US President Donald Trump has halted strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure amid ongoing talks regarding the conflict in the Middle East – some in Iran say his comments are driving them ‘crazy’

Iranians have issued a plea to Donald Trump as they beg the US President to postpone further strikes on energy infrastructure.

Iran has been in conflict with the US since February 28, when the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on several key Iranian sites. Iran responded by striking sites across the Middle East, plunging the region into conflict. Energy infrastructure has been targeted by both US-Israeli forces in Iran and Iranian forces across the Middle East.

In a post on his social media site Truth Social on Monday, March 23, Mr Trump said that the US and Iran had, over the last two days, “very good and productive conversations” about the resolution of hostilities in the Middle East.

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The post, written in all caps, continued: “Based on the tenor and tone of these in depth, detailed, and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week, I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”

Iranians, speaking to BBC Persian, reacted to Mr Trump’s post.

A man in his 20s, who resides in capital Tehran, said it will be very costly for Iranians.

“Whether the Islamic Republic remains or realises that it is on its last legs, it will increase the cost to the Iranian people as much as possible,” the man said.

A woman in her 40s, also from Tehran, said she believes Trump wants to give the Iranian leadership “another ultimatum”.

Her theory is: “If they don’t open up the Strait of Hormuz, he will strike because he wants to put pressure on them, either by capturing Kharg Island or by attacking them on land.”

A woman, in her 20s, who resides in the north of the country, said: “Did you see Trump’s new message? It’s driving us crazy.”

Trump also issued an update about Iran’s new Supreme Leader – who the president suggested may be dead. He told reporters the US had not been talking to Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the previous Supreme Leader who was killed in the initial strikes.

“We have not heard from the son,” he told reporters. “We don’t know if he’s living.”

The Trump administration has escalated its scrutiny of Harvard University, announcing two new federal probes against the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Ivy League institution.

The U.S. Education Department’s civil rights office confirmed it “opened two new investigations into Harvard University amid allegations that it continues to discriminate against students on the basis of race, color, and national origin” in violation of federal law.

These latest inquiries will specifically examine whether Harvard employs race-based preferences in its admissions process, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action in higher education. Additionally, the department will investigate allegations of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus.

This action follows reports released last year by Harvard task forces, which detailed bigotry and abuse faced by Jewish and Muslim students at the university.

A Harvard spokesperson said on Monday that the school is “firmly committed to confronting antisemitism” and has taken steps aimed at “preventing harassment and discrimination.”

Harvard does not discriminate on grounds of race, the spokesperson said, and complies with the law in admissions practices, including the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision.

“We are reviewing the U.S. Department of Education’s latest actions, which represent the government’s latest retaliatory actions against Harvard for its refusal to surrender our independence and constitutional rights,” the spokesperson said.

A deal to resolve the Trump administration’s probes against Harvard remains elusive.

Last week, the administration sued Harvard to recover billions of dollars over allegedly failing to protect Jewish students. The Trump administration also separately sued Harvard in February, accusing it of failing to comply with a federal investigation, while also seeking documents to determine whether the university considered race in its admissions process.

Education advocates have urged universities to push back against government efforts to collect more admissions data, saying they could lead to privacy violations. A former official from President Joe Biden’s administration described it as “a tool for anti-civil rights enforcement.”

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U.S. President Donald Trump has attempted to crack down on universities and freeze their federal funds over pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s assault on Gaza, transgender policies, climate programs and diversity initiatives, leading to concerns over academic freedom, free speech and due process.

Efforts to freeze federal funds have faced legal and judicial roadblocks.

Trump has in particular cast pro-Palestinian protests as antisemitic and alleged that universities, including Harvard, allowed antisemitism on campus.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the government wrongly conflates criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.

Trump’s administration has reached deals to settle investigations against some schools including Columbia University in New York. Columbia has agreed to pay over $200 million to the government.

Academic experts have raised alarm over parts of those agreements, saying they set a precedent for “pay-to-play” deals.

Trump has not initiated equivalent probes into allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias.

Vincci, owner of Smoked Tamago, was travelling home from Glasgow before the nerve-wracking ordeal.

A Scots caterer has revealed the terrifying moment her car trailer started swinging while driving on the M8. Vincci, owner of Smoked Tamago, was travelling home from Glasgow before the nerve-wracking incident on March 15.

She was driving her car normally near Junction 3 around 4pm when, due to windy weather conditions, her trailer started to swing. All of a sudden, she lost control and her trailer tipped over, bringing her journey to an abrupt halt.

She said the trailer had started dragging her motor, which she and her fiancé, who was with her at the time, travel across the country selling their Japanese Korean street food.

Vincci said they are the “luckiest couple ever” after the ordeal, which she believes “could have been so much worse”. She told Edinburgh Live: “We were driving like normal and then all of a sudden, my trailer started swinging.

“I tried to slow down but then it just dragged me. I lost control. I have been driving for around 20 years so I knew something wasn’t right. I am just so blessed we’re both okay because it could have been so much worse.

“I just feel like we’re the luckiest couple ever because it was a very scary and unfortunate situation but luck was on our side.”

She went on: “Three minutes after I stepped out the car, a police car arrived because they just happened to be there. There were really slow cars behind but there was one who stopped and asked if we were okay.

“Police helped us get to a safe place because it was on really busy motorway. We are so blessed.”

The trailer was so badly damaged that the couple had to give it up. They left the scene unharmed and no one else was hurt.

Vincci added: “The trailer got disposed of because it’s not possible to fix it. It’s a big loss but we are just so lucky and grateful that we can get back on our feet and keep doing what we love to do.

“We just want people to know that we are okay and not to worry. It was really emotional but we are alright. We just really want to apologise for all the people that were stuck behind us on the M8 – there was a huge queue.

“All the messages we have received from customers and fellow traders have been so touching because so many people have offered to help us.”

The couple also shared a statement on social media. They said: “First things first – we’re both okay. Goodbye to our wee trailer, which helped us survive a very windy market day.. but unfortunately didn’t make it home.

“Not long ago we travelled around the country hunting for the right trailer for us. Still remember the joy when we finally found this one, after putting a lot of time and effort into fixing it up and turning it into something that worked perfectly for our stall. And then in just a moment, it was gone.

“But at the end of the day, me and Rick walked away from our car in one piece, and no one else was hurt. That’s what really matters.

“Losing the trailer probably means we’ll miss out on a few plans and opportunities we had coming up, but as we’re still here, we will be able to keep going. There will always be more pop ups ahead.”

A statement from Traffic Scotland at the time read: “The M8 is currently restricted eastbound after Junction 3 due to a road traffic incident.”

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Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have nevigated through challenging situations recently following the arrest of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was the Duke of York

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are said to be going through “a complete and utter personal crisis” following the arrest of their dad, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The sisters have largely maintained their distance to both Mr Mountbatten-Windsor and their mum Sarah Ferguson, who were known as the Duke and Duchess of York before their royal titles were stripped last year. Since then, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, was taken into custody over allegations of misconduct in public office. Although he was soon released, the case is still under investigation. He, though, denies any wrongdoing.

Eugenie turned 36 on Monday but it is understood all celebrations were held privately this year. Speaking during the week of Eugenie’s birthday, royal journalist Matt Wilkinson said: “I’ve got sympathy for both Beatrice and Eugenie, and I’d like to see them somehow rehabilitated and used properly in the royal family.

“I think the King wants her, wants them both, to not pay for the sins of their parents, but I’m not sure there is mass public sympathy for them at the moment. They’re probably going through a complete and utter personal crisis.”

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But Mr Wilkinson believes the siblings have strong support networks, including their husbands. He added: “I don’t like bad things to happen to people when they haven’t actually done anything wrong themselves, but I think they can cope.

“I think there are enough support structures around them and enough money. Their husbands are both very supportive and rich, so I think they’ll be able to cope.”

Indeed, mother-of-two Eugenie was spotted enjoying a ski getaway in Switzerland last month. Beatrice, though, has allegedly shown more support towards her father in recent months.

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She joined him on a horse ride weeks before his arrest. According to reports, they spent more than 45 minutes in the grounds of Home Park in the shadow of Windsor Castle. It is understood ­Beatrice, 37, also spent time at Royal Lodge, which Andrew has since vacated. Noting this, one of the sisters’ friends said: “They aren’t turning their backs on him. But everything is obviously very strained and hard.”

Mr Wilkinson spoke to HELLO! Magazine, which reports Eugenie kept a low profile on her birthday. It said the royal, who used to work at an art gallery, remained out of the limelight. Mum-of-two Eugenie has only been seen out in public once since Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on February 19.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror this week, former BBC royal expert Jennie Bond had said: “Both Eugenie and Beatrice must be feeling the heat of the headlines that are now turning on them. And so I doubt whether this birthday will be one she will particularly feel like celebrating in a big way.”

National Highways estimated the upgrade scheme will cut journey times by 10 minutes each trip

National Highways has given an update on the UK’s most expensive road project, the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements. More than two years into construction, a spokesperson for National Highways has confirmed that the route is on track to open in spring 2027.

The £1 billion upgrade aims to deliver a new 10-mile dual carriageway linking the A1 and A421 Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire with the A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire. National Highways is redeveloping the Caxton Gibbet roundabout into a two-level junction.

This will link the new A421 dual carriageway with the A428 and A1198. Traffic on the new dual carriageway will move over the junction using a flyover bridge.

One recent milestone in the construction included work beginning to lower the A1 by eight metres at Black Cat junction. This is described by National Highways as “the most complex element of the scheme”.

In February, 11 beams were lifted into place for the new flyover at Caxton Gibbet. Once complete, the bridge will carry the A421 over the junction, aiming to allow traffic to flow more freely.

National Highways said that the steel structure is now in place for the new 250-metre viaduct over the River Great Ouse. The bridge-like structure aims to allow smooth travel across the river.

Edwards issued a statement condemning the upcoming drama chronicling his downfall.

Premiering tomorrow (Tuesday, March 24), the two-part factual series is titled Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards.

The show will recount how one of the most recognisable figures in British television was at the centre of one of the biggest scandals at the public broadcaster.

In his statement, Edwards said: “[They] made no attempt to check with me the truth of any aspect of their narrative before going ahead with the production.

“They belatedly asked for a response after the drama had been made, while reserving the right to edit any such response.

“They also refused to disclose whether any of those making allegations had been paid for their contributions.

“Channel 5’s ‘factual drama’ is hardly likely to convey the reality of what happened.”

He continued: “My deep regret and remorse for the crimes I committed were expressed in court.

“In pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity, I took full responsibility for my reprehensible actions.

“I am repelled by the idea that some people enjoy viewing indecent images of children. Every image represents an innocent victim. I offer my sincere and profound apologies for what I did.

“I am making an effort to produce my own account of these terrible events.

“This is a slow process, given the fragile state of my health. have been open about my struggle with persistent mental illness over a period of 25 years.

“What is less well known is the severity of that condition, which was managed successfully until the downward spiral which led to an appalling outcome.”

A 5 spokesperson said in response, Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards is based on extensive interviews with the victim, his family, the journalists who revealed his story, text exchanges between the victim and Edwards, and court reporting.

“It has been produced in accordance with Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code.

“All allegations made in the film were put to Huw Edwards via his solicitors 6 weeks before transmission.”

Recommended reading:

What did Huw Edwards do?

Edwards was one of the BBC’s highest-paid newsreaders, known for presenting the BBC’s News at Ten for decades, delivering some of the biggest stories to the British public, including Queen Elizabeth II’s death, before pleading guilty to making indecent images of children in July 2024.

In July 2023, a national newspaper reported that “a top BBC star” had paid a teenager for sexual images.

Days later, Edwards’ wife named him as the presenter at the centre of the scandal. He resigned from the BBC in April and was charged in June 2024 following a Metropolitan Police investigation.

Leonid Radvinsky, a Ukrainian-American entrepreneur who was the owner of the adult content platform OnlyFans, has died.

In a statement, the company confirmed his death from cancer at the age of 43.

A spokesman for OnlyFans said: “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky.

“Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer.

“His family have requested privacy at this difficult time.”

Mr Radvinsky acquired Fenix International ⁠Limited, the parent company of OnlyFans, in 2018 and served ‌as its director and majority shareholder.

He also ran Leo, a venture capital ‌fund he founded in 2009 that focuses primarily on investments in technology companies.

OnlyFans, founded in 2016 by British entrepreneur Tim Stokely, ⁠surged in popularity during the ​COVID pandemic as lockdowns drove creators ​and consumers online.

It turned the subscription-based ​platform into a mainstream source of ⁠income and entertainment globally.

In January, the Reuters news agency reported that OnlyFans was exploring the sale of ⁠a majority stake to ​investment firm Architect Capital in a deal ​valuing the company at about $5.5bn (£4.1bn), including debt.

Read more from Sky News:
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Scotland’s busiest train station to fully reopen

The strong financial performance by the platform led to significant cash windfalls for Mr Radvinsky.

Last August, it was revealed Mr Radvinsky was paid £522m in dividends in 2024.

The streaming site had also seen its user numbers jump by almost a quarter.

OnlyFans reported that the total number of creator accounts producing content for the site grew by 13% to 4.6 million as more people used it as an opportunity to make a living.

He was one of the country’s best-loved broadcasters, but is now a convicted criminal

Huw Edwards was the face of the nation and the man the BBC entrusted to broadcast almost all the major news events to hit the United Kingdom.. He announced election results, covered royal deaths, and he famously never missed an opportunity to promote Wales and the Welsh language.

However, his fall from being the BBC’s highest-paid journalist and a British National Treasure, was mighty. Born in Bridgend, the now 64-year-old TV presenter saw his life very publicly unravel when allegations about his conduct emerged in the national press, and ended up in him appearing in court in July, 2024.

He admitted having 41 indecent images of children, which were sent to him by another man on WhatsApp. They included seven category A images, the most serious classification. As the charges were read to him in Westminster Magistrates’ Court, he replied “guilty” three times.

Police said officers started looking into Edwards after seizing a phone as part of an unrelated investigation, which revealed his participation in a WhatsApp conversation with convicted paedophile, Alex Williams.

Williams, now 27, from Merthyr Tydfil was sentenced to a suspended 12-month jail sentence in March 2024 after he shared indecent images of children with Edwards.

At the time, Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told that, on February 2, 2021, Williams asked whether what he was sending was too young, to which Edwards asked him not to send any underage images. A final indecent image was sent in August 2021 – a category A film featuring a young boy. The man told Edwards the boy was quite young looking, and that he had more images which were illegal, the court was told.

Edwards told him not to send any illegal images. No more were sent, and the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022.

Aside from the criminal conviction, his private life has been laid bare, he has lost the career he had built up over decades, and he has already lost and is likely to further lose, a number of honours he had been awarded.

This is the story of the downfall of Huw Edwards. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

Huw grew up in Llangennech, near Llanelli, with his sister. His father, Hywel Teifi Edwards, was a Plaid Cymru and Welsh-language activist, author, and academic who taught at University College in Swansea. His mother, Aerona Protheroe, was a teacher at Llanelli’s Ysgol Gyfun y Strade for 30 years.

He graduated with a first-class honours degree in French from Cardiff University in 1983, and then studied a postgraduate course, also in Cardiff, before becoming a reporter for local radio station Swansea Sound and then joining the BBC as a trainee in 1984.

His career saw him become a staple in Westminster as a political correspondent and he progressed to becoming the BBC’s highest-paid newsreader.

He presented a range of programmes on television and radio including documentaries on classical music, religion, and the Welsh language, on a range of channels, including S4C and in both English and Welsh.

At his peak Edwards earned between £550,000 to £599,999 as a BBC presenter but when gender pay differences came to light he voluntarily took a paycut.

Huw, a dad to five children, married TV producer Vicky Flind in 1993. It was her who took the decision to name Edwards as the man at the centre of allegations which first came to light in July 2023. At that stage The Sun ran a story that an unnamed but well-known BBC presenter had paid a teenager more than £35,000 since they were 17 in return for images. The story was based on allegations by the mother and stepfather of the teenager.

Days of speculation followed about who the presenter was including false allegations about who it was on social media.

Five days after the story broke Edwards’ wife named him as the subject of the allegations “primarily out of concern for his mental wellbeing and to protect our children”.

She said he was in the midst of a serious episode of depression and was receiving in-patient care. Huw had spoken openly about his depression since 2002.

Shortly before Edwards was named the Metropolitan Police investigated and said it had found no evidence of crime and said it would not investigate further.

It later emerged that two months before that story a family member of a young person attended a BBC building seeking to make a complaint about the presenter and a day later contacted BBC Audience Services who referred a complaint to the corporation’s investigations team.

The BBC Director General at the time, Tim Davie, and executive directors were only made aware of the case once it had made the national press. Three days after the news report Edwards was suspended.

A report from an inquiry carried out by the BBC was given to Edwards in November 2023. That has never been made public and there are growing calls for that to now happen. Five months later, in April 2024, he resigned from the corporation on “medical advice”.

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In February 2024, the BBC apologised to the parents of the young person who made a complaint about Edwards and admitted the broadcaster should have acted more quickly. Auditors Deloitte had detailed how the family’s complaint had not been brought to senior managers’ attention and there was “insufficient” documentation of attempts to contact the family.

The BBC launched a review into its complaints procedure after the scandal in July 2023. It led Mr Davie to admit it had been “clearly damaging” and while there could be “learning” he stood by his corporate investigation team.

It has now emerged that in November 2023, the Met told the BBC corporation Edwards had been arrested and was being investigated for serious offences but the detail about how many images there were, the ages of those in the pictures, and how he received them was not disclosed by police.

The criminal matter became public knowledge on July 29, 2024 when the Met Police said it had charged Edwards. It has further emerged the Met gave the BBC corporation, not the news team, a 30-minute warning that it would confirm in an answer to a journalist that Edwards had indeed been charged. His former colleagues, including many friends, at the BBC did not receive any advance warning about the charge.

Two days later Edwards arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court with a crowd of journalists and photographers surrounding him as he made his way inside. Once he was asked how he intended to plead he confirmed he was guilty of making indecent images of children.

He admitted to having 41 indecent images of children that had been sent to him at his request by another man on WhatsApp. They included seven category A images, the most serious, showing abuse including penetrative sexual activity, two of which showed a child aged between about seven and nine.

The police confirmed on the day Edwards appeared in court the indecent image charges were not connected to the original complaint raised with the BBC but a separate investigation.

After his court appearance the BBC issued a statement about what it was told in November 2023. A statement read: “At the time no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.”

It added that the BBC would have sacked him if he had been charged, saying: “If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.”

As Edwards left court, knowing he has around six weeks until he finds out his sentence, the aftershocks continued. His former colleague and co-presenter Sophie Raworth, during a live news segment, confirmed she and her colleagues were only made aware of his arrest when police issued a statement.

Speaking on BBC News at Six a the time, she told viewers: “We here at BBC News are editorially independent when reporting on the corporation and we only learnt about his arrest and the charges when the rest of the media did on Monday.”

BBC staff received a message signed by senior management saying they were “appalled” and there is “no place for such behaviour”.

The note continued: “Some of you may feel shocked and saddened by this news and some of you will have worked closely with Huw Edwards over the years. Many of you will be working on this story and we want to thank you for your professionalism in carrying on with your jobs in difficult circumstances.”

The organisations which Edwards had worked closely with began distancing themselves. Cardiff University, where Edwards is honorary professor of journalism, said it was “actively reviewing” his fellowship. He later resigned from his honaroary posts. The National Churches Trust axed him as vice president. He was later expelled from the Gorsedd of the Bards.

After such a long and distinguished career it is no surprise he had many friends in the world of journalism. Adam Boulton, the former Sky News political editor, described Edwards, and his wife Ms Flind, as friends. He told Newsnight he agreed with all those who said they were shocked. He said he not had any contact with Edwards since the story broke in July last year but said for Edwards personally, and also his family, it was “disastrous”.

Huw and his wife, Vicky Flind, have since separated following the revelations and she filed for divorce in October 2024. Their family home in Dulwich, London was promptly put up for sale in 2024, but it doesn’t seem to have sold and has dropped in price by nearly £1m.

The entire scandal put the BBC under increased pressure. Within hours of Edwards’ pleas the then Director General Mr Davie was summoned to a meeting with the culture secretary Lisa Nandy. There are questions why, having been told in November 2023, Edwards was facing serious offences he was allowed to quit and continued to be paid by taxpayers in between.

The BBC made it clear in its statement it had a duty of care to Edwards whose mental health had caused serious concern. Lord Falconer, a former Lord Chancellor, told Newsnight it was “inconceivable” that having been told about the allegations, even without the detail, the BBC did not take action.

It had already highlighted the tricky position the BBC has between being a corporation and employer with responsibilities to their employees and also a journalistic enterprise. It was widely reported in 2023 that BBC journalists including Victoria Derbyshire had been “taking initial soundings” in relation to claims against Edwards in the days before The Sun released its original story.

Other questions emerged about the atmosphere within the corporation. Edwards’ former colleague Sir Craig Oliver said the former presenter could be a “very, very difficult and complicated” man who “clashed with staff”.

He said: “There were also, I think, a number of people who were worried about his behaviour within the BBC – was he actually throwing his weight around and behaving well enough to other staff? But I don’t think anybody suspected that there was child abuse imagery in his private life in any way, shape, or form.”

Aside from how it looks publicly it has affected internal relations too. Former BBC journalist Jon Sopel, now host of The News Agents podcast, said he had “been struck by how many of my former BBC colleagues, some very senior, have been in touch to express their anger and dismay at their own coverage of this”.

There are further questions about whether the complaints process was adequate. The family who originally raised concerns have criticised the handling of their complaint to the BBC.

It has, inevitably, led to calls from its critics outside the newsroom too.

Rebecca Ryan, campaign director of Defund the BBC, said: “What were the BBC thinking in continuing to pay someone arrested for such heinous crimes? Defund the BBC often accuses the broadcaster of being out of touch. On this occasion ‘out of touch’ does not begin to describe it. The BBC has extremely serious questions to answer on this.”

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The BBC tried to claw back some of the salary he earned after being arrested in November 2023. Speaking at a House of Lords committee in September 2024, Tim Davie said: “We’ve made the formal request and I can’t go into too much detail but discussions are under way. The money should be returned and we made the request.”

Asked by the communications and digital committee’s chair Baroness Stowell whether the BBC had set Edwards a deadline, Davie said no. He added: “But we do expect to make progress and get an answer.”

Huw Edwards was publicly asked to hand back part of his BBC salary from the five months he was under arrest. The BBC chairman, Samir Shah, confessed they had repeatedly asked him to hand back over £200,000 and called for the disgraced star to “give it back”.

Talking on Times Radio on Saturday, May 3, 2025, Samir said: “Frankly, if Huw is listening to this: Give it back Huw, just give it back. Really, just give it back. You know you should and you should do it.

“We’ve been asking him and asking him and asking him … we’re getting legal advice on it.”

You can watch Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards on Channel 5 from 9pm on Tuesday, March 24.

Donald Trump has said he has postponed attacks against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure after “very good and productive conversations” with Tehran.

The US president said the pause would last for five days and depended on “the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions”.

He had previously given Iran a 48-hour ultimatum that warned the US would “obliterate” its power plants unless it stopped blocking the Strait of Hormuz – a deadline that was set to expire just before midnight UK time.

Iran war latest: Tehran says US has ‘backed down’

But Mr Trump struck a more positive tone in his Truth Social post on Monday.

He said the US and Iran had been talking over the last two days about a “complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East” and he had told officials to “postpone any and all military strikes” against its power network.

Iran had warned it would float mines in the Persian Gulf and attack regional power plants if the US followed through.

State media framed the latest development as a victory – with a TV banner reading: “US president backs down following Iran’s firm warning.”

It’s not yet known who was involved in the talks or how they took place.

The Strait of Hormuz – the narrow waterway used to transport about a fifth of global oil and liquefied ⁠natural gas – effectively remains shut due to the threat of Iranian attacks.

Oil prices have spiked and the economic effects are already being felt. Petrol prices have increased and there’s a warning energy bills, inflation and interest rates could go up if the war drags on.

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Is Britain prepared for the economic cost of the Iran war?

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However, Mr Trump’s update raised hopes that tensions could be easing – oil prices dipped 10% and natural gas fell 6% in the wake of his post.

The president’s more upbeat tone comes after a major escalation last week when Iran caused significant damage to a liquefied natural gas site in Qatar in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its own South Pars gas field.

For now, peace in the region still appears some way off.

In a familiar pattern in the month-long conflict, Israel said this morning it had launched “wide-scale” strikes on Iran, while Tehran fired missiles at the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

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Iran war day 23: Videos from the ground

Authorities say more than 2,500 people have died; some 1,500 in Iran and more than 1,000 in Lebanon as Israel attacks the country’s paramilitary Hezbollah group.

Lebanon‘s president has claimed Israel is preparing for a “ground invasion” after it struck bridges in the south.

Fifteen Israelis and 13 US military personnel have also so far died in the war.

Flames were seen billowing from the roof of the premises in Edgeley

A huge fire erupted at a premises in Stockport which prompted a major emergency services response and a road closure to be put in place.

Police and fire crews were called to the scene on Castle Street in the Edgeley area at around 5.30pm on Monday (March 23). Videos posted on social media showed smoke billowing from the roof of the property.

Emergency services remained in attendance for a number of hours throughout the evening dampening the flames. Gas company Cadent were also called to the scene.

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Castle Street was also taped off by fire crews as investigations were carried out. The roof of the building was seen visibly scorched following the incident. The cause of the blaze has not yet been confirmed.

The Stylist Hair Studio, a salon nearby, posted on social media that the fire involved an empty building. The owner posted: “Unfortunately an empty shop on Castle Street is currently on fire.

“I am writing this post to reassure everyone whose been messaging me with concerns that thankfully it’s not my salon. We hope nobody is in that building and everyone is ok, especially the firefighters who are working hard.”

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A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Just after 5.30pm this evening (Monday 23^rd March), seven fire engines from Cheadle, Offerton, Wythenshawe, Oldham and Marple fire station, along with the Command Support Unit from Hyde, Hydraulic Platform from Oldham and Technical Response Unit from Ashton, were called to reports of a building fire on Castle Street, Stockport.