Donald Trump has given Iran a deadline and threatened to send the country back to the “Stone Ages” if it does not comply by attacking power plants and bridges.

Crucially, Mr Trump has said the US would hit civilian infrastructure, something that is widely considered a war crime under international law, which sets out what is and isn’t permitted during war.

The Geneva Convention, which the UK is a signatory to, but the US is not, states, “civilian objects shall not be the object of attack or of reprisals”.

However, the US president said in a news conference on Monday that “the entire country” could be taken out in “one night, and that night might be tomorrow”.

He added: “We’re giving them till tomorrow, 8pm EST (1am UK time), and after that, they’re going to have no bridges, they’re going to have no power plants. Stone ages.”

When asked, Mr Trump said he was “not at all” concerned that such an act could be classified as a war crime, before adding, “I hope I don’t have to do it”.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, the president went further, saying: “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

“Any targeting of civilian infrastructure… is illegal”

The possibility of targeting civilian infrastructure has been condemned by European leaders, including EU Council president Antonio Costa.

On Monday, Mr Costa wrote that “Any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable”.

The possibility of concerted US strikes against civilian infrastructure marks a significant departure from Washington’s previous stance on war crimes and what constitutes them.

Four years ago, it was the US that was accusing Russia of war crimes over the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, with president Joe Biden calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal”.

Despite Russia not being a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, alleged Russian actions in Ukraine still led to the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant for Mr Putin.

The Kremlin said at the time that Russia, which does not recognise the ICC, found the questions raised by the court “outrageous and unacceptable”.

In the past, those found guilty of war crimes, such as former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, dubbed the “Butcher of Bosnia”, have been sentenced to life in prison.

Mr Costa has said that the same principle of not targeting civilian infrastructure “applied everywhere,” in the same way that it “applies to Russia’s war in Ukraine”.

The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, has openly raised the idea that such an attack, by any party, could be counted as war crimes.

In an interview with Politico in late March, Mr Guterres said: “If there are attacks either on Iran or from Iran on energy infrastructure, I think that there are reasonable grounds to think that they might constitute a war crime.”

Previous power threats

Iran, Israel and the US have all been attacking energy infrastructure since the outbreak of the current conflict.

Responding to those attacks in March, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s regional director, said: “There is a substantial risk such attacks would violate international humanitarian law and, in some cases, could amount to war crimes”.

However, a coordinated campaign targeting power plants, as the US has threatened, would be a significant escalation.

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This is not the first time that Mr Trump has threatened to hit Iranian power plants.

On 22 March, the president wrote on Truth Social that the US would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Iran responded by saying it would attack crucial infrastructure across the Gulf in response to any US attack, including desalination plants.

On Sunday, Kuwait accused Iran of launching an attack which put a water desalination station out of service – such moves may also pass the threshold of being deemed a war crime.

Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) has got himself a bully for a boss in Emmerdale, the formidable Dr Todd (Caroline Harker), and she has plans for her protégé. None of them good.

Her bullying has so far been subtle; undermining his confidence, showing him up in front of others, taking credit for his research, putting him on bedpan duty.

But it’s been enough to make him sick with anxiety. She dropped him in it when she told him she thought Kim Tate (Claire King) had been poisoned by mushrooms, which he relayed to the Dingles and triggered a chain of accusations, only for test results to prove her wrong and her to lay the misinformation blame at Jacob’s door.

He called her out for it, which has only served to enrage the beast. Not that he knows it yet. In fact, he thinks things are pretty hunky dory after they found common ground when she opened up about her dad’s dementia and he his granddad’s Parkinson’s.

Things took a nosedive when Todd’s dad’s health plummeted, and Jacob stepped in to keep the guy alive, only to find out he had a Do Not Resuscitate order. Todd was once again given cause to hit the roof. But they managed to sort it out and Dr Todd reassures him everything is fine. But is it?

He believes her because he wants to, but she is concealing the fact that she is recording their conversation and preparing to accuse him of obsessive behaviour.

Though Jacob doesn’t know her next move is to paint him as a stalker, he is wary and feels wildly uncomfortable around her. He’s less than pleased when he learns that she’s moving in with Vanessa (Michelle Hardwick) in the village.

Jacob can’t cope with the mind games and arranges a shift swap with Rich to get away, only to discover he’s accidentally switched onto her shift the next day. This surely adds fuel to her fire that he’s obsessed.

It seems though that Todd is just getting started. She manipulates Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker) into believing that Jacob is obsessed with her. It’s moving beyond workplace bullying and seems to be a weird throwback to the days young Jacob was manipulated by Maya.

Will anyone spot the signs and rescue him before Todd shatters his career?

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North Yorkshire Police has released an image of a man it would like to speak to following a theft at an arcade in Scarborough last month.

It happened at Shaws Amusement Arcade in Newborough at approximately 8.45pm on March 17.

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“It involved an unknown implement being used to manipulate a games machine to pay out money,” said a spokesperson for the force.

Please contact the police if you recognise the man pictured, as he may have information that will assist their investigation.

If you can help, please email Ian.Butterfield@northyorkshire.police.uk, call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Ian Butterfield, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Please quote reference 12260048095 when passing on information.

Patients have been informed that Reeth Medical Centre will shut on May 29 after Dr Mike Brookes, who runs the centre with wife Marie, announced his retirement.

Officials from the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which commissions NHS services, said efforts to find a GP to take on the Swaledale practice had failed.

The ICB has stressed that no residents would be left without a doctor, with patients set to transfer to neighbouring practices, including the Central Dales Practice, in Hawes and Aysgarth, and Leyburn Medical Practice, as well as practices in Richmond.

An ICB  spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The partners at Reeth Medical Practice have formally notified NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) of their intention to retire.

“Regrettably, despite comprehensive efforts to secure a successor provider, and following a detailed expression of interest exercise, no organisation has been able to come forward with a sustainable way to continue running the practice.

“The GMS contract will therefore end on May 31,  2026, and the practice will close.”

The ICB said a range of factors meant that finding a GP to run the centre had proved unsuccessful, including the high fixed costs and operational pressures combined with a small patient list.

Officials said there had been a lack of interest from local providers to take over the facility, while some providers, who initially expressed interest, had later withdrawn due to “workforce, premises and financial constraints”.

The spokesperson added: “Despite exhaustive attempts to explore alternatives – including direct engagement with local practices, the Primary Care Networks and GP Federation, region-wide expressions of interest circulation, and discussions with providers across neighbouring ICBs – no viable solution has emerged.

“The ICB has therefore concluded that the contract must be ‘handed back’ and the practice closed.

“This decision has been reached reluctantly and only after all alternative options have been fully explored.”

But Richmond and Northallerton MP Rish Sunak said he was working with Upper Dales councillor Yvonne Peacock to find a solution.

The MP has written to the ICB to ask what arrangements were being put in place for the end of May and to find out the extent of efforts to find a GP to take over the practice.

He said: “I know what a shock the Brookes’ announcement has been. Both I and Cllr Peacock have been contacted by many people over the weekend who are concerned about what this means for services in the future.

“Dr Brookes, Mrs Brookes, and the practice team have provided an outstanding service over many years and are well-loved in the local community.

“It is disappointing, and surprising, that it has not been possible to find a replacement and that is an issue I wish to get to the bottom of.”

Cllr Peacock met representatives of six Swaledale parishes on Easter Sunday to discuss their concerns.

She said: “We are trying to establish the circumstances that led to this situation and I am pleased to say that everyone is committed to find a solution.

“It is clear how valued the service provided at Reeth is and we want to maintain a locally-based GP service.”

Reverend Canon Caroline Hewlett, vicar of Swaledale with Arkengarthdale, has voiced her concern about the closure.

“I am sure that we all wish our excellent GP, Dr Mike Brookes, a happy and healthy retirement, but it is of great concern to hear that he is not going to be replaced.

“I call on the Integrated Care Board, our MP Rishi Sunak and others who have influence in this situation, to work quickly to find a real solution to this issue, in the form of a replacement GP for this area.

“This is very urgent, because in a deeply rural area like Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, the presence of services such as shops, a bus and a reliable GP can quickly tip the balance between a thriving community and one that becomes unsustainable.”

In a letter to the ICB, Richard Good, president of Richmond & Northallerton Liberal Democrats, said there was “significant concern” in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale about the closure.

He added: “Residents have received no clear information about what options are being considered to retain local provision and have not been involved in any discussion, finding out instead via a Facebook post from the practice.

“I do not believe it is acceptable to assume that patients should simply be dispersed to other practices without proper engagement or exploration of alternatives.”

Lauren Lawler fumed her dogs ‘would still be alive now’ if victim John McColl – who was killed in a horror mauling – ‘didn’t take it upon himself’ to enter her garden

The girlfriend of an XL Bully breeder says her life has been “ruined” after her dogs were shot when one of them mauled and killed a pensioner who accidentally wandered into her garden.

Lauren Lawler said “(her) dogs would still be alive now” if victim John McColl “didn’t take it upon himself to go into (her) garden”. Her partner, Sean Garner, 31, was found guilty of owning a dangerously out of control dog, causing death, at Liverpool Crown Court last week.

The horror attack unfolded on Bardsley Avenue in Warrington on February 24 last year when Mr McColl mistakenly entered Garner’s driveway while walking home from the pub.

One of the dogs, called Toretto, launched at the 84-year-old as neighbours who heard McColl’s screams tried using a brush, golf club and spirit level to fight off the banned breed.

Armed police were called to the scene, and one officer shot the XL Bully nine times with a pistol while another blasted the dog with a shotgun. Officers also shot dead a second XL Bully, a female called Malibu, which was found on the property so as to “not to take any chances,” reports the Liverpool Echo.

After Garner was found guilty, his girlfriend Lauren Lawler wrote a series of posts on Facebook calling police and government “the biggest load of vile corrupt people I’ve ever come across.”

In a post containing pictures of both Malibu and Toretto, she wrote: “Does Malibu or Toretto look slightly under fed or neglected in any sort of way! That picture of them together is one month before they was both shot dead!

“This is how Cheshire Police think they can treat an innocent dog that had nothing to do with attacking the man outside, they said all our doors were secure so knew they didn’t need to enter and went inside and shot Malibu about nine times for absolutely nothing!

“She had no involvement whatsoever, they are an absolute disgrace and people have the cheek to moan about a few dog poos on a patio but think that this is OK for police to do to a innocent dog!,” she added.

“Both our dogs were our family pets and have been brought up with kids all their lives, we had only lived in this house for three weeks and the dogs had been with us for about 10 days. […] That poor man didn’t deserve to die but my dogs were never ever once mistreated or under fed! And my dogs would still be alive now if he didn’t take it upon himself to go into my garden and shed!

“Malibu was shot in the face and neck right where her collar was, her collar was left on the floor and could see where the bullet had gone through it and she had teeth on the floor!”

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Lauren, who was herself arrested following the attack after “cowardly” Garner allowed her to go to the scene in his place, posted showing broken glass on the floor of the house and bloodstains in the kitchen where Malibu was said to have been shot.

Challenging her Facebook rant, one person said: “It’s f***ing disgusting that you’re on here blaming that poor man…it was clearly only a matter of time till your dog did something like this…I wonder if you would be on here blaming the victim of it were your child.

“That dog wasn’t even registered, you had him illegally…if your dogs were treated so well then that’s proof that it’s not the owner, it’s the breed.” Lawler shot back: “My life and kid’s lives have been ruined thanks to his actions that day, and the dog had never ever once shown aggression towards anyone or I wouldn’t have had him, we had him from four months old.”

But another woman said: “If you want someone to blame, blame yourselves for not getting the dogs registered or neutered. There was clearly a reason you lied to your new landlord about the dogs. Have some respect for a man who’s died, someone has lost their dad, grandad because you cba following the law.”

In court, a jury heard Toretto had gone without food for up to 10 hours before the attack and had gone weeks without being walked. Garner claimed he had locked the unregistered XL Bully – who had its ears illegally cropped in an act of “mutilation” – in a shed before leaving home that day.

Neighbour Victor Ferrier, who tried fighting off Toretto with a brush, said: “I could see the dog was chewing on his face. The man was howling and screaming.”

PC Chris Cunliffe, one of the first officers to arrive at the scene, said: “I can only describe the dog’s behaviour as if guarding its toy that it had just ripped apart. The sound of Mr McColl’s screams was horrific. I don’t believe he even knew we were there. He couldn’t see or hear us.

“These were the worst injuries I’ve ever seen in my policing career. I’ve been in policing eight years and have never seen or heard of an incident so horrifying, and I don’t think I ever will.”

Dog breeder Garner, who ran an Instagram page called “Little and Large Bullies”, maintained Toretto’s behaviour was “brilliant” and said McColl must have deliberately let the dog out of the shed – a suggestion described as “ludicrous” by the prosecution.

Garner, of Belle Vale, was remanded in custody and is due to return to Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing on April 17.

A driver was killed and 16 passengers were injured when a high-speed train and a truck carrying military equipment collided in France.

The crash happened on Tuesday just before 7am at a railway crossing in the town of Bully-les-Mines, authorities said.

More than 200 passengers were on board at the time, with two people taken to hospital in a critical condition.

The 56-year-old train driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

An aggravated manslaughter investigation has now been opened and the driver of the lorry was held in custody.

It is thought the train was travelling at an estimated 100mph at the time of the impact, which happened as they were travelling from Dunkirk to Paris, the regional administration, Francois-Xavier Lauch, said.

Prosecutor Etienne Thieffry said it is too early to determine the exact cause of the crash.

However, the railroad crossing gates were working correctly, according to Jean Castex, head of SNCF – the national railway authority that operates nearly all rain transport in the country.

Rescue crews were still at the scene on Tuesday clearing the wreckage as investigators continued to probe the cause of the accident.

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Pictures from the scene showed the front of the locomotive was badly mangled and the HGV was also severely damaged.

The wrecked train remained on the tracks and the railway line was closed while emergency teams worked in the area.

It became the second similar incident in the last few weeks, after a lorry driver was killed in a collision with a train at a level crossing in Saint Raphael in southeastern France on 25 March.

The First Minister was speaking after further Glen Sannox sailing were cancelled.

First Minister John Swinney has issued a fresh apology to islanders over ferry disruption as one of the fleet’s newest vessels remains out of action.

A number of sailings on the Glen Sannox between Troon and the Isle of Arran were cancelled today, Tuesday, April 7, as publicly-owned operator CalMac struggled with a “reoccurring technical issue” in the vessel’s engine.

The ferry has been repeatedly taken out of service since its first sailing last January, after having been at the centre of a political wrangle over how long it took and the cost of the vessel its sister ship the Glen Rosa, which is yet to carry passengers.

The west coast ferry fleet has had a number of problems in recent weeks, with eight out of service at one point in March.

CalMac said today that a third of its entire fleet was unavailable for service due to planned maintenance or unplanned outages.

A total of six major vessels and four small vessels were not available due to various issues.

Speaking to the Press Association on Tuesday, the First Minister apologised again to islanders hit by the disruption as he faced criticism for his government’s handling of the fleet.

“There is very focused work going on to make sure that vessels can be in service and operating,” he said.

“Obviously, the Government is procuring a significant investment in the fleet with three additional vessels coming from the Cemre yard and the Glen Rosa yet to be completed and seven smaller vessels already in production.”

The First Minister said that, while the Government was “investing” in new vessels, he understood the difficulties the disruption caused for islanders.

But Scottish Lib Dem transport spokesman Jamie Greene said the SNP had proven it could not be trusted with the country’s ferries, adding that his party would bring forward legislation in the next parliamentary term to guarantee ferry services for islanders and expand existing compensation schemes.

“Hearing that the MV Glen Sannox is out of action will further frustrate the communities and businesses that depend on this essential route, who have already been let down repeatedly by the SNP,” he said.

“From launching vessels with painted on windows, failing to deal with cancellations, and putting in place an inadequate compensation scheme, the Scottish Government has shown it cannot be trusted with this essential transport infrastructure.”

While Scottish Labour transport spokesman Daniel Johnson said the Government’s “ferry fiasco continues to grow by the day”.

“This crisis has been years in the making and blame lies firmly at the door of this chaotic and incompetent SNP government – but no one has ever been held accountable,” he said.

“Islanders, taxpayers and shipyard workers are all paying the price for SNP failure – but enough is enough.”

CalMac chief executive officer Duncan Mackison said: “Almost a third of our entire fleet is unavailable for service, creating a set of circumstances where significant disruption on multiple routes served by major and small vessels is unavoidable.

“Though the situation appeared to be stabilising, emergent issues across major and small vessels means the unprecedented scenario we find ourselves in has worsened.

“Everyone at CalMac is acutely aware of the level of disruption many islands on our network have faced recently and I apologise for that.

“The full service impact of the current issues is being reviewed and plans will be shared with island communities tomorrow.”

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A violinist plays in a cancer ward. A playlist loops in the waiting room. A surgeon hums along to the radio mid-operation. We assume, almost without thinking, that music helps. But what if it doesn’t – or worse, what if it harms?

Music has been used since the beginning of time, in every culture, as a positive part of social and ceremonial events, including eating, hunting, courtship, weddings, funerals, coronations, sports and social celebrations. But music has also been used as a weapon of war, to torture, humiliate and disorientate people.

Music was used as a form of torture in Guantanamo Bay after 9/11 and by the Nazis, who forced musical prisoners to entertain their captors while they starved and awaited death. It’s a jarring thought that the same force that moves us to tears at a concert can be weaponised to break people.

Similarly, in hospitals and clinics, music is generally seen as a low-risk and harmless way to reduce anxiety in waiting rooms, as background support for staff in the operating theatre and as a stimulation to exercise in rehabilitation. It is rare to recognise music as a double-edged sword.

Music therapists are healthcare professionals, trained to use music as a clinical tool rather than simply a pleasant distraction. They work across a wide range of settings – in hospitals, hospices, mental health units, care homes, specialist schools and community clinics – and their work is grounded in evidence, not instinct. They are experts in using music to improve health and wellbeing, attuned to whether music might cause harm or support wellbeing, yet the research in this field rarely focuses on whether music might sometimes do more harm than good.

In practice, music therapists do remarkable work. They help people with dementia to communicate and connect when words have failed them. They support children with brain injuries to develop speech. They help stroke survivors regain physical movement. Music is also used to help people work through complex trauma. These are serious, skilled interventions – not background noise.

The wrong note

But music can cause real harm too, and we don’t talk about this nearly enough.

Think about what happens when music is imposed on people who haven’t asked for it. Premature babies and patients with disorders of consciousness are particularly sensitive to sensory overload. Blasting music at them isn’t soothing, it’s stressful.

Residents in care homes are routinely subjected to music they didn’t choose, played at times that suit the staff rather than the people living there. Well-meaning volunteers turn up to hospital wards with guitars and ukuleles, and nobody asks whether the patients actually want a performance. Good intentions don’t cancel out a bad outcome.

Doctors and managers in hospitals and care homes are reaching for music as an easy, feel-good intervention without asking hard questions about whether it’s appropriate. Music can connect people and bring joy, but it can also exclude, irritate, distress and disorient. The same qualities that make it powerful make it problematic when used carelessly.

The principle should be simple: music should always be chosen by the person listening to it, never imposed on them. It should be thoughtfully selected and of decent quality. A study found that more than half of patients on an older people’s ward had no say over what was on the radio or television. That’s not music as therapy – it’s just noise.

This doesn’t mean music shouldn’t be used in hospitals and care homes. Used well, it can reduce pain, lift mood, aid recovery and help people feel less alone. “Used well” means assessing whether a patient actually wants music. It means choosing the right music for the right person at the right moment. It means training staff to understand when music helps and when it doesn’t. And it means being honest that a cheerful playlist isn’t a neutral act, it’s an intervention. And like any intervention, it can go wrong. It’s about qualified music therapists working with music to improve patient wellbeing.

Family visitors can create meaningful playlists to leave with the patient, and listening to music together is possible when other shared activities are difficult. But always ask first, and remember that silence can be just as valuable as any playlist. As the American entertainer Will Rogers said: “Never miss a good chance to shut up.”

The man, whose identity has never been made public, was arrested on 13 October 2025 and released on bail under investigation.

A Strictly Come Dancing star arrested on suspicion of rape last year will not face criminal charges, Hertfordshire Police have said. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was arrested on 13 October 2025 and released on bail under investigation.

Hertfordshire Police said today that it had asked for advice from the Crown Prosecution Service and that detectives determined there was “insufficient evidence” to bring forward criminal charges.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, it said: “There will be no criminal charges brought against an individual arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary in London on Monday 13 October 2025 on suspicion of rape.

“The man, who had his bail extended on Tuesday 6 January until today, Tuesday 7 April 2026, to allow further enquiries to take place, will face no further action.

“Early advice was sought from the Crown Prosecution Service, but detectives determined that there was insufficient evidence to bring forward criminal charges.”

The BBC has not commented on the case and it remains unknown whether the individual will have any future involvement with the programme, which is set to return later this year.

At the time of the arrest, The Sun reported that the alleged incident involved a woman he met through his participation in the BBC dance show but said the woman was not a contestant or professional dancer on Strictly. It is understood that this case was unrelated to the most recent series.

Strictly, which airs from September to December, is filmed at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood in Hertfordshire and is currently without a host after long-running presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly stepped down.

The male was arrested after aa foot chase with officers

A male who was armed with a knife and a knuckle duster has been arrested in North Belfast after trying to gain access to a property in the Woodvale area.

Police were called to the incident on Monday, April 7, following reports of a man armed with a knife trying to get access to a property with officers attending the scene and chasing a suspect.

The male was caught and searched by officers who found a knife, knuckle duster and drugs. They were then arrested on suspicion of a number of offences.

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A PSNI spokesperson said: “Last night, your local officers responded to a report in the Woodvale area that a male was trying to get access to a property armed with a knife.“Police attended and after a foot chase safely detained the suspect a short distance away.“The male was searched and a knife, knuckle duster and drugs were located. The male was arrested for a number of offences including Possessiong of an Offensive Weapon.“Knife crime has devastating consequences. Carrying a weapon doesn’t make you safer it puts lives at risk, including your own.“Our officers are committed to protecting the public every single day. They will continue to act swiftly to keep our communities safe.”

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