Global markets and oil prices have lurched again after the United States and Iran traded new strikes and U.S. President Donald Trump mused that fragile negotiations between the countries might be “over.”

At stake are the lives of Iranians and others throughout the region, including Israel and Lebanon, along with foreign residents of Gulf nations, U.S. military personnel stationed in multiple countries and thousands of mariners on ships still hoping to exit the Strait of Hormuz.

Here’s a brief timeline of the war and efforts to end it:

Feb. 28

Israel and the U.S. attack Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, sparking the war. Iran quickly responds with strikes against Israel and across the Gulf region and asserts control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and natural gas supplies from the Gulf.

March 2

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon enters the war by firing rockets at Israel.

Israel retaliates, leading to an invasion that will occupy large swaths of southern Lebanon.

March 8

Iran names one of Khamenei’s sons, Mojtaba, as the new supreme leader. He still has not been seen in public and is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being hurt in the war’s opening strikes.

April 7

A tenuous, two-week ceasefire deal is reached. Israel is not included in the discussions.

April 12

The U.S. and Iran end hours of historic face-to-face talks in Pakistan’s capital without reaching an agreement.

April 13

Trump says the U.S. has begun a blockade of Iranian ports in an attempt to pressure Tehran to give up its grip on the strait.

April 14

Lebanon and Israel hold their first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington.

April 17

Iran says it has reopened the strait to shipping, but that doesn’t last.

April 21

Trump says he is indefinitely extending the ceasefire.

May 3

Trump announces a U.S. effort to guide ships through the strait. That, too, doesn’t last.

May 31

Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon makes its deepest incursion in over a quarter-century as Hezbollah continues to target northern Israel.

Israel and Lebanon say they agree to renew their fragile ceasefire and create security zones that exclude Hezbollah.

Hezbollah and Israel quickly resume firing at each other.

June 7

Iran fires at Israel in the first such bombardment since the ceasefire took effect in early April. Israel fires back.

June 14

Trump says an interim deal has been reached with Iran and will be signed within days. Iran insists the deal means an end to fighting in Lebanon as well.

June 17

Trump signs an agreement with Iran that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely.

June 22

Vice President JD Vance says new talks with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland created a “good foundation for a successful final deal.”

June 26

Israel and Lebanon announce a U.S.-backed framework agreement that is described as a first step toward peace.

July 1

Host Qatar says U.S. and Iranian negotiators meet separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators, with “positive progress made.”

July 2

Iran’s joint military command warns that all oil tankers moving through the strait must use its approved routes or face a “forceful response.”

July 4

Iran begins a dayslong funeral for the late supreme leader, Khamenei. Talks with the U.S. toward a final deal on the war and Iran’s nuclear program are expected to resume after it ends.

July 7

Iran is accused of striking three ships in the strait after traffic slowly increases, the most in a single day since late April. The U.S. responds by striking dozens of targets in Iran and reinstating sanctions on Iran’s oil sales. Tehran’s lead negotiator declares that “The era of bullying and extortion is over.”

July 8

Trump declares the ceasefire is “over” but says negotiations can continue, raising fears that the war could ignite again.

He made his Centre Court debut against Dimitrov on Monday, and emerged victorious in a marathon five-set encounter, which he rounded off with a championship tiebreak victory at the death having been two sets to one down. He faces the ninth seed Cobolli today, after the Italian saw off Alex de Minaur, the fifth seed, in his fourth-round clash.

Going to the football has been one of the rites of passage in my life. As a boy, I went with my dad and my brother to watch my beloved Luton Town. It was where we shouted, laughed, cheered and, more often than not, came home mildly disappointed.

As I got older, football became something I did with friends, a Saturday built around the game, but never just about the game. A place to talk, to share and to celebrate. Now, as a parent, I find myself doing what my father did before me, taking my own boys along and watching them learn the strange, hopeful, occasionally punishing rhythm of supporting a team.

I’ve never been someone who watches much football on TV. For me, the pull has always been the people I’m with and the chance to be together, away from work, school runs, phones, stress and all the small pressures that build over a week. Sport gives people permission to shout, sing, jump up and down, talk nonsense for a couple of hours and, on a good day, believe everything might still turn out well.

That feeling is not unique to football, or to the UK. Across the world, sport has long given people somewhere to belong and be part of something larger than themselves. But in many places, elite sport has drifted further from the people and communities that built it. Tickets have become too expensive for many families, clubs and competitions have been drawn deeper into the machinery of money, and too many stadiums still echo with the racism, sexism and homophobia that should have been left far behind.

So it is no surprise that many people are looking to grassroots clubs, community teams and local sporting groups instead, not just because they are more affordable, but because they often feel closer to what they were looking for in the first place. They are places where volunteers hold everything together, children can get near the action, newcomers can find a way in, and people can truly belong to a club.

Elite sport has drifted from the communities that built it. So it is no surprise that many are looking to grassroots clubs

In the new issue of Positive News magazine, we look at that shift through football, community and the people rebuilding sport from the ground up. We meet those using the game to support physical health, mental wellbeing and social connection, and we see how minority communities are not simply being invited in at the edges, but helping shape what sport can become.

As the World Cup continues amid some controversy in North America, it is worth remembering that football is not only about rivalries and tribalism. Like so many of the stories – from Syria to Italy to Brazil – that you will read in this issue, it is also about what happens when communities come together and build something of their own.

Again and again, the most meaningful change begins close to home – on a pitch, in a street, around a table – among people who know that community is something made together.

Cover photograph: Sam Bush

Alfie Coleman was found guilty of preparing for terrorist acts and has been jailed for 13 and a half years

A young neo-Nazi has been handed a custodial sentence after plotting a mass shooting, having been caught in an MI5 undercover operation.

Alfie Coleman, 22, from Great Notley in Essex, was convicted of preparing for terrorist acts following a retrial at the Old Bailey. He has been jailed for 13 and a half years and will serve two-thirds of his sentence, less than the more than 1,000 days he has already spent in custody, before being eligible for parole.

The court heard how Coleman was just 14 years old when he first began scouring the internet for far-right extremist material, including a neo-Nazi text which he downloaded onto his iPad.

The former part-time Tesco employee went on to compile a hate list of colleagues and customers he labelled with racial slurs or as “race traitors”. He wrote a “manifesto” in a diary and pinpointed potential targets, among them the Lord Mayor of London and a mosque.

He was apprehended after undercover MI5 officers engaged with Coleman via encrypted messaging as he attempted to source weapons. Authorities first grew alarmed in the summer of 2023 when Coleman became increasingly active within online far-right extremist groups, reports the Mirror.

In early September 2023, he made arrangements to purchase a Skorpion automatic weapon, an AK47 rifle and ammunition in France, having identified a local mosque as his intended target – before swiftly abandoning the plan. Instead, MI5’s “highly sophisticated operation” reached its climax in a Morrisons car park in Stratford, east London, on the morning of 29 September 2023.

On that day, Coleman, who was 19 at the time, had arranged to purchase a Makarov pistol, five magazines and 200 rounds of ammunition from an undercover officer.

Jurors were shown dramatic footage of Coleman dropping £3,500 into a Land Rover Discovery and retrieving a holdall containing the handgun and ammunition from the boot. Before he had travelled 30 yards, Coleman, who was carrying his Tesco employee card, was confronted by armed counter-terrorism officers and forced to the ground.

A search of the home he shared with his parents and sibling laid bare the full extent of Coleman’s murderous ideology, including his idolisation of Thomas Mair, the extremist who murdered MP Jo Cox.

Officers discovered £2,500 in savings alongside a bug and hidden camera detector in his bedside drawer; a rock bearing a Swastika on a table; a Black Sun flag linked to neo-Nazism on the wall; and a selection of extreme right-wing literature.

Advertisement

Police additionally seized a collection of knives from his bedside drawer and atop his chest of drawers, along with a small stone axe, an air rifle and a leaflet relating to target shooting.

An examination of his electronic devices uncovered that in July 2021, Coleman had emailed the far-right white supremacist organisation Patriotic Alternative stating he “would like to start participating in activism”.

He proceeded to draft plans for potential terrorist attacks including hijacking an aircraft and targeting the Lord Mayor of London’s residence.

These schemes involved placing explosives in a cash machine alongside the deployment of knives and crossbows, the court heard.

He was “seething with hatred” while compiling a list of workplace colleagues who had “upset” him in September 2022, prosecutor Nicholas De La Poer KC stated. Amongst those he identified was a white female colleague married to a man of mixed Indian and Seychellois descent.

Coleman revealed he was “captivated” by an extreme right-wing publication which commemorated public hangings of “white race traitors”.

Six days prior to his arrest, Coleman shared an image of a balaclava-clad man carrying an automatic weapon, accompanied by the comment: “Coming soon here my man.”

Two days before his scheduled collection of the Makarov in Stratford, he posted: “Just something has gotta be done, how long can we sit here and talk over the internet.”

That same day, Coleman purchased a Gerber Strong Arm knife with a 4.8 inch blade through an online retailer.

During his testimony, Coleman described experiencing loneliness and struggling with his mental wellbeing throughout the Covid-19 lockdowns. He had acknowledged attempting to possess both a firearm and ammunition but refuted claims he was preparing for a terrorist attack.

He had entered guilty pleas to possessing 10 documents containing information likely to prove useful to terrorists including materials on weaponry and bomb-making guidance. Prosecutor Nicholas De La Poer KC informed the court that probation officers had concluded Coleman “posing a high risk of serious harm to the public”, and considered it improbable that “his feelings which were evidently quite deeply rooted would change completely”.

Speaking in mitigation, Martin Rutherford KC addressed the judge: “Alfie Coleman is not a young man without potential… Intelligent, articulate and polite, all of those things apply to him – but the reality is his obsessive personality took a horribly wrong turn back in 2020 and we are all dealing with the consequences of that now.”

Opting against a life sentence, Judge Marks said to the defendant: “Your age, immaturity, autistic spectrum disorder traits, anxiety, vulnerability, lack of previous convictions and the absence of actual physical harm caused by you all in my judgment weigh heavily against a discretionary life sentence.”

Cdr Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing in London, commented: “He lived in a normal family [and had a] normal education. He was like any other child, any other teenager, who was spending a lot of time online behind closed doors.”

She added: “Sadly, living in that world, he was able to radicalise himself and be overexposed to a significant amount of influence in the extreme right wing.”

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source.

William ‘Bill’ Roache, who plays Ken Barlow in the ITV soap, is the longest-serving cast member in the series.

He is also a world record holder for the longest-serving television star in a continuous role, having appeared in the show continuously since its first broadcast on December 9, 1960.

Now, the iconic Corrie actor, who turned 94 this year, is set to have a celebratory spin-off show to recognise the achievement.

Coronation Street legend Bill Roache to get spin-off show

The one-off show has the working title Bill Roache: Life On The Street, The Sun reports.

It is expected to be shown later in 2026 or early 2027.

An insider told the publisher: “This is a very celebratory programme marking the huge achievement of being on Corrie for the past 66 years.

“The production company behind the documentary have been working closely with both soap bosses as well as Bill himself for the past six months.

“Very few cast members get an honour like this but then very few can boast the incredible career that Bill has had.

“He’s a Weatherfield icon.”

The documentary reportedly has Bill’s full backing after producers approached him with the idea, and he is said to feel honoured at the prospect.

It will be made by production company MultiStory, who are part of ITV Studios.

William Roache has been on Coronation Street since it first aired in 1960 (Image: Ben Whitley/PA Wire)

Coronation Street boss Iain MacLeod has already stated that Roache would never be written out of the soap as long as he’s alive and wants to continue working.

“William Roache has been in the show since episode one,” he told The Daily Star in January.

“William has a job for as long as he wants it, absolutely.

“It would be a brave producer [who takes] the decision to axe him.

“William [is] a miraculous individual.

“Whatever you give him, even now, he’s on point, he’s on his dialogue…

“He’s the most professional member of the cast.

“I don’t think anyone could dispute that.”

Which actors have been on Corrie the longest?

Bill Roache has appeared on the show for the longest time, but several other actors have also been on the soap for many years.

Barbara Knox appeared on the show in 1964, playing the character of Rita Littlewood for one episode.

She returned to the show as a full-time cast member in January 1972, playing Rita Tanner, and is the second-longest-serving cast member in Coronation Street.

Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey Roberts, has been on Corrie for more than 40 years.

First on the show in 1979, her appearances were more sporadic in the years up until 1985, but since then, she has become a regular.

Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin Webster, is another Corrie stalwart, having appeared on screen for more than 40 years, too.

His first stint on Corrie was from 1983 to 2013, before taking a break for a year and returning in 2014.

Sally Dynevor (Sally Metcalfe) has been on the ITV soap since 1986, with Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald) having featured since 1989.

Helen Worth is another long-standing actor, having played Gail Platt for 50 years from 1974 to 2024 (with a guest appearance in 2025).

The now-retired actress was appointed an MBE in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to drama.

Who is your favourite character on Coronation Street? Let us know in the comments.

A neo-Nazi who was plotting a gun attack has been jailed for 13 and a half years after being caught in an MI5 sting.

Agents lured Alfie Coleman, 22, to a car park in east London and swooped on him as he collected a Makarov pistol and 200 rounds of ammunition in September 2023.

The supermarket worker, from Great Notley in Essex, was described in court as a “militant accelerationist” who had been radicalised online from the age of 14.

He was convicted of preparing terrorist acts at the Old Bailey in April, where jurors heard he had dreamed of fighting a race war.

Judge Richard Marks KC described Coleman’s views as “virulently racist” and branded him a “dangerous offender”.

Coleman appeared tearful and wiped his eyes with a tissue as the judge made his remarks.

The sting operation involved undercover agents engaging with him on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, where he was seeking to buy a firearm.

The 33-year-old will be climbing three peaks in memory of family members he has lost to ill health

Meet Ryan McConnell who is taking on a brand-new adventure challenge in the Mourne Mountains later this year in memory of family members he has lost to ill health.

Ryan, from Belfast, is picking a peak and pushing his limits this September to help others to mark Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s (NICHS) 80th anniversary of supporting and improving the lives of people across Northern Ireland.

The 33-year-old explained: “I’ve lost three loved ones over recent years. My mum, Bernie, passed away from uterine cancer. My mother-in-law, Cathy, had COPD and passed away. My dad, Paul, passed away at the start of May last year after having a few strokes.

“It has been a tough few years and I thought a good way to deal with the grief and pain would be to try and turn it into a positive, make some sort of difference, especially for a worthwhile cause.”

He added: “I was familiar with Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke and the great work it does and when I saw the Mighty Mournes Challenge it really appealed to me. It is something that will be a test of my endurance, but it will also be enjoyable and raising money to help NICHS at the same time makes it even better.”

Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year and the Mighty Mournes Challenge is part of a series of events planned to mark this significant milestone. The charity was founded on June 14, 1946, in response to the tuberculosis crisis at that time.

Over the past eight decades the charity has adapted and evolved to meet the changing health needs of the population and today focuses on chest, heart and stroke conditions and illnesses – the leading causes of death and disability in Northern Ireland. Something Ryan sadly understands all too well.

Ryan added: “My dad and my mother-in-law were affected by stroke and chest related conditions, and these are so much more common than people might think. NICHS is currently running a campaign to highlight that 40% of our adult population are living with a chest, heart or stroke condition or illness.

“That is approximately 600,000 people which is a shocking figure. That’s also why I am taking part in the challenge, to raise awareness of how many people here are impacted by these conditions and the fact that NICHS is here to help.

Advertisement

“The work NICHS does is great and very worthwhile. Really, it’s a necessity given the number of people affected by chest, heart and stroke conditions here. People need NICHS’s help and support, but the charity needs the public’s support in turn to be able to do all it does.”

The Mighty Mournes Challenge is comprised of two options- a one peak challenge up Northern Ireland’s highest mountain, Slieve Donard, and a three peak adventure taking in some of our most iconic landscapes including Slieve Donard, Slieve Commedagh and Slievenaglogh.

Talking about the challenge Ryan said: “When I saw the three peak challenge it just seemed the right option for me as I am doing this in memory of three people. I also thought about everything my mum, mother-in-law and dad went through and felt the three peaks was a more fitting tribute than the one peak option.

Advertisement

“I want to put myself through a bit more of a challenge in their memories. When I get up each peak I’ll be thinking about them. I’m still dealing with my dad’s death, and the challenge will definitely provide some time for reflection.

“Doing the challenge is helping me deal with the grief of the past few years because if sharing my story and raising awareness or funds for NICHS helps at least one person, that’s a great thing.

“From the physical side of things, I’m not a hiker so the challenge will be something new for me. I do have a decent level of fitness as I play sports, so I train and play matches, and I also go the gym. I try to be pretty active so hopefully that will help and I will do a test run on Donard in the next while so that will be good preparation too.

“I would encourage people to sign up and take part in the Mighty Mournes Challenge as it is not only a great opportunity for a personal challenge, but it will also help such a great, worthwhile cause which is a bonus.”

Advertisement

Someone who is also supporting the call for people to get involved with the Mighty Mournes Challenge is Dawson Stelfox. Dawson is well known as the first person from Ireland to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which he did 33 years ago in 1993.

Dawson may seem an unlikely candidate for experiencing ill-health, but he had an unexpected, life-changing stroke in December 2022.

Dawson also understands first-hand how important Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s work is as he completed the charity’s Post Rehab Exercise Programme (PREP) as part of his recovery journey. PREP is a 6-week physiotherapy led, community-based course which helps rebuild people’s lives after stroke through exercise and education.

Advertisement

Dawson said: “My stroke affected my whole left-hand side- my left leg, left arm, I was pretty much immobile down my left side. My speech was also a bit slurred. I spent one month in the Royal Victoria Hospital’s stroke ward and have been working on my recovery since I was discharged.

“I had physiotherapy and occupational therapy through the Community Stroke Team at the Lagan Valley Hospital, and it was they who pointed me in the direction of Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke for further support.

“I attended PREP and what is good and different about it is that you are measuring yourself against time on the activities. If you have any sort of competitive spirit, like I do, you are always trying to do a bit better than the previous week.

Advertisement

“It’s not about competing with other people in the group, it’s about challenging yourself and what you can do. There is a sort of parallel to climbing and mountaineering activities in the sense that with these, you are not in competition with the other people that you are climbing with, you are in competition with the environment that you are in.

“That’s a bit like PREP because everybody is at different stages, everybody has their own particular abilities and disabilities, and it’s all about your own individual journey.

“Also, when you are climbing with somebody there can be times you might need their support and encouragement if you are finding things tough. That is similar to PREP in that there is great comradery at the groups, with everyone encouraging and supporting each other. There is collaboration and teamwork, like in mountaineering. “I attended two sets of PREP, and it was extremely useful. It definitely helped me on my physical recovery journey. I would encourage people to get involved with supporting Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke and to sign up for the Mighty Mournes Challenge so the charity can continue its great work and help more people, like me, after a stroke, chest or heart related illness.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Advertisement