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Dover delays: Long waits persist for coach passengers - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Parents tell of children waiting on coaches for more than 12 hours, but the port says the situation is easing. | UK | Coach driver Anthony Jones - who sent this picture - described a "frustrating" situation with queues at the port
Travellers at Dover remain in long queues to catch ferries to France after waits in excess of 12 hours - although port authorities say the situation is now improving for new arrivals.
Speaking to the BBC on Sunday evening, parents told of coachloads of children still waiting to cross the Channel after arriving late on Saturday.
Port managers said all traffic was now inside the port ready for processing.
Disruption and delays were first reported on Friday night.
Extra ferries that were laid on overnight on Saturday were not enough to prevent the queues at Dover increasing through much of Sunday.
Officials cite slower border processing and a higher-than-expected number of coaches as causes of the delays.
The port said late on Sunday that around 40 coaches were still awaiting immigration processing, down from 111 earlier in the day.
P&O Ferries said that around 20 coaches were still waiting to board its ferries and that their wait time would be around five hours.
The company had earlier said wait times were around 10 hours, though many coach passengers and drivers contacted the BBC to say their waits had actually been much longer.
One driver taking a group from Cardiff to Austria said they had been in the vehicle for 14 hours.
Coach passengers ended up camping on the floor of a service station in Folkestone, due to delays in nearby Dover
On Saturday evening, holidaymaker Jennifer Fee said her coach was "turning around and going back to London" having been told there was "no chance of a ferry today".
Ms Fee sent the BBC footage of passengers camped out on the floor of a service station in nearby Folkestone - where coaches had been "stacked up" due to delays at the port.
Coach driver Zaishan Aslam was driving a group of schoolchildren from Cheltenham to Italy. He told the BBC they all arrived in Dover at 14:00 BST on Friday, and were finally on a ferry at 03:30 on Saturday.
The group have now arrived at their final destination, but Mr Aslam said they are coming back to the UK on Friday and he dreads to think what the situation with the ferries will be then.
The situation is "totally ridiculous", Mr Aslam said. "It's as if it was caused deliberately to deter coach drivers and schoolchildren from travelling".
Rob Howard, a teacher in Dorset travelling by coach with a group of schoolchildren, was on his way to northern Italy via Dover.
They arrived at the port at 16:00 on Saturday, but the group decided to turn around after waiting for more than 17 hours, Mr Howard said.
He said passengers were each given a chocolate bar and less than a bottle of water during those 17 hours, and "there was a smell of urine all over the place" as some coach toilets leaked.
The government has said it is in close contact with port authorities.
In an interview with the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the delays were a result of a "combination of factors", including the high volume of coaches.
She said she sympathised with families and school children trying to get away on Easter holidays, and expected the problems to ease soon.
Labour's shadow levelling-up secretary, Lisa Nandy, told Sky News issues like the port delays could have been avoided "if the government got a grip, got down to brass tacks and started doing the actual job".
Officials have explained that long border processing times were partly to blame for delays - and ferry companies said bad weather had disrupted some journeys.
The port said ferry companies received 15% more coach bookings for the Easter period than what had been expected. Boarding coachloads of passengers is much slower than boarding cars.
Responding to claims of lengthy delays in border checks, officials in northern France said on Saturday that there were "no difficulties that we know of," but that many coaches had arrived to travel at around the same time.
All border checkpoints were operational and border police had switched some car checkpoints into slots for coaches, French officials added.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent at the Independent, said processing times since the UK left the EU had increased sharply "and that would seem to explain the delays".
An EU border at Dover meant things were "gumming up", as each individual passport had to be inspected and stamped after Brexit, he told the BBC on Saturday.
Asked whether the delays were a result of Brexit, Labour's Ms Nandy said: "The point is not whether we left the European Union or not... the point was that we left with a government that made big promises and once again didn't deliver."
And speaking to Sky News, Ms Braverman said viewing delays at the port as "an adverse effect of Brexit" would not be a fair assessment.
Many coaches stuck in Dover have been carrying schoolchildren from across the UK on school trips abroad.
Schoolteacher Sarah Dalby told the BBC her group began their journey from Nottinghamshire and 24 hours later were still in the queue for passport control at Dover.
"Nobody has been to speak to us in the whole time. There is no information available. No food or water," the head of science at Worksop College added.
The port apologised for "prolonged delays" and said the tailbacks were being cleared.
Have you been affected by the delays? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65151700 |
Iran signals determination to enforce hijab rules - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | After months of protests, authorities make clear their enforcement of hijab rules on women. | Middle East | Protests swept across the Islamic Republic following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September
Authorities in Iran have been making clear their determination to enforce the compulsory hijab on women.
It comes after months of protests demanding an end to the restriction.
A hardline Iranian MP has issued an ultimatum to the judiciary to come up with measures to put a stop to women flouting the rules on headscarves, within the next 48 hours.
The mass protests that erupted across Iran in September have largely been quelled for now by brute force.
But some women continue to defy the rules on wearing a mandatory headscarf in public. Videos and pictures posted online show the upswell of frustration and anger with the restrictions is still a potent force in Iranian society.
A video posted this week shows a man throwing a tub of yoghurt in the face of an unveiled woman. His action was met with outrage by male and female bystanders.
Protests swept across the Islamic Republic following the death in September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly".
Thousands have been arrested and four protesters have been executed since December. But the authorities show no sign of relenting.
The interior ministry announced this week that there would be no retreat or tolerance on the issue. The statement said that the hijab remained an essential element of Islamic law and as such would remain one of the key principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The unyielding rhetoric echoed that of the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, who recently said that women who do not wear the head covering would be prosecuted without mercy.
Now, a hardline MP has said that legislative measures must be taken to enforce what he called the "divine decree" of the hijab.
Hossein Ali Haji Deligani said that if the judiciary did not provide such action within the next 48 hours, then MPs would put in motion a bill to fill the legal vacuum.
He said that it would be in line with a report by the parliamentary cultural commission on "chastity and the hijab".
The protests widened to encompass calls for a complete overhaul of the Islamic Republic - but it remained rooted in the issue of the hijab.
The image of Mahsa Amini has remained the most potent symbol of the movement, which for a while was able to shake the foundations of the theocracy that has ruled Iran for more than 40 years.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC has mapped how the death of Mahsa Amini sparked widespread unrest in Iran | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65147339 |
European Social Fund: Groups face cuts to services despite £57m UK cash - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | There are still concerns for the future of many organisations as a £57m government package is announced. | Northern Ireland | Money from the European Social Fund (ESF) stops on Friday as a result of Brexit
Charities and community groups across Northern Ireland have said they could be forced to close or cut services after EU funding stopped on Friday.
The European Social Fund (ESF), which provided about £40m a year for hundreds of community organisations, was halted as a result of Brexit.
The UK government announced a £57m package to support groups facing a funding crisis on Friday morning.
But many that applied for a share of the money have been rejected.
Under the UK government's Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) around 100 organisations covering 18 large projects will receive financial backing.
However the £57m funding is understood to be spread over two years, meaning some will lose out.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ms Blayney says services have been "switched off overnight"
The Kilcooley Womens Centre in Ards and north Down, which offers women in vulnerable situations childcare, health and mental-health services, has been told £900,000 funding it received from the EU will not be replaced.
Alison Blayney, who runs the centre, said the news was "absolutely devastating".
She said services for vulnerable women in the area had been "switched off overnight".
"They talk about levelling up - we've been levelled down today," she told BBC News NI's Evening Extra programme.
"This is not the picture that was painted for us back in 2016 - the promises of Brexit ring very hollow today.
"We'll continue to do our best but it's a very bleak outlook."
Patricia Lewsley-Mooney, chair of the Training for Women Network (TWN) in east Belfast, said the share of funding for women's services in Northern Ireland has effectively been cut from 8% to 3.7%.
TWN stands to lose a quarter of its funding after Friday's announcement, she said.
"This funding shows Westminster doesn't care about women in Northern Ireland.
"The saddest thing is the loss of this money to the women who need it the most."
BBC News NI contacted Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris but he was not available for comment.
In a statement released earlier on Friday he said the UKSPF money will support the "vital work of community and voluntary organisations".
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The Women's Centre in Derry is another of the organisations affected.
In a tweet on Friday the centre, which promotes women's equality and access to education and employment, said: "We have had devastating news today that our ESF funding is not being replaced!"
"This impacts the services in Derry for women and we also lose six skilled amazing staff members today! Disgrace!"
Sophie Cocault says she has no idea if she will be going to work next week
A protest by staff and service users affected by the funding crisis took place in Belfast on Friday.
Project worker Sophie Cocault, who was at the protest, said she has "no idea" if she will be going to work next week.
Ms Cocault works for Full Service Community Network, which provide services to 25 schools in west Belfast.
"Our service is not a luxury," she told BBC News NI.
"Our funding is integral to the community - we support children that really need our help."
"We are being shoved away - it's a disgrace for the children"
Kathleen Lavery, a teacher at Holy Child Primary School in Belfast, said services were at "crisis point".
"There are so many services affected by this cut - many people don't understand how many school services are funded this way," she said.
"We are being shoved away. It's a disgrace for the children."
Declan Doherty, chief executive of Derry Youth and Community Workshop, says 25 of his staff members could face redundancy
BBC NI spoke to several organisations ahead of the funding announcement.
Declan Doherty, chief executive of Derry Youth and Community Workshop, said he had "no hope whatsoever" the replacement funding would be enough to keep staff in work.
He said 25 of his staff members would lose their jobs on Friday.
Some of the organisations which stand to lose EU funding help people with learning difficulties to gain workplace skills
The organisation works with young people with complex needs who are not in education, providing them with training, support and a pathway to employment.
"If you came and looked at the young people we worked with, the prospect of losing this service is shameful.
"It's not just training, it's a safe space and a lifeline for these young people."
Celine McStravick, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (Nicva), said the funding was "absolutely essential" to making Northern Ireland society work.
She said that ESF was used by 67 members represented by the council and amounted to around 1,700 employees.
"I have been inundated with emails, telephone calls and meetings with our members, who are angry," Ms McStravick added. "They are frustrated. They're feeling disrespected."
Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said the £57m announcement was an "important milestone ".
"We are making the most of opportunities outside the European Union to deliver for people in Northern Ireland," she said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65123873 |
EU funds: 'Bleak time until money is fully replaced' - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Community groups express their concern over an uncertain future post-Brexit. | Northern Ireland | Lorraine Black said her organisation was looking at a £200,000 deficit without the funding in place
The UK may have officially left the European Union in 2020 but Brexit is still making headlines.
And for some community organisations in Northern Ireland, it has left them in funding limbo.
The European Social Fund, which is aimed at helping people who have difficulties finding work, will no longer be available to the UK from March 2023.
While the UK government has promised to fill the void left by the removal of EU structural funds through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) by 2024, there is still a great deal of uncertainty.
Some groups are concerned they will no longer qualify for the funding, while others are not sure the money will be enough.
One of the groups reliant on ESF money is Larne-based Access Employment Limited (AEL), which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to gain work experience and training.
It runs a number of social enterprises - businesses whose primary purpose is to address need rather than create profit.
One of them involves repackaging goods from around the world and selling them online. There's also a cafe and a garden centre for trainees to learn new skills.
Lorraine Black, who is head of services at AEL, said it was a "bleak time".
She said they were looking at a £200,000 deficit without the funding in place and this would mean they could help fewer people and staff would lose their jobs.
They have been able to take on 175 trainees in the last seven years, since the ESF funding has been in place.
Ms Black says they offer five hours a day, five days a week and the service is a lifeline for families.
"It impacts their families, who rely on AEL as a form of respite," she said.
"There is not enough capacity within existing statutory services to replace the loss of current ESF programmes, and this means individuals are being denied access to support services that enable them to make informed choices about their day-to-day lives and help them reach their full potential within their communities."
Daniel Johnston, who is on one of AEL's programmes, said he had gained new skills and new friends.
"If I wasn't coming here, I would remain unemployed," he said. "I wouldn't be able to get work without the support AEL."
Julie Steele is operations director of the Advantage Foundation, which runs a project called Quest.
It provides training to young offenders, who complete a qualification in employability and gain work experience in the foundation's social enterprise Mugshots, a print shop which puts designs on T-shirts and other merchandise.
She said Quest, which aims to reduce reoffending rates, was 65% ESF-funded and 35% Department of Justice-funded.
"The loss of ESF funding and the need to replace it with, as a minimum, the same level of resourcing, is a critical issue," she said.
"ESF-funded projects work hard to ensure they have positive outcomes not only for the service users but also for the wider community."
Stormont used to match fund the EU money
Northern Ireland's politicians and a consortium of community groups have been urging the government to fully replace the lost funding.
The ESF had previously provided about £40m a year, which was 35% match-funded from Stormont, giving £54m in total.
Next year experts are anticipating about £30m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, but no match funding has been confirmed from Stormont yet.
Stormont's Finance Minister Conor Murphy said it had been a straightforward arrangement when the departments were operating the ESF themselves, directing support to groups who need it and match funding it.
"That arrangement doesn't exist any more, so it has left us in a huge degree of limbo," he told the BBC.
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons told the BBC the funding issue was not an inevitable consequence of Brexit but a case of the UK government not keeping its word.
"It's OK to admit when you have got it wrong," he said. "The government needs to recognise they have not fulfilled their promises and they need to change course."
The ESF Peer Group, an umbrella body for a number of groups, said it had been working for more than a year with officials from Westminster and Stormont departments to find an adequate funding package to replace the ESF.
"Unless we find a solution, the 22 community groups we represent will be unable to continue supporting some 18,000 of the most vulnerable in our society or provide security of employment for their 1,700 staff," it said.
The group added it had a positive meeting with officials from the Department for Levelling Up and the Northern Ireland Civil Service on 14 October.
"The issues which remain to be addressed are around compliance with equality legislation and how the limited Shared Prosperity Funding might be added to from Northern Ireland budgets," it continued.
A government spokesperson said: "Northern Ireland is benefiting from £49m through the first round of our Levelling Up Fund, and the fund's second round will provide further investment to help empower communities to drive change.
"This is on top of £127m allocation from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, that will help those most vulnerable and furthest away from the labour market to secure sustainable employment, alongside other priorities.
"Over the summer, officials have engaged widely with partners to seek views on priorities for UKSPF in Northern Ireland and develop an investment plan.
"This work will conclude shortly and will then move to the implementation phase, including funding opportunities for delivery in 2023-24." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-63240806 |
Cambridgeshire shootings: Man in court over murders - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The bodies of Gary and Josh Dunmore were found in Cambridgeshire on Wednesday. | Cambridgeshire | Gary and Josh Dunmore were shot dead at properties in Cambridgeshire on Wednesday
A man has appeared in court charged with the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in Cambridgeshire.
Josh Dunmore, 32, was found in Bluntisham at about 21:00 BST on Wednesday and Gary Dunmore, 57, was found in Sutton about 40 minutes later.
Stephen Alderton, 66, of no fixed address, is charged with two counts of murder and possession of a firearm.
Wearing a grey prison tracksuit, he confirmed his name, age and address at Huntingdon Magistrates' Court.
No pleas were entered and he was remanded in custody.
The case was sent to Cambridge Crown Court, where a hearing will take place on Monday.
Floral tributes have been left in the two Cambridgeshire villages
The victims' family have paid tribute to the "devoted" father and son in a statement released via Cambridgeshire Constabulary on Friday.
They said: "Josh was a devoted father and a loving uncle.
"He was a wonderful son and brother and leaves behind an extensive group of family and friends.
"He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal.
"Gary was the most devoted son, brother, dad and grandad, who gave everything for those he loved.
"He was a gentle and generous person who always put others before himself and he'll be massively missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him."
A floral tribute to Gary Dunmore, left outside his home in The Row, Sutton, said: "To my dear neighbour Gary.
"A man who loved his family dearly, a dear friend to all, so helpful and kind and was always around as a friend and my little odd job man.
Police said post-mortem examinations will take place at Peterborough City Hospital on Monday.
A 27-year-old man and 33-year-old woman, who were arrested in connection with the deaths, have been released with no further action taken.
Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65142515 |
Ramadan: Coastal communities help Muslims celebrate - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | One family says cultural awareness of Ramadan has increased in their home town of Haverfordwest. | Wales | Daily Iftar meals during Ramadan at the mosque in Haverfordwest are open to everyone in the local community
Cultural awareness of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is growing in coastal communities, Muslim families have said.
Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, which this year began on Wednesday 22 March involves fasting during daylight hours.
The fast-breaking evening meals of Iftar in Haverfordwest mosque see Muslims and non-Muslims eat together.
Schools in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire have been holding assemblies on Ramadan, with advice on how pupils can help their friends who are fasting.
During the month, Muslims fast - which involves abstaining from eating and drinking during daylight hours - as well as focus on self-improvement, self-reflection and giving to the less fortunate.
Sajida Madni from Haverfordwest said cultural awareness of Ramadan had increased in the local community
Sajida Madni, 43, from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, said cultural awareness of Ramadan had increased in her local community over the last year following the opening of the first mosque in the town last Ramadan.
Mrs Madni said: "In this area there is generally less exposure to other cultures, so there were concerns when we first started up about what we would be doing at the mosque.
"So we invited all of the neighbours for Iftar to show them that we are regular people sharing food and coming together.
"We are part of a wider community, part and parcel of British society, and we should celebrate that."
The mosque runs a youth club with a range of activities for the community which is attended by Muslim and non-Muslim people alike, and many people bring their friends to share in the evening Iftar meals during the month.
Mustafa Yunis, a trustee at Haverfordwest Central Mosque, said: "A mosque is meant to be a hub, a community centre where everyone is there and it's brilliant to have representatives from our local community coming to eat together with us.
"We want people to feel that they are part of our community as well."
Members of the community break their fast at an Iftar in Haverfordwest
Mrs Madni also highlighted the level of support offered by her children's school.
Mrs Madni's daughter, Aayah Yunis, and two children who she is a guardian for - Aziza and Mariam Akhtar - are the only Muslims at their secondary school, but she says the school has been incredibly supportive with helping them celebrate the holy month.
Castle School in Pembrokeshire has held an assembly on Ramadan, giving tips to students about how they can help their school friends who are fasting, as well as provided the three children with a prayer room.
Aayah, Aziza and Mariam say they have felt incredibly supported by their school during Ramadan
The assembly also helped break down barriers and open up conversations about the Muslim faith.
"So many of her friends were able to ask her questions after that assembly that they felt they couldn't ask beforehand," Mrs Madni said.
Describing the impact on her, Aayah said: 'It's really nice to teach people about it because it helps people learn new things and helps me express my Islamic identity."
Castle School said that programmes that allowed pupils to interact with different cultures was "further enriching their learning experiences and broadening their horizons".
The Haverfordwest mosque youth club bought snacks to give to their neighbours at the first Iftar this year
Sara Ahmed, 40, from Ceredigion said she had noticed a "positive shift" in her children's school's approach to Ramadan, which also proactively held an assembly on the tradition.
"Prior to this year I've usually had to call into school and explain that the kids will be fasting, and that they will not be having food or water during the day and that they may need breaks during PE. The school has always been fine and positive about this.
"It wasn't anything that parents spurred on either - this was the first time in my experience that that has happened and I really appreciated that," she said.
She said one of her son's friends even contacted him and said she wanted to try and fast a day with him.
"In the kids' school, there's probably less than 10 Muslim pupils. But compared to other schools in the area that's quite a high number," she said.
"There aren't that many Muslims in the community here and you can sometimes feel you stick out a bit. So it's really great to see people taking an interest and embrace our culture." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65128547 |
Norway avalanches: Tourists among four killed in north of country - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In the deadliest incident, a house and barn were swept into the sea on the island of Reinøya. | Europe | Snowstorm warnings had been issued for the area
A series of avalanches in Norway's far north has claimed the lives of four people, police say.
In the most deadly incident, a house and barn were swept into the sea on the island of Reinøya.
Two people were confirmed killed and 140 goats were in the barn at the time, according to the authorities.
Two tourists were killed in two other avalanches. Both are believed to be foreigners, although their nationalities are not yet known.
In the first avalanche, in Lyngen, one person died and two others were hurt.
"There were five people of foreign origin that were on an outing in the area. We can confirm that one person is deceased," police spokesman Morten Pettersen told journalists.
Two others were hurt, one critically and one with "moderate injuries", the spokesman added.
Later in the evening, police said a fourth person had been killed in another avalanche at Storslett in the Nordreisa area.
"The person was part of a larger foreign travelling party. Another member of the travelling party who was at the scene located the person and alerted the emergency services," a police statement said.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the deaths as "a tragic start to Easter".
At this time of year, avalanches occur almost every day in Norway, with as much as 7% of the country's territory at risk, experts say.
Earlier on Friday, several small towns in the Troms region were evacuated because of the high risk of avalanches, as authorities warned of snowstorms and strong winds. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65141160 |
Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate moved to house arrest - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Tates and two associates are moved to house arrest following a ruling by a Romanian judge. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The moment Andrew Tate and his brother released from custody
Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been moved from custody to house arrest following a ruling by a Romanian judge.
The ruling by the Court of Appeal in Bucharest replaces the latest period of custody, which was to end on 29 April.
Two associates, Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu, are also being released.
All four have been ordered to stay in the buildings where they live, unless they have judicial permission to leave.
A spokeswoman for the Tate brothers told the BBC the brothers were "ecstatic".
After being released, Andrew posted a video of himself pacing in a room while smoking a cigar, saying: "Since last year I've been in 24-hour lockdown. No yard time.
"Pacing a 3-metre cell with zero electronics or outside contact. Absolute clarity of mind. Real thoughts. Real plans. Vivid pain. One hour home and I can't stand my phone.
"Some habits die hard. We must defeat Shaytan."
Tristan, meanwhile, tweeted: "4 months without putting on a pair of alligator shoes. The struggle was real."
The brothers have been detained since December. They are being investigated on allegations of rape, people trafficking and forming an organised crime group. Both have denied wrongdoing.
Lawyers for the Tates argued that keeping them in preventative custody was unnecessarily harsh, when other judicial options such as house arrest were available.
Leaked court documents, seen by the BBC, outlined testimony from alleged victims claiming to be forced to earn €10,000 (£8,800) a month on social media platforms, under the alleged threat of physical violence.
Court papers also described debts being used as "a form of psychological coercion". Since investigations began last April, six women have been identified by prosecutors as victims.
However, no charges have been brought against the brothers or the two Romanian associates who were arrested alongside them.
In 2016, Andrew Tate, a British-American former kickboxer, was removed from British TV show Big Brother over a video which appeared to show him attacking a woman.
He went on to gain notoriety online, with Twitter banning him for saying women should "bear some responsibility" for being sexually assaulted. He has since been reinstated.
Despite social media bans, he gained popularity, particularly among young men, by promoting what he presented as a hyper-masculine, ultra-luxurious lifestyle.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The BBC's Lucy Williamson takes a look at where the brothers are now being held | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65144651 |
Little Rock, Arkansas, tornado live updates: Damage and injuries reported - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A tornado sweeps through Little Rock and nearby towns, destroying buildings and overturning cars. | US & Canada | Elsewhere in Illinois, several flights in and out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport have been cancelled due to the weather.
People on social media say they have been urged to take cover in the tunnels of the airport.
An hour ago, the airport tweeted: "Severe weather is imminent at O'Hare International Airport.
"If you're in the airport, please exercise caution, and follow the instructions of all airport personnel.
"Service on the Airport Transit System is suspended until the threat of severe weather has passed." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-65145170 |
Water bikes: New law prompts calls for rider licences - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | An MP says it is wrong that children as young as 12 can ride a water bike in the UK | Wales | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Water bikers "tried to knock men off paddleboard"
Campaigners have called for a licence requirement for water bike riders as new rules come in to curb irresponsible users.
The new law came into force on Friday as the UK government warned people "riding a jet ski recklessly or causing harm" faced fines or up to two years in prison.
It said the new law would crack down on dangerous use of water bikes.
But one MP says the new law does not go far enough.
Campaigners for water bike safety said it was that a child as young as 12 can legally drive a jet ski in the UK, whereas riders in countries like France, Spain, Croatia and Denmark must have a licence and be 16.
Watercraft users in the UK are now bound by the same laws that apply to ships, and give more powers to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to prosecuted irresponsible riders.
Arfon MP Hywel Williams, whose constituency takes in the Menai Strait between the Welsh mainland and Anglesey which has seen deaths in water bike incidents, said he was "glad" the UK government listened to concerns about the danger "jet skis pose to swimmers and wildlife".
Jane Walker was killed when a water bike hit the speedboat she was on off Anglesey in 2020
Jane Walker, 52, was killed on the Menai Strait in August 2020 when she was hit by a water bike while on holiday in north Wales with her family.
Investigators said neither Ms Walker nor the boat's driver had the knowledge or skills they needed, and were too close to each other while travelling at speed.
Mrs Walker's husband, Kevin, said afterwards that he did not want his wife's death to be used as a reason for more curbs on water bikes, describing the incident as "very much a freak accident".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kevin Walker says his wife would not want her death used to impose curbs.
But Mr Williams wants the UK to follow the example of some EU countries and have a training programme and a proper licensing system for riders.
The Plaid Cymru MP said he fears the threat of punishment is not enough to prevent the irresponsible use of water bikes - and said it was possible for someone as young as 12 to currently drive one.
"A jet ski driver does not need a licence - unlike in most other EU countries and beyond, which already have a strict licensing system in place," he said.
Other near-misses include a 16-year-old kayaker who warned in August 2019 that "hostile" water bike users could seriously hurt someone after he felt targeted while on holiday near Criccieth.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police and the council are looking at ways to stop a repeat (video by Gary Elford)
Mr Williams added: "In recent years, we've seen a significant rise in the level of complaints about the misuse of jet skis along coastal communities in Gwynedd, including the harassing of local sea life such as dolphins and sea birds, not to mention the personal tragedies that have arisen when accidents do occur."
He said while the new laws were a "step in the right direction", it merely "treats the symptoms and not the cause".
Ecologist Ben Porter said water bike use could have a negative impact on coastal wildlife
Ben Porter, an ecologist and wildlife photographer based in Machynlleth, Powys, said he feared the unregulated use of water bikes was harming wildlife around the Welsh coast.
He said: "Our wildlife is so important - and the sea birds are really vulnerable to disturbance.
"It's not all jet skiers - some have an awareness and that's what it comes down to - just being aware of what is around you.
"I think licensing would help and, if you have got training alongside gaining the licence in marine code, that element of education would help."
Scott Beeland said the vast majority of water bike riders acted responsibly
Scott Beeland runs PWC Gwynedd, a website promoting safe use of sea scooters, and said irresponsible use of water vehicles by a minority "tars us all with the same brush".
"Jet skiers have been around a long time - the vast majority are responsible users.
"There are teachings out there that advise on how to use [them] safely - the only problem is it isn't mandatory. Making it mandatory could help."
He said the new regulations were "welcome as a whole", but that fairness was needed.
The Department for Transport said: "We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by incidents involving jet skis - it's important that people can enjoy them safely."While serious accidents in the UK are rare, our new law will crack down on the irresponsible minority who use jet skis and similar vehicles dangerously." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65127194 |
Two Iranian women arrested for not covering hair after man attacks them with yoghurt - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The women seem to have been attacked for not wearing the hijab properly in public, which is illegal. | Middle East | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Two women have been arrested in Iran after being attacked with yoghurt, seemingly for not covering their hair in public.
In the video, which went viral, two female customers are approached by the man, who begins talking to them.
He then takes what appears to be a tub of yoghurt from a shelf and angrily throws it over their heads.
Iran's judiciary said the two women have been detained for showing their hair, which is illegal in Iran.
The man has also been arrested for disturbing the public order, it added.
The arrests follow months of protests in the country demanding an end to the compulsory wearing of the hijab (headscarf).
The footage shows the women in the shop, waiting to be served by a member of staff. A man who looks to be passing by then walks in to confront them.
After he speaks, he repeatedly attacks them with yoghurt. The attacker is then pushed out of the shop by the shopkeeper.
Arrest warrants were issued and the three were subsequently arrested, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported.
It added that "necessary notices" have been issued to the owner of the shop to ensure compliance with the law.
Not wearing the hijab in public is illegal for women in Iran, however in big cities, many walk around without it despite the rules.
Anger and frustration with the law have driven dissent in Iranian society.
Protests spread across the Islamic Republic in September following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly".
The protests widened, but they remained rooted in the issue of the hijab.
Thousands have been arrested and four protesters have been executed since December. But the authorities show no sign of relenting.
One hardline Iranian MP, Hossein Ali Haji Deligani, has issued an ultimatum to the judiciary to come up with measures to put a stop to the flouting of the rules within the next 48 hours.
And on Saturday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated that Iranian women should wear the hijab as a "religious necessity".
"Hijab is a legal matter and adherence to it is obligatory," he said in quotes cited by AFP news agency.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC has mapped how the death of Mahsa Amini sparked widespread unrest in Iran | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65150135 |
Laura Kuenssberg: Should we shut down AI? - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Should we worry about artificial intelligence, or embrace the possibilities it brings, asks Laura Kuenssberg. | UK | What do the Pope's crazy puffa jacket, a student avoiding a parking ticket, a dry government document and Elon Musk warning the robots might come for us have in common?
This is not an April Fool's joke but a genuine question.
The answer is AI - artificial intelligence - two words we are going to hear a lot about in the coming months.
The picture of the Pope in a Michelin-man style white coat was everywhere online but was made using AI by a computer user from Chicago.
In Yorkshire, 22-year-old Millie Houlton asked AI chatbot ChatGPT to "please help me write a letter to the council, they gave me a parking ticket" and sent it off. The computer's version of her appeal successfully got her out of a £60 fine.
Also this week, without much fanfare, the government published draft proposals on how to regulate this emerging technology, while a letter signed by more than 1,000 tech experts including Tesla boss Elon Musk called on the world to press pause on the development of more advanced AI because it poses "profound risks to humanity".
You are not alone if you don't understand all the terms being bandied about:
It's the speed at which the technology is progressing that led those tech entrepreneurs to intervene, with one AI leader even writing in a US magazine this week: "Shut it down."
Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX mogul Elon Musk is one of those calling for a pause to the development of advanced AI
Estonian billionaire Jaan Tallinn is one of them. He was one of the brains behind internet communication app Skype but is now one of the leading voices trying to put the brakes on.
I asked him, in an interview for this Sunday's show, to explain the threat as simply as he could.
"Imagine if you substitute human civilisation with AI civilisation," he told me. "Civilisation that could potentially run millions of times faster than humans... so like, imagine global warming was sped up a million times.
"One big vector of existential risk is that we are going to lose control over our environment.
"Once we have AIs that we a) cannot stop and b) are smart enough to do things like geoengineering, build their own structures, build their own AIs, then, what's going to happen to their environment, the environment that we critically need for our survival? It's up in the air."
And if governments don't act? Mr Tallinn thinks it's possible to "apply the existing technology, regulation, knowledge and regulatory frameworks" to the current generation of AI, but says the "big worry" is letting the technology race ahead without society adapting: "Then we are in a lot of trouble."
It's worth noting they are not saying they want to put a stop to the lot but pause the high-end work that is training computers to be ever smarter and more like us.
The pace of change and its potential presents an almighty challenge to governments around the world.
Westminster and technology are not always a happy mix and while politics moves pretty fast these days, compared to developments in Silicon Valley, it's a snail versus an F1 car.
There are efforts to put up some guard rails in other countries. On Friday Italy banned ChatGPT while the EU is working on an Artificial Intelligence Act. China is bringing in laws and a "registry" for algorithms - the step-by-step instructions used in programming that tell computers what to do.
But the UK government's set of draft proposals this week proposed no new laws, and no new watchdog or regulator to take it on. Even though the White Paper is an effort to manage one of the biggest technological changes in history, blink and you might have missed it.
The government wants, for now, to give existing regulators like the Health and Safety Executive the responsibility of keeping an eye on what is going on. The argument is that AI will potentially have a role in every aspect of our lives, in endless ways, so to create one new big referee is the wrong approach. One minister told me that "it's a whole revolution" so "identifying it as one technology is wrong".
Ministers also want the UK to make the most of its undoubted expertise in the field because AI is big business with huge potential benefits.
The government is reluctant to introduce tight regulation that could strangle innovation. The challenge according to the minister is to be "very, very tough on the bad stuff", but "harness the seriously beneficial bits" too.
That approach hasn't persuaded Labour's shadow digital secretary Lucy Powell, who says the government "hasn't grappled with the scale of the problem" and we are "running to catch up".
Are existing regulators really up to the task? The Health and Safety Executive wouldn't say how many staff it had ready to work on the issue or are being trained. "We will work with the government and other regulators as AI develops and explore the challenges and opportunities it brings using our scientific expertise," they told me.
Should we be as worried about AI as clerics were about the printing press in the 15th Century?
How on earth can any government strike the right balance? Predictions about the potential of technology are often wildly wrong. One MP familiar with the field reckons: "The tech bros have all watched a bit too much Terminator - how does this technology go from a computer program to removing oxygen from the atmosphere?" The MP believes heavier regulation won't be required for a few years.
One tech firm has told us there is no need to panic: "There are harms we're already aware of, like deep fake videos impersonating people or students cheating on tests, but that's quite a leap to then say we should all be terrified of a sentient machine taking control or killing humanity."
Another senior MP, whose been studying the UK's proposals, says the risks are not yet "catastrophic" and it's better to take a careful and gradual approach to any new laws than "take a running jump, and splash into the unknown".
But to worry about big changes is part of human nature. Clerics worried the printing press would make monks lazy in the 15th Century. Weavers smashed up machines in the 19th Century fearing they'd lose their livelihood.
Even your author snubbed the offer of a mobile phone in 1997 convinced they'd only be for "show-offs" and would never really catch on.
What is certain, is that this generation of politicians and those who follow will increasingly have to spend their time grappling with this emerging frontier of technology. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65147841 |
Formula 1: Max Verstappen on Australian Grand Prix pole ahead of George Russell - BBC Sport | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | null | Red Bull's Max Verstappen takes pole position for the Australian Grand Prix ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. | null | Last updated on .From the section Formula 1
Red Bull's Max Verstappen took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen beat Russell by 0.236 seconds as Mercedes had their best qualifying of the season. Hamilton was 0.136secs further adrift in third.
Fernando Alonso was fourth in the Aston Martin ahead of Carlos Sainz's Ferrari.
Sergio Perez crashed the second Red Bull on his first lap of qualifying and will start the race at the back.
It is a major blow to the Mexican, who is just one point behind Verstappen in the championship after his victory in the last race in Saudi Arabia and who started the weekend saying he had confidence he had Red Bull's backing to challenge his team-mate.
Perez insisted there was a problem with the car after a day characterised by similar errors caused by locking his wheels during braking but said he "trusts totally with my team we will be able to fix the issue".
• None Realistic Mercedes to still 'go for it' in Australia
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Lance Stroll was fifth for Aston, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc - complaining he had been held up by Sainz on his final lap and did not know why - and the impressive Williams of Alex Albon.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. McLaren's difficult start to the season continued with Lando Norris in 13th place.
Albon and Hulkenberg produced eye-catching performances to be in the top 10 in their normally uncompetitive cars but it was the Mercedes that produced the surprise of qualifying.
Verstappen pulled out a blinder of a lap on his final run and when Alonso went second in the Aston Martin with a lap 0.407secs off the world champion, the front of the grid seemed set given Ferrari's lack of pace this weekend.
But first Russell popped up between Verstappen and Alonso, then Hamilton sneaked in as well.
"We weren't expecting that, for sure," said Russell, who has out-qualified Hamilton three times in a row so far this season.
"Wow. What session for us. The car felt alive. The lap was right on the limit.
"I have to be honest - I was a little disappointed we didn't get pole. It's funny how your expectations change in this business. Yesterday I would have been happy with fifth, but the car came alive.
"Excited for tomorrow. It's going to be tough against Max but we will give it the best go."
Hamilton added: "I am so happy with this. This is totally unexpected. To be up on the two front rows is honestly a dream for us.
"We are all working as hard as we can and to be this close to the Red Bull is incredible. I hope tomorrow we can give them a bit of a run for their money."
Verstappen admitted Red Bull had struggled to get the optimum out of their car this weekend, which had been a scrappy one up to qualifying.
"The last lap was pretty good," Verstappen said. "Until then the whole weekend it has been difficult to get the tyres in the right window and it was pretty tricky to find the grip and nail it on one lap.
"But it all came right in qualifying. I'm pretty happy with that."
In his post-race interviews, Hamilton seemed to take the opportunity to have a subtle dig at his old rival Alonso, who he pipped with his final lap after the Aston Martin had impressed all weekend.
Alonso said in an interview with French newspaper this weekend that it was clear now Hamilton no longer had the best car that he "had weaknesses".
And as he waved to the crowd, Hamilton said he hoped to have a first corner similar to the one he had in 2007 on his debut. "Does anyone remember that," he asked?
It was an apparent reference to him famously passing his then-McLaren team-mate Alonso around the outside of Turn One in his very first grand prix, the first dramatic moment in a season that developed into one of the most tumultuous in F1 history.
• None Enter the world of the social media personality's multi-level marketing scheme and webcam business
• None Stealing it was only the beginning...: | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/65146373 |
Trump and Stormy Daniels cash in on merchandise after indictment - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The adult film star pops the champagne as she says orders for T-shirts and other gear are "pouring in". | US & Canada | Former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday
Former President Donald Trump and porn star Stormy Daniels have spent years battling in court. Now, they're selling duelling T-shirts.
A Manhattan grand jury voted on Thursday to indict Mr Trump in connection with a $130,000 (£105,000) hush money payment to Ms Daniels.
She alleges the two had an affair in 2006. Mr Trump has acknowledged the pay-out but denied they had sex.
His campaign sent a fundraising email soon after the charges were reported.
"This Witch Hunt will BACKFIRE MASSIVELY," he said in the email. "With your support, we will write the next great chapter of American history - and 2024 will forever go down as the year we saved our Republic."
The message asked people for money, offering a T-shirt with the words "I stand with Trump" for donations of $47 (£38) or more, which his campaign team claimed were "flying off shelves".
The Trump campaign says it raised more than $4m in the first 24 hours after news of the indictment broke.
But the case has brought a windfall for Ms Daniels, too.
In a tweet on Thursday after charges were announced, Ms Daniels - whose real name is Stephanie Clifford - said orders for "#Teamstormy merch/authograph[s]" were "pouring in".
"Thank you to everyone for your support and love!" she wrote.
Her website features a range of merchandise, including $20 T-shirts with the words "#TEAMSTORMY", signed posters of herself posing in lingerie, and a $30 dog chew toy that looks like Mr Trump.
Her tweet was liked more than 94,000 times, while dozens of users replied with thank you messages.
The porn star has over a million followers on Twitter, as well as a Facebook fan club page with more than 2,000 members, many of them ardent critics of Mr Trump.
In a live stream on Wednesday night on OnlyFans, a subscription-based website known for its adult content, Ms Daniels defended herself from criticism that she was trying to profit off the affair, according to the Independent.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Witch hunt or justice? US split on Trump indictment
"Everybody that has a business sells merch," she said, pointing out Mr Trump was similarly using the case to pull in funds.
"That's actually - I can't believe I'm about to say this - kind of brilliant," she said. "Why is it OK for him and it's not OK for me?"
But Ms Daniels and Mr Trump aren't the only ones cashing in.
Outside the former president's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, on Friday, merchandise vendor Ronald Solomon told Reuters news agency that sales of Trump-themed hats and T-shirts had soared.
The money-spinning is a reminder of 1920s US President Calvin Coolidge's adage: "After all, the chief business of the American people is business." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65143479 |
Energy support scheme deadline passes but new vouchers still available - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The original vouchers have now expired, but consumers who have not redeemed one can get a new one. | Northern Ireland | Consumers who have not yet redeemed their £600 energy voucher can receive a new one even after the deadline has passed, a government department has said.
The scheme, which began in January, was was due to end on 31 March.
The original vouchers expire at the end of March but if customers have not yet redeemed them, they can request a new voucher from their supplier.
The voucher can then be redeemed up until 30 June.
Some customers who had their vouchers reissued will have three months from the new issue date to redeem them.
Latest figures show more than 90% of Northern Ireland households are getting much-needed help to meet energy costs.
The £600 payments are to help homes across Northern Ireland struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
An initial £400 support was announced last May and a further £200 was later added due to the high proportion of homes in Northern Ireland that use home heating oil.
The payment was given to all households regardless of whether they use oil.
Customers who pay their electricity bills by direct debit received their £600 as a bank transfer.
Households in Great Britain have been receiving similar support in monthly instalments since October.
But the lump sum nature of the scheme in Northern Ireland means households in the region will get the full support ahead of households in Great Britain.
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Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability Amanda Solloway tweeted on Friday: "I urge everyone to cash in their existing vouchers if they can, as these expire today.
"If you can't, just request a replacement voucher from your supplier to be used until 30 June." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65142550 |
Sewage entered rivers and seas on average 825 times a day last year - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Environment Agency data shows sewage spilled into England's waterways for over 1.75 million hours last year. | Science & Environment | Water companies released raw sewage into rivers and seas in England for more than 1.75 million hours last year.
There were an average of 825 sewage spills into waterways per day, the data shows - down 19% on the previous year.
But the Environment Agency put the fall largely down to drier weather, not water company action.
Although not illegal, academics and environmental groups say releasing sewage poses a danger to human health.
Companies release sewage when there is too much demand on their treatment works during rainy periods.
Contained within the untreated effluent is human waste, wet wipes and sanitary products, which pose a serious risk to the local wildlife, swimmers and others who use UK waterways.
"This degrades precious ecosystems and poses a danger to public health," said Prof Jamie Woodward, geography professor at the University of Manchester.
"Each discharge is a toxic cocktail of many pollutants, including microplastics and pathogens."
Your device may not support this visualisation
The latest data, revealed by the Environment Agency on Friday, was taken from monitoring stations installed at combined sewer overflows or CSOs. CSOs were developed as overflow valves to reduce the risk of sewage backing up during heavy rainfall when sewer pipes become overloaded, leading to flooding.
The valves release a mixture of raw sewage from homes and businesses, and rainwater run-off.
Whilst the data shows a 34% reduction in the duration of spills since 2021, John Leyland, environment agency executive director said last year's decrease was "largely down to dry weather, not water company action".
"We want to see quicker progress from water companies on reducing spills and acting on monitoring data," he added.
According to the data, the company that released sewage most often in 2022 was United Utilities, which covers the North West of England. It spilled sewage for nearly half a million hours.
Your device may not support this visualisation
Water UK, which represents the water industry, told the BBC that this is the fourth year spill figures have come down and "companies are committed to building on this positive news".
Water Minister Rebecca Pow agreed that the level of discharges is "unacceptable" and said she wanted water companies to be held accountable.
The government has vowed to crack down on sewage spills by requiring water firms to invest £56bn over 25 years on improving their infrastructure, and to fit all storm overflows in the network with event duration monitoring (EDM) monitors by the end of this year.
But the Liberal Democrats have called on Secretary of State for the Environment Thérèse Coffey to resign over the figures.
And the Green Party agreed that water companies should be held to task more on the issue.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: "The situation we currently have across the country where water companies can, almost with impunity, dump sewage into our rivers, waterways and coastal waters cannot go on."
The Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat is currently investigating six water companies for potential breach of the law over their discharges.
Jim McMahon, Labour shadow secretary for environment, called for an end to systematic discharges by 2030 and said the figures show a lack of respect from the government for the places people live.
The River Wharfe is the first river in the UK to be given bathing water status
In the town of Ilkley, in West Yorkshire, local campaigners lobbied to have a stretch of their river designated as bathing water, meaning the Environment Agency has to test and monitor the quality of the water.
But those tests have shown the bathing water quality to be poor, meaning that the Environment Agency deems it "worse than sufficient" in terms of levels of pollution.
Ilkley Clean River campaigner Di Loury told BBC News that when members of the public visit Ilkley, "because it's designated as bathing water, they think the water is clean".
"But testing is one thing, cleaning up the river is another. We really should be putting the quality of the river before the profits of water companies."
Many campaigners want to know how water companies can justify profits, while they continue to pollute UK waterways.
Nicola Shaw, who took on the role of chief executive of Yorkshire Water 10 months ago, told BBC News that her company had not paid dividends to shareholders for five years: "And I actually think that's a worry," she said.
"We need shareholders to want to put money in to support the investment that needs to happen," she added.
Additional reporting by Becky Dale, Erwan Rivault and Will Dahlgreen
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65099906 |
Three British men being held by Taliban in Afghanistan - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two of the three British nationals were arrested on 11 January, a humanitarian organisation has confirmed. | UK | Paramedic Kevin Cornwell, 53, has been detained in Afghanistan
Three British nationals are currently being held in custody by the Taliban in Afghanistan, a humanitarian organisation has told the BBC.
Scott Richards from the Presidium Network named one of the men as Kevin Cornwell, 53, from Middlesbrough.
Mr Richards said Mr Cornwell and another unnamed man had been arrested in January. He confirmed a third man was also arrested on a different date.
The home secretary said the government was "in negotiations" over the men.
Speaking to Sky News, Suella Braverman said: "Anyone travelling to dangerous parts of the world should take the utmost caution. If they are going to do that they should always act on the advice of the Foreign Office travel advice.
"If there are risks to people's safety, if they're a British citizen abroad, then the UK government is going to do whatever it takes to ensure that they're safe.
"The government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure people's safety is upheld."
The Foreign Office said it was working hard to contact the men.
The Presidium Network is a UK-based non-profit organisation that provides support to communities in crisis, representing the needs of people affected by violence or poverty to international policy makers.
Mr Richards confirmed the organisation is representing Mr Cornwell, a paramedic who works for a charity, and the second unnamed man but not the third British national.
Mr Richards said while there were "no official charges as such", the two men's detention on 11 January was understood to be over a weapon in a safe in Mr Cornwell's room, which he said was stored with a licence issued by the Afghan interior ministry.
"That license is missing," he said, adding: "But we have taken several statements from witnesses who have seen the licence and affirm its existence.
"It is perfectly possible that during the search the licence was separated from the weapon and, as such, why we refer to this scenario as a probable misunderstanding."
In a statement to the BBC, Iqarus - the charity Mr Cornwell has worked with as a medic - said it had been "working tirelessly, alongside the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to secure Kevin's release".
"These efforts are our top priority and are ongoing," it said.
The third man is understood to be Miles Routledge, 23, from Birmingham, who was evacuated from Afghanistan by British Armed Forces in August 2021.
Miles Routledge said previously he travelled to Afghanistan as he enjoys "dark" and "extreme" tourism
The former Loughborough University student has attracted attention by travelling to dangerous countries and posting about it on social media.
He previously shared that he chose Afghanistan because he enjoyed "dark" and "extreme" tourism.
Following his extraction from the country less than two years ago, he told the BBC he was "exhausted but relieved" and thanked the British Army who had been deployed to support the evacuation of UK nationals from Kabul.
Mr Richard told Sky News: "To our knowledge and awareness, we do believe they are in good health and being well treated.
"We have no reason to believe they've been subject to any negative treatment such as torture and we're told that they are as good as can be expected in such circumstances."
He added that there has been "no meaningful contact" between authorities and the two men Presidium is assisting. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65118681 |
Sarah Polley told to return Oscar in 'cruel' April Fools' prank - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The film-maker, who won an Oscar for Women Talking, got a letter asking her to "mail it back". | Entertainment & Arts | Sarah Polley won the Best Adapted Screenplay award for Women Talking
Canadian film-maker Sarah Polley has shared a "cruel" April Fools' joke played on her by none other than her 11-year-old child.
A letter turned up on Saturday morning, reading "We say this to you with the deepest regrets: the Oscar you received was given by mistake."
Polley won the best adapted screenplay for Women Talking at the 95th Academy Awards in Los Angeles last month.
The letter, posted on Twitter, asked her to "mail it back" to California.
It said she could keep the award for one more week so she could "enjoy its presence" in her home.
But ultimately, it needed to be returned so it could go to the "rightful" winner: All Quiet on the Western Front.
"We are sorry for your loss, but it is only fair that the play with the real best adapted screenplay gets the Oscar."
Polley's child went on to joke that Oscar bosses had realised their error on the day the award was given - but wanted to avoid another blunder like La La Land being named winner of Best Picture in 2017 instead of Moonlight.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by @realSarahPolley (she/her) This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
The film-maker behind All Quiet on the Western Front, Edward Berger, got in on the joke.
"To save on mailing costs as I live overseas the Academy has asked me to provide you with my address so you can ship the Oscar directly," he tweeted to Polley.
"I will follow up shortly. Ok with you?"
Polley, who shot to fame as an actor in the 1990s, swiftly realised the letter was not written by the Academy, but by her child as an April Fools' Day prank.
But she made it clear she wasn't impressed - saying her 11-year-old "swung low" for April Fools' Day.
"We feel it is wrong you get this on 1 April as you will probably think it is a joke, and we feel that is wrong, so another letter will be sent assuring you that this is not a joke," the letter said.
"This is much too cruel to be a joke, ergo we deeply apologise for any inconvenience we may have caused you." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65152276 |
School leaders' union could take Ofsted to court after Ruth Perry's death - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The NAHT is challenging a decision not to pause inspections after head teacher Ruth Perry's death. | Family & Education | Ruth Perry was the head at Caversham Primary School in Reading
Ofsted could face a legal challenge over its decision not to pause its school inspections after the death of head teacher Ruth Perry.
Ms Perry took her own life while waiting for a report that downgraded her school to "inadequate".
The NAHT school leaders' union wants England's schools watchdog to pause inspections so a review to cut the risk of harm to school staff can take place.
Ofsted has said pausing inspections would not be good for children.
The school leaders' union has written to Ofsted's chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, saying "the human rights of school staff are not being protected".
The letter says steps need to be taken now to address the risk to the mental health of school staff and enable suicide risk prevention to be put in place.
Ms Perry's family has said her death was a "direct result of the pressure" caused by the school inspection.
Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said her death "has shone a light on the intolerable pressure placed on school leaders and their staff during Ofsted inspections".
He added: "School leaders are determined that this should be a watershed moment, and that such a tragedy can never be allowed to happen again."
Mr Whiteman has asked Ms Spielman to identify and agree "immediate actions that can be taken" that are "discussed and agreed with NAHT - it needs to be done with us, not to us".
"Up until now those requests have been ignored. As such, we have no alternative but to go down this route," he added.
The Ofsted report for Ms Perry's school, Caversham Primary School, described a "welcoming and vibrant school", where staff-pupil relationships were "warm and supportive", and bullying was rare.
But it also highlighted a lack of "appropriate supervision during break times", which meant pupils were "potentially at risk of harm".
An Ofsted spokesperson said: "We are surprised by claims that Ofsted has ignored requests to engage in discussions with the NAHT.
"Amanda Spielman has met senior NAHT representatives twice in the last week, and she has clearly indicated Ofsted's willingness to continue having constructive discussions about these issues."
Following calls for inspections to be paused, Ms Spielman previously said it was "unquestionably a difficult time to be a head teacher".
She acknowledged that the debate about removing grades, where a school is given an overall mark of outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate, is a "legitimate one".
But she added that the grades do give parents "a simple and accessible summary of a school's strengths and weaknesses" and are used by the government to identify struggling schools.
"I don't believe that stopping or preventing inspections would be in children's best interests. Our aim is to raise standards, so that all children get a great education" she added.
If you have been affected by issues raised in this article you can visit the BBC Action Line pages, or contact Samaritans. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-65140375 |
Iowa tornadoes captured by eyewitness in car - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | null | Footage shows the tornadoes sweeping through Iowa - one of several states affected. | null | An eyewitness has captured two tornadoes from the roadside in Keota, a small town in the US state of Iowa.
Tornadoes were reported in several states as a result of a large storm system moving towards the east of the US. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65146149 |
South Yorkshire PC jailed for taking photo of teenager's breasts - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Paul Hinchcliffe's victims tells a court the officer's actions destroyed her trust in the police. | Sheffield & South Yorkshire | Paul Hinchcliffe, 46, was found guilty after a trial at Leeds Crown Court
A South Yorkshire Police officer who pulled down a teenager's top and photographed her breasts has been jailed for eight months.
Paul Hinchcliffe, 46, sexually assaulted the 18-year-old in a pub in Wath upon Dearne in October 2020.
The victim told Leeds Crown Court the officer's behaviour had destroyed her trust in the police.
The married father-of-four resigned from the force after being convicted by a jury in January.
Hinchcliffe was off-duty and drinking with a group including other officers when he committed the offence in The Church House, a Wetherspoons pub, on 3 October.
He first took a photo of the woman and showed it to friends and made a comment about performing a sex act, the court heard.
Hinchliffe then flicked beer foam at the teenager's chest before pulling open her top, photographing her breasts in her bra, and making sex noises before sending the image to a colleague.
Later that night the woman, who lived with her parents, received WhatsApp messages from Hinchcliffe, one of which included a photo of her accompanied by several sexually explicit emojis.
Hinchcliffe was drinking with other police officers in The Church House pub at the time of the offence
In a victim impact statement, the 18-year-old said: "All my trust for the police just went.
"I used to feel safe when I saw police officers. I never think that now."
Sentencing Hinchcliffe, of Songthrush Way, Wath upon Dearne, Judge Robin Mairs told him his conduct "betrays your fellow officers who do a decent, committed job and makes women mistrustful of the police force".
Katherine Pierpoint, defending, had urged the judge to suspend the prison sentence and pointed to a raft of references from colleagues about his 20-year career.
The barrister said her client's drunkenness at the time of the offence was no excuse but might explain his "completely out-of-character" behaviour.
She said that, unlike other recent high-profile cases, Hinchcliffe had not used his position as a police officer to commit the offence.
But Mr Mairs rejected her plea and noted Hinchcliffe's role at the time of the offence involved training student police officers, saying he had breached the standards he was tasked with instilling into recruits.
He said the behaviour of Hinchcliffe and other officers in the pub "went far beyond jokes and banter" and had dented the victim's trust in both men and the police.
South Yorkshire Police said an accelerated misconduct hearing on 9 February concluded Hinchcliffe's conviction amounted to gross misconduct and the officer would have been dismissed without notice if he had still been serving.
Hinchcliffe, whose name will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years, has been placed on the police barred list, meaning he will never work in policing again, the force added.
Chief Constable Lauren Poultney said: "Whether our officers and staff are on duty or not, the public rightly expect us to portray the true values of policing at all times and this former officer fell woefully below these expectations."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-65139112 |
Lufthansa glitch sees airline sell man's return ticket - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ieuan Davies had to spend £932 on alternative flight after being told he was not on outbound flight. | Wales | Ieuan Davies flew to Croatia on a Lufthansa flight but the airline told him his return ticket had been sold on as he had been a "no-show" on the outbound flight
A Wales football fan said he has been left more than £900 out of pocket due to a suspected airline computer glitch.
Ieuan Davies, 56, from Llangefni, on Anglesey, booked a return flight to the Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia, departing from Manchester on 24 March.
Wales drew 1-1 but when Mr Davies tried to come home on 26 March, Lufthansa said his ticket had been sold as he was a "no-show" for the outbound flight.
Lufthansa said Mr Davies should get in touch.
The German airline directed him to its customer relations department, which Mr Davies said he had contacted on multiple occasions already.
He said he first became concerned when the details of his return flight did not appear on the Lufthansa app.
"Computer says no": To his surprise, Ieuan Davies was told he was not on the outbound flight to Split, Croatia
Friends said not to worry, but he called the airline and was told he had missed his flight to Split in Croatia via Frankfurt.
"I said to them 'I'm here, in Split. I'm ringing you from Split. You flew me here on Friday'," he recalled.
After more calls, the increasingly confused former town mayor turned up at the airport but Lufthansa said he was no longer booked on the flight.
Mr Davies said he was forced to buy a seat on the only available flight that would get him back to north Wales for Monday morning - an Air France business class ticket via Paris.
Wales debutant Nathan Broadhead secured an unexpected point for Wales with an injury-time equaliser
He has since had further calls with Lufthansa but said he was extremely frustrated the airline had refused to accept he was on the outbound flight.
He said he went through boarding and passport control as normal and was completely baffled by what has happened.
"It's some sort of computer glitch," he said. "I've given them the seat number I sat in. I've told them about the passenger I sat next to.
"I've been told it's some sort of one-in-five-million fault."
His insurers say it could be difficult to make a claim as he has no paperwork to show he was on the flight - it was all dealt with through the app and his details disappeared.
Mr Davies said he had since had a lot of help from the office of local Senedd Member Rhun ap Iorwerth, and the Wales Football Supporters Association.
"But it could take months," he added.
"It shows you just how messy the airline industry can be. Somehow I flew into Croatia under the radar.'" | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65091823 |
Cambridgeshire shootings: Man, 66, due in court charged with murders - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Stephen Alderton, 66, is charged over the deaths of Gary and Josh Dunmore in Cambridgeshire. | Cambridgeshire | Gary and Josh Dunmore were shot dead at properties in Cambridgeshire on Wednesday
A man is due in court charged with the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in Cambridgeshire.
Stephen Alderton, 66, of no fixed address, has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm.
On Wednesday Josh Dunmore, 32, was found dead at his home in the village of Bluntisham and Gary Dunmore, 57, was found in nearby Sutton.
Mr Alderton will appear at Huntingdon Magistrates' Court later today.
A 27-year-old man and 33-year-old woman, who were also arrested in connection with the deaths, were released on Friday with no further action taken.
Cambridgeshire Police was called to reports of gunshots at Meridian Close, Bluntisham, just after 21:00 BST on Wednesday. When they arrived they discovered Josh Dunmore dead.
About 40 minutes later, more gunshots were reported in the village of Sutton, about six-and-a-half miles away. The body of Gary Dunmore was found inside a property there.
The victims' family paid tribute to the men in a statement released by Cambridgeshire Police.
"Josh was a devoted father and a loving uncle. He was a wonderful son and brother and leaves behind an extensive group of family and friends," they said.
"He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal.
"Gary was the most devoted son, brother, dad and grandad, who gave everything for those he loved.
"He was a gentle and generous person who always put others before himself and he'll be massively missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him."
Floral tributes have been left in the two Cambridgeshire villages
A floral tribute to Mr Dunmore Sr, left outside his home in The Row, Sutton, said: "To my dear neighbour Gary.
"A man who loved his family dearly, a dear friend to all, so helpful and kind and was always around as a friend and my little odd job man.
Police said post-mortem examinations were due to be carried out on Monday.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65146693 |
Trump indictment: 'I worry for the times ahead' - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | US voters tell the BBC how they feel about the historic indictment of a former US president. | US & Canada | The historic criminal indictment against former US President Donald Trump has sparked another partisan flashpoint in an already deeply polarised nation.
Ahead of his court appearance next Tuesday, voters have been sharing with the BBC their strongly felt reactions to the first prosecution of a former president.
Whatever their political affiliation, most of our voter panel agreed that the unprecedented case leaves the US in uncharted waters.
This is an excellent example of the politicisation of the judiciary. It's a huge mistake. Banana republic style vindictiveness. It's, in my opinion, totally undermining our rule of law and sets the US up for real trouble ahead. It's a huge mess and completely destructive.
This action taken by the New York district attorney destroys any respect for the rule of law that many in the public had. It does not inspire trust or confidence in our system. It is very worrisome.
Again, can't stress it enough - it's a huge mistake and the ramifications are going to be deep and far reaching. I worry for the times ahead in our country. We're heading into turbulent times and our institutions and customs will be tested like we've never seen before. I hope our republic can survive - all because of a vindictive and petty, hypocritical step by a 'smallish' prosecutor in New York.
This is one of many things that he should be charged with, and more presidents should be charged with more wrongdoing than just Trump.
I think that denying prosecution of a public or political figure is itself an inherently political move. Presidents should absolutely be held to the same - or higher standards - of public scrutiny and lawful consequences.
He should absolutely face prosecution. I genuinely think that the battle lines in the country have already been drawn. I think that people have made up their minds about Trump. They love him or hate him and I don't see that changing.
I feel they want to put a 'stain' on Donald Trump's character - as no other president has been criminally charged in our US history.
I am surprised that they actually indicted him. This looks very bad for our country and for Trump to run in 2024. The news will focus on this more than anything that Trump has accomplished, and it will have a negative impact on Trump's run for 2024.
I'm saddened to see this happen and do not agree with the Manhattan jury. I hope Trump can pick a good running mate - he is going to need it.
These are indeed uncharted times we are embarking on. Living in the New York area, we are a bit on guard but overall I believe these growing pains are necessary for us as a country to affirm who we are - a country where no-one is above the law.
It's hard to find a person who believes the former president didn't break laws, they simply debate whether he should be charged, which in itself says a lot about the vulnerability of our democracy right now.
For me, it's a naked and blatantly gross breach of responsibility by the Manhattan district attorney that goes beyond anything I've ever witnessed in my life. It is an embarrassment that in this country, things have gotten to the point where an extreme stretch in interpretation of the law could be used in an attempt to take out a political opponent.
This is the stuff of banana republics and countries that have been or are under the control of dictatorial power. Moreover, I think the Manhattan district attorney, with all that is on his plate with regards to crime in his jurisdiction, is so out of touch to want to go after a former president instead of focusing on the immediate needs of his electorate.
I predict this will come back to haunt Biden in the 2024 election cycle that is just now getting underway - look for Republicans to pull all the stops going after the president and his son in their investigations.
I'm glad that the law applies to everyone. I look forward to him having to answer for himself and let a jury decide. I'm comfortable letting the system do it's job.
I'm also really sad that this day has come to the US. The fact that this took a long time to happen is good - this wasn't some rush to achieve a pre-defined objective. I'm also hoping Trump is healthy at least long enough to see this to its conclusion.
I also think that if Trump could watch Michael Cohen get convicted for campaign finance crimes he committed for him, it will likely make it easier to prove that there was in fact a federal crime connected to the money. I'm sure Cohen will feel vindicated. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65144326 |
Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin: Briton returns to winning ways with unanimous points win - BBC Sport | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | null | Anthony Joshua returns to winning ways with a unanimous points victory over Jermaine Franklin at London's O2 Arena. | null | Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Anthony Joshua returned to winning ways with a unanimous points victory over Jermaine Franklin at London's O2 Arena.
The British heavyweight, 33, controlled the contest against the durable American but it was not the explosive early finish many expected.
Two judges scored it 117-111 and one 118-111 to Joshua.
Tempers flared after the final bell as the two fighters squared up to each other, prompting their teams to enter the ring and be separated by security.
• None 'Joshua doesn't want to do it any more' - Whyte analysis of fight
It is Joshua's first win in more than two years, having lost consecutive bouts to WBA (Super), IBF and WBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk.
"No knockout, so no good. It is a brutal sport, but knockouts are everything. I'm not too happy," Joshua told 5 Live Boxing.
"I could have thrown more shots, and I should have, no excuses. But I will. That is part of coming back; you have to be your own biggest critic."
He also called out fellow Briton and WBC champion Tyson Fury, saying: "I try and provide for the fans. I know who they want. They said Tyson Fury - the ball is in his court."
• None As it happened: Joshua defeats Franklin in London
• None Wood to face Lara in rematch for world title
Joshua has now won 25 fights, with 22 stoppages, and lost three since turning professional in 2013.
It is a second defeat for Franklin, 29, having lost to Briton Dillian Whyte in November.
Joshua returned to the O2 Arena - once a fortress for the Watford fighter - after seven years. His seven previous fights at the venue ended inside the distance, but this was not vintage Joshua.
A boisterous sellout crowd, including popstar Liam Payne and journalist Louis Theroux, were in attendance, eager to see whether Joshua - still one of the biggest names in British boxing - remained a force in the division.
Away fighter Franklin - who earlier travelled on the London underground to the arena due to traffic - entered the ring first to huge jeers. Joshua followed, marching to the ring with a look of determination.
Joshua started strongly, taking the centre of the ring and doubling up on the jab to pierce Franklin's guard, with quick feet to stay out of range of any advances. A thudding straight right got Franklin's attention at the start of the second.
The Michigan fighter - who shed 23lbs since losing to Whyte - came out strong in the third, growing in confidence and showing he was not there to make up the numbers.
Joshua landed a telegraphed uppercut from range in the fourth and both men found success in the fifth.
Boxing fans and pundits felt Joshua needed to win in style against a fringe world-level contender. Even 'AJ' himself said he needed to make a statement, but it was starting to look as if that would not be the case.
Franklin began to tire into the second half of the fight, Joshua landing a sharp hook on the inside. The two men stood their ground and exchanged glares after the bell in the seventh.
But when the AJ of old would have pushed for a knockout, the fight instead became scrappy as both men were warned for holding in the ninth.
Joshua enjoyed more success in the following round, stunning Franklin with a terrific uppercut. He grinned and, perhaps for the first time in the fight, the former unified heavyweight champion was reminiscent of his old self.
A complacent Joshua was reminded of the danger Franklin poses, taking a couple of clean shots, but out-jabbed his opponent, who continued to clinch, in the final rounds.
In scenes not too dissimilar to his outburst when he lost to Ukrainian Usyk in August, Joshua once again allowed his frustration to get the better of him after the final bell.
He tapped Franklin on the back of the head, who reacted and then AJ decided to wrestle with his opponent, before Franklin's corner got involved. The melee continued outside the ring, pushing back the barriers separating the teams from media.
"Last time I grabbed the mic, it was a bit chaotic," Joshua said afterwards. "I'm calm - I appreciate everyone coming out this evening.
"Inside the ring, it is a different energy so I apologise to those watching."
Fans wanted to see the return of the old Joshua. The ferocious, ruthless combination puncher who stopped his first 20 opponents inside the distance.
But the last time Joshua won in the first half of a fight was in 2016, against Eric Molina. Perhaps that is testament to the level of opponents he has faced since then.
Franklin - a fringe world level contender - gave Joshua a harder night's work than most expected. Nevertheless, the pressure was on. A defeat for Joshua would have been difficult to come back from.
Despite an underwhelming performance, Joshua is keen on a match-up with Fury.
"I would be honoured to fight for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world," Joshua said.
"If he's listening, he knows my promoter, we've had dialogue before, so let's continue this. We ain't getting any younger."
Promoter Hearn added: "There may be an opportunity to do the Tyson Fury fight next.
"If it is there, it'll be difficult for AJ not to take it. He may think he will never get it.
"The sensible thing is to have another fight with Derrick James to improve; Dillian Whyte is a great option. The first fight was epic. It is all about timing. Money? Not so much, but he is looking at big fights.
"That was his career on the line and he was apprehensive for that reason."
Unbeaten Fury's last outing was a trilogy bout win over Derek Chisora in December. The Morecambe fighter will be looking for a high-profile opponent for his next fight.
Joshua-Fury is arguably the most lucrative bout for both men. In terms of appeasing boxing fans, it would go a little way in clawing back some credibility for the sport after an undisputed fight between Fury and Usyk fell through.
• None Enter the world of the social media personality's multi-level marketing scheme and webcam business
• None Stealing it was only the beginning...: | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/65148794 |
Covid booster vaccine available for most vulnerable - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Some five million people in England are eligible for a spring booster, including those aged 75 and over. | Health | The NHS in England is launching a spring booster vaccine campaign against Covid-19 for people most at risk of serious illness from the disease.
Around five million are eligible, including people aged 75 and over, some people with weakened immune systems, and older residents in care homes.
From Monday, older adults in care homes are expected to begin receiving their vaccines, given by visiting NHS teams.
Other eligible people will be able to receive jabs from mid-April.
Bookings for those appointments will open on Wednesday 5 April.
The rollout follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), published in March.
The committee said, over the course of the pandemic, data available from the UK and internationally showed older people were more likely to experience severe disease. As a result, they would gain the most from protection from an additional vaccine dose this spring.
NHS director of vaccinations and screening, Steve Russell, said: "As a society we are learning to live with Covid, but for many it is still a virus that can cause serious illness and hospitalisation, and so it is still really important that those at greatest risk come forward and boost their protection in the coming weeks.
"There are still around 8,000 people in hospital with Covid according to the latest data, and the NHS has now treated more than one million Covid in-patients since the pandemic began.
He added: "So if you are over 75 or you have a weakened immune system, please come forward as soon as possible to book a Covid vaccine this spring, so you can enjoy summer with peace of mind."
Some people aged five and over who are defined as immunosuppressed will be among those offered a booster jab.
They include people who have had organ transplants or who have blood cancer, and those undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
Millions of invitations will be sent through the NHS App, alongside texts messages and letters for those without the app or not actively using it.
People who are eligible for jabs should make sure appointments take place at least three months after their last dose.
Vaccines will be available in around 3,000 sites across England, with the majority of jabs given in pharmacies and GP surgeries.
The last spring booster appointments will be available on 30 June.
Those eligible in Wales will be offered booster appointments between 1 April and 30 June.
In Scotland, the spring vaccine rollout will begin with people living in care homes. The jab will be offered to over-75s from 11 April, and anyone aged five and over with a weakened immune system from 24 April.
In Northern Ireland spring boosters will be available from 12 April. Most people will receive invites through their GP.
• None Who can get another Covid jab this spring? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65138237 |
Nottingham: 'White collar' boxer injured in charity bout dies - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The amateur fighter was taken to hospital after his bout but his condition deteriorated. | Nottingham | The man had been a participant in an evening boxing charity event at Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Nottingham
A man who suffered serious injuries during a charity boxing match has died in hospital.
Emergency services were called to the Ultra White Collar Boxing event at Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Nottingham on 25 March.
The boxer was taken to Queen's Medical Centre but his condition deteriorated and he later died, Nottinghamshire Police said.
The force added it was working with the coroner to establish what had happened.
Det Insp Chris Berryman said: "A man was left seriously injured following a boxing match and transported to Queen's Medical Centre.
"Since the incident, his condition deteriorated and he has sadly passed away.
"Our thoughts are with all of his family and friends at this difficult time.
"We are keeping an open mind and working with the coroner to establish what has happened."
On its website, Ultra White Collar Boxing says it organises fights for "complete beginners" to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
Participants - both men and women - receive eight weeks of training at a boxing gym before they are paired with an opponent of similar weight, age and ability.
A spokesperson for the Derby-based organisation said: "Everyone was deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of one of our participants, who took part in our Nottingham event.
"Our thoughts are very much with his family and friends at this difficult time.
"We are in close contact with his family and continue to offer them all the support we can.
"With investigations now under way by the relevant authorities, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."
Nottingham City Council, which runs the leisure centre, called it a "tragic incident" which occurred during a private event.
"Sadly one of the participants was seriously injured during one of the opening bouts," a spokesperson said.
"On-site paramedics attended to him before an ambulance took him to Queen's Medical Centre.
"We are deeply saddened to hear that he has since died in hospital and our thoughts are with his family and friends."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-65147562 |
Dars: BBC education show in Afghanistan helps children banned from school - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The BBC's new education programme, Dars, is aimed at Afghan children who are banned from school. | Asia | Aalia Farzan is one of the Dari language presenters and originally wanted to be a teacher
The BBC has launched a new education programme for children in Afghanistan who are banned from school.
It is aimed at children aged 11 to 16, including girls whose secondary education has been stopped by the ruling Taliban.
The weekly programme is called Dars, which means lesson in Dari and Pashto, Afghanistan's official languages.
It is hosted by BBC Afghan female journalists who were evacuated from Kabul during the 2021 Taliban takeover.
Each new weekly half-hour episode of Dars will air four times a day, Saturday to Friday, on the newly launched BBC News Afghanistan channel.
The programme will also be available via BBC News Pashto and BBC News Dari Facebook channels, will be part of the BBC Persian TV channel schedule, and will air on radio through the network of BBC FM transmitters in Afghanistan as well as on short-wave and medium-wave radio.
Aalia Farzan is one of the Dari language presenters.
"Every day I speak to a lot of Afghan girls who are still in the country and they tell me they cannot go to school," she says. "They are very helpless and sometimes they seem hopeless."
The Taliban have said that schools for girls are temporarily closed until a "suitable environment" is created.
They have also said the international community's decision to freeze aid payments means they do not have the money to spend on female-only classrooms.
The BBC show is tailored to children aged between 11 and 16 and makes the most of the BBC's existing teaching content, adapting maths, history, science, and Information and Communications Technology modules from BBC Bitesize, the BBC's free online resource for pupils in the UK.
Mariam Aman is one of the programme's producers and says that adapting BBC Bitesize content for an Afghan audience went beyond translation. "Do a boy or girl living in rural Afghanistan know what pizza is when we are talking about fractions in maths or should we keep it as big round bread?"
The team also wanted to make the programme feel like home. "Afghans are fond of chess and you would often find a chess set in most family homes," she says. "We wanted to add that cultural heritage to our programme and have things like that on set."
When BBC Afghan presenter Shazia Haya was growing up, school attendance was a source of tension.
"I had just finished 12 years of school and my older brother and father were saying: 'That's enough for you. You should get married.'"
Shazia Haya is one of the Pashto presenters of the new education programme
The Pashto presenter lives with their disapproval to this day. "Even now, if you ask my father what I studied at university or what was my favourite subject in school, he doesn't know because he wasn't interested in my education, just because I'm a girl," she says.
It was the women in Shazia's family, including her mother, who encouraged her to attend university.
"That's why this new BBC programme means a lot to me," she says. "I know what the value of education is, and I know how hard it is when you don't have support."
Aalia was born in 1996, the year the Taliban first took control of Afghanistan.
Despite an official ban on girls' education at the time, there was a glimmer of hope for her. She grew up in the northern province of Takhar where girls continued to attend class, and her father was a teacher.
But like so many Afghans, tragedy hit her family.
"My father was killed 16 years ago," she says. "He wanted me to be a journalist and I wanted to be a teacher because my father was a teacher.
"So by joining this programme, I'm fulfilling both my father's dream and my own dream."
Aalia says she often thinks of members of her extended family, especially young school-age girls, who are still in Afghanistan.
"Sometimes I put myself in their shoes, and I think that if I was in the country and I was a teenage girl who cannot go to school, who cannot go outside the house alone, who does not have any basic rights, what should I do?" she says.
"I would be very happy if someone helped me and taught me something." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65130305 |
European Social Fund: 'Vulnerable people in deep water' over cuts - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The European Social Fund is to cease funding in Northern Ireland on 31 March as a result of Brexit. | Northern Ireland | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Blair Anderson says getting help meant she could "find my voice to continue to ask for support"
"If this service gets taken away there's going to be loads of vulnerable people in deep water."
That is Belfast man Marc Young's stark assessment of the potential loss of funding to hundreds of groups who helped people like him.
About £40m in annual funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) is due to stop on 31 March as a result of Brexit.
While the UK government has promised to replace the money, it is not clear exactly when and how that will happen.
That means the jobs of an estimated 1,700 staff in charity and community groups are at risk.
For Marc and Ballymena woman Blair Anderson, that means the support that they got to turn their lives around may not be available to others.
Blair Anderson faced many problems in her teens.
"I was a young mum, I'd my daughter at 14 so back then my life looked bleak and I was involved with social services," she told BBC News NI.
"When I say I had no hope for the future, I remember going into a meeting with my social worker and saying like: 'I'm happy to be on the dole, I don't want or need to work because I have the option of being on benefits.'
Marc Young said the opportunity provided by the European Social Fund turned his life around
"I was involved in anti-social behaviour, I had been arrested and my life was really going down a bad path.
"I was involved with alcohol and other substances that was impacting my life, impacting my mental health."
Like her, Marc also ran into problems at school and on the Shankill Road where he grew up.
"I had a lot of mental health issues and there was a lot of pressure on me in school to actually do well," he said.
"I just couldn't deal with the pressure growing up being a Protestant young man and I had to keep my emotions to myself."
While he got to university, he said he lasted "about two days" before dropping out.
"I had no drive, no passion, the only thing I wanted to do was sit in bed," he continued.
But eventually he began a 12-week employability programme run by the Include Youth organisation through the Alternatives group on the Shankill Road.
Blair, meanwhile, started a programme run by Include Youth called Give & Take.
Both said that had turned their lives around. Both, now in their 20s, are youth workers and back in education.
Both Blair and Marc spoke at an event held by East Belfast Mission to highlight the risks to groups if the funding is not replaced soon.
"It was the support that I actually got that motivated me and drove me to do well within my own life, for my family for my friends and for my future," Marc said.
For Blair, getting help meant she could "find my voice to continue to ask for support".
"Many times I failed, many times I had personal circumstances but that didn't impact," she said.
"They supported me with that along with my education, training and employment - something school didn't offer me.
"There was support provided around my child and being a parent, again something that wasn't accommodated in a school environment.
"That enabled me to flourish and enabled me to find myself."
Both Blair and Marc spoke at an event held by East Belfast Mission to highlight the risks to groups which help disadvantaged, vulnerable and disabled people if European Social Funding is not replaced soon.
Others at the meeting described the situation as "a scandal".
About 30 staff at Include Youth, the organisation which helped Blair and Marc, are among those whose jobs may be lost.
Stormont used to top up the ESF money with about £14m a year in matched funding.
But with no executive it is not clear if that money will be available in 2023-24 either.
The UK government recently told BBC News NI that its Shared Prosperity Fund would match previous EU funding and increase in the coming years.
"As EU projects come to an end, funding from UK Shared Prosperity Fund will increase, reaching over £50m for Northern Ireland in 2023-24 and £74m in 2024-25, to spread opportunity, help local businesses and improve pride in place," a spokesperson said.
But with the deadline of 31 March for ESF funding running out less than three weeks away, Blair and Marc fear for the future.
"If the government doesn't step in or someone doesn't step in to save this service we're ultimately putting the most vulnerable back in an even more vulnerable position, to me that doesn't make sense," Blair said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64957586 |
Dungeons & Dragons: Northern Ireland's 'epic scenery ideal' for production - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A producer on the star-studded blockbuster says NI's scenery was a perfect fit for the production. | Northern Ireland | Michelle Rodriguez and Chris Pine star in the latest Hollywood adaptation of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons
Northern Ireland's epic and ancient scenery made it the perfect location to shoot a huge Hollywood blockbuster, one of the film's producers has said.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, based on the role-playing board game, is another addition to the long list of productions filmed here.
Jeremy Latcham said Northern Ireland had a timeless quality that was ideal.
Eagle-eyed, or rather dragon-eyed, viewers will be able to spot some familiar locations on the big screen.
The fantasy epic was filmed in Belfast's Titanic Studios throughout 2021 and in areas like Tollymore Forest, Carrickfergus Castle, Clandeboye Estate, Ballintoy Beach, Fairhead and Dunseverick Castle.
The film follows in the footsteps of television hits like Game of Thrones and Line of Duty, as well as other big screen blockbusters like The Northman - all of which which were shot in Northern Ireland.
Boasting a star-studded cast including Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant, the film depicts a charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertaking an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic.
As well as showcasing the beauty of Northern Ireland to a global audience, the production generated an estimated £43m for the local economy, Northern Ireland Film has said.
More than 500 people worked behind the scenes on the movie.
"Northern Ireland has a film credit that is really incredible," producer Jeremy Latcham told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.
"The fact that big movies and big productions have shot here shows that this is a place that is welcoming of big movies.
"We were invited to come and check it out and consider it for the film, but it didn't take much convincing."
He said he had the privilege of living in Belfast for seven months during filming.
"It had everything we needed and everything we would could ever dream of needing in terms of filming locations and scenery.
"You needed something that really feels timeless and epic and Northern Ireland just has this ancient feel to it, like everything feels like it has been there for millennia."
Mr Latcham says one of his favourite experiences was seeing the Giant's Causeway from above on a helicopter trip
Mr Latcham said he was fortunate enough to take in the epic views on frequent helicopter trips to and from multiple shoot locations.
"We got to fly along the countryside and even fly over the Giant's Causeway from the air and it's one of the most beautiful sights you could ever imagine."
However, Mr Latcham told Evening Extra he got a little too close to some of the scenery while filming in a County Down forest.
"Tollymore Forest as well was amazing, there is a shot in the movie of this absolutely gorgeous light coming through the trees - but I remember I actually fell into a river there which was unfortunate.
"The film crew were actually quite worried because it looked like I had banged my head on the rocks, but I just jumped up, smiling and laughing because of my idiocy."
Tollymore Forest Park in County Down was one of the locations used on the production
Despite the unexpected swim, Mr Latcham said he thoroughly enjoyed his time in Northern Ireland.
"It was wild, it was a lot of fun and what a beautiful country - we just had the most fun filming there, and the people were so welcoming," he said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65137009 |
Trump's indictment is sending shockwaves across the political landscape - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The shock waves from this legal and political detonation are spreading across the political landscape. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: What will happen when Trump is arrested
As the first former US president to face criminal charges, Donald Trump will also be the first to be fingerprinted, taken for a mugshot and brought before a judge.
If the case proceeds as expected, he will be the first US president to sit before a jury.
Already the shockwaves are spreading across the political landscape.
Some aspects are predictable - the former president, his lawyers and his children are denouncing the yet-to-be-detailed charges as political persecution.
They see it as an attempt to disrupt the campaign of a frontrunner for the presidency in 2024.
At Mr Trump's political rally in Texas last Saturday, the former president was already fixated on an arrest that seemed to be looming.
"This is really prosecutorial misconduct," Mr Trump said of the New York City district attorney's inquiry. "The innocence of people makes no difference to these radical left maniacs."
As the news broke, other members of the Republican Party closed ranks around their former president.
Several senior members of the House of Representatives called the indictment "outrageous" and pledged a thorough congressional investigation.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said the New York district attorney had "irreparably damaged" the nation in an attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election.
Several of Mr Trump's potential rivals for the Republic nomination condemned the charges.
"Prosecuting serious crimes keeps Americans safe, but political prosecutions put the American legal system at risk of being viewed as a tool for abuse," former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
Mike Pompeo (C) made reference to 'political persecutions' in a statement after the indictment
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, viewed as Mr Trump's most formidable potential opponent, was equally strident in a Twitter post, calling the indictment "un-American".
"The weaponisation of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," he wrote.
He added that Florida would not assist in an extradition of Mr Trump to New York to face the charges.
Mr Trump's lawyers have previously said he would go to the courthouse willingly - something expected to happen early next week.
At some point, however, Mr Trump's rivals will have to turn on him - and a lower-profile potential candidate may have given a hint of the strategy in his Thursday evening press release.
"It is a dark day for America when a former president is indicted on criminal charges," former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said, noticeably not calling the indictment unjust.
Donald Trump has surged in Republican approval polls recently, but there is still sentiment that his drama - the political storm clouds that always seem to follow him - is a liability that will make him a less appealing presidential candidate.
For that line of attack, this indictment could become Exhibit A, noted by his Republican opponents more with sadness than with glee.
Donald Trump has been considered the man to beat for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024
For its part, the Trump campaign is leaning into the controversy, using the front-page headlines and breaking news bulletins to drum up new donations from supporters.
"Please make a contribution - of truly any amount - to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024," read a campaign email that included Mr Trump's press release on the indictment. It promised that the indictment would "backfire" on President Joe Biden and the Democrats.
At least so far, the White House has been keeping a studious silence on the matter - similar to the strategy it employed during Mr Trump's 2021 Senate impeachment trial after the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
Their view, perhaps, aligns with the old Napoleon quote about not interrupting an enemy when they're making a mistake.
Other Democrats, however, have been less reticent.
"The bedrock of our legal system is the principle that justice applies to everyone equally," Democratic Senator Cory Booker said in a statement. "No-one is above the law."
Senator Cory Booker is among the Democrats arguing that nobody - even presidents - is above the law
The Democratic National Committee's press secretary tried to link Mr Trump and his legal troubles to the former president's "Make America Great Again" movement and the Republican Party as a whole.
Democrats, and many political analysts, attribute the party's better-than-expected performance in last year's mid-term elections to Republican candidates being too closely associated with a former president who, while still loved by many Republicans, is disliked by a majority of Americans.
Expect Democrats to once again employ a similar line of attack.
Mr Trump's current legal drama may reach a crescendo and conclude well before a vote is cast in 2024. The political fallout could ultimately depend on the course it tracks - and whether this case is joined by others.
For the moment, however, the partisan lines on Mr Trump's indictment are clearly drawn - as they have been on almost every major issue of national importance in America today. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65106767 |
MI5 tapes case: Alex McCrory acquitted of terror charges - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A judge has ruled that Alex McCrory should be acquitted in one of NI's longest running terrorism trials. | Northern Ireland | The judge said the case against Alex McCrory should be dismissed
One of Northern Ireland's longest running terrorism trials is set to continue - although a judge has ruled one of the accused should be acquitted.
Colin Duffy, Henry Fitzsimons and Alex McCrory were allegedly recorded by MI5 in Lurgan Park after a gun attack on a police patrol in north Belfast in 2013.
In a ruling related to transcripts of the tapes, Mr Justice O'Hara said the case against Mr McCrory should be dismissed.
The case against the other men goes on.
A prosecution lawyer told Belfast Crown Court it will now consider appealing the ruling in favour of Mr McCrory.
The three men have all denied charges of preparing and directing terrorism and IRA membership.
Colin Duffy is accused of directing and belonging to an IRA grouping, and attempting to murder members of the PSNI
Mr Fitzsimons, 55, from Dunmore Mews in Belfast and Mr McCrory, 61, from Sliabh Dubh View in the city, also denied attempting to murder police officers.
The court had previously heard that 14 audio and video devices were used to secretly record alleged meetings involving the men following the dissident republican attack in Ardoyne.
The recordings allegedly capture them discussing the attack.
Friday's hearing followed a previous ruling made in September 2022 when Mr Justice O'Hara excluded a portion of the Crown's evidence related to transcripts of the recordings.
Lawyers for all three men subsequently sought to have the case thrown out over the transcripts, which the police had provided to voice analysts who gave evidence for the prosecution.
The transcripts had indicated who was allegedly speaking.
Mr Justice O'Hara said Mr Fitzsimons and Mr Duffy, whose address in court papers is HMP Maghaberry, still had cases to answer based on other evidence.
However, he went on to state that the exclusion of the attribution aspect of the transcripts has had "a fatal effect" on the prosecution case against Mr McCrory and he therefore found him not guilty of all charges.
A prosecution lawyer said he wanted time to consider whether to appeal and that "the ruling is to have no effect" until then.
The judge agreed to adjourn the case until 28 April.
The non-jury trial began four years ago and has been adjourned on multiple previous occasions. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65137757 |
Dover delays as ferry passengers wait for hours - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Some coach passengers had faced 14-hour waits, but on Saturday evening the queues were reported to be easing. | UK | People arriving at Dover for the Easter getaway have expressed shock and frustration at long delays - with some coach passengers having had to wait for more than 14 hours.
Some coaches, including many carrying schoolchildren, had to wait overnight at the port.
By Saturday evening, queues began to clear and traffic flowed more easily.
The management for the port apologised for the "prolonged delays" and said services would soon be back to normal.
The port also said long border processing times were to blame for delays, while some ferry companies said bad weather had disrupted travel.
Cars can be boarded much quicker than a coachload of separate passengers and the port said that ferry companies had received 15% more coach bookings for the Easter period than the port had initially anticipated when it began planning four months ago.
Dafydd Francis, a PE teacher from Neath in South Wales, was part of a group of 33 children and adults who arrived at the port at 23:00 BST Friday - and were still waiting to board 14 hours later.
He said he was "shell-shocked" by the delay. "We will arrive at the resort 14 hours late if we are lucky," he said.
"I have organised various trips since 1998 for school and family and friends, approximately 50 trips. We will fly next time."
P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways initially reported disruption to their ferry services on Friday night - with DFDS saying strong winds were adding to the problem.
On Saturday afternoon, P&O said delays for cars trying to reach the port were now estimated at between one and two hours.
Photos showed long queues at the port on Friday evening
Sara Miles from Tonbridge, who was travelling by car with her family to Normandy, said she was stuck for two hours in traffic outside the port, and that she was not sure when she would catch a ferry.
Ms Miles, who is going with her husband and two young daughters to visit her parents, told the BBC: "It's all a bit chaotic. People are turning off their cars and getting out, police are directing traffic.
"The girls are very excited about the holiday and it'd be too difficult to turn back now."
Another car passenger told the BBC that "the whole of Dover is practically gridlocked".
They said passengers were calm but that frustrations were building. "More and more people are getting out of their cars to try and find toilets - there are five portaloos from what I can see near the border control facilities."
Responding to the claims of lengthy delays in checks at the border control point, the regional prefecture in northern France said that there were "no difficulties that we know of", but that lots of coaches had arrived to travel at around the same time.
All border checkpoints were operational and border police had changed some car checkpoints into slots for coaches, it added.
A UK government spokesperson said it remained in close contact with ferry operators and authorities. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the government needed to "get a grip" of the situation at Dover.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent at the Independent, said processing times since leaving the EU had increased sharply "and that would seem to explain the delays".
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said that having an EU border at Dover meant things were "gumming up", and that each individual passport must now be inspected and stamped.
This means that coach loads of passengers must disembark to have their passports checked, adding to delays.
Last year a critical incident in Dover was blamed on bad weather and a shortage of ferries at Easter.
Traffic on the A20 to get to the Port of Dover on Saturday
The port said it was working to get "all passengers on their way as quickly as possible" and food and drink had been provided to coach passengers caught up in the queues.
Ferry operators have been sending coach traffic to alternative waiting areas in order to clear the backlog of vehicles within the port.
A spokesperson for DFDS earlier apologised for the wait times, which were blamed on bad weather delaying sailings as well as "high volumes of traffic... particularly coach groups".
As well as the situation at Dover, there are fears of disrupted Easter getaways due to strikes affecting London's Heathrow Airport.
Hundreds of security officers in the Unite union have begun 10 days of industrial action over pay - though the airport said it was operating "as normal" on Friday.
Have your journey plans been affected by travel delays? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65143093 |
Coach passengers returning to UK face waits of more than six hours - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ferry operator P&O is advising passengers to use the toilet before arriving at the port of Calais. | UK | The Home Office has warned of delays at Dover and other ports including Calais
Coach passengers returning to the UK are facing queues of more than six hours at border checkpoints in Calais.
Ferry operator P&O has advised passengers to use the toilet before arriving and to come prepared with refreshments.
Border Force staff in Calais, Dunkirk, Dover and the Coquelles Channel Tunnel terminal are on a four-day strike over pay.
The Home Office said it was working to minimise delays.
The BBC understands the queues include a high volume of coaches bringing pupils home from school half-term trips.
Teachers and pupils from Surrey returning from a ski trip in Austria waited for six and a half hours to board a ferry back to the UK.
A Twitter account for the school ski trip had tweeted that the journey was "what can only be described as a nightmare of UK passport control".
Queues began forming on Saturday morning and P&O Ferries issued an update to passengers, asking them to plan for a wait by bringing snacks, drinks and entertainment.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) are on the second day of a four-day walkout.
The union said on Friday that they believed inexperienced staff were being brought in to cover for striking Border Force workers.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Ministers say their priority is security - it obviously isn't.
"They say they have no money to give our hard-working members a fair pay rise, but then find money to pay non-striking workers a healthy bonus, to pay for their transport across the country and to pay for four nights' hotel accommodation.
"If ministers were serious about security, they would resolve this dispute immediately by putting money on the table to ensure fully-trained, experienced professionals are guarding our borders."
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P&O Ferries told customers that long wait times were "due to the queues at border control who are also on strike".
But the Home Office rejected claims strikes were having an impact on wait times.
A spokesperson said: "The queues at the Port of Calais today are not due to industrial action. Border Force operations there remain fluid with all booths open and no significant wait times.
"Border Force and port operators are working hard to ensure all travellers have a safe and secure journey, however we have been clear those entering the UK should expect disruption during strike action.
"We continue to work closely with port operators at a local and national level to minimise delays.
"Those travelling into the UK today should keep up-to-date with the latest advice from operators to check how the strike action will affect their journey".
How have you been affected by queues at border checkpoints? You can share your experience by emailing [email protected].
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64692136 |
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Olympic champion runs in son's sports day - BBC Sport | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | null | Triple Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce runs in her son's school sports day parents' race - with predictable results. | null | This video can not be played
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/athletics/65148492 |
Pope Francis to lead Palm Sunday services day after leaving hospital - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The 86-year-old, who was diagnosed with bronchitis, is back to work a day after being discharged. | Europe | Pope Francis waved from a car as he left Rome's Gemelli hospital
Pope Francis has led Mass in St Peter's Square on Sunday, kicking off the year's Easter services, just a day after leaving hospital.
He oversaw the Palm Sunday ceremony in front of more than 30,000 faithful, followed by the Angelus prayer.
He was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday with breathing difficulties, and later diagnosed with bronchitis.
Upon being discharged on Saturday, the Pope joked that he was "still alive".
"I just felt a malaise, but I wasn't afraid," Italian news agency Ansa quoted him as saying on Saturday.
After being discharged, the pontiff was seen smiling and waving from his car, before getting out to speak to a crowd.
Instead of heading home, his car drove past the Vatican and stopped at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. When he came out after praying, people on the street applauded and shouted: "Long live the Pope!"
During another stop, he exited his vehicle to give chocolate Easter eggs to police officers in his motorcade, AP news agency reported.
On Sunday he thanked those who prayed for him during his hospital stay.
Pope Francis, surrounded by security officers, waved to the crowds that had gathered outside his hospital in Rome
The pontiff's admission to hospital came ahead of the busiest week in the Christian calendar.
The Holy Week includes a busy schedule of events and services which can be physically demanding.
The Argentine pontiff, who marked 10 years as head of the Catholic Church earlier this month, has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21.
He has also used a wheelchair in recent months because of problems related to his knee.
Wednesday's hospitalisation was his second since 2021, when he underwent colon surgery, also at Gemelli.
But the Pope has remained active, visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in February. The previous month, he led the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI.
Although the pontiff, who has pushed for reforms in the Catholic Church, has previously said he would consider stepping down if his health failed him, he recently confirmed he had no plans to quit.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The Pope comforted grieving parents as he left Gemelli Hospital
7 April, Good Friday: 17:00 Passion of the Lord, 21:15 Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65147392 |
US tornadoes: Death toll grows as extreme storms ravage several states - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | One family in a badly hit town "prayed and said goodbye to each other" as a tornado hit. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
At least 32 people have been killed after a weekend of devastating tornadoes that tore through the South and Midwest of the United States.
Homes were destroyed and thousands left without power after huge storms caused devastation across several states.
There have been more than 80 reported tornadoes since 31 March, according to the National Weather Service.
States including Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama and Mississippi have all had fatalities.
The death toll is highest in Tennessee, where 15 people were killed after tornadoes swept through multiple counties, local officials said.
Another storm shredded through the Arkansas town of Wynne - a community some 100 miles (170km) east of the state capital, Little Rock.
Wynne's mayor, Jennifer Hobbs, told CNN that the town was "cut in half by damage from east to west".
Your device may not support this visualisation
Ashley Macmillan said she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in the bathroom as a tornado passed overhead, "praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead".
A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but they were unhurt.
"We could feel the house shaking, we could hear loud noises, dishes rattling. And then it just got calm," Ms Macmillan told AP news agency.
Wynne High School was badly damaged, with some buildings torn to pieces. One of its teachers, Lisa Worden, said a decision to send pupils home early was critical.
"We got out at 1:30, which was such a God blessing from our superintendent, because otherwise kids would have been on busses and teachers would have still been here. And so that would have been even more devastating," she told Reuters news agency.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency in the state of Arkansas on Friday, with the national guard activated to help with recovery efforts.
Several buildings of Wynne High School were torn apart by the tornado
She said she had spoken to President Joe Biden about the situation, who promised federal aid.
On Sunday, President Biden wrote in a tweet that his administration is ready to assist several states with recovery efforts following the devastating storms.
"Jill and I are praying for everyone impacted," he added.
The state of Illinois was also hit by violent storms on Friday that led to the collapse of a theatre roof at a packed heavy metal gig in Belvidere, leading to one death and 28 injuries.
Hundreds of thousands of people were without power across several states over the weekend.
Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania are the worst affected, according to the US PowerOutage website.
In a bulletin, the Storm Prediction Center warned some of the projected tornadoes could track across the ground for long distances.
Investigators at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois, after the monster storm caused the ceiling to collapse
The deadly tornadoes come a week after a rare, long-track twister killed 26 people in Mississippi.
The Mississippi tornado last week travelled 59 miles (94km) and lasted about an hour and 10 minutes - an unusually long period of time for a storm to sustain itself. It damaged about 2,000 homes, officials said.
President Biden visited the state on Friday to pay his condolences.
How have you been affected by the storms? If it is safe to do so share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65150138 |
US tornadoes leave 11 dead, including one at Illinois music gig - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lethal tornadoes sweep several US states, leaving at least 18 dead across several states. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch people sifting through the debris at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois
One person has been killed and dozens more injured after a storm caused a theatre roof to collapse in Illinois at a packed heavy metal gig on Friday.
Around 260 people were in the Apollo Theater, Belvidere, when the roof caved in at 19:55 local time (01:05 BST), the local fire department said.
Fire chief Shawn Schadle said that five people were in a serious condition.
A series of fierce tornadoes ripped through several US states on Friday, killing at least 18 people in total.
As well as in Illinois, deaths have also been reported in Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana and Mississippi.
In Arkansas' state capital Little Rock, a major tornado tore through the city, flipping cars, smashing roofs and toppling trees.
Extensive damage was also reported in parts of the South and Midwest - with the states of Arkansas and Missouri declaring states of emergency. Tens of thousands were left without power.
More than 40 tornado reports were made across seven states on Friday night, according to the US government's Storm Prediction Center.
Several flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport were delayed or cancelled as passengers were told to take shelter due to what it described as "severe weather".
Residents in Rolling Fork, Mississippi clean up on 31 March following the devastation caused by tornadoes
In Tennessee, Covington Mayor Jan Hensley pleaded with people not to "drive around" as power lines had been hit by storms.
The Covington Police Department described the city as "impassable" sharing photos of roads blocked by downed power poles and large trees toppled in front of homes.
Mrs Huckabee Sanders deployed the National Guard after what she described as "significant damage" in central Arkansas.
As of 20:30 local time, more than 70,000 in her state were without electricity, according to the US power outage website.
Friday's night of deadly tornadoes comes just one week after a rare, long-track twister killed 26 people in Mississippi. President Joe Biden visited the state on Friday to pay his condolences and promise federal aid.
In a bulletin the Storm Prediction Center warned some of the projected tornadoes could track across the ground for long distances.
The Mississippi tornado last week travelled 59 miles (94km) and lasted about an hour and 10 minutes - an unusually long period of time for a storm to sustain itself. It damaged about 2,000 homes, officials said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65145104 |
Judy Blume worried about intolerance and book banning in the US - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Judy Blume says banning books "has become political... it's worse than it was in the 80s". | Entertainment & Arts | Blume said banning books "has become political... it's worse than it was in the 80s"
Author Judy Blume has said she is worried about intolerance in the US, after some of her novels were removed from schools.
Some books have been removed from school libraries in the US due to concerns about how they explore complex themes of sex, race or gender identity.
One of Blume's novels was recently pulled in a Florida school district.
Blume told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg banning books "has become political... it's worse than it was in the 80s".
Asked if she was worried about intolerance in the US, she replied: "Absolutely, intolerance about everything, gender, sexuality, racism.
"It's just reaching a point where again we have to fight back, we have to stand up and fight."
Blume's novels have been translated into 32 languages and sold more than 90 million copies, according to recent figures reported by The Washington Post.
A screen adaptation of the author's 1970 novel Are You There God? It's Me Margaret is set to be released in May, starring Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates.
Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams will star in the screen adaptation of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
The novel follows a young girl exploring her religious and sexual identity as she confronts adolescent anxieties about reaching puberty.
The book won several literary awards and has remained popular with teenage girls, but it has also attracted controversy both at the time of its publication and more recently, for how openly it discusses sexuality and religion.
Asked about book banning, Blume told Kuenssberg: "I thought that was over frankly, I thought we had come through that, you know, not in every way, but I never expected us to be back where we were in the 80s plus, much worse.
"I came through the 80s when book banning was really at its height. And it was terrible. And then libraries and schools began to get policies in place and we saw a falling off of the desire to censor books.
"Now it is back, it is back much worse - this is in America, it is back so much worse than it was in the 80s. Because it's become political.
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed limiting discussion of gender and sexuality in schools
She continued: "We have legislators out there trying to put through laws, I just read about one last week in my home state of Florida, trying to put through a law - trying to put through laws saying that girls can no longer talk about periods at school or amongst themselves."
Earlier this month, Florida's state legislature introduced a new bill that may limit discussion of menstruation before sixth grade.
"I mean, that's crazy, that is so crazy," Blume said. "And it is so frightening that I think the only answer is for us to speak out and really keep speaking out, or we are going to lose our way."
Blume was also asked what she thought about Florida governor Ron DeSantis's proposal to restrict discussion about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.
Last week, Florida's Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr tweeted: "Students should be spending their time in school learning core academic subjects, not being force-fed radical gender and sexual ideology."
Blume criticised "bad politicians who drunk with power, who want to get out there, and I don't know what they're trying to prove really".
She added: "I mean, there's a group of mothers now going around saying that they want to protect their children. Protect them from what? You know, protect them from talking about things? Protect them from knowing about things?
"Because even if they don't let them read books, their bodies are still going to change and their feelings about their bodies are going to change. And you can't control that. They have to be able to read, to question." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65142127 |
Paul O'Grady: Donations since his death overwhelm Battersea Cats and Dog Home - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Battersea Cats and Dogs Home receives more than £100,000 after the presenter's death. | London | The presenter, pictured in Battersea Park, was an ambassador for the charity for many years
Donations to an animal charity loved by Paul O'Grady have passed £100,000 since the star's death.
Battersea Cats and Dogs Home said it was "overwhelmed and touched" by the donations.
The TV and radio presenter became an ambassador for the charity in 2012 after hosting For The Love Of Dogs, which had 11 series filmed there.
After his death on Tuesday evening at the age of 67, the animal charity set up a tribute fund.
Chief executive Peter Laurie said: "Over the coming weeks and months, Battersea will be finding the best way to pay tribute to our wonderful friend and ambassador, the late, great Paul O'Grady MBE.
"We have been overwhelmed and touched by the countless letters, calls, emails and messages of support along with the generous donations made by kind members of the public this week."
Peter Laurie said the charity would work out the best way to remember the star
Mr Laurie has previously said O'Grady was a "genuine animal lover" and his "real legacy" was how he showed the British public and an international audience how "lovable and incredible" rescue dogs were, inspiring people to adopt and rehome.
O'Grady was given a special recognition award at the 2018 National Television Awards for the impact the ITV series had on helping find homes for rescue animals nationwide.
O'Grady met the Queen Consort during an event to mark 160 years of the charity
During the first series, O'Grady rehomed Eddie, a Chihuahua-Jack Russell cross puppy, at his Kent farmhouse.
Eddie was joined by Boycie, a shih-tzu, in 2014; Conchita, a Maltese, in 2015; Arfur, a mongrel puppy, in 2017; Nancy, another mongrel puppy, in 2020; and Sausage, a wire-haired dachshund, in 2021.
Last year, O'Grady was joined by the Queen Consort in a one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs to mark 160 years of Battersea.
His contribution to animal welfare was also recognised with an RSPCA animal hero award.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65147502 |
Sewage-dumping water companies face unlimited fines - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ministers in England want to "make polluters pay" after more than 300,000 spills in waterways last year. | Science & Environment | Latest figures from the Environment Agency showed a total of 301,081 sewage spills in England in 2022.
Water companies could face unlimited fines for dumping sewage under government plans due to be unveiled in the coming days.
Ministers want to lift a cap of £250,000 for penalties for firms that release sewage into rivers and the sea.
Releases of untreated waste are legal in some cases, but they also pose risks to human health and to ecosystems.
Official figures show an average of 825 sewage spills per day into England's waterways in the last year.
Latest figures from the Environment Agency (EA) showed a total of 301,081 sewage spills in 2022. This represented a 19% decrease from 2021 - but the EA put the drop largely down to drier weather, rather than the actions of water companies.
In the coming days, ministers are set to announce plans to "make polluters pay" - addressing all sources of pollution, including from plastics and chemicals used in farming.
Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said she would "be making sure that money from higher fines and penalties - taken from water company profits, not customers - is channelled directly back into rivers, lakes and streams where it is needed".
Currently, such money goes to the Treasury - but the plans will see money funnelled to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) instead, into a Water Restoration Fund.
Companies are allowed to discharge untreated sewage into rivers in exceptional circumstances - for example, during heavy rainfall.
But they can be acting illegally if they pump sewage into water when the conditions are dry, or if they are not treating enough of the waste before releasing it.
Water UK, which represents the water industry, insisted there were "very high levels of compliance", citing government data.
"So while enforcement is vital if rules are broken, it will only ever be a tiny part of the effort to restore rivers to where they need to be," it added in a statement.
"The vast majority of improvement will come from investment - where we are bringing forward £56bn to accelerate work on storm overflows."
The government said the volume of spillages recorded in the latest data were unacceptable.
Ms Coffey also wants the Environment Agency to be able to impose sanctions without going through the courts - although it is expected that serious cases will still go through criminal proceedings.
Responding to Friday's figures on sewage spills, Labour said the government had allowed waterways to be treated as "open sewers".
The UK needed a "strong plan" to tackle sewage, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told reporters on Saturday, adding that he was "disgusted with what's been going on".
Labour has previously announced proposals to make monitoring all sewage outlets mandatory, and to impose automatic fines for sewage dumping, if it gains power.
The Liberal Democrats went as far as to say Ms Coffey should resign over the figures - while the Green Party said water companies should face greater accountability.
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Under the government announcements, the environment secretary is expect to stress that she understands the need to protect the nation's rivers, lakes, streams and coastlines.
In a statement, Ms Coffey said: "I want to make sure that regulators have the powers and tools to take tough action against companies that are breaking the rules, and to do so more quickly."
The government has said that the fund will be used to help restore wetlands, create new habitats in important nature sites, and better manage rivers. It would release further detail on the Water Restoration Fund management in due course, it said.
Charles Watson, chairman and founder of River Action, said removing the cap on fines may mean the government "has finally woken up to the huge public outrage to what's happened to our rivers".
"At the moment the penalty regimes for water companies does not provide a big enough deterrent and by uncapping fines there is now potential of real teeth," he added.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Watson questioned how the water restoration fund would be enforced. He explained that environmental protection through the EA had suffered cutbacks, which limited its ability to "monitor and bring to book polluters". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65145953 |
Prince Harry privacy case: battle with Mail owner begins - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Duke listened and took written notes as his court fight with Associated Newspapers began. | UK | Prince Harry arrives at the High Court in London
It is not often that hardened news photographers and camera crews are surprised, but when the Duke of Sussex emerged from a black cab at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday morning, their muttered expletives told their own story.
Prince Harry offered a "morning, hi guys" to the pack, and breezed into court. He had quietly flown back to the UK to make what had clearly been planned as a dramatic entrance.
No-one had expected him to appear in person for a week of what were billed to be complex legal arguments about whether seven well-known people should be allowed to sue Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail titles.
The duke's manifesto is clear. As he writes in his book, Spare, "it's about not letting people get away with abuse, and lies. Especially the kind of lies that can destroy innocents".
For several days he sat on the padded seats of court 76 listening to what was said, writing in a black notebook and occasionally passing notes to his lawyers. The actor Sadie Frost sat next to him, another of the seven.
Journalists, a breed the duke appears to loathe, sat yards away, and it became routine to file out of the court for lunch breaks with Prince Harry and his close protection detail joining the hungry queue for the exit.
Also there at times were Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, who, along with Sir Simon Hughes and Elizabeth Hurley, are also claiming breaches of privacy by the newspapers. They seemed prepared to endure the more uncomfortable plastic seats of the court - although Mr Furnish seemed to have more stamina than Sir Elton.
The allegations are eye-watering. Nineteen private investigators are alleged to have placed phone taps on landlines, taped microphones to windows, bugged cars, intercepted voicemail, blagged information ranging from bank statements to flight details, and put their targets under surveillance. They are said to have worked for around 80 journalists on the two Associated Newspapers titles.
The publisher denies the allegations, branding the claims "preposterous smears".
The venue was appropriate. Eleven years ago, in the identical court 73 one floor below, Lord Justice Leveson heard months of evidence during his public inquiry into press standards, relevant to the current case in two important ways.
First, in front of Lord Justice Leveson, Associated Newspapers repeatedly denied on oath that it had commissioned illegal methods of gathering private information. Second, the inquiry was given records of payments made by the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday to private investigators.
During this week's hearings the judge was considering whether the payment records, held confidentially by the Leveson Inquiry, could be used in this case, and whether the whole thing should be thrown out because of a legal time limit.
Barristers for the seven said they had been put off taking legal action because of the vehement denials by the newspapers at the public inquiry. Only recently, they argued, had real evidence come forward.
Sir Elton John also attended court earlier in the week
This case is hugely important because Associated Newspapers has always strongly denied paying for this sort of illegal newsgathering. A decade after law firms began suing rival titles The Sun, News of the World, and Mirror for millions in damages resulting from phone hacking, Associated Newspapers has remained untouched.
The publisher's reputation is at stake - and its bottom line. News UK, which owns The Sun, has paid an estimated £1bn in damages and legal costs during the hacking cases. Should Associated Newspapers lose this case, sources close to the law firms mounting the legal challenge say there are dozens more famous people waiting to sue.
Associated Newspapers, represented during the hearings by two "silks", or senior barristers, and a row of lawyers frantically scribbling in notebooks or tapping on tablets, has not been shy about proclaiming its innocence.
The publisher has described the claims as a "pre-planned and orchestrated attempt" to drag the Mail titles into the phone-hacking scandal by a coalition of journalists and anti-press campaigners. "Unsubstantiated", "highly defamatory", and a "fishing expedition", the company says of the potential evidence.
It could take years to resolve. Mr Justice Nicklin, regarded as one of the judiciary's leading media judges, promised on Thursday to decide as quickly as he could whether this case can continue, but in the law, quickly almost certainly means weeks.
And that's just the start. Should the judge keep the case alive, the claimants will be able to get disclosure of key documents. There will be battles about that process.
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There are likely to be skirmishes about which evidence should be heard in the case. One private investigator, Gavin Burrows, made a witness statement in 2021 making lurid admissions of his "unlawful" activities on behalf of the newspapers.
By 2023 his story appeared to have changed. He had never worked for the Mail and Mail on Sunday, he said in a new statement.
Listening to some of the potential evidence this week, there was a feeling of looking back on a different era - where the landline phone number of a celebrity was journalistic gold dust to a showbiz reporter. A time where it is alleged cassette recorders were used to secretly record phone calls, taped to the inside of a junction box. A time when tabloid scandals were delivered on newsprint.
The world has changed. Much of the information it is claimed newspapers were desperate to get their hands on is now freely available on social media - published by the celebrities themselves. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65139280 |
Oldham Coliseum: Historic theatre stages final act after funding cut - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The final curtain falls on the Oldham Coliseum after it had its Arts Council England funding removed. | Entertainment & Arts | The night's performers assembled on stage before the curtain came down for the final time
An emotional night of performances and tributes led by actors Maxine Peake and Christopher Eccleston has brought down the final curtain on Oldham's Coliseum theatre after more than 135 years.
Hundreds of audience members packed the venue for its highly-charged last show.
It has closed after having its Arts Council England funding removed.
Eccleston said he wouldn't be an actor if it wasn't for places like the Oldham Coliseum. "And they're disappearing. So what happens to the next generation?"
Christopher Eccleston and Maxine Peake performed an excerpt from a new adaptation of I, Daniel Blake
The Coliseum was a training ground for a host of stars - from Bernard Cribbins, who joined at 14 and stayed for seven years, to Coronation Street's Jean Alexander (Hilda Ogden), Barbara Knox (Rita Sullivan) and William Roache (Ken Barlow).
Others to have trod its boards include Happy Valley's Sarah Lancashire, Doctor Foster's Suranne Jones, new Doctor Who companion Millie Gibson, and Olivia Cooke from House of the Dragon.
Oldham Council says the theatre building, which dates back to 1887, is "at the end of its life"
"This is a celebration but it's also a heartbreaking evening as far as I'm concerned," former artistic director Kenneth Alan Taylor, who also acted in 320 Coliseum shows, told the sold-out crowd on Friday.
"Just think of all the actors who started their career [here]. There wouldn't be a Coronation Street now [without it]."
Coronation Street legend Pat Phoenix performed at the Oldham Coliseum in the 1960s
The closing night saw Eccleston and Peake perform excerpts from a new adaptation of Ken Loach's award-winning film I, Daniel Blake - which was due to have been on the Coliseum stage this summer.
Former Doctor Who star Eccleston, from Salford, went to watch performances at the Coliseum in his youth.
"I think it's tragic that Oldham and its borough is losing a theatre in a time when we're supposed to be levelling up," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"What last night was about was beginning a campaign to establish a new theatre in Oldham and also to say, this can't happen anywhere else."
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Snippets of past shows were also performed - from Brassed Off, the theatre's highest-grossing production, complete with 15-piece brass band; to Dreamers, a 2015 musical named after the infamous local nightclub in which it was set.
There was a last hurrah for its popular pantomime, with a 15-strong cast in full costume performing a pop medley that climaxed with an upbeat and unexpectedly poignant rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Don't Stop.
Sue Devaney returned to reprise her role as Gracie Fields from the 2016 production of Our Gracie
And there was a performance by its youth theatre about the venue's famous ghost - an actor called Harold Norman, who died after being stabbed on stage during a production of Macbeth in 1947.
Clara Darcy was the final performer, delivering a version of a monologue about endings from her 2022 play We Should Definitely Have More Dancing, which was inspired by her experience of a brain tumour.
Clara Darcy was the last person to perform on the Coliseum stage
The night's performers then gathered on stage, receiving a standing ovation that continued for several minutes after the final curtain fell.
"It sort of seems incomprehensible that the Coliseum won't exist as it was, because it's such a phenomenal and wonderfully supportive theatre," Darcy told the BBC beforehand.
After Oldham, her show went to the Edinburgh Fringe and is now being adapted for a Radio 4 drama.
"They really showed the heart and support that our production needed, and without its beginnings at the Coliseum, it wouldn't have toured and certainly wouldn't have been picked up by the radio."
Crowds coming out of Oldham Coliseum in 1946
Shorelle Hepkin has starred in five pantos, directed the final youth performance, and met her partner at the Coliseum. "As an actor and personally, it's literally changed my life," she said.
"Anyone who you speak to who's worked in that building will probably say that it's the most welcoming building you can ever walk into, and it does feel like home."
The venue received more than £600,000 a year from Arts Council England (ACE) but became the biggest theatre outside London to lose its subsidy in a shake-up announced in November.
ACE said it had identified "major risks and concerns around their finance, governance and leadership".
ACE has ringfenced the same amount of money - £1.85m over the next three years - to fund other cultural activity in the Greater Manchester town.
It is also supporting a plan by Oldham Council to create a new £24.5m theatre, which the council has described as "a creative and cultural venue with multiple purposes" and is due to open in 2026.
A new theatre is scheduled to be completed by 2026
"The current building is at the end of its life, and performers, staff and audiences deserve better," council leader Amanda Chadderton has said.
Indeed, the council says the current building has problems with asbestos, poor accessibility and cramped backstage and front-of-house facilities. A £2m renovation in 2012 was intended to give it another decade of use.
However, there is some scepticism about how long it will take to build a new venue, and how it will turn out.
"I don't want an arts centre," Taylor said - as if these were dirty words - to cheers from the audience on Friday.
He and other supporters are still holding out a slim hope of saving the current building.
"I'm not an architect, but I see old buildings restored," he continued. "They say this building's not fit for purpose. Well restore it then!" | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65009843 |
Russia assumes UN Security Council presidency despite Ukrainian anger - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ukraine's foreign minister said Russia leading the UN Security Council is "the worst joke ever". | Europe | A Russian tank in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol in March last year
Russia has taken the presidency of the UN Security Council despite Ukraine urging members to block the move.
Each of the council's 15 members takes up the presidency for a month, on a rotating pattern.
The last time Russia had the presidency, February 2022, it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It means the Security Council is being led by a country whose president is subject to an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.
The International Criminal Court - which is not a UN institution - issued the warrant for Vladimir Putin last month.
Despite Ukraine's complaints, the United States said it could not block Russia - a permanent council member - from assuming the presidency.
The other permanent members of the council are the UK, US, France, and China.
The role is mostly procedural, but Moscow's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, told the Russian Tass news agency that he planned to oversee several debates, including one on arms control.
He said he would discuss a "new world order" that, he said, was coming to "replace the unipolar one".
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Russia's presidency "the worst joke ever for April Fool's Day" and a "stark reminder that something is wrong with the way international security architecture is functioning".
And in a further comment on Saturday, he called it "a slap in the face to the international community".
Ukraine's presidential adviser, Mykhaylo Podolyak, said the move was "another rape of international law... an entity that wages an aggressive war, violates the norms of humanitarian and criminal law, destroys the UN Charter, neglects nuclear safety, can't head the world's key security body".
President Volodymyr Zelensky called last year for the Security Council to reform or "dissolve altogether", accusing it of failing to take enough action to prevent Russia's invasion.
He has also called for Russia to be removed of its member status.
But the US has said its hands were tied as the UN charter does not allow for the removal of a permanent member.
"Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and no feasible international legal pathway exists to change that reality," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a news briefing this week.
She added the US expects Moscow "to continue to use its seat on the council to spread disinformation" and justify its actions in Ukraine.
The UN Security Council is an international body responsible for maintaining peace.
Five nations are permanently represented on the Security Council. They reflect the post-war power structure that held sway when the council was formed.
Russia's presence as a permanent member on the Security Council means it can veto resolutions.
To pass a Security Council vote, there must be nine votes in favour, with none of the five permanent members voting against.
In February last year Russia vetoed a resolution that intended to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine (China, India and the United Arab Emirates all abstained).
In September it vetoed a resolution calling for the reversal of its illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine. Brazil, China, Gabon and India abstained.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From April 2022: UN secretary general says Security Council failed on Ukraine | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65146557 |
Half-term border queues warning due to strikes - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | UK Border Force staff based at Calais, Dunkirk and Dover will walk out next Friday, which could cause delays. | Business | The Home Office has warned of delays at Dover and other ports
Half-term holidaymakers are being warned of delays on the way back into the UK, during planned strike action by Border Force staff.
The PCS union expects 1,000 members at the ports of Calais, Dunkirk and Dover, and the Coquelles Channel Tunnel Terminal, to walk out between Friday 17 February and Monday 20 February.
It is part of their ongoing pay dispute.
The government said getting through passport control could take longer.
Under the "juxtaposed controls" system, UK officers check inbound passengers and freight in France and Belgium, before they begin their journey.
The military and civil servants will provide cover during the strike, although military personnel will not be sent over to France.
They will also help at other UK ports and airports, filling in for Border Force staff being moved to those locations directly affected.
The Home Office said people travelling into any UK port during the strike should be prepared for longer wait times at border control.
The PCS says its campaign of industrial action is over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security.
Steve Dann, Border Force's chief operating officer, described the strike as "disappointing".
He said safety and border security was a priority, and the organisation was working with its French counterparts and the travel industry to "meet critical demand and support the flow of passengers and goods through our border".
February half-term is traditionally a busy time for travel, and this will be the first since the lifting of Covid travel restrictions last March.
Abta, the trade association for travel businesses, said bookings had been ramping up over the last few months.
But it added that most half-term holidaymakers would travel by plane - for example, to places like the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.
And it pointed out that previous strikes by Border Force staff at six UK airports over Christmas did not cause significant delays or disruption.
Meanwhile, ferry services between Dover and Calais were suspended for most of Thursday due to separate strike action in France. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64585145 |
Council tax, water and mobile bills rise for millions - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A range of bills - from council tax to water - are going up, but the lowest earners also get a pay rise. | Business | Rises in a host of essential bills are now taking effect, adding pressure to strained budgets - but the lowest earners are also receiving better pay.
The start of April marks the point at which council tax, water bills, and some mobile costs rise, coming just as food prices are soaring.
But the biggest cash increase in the 24-year history of the minimum wage also comes into force.
Nearly two million people will receive £10.42 an hour from now, a 92p rise.
Those on the lowest incomes have been hardest hit by the soaring cost of living, because a greater proportion of their money is eaten up by vital household costs, such as energy and groceries.
The government has allowed local authorities in England to increase council tax by up to 5%, and most have opted for the biggest possible rise. That means an increase of about £100 a year for the average band D property. Last year, residents in bands A to D homes received £150 off their bill to help with the cost of living, but that was a one-off.
There are discounts for those living on their own, or in a home that has been adapted to take account of disabilities. Support grants are also available, but all need to be claimed.
Different systems operate in Wales - where the typical rise is about 5.5%, and in Scotland - where many areas see a 3% increase. The alternative domestic rating system in Northern Ireland will see households pay at least 6% more.
The winter discount for nearly all billpayers has now come to an end, with no sign of the government repeating the support. This saw a total of £400 taken off energy bills by suppliers, in six instalments of about £67 a month.
In some areas, standing charges - the fixed costs of being connected to the network - are going up.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Four changes to energy bills discounts and payments in one minute
This will increase some bills, even though the warmer, longer days should reduce gas and electricity usage. Bills had been scheduled for a sharper rise in April, but ministers offered a three-month extension to the Energy Price Guarantee, which caps the unit price of energy and means the typical household will pay £2,500 a year.
The next round of cost-of-living payments, worth hundreds of pounds for eight million people on low incomes and receiving benefits will be paid automatically towards the end of the month.
The cost of most mobile and broadband contracts can go up by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) or Retail Prices Index (RPI) measures of inflation plus nearly 4%, adding 17.3% to the price of some services.
Those increases are being imposed by a host of suppliers for customers still in contract. Not all will do so exactly on 1 April, but it will be at around this time.
The rules are controversial, and under investigation by regulators. The consumer association Which? has described the mid-contract price hikes as "completely unfair".
"Millions of broadband and mobile customers are trapped in a Catch-22 situation where they either have to accept exorbitant - and difficult to justify - mid-contract price hikes or pay costly exit fees to leave their contract early and find a better deal," said Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy.
Anyone out of contract is free to shop around to cut the cost. Most providers allow you to check whether you are still in contract by sending a text with the word INFO to 85075. Suppliers also have cheaper, social tariffs available for the most vulnerable.
Your bill for water depends on the area where you live but, on average in England and Wales, it has now gone up by 7.5% - or £31 - a year. The increase, the biggest for 20 years, could be as high as £47 for some.
The average household in England and Wales will pay £448 a year, industry body Water UK has said. As with broadband, social tariffs are available, but inconsistent.
In Scotland, bills rise by an average of £19, or 5%.
Vehicle Excise Duty - a legal requirement for all vehicles - is rising by 10.1% for car, van and motorcycle drivers, in line with inflation. The amount due depends on when the vehicle was registered and its emissions.
An NHS prescription now costs £9.65, up by 3.2%, and the cost of prescription prepayment certificates have also now gone up.
Postage stamps become more expensive on Monday.
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, said their research suggested people had already eaten into the majority of what they had managed to set aside during the pandemic.
"It's going to be another awful April, as rising bills leave us nursing a serious blow to the wallet. Millions of people have already had their financial resilience laid low after a year of runaway prices," she said.
"The extra cost of April's changes is going to come as another miserable blow when we can least manage it."
One thing that will assist with the bills for around two million people on the lowest incomes is a pay rise. The increase, of up to 9.7%, in minimum wages varies by the age of the employee.
A 10.1% increase in most benefits and the state pension will take effect from 10 April.
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If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65123881 |
Trump will not appear in court in handcuffs - lawyer - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The former US president is to fly from Florida and turn himself in while surrounded by federal agents. | US & Canada | Donald Trump's court hearing has been set for Tuesday afternoon, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.
The former president is expected to fly from Florida on his private plane and hand himself in, with federal agents there to protect him.
A grand jury has indicted Mr Trump in connection with a $130,000 (£105,000) pay-out to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The charges are not yet public, and a lawyer for Mr Trump said on Friday that he too has yet to read the indictment.
A law enforcement official told CBS that Mr Trump is expected to arrive in New York on Monday before surrendering to officials on Tuesday.
The process is likely to involve dozens, or possibly hundreds, of Secret Service agents, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Mr Trump will not be handcuffed, the official added, saying that shackles are typically only used on suspects who are thought to be a flight or safety risk.
The hearing is due to take place at 14:15 local time (19:15 BST).
Mr Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told ABC News that Mr Trump will "probably" appear in court on Tuesday, "but nothing is certain".
Prosecutors "will try and get every ounce of publicity they can from this thing", he said, adding "the president will not be put in handcuffs".
"I understand they're going to be closing off blocks around the courthouse, shutting down the courthouse," he continued.
Security is being co-ordinated by the FBI, NYPD, Secret Service and New York City court officers.
Sources tell CBS that they are bracing for possible scenarios that include attacks against Mr Trump, prosecutors, jurors or members of the public. The district attorney's office has received "many threats", the sources said.
Members of law enforcement were seen discussing security near the courthouse on Friday
On Friday morning, the streets around the courthouse were calm but the barricades were going up in anticipation of what may come next week.
Police officers were on patrol and security plans were being put into place. Many expect the area to go into lockdown when the former president attends court.
The district attorney's office had initially asked Mr Trump to surrender on Friday, according to Politico, but the request was rejected because more time was needed for security preparations.
Mr Trump, 76, denies wrongdoing. He is the first serving or former US president to face a criminal charge.
It is unclear how many charges are contained in the indictment, which is still sealed.
Media reports have said the ex-president faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud, and Mr Tacopina said on Thursday he thought there would be 34. But on Friday, he said he did not know how many there were.
"We know what the subject matter is, we know the basis of the charges. We don't know the exact counts or how they're formulated," he said.
On Friday, Mr Trump began attacking the judge assigned to his case in an effort to undermine the credibility of the investigation and rally his base to his defence.
Republicans - including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy - have accused the Manhattan district attorney of weaponising the criminal justice system to influence next year's presidential election. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, who Mr Trump recently suggested should run for Senate, called on followers to protest and said she plans to be present in New York next week.
In response, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the charges had been brought by citizens of New York doing their civic duty - and neither the former president nor Congress could interfere with proceedings.
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In Washington, the US Capitol Police, who are tasked with safeguarding lawmakers in Congress, said the force believes protests will take place across the country and have plans in place to increase security at the US Capitol.
In 2016, adult film star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an adulterous affair she had with Mr Trump in 2006 - the year after he married his current wife, Melania.
Mr Trump's team got wind of this and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to Ms Daniels to keep quiet. This is not illegal.
However, when Mr Trump reimbursed Mr Cohen, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour - a criminal offence - in New York.
President Joe Biden declined to comment on the indictment, despite being pressed on the issue by journalists as he left the White House on a trip to Mississippi.
Mr Tacopina said Mr Trump was being "pursued by a prosecutor who has obviously very diverse political views from the [former] president. So it's a very troubling case".
He said Mr Trump was "not worried at all" about the charges.
"He's upset, angry. He's being persecuted politically. That is clear to many people, not only on the Right but on the Left." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65141157 |
Deepest ever fish caught on camera off Japan - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Scientists film a species of snailfish swimming at an extraordinary depth, breaking the current record. | Science & Environment | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Scientists film a species of snailfish swimming at an extraordinary depth, seen here in the first 15 seconds (later fish are at a slightly shallower depth) UWA/Caladan Oceanic
Scientists have filmed a fish swimming at an extraordinary depth in the ocean, making it the deepest observation of this nature that has ever been made.
The species - a type of snailfish of the genus Pseudoliparis - was filmed swimming at 8,336m (27,349ft).
It was filmed by an autonomous "lander" dropped into the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, south of Japan.
The lead scientist said the snailfish could be at, or very close to, the maximum depth any fish can survive.
The previous deepest fish observation was made at 8,178m, further south in the Pacific in the Mariana Trench. This discovery therefore beats the depth record by 158m.
"If this record is broken, it would only be by minute increments, potentially by just a few metres," Prof Alan Jamieson told BBC News.
The University of Western Australia deep-sea scientist made a prediction 10 years ago that fish would likely be found as deep as 8,200m to 8,400m. A decade of investigations around the globe has confirmed this.
Prof Jamieson has pioneered the use of instrumented deep-ocean landers
The juvenile Pseudoliparis was filmed by a camera system attached to a weighted frame released from over the side of a ship, the DSSV Pressure Drop. Bait was added to the frame to attract sea life.
Although a specimen was not caught to fully identify its species type, several fish were trapped slightly higher up in the water column in the nearby Japan Trench at a depth of 8,022m.
These, again, were snailfish, Pseudoliparis belyaevi, and set a record for the deepest fish ever caught.
Deepest ever catch: Some snailfish were pulled up from 8,022m
Snailfish are truly remarkable. There are over 300 species, most of which are actually shallow-water creatures and can be found in river estuaries.
But the snailfish group have also adapted to life in the cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic, and also under the extreme pressure conditions that exist in the world's deepest trenches.
At 8km down, they are experiencing more than 80 megapascals, or 800 times the pressure at the ocean surface.
Their gelatinous bodies help them survive.
Not having a swim bladder, the gas-filled organ to control buoyancy that is found in many other fish, is an additional advantage.
Likewise, their approach to food - they are suction feeders and consume tiny crustaceans, of which there are many in trenches.
The DSSV Pressure Drop is now owned by Inkfish and has been renamed Dagon
Prof Jamieson says the discovery of a fish deeper than those found in the Mariana Trench is probably due to the Izu-Ogasawara's slightly warmer waters.
"We predicted the deepest fish would be there and we predicted it would be a snailfish," he said.
"I get frustrated when people tell me we know nothing about the deep sea. We do. Things are changing really fast."
Prof Jamieson is the founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre. On this expedition, which also explored the Ryukyu Trenche, he worked with a team from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.
Landers use bait to draw fish into the view of cameras
The DSSV Pressure Drop and its crew-capable submarine, Limiting Factor, were used by the American adventurer Victor Vescovo in 2018 and 2019 to visit the deepest parts of Earth's five major oceans.
The Texan became the first person in history to complete the quintet of dives, and Prof Jamieson acted as his chief scientist.
The ship and the submarine were sold last year to the marine research organisation Inkfish and sent for a refit in San Diego.
They have also been renamed - the ship is now Dagon and the submarine is Bakunawa - and will head back out to sea again in June with Prof Jamieson again acting as the chief scientist.
Prof Jamieson, who was born in Scotland, is credited with discovering not just the deepest fish in our oceans but also the deepest octopus, jellyfish and squid. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65148876 |
Man, 28, charged over breach of peace at First Minister's residence - BBC News | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police were called after "suspicious" behaviour near the residence of first minister Humza Yousaf. | Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland | The first minister's official residence is in Charlotte Square in Edinburgh
A 28-year-old man has been charged with a breach of the peace after an incident near Bute House, the residence of Scotland's new first minister.
Police were called at 19:40 BST on Saturday to Charlotte Square in Edinburgh - the site of Humza Yousaf's official residence.
Officers said they made the arrest following reports of the man acting "suspiciously" in the square.
Mr Yousaf became first minister earlier this week after being made SNP leader.
His new cabinet has held its first formal meeting at Bute House on Friday.
Police Scotland put cordon in place in Charlotte Square on Saturday while inquiries were carried out.
A force spokesperson said: "There was no threat to the wider public and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal."
Mr Yousaf chaired his first cabinet meeting in Bute House on Friday
• None Yousaf confirmed as Scotland's new first minister | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65152418 |
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