Donald Trump’s team of negotiators — reportedly armed with a laundry list of demands — was largely silent about the future of talks with Iran after emerging from a round of negotiations Thursday in Geneva.

A senior U.S. official described the outcome of Thursday’s talks as “positive” to Axios, while Iran’s foreign ministry described the two sides as making “significant progress”. But the extent to which the teams were able to overcome the real distance reported as the talks began was not known.

But they began with a report from The Wall Street Journal outlining a steep list of demands set forth by the Trump administration for a diplomatic resolution to the issue of Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

And the talks come just over a day after the president, in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, accused Iran of rebuilding the nuclear program that Trump’s own White House claimed was completely annihilated in the summer of last year. This week, his top negotiator, Steve Witkoff, claimed once again that the Iranian government could be just a week away from developing the enriched nuclear material required for making a bomb.

The demands cited by the Journal included the surrender of all Iranian enriched uranium to U.S. hands, zero enrichment capabilities for the foreseeable future, and the total destruction of the three Iranian nuclear development sites: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

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In exchange, the U.S. is promising future sanctions relief if Iran remains compliant with the deal. Negotiations are occurring under the looming pressure of the U.S. seemingly viewing them the last chance to stop U.S. military strikes against the country.

Despite the Iranian team stressing that more talks would take place in Vienna next week, there’s some signs that talks could break down before then. In particular, the reported “disappointment” of Witkoff and Kushner upon being presented with the Iranian offer, and a comment made by an Iranian official to an Al Jazeera reporter rejecting several of the U.S. demands out of hand.

Trita Parsi, co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, predicted to The Independent that while the Iranian official claimed that Tehran would not accept permanent restrictions on enrichment or giving up enriched uranium, the heart of the issue remained the prospect of sanctions relief and the unwillingness of the Iranian side to trust members of the Trump administration who promise that loosening sanctions will ever occur if not done immediately.

“The problem is, the administration is not offering any real sanctions relief, and the Iranians need deep sanctions relief. Their only leverage for getting it is their nuclear program, so they’re going to bargain very hard in order to make sure that they get the right level of sanctions relief for whatever parts of the program, they give up,” said Parsi.

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“If we’re offering them almost nothing, we’re saying that, you know, a lot of it will come much later and there’s zero trust between the two sides, then that’s just not going to work. The Iranians believe, frankly, that they are better off with a war than a deal like that,” said Parsi. “Why should they? There was a deal they were supposed to get sanctions relief and Trump himself, this President, not someone else, walked out of that deal.”

Trump could be inclined to give them that war.

Separately on Thursday, The New York Times reported that the administration is privately eyeing two strategies for armed conflict with Iran, in the event that talks do fail to satisfy the White House’s desire to put a permanent pin in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. One involves limited strikes, in the vein of the attacks last summer, aimed at further disruption of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Another is a much wider operation aimed at targeting key facilities and officials with the intention of forcing the Ayatollah Khamenei from power altogether.

But U.S. officials who spoke to the outlet on background said that despite the U.S.’s large military buildup in the Mediterranean and Arabian seas, American forces are not prepared currently for any sustained operations lasting longer than about 10 days.

Public support for U.S. military intervention in Iran is very low, which the administration recognizes. Even as nearly 50 percent of Americans in an AP-NORC poll published Thursday viewed Iran’s nuclear weapons program as a serious threat, a higher percentage thought it unlikely that the president would “make the right decision” on Iran in the days ahead. 49% of Americans opposed initiating strikes on Iran in another recent poll.

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Since the beginning of his second term the president has been torn between two prevailing schools of foreign policy thought in the GOP — the isolationism and non-interventionism of Steve Bannon and “America First” conservatives, and the more traditional neoconservative view that America’s might should be asserted at all times.

On the Hill, the latter view still finds much purchase among both establishment Republicans and some centrist Democrats. On the issue of support for Iranian protesters, targeting Iran’s nuclear weapons development and even potentially ousting the government, Trump has found support from centrist members of the opposition party.

Support for Iranians protesting the government and facing brutal crackdowns in return remains broadly popular in Congress. An advocacy group of Iranian-Americans called the Coalition of Young Iranians also wrote to the White House this week and urged the president to impose further consequences on Tehran for the most recent crackdowns, which they say included security forces raiding hospitals and clinics to detain wounded protesters and preventing other clinics from treating those injured, sometimes severely, in the deadly clashes between police and protesters.

“Mr. President, we urge you to direct the Departments of the Treasury and State to designate the officials and entities responsible for raiding hospitals and clinics, arresting patients and protesters from medical wards, intimidating or detaining clinicians for providing care, misusing ambulances for security operations, and coercing healthcare personnel to falsify medical records or disclose confidential patient data,” read the letter, which was signed by members of the CYI Medical Committee including Dr. Azadeh Sami, a Virginia-based pediatrician and public health specialist.

That bipartisan dynamic was evident this week as a handful of Democrats announced opposition to War Powers resolutions being sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine in the Senate and Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna in the House that aim to restrict the president’s ability to launch strikes on Iran.

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The White House did not respond to a request for comment Thursday on whether the president believed he had legal authority to carry out such a strike.

Parsi, in his interview, noted that one thing was clear as the White House made destruction of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan its top priority on the list of demands: The White House’s claim of having “obliterated” the Iranian nuclear weapons program and setting it back by years came in direct contradiction to its importance.

“It’s admission that at the end of the day, the 60% [enriched] uranium that is there has not been verified as being destroyed. But if you destroy the sites, you essentially destroy or remove the 60% enriched uranium. And that is something that is an outstanding issue. It disproves the idea of obliteration, obviously,” he said.

“But they’re doing it in a way in which they don’t have to admit that.”

A council will support proposals for a “fully affordable” housing development in a coastal village – but only if it’s reserved for people who are “able to speak Welsh”.

Trefor and Llanaelhaearn Community Council wants a language requirement included before it grants full approval to an application by Grŵp Cynefin to build 15 affordable homes on land next to Llys yr Eifl, in the predominantly Welsh-speaking Gwynedd coastal village of Trefor. Gwynedd council is recommending that the scheme be approved, subject to completing a Section 106 agreement, or a unilateral agreement for an open spaces contribution, during its planning committee meeting on Monday, March 2.

The application has been submitted by Owain Williams (Williams Homes (Bala) Ltd. ) via the agent Jamie Bradshaw (AXIS PED Ltd). Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter

The proposals state that housing provider Grŵp Cynefin’s aim was to deliver a range of “fully affordable” homes, including social rented, intermediate affordable rental, and part-ownership, reports NorthWalesLive.

They comprise a mixture of semi-detached one- and two-storey properties and one detached two-storey dwelling with gardens and parking provision.

The full application, situated on an exception site beyond the development boundary, incorporates associated works, new vehicular access, estate road, landscaping, and sustainable surface water drainage facilities. During the consultation the community council expressed it had “no objection to the application per se” on two conditions.

These included a Welsh language requirement for any residents and the proposal being managed under a local lettings policy, with specific letting stipulations, rather than the common housing allocation policy.

In its official response the community council stated: “This is a golden opportunity to be truly progressive and innovative by being the first planning authority in Wales to venture to impose a language condition on a new social housing estate in the heartland of the Welsh language.

“We understand that the Welsh Language Commissioner has received a legal opinion, which states unequivocally that it would not be illegal to make ‘able to speak Welsh’ a condition for the letting of social housing.

“We also understand that the commissioner has asked Cyngor Gwynedd, along with housing associations operating within the county, to consider this vital issue seriously.”

The community council revealed it had written to Gwynedd council’s chief executive Dafydd Gibbard and council leader Cllr Nia Jeffreys to ask whether that opinion had been discussed.

Local letting policies, according to the community council, are “usually developed where there is a desire to change the balance of a community or to achieve a balanced community at the time when new development is being let”.

They added: “Cyngor Gwynedd is often proud to announce, if not to boast at times, that it is a progressive council that leads the rest of Wales on the issue of the Welsh language.

“It is our duty to recognise that there is a great deal of truth in that and thank you for your efforts.

“It would be a credit and a precedent for the council itself and an enlightened and long-awaited lead for the rest of Wales.

“By now colleagues you have the legitimate right and this has beenconfirmed by an expert. This can give a decisive and solid start to the preservation of the soul of our nation and the few remaining fragile areas.

“We beg for your willingness to do so and to show our peoplethat Cyngor Gwynedd’s mission for our language is genuine, sincereand uncompromising”.

The group added it was “unanimous in the view that it will have no objection to the application if the conditions set out are given due regard and support”.

It also called for postponing the application decision until there was “a definite outcome” to the discussion regarding what had been submitted by the language commissioner to Cyngor Gwynedd and housing associations.

The language commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones and the council were approached for comment.

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The company says this was due to higher spending on technology from UK utilities aiming to maintain ageing infrastructure with less disruption and lower cost.

Synthotech, which develops robotic systems that operate inside live pipes and underground ducts, lifted turnover 33 per cent to £6.5m and doubled profit year on year.

Revenues are forecast to exceed £7m in 2026, with an EBITDA increase of 32%. Net debt fell sharply over the year by 62%.

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To support this, Synthotech is adding 12 staff in Harrogate across engineering, management and commercial roles.

Growth has been driven largely by research and development, with new systems now moving into commercial use across water, gas and telecommunications networks. The breadth of those applications has reduced the company’s reliance on any single utility sector at a time when capital spending remains politically and regulatorily constrained.

In telecommunications, Synthotech is working with BT Group and Openreach on MicroBORE, a trenchless drilling system being trialled as part of the UK’s fibre broadband rollout. The technology allows fibre cables to be installed beneath pavements and driveways without traditional open trenching. The process is faster and cheaper than traditional methods and helps to reduce disruption in densely built or sensitive locations. The system was developed through a collaboration with BT and the University of Surrey.

The trenchless drilling system could also help transform the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure by unlocking access to millions of homes. The compact drill can bore narrow, guided pathways beneath pavements and driveways without the need for disruptive, costly excavations.

In the gas sector, the group has developed a novel gas pumping system that enables essential gas pipeline replacement works to be completed without the release of methane into the atmosphere. The system has passed operational standards with Cadent Gas and is set to support methane reductions for the UK gas industry.

These technologies are now being introduced to overseas markets, including the US, where utilities face tightening integrity rules and pressure to cut methane emissions. Overseas income rose 28 per cent in 2025, driven primarily by Australia, and the company expects further growth in both Australia and the US as partnerships expand.

The company also works with academic partners, including the Pipebots team at the University of Sheffield, to accelerate the adoption of in-pipe inspection and repair technologies across water and gas networks.

Mark Tindley, managing director of Synthotech Group, said: “Our reinvestment in the business has increased the pace at which we can bring new systems into operational use.

“Working across water, gas and telecommunications has made the business more resilient and helped to accelerate our growth in key markets. Our robot technology is helping utility companies to reduce leaks, drive efficiency savings and remove the need for extensive roadworks.”

The shift from research to deployment underpinned last year’s expansion. The company aims for its increased diversification and growth in global markets to support continued growth.

A yellow disc with rays of white – an icon of childhood drawings and a flower with healing properties. We have picnics on it, play football on it and make daisy chains out of it.

The common or lawn daisy, Bellis perennis, is probably familiar to most people living in temperate climates. But there may be few things you do not know about this fascinating and perhaps under estimated flower.

A flower made of little flowers

Each daisy is actually an inflorescence – a multitude of tiny flowers called florets working together to set out a buffet for pollinators. There are two types of florets. The tube florets form the yellow centre of the inflorescence, about 100 in a typical daisy. You can see them open in sequence over several days from the outside inwards, revealing their treasures of nectar and pollen.

The ray florets have the long white petals. They are female, whereas each tiny tube floret has a set of male and female floral attributes. Every tube floret produces pollen and nectar as well as having an ovary which can make a tiny fruit at the bottom.

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The white and yellow contrast between the two types of florets is probably attractive to pollinators. Watch a pollinating insect land on a daisy and it will probe each open floret for a sip of nectar. The florets all sit on a capitulum (a cone-shaped platform), which is surrounded by green phyllaries (or bracts). The capitulum also bears the miniature fruits called achenes which are one-seeded fruits.

Unlike some members of the same family, such as the dandelion, the little seeds have no hairy parachute or pappus to help them disperse. This means that most probably drop close to the parent plant, although they can also be dispersed on muddy paws or shoes, and by worms, ants and birds.

Intrepid explorers

The formal name of the daisy – Bellis perennis – was chosen in the 18th century by biologist Carl Linnaeus, who invented the system by which botanists still name species. Bellis is probably from the Latin for beautiful and perennis for perennial or long-lasting. The word daisy is thought to come from “day’s eye”, a reflection of the fact that the flowers close at night.

However, the word daisy is applied to many other species with similar inflorescences and is used to describe a whole family of plants, the Asteraceae. This is the largest family of flowering plants, incorporating species from thistles to sunflowers, almost all of which have the same inflorescence structure of smaller florets collected on a capitulum. There are over 32,000 species in this family, from tiny daisies to large tropical trees. They are found in most ecosystems on earth, except Antarctica.

This indicates they have a successful evolutionary strategy that has allowed them to adapt and spread. The little lawn daisy has travelled around the world from its native distribution in Europe to be ubiquitous in temperate climates from New Zealand to the US.

Circadian strategy

Most flowers stay open all the time but some, like daisies, open towards the sun in the morning to maximise warmth. This may make them more attractive to insect pollinators who need heat to regulate their body temperatures.

The ray florets do the opening and closing, covering the inner disc florets when closed. On cloudy cool days the daisies might not open at all. The movement of the petals is likely to be as a result of cell growth on either side of the long white ligule of the ray floret, with the cells on both sides of the petals growing at different rates.

Resourceful

Gardeners who want the perfect lawn may see daisies as a nuisance. But a 2021 study showed that lawn daisies provided up to 11% of the nectar available to pollinators in some urban environments, making them important food for our urban bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinating insects. These insects are, in turn, food for so many other animals along the food chain.

Daisies can self-pollinate. They can also clone themselves – sending stolons (runners) sideways to colonise a patch of ground. Bellis perennis seems to be well adapted to human-made habitats, with its short sward or dense mat. Daisies with longer swards tend to get outcompeted as they only produce leaves in a rosette near the ground. Its natural habitats include areas of low or disturbed vegetation such as trampled ground, stream edges and lake margins.

Bellis perennis, in common with most flowering plants, forms associations with fungi in its roots. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have been co-evolving with plants for the last 400 million years, allowing the colonisation of land by early plants. The plant feeds the fungi with carbohydrates and in turn, the fungi reach out into the soil and supports the plant with nutrients. This ancient partnership between plants and soil fungi still mediates plant interactions with other soil microbes, and regulates plant-plant interactions.

Human connection

The Asteraceae is probably the most popular plant family in popular medicine containing a wide range of active plant chemicals or phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti-inflamatory, antimicrobial, diuretic and wound-healing properties. Bellis perennis itself has had many common names over the centuries including gardener’s friend, bruisewort and poor-man’s arnica.

It feels like daisies have always been part of our lives in the temperate parts of the world and always will be. Daisies have long featured in literature and poetry, mentioned by Chaucer (The Good Woman), Shakespeare (Ophelia’s flowers in Hamlet) and the 19th century poet John Clare.

But the species that are thriving today are not necessarily assured a future. For example, many once common species of birds, like swifts and skylarks, are in decline now in the UK. Arable weeds such as common corncockle (Agrostemma githago) or cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) that were once a nuisance in crops are now rare species that need intervention to prevent their extinction.

So, we must treasure and monitor these flowers, to ensure they are part of our future as well as our past.

One candidate was eliminated from The Apprentice during the latest episode of the BBC show.

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Tensions reached fever pitch during the latest instalment of The Apprentice as the remaining candidates faced a floristry challenge.

Split into two teams, BBC audiences watched as the groups were charged with selling flowers to members of the public, whilst also creating floral installations for corporate clients.

However, matters didn’t proceed smoothly for one team as project manager Vanessa left a teammate feeling pressured whilst creating their installation, which failed to impress their corporate client.

When the moment arrived to discover which team had triumphed in the boardroom, one team had generated a considerably larger profit than their rivals.

Tim Campbell revealed that Team Alpha, led by Vanessa, had spent a total of £1,436.25 and sold £2,000.84, yielding a total profit of £564.59.

In contrast, Team Eclipse, managed by Rothna, had spent £620.50 and sold £2,792.50, delivering a total profit of £2,172.

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Vanessa opted to bring Lawrence and Pascha back into the room alongside her, with all three facing potential dismissal.

Yet when the time came to hear everyone’s views, it became apparent a verdict had been reached, reports the Mirror.

Delivering his decision, Lord Sugar stated: “Vanessa, I don’t think you led this team very well at all.

“In fact, I think far too much money was spent on flowers and also the manufacturing of the bouquets was a joke, a complete and utter joke. On that basis, Vanessa, you’re fired.”

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As the contestant thanked Lord Sugar, she rose from her seat and wished her two colleagues well for the remainder of the competition.

Once they had all departed the room, Tim informed Lord Sugar he had reached the correct conclusion, to which he responded: “There was only one decision you could make.”

During her departure interview, she said: “I took a big risk and put myself for something I’ve never done before and I’m not regretful about that. I think I’m an amazing person and I’ll definitely go far in life.”

In a subsequent interview with the BBC, Vanessa admitted she didn’t believe it was her moment to leave.

She remarked: “I was gutted. Absolutely gutted. I don’t believe it was my time to go. I kind of just feel like my fate was already decided from when I put myself up because nobody else wanted the job, and we know from Apprentice history that the PM will always get the blame should anything go wrong.

“So, I was really gutted that my risk of putting myself up for a task, that I knew nothing about, wasn’t seen as me being a risk taker, or willing to do whatever it took to get the result. It was taken as though I decided to do something I knew nothing about.”

The Apprentice is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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By-election officials reacted with fury after Democracy Volunteers – an election observer group – said they had seen ‘concerningly high levels of family voting’ in the battle

A row has erupted over claims of family voting at the Gorton and Denton by-election.

By-election officials reacted with fury after Democracy Volunteers – an election observer group – said they had seen “concerningly high levels of family voting” in the battle.

Officials said no such issues had been reported throughout the day and questioned why the group had not raised the serious allegations throughout the day. Democracy Volunteers said it had seen family voting in 12% of polling stations.

Family voting is an illegal practice where two voters either confer, collude or direct each other on voting and can involve husbands telling their wives how to vote.

What is family voting?

Labour Party Chair Anna Turley told BBC Newsnight reports of family voting in the Greater Manchester by-election are “extremely worrying and concerning”. Ms Turley said: “It’s obviously extremely worrying and concerning. That’s not what we want to see in our democracy.

READ MORE: Gorton and Denton by-election: Live result as council dismisses family voting claims

“So obviously we need to see the evidence and the report, and then make due decision about what authorities should look into this. But of course it’s worrying to hear that, but we want to see the evidence before proceeding.”

Nigel Farage seized on the reports and suggested they raised “serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas”.

Explosive row over family voting claims

The leader of Reform UK, which is in a tight three-way race with Labour and the Greens, said on X: “This is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas.”

And Reform UK Chair David Bull added: “Electoral fraud is a stain on democracy. We would support reporting it and making sure that it’s done in the spirit and fairness with the law.”

Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who asked if he would like to see the issue referred to authorities, said: “I think it’s important that there’s full transparency about the democratic process, and if the recommendation is that there should be an inquiry or further steps then yes I’d support that.”

Democracy Volunteers said they attended 22 of the 45 polling stations in the constituency, spending 30 to 45 minutes in each, and witnessed family voting in 15 of the 22 polling stations observed. The group said they observed a sample of 545 individuals casting their vote and saw 32 cases of family voting in total, including nine cases in one polling station.

‘No issues’ reported

But a spokesman for the acting returning officer at the by-election slapped down the “extremely disappointing” claims. “Polling station staff are trained to look out for any evidence of undue influence on voters. No such issues have been reported today,” they said.

“If Democracy Volunteers were so concerned about alleged issues they could and should have raised them with us during polling hours so that immediate action could be taken.

“We have operated a central by-election hub which has been rapidly responding to reported issues during the day, in liaison with the police – who had a presence at every polling station – where necessary. It is extremely disappointing that Democracy Volunteers have waited until after polls have closed to make such claims.”

John Ault, director of Democracy Volunteers, said: “Today we have seen concerningly high levels of family voting in Gorton and Denton. Based on our assessment of today’s observations, we have seen the highest levels of family voting at any election in our 10-year history of observing elections in the UK.

“We rarely issue a report on the night of an election, but the data we have collected today on family voting, when compared to other recent by-elections, is extremely high.

“In the other recent Westminster parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby we saw family voting in 12% of polling stations, affecting 1% of voters. In Gorton and Denton, we observed family voting in 68% of polling stations, affecting 12% of those voters observed.”

A three-year-old boy who would almost certainly have been born paralysed because of a severe spinal abnormality is able to walk after having ground-breaking stem cell surgery while still in the womb.

An ultrasound scan 20 weeks into pregnancy showed Tobi Maginnis had spina bifida, a disabling condition in which the spinal cord fails to develop properly during pregnancy, leaving part of it growing outside the body.

But he became just the second baby to have the abnormality repaired before he was born using rejuvenating stem cells taken from the placenta.

His mum, Michelle Johnson, told Sky News that he was full of energy.

“He runs, he walks, he jumps, he is all over the place,” she said.

“We expected Tobi to be wheelchair-bound. So to see where he is now, it’s nothing short of a miracle.”

‘Blessed every day’

Tobi was one of six babies in a world-first clinical trial led by the University of California Davis Children’s Hospital.

Around 25 weeks into pregnancy surgeons made a small opening in the mothers’ abdomen and womb. They then placed a patch of stem cells over the babies’ exposed spinal cord and then closed up the incision to allow the tissue to regenerate.

All were born healthy, with no sign of side effects from treatment, according to results published in The Lancet medical journal.

Tobi’s dad, Jeff Maginnis, said: “He’s the second human to go through this surgery with stem cells. So there was a lot of uncertainty, a lot of unknowns.

“We’re just blessed every day when we see how Tobi’s reacted and been affected by this very successful surgery.”

Clinicians ‘cautiously optimistic’

Dr Diana Farmer, who led the study and has pioneered the technique, said the birth of the first baby, a girl called Robbie, had been a surprise.

“The most exciting thing was the baby came out kicking her legs and wiggling her toes, which really exceeded expectations,” she said.

“We expected her, had she not had treatment, to not be able to have that kind of leg movement.”

Dr Farmer said she was “cautiously optimistic”.

“We’re just making sure that there are no unexpected things from having stem cells in the spinal cord of a foetus,” she said.

“This is brand new.”

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Hope for the future

Around 500 babies a year in the UK are born with myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida.

Developing spinal tissue fails to seal up properly in early pregnancy leaving babies at risk of total paralysis of the legs and problems with bowel and bladder control.

Surgery in the womb to correct the abnormality is increasingly common, but one study showed around half of babies are unable to walk independently.

The US surgeons hope that using stem cells will improve success rates, helping with walking and potty training.

They’ve started a larger clinical trial of 35 pregnant women. Their babies will be monitored over several years to confirm whether the stem cell technique is effective in the longer term.

A Death in Paradise star has opened up about returning to his beloved role, calling it ‘wonderful’

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Death in Paradise series 15 premiered earlier this year and in Friday’s fifth episode, the intrigue continues to unfold.

A synopsis for the forthcoming instalment reveals: “A cast member is poisoned during a performance of The Tempest after drinking from a bottle of red wine with a lethal quantity of cyanide in.

“But the team are left confused as to how two other actors drank from the same bottle and emerged unscathed.

“Mervin is informed that his half-brother Solomon is set to inherit everything from their deceased mother and he won’t answer any calls.”

Joining the cast for episode five is actor Tim McMullan, who portrays character Richard Dempster.

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Tim, 63, is most recognised for playing Atticus Pünd in the BBC mystery dramas Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders, reports the Mirror.

In Death in Paradise’s series 15 episode five, he takes on the role of adventurous theatre director Richard Dempster. Discussing his character, Tim stated: “My character is an adventurous theatre director.

“An old fashioned ‘actor/manager’, very old school, and who has always wanted to stage Shakespeare’s The Tempest on a tropical Island… and his wish has finally come true.”

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In a case of life mirroring art, Tim’s character Richard portrays Prospero in The Tempest, a part the actor himself performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in 2016.

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

Discussing reprising the role of Prospero for a second occasion, Tim remarked: “It was wonderful revisiting a role that I played at The Globe in London, but I didn’t get to say many of Prospero’s lines this time. I was too busy being questioned by the police!”.

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Meanwhile, reflecting on joining the iconic series Death in Paradise, he commented: “Always been a big fan of Death in Paradise! And very excited to be in it.”

Death in Paradise airs on Fridays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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​Plans for a ‘community toilet initiative’ will be progressed by Scarborough Town Council following concerns about the low number of public conveniences in Scarborough town centre.

​At a full meeting of the council on Thursday (February 26) members approved a proposal whereby local businesses would make their bathroom facilities available for use by the general public.

​​Councillors said that cafés, pubs, and retail premises could voluntarily make their toilet facilities available for public use during opening hours, in return for “modest financial support, signage, and inclusion in promotional materials”.

​Commenting online when the proposal was announced, a local coffee shop owner said: “Why should we volunteer for people to come in and use the toilets?

​“If you were abroad, for example, in Italy, you would have the decency to go in and buy something and then ask if you could use a toilet.”

​She said: “It’s not just one person, sometimes it’s five or six in one go, so it’s not fair on small businesses.”

​A report presented at the full meeting stated that “such schemes are widely used by town and parish councils to improve access to toilet provision, particularly where there is limited direct control over public conveniences”.

​Town mayor, Cllr Thomas Murray, said: “It is a quick, practical step we can take to help meet a clear community need. Larger infrastructure solutions require engagement with North Yorkshire Council and, as many will know, that process rarely moves at lightning speed, so we are acting where we can.

“Scarborough Town Council is looking at realistic, deliverable solutions within our powers, doing what a town council can do, and doing it properly.”

​At the meeting, councillors agreed that they would engage with North Yorkshire Council for the necessary permissions or coordination and assess potential budget implications and funding options, and would gauge interest from local businesses and identify possible pilot locations.

​The town clerk will be tasked with exploring the feasibility, costs, and legal implications of establishing the scheme.

​

New research from Thistle Tavern Trading Cards named the city number one for organised play in card games like Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!.

According to the figures, Sunderland has eight active event locations and 100 per cent of trading card shops in the city host organised play.

Thistle Tavern Trading Cards named the city number one for organised play in card games like Pokémon. (Image: Thistle Tavern)

This puts it ahead of other UK cities, including Newcastle, which came second with 20 event locations and 95.2 per cent of shops hosting events.

Stuart Robb, a card game expert at Thistle Tavern Trading Cards, said: “Trading card games thrive on face-to-face interaction.

“Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or someone who’s just opened their first booster pack, local events are where the magic really happens.

“Seeing cities like Sunderland achieve 100 per cent participation from trading card shops is incredible.

“It shows there’s a real appetite for organised play, and that shop owners are investing in building strong, welcoming communities.”

In Sunderland, there are five Pokémon TCG event locations, one for Magic: The Gathering and two for Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Reading took third place nationally, with 12 event locations and 92.3 per cent of shops running events.

Mr Robb is co-owner of Thistle Tavern Games Hub in Aberdeen, which hosts daily events and offers trading cards online.

For more information, you can visit thistletavern.com.