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Bridgerton Season 5 Will Focus On Francesca And Michaela’s Love Story, Netflix Confirms

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Masali Baduza and Hannah Dodd celebrating the news their Bridgerton characters will take the lead in season five

Bridgerton bosses have finally confirmed that Hannah Dodd will be taking the lead in the next season of the hit period drama.

After much speculation, Netflix announced on Tuesday afternoon that season five would focus on the love story between Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling (played by Masali Budaza), the first time the show has had a same-sex romance as its main plot.

It also marks something of a departure from the Francesca romance outlined in the Bridgerton novel When He Was Wicked.

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While in the book, Francesca falls in love with her late husband’s cousin, Michael Stirling, this character was gender-swapped for the TV adaptation.

Showrunner Jess Brownell previously said: “I didn’t want to just insert a queer character for queer character’s sake. I want to tell a story that accurately reflects a queer experience, and the first time I read Francesca’s book, I really identified with it as a queer woman.”

Jess went on to say that she related to Francesca, who is described in the books as feeling “different” without “really knowing why”.

“As a queer woman, a lot of my queer experience, and I think a lot of my friends’ [experiences have] been about that sense of feeling different, and navigating what that means,” she explained.

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Bridgerton author Julia Quinn also gave this move her personal seal of approval, insisting: “Anyone who has seen an interview with me from the past four years knows that I am deeply committed to the Bridgerton world becoming more diverse and inclusive as the stories move from book to screen.”

Masali Baduza and Hannah Dodd celebrating the news their Bridgerton characters will take the lead in season five
Masali Baduza and Hannah Dodd celebrating the news their Bridgerton characters will take the lead in season five

Production on season five of Bridgerton is officially underway, following the success of the fourth run, which concluded last month.

Fans could still be in for a bit of a wait until their next trip to the Ton, though, with Francesca and Michaela’s season expected to premiere in late 2027 at the earliest.

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Politics Home Article | NTS receives first order of revolutionary HALEU package

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Politics Home Article | Nuclear project academy goes national

Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), the world’s leading nuclear transport specialists, has secured a Letter of Intent (LOI) from an international customer signalling their intention to purchase Pegasus packages for delivery by 2028.

Pegasus – NTS’s revolutionary transport package designed to safely move the next generation of nuclear fuel – has received significant interest, reflecting the global demand for advanced fuel logistics.

The LOI comes as NTS’s co-CEOs join government and industry leaders in South Korea as they promote NTS’s world-leading capabilities while strengthening collaboration across the emerging HALEU supply chain with government, utility, and industry representatives. It also signals the success of the Heads of Terms signing which took place in Washington DC in January, where NTS signed a landmark strategic agreement with Westinghouse.

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Ben Whittard, NTS co-CEO, said: “HALEU development is progressing quickly, and international co-operation will be essential to ensure fuel, logistics, and capability scale together. This Letter of Intent demonstrates real confidence in Pegasus.”

Ciara Middlehurst, NTS co-CEO, added:“As advanced reactors move toward commercial deployment, secure and reliable transport becomes a critical enabler of the wider market. The emerging HALEU ecosystem depends on strong links between governments, industry, and operators across multiple regions.”

The Pegasus package is designed to support shipments, early fuel forms, and eventual commercial-scale movements for a wide range of HALEU fuel types. With international programmes accelerating, long-term alignment between deconversion, fabrication, and transport will be vital.

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Experience gained through NTS’s established operations in Japan continues to inform regulatory planning and operational frameworks across East Asia, where cross-border fuel-cycle activity is expected to increase throughout the 2030s and 2040s.

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What Is ‘Ikigai’ And How Can Iot Help You Age Better?

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What Is 'Ikigai' And How Can Iot Help You Age Better?

Medical comment provided by Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor.

You might already know that having a sense of purpose is linked to greater longevity and a longer cognitive healthspan.

Those who are passionate and knowledgeable about their interests may face a lower dementia risk, too.

When Héctor Garcia, who co-wrote Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, went to the “village of longevity,” Ogimi Village, he noticed that the “healthy and active seniors” there often said they had an “ikigai”.

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The term refers to something that brings value, meaning, and purpose to life. Here, we asked GP Dr Suzanne Wylie to share her thoughts on the topic.

What is “ikigai”?

It’s a compound of two Japanese words, “life” (iki) and “value, benefit” (-gai).

The Japanese government’s site describes it as “that which brings value and joy to life: from people, such as one’s children or friends, to activities including work and hobbies.”

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Japanese psychologist Katsuya Inoue said it has two elements. These are “sources or objects that bring value or meaning to life,” and “a feeling that one’s life has value or meaning because of the existence of its source or object”.

It is a “broad term”, which can include everything from gardening to art to butterflies.

Ikigai is a practice as much as it is a passion. “Everyone knows what the source of their zest for life is, and is busily engaged in it every day,” Garcia wrote.

What are the benefits of “ikigai”?

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Dr Wylie told us she approaches the concept of Ikigai with “a mix of curiosity and cautious optimism.

“There is certainly a growing body of observational evidence suggesting that having a sense of purpose in life is associated with better health outcomes, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lower rates of depression, and even increased longevity,” she added.

So, though we can’t be as sure it’ll benefit us as much as, e.g., controlling blood pressure or quitting smoking, “it is plausible that [ikigai] contributes [to longevity] indirectly by encouraging engagement in meaningful activities, fostering social connections, and reducing stress, all factors known to influence physical and cognitive health as people age”.

For instance, Dr Wylie shared, people who garden, engage in creative hobbies, or even spend time with loved ones, “tend to have better emotional regulation, lower inflammatory markers, and are more likely to maintain an active lifestyle.

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“These factors can contribute to what we would call healthy ageing, meaning a later onset of frailty, preserved cognitive function, and a greater quality of life, even if the absolute extension of lifespan is modest.”

How can I find an “ikigai”?

Dr Wylie told us there’s no set prescription.

Instead, it’s “more about encouraging people to reflect on what genuinely matters to them and finding ways to integrate that into daily life.

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“This might mean advising someone to take up a hobby they have always enjoyed, join social or community groups, or even structure their day around small, purposeful tasks that bring them satisfaction”.

But simply learning what you like isn’t enough, the GP added.

“The key is consistency and meaningful engagement rather than intensity; it is the regular, ongoing sense of purpose that appears to be protective,” she explained.

“For older adults, in particular, maintaining social connections and pursuing interests can mitigate loneliness and cognitive decline, which in itself may confer measurable health benefits.”

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Ex-CIA boss eviscerates Trump

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Ex-CIA boss eviscerates Trump

Former CIA director John Brennan has told MS Now that he trusts the Iranians more than US president Donald Trump, because Trump wouldn’t recognise the truth even if “slapped in the face with it repeatedly”.

Brennan was talking about Trump’s claims that Iran is discussing a peace deal. The Iranians have responded that they have no intention of agreeing an end to the war started illegally by the US and Israel until their own military aims are achieved:

Ex-CIA boss Brennan is right. Iran would be foolish to trust Trump or Israel to agree a deal that wouldn’t be used just to re-arm ready to attack Iran again, as Trump and Netanyahu did when Israel took a pounding in the June 2025 ’12-day war’. With Israel reportedly running out of defensive missiles and the US allegedly hiding troops in civilian hotels as its Gulf bases take hit after hit, it would make no sense for Iran to let them off the ropes until both imperialist regimes have learned a lesson.

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Featured image via the Canary

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Politics Home Article | Third and final shipment of vitrified waste from the UK to Germany

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Politics Home Article | Nuclear project academy goes national

Sellafield Ltd and Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) are making preparations for the third and final return of high-level waste (HLW), in the form of vitrified residue, to Germany.

Seven flasks will be transported from Sellafield via a German port to the Brokdorf interim storage facility later in 2026.

This will be the final shipment from the UK to Germany. The first shipment of six flasks, to Biblis, was successfully completed in 2020 and the second shipment of seven flasks to Isar was completed in 2025.

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The waste results from the reprocessing and recycling of spent nuclear fuel at the Sellafield site in West Cumbria, which had previously been used to produce electricity by utilities in Germany.

Vitrified residue returns are a key component of the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) strategy to repatriate high level waste from the UK, fulfil overseas contracts and deliver UK Government policy.

These returns involve Sellafield Ltd working in partnership with Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) to return the waste to German customers.

NTS, part of the NDA, will perform the shipments, drawing on 50 years’ experience of transporting nuclear materials safely and securely around the world.

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The waste will be transported by sea on a specialist vessel to a German port, then onwards to its final destination.

The shipments will be carried out in full compliance with all applicable national and international regulations, and subject to issue of all relevant permits and licenses.

Sellafield Ltd and NTS will provide further information on the shipments in due course.

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US senator makes bizarre Iwo Jima reference

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US senator makes bizarre Iwo Jima reference

Deranged Zionist US senator Lindsey Graham has compared Iranian oil facility Kharg Island to Japanese island Iwo Jima to demand an all-out US invasion to control it. The World War II battle of Iwo Jima cost the US 26,000 casualties, including almost 7,000 dead. Graham said:

We did Iwo Jima. We can do this.

The Iwo Jima comparison may hold – but not the way Graham intended. In fact, it may well be an understatement. Former US Army Ranger Joe Kent, who recently resigned as head of Trump’s National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) over the illegal Iran war, says that invading Kharg Island:

would be a disaster. It would essentially be giving Iran a bunch of hostages on an island that they could barrage with drones and missiles.

At Iwo Jima, the US knew that taking the island would come at a heavy cost, but that once won there would be little Japan could do from 1,200km away. Kharg Island lies 25km from mainland Iran and Iran’s drones and missiles could easily reach it from anywhere in Iranian territory.

Clearly the US senator and the Israel lobby that runs him care nothing for the lives of US servicemen. But the sight of thousands of flag-draped coffins arriving back in the US would destroy Trump and the lobby along with support for their illegal war that is already plummeting.

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Trump blusters through another interview on Iran

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Trump blusters through another interview on Iran

US president Donald Trump has appeared to confirm – presumably unintentionally – that Israel has been targeting and killing Iranian figures who are, or could be, discussing potential peace deals with the US.

Trump claimed that the US is talking to a ‘most respected’ Iranian leader, but said that he couldn’t name him because “I don’t want him to be killed”. And as if further confirmation was needed, he slipped and said:

They’ve wiped out – we’ve wiped out – we’ve wiped out everybody.

Of course, Iran denies even having any such conversations and says it will continue the war the US and Israel started until its own war aims are achieved. So Trump may well be making up his claim – but the Freudian slip of his excuse for not naming a name still speaks volumes.

Featured image via the Canary

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Politics Home Article | Nuclear project academy goes national

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Politics Home Article | Nuclear project academy goes national

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is launching a UK‑wide training programme to support project professionals across the nuclear sector.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is rolling out a UK-wide training programme to support project professionals in the nuclear industry.

The One NDA Project Academy is an expansion of a programme initially launched at Sellafield in 2016.

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It will support employees at the NDA’s 17 sites in England, Scotland and Wales.

The news comes as the University of Cumbria was confirmed as the academy’s operator, continuing a relationship that began when the initiative started 10 years ago.

Previously known as the Project Academy for Sellafield, it has helped more than 7,000 people advance their careers through the academy’s programmes.

Primarily for Sellafield Ltd employees, the academy also took leaners from large and small businesses in Cumbria.

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It offers more than 60 courses across a range of disciples, including:

  • project management
  • quality
  • health and safety
  • risk
  • stakeholder management
  • project controls

From short courses to degree programmes, all are designed to meet the evolving demands of infrastructure delivery.

Jacq Longrigg, NDA group people development director, said:

“The project academy has pioneered a fresh approach to professional development in programme and project delivery, setting new standards for the UK skills agenda.

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Now, the academy will move onto the next phase and provide development opportunities for all our project and programme community across the NDA group.

We’re proud to invest in our people, our communities, and in the successful delivery of our mission.”

Under its new contract the University of Cumbria will lead the academy for 6 years, with the option to extend for a further 3.

Kate Dixon, director of the Institute of Engineering at University of Cumbria, said:

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“We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Sellafield Ltd and the NDA Group.

The academy has become an important part of our identity, benefiting thousands of people and many businesses across the region. Its success has inspired similar programmes with BAE Systems, the BBC, and the NHS — and it all began at Sellafield.”

Andy Sharples, project director for Sellafield Ltd, said:

“I’ve seen first-hand the impact of the Project Academy has had on people, who are now helping us to deliver infrastructure projects at one of the UK’s most complex sites.

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We’re excited to help create a sustainable pipeline of talent to support not only Sellafield, but any infrastructure programme in the UK.”

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Manchester mosque attack not designated a hate crime

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Manchester mosque attack not designated a hate crime

Greater Manchester Police are refusing to class repeated white supremacist attacks on Manchester mosques as hate crimes.

The Muslim Social Justice Initiative (MSJI) said that the attackers had desecrated Qurans and caused £30,000 in damage to Stockport’s Elaf mosque. The thugs had also attempted to rig a boiler to explode. MSJI also noted that police keep refusing to classify attacks on mosques in the area as racially motivated, despite four other attacks on the same mosque in the past year:

The Elaf mosque is not the only one to be targeted. In February 2026 a man armed with an axe, knife and hammer entered Manchester Central Mosque. Mosque officials said that the attack was part of a:

notable rise in threats and hostility over recent years [and an] increase in Islamophobic incidents.

The BBC, along with local press, did report the attack on its news website, but the BBC’s national coverage was limited to a single online article. This is a stark contrast to the attention given to an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity.

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Francesca Albanese report finds torture is standard Israeli policy

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Francesca Albanese report finds torture is standard Israeli policy

Israeli torture of Palestinians is a core state policy, a new United Nations (UN) report led by Francesca Albanese warns. The UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine found that various forms of torture have become tools of the genocide. And she warned that the practice extends far beyond prison walls:

Albanese said:

Since the onset of the genocide, the Israeli prison system has degenerated into a laboratory of calculated cruelty.

What once operated in the shadows is now practiced openly: a regime of organised humiliation, pain and degradation, sanctioned at the highest political levels.

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Albanese named Israel’s far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, among others, as having:

institutionalised torture, collective punishment and manifestly dehumanising conditions of detention.

Those responsible, she said:

 must face investigation and justice, including before the International Criminal Court.

The report said that in the aftermath of 7 October, torture became an “integral” component of:

the domination of and punishment inflicted on men, women and children, both through custodial abuse and through a relentless campaign of forced displacement, mass killings, deprivation and destruction of all means of life to inflict long-term collective pain and suffering.

Francesca Albanese centres settler colonialism

Settler-colonialism is central to Albanese’s analysis. And torture is a core tactic in the Israeli process of land theft and violent displacement. She accused Israel of carrying out:

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A continuous, territorially pervasive regime of psychological terror…designed to break bodies, deprive a people of their dignity and force them from their land.

And Albanese said there was nothing random about Israel’s use of torture:

This is not incidental violence. It is the architecture of settler-colonialism, built on a foundation of dehumanization and maintained by a policy of cruelty and collective torture.

The Canary has reported on Israeli torture of Palestinian detainees, doctors, activists and children. One far-right pundit even called for the torture of climate and Palestine solidarity activist Greta Thunberg. You can read our reporting on the issue here.

A group of Israeli soldiers raped a Palestinian prisoner in one of the most high-profile recent cases. Footage of the rape was leaked, leading to a trial. Shockingly – and despite video evidence – all of the accused were acquitted on 12 March:

Israel enjoys impunity in its violence, whether in the jails or abroad in military assaults on Iran and Lebanon. At the heart is Zionist ideology is a chilling indifference to the pain of the occupied and any who oppose Israel’s expansionist plans. And Israel’s allies, the UK included, are clearly content to support Israel despite its use of torture as a state policy.

Featured image via the Canary

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Has Britain already fallen?, with Melanie Phillips

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Has Britain already fallen?, with Melanie Phillips

The post Has Britain already fallen?, with Melanie Phillips appeared first on spiked.

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