DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long before he became Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went on a charm offensive for almost two decades, portraying himself as a hard-liner the West could do business with in the Islamic Republic.

“I would like the West to change its attitude to Iran and trust Iran, and rest assured that there’s an attitude in Iran to advance issues through dialogue,” he told The Times newspaper of London in 2008.

With the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran in its fourth week, the 64-year-old pilot and former Revolutionary Guard commander has denied there have been talks with the United States amid reports that he was floated as Washington’s negotiating partner in talks.

Questions also remain as to what power Qalibaf has within Iran’s theocracy, shattered after the Feb. 28 Israeli airstrike that killed 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, now Iran’s new supreme leader, has backed Qalibaf through his repeated and failed presidential campaigns. Still, multiple centers of power within Iran’s theocracy now likely vie for control of the Islamic Republic — and uncertainties remain over Mojtaba Khamenei’s status as he has yet to be seen after reportedly being wounded.

Meanwhile, Qalibaf has been tied to the crackdown against protesters calling for change within Iran’s government and has seen corruption allegations swirl around him during his time in office.

U.S. President Donald Trump may just be looking for an Iranian version of Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over as the U.S. military seized former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January.

“Many Iranians despise Ghalibaf; diplomats see him as pragmatic,” wrote analyst Michael Rubin, using a different transliteration for the politician’s last name. “Those diplomats confuse pragmatism with opportunism. Ghalibaf is a survivor. He sees in Trump someone who can help him achieve what late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denied him: the presidency or some equivalent interim leadership role.”

Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency, believed close to the Guard, on Tuesday described reports in Western media as a “political bomb” meant to put the country’s leaders in disarray.

“Qalibaf was introduced as a negotiating party in order to present a contradictory and non-unified image of Iran,” Tasnim said. “The mention of Qalibaf’s name was clearly intended to create internal divisions within Iran and to provoke conflict among political forces.”

Qalibaf’s rise within Iran’s theocracy

Qalibaf was born in the city of Torqabeh in Iran’s northeastern Razavi Khorasan province to a father who was a shopkeeper — not a member of the Shiite clergy that seized power in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Like many young men of his generation, he joined the paramilitary Guard during the country’s bloody 1980s war with Iraq, quickly rising through the ranks. After the conflict, he served as the head of the Guard’s construction arm, Khatam al-Anbia, for several years leading efforts to rebuild.

Trained as a pilot, he then served as the head of the Guard’s air force. In 1999, he co-signed a letter to reformist President Mohammad Khatami amid student protests in Tehran over the government closing a reformist newspaper and a subsequent security force crackdown. The letter warned Khatami the Guard would take action unilaterally unless he agreed to putting down the demonstrations.

Violence around the protests, the first in a string of widening demonstrations over the last decades, saw several people killed, hundreds wounded and thousands arrested.

Qalibaf then became the head of Iran’s police, modernizing the force and implementing the country’s 110 emergency phone number. However, a leaked recording of a later meeting between Qalibaf and members of the Guard’s volunteer Basij force, had him claiming that he ordered gunfire be used against demonstrators in 2003 and praising the violence used in Iran’s 2009 Green Movement protests.

Iran’s then-President Hassan Rouhani hinted at the the 2003 incident when the two sparred in a 2017 presidential election debate.

“There was an argument that you were saying that the students should come then we can pincer attack to them and finish the job,” Rouhani said at the time.

Qalibaf offered himself as alternative to Ahmadinejad

As Tehran’s mayor from 2005 to 2017, Qalibaf faced corruption allegations, including over some $3.5 million being donated to a foundation run by his wife.

However, he also used his prominence to travel to the World Economic Forum and even praised New York City in an interview with The Financial Times, undoubtedly raising eyebrows among other hard-liners. His opponents claimed Qalibaf was like Reza Pahlavi, a hard-charging soldier who became shah in 1925 and rapidly pushed to Westernize Persia and rename it Iran before handing power to his son Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Qalibaf didn’t outright reject the comparison.

“If authoritarianism means when collective sense reaches a plan and decision, I’m very determined and firm in carrying it out,” Qalibaf told The Financial Times in 2008, casting himself as an alternative to the hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. “When the expediency of the society is in carrying a project, then I’m very firm and show little flexibility and don’t let that collective sense be marred or disarrayed.”

Qalibaf ran in presidential elections in 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2024 but despite the failures of those campaigns, U.S. diplomats suggested he enjoyed the support of Mojtaba Khamenei, according to diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks.

“Mojtaba reportedly has long maintained a very close relationship with Tehran Mayor and presidential hopeful Mohammad Baqr Qalibaf; Mojtaba was reportedly the ‘backbone’ of Qalibaf’s past and continuing election campaigns,” an August 2008 cable read. “Mojtaba is said to help Qalibaf as an advisor, financier, and provider of senior-level political support. His support for and closeness to Qalibaf reportedly remains undiminished.”

With Khamenei now Iran’s new supreme leader, Qalibaf’s position may be significantly boosted.

Qalibaf’s name floated as a possible negotiator

Trump pulled back from a 48-hour deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, media reports suggested Qalibaf may be a possible Iranian contact for the U.S. government. Qalibaf himself has denied any talks are ongoing.

“No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped,” he wrote Monday on X.

Surprisingly, unlike many officials within Iran’s government, Qalibaf’s name is not on any U.S. bounty.

It remains unclear whether the Israelis view Qalibaf as a target. As parliament speaker, Qalibaf praised the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, saying that it showed the “Zionist regime will never have peace until the day it is annihilated.”

Trump as well apparently appeared concerned Monday that his unnamed negotiating partner could jeopardize the safety of any talks.

Asked why he wouldn’t name the Iranian negotiator, Trump told journalists: “Because I don’t want them to be killed, OK? I don’t want them to be killed.”

April is around the corner, and with it a new financial year that promises to bring lots of change to households across the UK.

Cost of living concerns have grown as conflict in the Middle East suddenly threatens to hit Britain’s economy. The situation has severely disrupted the global oil trade, bringing knock-on effects to the price of essentials like energy and food.

Economists say that the worst impacts can be avoided should the conflict end soon, but uncertainty remains as the exchange of fire continues.

In positive news for household finances, inflation saw a steep drop in January to 3 per cent, marking a 10 month low. Some analysts now predict the rate could hit the Bank of England’s target of 2 per cent by April, which was last seen briefly in 2024.

The downward trend means prices are rising less quickly, but for many the cost of living still remains too high.

Around two-thirds (63 per cent) of Brits say they have had to cut back on the essentials to handle the cost of living, recent analysis by the Cost of Living Action group found.

Meanwhile, 55 per cent of households living in poverty now contain at least one working person, according to the Resolution Foundation think tank, which revealed the scale of the issue.

Against this difficult economic backdrop, households should claim all the support they are entitled to. There are now around 24 million people in the country claiming some combination of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) administered benefits, which include those drawing a state pension, representing around one in three people.

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Yet research by Policy in Practice shows that £24bn worth of benefits goes unclaimed every year – you can use its helpful calculator to work out what you might be entitled to.

Are you struggling with the DWP or the cost of living? Share your story: albert.toth@independent.co.uk

Here is an overview of the financial support available to households this April and key dates for benefit and state pension recipients to look out for:

Benefit payment dates in April

Benefit payments will go out as usual in April, except on two key dates. Anyone due a benefit payment on Friday 3 April (Good Friday) or Monday 6 April (Easter Monday), should instead receive this on Thursday 2 April.

This includes:

For more information on how and when state benefits are paid, visit the government’s website.

The DWP is aiming to complete the migration of all “legacy benefits” to universal credit by the end of March 2026. Those receiving tax credits, income support, jobseeker’s allowance, and housing benefit should have received a notice about moving to universal credit already.

Are you having issues with universal credit, PIP, or any other benefit? Get in touch via email: albert.toth@independent.co.uk

Pension payment dates in April

The basic state pension is paid straight into bank accounts, similar to how benefits are paid. It is usually paid every four weeks, with the exact day you receive it corresponding to the last two digits of your national insurance (NI) number.

Here’s when you should be paid based on those numbers:

The same bank holiday payment date changes that apply to most benefits will also apply to state pension payments.

When will benefit rates go up?

In April 2026, all universal credit claimants will receive an above-inflation income boost of around 6.2 per cent to the standard allowance. For a single person over 25, this will be a £6 per week increase, rising from £92 to £98.

For couples with one or both partners over 25, it will be an increase of £9 per week, rising from £145 to £154.

Most other benefits should be uprated by September’s inflation rate alone, increasing by 3.8 per cent. This includes PIP, DLA, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance, ESA and more.

However, at the same time, the monthly payment rate for the health-related element of universal credit for new claimants will be cut from £105 to £50. The rate for existing claimants will also be frozen until 2029.

This is a reduction of more than £200 a month, cutting the additional rate by around half. This means it is advisable for anyone who thinks they might be eligible to apply as soon as they can.

The state pension will rise by 4.8 per cent from next April in line with annual earnings growth, the government has confirmed. This will bring the weekly amount to £241.05.

For more information about the new benefit rates, you can read The Independent’s guide.

Other help available

Crisis and Resilience Fund

From April, councils will be able to administer Labour’s new ‘Crisis and Resilience Fund’, designed to support low-income households at times when affording the essentials becomes a struggle.

It will replace both the household support fund and discretionary housing payments.

Crisis payment

The first part of the new scheme will be a ‘crisis payment’ to to support low-income households that have experienced a financial shock, or are at risk of entering crisis.

Like the Household Support Fund, councils will continue to have discretion over the exact eligibility criteria. However, the government’s guidance says it should not be limited just to those in receipt of benefits.

The DWP has asked that councils take a ‘cash-first’ approach to the crisis payment, meaning cash payments should be awarded unless there is a fair reason not to do so.

Housing payment

A new ‘housing payment’ will also be introduced across the UK, aimed at providing financial support towards housing costs for those in need.

This will usually be related to rent, such as needing rent in advance, a rental deposit, or shortfall. It could also cover a lump sum associated with housing, like the cost of moving.

Unlike the crisis payment, the housing payment will be restricted to those in receipt of certain benefits. These are either housing benefit, or universal credit with the housing element for rental costs. However, DWP says those who do not qualify but are still in need could be considered for a crisis payment instead.

Budgeting advance loans

The government offers a “budgeting advance loan” for people on universal credit who face an emergency lack of money. The loan has a maximum repayment period of two years.

These loans are interest-free and are automatically deducted from universal credit payments. You can borrow an ‘advance’ of up to:

Following Labour’s 2024 Budget, a new cap was introduced on the amount the DWP can deduct from benefit payments to repay loans and debts, including budgeting advance loans.

Beginning in April 2025, deductions from universal credit have been capped at 15 per cent of the standard allowance, down from 25 per cent.

Charitable grants

If you are struggling financially, you may be eligible for certain charitable grants. There is a wide range of grants available depending on your circumstances.

However, these grants will typically require you to meet specific criteria and will only be able to offer limited funds.

Charitable grants are available for people who are disabled or ill, carers, bereaved, unemployed, students, and for many other reasons. The charity Turn2us has an online tool to search for grants which may be available to some.

Energy provider help

A number of energy suppliers offer help for those struggling with their energy bills. These include British Gas, Scottish Power, EDF, E.ON, OVO and Octopus. It is worth contacting your energy provider to find out if you are eligible.

Some also offer free devices like electric blankets for households with vulnerable residents to keep warm.

Social tariffs for broadband and water

For those struggling with household costs, social tariffs are available for both broadband and water bills. This will mean a reduced rate for certain eligible households.

For water, every company operating in the UK has a social tariff by law. However, the amount on offer can vary between regions and, because water providers can’t be chosen like energy providers, the support has been criticised as a “postcode lottery”.

For instance, some offer as much as 90 per cent off bills, while others cap support at a 20 per cent reduction.

To find out what support your water company offers, it is worth checking on its website or contacting the helpline. In all cases, households will need to be deemed to be on a low income and/or in receipt of certain benefits.

Similarly, many broadband providers offer social tariffs to those on certain benefits like universal credit or pension credit.

Council tax reduction

If you meet certain criteria or are on certain benefits, you may be able to apply for a discount on your council tax of up to 100 per cent (this is sometimes called council tax support).

Your local council may still be able to offer you a discretionary reduction if you can demonstrate you are facing severe hardship and can’t afford to pay your council tax.

To apply for a council tax reduction, contact your local council via the government’s website.

Up to 30 hours of free childcare

From 1 September 2025, all working parents in the UK became entitled to 30 hours of free childcare for children up to the age of four. This concluded a gradual set of expansions that began in April 2024.

Parents must apply online and reconfirm their eligibility every three months, in time for each school term. Working parents can also apply for tax-free childcare, giving back 20p for every 80p you put towards childcare, up to a maximum of £500 a year.

Energy price cap: Is it going up?

Ofgem’s energy price cap will drop to £1,641 for 1 April to 31 June 2026 – decreasing by around seven per cent, or £117. It will remain at £1,758 until 31 March.

The energy price cap is the maximum amount energy suppliers can charge you for each unit of energy if you’re on a standard variable tariff. That includes most households. It is expressed as an annual bill for an average home.

Many experts – including Ofgem itself – are recommending households consider a fixed tariff energy deal, with many on the market offering lower than the price cap rate.

Ofgem will announce its cap for July to September by 27 May. This could be a steep increase of as much as 10 per cent, or £160, increase due to the situation in the Middle East, energy consultancy Cornwall Insight has warned.

Will there be another cost of living payment in 2026?

The DWP has not announced any continuation of the cost of living payment scheme that ran between 2022 and 2024. The final payment should have been made to eligible households between 6 February and 22 February 2024.

Mental health support

Pontypridd-born Steve Cooper was accused of dropping a Bosnia and Herzegovina star from his Brondby side on purpose by Sergej Barbez, ahead of the country’s World Cup qualifier with Wales

Benjamin Tahirovic has reportedly apologised to Steve Cooper, after the Brondby manager faced accusations of dropping the player ahead of Bosnia’s upcoming World Cup qualifier with Wales.

The Pontypridd-born head coach, who has been at the helm of the Danish Superliga side since September, opted not to play Tahirovic during Brondby’s 0-0 draw with Aarhus Gymnastikforening on Sunday.

And as a result of his decision, Cooper faced scathing accusations from Bosnia manager Sergej Barbez that he had handed Wales an advantage by limiting the defensive-midfielder’s minutes.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the head coach said: “Benjo has told me some things that are hard to believe. It has something to do with his coach’s roots and origins.

“When your coach wishes you, but not your national team, good luck, everything is much clearer. He [Cooper] has told him that everything will return to normal after the national team season. I am not like that, I love and value sport and competition more.”

It is now claimed by talkSPORT that Tahirovic has since called up Cooper to apologise for the false accusations that he was intentionally dropped at Brondby. It comes after Cooper explained his decision to leave Tahirovic out of his squad last week, citing a disciplinary issue.

He told TV 2 Sport: “It’s a shame. Such situations are never good, but unfortunately, it’s the right thing to do.

“The team, the club, the traditions and the values are always the most important thing. I’m not going to go into it more specifically on a personal level. But when you see things that don’t live up to the values and the team, you have to do something about it.”

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Elsewhere, Brondby have also spoken about Barbez’s allegations pertaining to Cooper. Soren Hanghoi, who is the club’s communications chief, told TV 2 Sport: “This is quite a far-reaching speculation.

“Steve has publicly stated the considerations behind the decision — and none of them have the slightest connection with either national team. That goes without saying. It is not just a head coach who is the sponsor of a decision like the one in question here.

“It is a club decision that has been made jointly by an entire coaching team and the sporting management. And there are not that many Wales fans in Brondby after all.”

Wales are set to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup qualification play-off on Thursday, March 26 at Cardiff City Stadium. A win there will see the nation take on either Northern Ireland or Italy on home soil on Tuesday, March 31 for their place in this summer’s tournament in North America.

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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.

The pilots who are being hailed as heroes by the passengers they saved when their Air Canada Express flight collided with a Port Authority fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday have been identified.

They were named as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther. Both the pilot and co-pilot were based in Canada, Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia told reporters.

The Bombardier CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Aviation, was arriving from Montreal with 76 passengers and crew when it struck the emergency vehicle on Runway 4 at approximately 11.40 pm. The truck had been cleared to cross the active runway while responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are conducting a joint investigation into the collision.

The nearly 14-hour closure forced the cancellation of more than 500 flights on Monday.

Antoine Forest

Forest’s family has confirmed that the Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, native was one of the two pilots who died in Sunday’s crash. Relatives spoke with The Toronto Star on Monday to identify Forest, who lived in the small town located about 25 miles southwest of Montreal.

Forest’s great-aunt, Jeannette Gagnier – whom he considered a grandmother – told the Star that he had been flying since he was 16 years old.

“He was always taking courses and flying,” Gagnier said, recalling how he first learned to pilot bush planes as a teenager. “He never stopped.”

Forest spent his youth between his home in Quebec and Hawkesbury, Ontario, where he and his younger brother spent summers fishing and watching television with Gagnier.

During his 11th-grade year, he moved in with Gagnier specifically to improve his English, a step he believed was vital for his future career as a pilot.

According to his professional records and LinkedIn profile, Forest began his career flying smaller bush planes, such as the de Havilland Canada Beaver and Otter, for Air Saguenay. He later moved on to pilot twin-engine aircraft for ExactAir before joining Jazz Aviation as a first officer in December 2022.

Photos on Forest’s Facebook page reflect his love for the outdoors, showing him hiking snow-capped mountains and spending time on the water.

Gagnier, who received the news of the crash from her son on Monday, remembered the pilot as a “handsome young man” who would still cuddle with her at bedtime during his summer visits as a child.

“It’s a very bad day for me,” she told the Star.

While investigators are still analyzing flight data, survivors continue to point to the crew’s actions as a reason more lives weren’t lost.

Reports from the cabin suggest the pilots attempted to deploy reverse thrust in the final seconds – a move that may have prevented the jet from veering further off course after the nose was destroyed.

Mackenzie Gunther

Mackenzie Gunther, the first officer on the flight, was also killed in the collision, according to Radio-Canada sources.

Seneca Polytechnic, a multi-campus public college with locations in the Greater Toronto Area and Peterborough, shared in a statement that Gunther was one of the school’s alumni.

“Mr. Gunther graduated from the Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology (FPR) program in 2023,” the statement read. “Through the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program, he joined Jazz Aviation immediately after graduation and began his professional flying career.

“Seneca sends our deepest condolences to Mr. Gunther’s family and friends, and to his former colleagues and professors,” the statement continued. “He will be deeply missed.

“To honour the memory of Mr. Gunther, flags at Seneca’s campuses will be lowered to half-mast on Tuesday, March 24.”

Rebecca Liquori, who was a passenger on the plane, told CNN that she is “forever indebted” to the pilots.

“I felt like the pilots saved our lives,” she said. “They’re the reasons I was able to make it home safe to see my boys, and my heart goes out to their families.”

Another passenger, Joe, described the two pilots as “heroes” while speaking to CNN.

“Those two pilots, I truly believe that whatever they did at the end, whether it was pulling a break or trying to stop or divert at the last moment, they saved everybody on board,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to them, and they’re always going to be heroes to me.”

Solange Tremblay

Flight attendant Solange Tremblay suffered multiple fractures in the crash, according to her daughter.

Speaking to Quebec’s TVA News, Sarah Lépine said that her mother was strapped into her seat behind the pilots at the moment of impact.

The force of the collision with the fire truck was so severe that it ejected Tremblay from the aircraft, throwing her more than 320 feet onto the tarmac.

“It’s a complete miracle. At the moment of impact, her seat was ejected more than 100 meters from the plane. They found her and she was still strapped into her seat,” Lépine added.

“She had a guardian angel watching over her,” Lépine continued. “It could have been much worse.”

Tremblay will undergo surgery for a broken leg at the hospital, according to Lépine.

Well-wishers have flocked to Tremblay’s Facebook page, with many sending their “thoughts and prayers.”

Just weeks ago, Tremblay responded to a post claiming that aircraft passengers had grabbed their luggage while evacuating from a plane in a separate incident. The post suggested that trying to take carry-on luggage during an evacuation should be “punishable.”

“Yes absolutely!” Tremblay wrote in response. “Life time (sic) ban & A huge fine ! A human life is more important.”

Officer Adrian Baez

Adrian Baez is one of the two Port Authority officers inside the truck that collided with the plane.

Both men were injured, Bobby Egbert, a spokesperson for the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, told The New York Times.

Kathryn Garcia told reporters that the two men had been taken to New York-Presbyterian Queens.

Baez was later released from the hospital on Monday, according to Egbert.

Sgt. Michael Orsillo

Sergeant Michael Orsillo, the other officer who was inside the truck, remains hospitalized, according to Egbert.

David Soucie, a safety analyst at CNN, revealed that many more lives could have been lost if the plane had collided with the truck in a different manner.

“This could have been much, much worse,” he told the network. “Because that aircraft hit directly in the middle of the fire truck, the fire truck was moved forward, and the aircraft was damaged in the nose.”

Soucie said that if the truck had been “40 feet back,” the plane’s wing, fuel cells, or engines could have been damaged. That could have caused a fire to break out, leading to further fatalities.

“So as tragic as this is for the two that we’ve lost, just out of pure luck, that airplane hit in the middle of that fire truck and reduced the number of fatalities significantly,” he said.

Williamson pivoted to human health and nutrition after 15 years working as a vet, studying at King’s College London. There, immersed in the thinking of professor of genetic epidemiology Tim Spector, she learned about the vital role of the human microbiome – the bacteria, fungi and viruses that inhabit our intestines and underpin overall health. Besides bolstering our immune system, this vast, microbial ecosystem breaks down dietary fibre and synthesises essential vitamins, all while crowding out harmful, disease-causing bacteria.

It’s a similar picture in healthy soils, where bacteria and fungi help to unlock nutrients for plant roots. “When farmers aren’t using pesticides, crops have to build their own, natural pest repellents,” explains Williamson, whose book, Soil to Gut, is out this summer. “They do that by making more plant nutrients called polyphenols, and that process depends on soil microbes.”

Human diets rich in polyphenols – a type of antioxidant – have been linked to reduced risks of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s. “They’re rocket fuel for our gut microbes,” Williamson says. “Those microbes then produce vitamins and thousands of beneficial compounds, which impact our health beyond our gut. They balance blood cholesterol and help manage inflammation in the body, which we know contributes to so many modern-day chronic conditions.”

Diets rich in polyphenols – a type of antioxidant – are rocket fuel for our gut microbes

The idea that healthy soils might nurture healthy people isn’t new. In the early 1900s, English botanist and pathologist Sir Albert Howard – a leading light of the then nascent organic farming movement – was working as an agricultural adviser in India when he noticed a pattern. Traditional Indian farming practices produced healthier soils than conventional systems back in his UK homeland. Crops were abundant. Livestock and villages thrived.

Despite today’s resurgence in regenerative farming, modern science has yet to prove a definitive causal link between soil and human health – but it’s catching up. One study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that polyphenols in organically grown fruit and veg could be as much as 60% higher than in non-organic equivalents.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands, a ‘food pharmacy’ initiative run by HarvestCare, a company bridging the gap between regenerative farming and healthcare, has been ‘prescribing’ organic food boxes to type 2 diabetes patients. The results of an independent study of HarvestCare’s work by researchers at Leiden University are due later this year, but anecdotal evidence suggests patients have seen health improvements.

Paris St-Germain have asked to postpone their Ligue 1 game against title rivals Lens which is sandwiched between the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.

PSG are scheduled to visit Lens in a top-of-the-table encounter on Saturday, 11 April – three days after hosting Arne Slot’s side and three days before the second leg at Anfield.

Liverpool are set to host Fulham in the Premier League on 11 April.

In response to PSG’s postponement request to France’s Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP), Lens – who are chasing a first league title since 1998 – issued a statement saying they are strongly against the “troubling sentiment” if the fixture was moved to a later date.

Lens added that their domestic league risks being “gradually relegated to the status of an adjustment variable at the whim of the European imperatives of some”.

“Beyond this specific case, the question raised is a more fundamental one: that of the respect due to the competition itself,” a club statement said.

“For one is entitled to wonder when, on its own soil, the league sometimes seems to be relegated to second place behind other ambitions, however legitimate they may be.”

Second-placed Lens currently trail leaders PSG by one point – and Lens head coach Pierre Sage said after Sunday’s 5-1 win over Angers that his side did not agree with a postponement.

In PSG’s previous Champions League tie against Chelsea, Luis Enrique’s side had the weekend off in between the two legs because their game against Nantes was postponed after a similar request. The European champions won 8-2 on aggregate.

Ultimately, the final call is with the LFP, and their stance is they will look to assist French clubs that are playing in Europe.

The LFP also confirmed Strasbourg have requested their league game at Brest on that same weekend to be postponed as it comes in between their Conference League games against Mainz.

PSG have been approached for comment.

Developers Peel Land have been given the go-ahead to restore the Dovecoat building at Hulton Park, an early 19th century structure that has long needed repair.

The proposal, lodged in November last year, was linked to the developer’s plan to build 1,450 homes at Lee Hall along with a link road at Park Avenue.

A heritage statement said: “Hulton Park was formerly the estate of the Hulton family.

“It contains the remnants of an 18th century designed landscape, though its condition has deteriorated since the family vacated in the mid-20th century.

“It is bound to the east by Newbrook Road and residential development at Over Hulton, to the north by the A6, and to the south by existing residential development in the environs of Hag Fold station.

The Dovecoat is found on Hulton Park (Image: Newsquest)

“The western boundary includes residential development and open fields.”

It added: “The Dovecote that is proposed to be repaired and restored is grade II listed. It is a brick structure and dates from the early 19th century.”

The plans to restore the Dovecoat were received and validated by Bolton Council on Monday November 17 last year.

The heritage statement said: “The Dovecote was added to the statutory list in 2005 and comprises an early 19th century red brick structure with a grey slate roof.

“It is octagonal in shape, with a hipped roof and internal nesting boxes.

“It possesses historic and architectural interest as a good example of a dovecote of this period, and for its association with Hulton Hall, which was demolished in 1957.”

The restoration work will include stripping away the roof tiles with each one then to be recorded for re-use before repairs needed on the roof structure are looked at.

The pointing in the brickwork will be carefully raked away by hand before being 100 per cent re-pointed.

Any bricks that need to be replaced will be reclaimed from somewhere else on the Hulton Park the estate. 

Bolton Council announced on Friday March 20 that the restoration plan had been approved.

Iran launched another blistering attack against Israel and American allies in the Gulf on Tuesday after dismissing Donald Trump’s claims that Washington and Tehran were holding “productive” talks to end the war as “fakenews”.

The Israeli military reported a fresh wave of missile attacks, triggering air raid sirens across the country, including Tel Aviv, where blasts from interceptions were heard. Homes in the north were damaged by falling debris. No deaths were reported.

Kuwait also responded to drone and missile attacks overnight, while Saudi Arabia intercepted a wave of more than 20 drones and Bahrain activated alert sirens. Explosions continued to rock Iran through the night, heard in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan and Karaj.

There was no sign of de-escalation after Iran rubbished Donald Trump’s claims that talks towards a ceasefire were ongoing with an unnamed “top person” in Iran.

Administration officials told Politico yesterday that the White House was eyeing Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf as a potential US-backed leader, and an Israeli official told Axios that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were negotiating with him instead of the new supreme leader.

Reassurances were further muddled as a social media account in Ghalibaf’s name said no negotiations have so far taken place, and Iran’s foreign ministry said the regime had not responded to American requests to talk.

Iran and Pakistan discuss war amid speculation around possible peace talks

Amid speculation around possible future talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, Iran’s foreign ministry says it has held a call with its counterpart in Pakistan.

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Ministers emphasised the importance of safeguarding stability and lasting security in the region, a statement said.

Iran’s president also spoke with the prime minister of Pakistan, exchanging views on regional developments and the consequences of the war, Iranian media reports.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:46

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White House says diplomacy ‘fluid’ – but won’t yet commit to talks timeframe

The White House on Monday was cautious to handle rumours of a forthcoming meeting between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan.

Responding to reports that US vice president JD Vance could lead a US delegation in talks in Islamabad, press secretary Karoline Leavitt would not rule out the possibility – but told reporters to await a formal announcement.

“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US will not negotiate through the press,” she told the BBC.

“This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House.”

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James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:38

Iran has just 1,000 missiles left, estimates Israeli thinktank

An Israeli think tank estimates that Iran could have as few as 1,000 missiles left in its stockpile, having already spent more than half.

The Alma Research Centre estimates that Iran likely had around 1,500 missiles by the end of the 12-day war last summer.

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In the eight months that followed, it likely would have been able to build a further 1,000.

After three weeks of war, it estimates Iran’s arsenal could have fallen back down to 1,000 – even if it can quickly replenish stocks.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:32

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Iran arrests almost 500 accused of ‘stirring public opinion’ amid war

Iran’s police says it arrested 466 individuals accused of ‘stirring public opinion’ and ‘online propaganda in favour of the enemy’, according to the IRNA news agency.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:24

Sirens sounding across Israel as Hezbollah claims rocket attack

Sirens were sounding across Israel’s Acre and the Krayot suburbs of Haifa on Tuesday morning after Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack from Lebanon.

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Israel’s army says it intercepted most of the rockets.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:10

Trump determined to reach deal with Iran, Israeli officials believe

Donald Trump appears to be determined to reach a deal with Iran aimed at ending hostilities in the Middle East, three senior Israeli officials said on Tuesday.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that they viewed it as unlikely that Iran would agree to US demands in any new round of negotiations, which broke down with the start of the war at the end of February.

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Those demands were likely to include curbs on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, the sources said.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:04

Major airlines cancel more flights as Middle East conflict escalates

Global air travel remains severely disrupted, with many people still unable to fly as planned to destinations after the Iran war forced the closure of major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Among the airlines cancelling flights:

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IAG-owned British Airways has extended cancellations of flights to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31 and to Doha until April 30, while adding flights to Bangkok and Singapore. Flights to Abu Dhabi remain suspended until later this year.

Wizz Air has suspended flights to Israel until March 29, and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman and Jeddah from mainland European destinations until mid-September.

Qatar Airways said it would operate a revised limited number of flights until March 28.

Etihad Airways said it was operating a limited commercial flight schedule between Abu Dhabi and select destinations.

Emirates said it was operating a reduced flight schedule following a partial reopening of regional airspace.

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Germany’s Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways, has suspended flights to Tel Aviv through April 9, and to Beirut, Dubai, Amman, Erbil and Abu Dhabi until March 28. Flights to Tehran are suspended through April 30 and to Riyadh until April 5.

Air France has cancelled Tel Aviv and Beirut flights until March 28 and Dubai and Riyadh flights until March 24, as well as a March 25 departure from Dubai.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 09:00

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Iran threatens to strike Israeli troops in Gaza

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warn that they will target Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip “without any limit” if Israel targets civilians in Palestinian territories and Lebanon, per IRNA news agency.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 08:47

Watch: Aftermath of Iranian missile barrages in central Israel

James Reynolds24 March 2026 08:30

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Are Washington and Tehran in talks to end the war?

Donald Trump’s claims that the US and Iran were already in talks to end the war were pounced upon by the regime in Tehran, which said the US president was only trying to soothe damaged markets and denied any such conversations had taken place.

Trump said yesterday that negotiators spoke on Sunday and could speak again on Monday, sparking a flurry of market activity and hopes of de-escalation just hours from Trump’s deadline to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face ‘obliteration’.

Iranian officials cited in local media soon said there were no such discussions, before a spokesperson for the foreign ministry put out a statement claiming that while the US had tried to get in touch, Iran had not responded.

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Trump did say in his comments to reporters that he was speaking to a “top person” in Iran and did not acknowledge new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei as leader, indicating the US might not be going through the official channels.

An Israeli official told Axios that Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was negotiating with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, before Trump administration officials told Politico that Ghalibaf was being eyed for a future leadership role, supported by the US.

A social media account in Ghalibaf’s name on Monday afternoon said that no negotiations have been held with the US, claiming “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets”.

James Reynolds24 March 2026 08:10

Danes are voting in a general election called early by the country’s prime minister, in apparent hopes of exploiting public support for her firm stance on Greenland.

Mette Frederiksen, 48, is hoping to secure a third term in office for her centre-left Social Democrat party in Tuesday’s poll, which she called several months before she had to.

Her popularity, which has faded during her second term, has been boosted by her refusal to bow to US President Donald Trump’s pressure over the ownership of the kingdom’s semi-autonomous territory.

Hoping to unseat her are two opponents from the centre-right, one of whom, Liberal Party candidate Troels Lund Poulsen, is defence minister in Ms Frederiksen’s coalition government.

The other, Alex Vanopslagh, of the Liberal Alliance, recently admitted he took cocaine earlier in his time as party leader, which may have dented his chances.

The anti-immigration Danish People’s Party looks well-placed to bounce back from a very weak showing at the last election in 2022.

No single party is expected to win a majority under Denmark’s system of proportional representation, meaning another coalition from either the leftist “red bloc” or right-wing “blue bloc” is the likeliest outcome, possibly after lengthy negotiations.

Ms Frederiksen’s outgoing three-party administration was the first in decades to straddle the political divide.

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From January: Why Trump backed down on Greenland

Greenland, which took up much of the government’s energy in recent months, hasn’t been prominent in the campaign because there is broad agreement on its place in the kingdom.

Ms Frederiksen warned in January that an American takeover of the vast Arctic island, a proposal heavily criticised by Denmark’s European allies, would mean the end of NATO.

The crisis has since receded, as Washington joined talks with Denmark and Greenland over an Arctic security deal.

Read more on Sky News:
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More than 4.3 million people are eligible to vote for the new Folketing, or parliament, in Copenhagen, which is elected for a four-year term.

The single-chamber body has 179 seats, with two each representing Greenland and Denmark’s other semi-autonomous territory, the Faroe Islands.

Petrol and diesel have risen in cost again, new figures from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero show.

On 16 March, the average price of unleaded petrol at pumps in the UK was 140.28p per litre. For diesel, the average price stood at 158.78p per litre.

Today, the department announced the average price on 23 March was 144.16p for unleaded and 166.88p for diesel.

That is a weekly rise of 3.9p for unleaded and 8.1p for diesel.

The rise in fuel prices comes amid the continued energy crisis sparked by the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Tehran is blockading the Strait of Hormuz, stopping the flow of oil through a vital shipping route leaving the Middle East.

However, motorists should not drive slower nor buy fuel differently because of the oil crisis, an energy minister has said.

Michael Shanks said British drivers did not need to change their habits, despite suggestions from the International Energy Agency (IEA) aimed at conserving fuel.

The IEA has advised motorists across the world to reduce their speed on highways, share rides and work from home when possible to reduce how much petrol or diesel they use.

Asked by Times Radio if British drivers should change their habits, Mr Shanks was a told the broadcaster: “They should do everything as absolutely normal because there is no shortage of fuel anywhere in the country at the moment.

“We monitor this every single day, I look at the numbers personally. There’s no issue at all with that.”

The minister added: “People should go about their business as normal. That’s what the RAC and the AA have said. It’s really important people do that.

“There’s no shortage of fuel and everything is working as normal.”