The announcement comes shortly after the funeral details of two others involved in the same crash
Funeral details for a father of six children who died in a tragic weekend road collision in Co Armagh have been announced.
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John Guy, 48, Conor Quinn, 31 and Laura Hoy-Henry, 23, died following a three-vehicle collision in the Armagh Road area of Moy on Saturday, February 21, with four other people suffering injuries.
Mr Guy’s funeral will take place in St Patrick’s Church, Keady, on Saturday at 10:30am with burial afterwards in the church cemetery. Mr Guy who was originally from Dublin but resided in Keady was the beloved daddy to Troy, Maddie, Carla, Tiana, Brogan and Morgan.
He was also the cherished son of Harry and Caroline and loving brother to Regina, Aisling and Christopher.
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The notice read that Mr Guy was: “Deeply regretted and sorely missed by his heartbroken family.”
The accident happened on the main road between the Moy and Armagh around 10.20pm on Saturday. The deaths of those involved have brought shock and sadness to communities across Co Armagh and Co Tyrone. The incident was described as a “dark day” for the area.
In a statement on Monday confirming the deaths, the PSNI said all three were passengers in a red BMW that was involved in the collision alongside a grey Volkswagen Amarok and Audi Q3.
A police spokesperson said: “John, Conor, and Laura were travelling together in the same vehicle – a red BMW, along with another female passenger who was also injured.
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“Our thoughts are with their families at this time as they come to terms with the devastating loss of their loved ones, and we will continue to support them.
“Two people travelling in the grey Volkswagen Amarok reported injuries that required medical treatment – while the driver of a white Audi Q3, also involved in the collision, reported minor injuries.
“Our enquiries are continuing today, and anyone who was in the area and may have witnessed the collision, or who has dash-cam footage or any other information, should contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1654 21/02/26.”
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Resident Evil Requiem – no homework needed (Capcom)
The Thursday letters page looks forward to a promising year of big name video game releases, as one reader asks why Silent Hill Townfall isn’t on Xbox.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
No spoilers Super glad that Resident Evil Requiem reviewed well. I assumed it would after the glowing previews but it’s nice to see anyway. I will absolutely be getting it and possibly day one, as I do love me some Resident Evil and it’s probably better to be playing it while it’s still winter and dark out.
I’ve got questions but I guess they’re all spoilers really, so you can’t answer them, but I’m curious as to where the plot goes. Resident Evil 7 was going to be the first part of a trilogy but as I understand that’s not the case anymore, but does Requiem have any links to the last two games? And does it hint about the future at all? I’m curious to know where things are going, knowing it’s out on the 30th anniversary and all.
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Surely there must be a teaser at the end, but what’s it about and is there a hint about the next game? I guess you can’t answer that either, but what can you say that’s non-spoiler? From your initial review it sounds like you don’t need to play any of the other Resident Evil games to enjoy it? Cooper
GC: The story has some new lore details but it’s basically standalone and any hints about the future are very vague.
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Next generation Great Resident Evil Requiem review, that has me pumped for it coming out on Friday. I must be a fan though because I’m immediately starting to wonder where things go from here. I’m assuming we’ll see Grace again, but I do feel we need to catch up with a lot of the old crew (emphasis on old) as they’ve not been in the limelight for years, outside their remakes.
I used to think of Jill Valentine as the most iconic Resident Evil character, but she’s barely had anything to do since Resident Evil 3. She was barely in Resident Evil 5 and hasn’t been in any mainline game since then, which seems a shame.
I’d also like to see new games with Claire, Rebecca Chambers, and Barry Burton. If they’re getting too old then at least give them a good send off and don’t just kill them off screen or in a cut scene. I guess the new crew will be Rose and Grace but neither of those are trained fighters so I feel that if there’s going to be new recruits we need to see a bunch more people still, with different skills. Grackle
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Left hand vs. right hand That Wolverine release date tweet was pretty weird but putting the betas for Marathon and Horizon Hunters Gathering on the same weekend is mind-boggling to me. How can Sony possibly be that careless? I don’t see how it’s possible to run a professional operation and not be aware that your two games both have their betas on the same weekend.
And there’s absolutely no excuse either. It’s not Christmas, there’s not some event coming up they need to get ready for. Horizon doesn’t even have a release date, so it literally could’ve been any other week, including next week.
What these companies still don’t realise is that it’s not just money people are short of but time and even if the betas are free no one’s going to have time for them both. I long ago realised that Sony didn’t beat Xbox because they were smarter than them, it’s just that Microsoft was even dumber. Shakma
Unexplained exclusivity Judging by all the announcements, Silent Hill Townfall won’t be releasing on Xbox anytime soon. As a Silent Hill fan, that only has an Xbox, this is very frustrating. Two of the last three Silent Hill games have skipped the Xbox for some period of time.
Has there been reasons given?
Presumably it’s Sony giving Konami cash to keep it off Xbox for a certain amount of time but why? What are they worried about? They are trouncing Xbox.
The fact they are paying external companies to keep games off of other platforms is anti-consumer in this day and age and is very disappointing. Matt
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GC: It’s probably Sony paying for the exclusivity, but that’s unusual for a series that’s never been a massive seller. It could also be Konami deciding that developing an Xbox version isn’t worth their while. Neither option seems very likely on the face of it and yet there’s no other obvious explanation.
Fenyx from the flames I feel compelled to write in about Immortal Fenyx Rising, I missed it first time around but saw it on Vinted for £5. Having never heard of it before I gave it a chance and before I knew it, I was totally hooked. After playing God Of War I really got into Greek mythology, so this game is right up my alley.
It’s from the same developers that made Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, which also happens to be my favourite. The combat is similar, it’s got witty dialogue narrated by Greek gods, and kinda reminds me of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild too. Adam_Lion_23 (PSN ID)
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Hundred percent I know everyone will be talking about Resident Evil Requiem, but I have to mention The Hundred Line and say how good it is. It is a brilliant visual novel with a basic, but enjoyable, fight system for those parts of the game.
The game was made by the same people who made Danganronpa and it is just as good. The characters are all charismatic, with one constantly breaking the fourth wall in a funny way, referencing the Danganronpa games and gaming tropes/writing.
The story is excellent, and I am now on the second run, after a fairly shocking end to the first, and have opened up story choices so what I do will affect the story going forward. It has a fantastic soundtrack as well.
It is expensive but it is highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of the genre and worth the money. Simon
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Reverse engineering I suppose it makes sense that Sony would run out and buy any new console that gets released, in order to see how it ticks, but the idea of them pre-ordering a bunch of Switch 2s, to see if they can get Gran Turismo 7 running on them, is funny to me.
As to what it might mean. I suspect it’s just an experiment they did, and it doesn’t have any greater meaning, but then again the PlayStation 5 portable rumours are fairly believable, so maybe they’re looking for some tricks they can borrow. I’m up for the PSP2 and definitely more so than I am the PlayStation 6. Grant
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A promising year It’s a boon to see Resident Evil Requiem scored so high and review exceptionally well. Especially since it’s two days to release and I’m now assured that my pre-order isn’t a mistake or the game is a disappointment. It’s a huge weight off the shoulders of myself and the fans worldwide. Now I think about it, since the last release of this month is almost here, we are locked in for a year of goodness, when it comes to gaming, especially after Wolverine’s release date was confirmed yesterday.
Crimson Desert and Fatal Frame 2 Remake in March, Saros and Pragmata in April, 007 First Light in May, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for Switch 2 in June; GTA 6 and so much more to look forward to. Stacked is putting it lightly. We also have Xbox’s main IP in Halo: Campaign Evolved arriving on PlayStation 5 as well.
I can say that I’m absolutely buzzing over these stupendous releases, but I’m very concerned for what is next for Xbox. Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond have officially retired, Asha Sharma is the new CEO but what could that mean for Xbox’s gaming line-up? The naysayers will type up complaints on X and say she doesn’t know much about the gaming space, but it is a valid complaint.
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I say this because I’m excited, as a fan, for Project Magnus. I’m actually considering buying it, because it will feature Steam as an application and that is one heck of a unique selling point. But aside from Fable which does look quaint, what else does Xbox have to even consider selling this supposed £1,000 console? That’s not exactly affordable for many consumers.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see, with many unknowns on the horizons. Who knows how gaming will shape up at the end of the fiscal year. It could be a successful year or a mixed bag or even a disappointment. It’s off to a fantastic start, but anything can change on a dime in the gaming world. At least we’re finally getting GTA 6. We better get GTA 6. My heart can’t take another delay. Shahzaib Sadiq
GC: Absolutely nothing official is known about the next gen Xbox yet.
Inbox also-rans I worry that when Microsoft says that Xbox isn’t built to be only a publisher they’re right. When they realise that’s the only future for it, I think they’re just going to pull the plug rather than just be the next EA. Purple Ranger
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I’ve been playing around with the Virtual Boy too (via the carboard headset) and I agree it’s a cool and goofy oddity. Even though it looks like an Amiga game I think Red Alarm may be my favourite so far, it’s a really cool shooter. I think the only reason they didn’t call it Star Fox is because it’s all wireframe. Mike
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Malachy O’Rourke’s side host Offaly in Dungannon this weekend seeking to pick up just their second Division Two victory and one which would ease their relegation concerns
Eoin McElholm insists Tyrone won’t panic over their Division 2 difficulties and says poor results have even been a valuable ‘eye-opener’.
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Red Hands goalkeeper Niall Morgan warned last week that slipping down to the Tailteann Cup is a possibility.
Last season’s All-Ireland semi-finalists should still have enough to stay up as they’ve posted three points and have three games to go.
Two of those fixtures will be at home and they will welcome rock bottom Offaly to Dungannon this Saturday evening.
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Speaking at the launch of the Dalata Hotel Group All-Ireland U-20 football championship, attacker McElholm said he’s confident things will improve.
“Obviously results-wise, it hasn’t been great,” said McElholm. “Performance-wise, we haven’t played to the potential that we know we can.
“But it’s early doors yet, we’re only four games into the League. There’s plenty more games to be played. We just need to tighten up. It’s on us, start performing well, getting wins, getting results.”
Tyrone started the season as favourites to win Division 2 but immediately dropped a point when they drew with Kildare. They’ve lost to Derry and Louth since. But panic isn’t an option for McElholm.
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“Definitely not,” he nodded. “There’s been a lot of injuries and stuff, it’s been a tough pre-season for Tyrone because of the amount of injuries that there was. Boys are just coming back in and trying to get match fit.
“Yeah, no panic stations at all. I feel like this could nearly help us and give us an eye-opener, in terms of what standards we need to achieve and what performance levels we need to get to basically.”
Joint Offaly manager Mickey Harte won’t have any trouble finding O’Neill Park when he arrives with his adopted Faithful County in Dungannon this weekend.
“Obviously I didn’t really get to experience Mickey Harte when he was managing Tyrone,” said McElholm, the reigning Dalata Hotel Group U-20 Footballer of the Year.
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“I remember being on an U-14 development squad and Mickey and Gavin Devlin took it. That was my first experience of Mickey. What a man he is to Tyrone football, he’s a legend in Tyrone.
“Obviously he’s been very unfortunate with Offaly this season, they have a lot of injuries. I think they have something like nine injuries from the starting team last year. It doesn’t matter if he’s with any team in the country, if you’ve nine of your starters injured, it’s not going to be easy. But he’ll still be coming down looking to get a result out of it.”
McElholm lit up last year’s U-20 championship, blasting 2-4 in the final defeat of Louth. Remarkably, it was only marginally better than the seven points from play that he shot in the 2024 final win over Kerry. Throw in Tyrone’s win at the same grade in 2022 and that’s a lot of rising star talent for senior manager Malachy O’Rourke to assess.
“I think there’s maybe 11 from the last two U-20 years in the panel at the moment,” said McElholm. “It’s not easy, it’s a big step up. It’s something that we as players are going to have to develop over the next few years, getting to that level and the standard that’s needed at senior inter-county level.”
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Darragh Canavan’s absence for the next month could at least provide an opportunity for some of the younger brigade to step up.
“He’s been unreal for us, nine points against Cavan, six at the weekend against Louth,” said McElholm of Canavan. “He’s a special player. He had a long year with Errigal Ciarán and didn’t get much of a break in 2025 and obviously had a few niggles so I feel like this month away will be the world of good for him, it’s going to benefit him in so many ways.
“Just get his head away from football for a while and get his body in proper condition. And you know he’s going to come home as fit as he left because that’s just the way Darragh is, he has that work ethic in him.”
* Dalata Hotel Group is entering the second year of its title sponsorship of the All-Ireland U-20 football championship.
The Cuban government says its forces have shot and killed four people on a US-registered speedboat that entered its waters and opened fire on a patrol boat.
It added that six others on the speedboat were injured.
The Cuban commander of the border patrol boat was also wounded, according to Cuba‘s interior ministry.
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It said the injured were evacuated and are receiving medical attention.
The ministry said the incident is under investigation to establish exactly what happened.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said no US government personnel were involved.
He added he was awaiting confirmation about whether those in the incident were US citizens, saying: “We’re going to verify information independently and reach our own conclusions.”
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The Florida-registered speedboat came within one nautical mile of a channel on Falcones Cay, on Cuba’s north coast, when it was approached by five members of a Cuban patrol unit, the interior ministry also said.
The crew of the speedboat then opened fire, wounding the commander of the Cuban vessel, the statement added.
Florida‘s attorney general James Uthmeier said he was ordering prosecutors to open a separate investigation with other state and federal law enforcement partners.
“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” he wrote on X.
Florida congressman Carlos Gimenez, a Cuban-American former mayor of Miami, demanded an “urgent” investigation into what he called a “massacre”, adding US authorities “must determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or legal residents”.
“This regime must be relegated to the dustbin of history!” he wrote on X.
None of the dead or wounded on the speedboat were identified, but Cuba said it was registered in Florida and provided the boat’s registration number.
“Faced with the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defence is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the interior ministry statement said.
It comes amid a time of heightened tensions between the US and Cuba following increased pressure from Donald Trump’s administration.
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The two countries previously collaborated on combating drug smuggling and other crimes, but have ceased to do so.
The US has also blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, piling pressure on its Communist-run government.
Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney has previously not been allowed to watch son Kai in action for the Reds, but it appears that his ban has been relaxed
Wayne Rooney was allowed to watch son Kai in action again – but he saw the limelight stolen by one of his Manchester United team-mates against Derby County. Rooney junior has become a regular fixture for the Red’ under-18 side this season as he attempts to follow in his dad’s glittering footsteps.
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However, it was Noah Ajayi who stole the show at Carrington, as he scored twice and also claimed an assist in his side’s 6-1 victory against the Rams. Louie Bradbury and JJ Gabriel also bagged braces as Rooney came on as a 70th-minute substitute with his side leading 4-1.
Rooney Snr was spotted watching the game in the crowd, alongside former teammate John O’Shea, while Darren Fletcher’s side were also watched by Michael Carrick and his coaching staff.
Speaking back in 2024, wife Coleen revealed Kai had told his famous father to stay away from his games due to the attention it would create.
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“That’s the thing with kids I think, it’s hard to go on days out,” she said. “Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games, when he played grassroots tournaments and stuff because he used to get swarmed and he couldn’t even watch the game.
“How do you say to all of these kids, ‘Go away, I’m watching my son?’ Adults, it’s different, you could speak to them. So he (Kai) just said, ‘Oh, dad there’s no point you coming because you don’t even watch me play anyway.’
“Which is sad, but it can’t be helped anyway. At the same time, the fans help you along the way and get you where you are.”
Rooney has previously offered his take on the current crop of young players at Old Trafford and claimed that more pressure was heaped upon them following the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, which saw his son play for the team.
He said: “There’s a bit more pressure on them as well. Kai and [when Cristiano] Ronaldo came back, Ronaldo’s lads and Michael Carrick’s lad were all on the same team.
“You go and watch and then all of a sudden there’s like 10 times the amount of people that’s normally there, all around the pitch watching, so there’s a lot more pressure because they’re coming to watch the three kids to see how they play and stuff. They’ve got to be ready.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.
Kristofer Davies was given a suspended sentenced after he repeatedly punched his victim to the ground and continued the violence when his victim was on the floor.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the vicious unprovoked attack was caught on CCTV.
The 37-year-old was sentenced to nine-months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and was subjected to a 120-day alcohol abstinence programme.
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Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said an arrest warrant was issued for the defendant after he failed to attend court for breaching the terms of his suspended sentence order.
He said Davies had been offered nine appointments by the Probation Service but had only attended one of those.
The court heard how the defendant also still had around 140 hours of unpaid work to complete.
Calum McNicholas, mitigating, said his client had been struggling with settled accommodation and bereavement but was now hoping to be able to live with a relative.
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Davies, of no fixed abode but formerly of Darlington, pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of his suspended sentence order.
Judge Aisha Wadoodi activated seven months of the order after he failed to take advantage of the chance she had offered to him in July 2024.
She said: “The court will have made it clear that if you didn’t abide by the order and do what was requested of you that the suspended sentence could be activated.”
The capital has seen the biggest improvement in affordability across the UK in the last year with the house price to income ratio dropping from 14.5, according to research by Yopa.
But, before you start scrolling the property portals, a reality check.
Most mortgage lenders will only lend a maximum of 4.5 times a buyer’s salary, so that represents a hefty deposit that would be needed by the average buyer.
The second least affordable region is the South East, where the current house-price-to-income ratio is 10.8, followed by the East of England where it’s 9.9.
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At the other end of the spectrum is the North East, where the average property price is 5.6 times the average salary, an increase of 0.1 on last year.
The least affordable areas in London
The capital accounts for 12 of the 20 least affordable areas in the UK, with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea topping the list.
Here, the average house price is £1.18 million, which is 25.2 times the typical local salary of £46,690.
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Incredibly, this is an improvement on last year’s figures which put the affordability ratio much higher, at 30.0.
The second least affordable area in the UK is Westminster, where residential areas include Pimlico, Marylebone and Belgravia.
According to the research, it has a 19.5 ratio, with an average house price of £880,000 and an average salary of £45,172. Here, again, affordability has improved from 22.5 last year.
Third on the list is Camden, which encompasses Kentish Town, Hampstead and Bloomsbury, with an affordability ratio of 17.8, average salary of £44,088 and house price of £783,812.
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Haringey to the north, with diverse areas ranging from leafy Highgate and Muswell Hill to the more built-up Tottenham and Wood Green, was tied with Richmond-Upon-Thames on the Thames, in joint fourth place, both with ratios of 16.7.
Most ‘affordable’ London boroughs
In terms of the most affordable London boroughs, Tower Hamlets topped the research, with an affordability ratio of 10.3, average house price of £463,527 and salary of £45,183.
The borough has become more affordable in the last year, having dropped from 12.9 in 2024.
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Croydon, on the outskirts of London and famed for Crystal Palace, West Norwood and Purley, was the second most affordable place to buy, with a ratio of 10.6, average house price of £402,126 and salary of £38,080.
Its affordability ratio is unchanged from last year. Barking & Dagenham, close to the Thames Gateway in Outer London, was third on the list with a ratio of 10.7, while Havering and Bexley – last year’s most affordable borough – were in joint fourth place with an affordability rating of 11.1.
“While it’s encouraging to see affordability improve across many parts of Britain, it’s important to recognise that this has largely been driven by stronger earnings growth rather than any meaningful reduction in house prices, which remain high by historic standards,” said Verona Frankish, Chief Executive Officer at Yopa.
“London is a good example of this as, although affordability has improved over the last year, the average home still costs close to 14 times the typical salary, which underlines just how challenging it remains for many buyers.”
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The outlook for London first-time buyers
While the numbers point to an increase in affordability, lenders will only lend multiples of four-or-five-times an income – less than half of what is required in even the capital’s most affordable hotspots.
Halifax recently estimated that a first-time buyer in London would need a deposit of £125,000 to get on the property ladder.
On top of this, they also need to budget for stamp duty, legal fees and moving costs, all while meeting their everyday expenses of rent, travel costs and bills.
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“Last summer there was talk of introducing a deferral option for stamp duty, allowing first-time buyers to spread the cost rather than pay it all on completion.
“It was an idea that really resonated because it addressed the cashflow pressure buyers face in that moment, but it ultimately did not materialise in the Budget,” says Nina Harrison, buying agent at Haringtons UK.
“The end of Help to Buy has also left a noticeable gap. The scheme helped a whole generation get onto the ladder, particularly those without family backing, but it was not perfect…
“If a new scheme does emerge, it needs to be more carefully designed, with a strong focus on ensuring buyers are paying genuine market value rather than a price shaped by the incentive itself.”
Reports in US media, quoting unnamed administration officials, have suggested that Trump was considering an initial strike in the coming days on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards or nuclear sites to pressure the country’s leaders. If negotiations failed, according to the reports, the president might go as far as ordering a campaign with the aim of toppling the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A recent study has found that there may be a link between artificial sweenters and dementia.
Niamh Kirk and Eilidh Farquhar Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
23:22, 25 Feb 2026
When it comes to having a warm cup of coffee or tea in the morning, everyone has their own preference. While some people prefer a strong brew to wake them up in the early hours, others are only able to stomach it when sweeteners are added in.
While some may think they are making a better choice for their health by adding an artificial sweetener to their drink instead of a teaspoon of sugar, a recent study has found that certain sweeteners may actually be having a negative effect on your brain in your later life.
Published in the journal Neurology, the research found that a high consumption of sugar in adults appears to have a link to an increased risk of developing dementia in your elder years, reports the Mirror. While a variety of intake levels were tested, those in the highest group equaled around “1.6 years of ageing”.
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On top of this, another study also found that even those under the age of 60 could be at an increased risk of developing memory loss. Meanwhile, in terms of broader health, high consumption of aritificial sweeteners could have a negative impact on younger adults as well.
The study included 12,772 adults, which equated to an average age 52-years-old, who were tracked over eight years. From the research, it was found that certain sweeteners appeared to link to faster rates of cognitive decline.
Scientists in the study looked into seven different sweeteners to see what impact it would have on the brains of the participants. This included:
aspartame,
saccharin,
acesulfame-K,
erythritol,
xylitol,
sorbitol, and
tagatose
The research found that out of the seven sweeteners tested, only tagatose did not have a link to faster cognitive decline. At the beginning of the study, the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires about their diets. From there they were split into three groups – low, medium, and high sweetener consumption.
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On average, the lowest group consumed around 20mg of sweetener a day, while the highest group consumed as much as 191mg in a single day.
In order to test the brain’s power, each group took cognitive tests at the start, middle and end of the study. These tests were designed to assess six cognitive functions, such as word recall, memory, and verbal fluency.
Also taking into account factors such as age, gender and blood pressure, the research showed a link between a higher consumption of six low and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCs) and the risk of dementia, especially amongst those under 60.
Participants in this group experienced cognitive decline 65 per cent faster than those in the lowest LNCs consuming groups. Meanwhile the middle group showed a 35 per cent change in comparison.
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The paper added: “Daily consumption of LNCs was associated with accelerated decline in memory, verbal fluency and global cognition.” This effect also seemed to be stronger amongst those with diabetes.
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Study author Professor Claudia Kimie Suemoto explained: “While we found links to cognitive decline for middle-aged people both with and without diabetes, people with diabetes are more likely to use artificial sweeteners as sugar substitutes.
“More research is needed to confirm our findings and to investigate if other refined sugar alternatives, such as applesauce, honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar, may be effective alternatives.”
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She added: “Low and no-calorie sweeteners are often seen as a healthy alternative to sugar, however our findings suggest certain sweeteners may have negative effects on brain health over time.” However, more tests will need to be conducted to find the cause.
The NHS states that “all sweeteners in Great Britain undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink. All approved sweeteners are considered a safe and acceptable alternative to using sugar”.
The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) further shared in a statement that said: “This research is an observational study, which can only show a statistical association, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The reported link between sweetener consumption and cognitive decline does not prove that one causes the other.”
American officials have sparked fears after promising ‘to do everything in our power’ in response
Cuban soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speedboat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire on soldiers, the Cuban government said on Wednesday.
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Cuba’s interior ministry issued a statement that provided few details about the shooting, but noted that the boat was roughly one mile north-east off Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s north coast. It was unclear if any US citizens were aboard.
The government provided the boat’s registration number, but the Associated Press was unable to readily verify details of the boat because boat registrations are not public in the state of Florida.
Officials said one Cuban officer was injured, four suspects killed and six others injured. It was not immediately known what the boat and its occupants were doing in Cuban waters.
In the statement, the ministry said Cuba’s government was “safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region”.
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US vice president JD Vance said late on Wednesday afternoon that he had been briefed on the incident by secretary of state Marco Rubio. He added that the White House was monitoring the situation, but declined to provide further details. “Hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it could be,” Mr Vance said.
James Uthmeier, Florida’s attorney general, said he has ordered prosecutors to work with federal, state and law enforcement partners to start an investigation.
“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” he wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Florida Republican congressman Carlos A Gimenez decried the four killings and accused the Cuban government of murder.
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“This regime must be relegated to the dust bin of history,” he wrote on X.
It is not unusual for skirmishes to erupt between Cuba’s coastguard and US-flagged speedboats in Cuban waters, but there have been no recent reports of passengers opening fire or being killed.
In past years, some of those US-flagged boats were laden with unidentified items headed toward the island or they were going to pick up Cubans and smuggle them into the US.
Officials with the US coastguard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security directed questions to the US Department of State, which did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
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The incident comes as tensions simmer between the US and Cuba in the wake of mounting pressure by the Trump administration.
The two countries used to collaborate on drug smuggling and other crimes but have since stopped doing so.