and seemed okay. It was for just a week, but I wasn’t thinking right. I’m embarrassed to admit it; he played me and he saw my vulnerability.”

What was supposed to be one week then became three. Sarah says she discovered that Gillham had gone through her personal belongings, selling her watches and taking money without her knowing. She added: “He had kept himself to himself. I was at a stage where any company was good company, regardless. I didn’t think anything of it until my sister came around and told me that he was really odd. He was very manipulative.”

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Sarah says that she has struggled with mental health issues since the attack and her life has been on hold. “It’s awful when you have to sit and listen to it in court,” she said. “It just plays on my mind every single day. I’ve had to wait so long. No daughter should have to watch her mum be bandaged up from burns. If he comes out, he will kill someone. He’s just got that mentality.”

Great Britain continue to battle it out in the curling round robin stage in the hunt for more medals at the Winter Olympics 2026.

Team GB have their work cut out at Milano-Cortina though, with both the men and women requiring other results in the closing matches of the round robin to go their way in order to advance to the play-offs.

GB’s men slumped to a 9-5 defeat by Canada on Tuesday evening following the controversy that erupted over the weekend with cheating accusations made against the Canadian team but they hit back in style against the USA on Wednesday afternoon, winning 9-2 after just six ends to remain in the hunt for a medal and play-off spot.

Bruce Mouat’s rink are now hopingfor help from elsewhere to seal a top-four spot, needing either Norway or Italy to lose their final match on Thursday morning. Italy face unbeaten Switzerland, while Norway take on already-qualified Canada, so things are looking promising for Team Mouat.

Team GB’s women also face an uphill battle to finish inside the top four, but they snatched the most remarkable of 8-7 victories against the USA on Wednesday morning before thrashing Japan 9-3 in the evening to keep their hopes alive heading into the final set of round robin matches.

Here’s the schedule, results and current standings:

Men’s Winter Olympics curling schedule

Round robin fixtures

All times GMT

19 February: Italy v Switzerland, 08:05

19 February: Norway v Canada, 08:05

Round robin results

11 February: China 4-9 Great Britain

12 February: Great Britain 6-3 Sweden

13 February: Great Britain 7-9 Italy

14 February: Czech Republic 4-7 Great Britain

15 February: Germany 4-9 Great Britain

15 February: Great Britain 5-6 Switzerland

16 February: Great Britain 6-7 Norway

17 February: Canada 9-5 Great Britain

18 February: USA 2-9 Great Britain

Top 4 advance to play-offs; Switzerland and Canada have already qualified

What do Team GB need to qualify?

After Team GB beat USA in their final round robin game yesterday to end with a 5-4 record they now need either Norway to lose their final match to already-qualified Canada or Italy to lose their final match to unbeaten Switzerland. Both those games are on this morning from 8.05am GMT.

If either of those two teams get a win, they will finish on 5-4, the same as GB, and would move above the Brits as they hold the head-to-head advantage.

Play-off round

February 19 – semi-finals

February 20 – bronze medal match

February 21 – gold medal game

Squad in full

Skip: Bruce Mouat

Third: Grant Hardie

Second: Bobby Lammie

Lead: Hammy McMillan Jr.

Alternate: Kyle Waddell

Women’s Winter Olympics curling schedule

Round robin fixtures

All times GMT

19 February: Great Britain v Italy, 13:05

Round robin results

12 February: China 7-4 Great Britain

13 February: Great Britain 3-9 Republic of Korea

14 February: Great Britain 7-6 Canada

15 February: Great Britain 7-10 Sweden

16 February: Denmark 2-7 Great Britain

16 February: Switzerland 10-6 Great Britain

17 February: Switzerland 10-6 Great Britain

18 February: USA 7-8 Great Britain

18 February: Great Britain 9-3 Japan

Top 4 advance to play-offs; Sweden and Switzerland have already qualified

Play-off round

February 20 – semi-finals

February 21 – bronze medal match

February 22 – gold medal game

Squad in full

Skip: Sophie Jackson

Third: Jennifer Dodds

Second: Sophie Sinclair

Fourth: Rebecca Morrison

Alternate: Fay Henderson

A French crime comedy addresses serious themes with a light-hearted and stylish approach that provides endless entertainment, while being “beautifully acted”, according to fans

Directed by François Ozon and starring French acting legend Isabelle Huppert – along with acclaimed stars Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Rebecca Marder, Fabrice Luchini and André Dussollier – breezy crime comedy The Crime is Mine offers an alternative critique of fame, gender and the justice system.

Set in the 1930s, with suitably gorgeous costumes, the film follows a struggling actress who gains unexpected notoriety when she is acquitted of murder on the grounds of self-defence.

It was warmly received on its 2023 release and despite tackling serious issues surrounding cancel culture and Me Too in a theatrical and superficial way, it was praised for its feminist twist – and it is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer.

Madeleine Verdier (Tereszkiewicz) is an impoverished, struggling actress who lives with her friend, the client-light lawyer Pauline Mauléon (Marder), in a rundown flat in Paris in 1935. Madeleine, who is engaged to the jobless André Bonnard, goes to meet the theatre producer Montferrand, hoping to secure a leading part in a play.

However he attempts to rape her after she turns down a smaller role in return for becoming his mistress. She manages to escape serious physical harm but is visited by a police inspector afterwards who tells her Montferand has been murdered and she is a suspect.

After initially denying any involvement in the crime, she decides to plead self-defence after being advised that she may not be found guilty if she takes this route. Pauline, who represents her in court, writes an impassioned speech for Madeleine to perform in front of the all-male jury, which eventually acquits her.

The notoriety of the case brings great fame for both women whose careers take off and lives are massively improved by their immense wealth – until former silent film actress Odette Chaumette (Huppert) turns up and reveals she murdered the predatory theatre boss.

Widely hailed as a wonderful piece of entertainment, critics praise the performances of the acclaimed actors, as well as admire the stunning visuals and charm.

“With urbane confidence, the film rattles its way through jokes about rape, murder and what a later generation would call Me Too; a British or Hollywood movie might hesitate about appearing to make light of these things,” wrote The Guardian. “But this is a French film we’re talking about; very French. It is tightly drilled, robustly performed and entertainingly shallow.”

On Rotten Tomatoes where it scores a near-perfect 98% rating fans also share their admiration. “What a breath of fresh air. Silly, glorious, beautifully acted. The best hour and forty-two minutes I have spent watching something in a very long time. A welcome break from the usual dross,” wrote one.

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Another hoped more would get to enjoy it. “This film is such great fun – witty, funny and full of big personalities,” they said. “Yes, it’s in French with subtitles. That doesn’t take away from the enjoyment at all. Watching this film left me feeling like I do after watching a truly excellent play – it is so deeply satisfying. I hope it is made available more widely.”

An impressed film buff also wrote: “François Ozon’s fanfic [i.e. fan fiction] for the Jazz Age steers clear of pastiche and is utterly charming – throwing a few curveballs to keep you on your toes.”

The Crime is Mine is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer

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