Sky’s new action thriller Prisoner features stars Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle, which was partly filmed in Wales

The Sky drama series is essential viewing for thrill-seekers and some of the show was filmed in Wales.

One of the leads in Sky’s forthcoming action thriller Prisoner has discussed the difficulties of working on the six-episode series, reports the Mirror.

French actor Tahar Rahim disclosed how he and his co-star Izuka Hoyle remained handcuffed together throughout four months of production.

Discussing the obstacles of filming while tethered to his co-star, The Serpent actor said: “Being handcuffed to someone for four months filming could easily be a nightmare, but Izuka is a beautiful soul.

“We got on incredibly well and became real friends. She’s my partner in crime. It was a pleasure.”

The duo portray high-value prisoner and mafia informant Tibor Stone (Rahim) and prison transport officer Amber Todd (Hoyle) respectively.

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Following an assault on their prison convoy by the organised crime syndicate that Stone is due to testify against, Todd takes the snap decision to handcuff herself to him and guarantee he reaches court for the trial within four days.

Yet Tibor isn’t simply any informant; he’s a skilled assassin capable of eliminating numerous individuals dispatched to silence him before he can divulge everything.

This necessitated both Rahim and Hoyle executing stunts together while their characters remained handcuffed.

Reflecting on these obstacles, the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee said: “Being handcuffed during big stunt sequences made things more complex.

“Our stunt team was brilliant and inventive, open to ideas and incredibly collaborative.

“Izuka and I had to constantly adapt and choreograph every movement together.

“Izuka has great instincts and she’s strong, which made everything easier. I decided to just flow with her and to treat it like a dance.

“For me, acting with a partner is a kind of dance: you listen, you feel, you respond.”

Meanwhile, Big Boys and Scottish BAFTA winner Hoyle said: “Having them on made us realise just how close we were going to be to each other for such a long period of time, and that took some getting used to.

“Tahar is incredible. He’s physically fit, so in terms of us pushing each other, it was great.

“Our competitive streaks would come out… ‘We can go faster than that. We can do better than that. We can push harder than that.’ And we did. Everyone around us would be like, ‘F****g hell’.”

Prisoner will be released on Sky as a boxset on Thursday, April 30

Floral names continue to be popular in Scotland

As the seasons shift and nature blooms with colour, parents throughout Scotland are increasingly opting for flower-inspired names for their baby girls.

From timeless classics to more distinctive botanical options, floral names remain consistently popular, symbolising beauty, rebirth and a bond with the natural world.

Specialists at Chicksx.com analysed the most recent data from the National Records of Scotland to reveal the top 10 most popular flower baby girl names in Scotland, alongside their meanings and seasonal associations.

Top ten most popular floral inspired girl names in Scotland

1. Lily (231 babies)

2. Ivy (180 babies)

3. Rosie (167 babies)

4. Poppy (135 babies)

5. Daisy (123 babies)

6. Willow (106 babies)

7. Violet (89 babies)

8. Rose (67 babies)

9. Holly (52 babies)

10. Flora ( 42 babies)

In first spot is Lily, with 231 babies receiving the name which is by far the most dominating moniker on the floral name chart.

The timeless floral name symbolises purity and renewal. Lilies bloom in late spring and early summer, and can often be seen in Scottish gardens and countryside settings, making the name a classic choice that reflects elegance and natural beauty.

In second place is Ivy, with 180 baby girls receiving the name in 2024, which is inspired by the evergreen climbing plant commonly found across Scotland’s stone walls and historic buildings. Representing fidelity, resilience and growth, Ivy remains popular for its strong yet delicate botanical roots.

Rosie was also a popular choice in third place with the name being a diminutive of Rose. Roses are widely grown across Scotland, from private gardens to public parks, symbolising love and beauty while adding a warm, affectionate feel. 167 babies were named Rosie in 2024.

In fourth place is Poppy, named after the vibrant red flower associated with remembrance across the UK, including Scotland. Seen in fields and used in national commemorations, poppies carry both beauty and deep cultural meaning. 135 baby girls were named Poppy in Scotland in 2024.

Daisy comes in fifth with 123 baby girls receiving the moniker in 2024. They are named after the cheerful flower that blooms widely across Scottish fields and lawns. Symbolising innocence and new beginnings, it perfectly captures the freshness of spring.

The other floral names to make the top ten in Scotland are Willow (106 baby girls), Violet (89 baby girls), Rose (67 baby girls), Holly (52 baby girls) and Flora (42 baby girls).

Discussing the popularity of floral inspired names, Al Alof, CEO of Chicksx.com, said: “In Scotland, especially, which is home to some of the world’s most beautiful natural landscapes, flower-related names offer a truly timeless elegance and a nod to home for Scottish babies.

“Flora, in particular, is a flower-inspired name with powerful Scottish roots, despite its Latin origins. It is deeply associated with Scotland through the 18th-century Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald and has long been used as the Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic name Fionnaghal (or Fenella).

“For Scottish parents who are looking for a rarer flower-inspired name, Heather is a strong choice, with just nine baby girls given the name in 2024. Heather is quintessential to Scotland’s landscapes, an iconic shrub that transforms moorlands, hills and bogs into stunning shades of pink and purple from early July to mid-August. A sure sign of summer, the name Heather carries with it scenes of warm, sunlit afternoons and the hope of renewal”

Professor Andrea Musacchio, director at the Max Planck Institute and also a co-investigator, said “Our expertise in the biochemical reconstitution of the kinetochore complements the diverse skillsets of our team and gives us the opportunity to understand these patterns during cell division in healthy cells, and what goes wrong in cancer cells that allow them to evolve and become resistant to chemotherapy.”

“The DOJ will not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that James Comey had the intent to threaten or harm President Trump,” Gurulé, now a Notre Dame Law School professor, said in a statement to the BBC. “The indictment is a transparent attempt to intimidate one of the President’s perceived political enemies.”

During his historic State Visit, King Charles addressed a joint session of Congress in Washington DC, delivering a speech applauded 22 times whilst calling for a renewed UK-US special relationship over America First policy

The King has called on Donald Trump to move away from his America First stance and pledge himself to a renewed partnership with Britain for the benefit of the world.

Charles was given multiple standing ovations during a stirring speech at a joint session of Congress, where he spoke of the shared principles underpinning the “special relationship”.

The monarch highlighted the profound bonds built between previous Kings, Queens and Presidents, and argued that in these shifting and frequently turbulent times, Britain and the United States must “stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm”.

Charles’ moving and contemplative address this afternoon came after a triumphant official ceremonial welcome at the White House, where President Trump lavished praise on the bond between our two countries built up over centuries.

The landmark State Visit had been thrown into uncertainty in recent months owing to Trump’s relentless stream of attacks on the UK, alongside allied reluctance to support his war in the Middle East.

However, in a striking shift, the President told those assembled on the White House lawn at the official ceremonial welcome: “Americans have had no closer friends than the British.”, reports the Mirror.

Championing the “special relationship” between America and the UK, Trump turned towards the King who listened closely throughout his 20 minute address and said: “We hope it will always remain that way”. The King’s most diplomatically delicate overseas trip to date unfolds against a background of criticism directed by Mr Trump personally at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer regarding the conflict in Iran. Officials at Downing Street have been banking on the royal family’s soft-power diplomacy to mend the divide, and make progress towards building a fresh, united path forward.

During his address, which prompted members from both chambers to rise to their feet and applaud 22 times, Charles remarked he felt “the weight of history on my shoulder”.

Referring to the shocking attempted assassination of the President last Saturday, when a heavily armed gunman tried to break into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington—an incident that cast further doubt over the visit—the King said: “We meet in times of great uncertainty; in times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East which pose immense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries.

“We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident not far from this great building that sought to harm the leadership of your Nation and to foment wider fear and discord. Let me say with unshakeable resolve: such acts of violence will never succeed.

“Whatever our differences, whatever disagreements we may have, we stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm, and to salute the courage of those who daily risk their lives in the service of our countries.”

Charles also took a moment to reflect on his late mother’s visit in 1991, when she became the first British monarch to address Congress, yet made clear that Britain and the US must now look ahead to a fresh chapter.

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He said: “Our shared values prevailed. Today, we find ourselves in a new era, but those values remain. It is an era that is, in many ways, more volatile and more dangerous than the world to which my late Mother spoke, in this Chamber, in 1991.

“The challenges we face are too great for any one Nation to bear alone. But in this unpredictable environment, our Alliance cannot rest on past achievements, or assume that foundational principles simply endure.

“As my Prime Minister said last month: ‘Ours is an indispensable partnership. We must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the last eighty years. Instead, we must build on it’. Renewal today starts with security. Drawing on these values and traditions, time and again, our two countries have always found ways to come together.”

The response to Charles’s address, drafted with input from the Government, will not have gone unnoticed by Downing Street, who, despite the seemingly strained ties with Washington, were eager to deploy the royals in a bid to shore up the special relationship. For weeks, the State Visit had been mired in controversy surrounding the war in Iran, Trump’s tariff threats, and even his intervention in Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

The royals had also faced criticism for refusing to meet victims of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the former close associate of the King’s brother, Andrew. Royal sources indicated the King wished to recognise the victims’ suffering alongside others facing hardship across the globe, emphasising the importance of international cooperation.

He said: “In both of our countries, it is the very fact of our vibrant, diverse and free societies that gives us our collective strength, including to support victims of some of the ills that, so tragically, exist in both our societies today.”

This sentiment of shared heritage and warmth had been repeated just hours earlier on the White House lawn, with Trump speaking about his family’s fondness for the royals and even disclosing his mum had a crush on Charles as a young man.

Senior figures from Mr Trump’s administration were amongst the attendees, including Vice-President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Steve Witkoff, special envoy for peace missions.

Numerous military units participated in the ceremonial welcome, from the United States Marine Corps Honour Guard to the United States Space Force Honour Guard, who performed despite the rain, which ceased before the royals’ arrival. Trump declared: “In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British.” He described it as a “tremendous privilege to host” Charles and Camilla, branded the King a “very elegant man”, paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II as a “very special woman” and disclosed his mother, Mary, had a “crush” on the King during his younger years.

“She really did love the family but I also remember her saying very clearly, ‘Charles, look young Charles, he’s so cute’. My mother had a crush on Charles – can you believe it? Amazing how… I wonder what she’s thinking right now?”

The royal visit had been in the pipeline for months – possibly years – to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. Yet it’s arrived at a significant moment in our collective history.

While Charles spoke of “one of the greatest alliances in human history”, Trump suggested the event should serve as an opportunity to look ahead.

He said: “So today we look back on 250 years. Let us remember what has made our countries the two most exceptional nations the world has ever known.

“And together let us go forward with even stronger resolve to carry on our sacred devotion to liberty and to the traditions of excellence that have been our shared gift of all mankind. Your Majesties, thank you once again for making this important visit. We are so honoured.” On Wednesday, Charles and Camilla head to New York where they will lay a wreath at the 9/11 memorial in the lead-up to the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Donald Trump said: “Some places they say ‘was it really Scotland?’ Well the Hebrides that is real serious Scotland, that is where they had the greatest of warriors.”

Donald Trump says his mother was from “serious Scotland” as he recalls her describing a young King Charles as “cute”.

On the second day of the King and Queen Camilla’s US visit, the US President spoke about his mum Mary’s love for the Royal Family during a speech at the White House. Mary Anne MacLeod was born on the Hebridean island of Lewis in 1912 and moved to New York in 1930, reports the BBC.

Speaking about his mother, Trump said: “My wonderful mother Mary MacLeod, was born in Stornoway, Scotland, the Hebrides. And that is what they call very serious Scotland there is no question about it.

“Some places they say ‘was it really Scotland?’ Well the Hebrides that is real serious Scotland, that is where they had the greatest of warriors.

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“She came to America at 19, met my incredible father – we loved him so much – Fred, and they were married for 63 years.”

He added: “”I told the King that she [Donald Trump’s mother] loved the Royal Family and she loved the Queen.

“And any time the Queen was involved in a ceremony or anything, my mother would be glued to the television and she would say ‘look Donald, look how beautiful that is’.

“She really did love the family.

“I remember her saying very clearly ‘Charles, look young Charles he is so cute’.

“My mother had a crush on Charles – can you believe it?”

Pointing his right hand to the sky, he said: “I wonder what she is thinking right now”.

Mary Anne left Scotland as a teenager to seek work as a domestic servant. She married successful property developer Frederick Trump six years later.

Trump’s father was the son of German migrants and one of the most eligible men in New York. The president is the fourth of their five children.

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She said: “I think there are moments in the show that, like the breast cancer storyline, which, if I went back, I think I would have done very differently. In the sense that because I got it myself, I realised what it was like to go through breast cancer and how much you hide your pain from people you love.

Residents of Sandam Walk, in Great Lever, claim the road surface has deteriorated so badly that it is no longer safe to walk on, particularly for those with mobility issues.

Irene Collier, 79, who lives on the street, says she is now too frightened to leave her home due to having a walker.

Irene Collier, 79 worries about her safety leaving the house with her walker (Image: NQ)

She said: “I’m disabled and I use a walker, but I’ve just had to buy a new one because my other got damaged by a the uneven surface, and I’m scared to go out with it as I might fall.

“The paths surrounding my home are so uneven and a nearby road has potholes inches deep and several inches wide.

“It’s just not safe.”

Ms Collier says many of her neighbours are also elderly and struggling.

“We’re all more or less pensioners living here.

“It’s not fair that we can’t get out of our properties safely.

“You can get a taxi but you can’t even walk around the block.”

uneven surfaces mean Irene feels trapped in her own home (Image: NQ)

Up from Sandam road is the local primary school and residents are worried about the children in the area tripping over and injuring themselves.

The damaged road and paths have reportedly been an issue for some time, with residents claiming responsibility for repairs has been unclear.

Residents say they have contacted Bolton Council, but have been told the road is currently considered ‘acceptable.’

“Bolton Council are just saying it’s alright, but it’s not.” Ms Collier said.

“It’s certainly not safe for pensioners.

“My grandson is two years old I’m worried for his safety when he goes out to play.”

More uneven paths surrounding her home (Image: NQ)

Frustration has been growing among those living on the street, with some feeling their concerns are not being taken seriously.

Ms Collier added: “We just want to be able to get in and out of our homes without worrying about falling.

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Picking a baby name can be pretty tough

Picking a baby name can feel like a big decision for new parents. Should it be classic, unusual, carry special meaning, or all three?

Recently, parents have been looking backwards for inspiration. Old-fashioned vintage names that once sounded outdated are making a comeback.

Names like Ronald and Lenny – once associated with grandparents and great-grandparents – are appearing on modern baby name lists again. With so many choices, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. To help, we’ve looked through Nameberry to highlight names that could become popular choices in 2026.

Baby names that could come back in 2026

In their book Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Nameberry introduced the “100 Year Rule,” the idea that baby names tend to come back into fashion about a century later. But they now say that the pattern is changing.

Some of today’s popular baby names are returning much sooner, around 30 years ahead of schedule. Influencers and celebrities have recently chosen Baby Boomer-era names.

These “A-OK Boomer Names” are a new trend in baby naming. They take once-old-fashioned names from the 1950s and make them feel cool again.

A-OK Boomer Names

1. Betsy
2. Beverly
3. Blair
4. Bonnie
5. Connie
6. Cynthia
7. Darla
8. Diane
9. Dinah
10. Ginny
11. Gloria
12. Gwen
13. Hal
14. Judith
15. Nancy
16. Patti
17. Robin