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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 |
Ken Buchanan: Scotland's first undisputed boxing world champion dies at 77 - BBC Sport | 2023-04-01T00:00:00 | null | Ken Buchanan, Scotland's first undisputed world champion and arguably the country's greatest boxer, dies at the age of 77. | null | Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Ken Buchanan, Scotland's first undisputed world champion and arguably the country's greatest boxer, has died at the age of 77.
The Ken Buchanan Foundation confirmed the Edinburgh native's death on Saturday, a year after his son Mark said his father had been diagnosed with dementia.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you Ken passed away peacefully in his sleep," read a statement. "RIP Ken, always a gentleman and one of the best champions we will ever see."
Having turned professional in 1965, Buchanan memorably won the WBA lightweight world title by dethroning Panama's Ismael Laguna in the scorching heat of Puerto Rico in 1970.
That same year, the Scot was the American Boxing Writers' Association's Fighter of the Year, ahead of Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.
• None 'Buchanan's world title win was best by Briton'
• None 'One of Scotland's greatest in any age & any sport'
He defeated Ruben Navarro in Los Angeles in 1971 to take the WBC crown and become Scotland's first undisputed world champion, a feat only matched 50 years later by Josh Taylor.
Buchanan, who topped the bill six times at New York's famous Madison Square Garden arena, won his first 33 professional fights and retired in 1982 with a 61-9 record, including 27 wins by knockout.
He was inducted into the international boxing hall of fame in 2000, and a statue of Buchanan was unveiled in Leith in his home city of Edinburgh last year to honour his storied boxing career.
He had been living in an Edinburgh care home prior to his death, with his son saying the dementia was likely "a result of his sport".
Fellow Edinburgh boxer and world champion Josh Taylor: "It's a very, very sad day. My very first coach was one of his sons, Raymond. My condolences go out to him and all of Ken's family - they are putting to rest a true Scottish legend.
"Everything he did, and the way he did it, away from home. There will never be another man like him, so it's a sad day, and I hope the nation can give this guy the send-off that he truly deserves.
"I just used to love hearing his stories, the way he used to train and live his life. I loved taking on bits of advice from him, and he was a real hero of mine.
"I'm so proud and honoured to have the same titles as him, to follow in his footsteps. He's a massive inspiration to me, and he'll always be remembered as Scotland's greatest ever."
Former world champion Barry McGuigan: "So very sorry to hear of the death of the amazing Ken Buchanan. He was an outlier with his unique boxing style and he was a fabulous man. God bless you, Ken."
BBC Radio 5 Live boxing's Steve Bunce: "Ken Buchanan was a great fighter and a great human. It was a privilege to know him. Loved and adored. The King of the Garden. Gone forever." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/65149207 |
78-year-old Missouri woman arrested on bank robbery charges - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Bonnie Gooch, found in her car with cash strewn on the floor, has two past bank robbery convictions. | US & Canada | Bonnie Gooch has been charged with attempting to steal from a financial institution
A 78-year-old woman with two past bank robbery convictions was arrested again for a third heist in Missouri, police said.
Bonnie Gooch walked into Goppert Financial Bank and allegedly handed a note to the teller demanding thousands in cash.
She also left a note saying "Thank you sorry I didn't mean to scare you" before driving off with the cash.
Ms Gooch now sits in jail with a bond amount of $25,000 (£20,129).
Wearing a black N95 mask, black sunglasses and plastic gloves, she entered the bank last Wednesday and slipped the teller a note that said "I need 13,000 small bills", according to court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star.
Surveillance video shows Ms Gooch at one point banging on the counter, mandating a speedier delivery of the cash, prosecutors said, before leaving in her Buick Enclave with its handicap registration displayed.
Pleasant Hill Missouri Police Department officers responded to calls of a "robbery in progress" at around 15:20 local time (21:20 BST) and found Ms Gooch in her vehicle smelling strongly of alcohol, with cash strewn across the floor, prosecutors said.
Ms Gooch was arrested and charged with one count of stealing or attempting to steal from a financial institution.
"When officers first approached her, they were kind of confused ... It's a little old lady who steps out," Pleasant Hill Police Chief Tommy Wright told the Kansas City Star. "We weren't sure initially that we had the right person."
However, this is not Ms Gooch's first run in with the law.
She also has two other convictions. One for a robbery in California in 1977, and the other for a bank robbery in 2020, where she reportedly handed the teller a birthday card that had "this is a robbery" written into it.
Her probation for the 2020 robbery ended in November 2021.
Mr Wright said Ms Gooch had no "diagnosed" ailments, but due to her age, the department was trying to determine if any underlying health factors could have contributed to the incident. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65232308 |
UK-Israeli mother dies after West Bank shooting - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lucy Dee had been in a coma since the suspected Palestinian attack which killed her two daughters. | Middle East | Lucy (left), Rina (centre) and Maia Dee were reportedly shot at close range after their car came under fire
A British-Israeli woman has died after a suspected Palestinian gun attack on Friday, in which two of her daughters were also killed.
Lucy Dee, 48, had been in a coma since the attack in the occupied West Bank.
Her daughters Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, were buried on Sunday in the settlement of Kfar Etzion, with their father and three surviving siblings present.
The family moved to Israel nine years ago from the UK, where Lucy's husband, Leo, had served as a rabbi.
Thousands of mourners attended the emotionally charged funeral of the sisters, where Rabbi Dee eulogised them.
Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem announced that Lucy (who was also known by her Hebrew name, Leah) Dee had died on Monday morning "despite great and constant efforts".
Speaking hours after his wife's death, Rabbi Dee said: "My beautiful wife, Lucy, and myself tried to raise our children with good values and to do good and bring more good into the world," calling the attack "pure evil".
"Alas, our family of seven is now a family of four", he said.
Lucy, Rina and Maia were shot at as they were driving in the Jordan Valley in the northern West Bank on their way to a family holiday. Their vehicle crashed and the gunmen went up to the car and opened fire on the women at close range, Israeli media quoted investigators as saying.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that 22 bullet casings were found, apparently from a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Rabbi Dee had been further ahead in a separate car when his sister called him with news of the attack.
He said he tried to call his wife and daughters but they did not answer. He then saw a missed call from Maia from the time of the attack.
He said another daughter who was with him saw a photo posted on Instagram by the driver of a car which passed the attacked car and they recognised one of their suitcases on the back seat of the vehicle.
The emergency services were already at the scene of the attack, near the settlement of Hamra, when he got there.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted that he sent his "heartfelt condolences to the Dee family, on the death of the mother of the family, Leah (Lucy), who was murdered in the severe terror attack in the [Jordan] valley".
Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire, to which the Dees had belonged, said the community was "devastated at the terrible news" of Lucy and her daughters' deaths.
"We and the world have been robbed of their presence, but their light can never be extinguished," it said in a statement.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a hunt for the perpetrators following the attack, which came at a time of spiralling tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65227638 |
Just Stop Oil activists arrested over Dippy the Diplodocus protest - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two people were held and "two large bags of dry paint" were seized at the exhibit, police say. | Coventry & Warwickshire | The video showed the pair revealing Just Stop Oil T-shirts before being confronted by security staff.
Two climate change activists have been arrested after attempting to stage a protest at a dinosaur exhibit.
They entered Herbert Art Gallery and Museum's Dippy the Diplodocus display in Coventry at 10:00 BST on Monday.
A video released by campaign group Just Stop Oil (JSO) showed them being tackled by security staff and led away.
West Midlands Police said two people were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause criminal damage and "two large bags of dry paint" had been seized.
The force said "protest liaison officers" had remained at the museum to "keep people safe and limit disruption to a minimum".
The video showed the man and woman revealing JSO T-shirts before being confronted by security staff.
One staff member was shown seizing the man's rucksack, while another tackled the woman, telling her to "stop it, stop it now. Do you understand?"
The pair were tackled by security staff before being led away by police
JSO has described itself as "a coalition of groups working together to ensure the government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production".
In a statement, one of the activists said he felt he had "no choice" but to take part in the protest because "we're barrelling towards suffering, mass death and the annihilation of our species".
"I cannot and will not commit myself to a future of powerlessly watching these horrors unfold," he said.
"The dinosaurs had no choice; we do."
The 26-metre long (85ft) cast of a diplodocus skeleton began a three-year residency at the gallery in February and has proved hugely popular with visitors.
It was previously seen by more than two million people on a UK tour after its 112-year stay in the Natural History Museum ended in 2017.
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected] | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65233721 |
Evan Gershkovich: US says journalist is wrongfully detained in Russia - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Russia accuses Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal of spying, but the publication denies this. | Europe | The United States has designated journalist Evan Gershkovich as being "wrongfully detained" by Russia and called for his immediate release.
Mr Gershkovich, an experienced Russia reporter, was arrested last month in the city of Yekaterinburg while working for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
He has since been formally charged with spying, but the WSJ denies this.
It is the first time Moscow has accused a US journalist of espionage since the Soviet era.
The "wrongfully detained" designation in the US means the case will now be transferred to the office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs. This will raise the profile of the case and allow the government to allocate more resources to securing his release.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken "made a determination that Evan Gershkovich is wrongfully detained by Russia", state department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
He called for the "immediate release" of Mr Gershkovich and condemned "the Kremlin's continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth."
The WSJ said: "The distinction will unlock additional resources and attention at the highest levels of the US government in securing his release."
"We are doing everything in our power to support Evan and his family," it added.
Russia has not granted US consular officials access to Mr Gershkovich, which is in violation of international law, Mr Patel told reporters earlier on Monday.
Last week the Russian foreign ministry said the issue of consular access was being resolved but added that the "fuss in the US about this case, which was aimed at pressurising the Russian authorities... was hopeless and senseless".
Mr Gershkovich, 31, is well known among foreign correspondents in Moscow. BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg describes him as an excellent reporter and a highly principled journalist.
The WSJ said its reporter had dropped out of contact with his editors on 28 March while in Yekaterinberg.
Russia's FSB security service said it had halted "illegal activities" by detaining the journalist.
Press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders said he had gone to Yekaterinburg to cover Russian mercenary group Wagner, which has taken part in some of the heaviest fighting in eastern Ukraine.
According to a report by the James Foley Legacy Foundation, which advocates for the freedom of Americans being held hostage abroad, at least 65 Americans were being unfairly detained abroad in 2022.
The foundation is named after a US journalist abducted in Syria and killed by the Islamic State group in 2014. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65234451 |
Junior doctors' strike: Health leader calls for Acas help with talks - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Some 350,000 appointments and operations could potentially be cancelled this week, a health body warns. | UK | Thousands of junior doctors led by the British Medical Association will strike over four days
The government and doctors' unions must call in conciliation service Acas for talks ahead of the "extremely worrying" strikes this week, a health chief says.
Junior doctors in England will stage a four-day walkout from Tuesday - potentially the most disruptive in NHS history.
The NHS Confederation's Matthew Taylor told the BBC some 350,000 appointments and operations could be cancelled.
The strike is part of a bitter pay dispute and follows action last month.
The British Medical Association wants a 35% pay rise for junior doctors. It says the increase would make up for 15 years of below-inflation wage rises which has caused a recruitment and retention crisis.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said on Saturday the demand was "unrealistic" and out of step with pay settlements in other parts of the public sector, but the BMA said Mr Barclay was yet to put a serious offer on the table.
The strike involving thousands of doctors is due to take place from 07:00 BST on Tuesday until 07:00 on Saturday, with walkouts across both planned and emergency care.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Taylor, whose body represents health service trusts, said the government and unions needed to call in mediators to help advance the talks.
"It's depressing that there seems to be no movement at all from the two sides of this dispute over the last few days," Mr Taylor said.
"We should consider asking the government and the trade unions to call in Acas, the conciliation service, to provide some basis for negotiations, because if anything the positions seem to have hardened over the last couple of days."
He said an intervention from the public body was needed to avoid further strikes.
Mr Taylor also described the impact of thousands of junior doctors striking as "enormous".
"Those services are stretched and there's no question there will be a risk to patient safety, there will be a risk to patient dignity because we're unable to provide the kind of care we want."
He added: "It's an extremely worrying situation... The leaders I spoke to over the last few days are genuinely worried.
"Now to be facing this situation where those waiting lists are going to get longer, cancelling work, not being able to guarantee the level of care you want to provide - well that's heartbreaking for an NHS leader."
Recently Acas - which receives funding from the government - has been involved in mediation relating to the Royal Mail and higher education industrial disputes.
It can play an impartial role in helping to settle matters when there is a disagreement between an employer and group of employees.
On Saturday writing in the Telegraph, the health secretary wrote: "We cannot, however, negotiate until the BMA confirms it is pausing next week's strike and moving significantly from its position of 35%.
"Without this, I regrettably see no prospect of getting into serious and constructive talks."
But Dr Mike Greenhalgh, deputy co-chair of the BMA's junior doctors' committee, told the BBC over the weekend: "It's hard to negotiate when only one side is doing it and we're not getting anything back from the government on that front."
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) declined to comment on the call for Acas to intervene, but said it was working with NHS England to put in place contingency plans to protect patient safety.
Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers which represents hospital services, told the BBC health leaders were "deeply worried" about the strike's impact on patient care and safety.
She told BBC Radio 4's World At One there would be "extreme pressure on critical life-preserving services" and called for both sides of the dispute to "step back from the brink".
The BMA has refused to exempt any services, in contrast to nurse and ambulance unions who did agree to some exemptions in their recent strikes. But the BMA said plans were in place to pull junior doctors off the picket line if lives were in danger.
The organisation's co-chair Dr Vivek Trevedi told the BBC striking doctors would return to work in the event of a major incident, but said no formal request for an agreed list of circumstances in which the action would be paused had been submitted by the government.
Mental health, maternity and some GP services are also be expected to be impacted.
Some GP surgeries are suspending routine appointments for up to a week due to the strikes, according to the Telegraph.
A 72-hour strike by junior doctors last month led to more than 175,000 patient appointments and procedures being cancelled in England.
While emergency care was provided by consultants during the strike, many planned, non-urgent treatments were rescheduled.
Junior doctors represent nearly half of the medical workforce in England and include those who have just graduated from university, through to some with 10 years of experience.
Two-thirds of junior doctors are members of the BMA.
Are you a junior doctor with a view on the strike? Are you a patient affected? 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-65230594 |
Vodafone says UK broadband services back to normal - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The firm apologises after around 11,000 customers could not connect to the internet for much of the day. | Technology | Vodafone says that a problem that knocked out broadband services for around 11,000 customers has been resolved.
The firm said it was "incredibly sorry" for the inconvenience caused after some people were unable to access the internet for much of the day.
It added that people should "already be seeing their connectivity return".
It follows issues at Virgin Media O2 on Tuesday, when more than 50,000 broadband customers reported problems.
Vodafone told the BBC that Monday's outage had impacted "just over 1%" of its 1.1 million home broadband customers.
Some users had expressed their frustration at the problems - which come at a time of significant price rises - with one calling it "shameful".
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The firm is one of a number of broadband providers to have made large mid-contract price increases in April - with some customers experiencing rises of nearly 15% according to figures from price comparison service Uswitch.
Other users tweeted that the outage was affecting their ability to work from home, with one person asking if Vodafone plans to reimburse them for the cost of using mobile data so they can still work while the service is down.
Some accused Vodafone of failing to communicate with customers about the issues. "[Saying] 'we're investigating' nearly 6 hours after a major outrage is unacceptable," one user tweeted.
"I shouldn't have to check Twitter and Downdetector [a site that monitors outages] to see what is going on," another wrote.
Vodafone had said its mobile network was unaffected by the issues.
Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy, for Which? told the BBC too many customers of broadband firms were experiencing poor service.
She said the organisation's research had found that "millions of customers aren't receiving satisfactory service at a time when they're also being hit by above-inflation price hikes.
"If you're out of contract and not happy with your provider, now could be the time to switch," Ms Concha suggested.
• None Virgin Media down again for thousands | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65230801 |
Masters 2023: Jon Rahm wins, beating Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson at Augusta National - BBC Sport | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | null | Spain's Jon Rahm keeps his nerve and patience to win a first Masters, swinging an exciting final day in his favour from American Brooks Koepka. | null | Last updated on .From the section Golf
-12-8 -7 P Reed (US), J Spieth (US), R Henley (US)
Spain's Jon Rahm kept his nerve and patience to win a first Masters, swinging an exciting final day in his favour from American Brooks Koepka.
Rahm, 28, carded a three-under 69 to finish on 12 under and win by four shots as Koepka, who led by two going into the final round, signed for a 75.
Koepka ended joint second with veteran Phil Mickelson, who shot a a stunning seven-under 65 to finish eight under.
Former champions Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed were a shot further back.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler finished in a group on four under, along with England's US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who was the highest finisher from Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Rahm became the fourth Spanish player to win the Masters and his victory poignantly came on what would have been the 66th birthday of the legendary two-time champion Seve Ballesteros, who won in 1980 and 1983.
"I wasn't sure how [the emotion] was going to come to me until I hit the third shot on the 18th," said Rahm, whose first major win came at the 2021 US Open.
"History of the game is a big reason why I play and Seve is a big part of that history.
"For me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of his second Masters win and on his birthday was incredibly meaningful."
How Rahm took control to win Green Jacket
Rahm was one of the pre-tournament favourites - alongside Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who missed the halfway cut, and world number one Scheffler - after an impressive year in the lead-up to the first men's major of the season.
With three wins on the PGA Tour this year, plus four top-10 finishes in six previous Masters starts, Rahm had the form and previous pedigree to win at Augusta - and he duly delivered.
Remarkably, he started his bid on Thursday with a double bogey after a four-putt on the first hole. After that he barely made a wrong move.
Rahm showed all facets of his outstanding all-round game - particularly his relentlessly huge driving and nerveless putting - to record an opening round of 65 and then posting scores of 69, 73 and 69.
Not only did Rahm win the iconic Green Jacket for the first time, he also returned to the world number one ranking.
Leading by four shots with four holes left to play, he maintained that advantage going into the 18th hole and could even afford to hit his final drive into the trees.
The ball ended up bouncing back into play and landing 150 yards from the tee, but he retained composure to lay up and knock a sublime chip to within a few feet for an unorthodox par.
"It was a very unusual par, very much a Seve par - it was in a non purposeful way, a testament to him. I know he was pulling for me and it was a great Sunday," added the 28-year-old.
"This one is for Seve. I knew he would be up there helping and help he did."
After sinking his final putt, Rahm shook his clenched fists while looking up to the sky.
His family - wife Kelley, along with two sons Kepa and Eneko - quickly joined him on the 18th green before he was congratulated further by friends and family.
Those included compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal, another two-time Masters champion and one of Rahm's mentors.
What looked set to be a tight two-way duel between Rahm and Koepka ended up being a controlled and clinical victory for the Spaniard.
As well as Rahm's brilliance, a poor final round from Koepka was a significant factor.
Koepka was bidding for a fifth major title - and a first since 2019 - despite barely having played 72-hole events in recent months after deciding to switch to the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.
The LIV tournaments are played over 54 holes, although Koepka arrived at the Masters in form having won last week's event in Miami where his $4m (£3.2m) prize, exceeded the record $3.24m Rahm will take home for winning the first major of the year.
But his driving became wayward early in the final round and once that allowed the momentum to shift towards Rahm, Koepka could not recover.
Asked by Sky Sports how he felt after being unable to maintain his lead, Koepka said: "Kind of ho-hum. I didn't play that great. I hit some good shots and just ended up in some terrible spots. Then at the end trying to make birdies when he's ahead - it's tough.
"Second is not very fun so that's motivation in itself."
In front of the final pair, a dramatic battle began to build as a host of former major champions jostled for position and threated to take advantage of any slip-ups.
Three-time Masters winner Mickelson, 52, surprisingly became the main challenger after a scorching run of five birdies in the final seven holes.
Mickelson skipped last year's tournament because of a self-imposed break from the sport, after he made controversial comments about the Saudi-backed LIV project which he eventually joined.
But he looked like his old self as he took the acclaim of the Augusta patrons after the final birdie moved him into the clubhouse lead.
It also lifted him into joint second place alongside fellow LIV player Koepka, remaining there to become the oldest player in Masters history to finish in the top five.
"This is as much fun as I could possibly have playing golf," he said.
"The final round of the Masters and to play the way I did and finish with a couple of birdies, regardless of the outcome, it has been a fun day.
"I'm grateful to be here and compete, to be part of this great championship and to play how I did was extra special."
Mickelson finished a shot ahead of playing partner Spieth, with the 2015 champion also racing up the leaderboard after starting with two birdies and adding three on the bounce around the turn.
Reed, the 2018 champion and another to move to LIV, had a double-bogey seven on the second hole but responded with eight birdies on his way to a 68 as he joined Spieth on seven under, in a share of fourth place with another American, Russell Henley.
• None Enter the world of the social media personality’s multi-level marketing scheme and webcam business
• None The rise and fall of the jeweller-turned-criminal: Listen to Gangster: The Story of John Palmer | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/65227852 |
Referee and wife received 'death threats' after Old Firm match - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kevin Clancy's contact details were published online after the Celtic v Rangers game on Saturday. | Scotland | Kevin Clancy disallowed a goal by Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos after ruling the Colombian fouled Celtic defender Alistair Johnston
A referee and his wife have received death threats after Saturday's Old Firm match, the BBC understands.
The Scottish Football Association said Kevin Clancy was targeted after his contact details were published online following the Celtic v Rangers game.
Abusive messages sent to Mr Clancy were also directed at his children.
The SFA has referred the matter to Police Scotland, but a force spokesman said it had yet to receive the correspondence.
During the Scottish Premiership match, which Celtic won 3-2, the referee disallowed a first half goal by Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos.
A spokesperson for the Ibrox club said: "Rangers condemns in the strongest terms any abuse of match officials.
"We are all passionate about our game, but targeted, personal abuse of referees cannot be tolerated."
The statement went on to say that Rangers were "astonished" by the decision to chalk off Morelos' goal.
Former top flight referee Steve Conroy said the abuse directed at Mr Clancy was "absolutely appalling".
He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "It is disgusting that anybody personally and anybody's family can be targeted over the course of a game of football.
Mr Conroy said the abuse of match officials was not new but added the problem had intensified since he retired due to social media.
He also said anyone convicted of sending death threats should be banned from attending football grounds for life.
On Monday the SFA confirmed Mr Clancy had received a series of "unacceptable" messages via email and phone.
Chief executive Ian Maxwell said some of the contact was "potentially criminal in nature".
The SFA said a "significant volume of threatening and abusive emails" had been referred to Police Scotland, but the force said it had not received the complaint.
As a result, officers have yet to launch a formal investigation.
The SFA is based at Hampden in Glasgow
The SFA confirmed the association's security and integrity manager had been liaising with Mr Clancy and the force following the messages over the Easter weekend.
Mr Maxwell said: "The nature of the messages goes way beyond criticism of performance and perceived decision-making - some are potentially criminal in nature and include threats and abuse towards Kevin and his family.
"We have referred the correspondence to the police and condemn this behaviour in the strongest possible terms, as well as the posting of a referee's personal details online with the sole purpose of causing distress.
"Football is our national game. It improves and saves lives. Without referees, there is no game, and while decisions will always be debated with or without the use of VAR, we cannot allow a situation to develop where a referee's privacy and safety, and those of his family, are compromised."
He added everyone had a responsibility to "protect our game and those essential to it".
Meanwhile, the SFA also confirmed the referee operations team had responded to Rangers' request for an explanation for the decision to rule out Morelos' goal, which they believe should have stood.
Rangers later said it had been told by the SFA that the goal by the Colombian striker was rightly disallowed.
The statement continued: "The club is astonished by this, especially given most observers, including former referees and former players, could see no issue with the goal standing."
Rangers also highlighted a case in England where Brighton and Hove Albion received an apology for not being awarded a penalty in a match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
The spokesperson said: "While an apology does not alter the outcome of a match, such responsibility and openness would be welcome in Scotland."
In February a former top Scottish referee warned match officials were being subjected to an unacceptable level of verbal and physical abuse.
Kenny Clark spoke out after hundreds of grassroots referees in England told the BBC they fear for their safety when refereeing.
Some respondents described being punched, headbutted and spat at.
The Referees' Association in England has even warned an official will one day "lose his or her life". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65234008 |
China simulates hitting 'key targets' on Taiwan - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The US says it is "monitoring Beijing's actions" as China's military drills round Taiwan continue. | World | China has simulated precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan and its surrounding waters during a second day of military drills.
The drills - which Beijing has called a "stern warning" to the self-governing island - are a response to Taiwan's president visiting the US last week.
As the Chinese military simulated an encirclement of the island, the US urged China to show restraint.
Taiwan said about 70 Chinese aircraft flew around the island on Sunday.
On Saturday, Taiwan said that 45 warplanes either crossed the Taiwan Strait median line - the unofficial dividing line between Taiwanese and Chinese territory - or flew into the south-western part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone.
The operation, dubbed "Joint Sword" by Beijing, will continue until Monday. Taiwanese officials have been enraged by the operation.
On Saturday defence officials in Taipei accused Beijing of using President Tsai's US visit as an "excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region".
On day one of the drills, one of China's ships fired a round as it sailed near Pingtan island, China's closest point to Taiwan.
Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the Coast Guard, issued video footage showing one of its ships shadowing a Chinese warship, though did not provide a location.
In the footage a sailor can be heard telling the Chinese ship through a radio: "You are seriously harming regional peace, stability and security. Please immediately turn around and leave. If you continue to proceed we will take expulsion measures."
Other footage showed a Taiwanese warship, the Di Hua, accompanying the Coast Guard ship in what the Coast Guard officer calls a "standoff" with the Chinese vessel.
While the Chinese exercises ended by sundown on Saturday evening, defence officials in Taipei said fighter jet sorties started again early on Sunday morning.
US state department officials have urged China not to exploit President Tsai's US visit, and have called for "restraint and no change to the status quo".
A state department spokesperson said the US was "monitoring Beijing's actions closely" and insisted the US had "sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability and to meet our national security commitments".
The US severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing in 1979, but it is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
US President Joe Biden has said on several occasion that the US would intervene if China attacked the island, but US messaging has been murky.
At Wednesday's meeting in California, Ms Tsai thanked US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for America's "unwavering support", saying it helped "reassure the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated and we are not alone".
Mr McCarthy had originally planned to go to Taiwan himself, but opted instead to hold the meeting in California to avoid inflaming tensions with China.
Chinese state media said the military drills, which are due to run until Monday, would "simultaneously organise patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture".
It added that "long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers and refuellers" had all been deployed by China's military.
But in Taiwan's capital Taipei, residents seemed unperturbed by China's latest manoeuvres.
"I think many Taiwanese have gotten used to it by now, the feeling is like, here we go again!" Jim Tsai said on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Michael Chuang said: "They [China] seems to like doing it, circling Taiwan like it's theirs. I am used to it now.
"If they invade we can't escape anyway. We'll see what the future holds and go from there."
Taiwan's status has been ambiguous since 1949, when the Chinese Civil War turned in favour of the Chinese Communist Party and the country's old ruling government retreated to the island.
Taiwan has since considered itself a sovereign state, with its own constitution and leaders. China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing's control - by force if necessary.
China's President Xi Jinping has said "reunification" with Taiwan "must be fulfilled". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-65223970 |
Ofsted should be abolished, teaching union NASUWT agrees - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Pressure on the schools watchdog has been growing following the death of head teacher Ruth Perry. | UK | Teaching union NASUWT has approved a motion calling for the abolition of Ofsted, adding to growing pressure on the schools watchdog.
Teachers described a "deep-seated fear" of Ofsted inspections at the union's annual conference in Glasgow on Monday.
Last month, the National Education Union also called for an immediate freeze to inspections.
Ofsted has said most school leaders find inspections "constructive and collaborative".
There has been mounting criticism of Ofsted following the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life ahead of a report downgrading her school from "outstanding" to "inadequate".
Her family has said her death was a "direct result of the pressure" caused by the school inspection.
State schools in England which are inspected by Ofsted are ranked on a four-point scale - "outstanding", "good", "requires improvement" and "inadequate".
The motion passed on Monday acknowledged that the "perceived demands of Ofsted are the major contributor to the excessive workload and bureaucracy that blights the lives of teachers".
It instructed the NASUWT's national executive to work with other education unions to call for an immediate inspections freeze, and to launch a campaign to abolish the system in its "current form", replacing it with a supportive framework.
Primary school teacher Martin Hudson, who put forward the motion, said there was a "genuine and deep-seated fear" of Ofsted among teachers which was "completely unacceptable".
"Ofsted is a scourge of the classroom and the destroyer of teachers," he added.
Gherie Wedeyesus, a teacher from Brent, said: "Let's put an end to this peddler of misery. Let's end this reign of terror and abolish Ofsted."
Others who spoke at the conference called for Ofsted to be reformed rather than abolished.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has also indicated it could take legal action against Ofsted following its failure to pause inspections after Ms Perry's death.
And last week, school leader Dr Martin Hanbury quit his role as an Ofsted inspector, telling the BBC he felt his role could cause "more harm than good". He described the one-word grading system as "totally unfit for purpose".
Earlier in April, 12 chief executives running more than 200 academies in England said Ofsted must rethink how it does inspections.
An Ofsted spokesperson said: "Inspections are first and foremost for children and their parents - looking in depth at the quality of education, behaviour and how well, and safely, schools are run.
"Our inspectors are all former or current school leaders who fully understand the pressures of the role. We always want inspections to be constructive and collaborative, and in the vast majority of cases school leaders agree that they are."
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: "Ofsted has a crucial role to play in upholding education standards and making sure children are safe in school.
"They provide independent, up to date evaluations on the quality of education, safeguarding, and leadership which parents greatly rely on to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65232137 |
Michael Lerner: Elf and Barton Fink actor dies at 81 - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The actor's career stretched across decades, with dozens of appearances in hit TV shows and films. | US & Canada | Michael Lerner appeared in several films in the 1990s
US actor Michael Lerner, who appeared in such films as Godzilla and Elf, and who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in Barton Fink, has died aged 81.
His nephew Sam Lerner announced the actor's death in an Instagram message on Sunday.
"We lost a legend last night. It's hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me," he said.
No further details of Lerner's death have been given.
"His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy," Sam Lerner said.
"I'm so lucky I got to spend so much time with him, and we're all lucky we can continue to watch his work for the rest of time. RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon."
Lerner's acting career stretched back to the late 1960s, when he was a pupil at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California.
On his path to Hollywood stardom, he first picked up supporting roles on two popular TV series - M*A*S*H and The Rockford Files.
But it was his role as movie mogul Jack Lipnick in Barton Fink, a period thriller by the Oscar-winning directors the Coen brothers, that thrust him into the higher echelons of Hollywood success.
In the film, he starred alongside John Turturro, John Goodman and Judy Davis, in the role that earned him an Academy Awards nomination for best supporting actor.
His acting career took off after the nomination and he appeared in many films in the 1990s, including Newsies, Blank Check, Celebrity and Godzilla.
In 1995, he starred in the CBS drama Courthouse as Judge Myron Winkleman, which lasted for one season, and in 1996 he played Cher Horowitz's father, Mel Horowitz, for one season in the TV series Clueless.
In 2003, he landed a role in Elf as short-tempered boss Fulton Greenway, acting alongside comedian Will Ferrell in the hit Christmas comedy.
More recently, in 2014 he had a small role as Senator Brickman in the blockbuster X-Men: Days of Future Past. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65232311 |
UK weather: Rain and 60mph gusts to replace Easter sunshine - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Met Office issues two weather warnings for wind as blustery weather moves into the UK. | UK | People braving the rain in Battersea Park on Easter Monday
Heavy downpours and gusts of more than 60mph are due to hit large parts of the UK this week, forecasters have warned.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind covering parts of Northern Ireland, the south of Scotland, the west coast of England and most of Wales on Tuesday.
Another yellow wind warning is in place for south-west England and south Wales for Wednesday.
Meanwhile, flooding is possible in parts of England on Tuesday.
The Environment Agency has issued eight flood alerts in areas including Surrey, Bristol and the Tyne and Wear coast.
There were heavy thundery showers across parts of the UK on Monday, with the most active storms in place in the Midlands and parts of northern England.
The first of the Met Office's weather warnings for wind will come into effect from 15:00 BST on Tuesday and will last until 03:00 on Wednesday, with the second warning in place from 06:00 on Wednesday until the end of the day.
Delays to road, rail and flights are expected while there could also be a short-term loss of power in some of the areas covered by the warnings, the Met Office said.
The forecast for this week marks a stark contrast to the warm sunshine much of the country experienced over the first three days of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
Temperatures reached 17.3C (63.14F) at Kinlochewe in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday and 17.1C (62.78F) in London on Sunday.
People enjoying the Easter Sunday sunshine in Greenwich Park in the capital
An estimated two million British holidaymakers headed overseas during the Bank Holiday period, according to travel trade organisation ABTA.
Those returning this week will be greeted to wind and rain - and even possibly some snow on higher ground.
BBC Weather forecaster Chris Fawkes said this week would be wet and windy as a strong jet stream from the Atlantic develops an area of low pressure, with temperatures dropping from the highs seen over the weekend.
"It will become very windy on Tuesday night for parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and western England with gusts of wind reaching 50mph to 60mph - strong enough to bring down some tree branches and cause some localised disruption," he said.
"There is a chance that a stronger low pressure could develop bringing a few gusts as high as 70mph or even 80mph to areas adjoining the Irish Sea, but there is a degree of uncertainty due to the fact that the area of low pressure hasn't even started to develop just yet."
He added: "The weather will stay blustery on Wednesday with outbreaks of rain and some heavy, thundery showers. It will feel a lot colder, especially in the strong winds, with temperatures reaching between 6C and 12C.
"It will even be cold enough to see a little snow on some of the mountains in northern areas - a reminder that spring can be a fickle season."
• None 2022 will be warmest year ever for UK - Met Office | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65233359 |
Maia and Rina Dee: Father mourns at funeral of sisters killed in West Bank - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Maia and Rina Dee, originally from the UK, were shot dead in a suspected Palestinian attack. | Middle East | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Mourners sing at funeral for sisters killed in occupied West Bank
The father of two British-Israeli sisters killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank embraced their bodies while mourners sang songs of grief at their funeral on Sunday.
Maia and Rina Dee, 20 and 15, were killed on Friday when suspected Palestinian gunmen opened fire on them in their car in the Jordan Valley.
Their mother, Leah, is in a critical condition following surgery.
The attack came amid soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions and violence.
The low rhythmic songs swelled and swayed with the crowd, who were packed beneath the white rafters in the prayer hall at a cemetery in the settlement of Kfar Etzion.
Many at the funeral were teenagers - some from the school Rina went to. At the front, by a low podium, the family gathered, talking together and holding each other for long moments in silence.
The bodies were brought out, one covered in black cloth, one in blue - a Star of David embroidered on each, in gold and silver.
They were embraced by their father, Rabbi Leo Dee, originally from Radlett in the UK. He then sat back, his face contorted in pain, his hands reaching out to touch his remaining three children.
Rabbi Dee also spoke, questioning how he would explain to the girls' mother what had happened to their "two precious gifts" when she wakes up.
He told those assembled that "today the Jewish people have proven we are one".
"A simple, quiet family is devastated," he said. "The whole country hurts."
Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, was among the mourners.
Maia and Rina Dee were shot as their drove from their home in the settlement of Efrat to Tiberias
The family live in Efrat, having moved from London nine years ago.
The car carrying the two sisters and their mother crashed after coming under fire. They were then fired on again at close range, Israeli media reported.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that 22 bullet casings were found, apparently from a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
The victims were travelling in one of three cars on their way to Tiberias in the Galilee for a family holiday.
Israeli military personnel blocked roads in the area and said they had "started a pursuit of the terrorists" responsible.
Speaking to the BBC on Saturday evening, Rabbi Dee described his daughters as beautiful, smart and popular. He said he had not been able to sleep since their deaths.
"Every time, I had nightmares and woke up," he said, "but the reality was worse than the nightmare, so I went back to sleep. Recurring nightmares... that's how it went."
He said Maia, who was volunteering for national service in a high school, was "wonderful, beautiful, had a lot of friends... she was very keen to do a second year of volunteering".
Rina, he said, was "beautiful, fun, very smart, top grades in every subject, very popular with friends, sporty... very responsible, she would take responsibility for many things".
"When it came to sweeping out the youth club floor, if other people didn't turn up, she would be there by herself for three hours on a Friday morning, to make sure it was done," he said.
Rabbi Dee heard news of the attack without realising his own family were involved, he said.
He called his wife and daughters, but they did not answer. He then saw a picture online of the car that was attacked.
"And we could just see one of our suitcases in the back seat," he said. "There was a massive panic and screaming."
He then drove to the scene. He was not allowed access but was handed his daughter's ID card, which confirmed the worst.
Rabbi Dee has said he and his three remaining children "will get through this".
Rabbi Mordechai Ginsbury, from the Hendon United Synagogue in north London, said he spoke briefly with his close friend Rabbi Dee before the funerals.
"Naturally, as are we all, [he was] devastated, shocked at how just in a few moments with an act of absolute evil and madness - insanity - things can change around," he told the BBC.
"The loss of two gorgeous daughters, and his wife now lying critically ill in a hospital in Jerusalem.
"But through the sadness there's still that determination that he has to find any positives one can find, to try and be strong for his remaining children."
Rabbi Ginsbury added that Rabbi Dee felt "supported and embraced by a blanket of warmth and love" from within Israel and from people across world who had contacted him.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the incident as a terror attack, sent his condolences to the family in a tweet naming the sisters on Saturday.
The UK's chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said that "no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news".
After the two sisters were shot, Israel Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai called on all Israelis with firearms licences to start carrying their weapons.
Also on Friday, an Italian tourist was killed and seven other people were wounded, including three Britons, in a suspected car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65224751 |
China-Taiwan: Aircraft carrier 'seals off' island on third day of drills - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Beijing's military simulates further attacks after President Tsai met US House Speaker McCarthy. | Asia | Pictures published by China's military on Monday showed fighter jets reportedly east of Taiwan
China has finished three days of military drills around Taiwan, which included "sealing off" the island and simulating targeted strikes.
Taiwan said it had detected jets to its east, while China said its Shandong aircraft carrier had taken part.
Beijing began the exercises on Saturday after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met the US House Speaker in California.
After the drills ended, Taiwan's defence ministry said it would not stop strengthening its combat preparedness.
The drills have not been as big as those that followed Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei last August.
Taiwan is a self-ruled island with its own government and constitution. China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing's control - by force, if necessary.
On Monday, China said its drills had ended successfully. Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected 12 Chinese warships and 91 aircraft around the island on Monday.
"Although [China's] Eastern Theatre Command has announced the end of its exercise, the [Taiwanese] military will never relax its efforts to strengthen its combat readiness," the defence ministry said in a statement.
A senior US official told Reuters that the administration was closely watching China's actions in the Taiwan Strait and said Beijing's military exercises undermined peace and stability in the region.
The US also on Monday sent the USS Milius guided-missile destroyer through contested parts of the South China Sea.
A map of flight paths released by Taiwan's defence ministry showed four J-15 fighter jets to the island's east - suggesting that the Chinese military is for the first time simulating strikes from the east, rather than the west where China's mainland lies.
Analysts said it was likely the jets had come from China's Shandong aircraft carrier - one of two such carriers it possesses - which is currently deployed in the western Pacific ocean, about 320km (200 miles) from Taiwan.
The Chinese military confirmed on Monday in a statement that the Shandong had "participated" in Monday's exercises. It said fighter planes loaded with live ammunition had "carried out multiple waves of simulated strikes on important targets".
Japan's defence ministry said on Monday that the Shandong had also conducted air operations in the preceding days.
Jet fighters and helicopters took off and landed on the carrier 120 times between Friday and Sunday, the Japanese ministry said.
Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an audio post on Telegram that China had the "right to respond" to what he said were "provocative actions" against it.
Also on Monday, the US sent the USS Milius, a guided-missile destroyer, through part of the South China Sea about 1,300km (800 miles) south of Taiwan.
China said the ship had "illegally intruded" into its waters, while the US maintained the operation was consistent with international law.
Washington had repeatedly called for China to exercise restraint following President Tsai's meeting with Kevin McCarthy, the third most senior US government figure. Beijing, meanwhile, had warned the US and Taiwan of "resolute counter-measures" if Ms Tsai met Mr McCarthy.
China announced the drills after top foreign leaders whom it was hosting - including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen - left the country.
Mr Macron later urged Europe not to get dragged into a confrontation between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, in remarks that have attracted some criticism.
On his flight out of China, he told reporters that Europe risked getting "caught up in crises that are not ours" and this would make it harder to build "strategic autonomy".
China's drills began on Saturday after Ms Tsai had returned from her 10-day trip to the US and Central America.
Ms Pelosi's high-profile visit to Taiwan last August, while she was the US House of Representatives Speaker, was followed by four days of unprecedented military drills, which saw China fire ballistic missiles into the seas around Taiwan. Ms Pelosi was the highest-ranking US official to land in Taiwan since the 1990s.
However, some analysts say such military exercises may have diminishing impact over time.
"To maintain the same fear factor, [China will] have to ramp it up bigger and bigger each time as their actions will have a normalising effect after a while," said Ian Chong, a non-resident scholar at Carnegie China.
Taiwan's status has been ambiguous since 1949, when the Chinese Civil War turned in favour of the Chinese Communist Party and the country's old ruling government retreated to the island.
China's President Xi Jinping has said "reunification" with Taiwan "must be fulfilled".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: On land, by sea and in the air - footage from China's state broadcaster show military drills around Taiwan | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65229003 |
President Joe Biden says he plans to run for second term in 2024 - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The US president told NBC News he plans to run but was not ready to announce the bid yet. | US & Canada | US President Joe Biden has dropped yet another hint that he will seek re-election in 2024.
Mr Biden said on Monday that he "plans" on running again but added that he is "not prepared to announce it yet".
The comments came during a casual interview with US broadcaster NBC prior to the annual White House Easter children's party.
Mr Biden has previously said it was his "intention" to run for another four-year term.
During a press conference last November, the president spoke of his desire to seek another term but said he would discuss it with his family over the year-end holidays.
In February, First Lady Jill Biden said that the timing of the formal announcement was "pretty much" all that was left to be decided.
"How many times does he have to say it for you to believe it?" she told the Associated Press during a visit to Africa.
White House staff had suggested that an announcement could come as early as February but then pushed the possible date to April.
The latest reports are that Mr Biden may wait until the new campaign fundraising quarter begins in July in order to maximise the amount of time he can gather donations before having to disclose them publicly.
Quarterly fundraising totals are frequently viewed as an important indication of the strength of a campaign.
There are currently two announced candidates for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination - best-selling self-help author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine activist Robert Kennedy Jr.
No prominent Democratic officeholders appear to be considering a challenge to the incumbent, however.
The lack of any formidable rivals in his party has given Mr Biden the ability to set the timing of any formal announcement without significant external pressure.
His advisers have said he sees an advantage in drawing a contrast between his role governing the nation while his potential Republican opponents engage in partisan campaigning or - in Donald Trump's case - deal with the fallout from a criminal indictment.
Last week, the former president pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court to falsifying business records.
Behind the scenes, however, Mr Biden and his advisers are quietly assembling a campaign team and staffing the independent political action committee, Future Forward, that will provide financial support for the president's re-election effort.
At 80, Mr Biden is already the oldest president in US history. If he wins re-election, he will be 86 at the end of his second term.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Biden chuckles at thought of Trump running again | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65208051 |
The iron age sites seeking world heritage status - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Three ancient settlements in Shetland are in the running to win Unesco World Heritage status. | NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland | The broch at Mousa was built more than 2,000 years ago
Three iron age settlements in Shetland are in the running to win Unesco World Heritage status.
Collectively known as the Zenith of Iron Age Shetland, they are among five sites put forward by the UK government to join the prestigious list.
If successful, they will join Stonehenge, Hadrian's Wall and Australia's Great Barrier Reef as world heritage sites, considered to be of "outstanding value to humanity".
The Zenith of Iron Age Shetland includes the settlements and surviving structures of Mousa, Old Scatness and Jarlshof.
Built in stone by the inhabitants of the largely treeless islands, they are described as the "zenith of prehistoric architectural achievement in Northern Europe" in a submission published on the Unesco website.
The broch at Mousa is hailed as an "exceptional feat of engineering"
The broch at Mousa has been described as the best-preserved in Scotland.
Brochs - meaning strong or fortified place in Old Norse - are massive, circular, double-skinned drystone towers which would have dominated the landscape of northern and western Scotland during the iron age.
The structure at Mousa, which is 13m (42ft) tall, is thought to have been constructed in 300BC.
It is described as "an exceptional feat of engineering for the society of that period" in the UK's nomination to Unesco.
There is evidence that Old Scatness was occupied for more than 1,000 years
Old Scatness is a dry stone broch and iron age village which was accidentally uncovered in 1975 as a result of plans to put a road through the site.
Then a "pristine iron age time capsule", it was excavated between 1995 and 2006.
Modern excavation techniques were used, ensuring a full understanding of the site, according to the submission to Unesco.
It provides evidence of the large, single-walled roundhouses that succeeded brochs.
And it shows that iron age society lasted on the site for more than 1,000 years, detailing how broch society developed and flourished.
Jarlshof was a place of human settlement for more than 4,000 years
The third site in the collection is Jarlshof, which is less than a mile from Old Scatness.
Neolithic people first settled at Jarlshof in around 2,700BC and it remained in use until the 1600s.
Discoveries on the site include oval-shaped Bronze Age houses, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, Norse long houses, a medieval farmstead, and a laird's house dating from the 1500s.
"There is no comparable rural Viking township in existence, even in the Scandinavian homelands," the report to Unesco adds.
"It represents a time of transformation in culture and lifestyle: a cultural upheaval which strongly influences life today, defining Shetland within the North Atlantic."
Jarlshof remained in use until the 1600s
The UK government's "tentative list" is published about every 10 years and sets out the locations it is felt have the best chance of being recognised by Unesco as World Heritage sites.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed the other new sites are York; Birkenhead Park in Merseyside; the East Atlantic Flyway - an area used by migrating birds in northern and eastern England; and the Little Cayman Marine Parks and Protected Areas in the UK overseas territory of the Cayman Islands.
Scotland currently has six World Heritage sites: the Antonine Wall; Heart of Neolithic Orkney; New Lanark; the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh; St Kilda; and the Forth Bridge. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65231943 |
WATCH: Entire building collapses onto road in Mexico - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | null | Authorities in Tijuana say the building is the second to collapse in the area following a landslide. | null | Authorities in Tijuana say the building is the second to collapse in the area following a landslide.
Emergency workers appeared to already be on the scene, and it's not yet clear if there were any casualties in the fall. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-65234499 |
Wizz Air performs worst for flight delays - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The airline comes out bottom in an analysis of more than 2,500 flights for the second year in a row. | Business | Wizz Air operates short-haul flights from eight UK airports including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gatwick and Luton
Wizz Air was the worst major airline for flight delays from UK airports for the second year in a row, new figures show.
The Hungarian carrier's UK departures were an average of 46 minutes and six seconds behind schedule in 2022.
It is based on analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.
That was more than three times longer than the previous year, when it was also ranked last for punctuality.
The analysis took into account all scheduled and chartered departures from UK airports by airlines with more than 2,500 flights.
The average delay for all these flights was 23 minutes.
After Wizz Air, Tui ranked second with an average delay of 40 minutes and 18 seconds, and Qatar Airways third with 31 minutes and 48 seconds.
Norwegian Air Shuttle recorded the best performance with an average delay of just 13 minutes and 42 seconds.
May and June were the worst months for punctuality as the aviation sector failed to recruit and train enough staff to cope with a surge in demand for holidays following the ending of the UK's Covid-19 travel rules.
Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: "These figures are worrying, but will be no surprise to passengers who've had to endure shoddy treatment from airlines for years."
The CAA has civil powers to take enforcement action against airlines, but court cases typically take several years to be concluded.
Government proposals to give the regulator more powers were consulted on in early 2022, but no changes have been made.
CAA consumer director Paul Smith claimed "too many passengers faced disappointing levels of delays" last year.
"The CAA has regularly asked for stronger consumer enforcement powers, including the ability to impose fines on airlines," he said.
"When things do go wrong, we expect airlines to proactively provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are disrupted, as well as offer timely support and assistance.
"We've already raised concerns about Wizz Air and are working closely with the airline to improve outcomes for consumers."
In February the airline ended its service in and out of Wales, citing running costs and the current economic climate.
Last year it faced a backlash from pilot unions after chief executive Jozsef Varadi said staff should go "the extra mile" when tired so that the airline could avoid cancelling flights.
Wizz Air did not respond to a request for comment by the PA news agency. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65228868 |
Scotland's curlers celebrate 'amazing' world championship win - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The first minister leads tributes to the team, which includes the son of a former world champion. | Scotland | The Scotland team celebrate the country's first world title since 2009
The team, led by skip Bruce Mouat, took the title with a decisive 9-3 triumph in Calgary on Sunday.
Scotland's win is the country's sixth triumph in the annual championships and its first since 2009.
First Minister Humza Yousaf has led tributes to the team, which includes the son of a former world champion.
Hammy McMillan followed in the footsteps of his father Hammy Snr who lifted the title in 1999.
Hammy Jnr told British Curling: "I have always looked up to him and when we put the team together he has always been our biggest supporter.
"From that very first Scottish championships he said to me and the boys that we have something special and he wasn't wrong.
"This journey we have been on since the summer of 2017 has been special."
The Scotland team celebrate with team staff and supporters
Hammy Snr described watching the win as "an unbelievable feeling."
Asked if he had finally handed the baton over, he joked: "I think I handed it over a few years ago.
"These guys play a different style of curling.
"They have all the advantages of snow and ice and they know what to do with sweeping.
"They have worked it out and they are good at it - unbelievably good at it."
McMillan also lined up alongside his cousin Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Mouat.
The three-time European champions have now added a world title to an impressive CV which includes an Olympic silver medal.
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 British Curling 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.
Skip Mouat said the team delivered when it really mattered.
He added: "It was absolutely amazing. We shot the lights out.
"We needed an A-plus game to win a world final, which is what we said to one another this morning."
Mouat also said the new world champions fed off the atmosphere in the packed TD Place Arena in Calgary.
He said: "The crowd has been cheering great shots all week, so it's just been an absolute pleasure to play in front of them.
"I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life, not only the world title win, but the atmosphere that was created in there.
"It's giving me goosebumps just thinking about it."
The win was the perfect way to bounce back from the disappointment of losing the 2022 Olympic final in Beijing.
Mouat said: "The year after the Olympics, where we were gutted with the result, but knew we had created something special when we were there, we knew that if we brought something similar we could definitely win a World Championship and that's exactly what we did tonight.
"We're going to keep going to try to get to the Olympics and hopefully re-create something like what we did today.
"That's the goal for all of us and is exactly why we're still together right now. It's going to be a long four years, but we're definitely ready to go."
First Minister Humza Yousaf tweeted: "World Champions! Well done @TeamMouat for doing the nation proud and bringing the world championship home to Scotland.
"Congratulations Bruce, Grant, Bobby, Hammy and all those behind the team for such an incredible achievement."
Scottish Secretary Alistair Jack posted: "Congratulations to the world champions, Team Mouat. Curling, the roarin' game again giving Scotland something to shout about!"
Former first minister Alex Salmond, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, former 10,000m world champion Liz McColgan and tennis coach Judy Murray were among those who also took to social media to congratulate the team.
Scottish Curling, the sport's governing body, tweeted: "Shooting at 96.5 per cent overall accuracy as a team, there was no stopping the Scots today."
British Curling hailed a "perfect performance" and described the team as "Scotland's new Lords of the Ring". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65231874 |
French Alps avalanche: Guides among six killed at Armancette glacier - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A wall of snow hit a group near Mont Blanc in south-eastern France. | Europe | The aftermath of an avalanche at the Armancette glacier on Sunday
Six skiers, including two guides, have died after being caught in an avalanche in the French Alps on Sunday.
The disaster happened at the Armancette glacier, near Mont Blanc in south-eastern France, at about midday local time.
It was a sunny day and skiing conditions had been described as "good" before the avalanche struck.
Another injured person was taken to hospital, while eight others swept up were unharmed.
Among the victims was a couple in their 20s, a 39-year-old woman and a man in his early 40s who was "probably" her partner and two guides, local prosecutor Karline Bouisset said.
The avalanche was caused by a slab of snow detaching from the top of the mountain, according to Jean-Luc Mattel, an official of the nearby Contamines-Montjoie village.
Mountain rescue teams were joined by search and rescue dogs as they worked on Sunday and Monday morning to reach those who were caught.
Mr Mattel said the risk level on Sunday morning was "reasonable" and the guides, both of them locals, were highly experienced. The group are all thought to have been back-country skiing - when skiers go on unmarked or unpatrolled areas.
"Today, we are mourning, and there is great sadness among all of us mountaineers, friends of Les Contamines, those who died are people we knew, and all our thoughts go out to their families," he said.
The mayor of Contamines-Montjoie, Francois Barbier, told the AFP news agency he thought it was the "most deadly avalanche this season".
France's interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, and French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed their sympathy.
Before the incident, a nearby ski resort called Les Contamines-Montjoie posted a video on social media showing a huge wall of snow moving down from the Dômes de Miage, of which the glacier is a part.
It is not clear if the video shows the avalanche in which the people died.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Snow and ice cascade down from Dômes de Miage in the French Alps
One eyewitness told France Television that she was hiking just in front of the Armancette glacier when she saw the avalanche happening and took out her phone to film it.
"I had put the phone in front of me, but then I was looking with my eyes more than in the lens and suddenly there was a huge, huge, huge cloud that came down to the bottom, it split into two," she said.
"I think of the families, I think of the people, of those who got out of it, who had the fright of their life, of those who are still there."
The nearby resort urged people to be careful if they were venturing off-piste - away from the prepared ski runs.
Officials have told AFP that a further avalanche could not be ruled out.
Two brothers died in an avalanche on the same glacier in 2014. They were both experienced mountaineers and had been properly equipped. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65227410 |
Beckton flat fire: Girl who died named as Tiffany Regis - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Officers are treating the fire as arson and say the 15-year-old died from smoke inhalation. | London | Tiffany died in the fire at a block of flats in Beckton
A 15-year-old girl who died in a fire at a block of flats in east London has been named as Tiffany Regis.
The fire started in a second-floor flat in Tollgate Road, Beckton at about 17:30 BST on Thursday and Tiffany died at the scene, police said.
Detectives are treating the fire as arson and want to speak to the young people and residents who were inside the building before the fire started.
The Metropolitan Police said while formal identification on Saturday was not conclusive, officers believe it was Tiffany Regis who died.
Tiffany's family was being supported by specialist officers, police added.
Five people were injured in the fire but have since been discharged from hospital.
The mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz, said Tiffany's family were "going through unimaginable pain at the loss of their much loved 15-year-old daughter who brought so much joy".
"I am deeply upset by this tragic loss of a young life, as is everyone in Newham," she added.
London Fire Brigade said Tiffany was found in the second-floor flat
Officers have urged anyone with information to come forward immediately.
Det Ch Insp Joanna Yorke said: "I know that there were a number of young people and residents inside the address before the fire happened and our enquiries are ongoing to identify everyone who was there, not least of all to ensure that everyone is okay."
A police scene and safety cordons remain in place, while a joint investigation by London Fire Brigade and police continues.
Earlier, a 16-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of murder was bailed until May pending further inquiries.
Flowers have been left in Tollgate Road while investigations continue
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65225832 |
Junior doctors' strike puts patients at more risk - Barclay - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The four-day walkout in England over pay comes after the Easter break when the NHS is already busy. | Health | A four-day walkout by junior doctors across England straight after the Easter break is putting patients at "greater risk", says Health Secretary Steve Barclay.
More than a quarter of a million appointments and operations could be cancelled in the strike that began this morning.
The British Medical Association is asking for a 35% pay rise.
But the government says that is an unreasonable request.
Mr Barclay accused organisers of timing the strike just after the Bank Holiday Easter weekend - a period when the NHS already faces increased demand and greater staff absence - "to maximise disruption".
The BMA said there were plans to pull doctors off picket lines if lives were in immediate danger. Under trade union laws, life-and-limb cover must be provided.
The junior doctors' approach contrasts with recent strikes by nurses and ambulance workers, which saw unions agree to exempt certain emergency services.
But doctors say they are striking for patient safety as much as about pay, saying that current pay levels are affecting recruitment and leading to many doctors leaving the profession.
Dr Emma Runswick, deputy chairwoman of the BMA, said they are hoping this round of industrial action will be the last - but "we will continue" if the government does not move.
She told BBC One's Breakfast. "This is not a situation where we are fixed in our position. We are looking for negotiations and Steve Barclay isn't even willing to talk to us.
"He hasn't put any offer at all on the table. If we want to start a negotiation there has to be two sides in the discussion."
Mr Barclay said he had hoped to begin formal pay negotiations with the BMA last month but said its demand for a 35% pay rise was unfair and would result in some junior doctors "receiving a pay rise of over £20,000".
Are you a junior doctor with a view on the strike? Are you a patient affected? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
Prof Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, said it would be "the most disruptive industrial action in NHS history".
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme as the walkout began on Tuesday morning, Mr Powis warned it "will take weeks" to recover from the strikes as "services will undoubtedly be affected".
During last month's three-day walkout by junior doctors, more than 175,000 treatments and appointments were cancelled.
But Prof Sir Stephen added the expectation is to see "considerably more" cancellations this time around due to the strike lasting four days. Estimates from other senior NHS figures have suggested between 250,000 and 350,000 appointments and operations could be cancelled.
Mental health services and some GP surgeries are also expected to be impacted, while the NHS said it will prioritise keeping critical care, maternity, neonatal care, and trauma operations running.
Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairman of the BMA junior doctors' committee, advised people to still ring 999 if they have a life-threatening illness as "the service is working as normal and we have prioritised emergencies".
Dr Paul Turnbull, 61, from Hampshire, who is an occupational health doctor, needs a prosthetic femur bone implanted in his leg.
His operation has been cancelled twice - once in December, because he developed deep vein thrombosis, and the second time because of the first junior doctors' strike. The operation is now due to take place on 18 April, after the four-day strike.
He has limited mobility and is unable to work.
"As a doctor, I don't believe doctors should strike. I think our first responsibility is to our patients and I think using patients as pawns in a dispute with the government is not something we should be doing."
Neuroscientist Dr Camilla Hill, 42, from Nottingham, has also been affected. She has had two knee operations cancelled because of the junior doctors' strikes - one this week and one back in March. She now has a third date scheduled for 25 April.
She has been unable to do some of her favourite hobbies, which include hiking and sailing, in part because of the pain in her knees.
"I feel really frustrated. It's messed me about, it's messed about my employer, it's messed about my husband - and it's messed about his employer as well. It's not just the patient whose operation is cancelled that's impacted, it's everybody around them."
Junior doctors say their demanding for a 35% increase in pay is to compensate for 15 years of below-inflation wage increases.
But the government has said the pay demand is unrealistic, pointing to the deal other health unions - representing nurses and other workers - have recommended to their members, which includes a 5% pay rise and one-off payment of at least £1,655.
More than 40% of the medical workforce are classed as junior doctors, with two-thirds of them members of the BMA.
The term junior doctors covers those who are fresh out of medical school through to others who have a decade of experience behind them.
Rabiat is in her third year of junior training, working in a hospital in the south east of England.
She is planning on striking this week, saying it is as much about safety as it is pay.
"It's quite a common thing that junior doctors are left alone with wards of patients to look after, with their seniors having gone down to A&E or an acute assessment area, for example.
"We feel really left out and unsupported. Not because our seniors don't want to support us, but because we are all stretched to our limits.
"I really hope that the strikes will make the government realise that this is really having a big impact on junior doctors - and the whole of the NHS - and more actually needs to be done."
Are you a junior doctor with a view on the strike? Are you a patient affected? 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/health-65204548 |
China jails prominent legal activists Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong were detained more than three years ago and faced a closed-door trial. | China | Xu Zhiyong - pictured third from left - was handed a 14-year jail term
Two prominent Chinese activists have been jailed for subversion after more than three years in detention.
The wife of lawyer Ding Jiaxi tweeted that he was handed a 12-year jail term by a court in Shandong province.
She added that the other activist, legal scholar Xu Zhiyong, was jailed for 14 years. Their closed-door trial took place in one day in June 2022.
They were separately detained in 2019 and 2020 as part of a sprawling crackdown on legal activists.
A Human Rights Watch spokesman described their convictions as "cruelly farcical" and called for their sentences to be immediately quashed.
In 2010, Mr Ding and Mr Xu co-founded the New Citizens' Movement, which campaigns for civil rights and government transparency.
The pair were first arrested in 2013 for their roles in protests calling for equal social and educational benefits for migrant workers in Beijing.
They are among the most high-profile dissidents to fall afoul of Chinese authorities.
In a submission to the Shandong court, Mr Ding's lawyer said the 56-year-old had been subjected to music being constantly blasted into his cell. He had also been made to sit upright for seven days straight following his arrest in 2019.
Mr Xu, a 51-year old former lecturer at the Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications, also alleged that he had been tortured.
He told BBC Chinese in 2020 that there is no space in China to openly discuss politics. "If party members discuss politics, they are accused of a lack of respect."
"The Chinese people are still living in a state of political oppression, economic control, and ideological enslavement," said Mr Ding in a separate statement.
"I have faced many doubts, encountered many difficulties, and suffered many setbacks. I have personally been tortured. None of this will change my steadfast philosophy."
In 2019, Huang Qi, a journalist often called the country's "first cyber-dissident", was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
The year before, democracy campaigner Qin Yongmin was handed a 13-year sentence. He had already spent a total of 22 years behind bars.
In response to past criticism about its human rights record, Beijing has said "only the 1.3 billion Chinese people have a say on China's human rights". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-65229269 |
Wrexham: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney awarded freedom of city - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The honour was conferred upon them just hours before the Dragons' 3-2 victory over Notts County. | Wales | Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds was "so touched" to be part of Wrexham's story
Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been awarded the Freedom of Wrexham.
The honour was conferred upon them just hours before the Dragons' 3-2 victory over Notts County at The Racecourse.
Wrexham AFC's owners attended the ceremony at the city's Guildhall on Monday.
The pair, who have made a documentary about the club, were awarded the county's top civic honour by the council in December.
Deadpool star Mr Reynolds said at the event: "I think back to that first moment. We were on Zoom speaking to the Wrexham Supporters' Trust and I don't think I have ever been as nervy as I was in that exact moment."
That was the point he began to understand something "truly great" could be achieved.
The pair were honoured at a ceremony at Wrexham's Guildhall
"I'm so touched I get to be a part of this story," he said.
"I know that we are here so that you guys can thank us for some reason, but I feel like it is the other way around.
"We want to thank you for what you have given us. Words are too clumsy to quantify what it means to me."
Forging connections between people who live on different sides of the world had been "the greatest honour" of Rob McElhenney's life.
The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor said: "I firmly contend that connection of the people of Philadelphia, the people of Wrexham, I think you can find that in the middle of the United States, in the middle of Saskatchewan (in Canada), in Brazil, in China, I believe we are all the same.
"Very specifically working class people. If you saw in the show someone who looked like you or sounded like you, it's because they are you."
After the victory over Notts County Mr McElhenney wrote on Twitter: "I can't believe there was a time when I thought football was boring."
In December, council leader Mark Pritchard said: "These two Hollywood stars have had an incredible impact on both the football club and the community, and have helped catapult Wrexham onto the world stage." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65233729 |
Marseille building collapse: Survivors search continues - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The deadly explosion caused an apartment block to collapse on Saturday night. | Europe | The heat and rubble has hindered the search for survivors
Six bodies have been found after an explosion flattened a four-storey apartment building in the southern French city of Marseille.
Officials said two others remained unaccounted for and rescue efforts continued in the La Plaine district.
A firefighter told AFP news agency the search for survivors was a "race against the clock".
The cause remains unclear, but investigators are looking into the possibility of a gas leak.
The blast occurred at 00:49 local time on Sunday (22:49 GMT on Saturday).
Housing Minister Oliver Klein described the discovery of the bodies as "gruesome, difficult and dramatic", and told reporters the government would support the families of the victims.
Five people from neighbouring buildings sustained minor injuries in the explosion and around 200 people had to be evacuated from their homes.
Two nearby blocks partially collapsed a few hours later, but there were no further reports of injuries from this.
The mayor of Marseille, Benoit Payan, warned there was still a risk that nearby buildings could collapse.
Around 100 firefighters attended the scene to tackle a blaze that burned under the rubble throughout Sunday.
The fire hampered progress and made it difficult for sniffer dogs to detect survivors or bodies.
The building is believed to have had one apartment on each storey.
In a brief statement announcing the discovery of the bodies, the fire department said that "given the difficulties of intervention, the extraction [of the bodies from the site] will take time".
A local gymnasium and two schools have been opened to accommodate the people who have had to leave their homes. Psychological support is also being offered.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter that he was "thinking of those affected and their loved ones" and thanked the emergency workers for their efforts.
Mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan said rescuers remained "determined" to find people alive. "Hope must hold us," he said.
One local told French media that they heard an explosion "unlike anything I've ever heard".
Speaking to AFP, Saveria Mosnier, who lives nearby, said on Sunday: "I was sleeping and there was this huge blast that really shook the room. I was shocked awake as if I had been dreaming."
She added: "We very quickly smelled a strong gas odour that hung around. We could still smell it this morning."
Deputy Mayor Yannick Ohanessian told reporters at the scene that "several" witnesses had described a "suspicious smell of gas".
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin visited the scene on Sunday, followed by Housing Minister Olivier Klein on Monday.
In 2018, housing standards in Marseille came under scrutiny after two dilapidated buildings in the working class district of Noailles collapsed, killing eight people.
Following that incident, charities estimated that 40,000 people in the city were living in poorly-built homes, but on Sunday officials appeared to rule out structural issues as a cause of the latest collapse.
Christophe Mirmand, a local authority leader in the Bouches-du-Rhone region, said there was no danger notice on the building and that it was not in a neighbourhood identified as having substandard housing. The comments were echoed by Mr Payan.
• None The day France's second city ripped apart | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65225984 |
Why are doctors demanding the biggest pay rise? - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | How junior medics have reached the brink of their biggest walkout, in a fight for a 35% hike. | Health | On Monday, thousands of junior doctors in England will start a 72-hour strike. They want a 35% pay rise. Yet doctors are among the highest paid in the public sector. So why do they have the biggest pay claim?
The origins of the walkout by British Medical Association members - the biggest by doctors in the history of the NHS - can be found in a series of discussions on social media platform Reddit in late 2021.
A collection of junior doctors were expressing their dissatisfaction about pay.
The numbers chatting online grew quickly and by January 2022 it had led to the formation of the campaign group Doctors Vote, with the aim of restoring pay to the pre-austerity days of 2008.
The group began spreading its message via social media - and, within months, its supporters had won 26 of the 69 voting seats on the BMA ruling council, and 38 of the 68 on its junior doctor committee.
Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Rob Laurenson stood for BMA election on a Doctors Vote platform
Two of those who stood on the Doctors Vote platform - Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi - became co-chairs of the committee.
"It was simply a group of doctors connecting up the dots," Dr Laurenson says. "We reflect the vast majority of doctors," he adds, pointing to the mandate from the wider BMA junior doctor membership - 77% voted and of those, 98% backed strike action.
Among some of the older BMA heads, though, there is a sense of disquiet at the new guard. One senior doctor who has now stood down from a leadership role says: "They're undoubtedly much more radical than we have seen before. But they haven't read the room - the pay claim makes them look silly."
Publicly, the BMA prefers not to talk about wanting a pay rise. Instead, it uses the term "pay restoration" - to reverse cuts of 26% since 2008. This is the amount pay has fallen once inflation is taken into account.
To rectify a cut of 26% requires a bigger percentage increase because the amount is lower. This is why the BMA is actually after a 35% increase - and it is a rise it is calling for to be paid immediately.
The argument is more complicated than the ones put forward by most other unions - and because of that it has raised eyebrows.
Firstly, no junior doctor has seen pay cut by 26% in that period. There are five core pay points in the junior doctor contract with each a springboard to the next. It means they move up the pay scale over time until they finish their training.
A junior doctor in 2008 may well be a consultant now, perhaps earning four times in cash terms what they were then.
Secondly, the 26% figure uses the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation, which the Office for National Statistics says is a poor way to look at rising prices. Using the more favoured consumer price index measure, the cut is 16% - although the BMA defends its use of RPI as it takes into account housing costs.
"The drop in pay is also affected by the start-year chosen," Lucina Rolewicz, of the Nuffield Trust think tank, says. A more recent start date will show a smaller decline, as would going further back in the 2000s.
Another way of looking at pay is comparing it with wages across the economy by looking at where a job sits in terms of the lowest to highest earners.
The past decade has not been a boom time for wage growth in many fields, as austerity and the lack of economic growth has held back incomes.
Last year, the independent Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration Body looked at this. It found junior doctors had seen their pay, relative to others, fall slightly during the 2010s, but were still among the highest earners, with doctors fresh out of university immediately finding themselves in the top half of earners, while those at the end of training were just outside the top 10%.
Then, of course, career prospects have to be considered. Consultants earn well more than £100,000 on average, putting them in the top 2%. GP partners earn even more.
A pension of more than £60,000 a year in today's prices also awaits those reaching such positions.
But while the scale of the pay claim is new, dissatisfaction with working conditions and pay pre-date the rise of the Doctors Vote movement.
Studying medicine at university takes five years, meaning big debts for most. Dr Trivedi says £80,000 of student loans are often topped up by private debt.
On top of that, doctors have to pay for ongoing exams and professional membership fees. Their junior doctor training can see them having to make several moves across the country and with little control over the hours they work. Their contract means they are required to work a minimum of 40 hours and up to 48 on average - additional payments are made to reflect this.
This lasts many years - junior doctors can commonly spend close to a decade in training.
It is clearly hard work. And with services getting increasingly stretched, it is a job that doctors say is leaving them "demoralised, angry and exhausted", Dr Trivedi says, adding: "Patient care is being compromised."
But while medicine is undoubtedly tough, it remains hugely attractive.
Junior doctor posts in the early years are nearly always filled - it is not until doctors begin to specialise later in their training that significant gaps emerge in some specialities such as end-of-life care and sexual health.
Looking at all doctor vacancy rates across the NHS around 6% of posts are unfilled - for nurses it is nearly twice that level.
Many argue there is still a shortage - with not enough training places or funded doctor posts in the NHS in the first place.
But the fact the problems appear more severe in other NHS roles is a key reason why the government does not seem to be in a hurry to prioritise doctors - formal pay talks to avert strikes have begun with unions representing the rest of the workforce
"If we have some money to give a pay rise to NHS staff," a source close to the negotiations says, "doctors are not at the front of the queue."
Update: This article was updated on 18 May 2023 to make it clear doctors can be required to work up to 48 hours and the footnote on the first chart has changed 'overtim' to 'additional hours'.
Are you taking part in the strike action? Has your appointment been cancelled or delayed? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
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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/health-64907379 |
Louisville, Kentucky: Gunman kills five in bank shooting - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The former intern opened fire on staff in a conference room at the bank, livestreaming the attack. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Two men recall the terrifying moments at the Louisville bank
Five people died when an employee opened fire at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, and livestreamed the attack on Instagram, police say.
The victims were aged between 40 and 64. Among nine others injured was a rookie police officer who had graduated to the force just two weeks ago.
The officer was shot in the head and is still critical after brain surgery.
Police responded within three minutes, and fatally shot the attacker in an exchange of gunfire.
The shooting took place at the Old National Bank in the city centre at about 08:30 local time (12:30 GMT).
Caleb Goodlett told local media that his wife, an employee at the bank, locked herself inside the vault when the attack began.
Other witnesses described seeing the shootout between police officers and the lone attacker.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said an "incredible friend" of his, Tommy Elliot, a senior vice-president at the bank, was among the victims.
"Tommy Elliott helped me build my law career, helped me become governor, gave me advice on being a good dad," said Mr Beshear.
The victims have all been identified:
The policeman who was shot in the head was identified as Louisville Metro officer Nickolas Wilt, 26.
Officer Wilt (centre) was sworn in by the mayor and police chief two weeks ago
City Councilman Anthony Piagentini told the Courier-Journal newspaper that Mr Wilt graduated from the academy on 31 March, and that his brother is enrolled in the police academy.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg called the attack "an evil act of targeted violence". The mayor noted that he himself was the victim of a recent gun attack.
Last year he was shot at by a man with mental illness who burst into his campaign office.
Two survivors told WHAS-TV that Monday's gunshots first broke out in a ground-floor conference room at the bank.
"Whoever was next to me got shot - blood is on me from it," said one man, pointing to his shirt.
The suspect was named as 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, who police said used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle during the incident and was broadcasting the shooting online.
"That's tragic to know that that incident was out there and captured," said Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel.
Instagram's owner Meta said it had "quickly removed the livestream of this tragic incident this morning".
The attacker is described in an online profile as being a syndications associate and portfolio banker at Old National Bank. He had joined the company as a full-time employee last year after spending three summers as an intern there.
Officials say he had no previous contact with law enforcement.
According to US media, he had recently been told by the bank that he was going to be fired and had written a note describing his plans for the mass shooting before going to work on Monday.
Within hours of that shooting, police were called to a second, unrelated one at a community college elsewhere in Louisville where one person was killed and another injured.
Data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive shows that there have been at least 146 mass shootings - defined as those in which at least four people were shot - so far in 2023, including at least 15 since the start of April.
President Joe Biden demanded Congress pass gun control measures as he tweeted on Monday: "Too many Americans are paying for the price of inaction with their lives."
Kentucky is one of 26 states that allow most adults over 21 years old to purchase and carry a firearm without a licence.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65233350 |
Sir Keir Starmer: 'I stand by every word' says Labour leader on Rishi Sunak attack ad - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Labour leader is accusing Rishi Sunak and the government of failing on a number of law and order issues. | UK | Sir Keir Starmer has backed controversial attack ads focused on Rishi Sunak's record on crime
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has doubled down on a controversial attack on Rishi Sunak's record on crime, saying "I stand by every word".
A Labour advert claimed Mr Sunak did not think adults convicted of child sex assaults should go to prison.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Sir Keir backed his party's position "no matter how squeamish it might make some feel".
In response, a Tory source accused Sir Keir of failing to prosecute some of the "worst people in Britain".
"[Sir Keir] thinks the rights of criminals trump those of the law-abiding majority," they added.
Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry was asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether Labour could criticise the fact some adults convicted of child sexual abuse had not gone to prison, as Sir Keir had sat on the Sentencing Council in 2012 when the relevant guidelines were produced.
Ms Thornberry said she "wasn't in the meeting" when the guidelines were set and did not know if Sir Keir had objected at the time, but insisted that Labour's default position was that anyone convicted of such crimes should go to prison.
"I don't know the details of what the exact guidance is in relation to the Sentencing Council, but it is open to Parliament to set minimum and maximum sentences," she said.
Sentencing guidelines for courts in England and Wales allow for community sentences as an alternative to prison in cases of sexual activity with a child over 13. The guidelines say community orders "can fulfil all of the purposes of sentencing".
Ms Thornberry also defended the advert, saying the government needed to address issues within the criminal justice system such as the backlog in courts hampering convictions and prison overcrowding.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Labour's Emily Thornberry says "of course" she backs the controversial advert
The advert has attracted cross-party criticism, and comes amid reports Labour will publish further attack adverts this week on other issues as part of the build-up to local elections in England, which will take place on 4 May.
The Times says the attack ads will blame the prime minister "personally" for "crashing the economy and for soaring mortgage and council tax rates".
On Monday Labour published another attack advert on Twitter, criticising Mr Sunak for raising taxes on working people when his family benefitted from "a tax loophole".
The ad makes reference to Labour's pledge to scrap non-dom tax status, which allows people to avoid paying UK tax on earnings from outside the country.
Last year it emerged that Mr Sunak's wife had non-dom status, although she later said should would start paying UK tax on her overseas income.
Other adverts already published as part of the series have focused on theft and gun crime, also featuring the image and signature of Mr Sunak.
In his Daily Mail piece, Sir Keir blames the government for a number of failures on crime, highlighting low prosecution rates for rape and burglary.
Highlighting his former role as the director of public prosecutions in England and Wales between 2008 to 2013 - the person who leads the Crown Prosecution Service and one of the country's leading legal officials - Sir Keir writes his life's work has "been about making our country safer and more secure".
He said he would make "zero apologies" for "being blunt and that when 4,500 abusers aren't sent to prison, people want answers rather than excuses from politicians".
Labour told the BBC that the statistic featured in the original advert - "4,500 adults convicted or sexually assaulting children under 16 who served no prison time" - came from Ministry of Justice statistics for England and Wales from 2010 to 2022.
Those figures are accurate for adults who were convicted but received a community sentence or a suspended sentence, rather than being sent to prison.
The figure covers both sexual assault of a child and sexual activity with a child - Labour's advert says the figure relates to sexual assault only, although its press release mentions both categories.
Labour sources said the party will now be turning its attention this week to the cost of living - though Mr Sunak himself will remain in their firing line.
The advert about jailing those who sexually assault children has drawn criticism by politicians from all major parties - and caused an internal row within Labour.
It was reported at the weekend by the Observer that shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, was not told about it ahead of its release.
Lord Blunkett, who served as home secretary under Tony Blair, said it was "deeply offensive to get down in the gutter to fight politics in this way" and called for the advert to be withdrawn.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said it was "wrong" to attack individuals personally, "particularly when it's over subjects which are so sensitive and so important to the British people".
Judges and magistrates, rather than the prime minister of the day, are responsible for handing out sentences.
The figures Labour highlighted cover the period since 2010, five years before Mr Sunak entered Parliament. He did not become prime minister until October last year.
Sir Keir was director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, meaning the figures also cover three of the years he was in the post. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65228859 |
Petrol bombs thrown at police at Londonderry republican parade - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A police Land Rover was targeted as an Easter Monday march got under way in Londonderry. | Northern Ireland | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Police in Northern Ireland have described a petrol-bomb attack on officers in Londonderry as "senseless and reckless".
Petrol bombs and other missiles were thrown at officers during an illegal republican parade on Monday.
They were in an armoured police Land Rover in the Creggan area of the city where the parade began when they were targeted shortly after 14:00 BST.
The violence comes on the eve of US President Joe Biden's visit to NI.
Mr Biden is due in Belfast on Tuesday, when he will give an address as part of the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement.
Monday's parade was led by more than a dozen people in paramilitary-style dress.
Young hooded men prepare to throw a petrol bomb at police vehicle in Londonderry.
"Shortly after the parade commenced, petrol bombs and other objects were thrown at one of our vehicles at the junction of Iniscarn Road and Linsfort Drive," Ch Supt Nigel Goddard said.
Masked youths were observed making petrol bombs and participating in the attack.
"This was a senseless and reckless attack on our officers who were in attendance in the area in order to comply with our legal duties," Ch Supt Goddard added.
He described the violence as "incredibly disheartening".
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said none of its officers had been injured and appealed for calm.
The parade ended at Derry's City Cemetery where about 300 people took part in an event to commemorate the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Youths wearing masks set fire to bins and blocked one of the main roads leading into Creggan.
"As participants at the parade made their way out of the City Cemetery, they removed their paramilitary uniforms under the cover of umbrellas and burnt them," Ch Supt Goddard said.
"As the parade was un-notified, police were in attendance with a proportionate policing operation."
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris told BBC News NI it was "very, very disappointing that people have gone ahead with a march that's not been notified to the police".
"Hopefully it will calm down very, very quickly and the police can go about their business because they're there to protect all communities across Northern Ireland," he added.
Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said it was "utterly tragic" to watch people born after the Good Friday Agreement attack police.
"They are being groomed by adults who have nothing to offer but misery and destruction," the former Stormont justice minister said.
DUP MP Gregory Campbell called the scenes in Creggan "deplorable" and called for action to catch those responsible.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said the disorder had no place in society and that political leaders must "stand united appealing to all those concerned to end these attacks and refrain from further threats of violence".
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said "there are kids with no memory or experience of the violence of 25 years ago and they're being exploited and abused by people with no vision for the future".
Last week the PSNI said there was potential for public disorder over Easter, with "very strong intelligence" suggesting dissident republicans were planning attacks in Derry.
Chief Constable Simon Byrne had said the disorder could be an attempt to draw officers into gun or bomb ambushes. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65231790 |
Kentucky shooting: Five dead in Louisville bank shooting - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police have named the victims and the suspected gunman after a shooting at a bank in downtown Louisville. | US & Canada | We're ending our live coverage of today's tragic mass shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, as a gunman killed four people and injured another nine at the city's Old National Bank.
Families and friends across the city are in mourning, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear who knew one of the victims well. He called for flags to fly at half mast across the state until Friday.
The gunman, who was an employee at the bank, was killed by police at the scene. Police later learned the gunman was live streaming the attack and said they were working to get the footage taken down.
You can read the latest developments to this story here.
Today's live page was edited by Andrew Humphrey, Dulcie Lee and Marianna Spring. Our writers were Chelsea Bailey, Chloe Kim, Laura Gozzi, Jennifer McKiernan and Malu Cursino. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-65233548 |
Joe Biden: US president confirms visit to Northern Ireland - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The US president will arrive in Belfast on 11 April before going to Dublin the next day. | Northern Ireland | US President Joe Biden will arrive in Belfast on 11 April
US President Joe Biden will begin a four-day trip to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in Belfast on 11 April, the White House has confirmed.
President Biden is travelling to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
He will also hold various engagements in Dublin, County Louth, and County Mayo.
Mr Biden is also expected to meet Irish President Michael D Higgins.
In a statement, the White House said the President will travel to the United Kingdom and Ireland from 11-14 April adding that the trip would mark "the tremendous progress since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago".
Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported the official visit may include government receptions for President Biden at Farmleigh House and Dublin Castle.
It is also believed the US president will attend the Irish presidential residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, to meet Michael D Higgins.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said it was expected that President Biden would address the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) on Thursday.
He will become the fourth US president to do so, following President John F Kennedy on 28 June 1963, President Ronald Reagan on 4 June 1984 and President Bill Clinton on 1 December 1995.
It has also been confirmed that President Biden will be in County Mayo on Friday, where he will speak at an event outside St Muredach's Cathedral, Ballina.
Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar said he was "delighted" that President Biden would be visiting Ireland.
"When we spoke recently in the White House, President Biden was clear that in celebrating the Good Friday Agreement, we should be looking ahead, not backwards," he said.
He said the involvement of the United States and of President Biden personally had been "essential to the peace process in Ireland".
"From its earliest uncertain beginnings to the making of the Good Friday Agreement, in good days and bad, the US has always been at our side," said Mr Varadkar.
"So it's fitting that President Biden will be here to mark this significant milestone with us."
President John F Kennedy visited Ireland in June 1963, including a trip to his family's ancestral home in County Wexford. Mr Kennedy referred to this visit as "the best four days of his life'" and it occurred five months before his assassination.
In June 1984, President Ronald Reagan travelled to Ireland, and gave a speech in the village of Ballyporeen in County Tipperary, his ancestral home.
Bill Clinton became the first US president to visit Northern Ireland in 1995
In November 1995, President Bill Clinton travelled to Belfast, Londonderry, Armagh and Omagh, becoming the first US president to visit Northern Ireland.
Mr Clinton would return to Northern Ireland again on 3 September 1998, five months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and just a month after the Omagh bombing.
Mr Clinton gave his sympathies to the bereaved families and called for a new peace to be built following the agreement.
He also visited Armagh for a special Gathering for Peace on the Mall, where thousands turned out to hear them speak.
In 2000, nearing the end of his time as president, Mr Clinton once more returned to Northern Ireland as part of his farewell tour.
In April 2003, President George W Bush visited Northern Ireland to hold talks over the political process in the country and the war in Iraq.
George W Bush was welcomed at Stormont Castle by Peter Robinson and by Martin McGuinness during a visit in 2008
In June 2008, Mr Bush made a one-day stop in Northern Ireland during his European farewell trip as his presidency came to an end.
The president was welcomed at Stormont Castle by then first and deputy first ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.
In May 2011, President Barack Obama visited Ireland, including a stop at Moneygall in County Offaly where his great-great-great-grandfather came from.
U.S. President Barack Obama delivered a keynote address at the Waterfront Hall ahead of the G8 Summit in 2013
President Obama arrived in Northern Ireland in June 2013 to attended the G8 summit, which was being held County Fermanagh.
He also spoke to an audience at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, saying the road to a lasting peace in Northern Ireland was "as urgent now as it has ever been".
For more on US presidential visits to Northern Ireland click here.
In 2016, Joe Biden visited the Republic of Ireland during his time as vice president, and went on a tour of his ancestral home in County Mayo.
Last week, the president said he still planned to visit Northern Ireland despite MI5's decision to increase the terrorism threat level to "severe".
During next week's visit the president will hold various engagements in the Republic of Ireland, including those in Dublin, County Louth and County Mayo, where he will "deliver an address to celebrate the deep, historic ties that link our countries and people."
Former US President Bill Clinton, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern are among those expected to visit Northern Ireland for commemorative events.
Both Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University (UU) are hosting events to mark the anniversary
Large, silent video portraits of the 14 politicians who negotiated the peace deal will be displayed at UU's Belfast campus from 15 to 20 April.
The university is also launching a new leadership programme, a tourism summit and an education project.
Further details of President Biden's trip have yet to be released.
Want to know more about the 1998 agreement?
Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement, scrutinising the deal's wording and hearing from some of the people who helped get it across the line.
Click here to listen on BBC Sounds. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65170050 |
Maia and Rina Dee named as British-Israeli sisters killed in West Bank shooting - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Maia and Rina Dee's father tells the BBC his daughters were "wonderful" and "beautiful". | Middle East | Maia and Rina Dee were shot as their drove from their home in the settlement of Efrat to Tiberias
Two British-Israeli sisters killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank have been named as Maia and Rina Dee.
The sisters were killed by suspected Palestinian gunmen on Friday afternoon near the Hamra Junction in the north of the Jordan Valley, as they drove to Tiberias.
They were the children of Rabbi Leo Dee, originally from London, who described them as "wonderful".
Their mother, Leah, remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Rabbi Dee said two bullets had been removed from his wife's spine and neck during surgery.
Maia was 20 and volunteering for national service in a high school, while younger sister Rina was 15.
Their car was driven off the road after being shot at by the gunmen while their father had been driving ahead in a separate vehicle.
Speaking to the BBC, he described his daughters as beautiful, smart and popular. He said he hadn't been able to sleep since their deaths.
"Every time, I had nightmares and woke up," he said, "but the reality was worse than the nightmare, so I went back to sleep. Recurring nightmares... that's how it went."
He said Maia was "wonderful, beautiful, had a lot of friends...she was very keen to do a second year of volunteering".
Rina, he said, was "beautiful, fun, very smart, top grades in every subject, very popular with friends, sporty...very responsible, she would take responsibility for many things".
"When it came to sweeping out the youth club floor, if other people didn't turn up, she would be there by herself for three hours on a Friday morning, to make sure it was done."
The wider family were travelling in three cars for a holiday in Tiberias. Rabbi Dee heard news of the attack before realising his own family were involved.
He called his wife and daughters, but they did not answer. They then found a picture online of the car that was attacked.
"And we could just see one of our suitcases in the back seat," he said. "There was a massive panic and screaming."
He then drove to the scene and had to wait to identify whether his "worst nightmare" was realised. He was not allowed access but was handed his daughter's ID card, which confirmed the news.
The family live in the West Bank settlement Efrat, its mayor has said. The sisters' funeral will be held on Sunday.
Rabbi Dee said he was proud of his three remaining children.
"We are a smaller family but we are stronger from it and we will get through this," he said.
Rabbi Mordechai Ginsbury, from the Hendon United Synagogue in north London, said he spoke briefly with his close friend Rabbi Dee ahead of the daughters' funerals.
"Naturally, as are we all, [he was] devastated, shocked at how just in a few moments with an act of absolute evil and madness - insanity - things can change around," he told the BBC.
"The loss of two gorgeous daughters, and his wife now lying critically ill in a hospital in Jerusalem.
"But through the sadness there's still that determination that he has to find any positives one can find, to try and be strong for his remaining children."
Rabbi Ginsbury added that Rabbi Dee felt "supported and embraced by a blanket of warmth and love" from within Israel and from people across world who had contacted him.
The Israeli military said after the shooting that troops were blocking roads in the area and searching for the attackers
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the incident as a terror attack, sent his condolences to the family in a tweet naming the sisters.
The UK's chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said that "no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news".
Writing on Twitter, he said the two sisters were the children of British Rabbi Dee and his wife Lucy, which is understood to be their mother Leah's English name.
"They were much loved in the Hendon and Radlett communities in the UK as well as in Israel, and well beyond," he added.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said they were "deeply shocked and saddened" at their deaths, adding that their father had previously been rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Friday he had spoken to his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, following the attacks and that anyone worried about friends or relatives in Israel should contact the Foreign Office.
Also on Friday, an Italian tourist was killed and seven other people were wounded, including three Britons, in a suspected car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv.
People gathering in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest controversial judicial reforms proposed by the Israeli government held a minute's silence for the sisters and the Italian tourist.
Both incidents took place hours after Israeli warplanes carried out air strikes in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip on targets belonging to the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The military said the strikes were a response to a barrage of 34 rockets fired from Lebanon into northern Israel on Thursday, which it blamed on the group.
That rocket barrage from Lebanon followed two nights of Israeli police raids at the al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, which caused anger across the region.
Hamas did not claim it was behind the shooting of the British-Israeli women but praised it as "a natural response to [Israel's] ongoing crimes against the al-Aqsa mosque and its barbaric aggression against Lebanon and the steadfast Gaza".
After the two sisters were shot, Israel Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai called on all Israelis with firearms licences to start carrying their weapons.
Responding to the news of the sisters' deaths on Friday, the UK Foreign Office said: "We are saddened to hear about the deaths of two British-Israeli citizens and the serious injuries sustained by a third individual."
Update 10 April 2023: This article has been updated to include that the attackers are believed to have been Palestinian. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65222234 |
Super Mario Movie's 'sensational' box office takings defy poor reviews - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | It has the most successful global opening of all time for an animated film - despite poor reviews. | Entertainment & Arts | One critic called the film "soulless", but a box office analyst said its earnings were "sensational"
The new Super Mario Bros Movie has broken box office records, scoring the most successful global opening of all time for an animated film.
The family film - Hollywood's second version of the hit Nintendo game - took $377m (£303m) around the world in its first five days on release.
That overtook the previous record of $358m (£288m) held by Frozen 2.
"The numbers are sensational," noted analyst David A Gross, who said it would "easily be the #1 flick of 2023".
In The Super Mario Bros Movie, the moustachioed Italian plumber is voiced by Chris Pratt, while Jack Black plays fire-breathing villain Bowser.
It left many critics cold, with the New York Post's Johnny Oleksinski saying it's "just another soulless ploy to sell us merchandise" and The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw calling it "tedious and flat in all senses".
He added that it was "a disappointment to match the live-action version in 1993" - a reference to the infamous original adaptation starring Bob Hoskins.
But many fans seem to disagree, with the 56% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes eclipsed by the 96% audience score. Even Elon Musk tweeted that "the critics are so disconnected from reality!"
Anya Taylor-Joy, producer Chris Meledandri (centre) and Chris Pratt attended the film's premiere earlier this month
Crowds "didn't seem to care about so-so reviews", the Hollywood Reporter's Pamela McClintock wrote.
The film broke other records, including the best-ever opening for a movie based on a video game and the top opening of 2023 so far, she said.
Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the outlet: "This is one of the biggest box office over-performances in recent memory and is absolutely shattering all pre-release projections."
Variety agreed that the film "crushed already-high expectations", while Screen Daily said it "pulled off a thunderous bow which shows the theatrical demand for family titles at a time when Hollywood executives are concerned about the depth of supply lines as the world emerges from the pandemic".
Global box office figures for 2022 were 35% down on pre-Covid levels.
Reflecting on Super Mario's takings, the New York Times asked: "Are family movies back - all the way back, to the degree that Hollywood can once again count on them as relative sure things?
"Studio executives and movie theatre owners were practically doing cartwheels over the weekend while shouting, 'Yes!'" | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65230431 |
Coronation coach has electric windows and air con - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The coronation procession route will be much shorter than for the late Queen in 1953. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: A look at two golden coaches to be used for King Charles III's coronation
The King and Queen Consort will travel to the coronation at Westminster Abbey in a more comfortable, relatively modern, horse-drawn carriage.
They will ride in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, first used in 2014, before returning in the Gold State Coach used in every coronation since the 1830s.
The return procession route will be a much shorter length than Queen Elizabeth II's in 1953.
Crowds can watch the procession going along the Mall and Whitehall in London.
The carriage procession will be one of the spectacular sights of the coronation on 6 May.
The royal couple and other members of the Royal Family will head out from the gates of Buckingham Palace and travel to Westminster Abbey, where the coronation service will begin at 11:00 BST.
The 1.3 mile (2.1km) journey will take them down the Mall, through Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Square, along Whitehall and to Parliament Square before arriving at the Abbey, with the return taking the same route in reverse.
It's a much shorter route than taken by the late Queen for her coronation 70 years ago, particularly for the return from the Abbey to the palace, which in 1953 took a 5 mile (8km) route through London that included Oxford Street and Regent Street.
On the route to Westminster Abbey the King and the Queen Consort will be in the newest of the royal carriages, the Australian-built Diamond Jubilee State Coach, instead of the traditional - but notoriously uncomfortable - Gold State Coach.
The traditional Gold State Coach will be used on the way back to Buckingham Palace
The Diamond Jubilee State Coach is much more modern than it appears, with air conditioning, electric windows and up-to-date suspension.
"It's made of aluminium, which is quite unusual, because most of them are made of wood, and it's also got hydraulic suspension, meaning that the ride is incredibly comfortable," says Sally Goodsir, curator at the Royal Collection Trust.
It incorporates pieces of wood from historic ships and buildings, including HMS Victory, the Mary Rose, Balmoral Castle, Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
Matthew Power, head coachman, says with all the crowds he will have to keep the horses calm
Viewed close up at the Royal Mews, the carriages are an explosion of gold and glass and polish. They are basically crowns on wheels.
It means the royal couple will be spared a bumpy ride on the way to the Abbey. Recalling her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth had described the ride in the 18th-Century gold state coach as "horrible" and "not very comfortable".
One of her predecessors, William IV, crowned in 1831, described his trip in the carriage as like being on a ship "in a rough sea".
The Diamond Jubilee State Coach is going to be a comfortable ride, says Royal Collection Trust curator Sally Goodsir
Buckingham Palace has not commented on the reason for the switch.
But even if the Gold State Coach has its drawbacks, it is a remarkable piece of craftsmanship, with elaborate carvings under a thin layer of gold and panels covered in paintings. It may be uncomfortable but it is a rolling work of art.
Helping the four-tonne carriage to make the journey will be Martin Oates, who will be the carriage's brakeman on coronation day.
He follows his great-grandfather who took part in the carriage procession for the coronation of George VI, his grandfather who was there for the coronation of Elizabeth II and his father for the late Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.
"When you're walking down The Mall, you do think of all the family members who have been part of it," said Mr Oates, speaking at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, where the carriages are kept.
Martin Oates's family have worked on coronations for four generations
Head coachman Matthew Power said the "hairs go up on the back of your neck" on such an occasion, but it was important to stay calm and to stop the horses from getting nervous.
"The horses know it's going to be a big day and you have to be the calm one and say it's just another day at the office," said Mr Power.
The coronation ceremony will use the traditional regalia, such as symbolic rings and swords, as well as the crowns, including the St Edward's crown which will be placed on the King's head.
The sceptres being used will include one from the 17th Century made from ivory, after speculation that it might be withdrawn because of animal conservation concerns.
The oldest item being used will be a spoon to hold the oil for the anointing in the coronation. This spoon, possibly 12th Century, is a rare surviving part of the original medieval coronation regalia, most of which was destroyed after the English Civil War in the 17th Century.
Among more than 2,000 guests expected to be in the Abbey will be 450 representatives of charity and community groups, who will be alongside world leaders, politicians and royalty.
There have been complaints about the cost of the coronation from anti-monarchy campaigners. In terms of the public expenditure, the government will not publish a figure until after the event.
This spoon is the oldest surviving piece of the original medieval coronation regalia
Tracy Borman, royal historian and author, said: "This is going to feel quite modern as far as a coronation goes.
"We've already heard about the anointing oil which the palace was at pains to say was vegan, there will be as quarter as many guests [as Elizabeth II's] when a staggering 8,000 plus people were crammed into Westminster Abbey, and it's also the first time in 300 years the Queen Consort has been crowned with an existing crown rather than having a new one made for them."
When the procession comes back to Buckingham Palace, the newly-crowned Charles and Camilla will appear on the balcony, alongside other senior members of the Royal Family.
Last year, for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee, only working royals were allowed on the balcony, excluding those such as Prince Harry and Prince Andrew who had stepped down from royal duties.
And proving this is a 21st Century coronation, a special emoji has been created for the occasion.
Read the latest from our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan - sign up here.
Read the latest from our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan - sign up here. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65194594 |
Unesco world heritage status: Seven sites win UK backing - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | York, Birkenhead Park and an iron age settlement in Shetland are among the sites being put forward. | UK | York harbours a rich history left behind by its Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman inhabitants
Seven sites in the UK and its overseas territories are in the running to win Unesco World Heritage status.
York city centre, Birkenhead Park and an iron age settlement in Shetland are among the locations being put forward by the government to join the prestigious list.
The globally-recognised designation is given to places of cultural, historical or scientific significance.
There are already 33 World Heritage sites in the UK, including Stonehenge.
Globally, the sites on the list overseen by the agency of the United Nations, include Australia's Great Barrier Reef and historic areas of Cairo.
Five new sites from across the UK and overseas territories have been added to the government's "Tentative List", which is published about every 10 years and sets out the locations it is felt have the best chance of succeeding in being included.
Birkenhead Park inspired the development and creation of parks across the world including New York's Central Park
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed the new sites are:
Two other sites submitted their full nominations to Unesco earlier this year, and remain on the government's Tentative List.
They are The Flow Country, a large area of peatland across Caithness and Sutherland in the north of Scotland which plays a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, and the Gracehill Moravian Church Settlement in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: "All the locations being put forward would be worthy recipients of this accolade - and we will give them our full backing so they can benefit from the international recognition it can bring."
The Zenith of Iron Age Shetland is a collection of three ancient settlements dating back thousands of years
Laura Davies, HM ambassador to Unesco, said the five new sites added to the list "brilliantly reflect the diversity and beauty of the UK and its overseas territories' natural and cultural heritage".
The DCMS said it will work with local authorities and devolved administrations to develop their bids.
The Little Cayman Marine Parks and Protected Areas, in the UK overseas territory of the Cayman Islands, have also been put forward | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65225817 |
Qatargate: Andrea Cozzolino's lawyer speaks to the BBC - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | An MEP allegedly took bribes to sway EU lawmakers. His lawyer says prosecutors want to "crack" him. | Europe | Andrea Cozzolino is currently under house arrest in Naples
It's the corruption scandal stinking up the EU.
Suitcases filled with euros seized in Brussels flats. A number of MEPs locked up behind bars awaiting trial.
And now a battle over extradition between Belgian investigators and Italian judges.
Andrea Cozzolino, an MEP for Southern Italy since 2009, stands accused of taking bribes from foreign countries to influence the European Parliament - allegations he denies.
He is one of four current and former MEPs wrapped up in the Qatargate investigation, which centres around allegations that Qatar and Morocco paid a group based in Brussels to sway EU lawmakers.
Qatar has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, while Morocco has hit back at "judicial harassment" and "media attacks".
On 11 April judges will decide whether Mr Cozzolino, 60, will leave house arrest in the southern Italian city of Naples and be taken to a Belgian prison under a European Arrest Warrant.
But his lawyer has told the BBC the prosecutors are trying to "see if he cracks", and demands more details about the allegations against Mr Cozzolino - as well as reassurances his client's health won't suffer in a Belgian jail.
A parliamentary report in January said Mr Cozzolino was suspected of "protecting the interests of foreign states in the European Parliament... in exchange for sums of money".
Days later, prosecutors issued a European Arrest Warrant for the MEP. He was briefly taken into custody before being placed under house arrest.
But his lawyer Federico Conte told the BBC the warrant was "completely vague, partial and sometimes it even lacks transparency".
"Where did the corruption take place? When? Through what means - cash or bank transfers? From whom?" he said. "If the Belgian prosecutor has the proof of Mr Cozzolino's guilt, why don't they show it?"
"Our suspicion is that they think in jail Cozzolino... would be more inclined to confess or accuse others."
The warrant is completely vague, partial and sometimes it even lacks transparency
The judges in Naples set to decide on Mr Cozzolino's possible extradition next Tuesday have twice postponed their ruling already, as they await more information from Belgian prosecutors.
Mr Conte has also accused the Belgian prison service of being overcrowded, with "lacking and obsolete" facilities. According to the lawyer, Italian judges allowed Mr Cozzolino to stay at home because he has heart problems - and Mr Conte does not believe he would receive proper care in a Belgian prison.
The lawyer cited a 2022 Council of Europe report which highlighted "overcrowding" and "clearly insufficient" health services in four Belgian prisons, four years after the body called for Belgium to improve conditions for inmates, particularly at times when prison staff are on strike.
But Alberto Alemanno, professor of EU law at HEC Paris, dismissed Mr Conte's allegations as "fictitious". He accused him of "leveraging the health status of Mr Cozzolino in order to somehow tarnish... a very difficult investigation across Europe", arguing they were a delaying tactic.
"[These allegations] sound very useful to satisfy the private interest of an individual who is currently suspected of major breaches of the rule of law," he told the BBC.
Marc Tarabella, Eva Kaili, Pier Antonio Panzeri and Andrea Cozzolino are the four current and former MEPs wrapped up in Qatargate
Mr Alemanno described European Arrest Warrants as the "bread and butter" of European justice, and said Mr Cozzolino's attempts to challenge it were "very unusual" - adding that the Belgian investigation so far into the corruption allegations had been "extremely thorough", and that Belgian prisons compared favourably with others around Europe.
"[The prosecutors] are following the rules of the game, which basically stem from the European Court of Human Rights case law," he said.
"We're seeing a bit of a David and Goliath situation in which the Belgian authorities seem to find a lot of pushback from the political system, from the institutional system, and from third countries at the origin of this case."
After the interview with Mr Conte the BBC sent all his allegations to the prosecutor's office in Belgium that is leading the investigation. A spokesman for the prosecutor twice refused to comment.
The BBC has also reached out to the Belgian prison service for comment but has not yet received a response.
The investigation began in December when Greek MEP Eva Kaili was arrested along with three others on suspicion of corruption and money-laundering. She denies the charges.
A Financial Times article says on the day of her arrest Ms Kaili stuffed €300,000 ($326,000; £264,000) into a suitcase along with nappies and baby food for her daughter. The two-year-old child is now only allowed to visit her jailed mother twice a month.
The police have seized €1.5m in cash since the start of the investigation, in raids across Belgium, Italy and France.
Since then two more MEPs - Mr Cozzolino and Belgian politician Marc Tarabella - have had their legal immunity stripped by the European Parliament. Mr Tarabella, who also denies wrongdoing, is now in a Belgian prison awaiting trial.
Belgian police have released pictures of the cash seized in December's raids
Investigators believe a criminal network took bribes from Qatar and Morocco in return for influencing the European Parliament in Brussels.
Former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri allegedly led that network. He later agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors - agreeing to reveal everything about the scheme in exchange for a reduced sentence of one year in custody. Charges against his wife and daughter were also dropped as part of that agreement, and Mr Panzeri has since moved to house arrest.
The BBC has seen leaked transcripts from interviews that investigators held with Mr Panzeri in February.
According to these documents, the former politician told them that Qatar donated €250,000 each to Mr Cozzolino and Ms Kaili for their electoral campaigns.
He also allegedly said Francesco Giorgi - who worked as a parliamentary assistant for Mr Cozzolino, and who is the partner of Ms Kaili - distributed the Qatari cash.
Mr Giorgi has reportedly confessed to acting as the bag man for the network. On his LinkedIn page, he lists himself as co-founder of the NGO Fight Impunity - a group set up by Mr Panzeri in 2019 to promote human rights.
Fight Impunity shares a Brussels office building with another group, named No Peace Without Justice. Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, the secretary general of the latter NGO, was initially arrested by investigators but was then released in February. He denies any wrongdoing.
Additional reporting by Davide Ghiglione in Salerno and Kostas Kallergis in Brussels. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65148600 |
Twitter: BBC objects to 'government funded media' label - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Elon Musk tells the BBC he believes it is one of the "least biased" news outlets. | Entertainment & Arts | The BBC is objecting to a new label describing it as "government funded media" on its main Twitter account.
The corporation has contacted the social media giant over the designation on the @BBC account to resolve the issue "as soon as possible".
"The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee," it said.
Elon Musk said he believed the BBC was one of the "least biased" outlets.
When BBC News highlighted to the Twitter boss that the corporation was licence fee-funded, Mr Musk responded in an email, asking: "Is the Twitter label accurate?"
He also appeared to suggest he was considering providing a label that would link to "exact funding sources".
It is not clear whether this would apply to other media outlets too.
In a separate email seeking to clarify his earlier comments, Mr Musk wrote: "We are aiming for maximum transparency and accuracy. Linking to ownership and source of funds probably makes sense. I do think media organizations should be self-aware and not falsely claim the complete absence of bias.
"All organizations have bias, some obviously much more than others. I should note that I follow BBC News on Twitter, because I think it is among the least biased."
The level of the £159 ($197) annual licence fee - which is required by law to watch live TV broadcasts or live streaming in the UK - is set by the government, but paid for by individual UK households.
While the @BBC account, which has 2.2m followers, has been given the label, much larger accounts associated with the BBC's news and sport output are not currently being described in the same way.
The account primarily shares updates about BBC-produced TV programmes, radio shows, podcasts and other non-news material.
The label links through to a page on Twitter's help website which says "state-affiliated media accounts" are defined as "outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution".
As the UK's national broadcaster, the BBC operates through a Royal Charter agreed with the government.
The BBC Charter states the corporation "must be independent", particularly over "editorial and creative decisions, the times and manner in which its output and services are supplied, and in the management of its affairs".
Twitter's new labelling of the BBC's account comes after it did the same to US public broadcaster NPR's handle.
Initially the social media firm described NPR as "state-affiliated media" - a label given to outlets including Russia's RT and China's Xinhua News.
The designation was later changed to the same "government funded media" tag now applied to the @BBC account. NPR had said it would stop tweeting from the account unless it was amended.
The licence fee raised £3.8bn ($4.7bn) in 2022 for the BBC, accounting for about 71% of the BBC's total income of £5.3bn - with the rest coming from its commercial and other activities like grants, royalties and rental income.
The BBC also receives more than £90m per year from the government to support the BBC World Service, which predominantly serves non-UK audiences.
The national broadcaster's output is also paid for through the work of commercial subsidiaries like BBC Studios, as well as through advertising on services offered to audiences outside of the UK
By law, each household in the UK has to pay the licence fee (with some exemptions) if they:
Collection of the the licence fee and enforcement of non-payment is carried out by private companies contracted by the corporation, not the UK government.
TV licence evasion itself is not an imprisonable offence. However, non-payment of a fine, following a criminal conviction, could lead to a risk of imprisonment - "a last resort" after other methods of enforcement have failed.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65226481 |
Lasse Wellander: Abba pay tribute to guitarist's 'musical brilliance' - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lasse Wellander played "an integral role in the Abba story", the Swedish superstars say. | Entertainment & Arts | Lasse Wellander (left) performing with Abba on stage in 1980
Abba have paid tribute to long-serving guitarist Lasse Wellander, saying his "musical brilliance" played "an integral role in the Abba story".
Wellander first worked with the Swedish quartet as a session musician on their self-titled 1975 album and became the main guitarist on their subsequent LPs.
He can be heard on hits such as Knowing Me, Knowing You, Thank You for the Music and The Winner Takes It All.
"Lasse was a dear friend, a fun guy and a superb guitarist," Abba said.
He died on Friday at the age of 70.
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"The importance of his creative input in the recording studio as well as his rock solid guitar work on stage was immense," the group continued in a statement.
"We mourn his tragic and premature death and remember the kind words, the sense of humour, the smiling face, the musical brilliance of the man who played such an integral role in the Abba story.
"He will be deeply missed and never forgotten."
Speaking to Guitarist magazine in 2021, Wellander said Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson wrote some guitar lines, but others were the result of "a lot of jamming and spreading of ideas and finding out things", adding: "I was able to bring my own sounds [to recordings]."
Wellander also performed live with the legendary group between 1975 and 1980, worked with Björn and Benny on their 1984 album Chess and played on the soundtracks for the 2008 Mamma Mia film and its 2018 sequel.
He appeared on two of Agnetha Fältskog's solo albums and reunited with the group to play on their 2021 comeback album Voyage.
"I played with many different groups and artists, but working with Abba was of course always a bit special," he told the Sunday Express before the album was released. "It is a real honour and a privilege for me to be involved with them again."
As a guitarist or producer, he was credited on more than 6,300 songs in total by numerous artists and released several solo albums.
His family said in a statement on Facebook: "You were an amazing musician and humble as few, but above all you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather.
"Kind, safe, caring and loving... and so much more, that cannot be described in words."
This Facebook post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Facebook The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Facebook content may contain adverts. Skip facebook post by Lasse Wellander This article contains content provided by Facebook. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Facebook 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. Facebook content may contain adverts. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65232127 |
David Carrick: Serial rapist Met officer faces new sex crime claims - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | More than 10 people have reported new allegations about ex-Met officer David Carrick, police say. | Beds, Herts & Bucks | Carrick's sentencing hearing was told he had taken "monstrous advantage of women" between 2003 and 2020
More than 10 people have reported further offences by serial rapist and former police officer David Carrick since he was jailed, a force has said.
Carrick was sentenced to 36 life terms after admitting 49 charges, including 24 counts of rape, in February.
The 48-year-old committed most of his offences in Hertfordshire.
The county's police force said it was working with prosecutors and investigating the new reports, which included allegations of sexual assault.
Carrick's sentencing hearing was told he had taken "monstrous advantage of women" between 2003 and 2020, while serving as an officer with the Metropolitan Police.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The former police officer used his occupation to "entice victims", said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb
Ordering him to serve to a minimum term of 32 years in jail, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said he had been "bold and, at times, relentless, trusting that no victim would overcome her shame and fear to report you".
She said "for nearly two decades", he had been "proved right", but a combination of the 12 women who reported him and the police colleagues who gave evidence against him had "exposed you and brought you low".
Following the hearing, Det Insp Iain Moor, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said officers had set up a special reporting portal for people to share information about Carrick.
"If anyone else thinks they have been a victim, we still want to hear from you and we will support you," he said.
In a statement, Hertfordshire Police said since February, "more than 10 people have contacted their local forces or the investigation team directly, to either report further offences, including sexual assault, or to share information relating to him".
"The team are now working with the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and investigating these new allegations," a representative said.
They added that they would not be releasing "any further details relating to the new allegations".
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-65226358 |
Pope Francis: Easter Mass brings relief to public after pontiff's illness - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The pontiff "looked in really good health", said one of the thousands of people in St Peter's Square. | Europe | The Pope recently spent time in hospital after experiencing difficulty breathing
In the early hours on a stunning Easter morning in Vatican City, thousands of people from around the world waited to be let into St Peter's Square for Pope Francis' Mass.
Once access was opened, nuns and priests were among those who ran to secure a good vantage point, in a square bedecked with nearly 40,000 flowers donated by the Netherlands.
Just days ago they may have had doubts about whether Pope Francis, 86, would be well enough to attend Holy Week events at all.
Recent complaints of breathing difficulties had led to an untimely spell in hospital.
Since being discharged after what was determined to be a bout of bronchitis, Pope Francis has managed to fulfil most of his commitments, leading Mass on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
But for the first time since becoming pope in 2013, he did miss the Via Crucis ceremony on the evening of Good Friday at Rome's Colosseum, which commemorates the final hours in the life of Jesus.
At other points during the week the Pope had appeared tired and sometimes breathless.
It all meant that many who had come to St Peter's Square today spoke of their concerns about how the Pope might look and sound.
In the end, he appeared untroubled through the 75-minute long Mass.
But it was immediately afterwards that he seemed particularly energised, moving along a row of cardinals in his wheelchair to greet and smile and speak with them, before taking to his open-top vehicle to wave to the crowds.
Tens of thousands of people flocked to St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday to hear the Pope deliver mass
"The Pope looked in really good health," said Sally, who was visiting from Maidenhead, in the UK, with her husband and two children.
"The crowd was encouraging him along, but he looked happy and it was great to see him in fine spirits."
Eliana, from Liguria in north-western Italy, said: "I was very worried when he was in hospital and I kept informed because he's so special.
"He wanted to fulfil all his commitments for this Holy Week, and to see him here you realise just how strong he is."
The last of those commitments was an appearance at the main balcony of St Peter's Basilica to deliver his "Urbi and Orbi" blessing - to "The City and the World."
In it, he spoke of his "deep concern" over the recent flare-up of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, praying for peace in Jerusalem and beyond.
Pope Francis has faced criticism from some Ukrainians in the past for seeming to conflate their suffering with that being experienced by Russians.
He prayed to "help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace", and also to "shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia".
And with that, as he disappeared from the view of the estimated 100,000 who had come to see him, Pope Francis had successfully negotiated the toughest week in his calendar. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65226916 |
Pentagon documents leak a risk to US national security, officials say - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Officials say the leaked files appear to be in a format similar to those issued to senior leaders. | US & Canada | The leaked documents appear to show highly detailed US intelligence on the state of the Ukraine-Russia war
A leak of classified US Defence Department documents is a "very serious" risk to national security, the Pentagon has said.
The documents appear to include sensitive information regarding the war in Ukraine, as well as on China and US allies.
Officials say the files are in a format similar to documents issued to senior leaders.
An investigation has been opened to determine the source of the leak.
The documents - some of which officials say may have been altered - first appeared on online platforms such as Twitter, 4chan and Telegram, as well as on a Discord server for the video game Minecraft.
In addition to highly detailed information about the war in Ukraine, some of the leaked documents are said to cast light on sensitive briefing materials relating to US allies.
A source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN that Ukraine has already altered some of its military plans because of the leak.
Other documents reportedly focus on defence and security issues in the Middle East as well as in the Indo-Pacific region.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, a high-ranking Pentagon official said the documents were "a very serious risk to national security and have the potential to spread disinformation".
"We're still investigating how this happened, as well as the scope of the issue," said Chris Meagher, the assistant to the secretary of defence for public affairs.
The Pentagon is reassessing their process as to who gets access to such sensitive documents.
"There have been steps to take a closer look at how this type of information is distributed and to whom."
Mr Meagher declined to answer when asked if the Pentagon believes the documents to be genuine, although he said that some "appear to have been altered".
The justice department is now investigating the leak, alongside officials from the Pentagon, White House and elsewhere in the US government.
The format of the documents is similar to that "used to provide daily updates to our senior leaders on Ukraine and Russia-related operations, as well as other intelligence updates", Mr Meagher added.
The Pentagon first became aware of the document leak last week, with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin first briefed on the matter on 6 April, he said.
Mr Meagher said that the document leak has prompted US officials to reassure its allies "of our commitment to safeguarding intelligence and fidelity to our security partnerships".
At a separate briefing, national security spokesman John Kirby said that US President Joe Biden was first briefed about the leak last week.
When asked whether the leak has so far been contained and whether other documents have yet to be released, Mr Kirby said: "I don't know."
BBC News has so far reviewed more than 20 of the documents, many of which appear to detail the deployment and state of Ukrainian and Russian forces ahead of a long-awaited spring offensive by Ukrainian forces.
Some documents, for example, appear to outline US training and equipment being provided to Ukraine ahead of the offensive, as well as when various Ukrainian units will be ready and the anticipated delivery time of military supplies.
While Mr Meagher declined to comment on the potential impact that the documents could have on the front lines in Ukraine, he said that "the Ukrainians have demonstrated their capability and competence in this war".
"The president and secretary [of defence] have both made clear that the United States is going to be with them for as long as it takes," he said.
• None What does the huge leak of Ukraine war documents tell us? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65235121 |
Joe Biden: President to give key speech at Ulster University in GFA visit - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | US president's speech at new Belfast campus the sole NI engagement of his visit. | Northern Ireland | US President Joe Biden is expected to give an address at Ulster University's newly opened Belfast campus on Wednesday
US President Joe Biden will give a key address at Ulster University's newly opened Belfast campus next week, it has been confirmed.
He is visiting NI and the Republic of Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
His speech at UU's £350m campus, understood to be his sole NI engagement, will take place on Wednesday.
He is expected to leave Northern Ireland that afternoon.
Mr Biden will also attend engagements in Dublin, County Louth, and County Mayo during his four-day visit.
Announcing the Belfast speech, UU vice-chancellor and president Prof Paul Bartholomew said the university was "looking forward to what will be a very special day in [its] history and to hosting President Biden on his first visit to Northern Ireland since becoming president".
The university's Belfast campus, which opened last autumn, "truly reflects the hope and promise" of the Good Friday Agreement "and our aspirations for a positive, prosperous, and sustainable future for everyone", he added.
It is believed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will also be in Northern Ireland for Mr Biden's visit.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to be in Belfast for US President Joe Biden's visit
On Saturday Louth County Council confirmed Mr Biden will visit both Dundalk and Carlingford, close to the border with Northern Ireland.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported his visit to the Republic of Ireland may include government receptions at Farmleigh House and Dublin Castle.
It is also believed the US president will attend the Irish presidential residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, to meet Michael D Higgins.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said Mr Biden was expected to address the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) on Thursday.
He will become the fourth US president to do so, following John F Kennedy on 28 June 1963, Ronald Reagan on 4 June 1984 and Bill Clinton on 1 December 1995.
It has also been confirmed that Mr Biden will be in County Mayo on Friday, where he will speak at an event outside St Muredach's Cathedral, Ballina.
Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar said he was "delighted" Mr Biden would be visiting Ireland.
"When we spoke recently in the White House, President Biden was clear that in celebrating the Good Friday Agreement, we should be looking ahead, not backwards," he said.
The involvement of the United States and of Mr Biden personally had been "essential to the peace process in Ireland", he added.
Irish President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina. It is understood Joe Biden will visit the Irish presidential residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, next week
BBC News NI understands Joe Kennedy III, the US special envoy for Northern Ireland, will accompany President Biden on his visit.
It will be his first trip to Northern Ireland since taking up the post of special envoy in December.
Mr Kennedy will stay in Northern Ireland for several days after President Biden travels to the Republic of Ireland, it is understood.
On Thursday Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Asst Ch Constable Chris Todd said the visit would require a security operation on a scale not seen in Northern Ireland since the G8 summit in 2013. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65221919 |
How a deadly bank shooting erupted in Louisville - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | null | What we know so far about a Monday morning mass shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. | null | A woman hid in a bank vault to survive a mass shooting in Kentucky, and the Kentucky governor says he was close friends with some of the victims. Here's what we know so far. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65210120 |
Netflix airs first Welsh language drama, Dal y Mellt - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Dal y Mellt becomes the first solely Welsh-language production to be shown on the streaming giant. | Wales | The drama is produced by Vox Pictures and directed by Huw Chiswell
Netflix is streaming a Welsh language drama for the first time.
S4C's Dal y Mellt is a crime drama airing under a new title, Rough Cut.
It is the first solely Welsh-language production to be shown on the global streaming service.
Dal y Mellt - which translates as Catch The Lightning - was released as a box set on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer in October and is an adaptation of Iwan "Iwcs" Roberts' debut novel.
Set in Cardiff, Soho, Porthmadog and Holyhead, it follows a group of misfits as they come together to pull off a heist.
S4C's head of scripted Gwenllian Gravelle said it was a milestone for the channel.
"There's an appetite for more drama, and I think we offer something unique through our productions," she said.
"This means our dramas will have more exposure.
"It possibly means more co-productions with the big streamers. That means bigger budgets for us."
Welsh productions are at the "edge of a golden era" according to film critic Lowri Cooke
Netflix said it hoped it could play a role in helping to "promote and preserve the Welsh language".
Roberts also wrote the TV script and co-produced the drama with Llyr Morus.
Film and TV critic Lowri Cooke said: "I do believe that we're standing on the edge of a golden era. But we have to have the internal confidence to kick the doors wide open.
"Some of the most exciting elements are the Welsh genre productions we see in our cinemas. That is, drama, horror and thriller productions in our own language. That's mind blowing."
Ed Thomas' production of Pren ar y Bryn/Tree on a Hill is being filmed in both Welsh and English
Nearly a decade ago the English version of the detective thriller Y Gwyll/Hinterland was sold internationally, with a number of bilingual series since following the same pattern.
It was produced and directed by Ed Thomas, whose latest production Pren ar y Bryn/Tree on a Hill is also being filmed in both languages.
"At the moment, we have the same model as we had with Y Gwyll, filming back-to-back," he said, adding an English version could been needed to secure funding.
Welsh director Ed Thomas says series need to be made bilingually to get funding
While taking pride in the success of Dal y Mellt, Mr Thomas said there was "a long way to go" before productions got enough funding for Welsh-only versions that sell internationally.
"That's what we have to target is to ensure, that if we're on Netflix or Apple or Amazon Prime or whatever it is, that they also follow it up with real investment in the Welsh language."
Ms Gravelle said now was the time to take advantage of audiences getting accustomed to watching programmes in different languages using subtitles.
"As we've been watching over the last few years, really popular series that aren't in English like Squid Games, Lupin and Money Heist that shows if you have a good story, and if you have good drama, it will travel." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65223442 |
Pierre Lacotte: French dancer who helped Rudolf Nureyev defect dies - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Pierre Lacotte played a part in the Russian ballet star's escape from his KGB minders in Paris in 1961. | Europe | Pierre Lacotte's role in the famous defection was recounted in a 2018 biopic titled The White Crow
Pierre Lacotte, a French ballet choreographer who helped superstar Rudolf Nureyev defect from the Soviet Union, has died aged 91.
"Our Pierre left us at 4:00 am," said his wife, retired principal dancer Ghislaine Thesmar.
Lacotte helped Nureyev escape KGB agents in Paris and seek asylum at the capital's Le Bourget airport in 1961.
His role in the famous defection was recounted in a 2018 biopic titled The White Crow directed by Ralph Fiennes.
Ms Thesmar said her husband had died after a cut became septic.
Lacotte started his career at the Paris Opera Ballet as a teenager and later turned his attention to the revival of forgotten 19th Century productions.
In 1961, he became friends with Nureyev while he was on tour in Paris. Lacotte told the BBC in 2012 that he accompanied Nureyev on several tours of the city's restaurants, bars and museums.
This angered the KGB agents who were on the trip, and Nureyev was told he was to be sent home. Nureyev believed he would not be allowed to leave the country again.
Nureyev pleaded with Lacotte not to leave his side at the airport, but Nureyev was surrounded by KGB agents.
Lacotte asked the agents if he and his friend, socialite Clara Saint, could say goodbye to their friend before he left.
"I said, listen Rudolf, look behind me there is Clara Saint, and behind Clara Saint is a policeman. You just have to come to him. You kiss me, you kiss Clara and you say you want to be free. And it's done," Lacotte said.
"I said don't be afraid, stay quiet and do as I say."
Nureyev then made a dash towards two French police and declared that he wished to remain in the West.
Despite being recognised as one of the greatest dancers of his era, Nureyev and his family paid a heavy price. He was only allowed back to the USSR more than 25 years later when his mother was dying, while his Soviet friends' careers were made to suffer.
Nureyev was one of the greatest dancers of his generation
After suffering an ankle injury, Lacotte turned his attention to the archives of the Paris Opera from 1968.
They included La Sylphide, the first ballet performed completely "en pointe" - where the dancers stand on the tip of their toes - when it was first produced in 1832.
His final work in 2021 was a production of The Red and the Black based on the 1830 novel by French writer Stendhal.
Despite being 91 he was still working, his wife said.
"It's very sad. He still had so many projects and was writing a book," she added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65234449 |
Andy Robertson: Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis stood down during 'elbow' investigation - BBC Sport | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | null | Constantine Hatzidakis will not be involved in any matches while the FA investigates an incident in which he appeared to elbow Liverpool's Andy Robertson. | null | Last updated on .From the section Liverpool
Andy Robertson (second from left) was shown a yellow card for dissent after his clash with assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis (far right) Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis will not be involved in any matches while the Football Association (FA) investigates an incident in which he appeared to elbow Liverpool defender Andy Robertson. Hatzidakis made contact with Robertson's chin after the Scotland international approached him at the end of the first half in Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal. An angry Robertson and several team-mates approached referee Paul Tierney, who booked Robertson. Refereeing body PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) said it "will not be appointing Constantine Hatzidakis to fixtures in any of the competition" during the FA investigation. Former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday: "He has to be banned. He will have to sit out a number of games. "You can't have assistants throwing elbows. I really don't know what he was thinking. "I can't remember another incident like this. Where is the precedent for these things?" Former Manchester midfielder Roy Keane described 28-year-old Robertson as a "big baby". "He grabs the linesman first," Keane said on Sky Sports. "Robertson should be more worried about his defending. Just get on with the game." PGMOL said it would "review the matter in full". 'Hatzidakis' career could be in jeopardy' Before Hatzidakis was stood down, former Premier League referee Keith Hackett told 5 Live: "I was trying to find an excuse as to why he did it, and I came up with, was he in fear? "He shouldn't be because he's in a protected environment with plenty of security. "But he reacted in a way that he shouldn't. He's clearly lost his composure." Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is serving an eight-game ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh in their FA Cup defeat at Manchester United last month. Hackett said the FA has a big decision to make over a potential punishment for Hatzidakis. "If he is found guilty of this, his career is in jeopardy," said Hackett. "The ban on Aleksandar Mitrovic wasn't long enough, so this has got to be the equivalent if he is found guilty. "I would like the FA to convene a meeting this week and resolve the issue by the weekend." Writing in the Daily Mail, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg said Robertson "initiated contact" with Hatzidakis. "Players can push us officials to the limit," he said. "They can provoke to the point where you are probably tempted to give them something in return. "But under no circumstances can we can respond. Certainly not physically. Hatzidakis did and there will now be a clamour for him to be banned. "I do not think Hatzidakis meant to catch Robertson with his elbow."
• None Our coverage of Liverpool is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment
• None Everything Liverpool - go straight to all the best content | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65232115 |
Good Friday Agreement: Is Biden Northern Ireland trip a missed opportunity? - BBC News | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The visit was meant to celebrate 25 years of progress but politics at Stormont remain in limbo. | Northern Ireland | Expect to hear politicians blame Jeffrey Donaldson's DUP for a missed opportunity on Mr Biden's visit
For a place roughly the size of Connecticut, Northern Ireland has received plenty of presidential attention.
Bill Clinton visited three times during his presidency, George W Bush twice, and Barack Obama once.
It had long been expected that Joe Biden - a president who speaks of his Irish roots more than most - would visit Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the peace deal which largely ended the conflict known as the Troubles.
But the circumstances are less than ideal.
The power-sharing political institutions set up by the agreement have not been fully operating for more than a year.
The Democratic Unionist Party is vetoing the formation of a devolved government in protest against Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.
The DUP has said it will not allow a coalition to be formed until it is satisfied there are no economic barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
The White House has welcomed the deal between the UK and the EU, known as the Windsor Framework, which is designed to deal with unionists' concerns.
The British government is hoping Mr Biden's visit will promote the framework as the internationally recognised way forward.
Northern Ireland has been without a power-sharing government since February 2022
Other parties have suggested the presidential itinerary would have been more comprehensive if the Northern Ireland Assembly was up and running.
President Biden had been invited to address the assembly, at Stormont on the outskirts of Belfast.
But the invitation from the Assembly Speaker, Alex Maskey, was not accepted.
So you can expect the likes of Sinn Féin - the Irish nationalist party which is now the largest in the assembly - to blame the DUP for a "missed opportunity".
However, the DUP will point to the basis of the power-sharing settlement backed by the US - that both unionists and nationalists must have confidence in the governance arrangements for Northern Ireland in order for them to work.
Some DUP politicians have been strident in criticising President Biden for his backing of the Northern Ireland protocol - the previous deal between the UK and the EU after Brexit, which created a trade border in the Irish Sea.
Tony Blair (left) said Bill Clinton immediately understood the political situation in Northern Ireland
It is sometimes said that the United States is the "third guarantor" of the Good Friday Agreement - after Britain and Ireland, which are the two nations charged in international law with upholding the deal.
Ancestral links are the bedrock of the bonds between the US and the island of Ireland.
Over the years nationalists have been more enthusiastic about US input than unionists, who have been suspicious of influence being exerted in Washington by lobby groups and politicians who identify as Irish-American.
If previous US diplomatic tactics are anything to go by it is unlikely that President Biden's public remarks in Northern Ireland will be accusatory towards any one party or group.
Northern Ireland has been visited by three sitting US presidents since the Good Friday Agreement
He was on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 1990s when Bill Clinton - another Democrat - demonstrated his commitment to the peace process by becoming the first president to visit Northern Ireland while in office.
The British prime minister at the time, Tony Blair, spoke to me about Mr Clinton's approach in an interview for the BBC iPlayer film, 'Troubles and Peace'.
He said that when he called Mr Clinton, the then president "would immediately understand the politics of the situation - who to call, what to do, what to say, how to frame it".
"It meant you had the power of the United States behind you - not just in itself, but also operating with immense sophistication and subtlety," Mr Blair said.
Bríd Rodgers said the Good Friday Agreement would not have been achieved without former US President Bill Clinton
Bríd Rodgers was a negotiator for the Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party - whose leader, John Hume, prioritised building relations with the White House.
She said: "If it hadn't been for President Clinton in the last 24 hours before the Good Friday Agreement, I don't think we would have got it.
"He was in touch, he was phoning. He recognised unionists' difficulties, he recognised republicans' difficulties - he was able to assure them that he understood their challenges, but he was behind them."
A unionist negotiator, Lord Empey, was more circumspect about Mr Clinton's role during the final hours.
The Ulster Unionist Party peer said: "I don't think it made any difference to the minutiae or the outworkings of the agreement."
He thinks Mr Clinton's most significant contribution came over a longer period of time.
"President Clinton changed the atmosphere, so that America was no longer seen as totally supportive of Irish nationalism.
"No matter what his personal opinions may have been, he made an effort to treat us equally to others - we were no longer shut out."
Lord Empey said Mr Clinton "changed the atmosphere" by treating negotiators equally
Mr Clinton was the first president to appoint a US special envoy to Northern Ireland.
The political influence of some has been obvious - notably George Mitchell, the former Senate Majority leader who was appointed chair of the Good Friday Agreement talks by the British and Irish governments.
In more recent years, envoys have been seen as having significant roles in generating investment in Northern Ireland by US business.
The present holder of the post, Joe Kennedy III, has the official title of Special Envoy for Economic Affairs.
He will be staying on in Northern Ireland for an extended visit after Mr Biden leaves, to tour various locations in the Republic of Ireland.
It is on this leg of the trip that the president will meet his cousins the Finnegans in County Louth and the Blewitts in County Mayo.
These events may be more politically valuable to him in the US than his one engagement in Northern Ireland, given the power-sharing paralysis at Stormont.
A previous US Special Envoy, one-time Democratic presidential contender Senator Gary Hart, told me in 2013 that his country remained "disproportionately interested" in Northern Ireland.
While there is some disappointment that Mr Biden won't be staying in Northern Ireland for long, most politicians, business leaders and civic groups make the point that to have a presidential visit at all is a boon.
Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement, scrutinising the deal's wording and hearing from some of the people who helped get it across the line.
Click here to listen on BBC Sounds. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65235507 |
World Men's Curling Championship: Scotland topple hosts Canada for gold medal - BBC Sport | 2023-04-10T00:00:00 | null | Scotland clinch the World Men's Curling Championship gold in a dominant victory over hosts Canada. | null | Scotland clinched the World Men's Curling Championship gold in a dominant victory over hosts Canada.
Fourteen years on from their last title, the Scots led from the second end and were in control en route to a 9-3 win at Ottawa's TD Place Arena.
It took Canada until the fourth end before they got on the board, but Bruce Mouat's rink soon extended their lead to 6-1 at the halfway point.
And with the Scots claiming three in the eighth, the hosts conceded.
"We shot the lights out," said an emotional Mouat, whose team were 4-0 up after the first three ends.
"I didn't expect the final to go that way, but I'm so proud of everyone who has been part of our team.
"I think that [making the steal in the third to go 4-0 up] made me more nervous. You're in a game like that and have to defend that lead. It made things more anxious for me, but I managed to keep cool, I think."
Mouat's team of Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan, who needed a tense extra end to edge past Italy in the last four, now add world gold to their the current European title and Olympic silver medal.
"The year after the Olympics, where we were gutted with the result, but knew we had created something special when we were there," added Mouat.
"We knew that if we brought something similar we could definitely win a World Championship.
"We're going to keep going to try to get to the Olympics and hopefully recreate something like what we did today. That's the goal for all of us and it's exactly why we're still together right now." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/65203590 |
Just Stop Oil activists arrested over Dippy the Diplodocus protest - BBC News | 2023-04-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two people were held and "two large bags of dry paint" were seized at the exhibit, police say. | Coventry & Warwickshire | The video showed the pair revealing Just Stop Oil T-shirts before being confronted by security staff.
Two climate change activists have been arrested after attempting to stage a protest at a dinosaur exhibit.
They entered Herbert Art Gallery and Museum's Dippy the Diplodocus display in Coventry at 10:00 BST on Monday.
A video released by campaign group Just Stop Oil (JSO) showed them being tackled by security staff and led away.
West Midlands Police said two people were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause criminal damage and "two large bags of dry paint" had been seized.
The force said "protest liaison officers" had remained at the museum to "keep people safe and limit disruption to a minimum".
The video showed the man and woman revealing JSO T-shirts before being confronted by security staff.
One staff member was shown seizing the man's rucksack, while another tackled the woman, telling her to "stop it, stop it now. Do you understand?"
The pair were tackled by security staff before being led away by police
JSO has described itself as "a coalition of groups working together to ensure the government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production".
In a statement, one of the activists said he felt he had "no choice" but to take part in the protest because "we're barrelling towards suffering, mass death and the annihilation of our species".
"I cannot and will not commit myself to a future of powerlessly watching these horrors unfold," he said.
"The dinosaurs had no choice; we do."
The 26-metre long (85ft) cast of a diplodocus skeleton began a three-year residency at the gallery in February and has proved hugely popular with visitors.
It was previously seen by more than two million people on a UK tour after its 112-year stay in the Natural History Museum ended in 2017.
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected] | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65233721 |
UK-Israeli mother dies after West Bank shooting - BBC News | 2023-04-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lucy Dee had been in a coma since the suspected Palestinian attack which killed her two daughters. | Middle East | Lucy (left), Rina (centre) and Maia Dee were reportedly shot at close range after their car came under fire
A British-Israeli woman has died after a suspected Palestinian gun attack on Friday, in which two of her daughters were also killed.
Lucy Dee, 48, had been in a coma since the attack in the occupied West Bank.
Her daughters Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, were buried on Sunday in the settlement of Kfar Etzion, with their father and three surviving siblings present.
The family moved to Israel nine years ago from the UK, where Lucy's husband, Leo, had served as a rabbi.
Thousands of mourners attended the emotionally charged funeral of the sisters, where Rabbi Dee eulogised them.
Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem announced that Lucy (who was also known by her Hebrew name, Leah) Dee had died on Monday morning "despite great and constant efforts".
Speaking hours after his wife's death, Rabbi Dee said: "My beautiful wife, Lucy, and myself tried to raise our children with good values and to do good and bring more good into the world," calling the attack "pure evil".
"Alas, our family of seven is now a family of four", he said.
Lucy, Rina and Maia were shot at as they were driving in the Jordan Valley in the northern West Bank on their way to a family holiday. Their vehicle crashed and the gunmen went up to the car and opened fire on the women at close range, Israeli media quoted investigators as saying.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that 22 bullet casings were found, apparently from a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Rabbi Dee had been further ahead in a separate car when his sister called him with news of the attack.
He said he tried to call his wife and daughters but they did not answer. He then saw a missed call from Maia from the time of the attack.
He said another daughter who was with him saw a photo posted on Instagram by the driver of a car which passed the attacked car and they recognised one of their suitcases on the back seat of the vehicle.
The emergency services were already at the scene of the attack, near the settlement of Hamra, when he got there.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted that he sent his "heartfelt condolences to the Dee family, on the death of the mother of the family, Leah (Lucy), who was murdered in the severe terror attack in the [Jordan] valley".
Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire, to which the Dees had belonged, said the community was "devastated at the terrible news" of Lucy and her daughters' deaths.
"We and the world have been robbed of their presence, but their light can never be extinguished," it said in a statement.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a hunt for the perpetrators following the attack, which came at a time of spiralling tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65227638 |
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