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Youth worker loses damages fight after police Tasered him - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Judge finds officer had 'objectively reasonable' belief the Tasering of Edwin Afriyie was necessary. | London | The court heard that Mr Afriyie's arms had been folded when he was Tasered
A youth worker Tasered after being stopped by police while driving through central London in April 2018 has lost a High Court damages fight.
Edwin Afriyie, who is in his mid-30s, said he suffered head, back and leg injuries during the incident in King William Street.
Mr Afriyie took legal action against the City of London Police and made a misfeasance allegation.
Police disputed his claims and a judge ruled against him on Friday.
A barrister representing Mr Afriyie, who lives in Hayes, west London, said the Tasering was not in response to any "identified threat".
David Hughes said the police's use of Tasers should be proportionate and lawful and suggested that their authority had been wrongfully exercised.
Mr Afriyie is black, but the judge said he had not "advanced a claim" under equality legislation nor sought to argue that officers' treatment of him was "motivated by his race".
She had watched police bodycam footage showing Mr Afriyie being Tasered after officers said he was being arrested for not providing a breath sample.
Mr Afriyie, who has not been charged with a driving offence arising from the incident, was standing with his arms folded when he was hit and footage, available online, showed him falling backwards, landing with his head on a step and his body on the pavement.
She said police had proved that a police constable "honestly believed" that the use of the Taser was "necessary".
The judge added that the belief was "objectively reasonable".
"Mr Hughes submitted that I should find as a fact that nothing was about to happen that necessitated the use of force," she said.
"He may be right that nothing would, in fact, have happened had the Taser not been discharged.
"However what matters is whether [the officer's] belief in what might happen, so as to justify the use of the Taser, was objectively reasonable."
Mrs Justice Hill had also overseen a trial of the same case at the High Court last year but fell ill and was unable to complete it.
It was reported elsewhere that Mr Afriyie is considering an appeal.
Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66071780 |
RNLI staff surveys raise concerns about sexist behaviour - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The UK lifeboat charity says it will take action and on the issues raised in surveys of its workers. | UK | A number of workers at the RNLI have raised some concerns about sexist and bigoted behaviour at the organisation.
Internal surveys from 2021 and 2022 on the attitudes of staff and volunteers working at the UK lifeboat charity cite sexism and bullying.
The documents, first reported by the Times, have been seen by the BBC.
The RNLI told the BBC it was sorry to anyone who had faced "behaviours and actions that no one should have to tolerate" and "will act".
The organisation, which has more than 30,000 staff and volunteers, had about 3,600 survey responses over two years, mostly positive comments.
But the survey results show concerns also included "blame" culture, misogyny, being overworked, and a lack of space to openly call out inappropriate behaviour.
In the 2022 survey, one female respondent recounts being "repeatedly" called sexist terms by male colleagues.
"I have not once felt like the RNLI supports women or minorities," she said, adding that she would not recommend it "as an employer to anybody".
A comment in the previous year's survey described the level of sexism at RNLI stations and around the coast as "abhorrent".
"I have never been at a station/around a branch and not heard an inappropriate comment or joke regarding race, sex or sexual orientation".
Matters reported to senior members were "not dealt with effectively and timely," the person said, leading to some individuals getting away with "disgraceful behaviour".
A respondent to the 2022 survey said their mental health has been affected by many factors, including a lack of holding people to account, being overworked and "awful misogyny".
Bullying was mentioned in a number of survey responses. There were no specific examples given but a respondent to the 2022 poll talked about experiencing a "culture of bullying and harassment".
But colleagues were praised for being "caring" by many survey respondents, and one comment says the RNLI is "very inclusive of everyone and the relationships in the team make it a great place to work".
The RNLI's Code of Conduct says volunteers must not "participate in any form of inappropriate behaviour or activity", including bullying, harassment or unlawful discrimination.
Sue Barnes, RNLI's People Director, said: "We are sorry to our volunteers and staff who have faced behaviours and actions that no one should have to tolerate.
"There is no place for misogynistic, sexist, and non-inclusive behaviours at the RNLI and we are committed to taking action and tackling such behaviour."
She added that it has a "range of methods" members can use to report unacceptable behaviour, including a whistleblowing reporting line.
"We know we have more work to do to ensure we become the truly inclusive lifesaving charity we strive to be," she said.
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can 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-66074488 |
Watch Live: Europe's 'dark explorer' telescope launch - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Euclid space telescope is launching from Florida on a mission to make a 3D map of the cosmos | Science & Environment | A mission to uncover the secrets of the Cosmos?
Sounds tantalising and whilst we won’t get any answers today, you can watch the beginning of Euclid’s adventure with its launch from Florida this afternoon.
Welcome to live coverage of the lift-off from Cape Canaveral, where you will be able to watch the countdown and launch of the rocket carrying the Euclid telescope.
A collaboration between the European Space Agency and Nasa, Euclid aims to tie down some of the properties of so-called dark matter and dark energy.
We won’t be bringing you any further text updates on this page, but enjoy the excitement of the launch by watching the video coverage by clicking play at the top. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/science-environment-66075202 |
France riots: Nanterre rocked by killing and unrest - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The town of Nanterre is shaken by nights of rioting after 17-year-old Nahel was shot by police. | Europe | The French interior minister has asked regions to ban the sale of fireworks, petrol cans and flammable products
Come to Nanterre to get an all-round view of the crisis boiling over in France. But if you are a journalist, be advised to keep your head down.
An approach to a group of young men - some bearded, one built like a bodybuilder - outside the Le 35 café prompts an aggressive outburst of swearing and a pointed finger directing me to keep out.
At the scene where police shot dead a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent last Tuesday, women in Islamic headscarves shout abuse at police and the media from passing cars.
Wandering through the streets incognito - without a camera or notebook - past burned-out cars and smashed premises it is possible to pick up glimpses of the last catastrophic few days.
Three middle-aged white ladies, Lucille, Marie and Jeanne, are chatting with a black male friend on a bench outside their block of flats. The area is pristine, surrounded by gardens - like many other apartment blocks in Nanterre.
They don't want to be photographed as they fear their children would be identified and targeted as a result, but they are happy to chat.
People living in Nanterre have endured several nights of violence, looting and rioting
"The last three nights have been appalling. Between midnight and 4am it is bedlam outside our windows. No-one can sleep. I feel like I'm living on another planet," says Lucille.
Do they perhaps not feel the anger from the rioters is understandable, when one of Nanterre's young residents, Nahel, has been shot dead at a police check?
"This rioting has nothing to do with what happened. Of course, the kid shouldn't have been killed. But what was he doing joyriding without a licence at eight o'clock in the morning, when children are going to school?"
Marie looks at a smashed bus-shelter daubed with graffiti that reads "one cop, one bullet".
"You see what it says there? That I am completely against. I don't think the police are racist. There are good and bad in every group of people," she says.
They have little time for the dead teenager's mother, Mounia, who took part in a mass march in memory of Nahel on Thursday.
"What was she doing up on that open-top van in the march? It was undignified. That wasn't a march of grief. She's playing politics." The others nod in agreement.
Public buildings like this tax office have been singled out for attack in Nanterre and across France
Not far away on the Avenue Georges Clemenceau, lined with plane trees, the préfet who heads the Hauts-de-Seine department has come to survey the wreckage that was the front of the local tax office. "Deplorable, lamentable," he says.
Firework rockets fired by rioters at the building have left gaping holes in upper-floor windows. At street level, every pane has been smashed with a heavy instrument. Charred tax forms are scattered outside the entrance.
Among the onlookers is tax inspector Cyril, who lives in Nanterre but also declines to be photographed.
"What I feel is just wretched sadness," he says. "This tax office serves the people of Nanterre. The money that comes from here is used to buy them services. What on earth is the point of attacking it? It's a totally disproportionate response."
Cyril, however, says he is broadly sympathetic with people who want to protest against Tuesday's killing.
"I'm not sure if racist police is correct. Let's just say they have an attitude. The kids around here have all had rough treatment, often because they were doing something stupid, sure.
"But look, this was a kid," says Cyril. "The officer was an adult. He had a gun. It was his job to be in control of the situation. And he wasn't."
The local Nike store in Nanterre was trashed as rioting escalated on Thursday night
There are far stronger views, of course, among locals who took part in the memorial march.
Like Bakari, who doesn't justify the riots but believes they are understandable: "Certain people react against violence with violence."
"I wasn't surprised by [Nahel's killing] because we have all had bad experiences with police. There are good and bad everywhere, but the large majority of police are racist."
Or Yasmina: "I absolutely hate the French police. I wish them the worst. The whole system is corrupted by a systemic, racist ideology.
"[Nahel] could have been my kid brother. It blows my mind to think that a kid like that can make some stupid mistake, like anyone could do. He didn't deserve to die."
The town of Nanterre is far from the hellhole of isolated social deprivation some would like to depict. It is spacious, clean and two stops on the commuter train from the Arc de Triomphe in the centre of Paris.
The towers of La Défense business district are a stone's throw away.
There is a theatre, a university, the national opera dance school, and a large park named after former President Charles de Gaulle's culture minister André Malraux. Unfortunately, yesterday the children's roundabout that has stood there for the last 50 years was burned down.
The over-riding impression one takes away of the town is of two universes colliding.
On one level, all the standard accoutrements of the generous French state are plain to see.
Tricolours fly; the préfet comes to survey his domain; Metro trains whizz underground and, in the looming towers of La Défense multinationals make their billions.
Paris-Match photographer Eric Hadj says social media has helped the rioters mobilise
But in the same geographic space, there is another way of being: one which appears utterly alienated from the system; which is quick to see and reflect hostility; which says "ici on est chez nous" - this patch is ours - and gives the finger to unwanted outsiders, like the press.
At a petrol station by the tax office, veteran Paris-Match photographer Eric Hadj is surveying his smashed-up car and preparing forms for the insurance claim.
"We were here on Thursday during the march. Some big guys came and told us to get out. They made it quite clear we risked something very nasty if we didn't. When we came back today, of course the car had been totally wrecked."
Hadj has been through a lot of riots in his time but says he has never seen anything like this.
"This is worse, far worse than 2005," he says.
Everyone here is looking back to the last sustained rioting that shook the French banlieues or suburbs for three weeks, wondering how long the latest unrest will last.
"Today there is social media, which gives the rioters a big advantage. But, above all, it is more violent. They have rockets. Whatever restraint there was has been removed," says the photographer.
Gérard Collomb, the former socialist mayor of Lyon and interior minister under President Macron, is well-known for his pithy sayings.
When he left office in 2018, he lamented the worrying tendency of French society to divide into communities - the very contradiction, he thought, of a single, unified Republic.
"Today we are living side by side," he said. "Tomorrow, I fear we will be face to face."
In Nanterre it is one face of France against another. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66070033 |
Man and woman held after body of girl, 2, found in Ipswich - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two 22-year-olds who were "known to the victim" have been arrested on suspicion of murder, police say. | Suffolk | Police cars were parked outside the temporary housing unit in Sidegate Lane on Friday
A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a two-year-old girl was found at a property, police have said.
Suffolk Police said the toddler's remains were found at a temporary housing unit on Sidegate Lane in Ipswich at about 11:45 BST on Friday.
The force said a Bedfordshire man and a woman of no fixed abode, who are both 22, were arrested in Bury St Edmunds.
A representative said the pair were "known to the victim".
They added that officers were "not seeking any other suspects in connection with this case at this time".
Appealing for information, Supt Jane Topping said the force was "still looking to establish the exact circumstances leading to the death of this child".
"Clearly, such a discovery is extremely distressing for everyone concerned," she said.
"We'd ask people not to speculate on social media as to the identity of the child or to the circumstances surrounding her death."
Ipswich Borough Council, which operates the housing unit, has declined to comment
She added that a "highly visible presence of officers" would "continue in the area for the next few days with reassurance patrols".
"These officers are available to speak to concerned members of the community," she said.
"This is a fast-moving investigation and we are appealing to the local community for any information which may aid this investigation."
Ipswich Borough Council, which operates the housing unit, has declined to comment.
Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66075779 |
Hacking trial: Prince Harry claims £440,000 in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Duke of Sussex alleges articles published by Mirror Group Newspapers breached his privacy. | UK | Prince Harry is claiming up to £440,000 in damages for newspaper articles published by Mirror Group Newspapers which he alleges breached his privacy.
Amounts being claimed were released on the final day of the trial examining allegations of phone hacking.
The case has been brought by Prince Harry and three others.
Prince Harry's lawyers have highlighted 33 stories in their claim, including reports about his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy and his drug taking.
The duke's lawyers initially suggested he could be awarded up to £320,000 if his case is successful in relation to the 33 stories.
In a document released later, they said he is also seeking further damages of about £120,000. This relates to allegations of unlawful information gathering by MGN publications, including over the targeting of his late mother, Diana Princess of Wales.
A barrister for MGN said this week the Duke of Sussex was only entitled to £500 for a private investigator's attempt to get personal details about him.
The highest damages application is for a 2005 "splash" on the front page in the Daily Mirror which reported the prince's then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy was to "dump him".
A second article was headlined "Chelsy Is Not Happy".
His lawyers said the story included photos of Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy taken at a distance and went into detail about the state of their relationship.
They claimed highly specific details of telephone contact between the couple were included.
Lawyers alleged a private investigator and "flight and call data blagger" in South Africa helped with details for the story.
A court document stated: "The article came at a difficult and vulnerable time for the Duke of Sussex, where details of his mistakes were played out so publicly."
"Whilst the Duke of Sussex was remorseful for his actions, the article added to his embarrassment by revealing the impact on his personal relationship with Ms Davy, with humiliating details of private arguments between the couple and added to his sense of distrust and paranoia of those around him."
The second highest award claimed, £25,000, relates to a story in the Sunday People in 2003.
It reported a disagreement between Prince Harry and the Prince of Wales over whether to meet Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell who had angered the brothers by selling secrets about their mother.
Prince Harry's lawyers said the article contained "private and sensitive information" about the disagreement.
He believed the language used mirrors voicemail messages he would have left for Prince William at the time suggesting he was the victim of phone hacking.
Prince Harry is claiming £20,000 for a Daily Mirror story in 2002 suggesting he had hosted parties where he and friends had taken cocaine and ecstasy.
It quoted the duke as saying he "only used cannabis spliffs" and his father Charles, now King, as saying he felt "huge relief" at this comment.
The document said Prince Harry did not supply the quote and links the story to a series of payments to a tracing agency the claimants said was involved in unlawful information gathering.
Prince Harry was at Eton at the time which had a zero-tolerance drugs policy.
Claim records for articles relating to the actors Nikki Sanderson and Michael Turner have also been released.
The Coronation Street actor Ms Sanderson's claims totalled more than £331,000 with the biggest demand for £75,000 relating to a single story about her difficult relationship with her father.
This was "heart-breaking, traumatic and humiliating" she said, suggesting information about her had been gathered illicitly.
Mr Turner is claiming more than £131,000 for stories including coverage of his trauma over being accused and cleared of sexual offences.
In the final hours of the trial the defendant's barrister Andrew Green KC argued there was no objective evidence Prince Harry's phone had been hacked.
He questioned whether his opponents had proved any of the claims they had made.
Prince Harry's barrister David Sherborne criticised Mr Green for repeatedly describing private investigators who had been convicted of criminal offences as "rotters".
Mr Sherborne said he had become "something out of a Beano comic, by describing a few rotters who did a few naughty things. That exemplifies the truly dismissive nature of the defendant's attitude to the thousands of victims".
Judgement in the case is not expected for months. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66070127 |
France shooting: Unrest spreads over police killing of teen - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | At least 150 people are arrested overnight over the shooting of a 17-year-old during a traffic check. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: 'They've taken my baby' - Mother of teen shot by police
At least 150 people have been arrested across France on a second night of mass unrest over Tuesday's fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy by police near Paris during a traffic check.
Town halls, schools and police stations were set on fire. President Emmanuel Macron said this was "unjustifiable".
The police officer who opened fire is now under formal investigation for voluntary homicide.
Nahel M was shot at point-blank range as he drove away from police.
French prosecutors argue that the use of a firearm was not legally justified.
On Wednesday morning, President Macron held a crisis cabinet meeting to discuss the escalating riots.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that France had witnessed "a night of unbearable violence".
He said "the state must be firm in its response", adding that 40,000 police officers would be mobilised across the country later in the day to prevent any further violence.
Overnight, clashes were reported across suburbs of Paris - but some of the most violent confrontations were in Nanterre, where the teenager was shot dead.
Videos shared on social media showed cars being set alight and shops being ransacked on Wednesday across the Paris region.
A prison in Fresnes, south of the capital, was also attacked with fireworks by rioters overnight, AFP reported.
The news agency said videos showed about 20 young men attacking the entrance to the prison with fireworks and projectiles. Videos shared to social media showed an alarm sounding during the attack.
The violence was particularly concentrated around the Pablo Picasso district there, where young people took to the streets after the sun set.
"They're backing off! Let's go guys, let's go, death to cops!" one yelled, while various cars and rubbish bins were set alight.
While the violence was concentrated in that district, protesters targeted other regions across Paris, with many firing fireworks into police stations.
In the northern city of Lille, footage posted online showed people inside the town hall of the Mons-en-Barœul suburb setting documents and chairs alight.
And elsewhere, in the western town of Rennes, about 300 people gathered to pay tribute to the teen. Some of them also lit fires and were dispersed by police.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the shooting of Nahel was "unforgivable".
But his comments drew an angry reaction from police unions, who accused him of rushing to judge the officers involved.
The Alliance Police union called for them to be presumed innocent until found guilty, while the rival Unité SGP Police also spoke of political interventions that encouraged "anti-cop hatred".
Mr Darmanin said he would be taking legal action against another group, France Police, after it published what he called an "unacceptable and abject" tweet seeking to justify the teenager's killing.
The now-deleted tweet said "bravo" to the officers who "opened fire on a young criminal" and blamed the teen's parents for his death, claiming they had been "unable to educate their son".
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Nahel's mother Mounia, speaking in a social media video, said they had taken away her baby and urged people to join a march in remembrance of her son.
"He was still a child. He needed his mother," she said. "He kissed me goodbye in the morning and said, 'I love you mum'.
"An hour later, I was told that someone shot my son. What shall I do? He was my life. He was everything to me."
The officer accused of killing him, who said he had fired because he felt his life was in danger, is in custody on charges of voluntary manslaughter.
Nahel, who a neighbour says came from a French-Algerian family, is the second person this year in France to have been killed in a police shooting during a traffic stop. Last year, a record 13 people died in this way.
Rights groups have criticised a 2017 law change which broadened the framework for when officers can use firearms.
Citing official statistics, Le Monde newspaper reported that the annual number of police shootings at moving vehicles has consistently been higher since the change.
Campaigner Rokhaya Diallo told BFMTV that more shots fired meant a higher risk of being hit, especially for people of colour.
Reuters news agency found that a majority of victims of lethal police shootings during traffic stops since 2017 were black or Arab.
Firefighters extinguish a burning vehicle in Nanterre following protests in the wake of Nahel's death
According to French media, police initially suggested the teen drove his car towards them with the intention of hurting them.
But footage posted online and verified by the AFP news agency shows an officer pointing his weapon at the driver through his window and appearing to fire at point-blank range as he tries to drive off.
The agency also reports that a person in the video can be heard saying: "You're going to be shot in the head" - but it is unclear who says it.
Two others were in the car at the time of the shooting. One fled while another, also a minor, was arrested and held by police.
"Nothing justifies the death of a young person," President Macron told reporters in Marseille, calling for "calm for justice to be done".
"I would like to express the feelings of the entire nation at what has happened and the death of young Nahel, and to tell his family of our solidarity and the nation's affection."
"We have a teenager who has been killed. It's inexplicable, unforgivable," he said, adding that the the case was immediately referred to the courts where he hoped justice would "do its job quickly".
Authorities have opened two separate investigations following the teen's death - one into a possible killing by a public official, and another into the driver's failure to stop his vehicle and the alleged attempt to kill a police officer. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66049705 |
Migraine: Ceredigion woman says condition controls her life - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Delyth Jones says she misses her children's events and feels "isolated" because of her migraines. | Wales | Delyth Jones said having migraines affects her life "massively"
A woman who has about nine migraines a month has said the condition controls her life.
Delyth Jones, 32, from Ceredigion, said she has missed her children's school concerts and sports days due to them.
A former GP who lost her job after a chronic migraine diagnosis has set up a voluntary support group in Cardiff, citing a lack of support.
The Welsh government said it was committed to improving care and services.
Ms Jones first started having migraines as a teenager and described the pain as "intense".
"It starts as a little tingling behind my eye, and I think 'oh yes, I'm going to have a migraine today'," she said.
"[It's] a huge pressure running back towards the back of my head from my eye. The pain, I can't describe it."
Ms Jones said some of her migraines can last for days.
"As a mother of three, it affects my life massively. I've missed out on things that they do, school concerts, sports days," she said.
Delyth Jones and her three children
"I've turned into an anxious person. Anxious that people don't believe me when I say that I have one. I feel isolated.
"Not many other people I know have them and I can't talk to other people about how I feel because they don't understand."
Ms Jones said she struggled with a lack of support when she went to see the doctor about her migraines.
"When I went to the doctors there was no literature, no support groups suggested, they were just quite happy to give me the medicine and basically 'that will help you'.
"It does worry me. It controls your life."
Dr Anna Maclean, an ex-GP who lost her job after a chronic migraine diagnosis, set up a support group for the condition in Cardiff last year, which now has 60 members.
"There isn't much expertise within Wales although I'm sure people are trying their best under the difficult circumstances of the NHS," said Dr Maclean.
"So I've just sought to help people and, along with another GP, we've set up this group because the numbers are enormous.
"Through the group they're all meeting up with people who've got the same symptoms so they don't feel so alone.
"[Migraines] needs to be made visible. Whilst it doesn't kill you, it absolutely kills your life."
Dr Llinos Roberts, from the Royal College of General Practitioners, said GPs can refer patients to headache clinics but more funding was needed to improve care in Wales.
Dr Llinos Roberts called for more funding to improve care in Wales
"We know that migraines are very common but the complexity lies in the range of symptoms people might experience," she said.
"There are some symptoms that are more common than others: head pain - often one side of the head, the feeling of nausea, problems with vision... but these can vary according to the individual.
"There is a need perhaps to increase the amount of funding to help patients see professionals who have a particular interest in migraine care."
Charity The Migraine Trust said there was a "long way to go" to improve awareness.
According to its research, one in seven people in Wales live with the condition, and one in ten people in the UK.
"I think there's a lot the Welsh government could do," said its chief executive Rob Music.
"If you think about just how common my migraine is, and just the impact that it has, and so poorly understood it is.
"I think we very much feel that that the migraine needs to should do must to get to where menopause is now."
The Welsh government said it recognised the "debilitating effects" of migraines.
"We are committed to working with the NHS to improve care, services and access to services," it said.
It said a headache toolkit was recently launched to support frontline clinical teams in diagnosing and planning care for patients. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66065674 |
France shooting: How a teenager's death sparked riots - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | null | The death of 17-year-old Nahel M, during a traffic stop, has provoked anger across the country. | null | Intense and widespread rioting has been taking place across France, following the shooting of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop.
Video on social media showed the moment the police shooting of Nahel M took place, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on 27 June.
Riots erupted later that same day and have continued each day since, spreading throughout the country.
The officer involved has apologised to the family and been charged with voluntary homicide. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66068964 |
Three teens charged with murder of boy found stabbed in London canal - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Three boys, aged 14, 15 and 17, are charged with murder and robbery after the stabbing of Victor Lee, 17. | London | Victor Lee died from stab wounds, the Met Police said
Three teenagers have been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Victor Lee, who was found dead in a canal in north-west London last Sunday.
Victor's body was pulled from the Grand Union Canal after police were called to reports of a stabbing. He was declared dead at the scene.
Three boys, aged 14, 15 and 17, were charged with murder and robbery on Saturday.
They are set to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Monday.
A post-mortem examination on Wednesday concluded that the 17-year-old from Ealing died from stab injuries.
Police are continuing to appeal to the public for information and witnesses, earlier asking for dashcam footage of anyone driving near Scrubs Lane between 17:15 and 18:15 on Sunday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66078488 |
Golden Ears Park: Missing Canadian teen found after 54-hour search - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Esther Wang disappeared in Golden Ears Park, Canada, sparking 16 search teams into action. | US & Canada | Esther Wang disappeared on Tuesday at Golden Ears Park in the province of British Columbia
A Canadian teenager has been found two days after she went missing in the wilderness of a vast provincial park.
Esther Wang, 16, disappeared after she was separated from her hiking group in the 555sq km (214sq mile) Golden Ears Park in British Columbia.
But the teen emerged uninjured from a trail on her own on Thursday.
Police said Ms Wang was recovering with her family.
"She's healthy, she's happy, she is with family. That's the best possible outcome for us," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Supt Wendy Mehat said in a statement.
"Esther's family has expressed sincere gratitude to all first responders and Search and Rescue groups," Supt Mehat added. "They are very thankful for this outcome and request privacy at this time."
Officials said Ms Wang emerged from the East Canyon trail on which she had initially gone missing at around 21:30 local time on Thursday (04:30 GMT Friday).
It is unclear how she was separated from her group. Local media reported that the group left a lookout point around 14:45 on Tuesday, and realised that Ms Wang was not with them around 15 minutes later.
The group leader returned to the lookout but could not find her, and so raised the alarm. A search was launched soon after.
Ms Wang was checked by emergency services, who determined that she was unharmed during the ordeal - with the exception of some mosquito bites. She was then permitted to return home with her parents.
"We're elated at the outcome of the search and Esther being returned to her family is what our objective was," search and rescue spokesperson Ryan Smith said.
"We used as many resources as we could. I'd like to thank our partner organizations, the RCMP, other first responders, the helicopter companies that assisted us in this exhaustive search." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66076558 |
Watch: 'Dark explorer' telescope launched into space - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | null | The launch is part of a mission that will map the cosmos to try and investigate so-called dark matter. | null | The Euclid telescope has successfully launched into space on a mission to understand some of the Universe's greatest mysteries.
The €1.4bn (£1.2bn) telescope was primed to go up on a Falcon-9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday.
Euclid's goal is to make an immense 3D map of the cosmos in a bid to better understand so-called dark matter and dark energy.
Researchers know virtually nothing about these phenomena, which appear to control the structure and expansion of the cosmos.
Although primarily a European Space Agency project, the mission also has significant scientific and engineering inputs from the US space agency Nasa.
Euclid will carry out its work from an observing position on the opposite side of our planet to the Sun. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66077409 |
Violence in French cities is 'not for Nahel', says family member - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A relative of the boy whose killing by French police sparked riots calls for an end to looting and burning. | Europe | Several schools have been targeted by the rioters. One of them is Nursery School Albert Samain – its canteen was severely damaged by the flames.
Some of the pupils wrote a sign and hung it outside the main entrance. It reads:
“Please do not burn the schools. It’s super important. Thank you.”
Marie is a mother-of-four, and spoke to us outside her home.
“We are scared for our children. They cried all night long, because of the fire and the explosions.”
Her son chimes in: “I couldn’t sleep because of the explosions. I thought they were going to burn our home. I thought they were going to burn me too.”
Yesterday we reported from an office building that was burned to the ground.
Today, residents told us that some of the people who set fire to it were directly related to the people who worked there. Several of them were their cousins.
The 500 employees who had offices there are likely to be temporarily laid off.
Kamel, a man in his 40s who’s lived in Roubaix his whole life, summed up what so many people in this area feel:
“These people are destroying their own communities and their own neighbourhood. The riots are incomprehensible.” | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-66073728 |
John Caldwell shooting: Children 'witnessed horrors that no child should ever have to' - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was speaking publicly for the first time since he was shot in February. | Northern Ireland | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was speaking at an awards event
A senior detective has said that children present when he was shot at a sports complex in Omagh in County Tyrone in February witnessed "horrors that no child should ever have to".
Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was speaking at the Sunday Life's Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards on Friday night.
The shooting happened in front of schoolchildren, including his son.
Receiving a special award at the event he also praised the "amazing" medical staff who treated him.
"I am just sorry that these innocent children, including my own son, were subjected to such a harrowing ordeal," he said.
"I am so glad that my son and his friends were not injured, although I appreciate that any psychological trauma will take longer to recover from.
"We will get through it together," he added.
The shooting happened at a sports complex in Omagh
He also thanked those who helped him on the night he was targeted.
"To the brave people who ran to help me when I was shot - that took some guts as they were putting themselves in harm's way," he said.
"And thank you to the emergency services and the amazing medical staff who looked after me in many ways, for many months."
In a pre-recorded message played at the event, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the detective as "a true hero of Northern Ireland".
Mr Sunak visited him in hospital and met his family in April.
"When I visited him in his hospital bed, he was still thinking about the future of the society he loves," Mr Sunak said.
The event was Mr Caldwell's second public appearance since he left hospital in April.
It is understood he had a private meeting with King Charles during the monarch's first official visit to Northern Ireland after the coronation.
The chief constable said the PSNI was proud of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne also paid tribute to the senior officer.
In a recorded message, Mr Byrne said he was "proud of his determination and stoicism".
"As an organisation, we are so proud of what you have done and what you represent for us, both now and going forwards," he added.
The dissident republican group the New IRA said it carried out the shooting.
Seven men have appeared in court charged in relation to the attack.
They were remanded in custody to appear before Omagh Magistrates' Court on 27 June. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66075686 |
Dilano van 't Hoff dies aged 18 in crash at Spa-Francorchamps - BBC Sport | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | null | Dutch racing driver Dilano van 't Hoff dies after a crash at the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. | null | Last updated on .From the section Motorsport
Dutch racing driver Dilano van 't Hoff has died after a crash at a race in the Formula Regional European Championship.
The 18-year-old MP Motorsport driver was competing in the second race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, organisers announced.
French driver Anthoine Hubert lost his life at the same circuit during a Formula 2 race in 2019.
The race organisers said: "We want to express our sincere condolences to the family, team and friends."
They added: "Royal Automobile Club of Belgium, the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps and SRO Motorsports Group join Alpine and ACI in expressing their sincerest condolences to the driver's family, team and friends."
Organisers of the headline GT race, the 24 Hours of Spa, said on social media: "All start line entertainments for the 24 Hours of Spa have been cancelled and there will be a minute's silence before the start of the race to honour the memory of Dilano."
The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine is a European Formula Three racing series intended to be a stepping stone to the FIA Formula Three Championship.
Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali said on Twitter: "We are so sad to learn of the passing of Dilano van 't Hoff today at Spa-Francorchamps.
"Dilano died in pursuit of his dream to reach the pinnacle of motorsport. Along with the entire motorsport community, our thoughts are with his family and loved ones."
McLaren also added: "The McLaren Racing Team are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dilano van 't Hoff in a Formula Regional race at Spa-Francorchamps today.
"Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the entire MP Motorsport team at this difficult time." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/66076074 |
Caldicot family hope to find missing son James Nutley 19 years on - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | James Nutley's parents live with unanswered questions over their 25-year-old son's disappearance. | Wales | For almost two decades James Nutley's parents have lived with unanswered questions over his disappearance
The parents of a man who has been missing for almost 19 years say they hope renewed interest in the case could finally bring them answers.
James Nutley, 25, disappeared while on a golfing trip in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, on 24 October 2004.
After visiting three pubs he was captured on CCTV near the Giltar Hotel where he was staying at 23:57, but what happened after that remains a mystery.
"It is hanging over you all the time," said his father Jeffrey.
"We were thinking 'he'll turn up in a day or two' - 20 years later we're still thinking 'where is he?'."
James's parents Catherine and Jeffrey Nutley said they had not given up hope of one day being reunited with their son
At the time of his disappearance, James was living at the family home in Caldicot, Monmouthshire, with his parents and sister.
His parents do not believe he would have taken his own life, saying their "golf-mad" son seemed very happy and had been working his "dream job" demonstrating golf clubs.
Catherine recalled her son excitedly rushing out of the house to leave for the trip with no idea of what was to come.
She first realised something was wrong when her sister and a friend came to see her at work.
"My sister said 'James has gone missing in Tenby'," she recalled.
James was captured on CCTV shortly before he vanished
"That was it, get your things, come home, Jeffrey had had the phone call as well and he was in a bit of a state."
She immediately headed for Tenby, with Jeffrey staying at home by the landline in case James called.
By the time she arrived the search was well under way.
"I think we were just numbed," she said.
Catherine was told James' possessions - including his driving licence - had been found on the seaside town's South Beach.
James was on a golfing trip when he went missing in Tenby
The police search eventually went cold and there have been few breakthroughs over the years.
Over the past 19 years the family have faced the agony of numerous false leads and even a false murder confession.
James's parents said he was happy and content and work before he went missing
"We just had a phone call…. 'this is inspector so and so… we're coming up'," said Catherine.
"He sat down and said 'we've had some developments and this person has claimed that he murdered James'."
The family were told Richard Fairbrass had given police extensive details about how he and his girlfriend had carried out the murder and thrown James's body into the sea at Stack Rocks.
Since James's disappearance his sister (pictured) has had two children, making him an uncle
He later confessed to inventing the whole story and in 2006 was jailed for two years for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
"It set us back a bit, it didn't do us any good at all," said Jeffrey.
James is from a family of keen golfers
Recently the couple have been interviewed for podcast The Missing, which focuses on long-term missing people cases and asks listeners to become part of the search.
It has prompted renewed interest in the case.
So what do Catherine and Jeffrey think happened to their son that night?
The couple said James (second from left) was full of life and enjoyed telling a good story
"Had James arranged to meet someone to go off to a different life? Or did someone abduct him? There's still questions," said Catherine.
"We did keep thinking 'he's most likely in Spain now lying on a beach'… we still do, until someone tells us differently he could be in Spain," said Jeffrey.
There have been times over the years where the couple have thought they have spotted James through a window or in a restaurant - but all have come to nothing.
James always looked smart in a suit, his dad Jeffrey said
Catherine said every time she sees a man begging on the street she takes a close look on the off-chance it is her son.
They are not giving up hope. Despite the passing years they believe it is still possible they will be reunited with their son one day.
"Well you can't give up can you, until someone tells us differently," said Jeffrey.
"Someone said we should have a memorial service. I said: 'What? Why? You can't have a service when we don't know where he is'."
"You've got no headstone," said Catherine.
"You can't grieve because there's no-one there."
Catherine and Jeffrey have collected dozens of press cuttings they have collected over the years
The couple said they had had to learn to get on with their lives while carrying the burden of not knowing what happened to their son.
"You always know that someone's missing," said Catherine.
"I say my prayers at night… 'please keep an eye on James, wherever he is'." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66057032 |
Belfast baby murder case: Woman found guilty of killing son - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The woman accepted she stabbed him and his sister on 27 July 2021 but had denied the charges. | Northern Ireland | Toys and flowers were left at the scene of the incident in 2021
A woman has been found guilty of murdering her eight-week old son and attempting to murder his two-year-old sister.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, accepted she stabbed the children on 27 July 2021 but denied the charges.
But jurors rejected her argument and found her guilty after more than five hours of deliberations.
The woman was convicted at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday.
She will receive an automatic life sentence, with the amount of time she has to serve before being considered for parole to be set at a later date.
The woman placed her head in her hands and sobbed "no, no, no" as the guilty verdict was read out.
The juror who read the verdict also broke down as she read it and had to sit down to compose herself.
When handing down the life sentence, Judge Donna McColgan said "this has been a very difficult and stressful case".
"I will be excusing the jury from jury service for the rest of their lives," she added.
"Counselling will also be made available to all jurors."
Over the last six weeks, Belfast Crown Court has heard harrowing evidence.
After the woman stabbed the children, she made five phone calls, including one to the children's father, telling him that their daughter was "lying slowly bleeding".
It was only after this call that she phoned 999, telling police: "I killed my kid for him."
The trial was held at Belfast Crown Court
During the trial, prosecuting counsel read a statement from the children's father to the court, as he was deemed too unwell to attend court as a witness.
He said on the evening of the stabbings, he was in England and had missed a call from his then partner as he was sleeping.
He returned her call and she told him she had killed the baby, that the baby's sister was slowly bleeding and that she was going to kill herself.
He then phoned the police.
During the trial, the jury was shown harrowing footage from the body cameras of police officers who responded to a 999 call made by the defendant.
The videos showed the woman sitting on her living room floor in handcuffs and bleeding from a self-inflicted wound to her neck.
The footage also captured a police officer attempting to drive the injured girl to hospital in a PSNI car before handing her over to paramedics.
Both youngsters were taken to the emergency department at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and were treated as they lay side-by-side.
Whilst the young girl was successfully treated for a stab wound to her chest, her baby brother was later pronounced dead.
Following her arrest, the defendant made the case that she stabbed her children and then turned the knife on herself as she wanted them all to die together.
The court heard that during subsequent police interviews, she made references to her partner's use of drink and drugs, and also claimed that he beat and sexually abused her.
When asked by a detective what she was thinking at the time, she said: "I wanted to kill all three, all of us so that [their father], could have a happy life together with his new woman.
"This was the only solution that came to my mind."
The woman also spent four days in the witness box at Belfast Crown Court where she was questioned about the events of 27 July 2021 - and where she denied stabbing her children out of spite and malice towards their father.
Sobbing as she gave evidence, the defendant claimed she tried to resuscitate her baby son after stabbing him in the chest and also told the jury that after attacking her daughter, she then tried to keep her alive by holding her to her chest.
She said she did not know what "was going on in my mind at that time" and told the court she could not forgive herself and wished she could "turn back time".
The defendant sobbed as she was taken from the dock and back into custody. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65029181 |
France shooting: Who was Nahel M, shot by French police in Nanterre? - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | He was learning to be an electrician and played rugby league but died at a police check near Paris. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: 'They've taken my baby' - Mother of teen shot by police
The killing of Nahel M, 17, has sparked riots in cities across France as well as the town of Nanterre to the west of Paris where he grew up.
An only child brought up by his mother, he had been working as a takeaway delivery driver and played rugby league.
His education was described as chaotic. He was enrolled at a college in Suresnes not far from where he lived, to train to be an electrician.
Those who knew Nahel, who was of Algerian descent, said he was well-loved in Nanterre where he lived with his mother Mounia and had apparently never known his father.
His record of attendance of college was poor. Nahel had been in trouble before and was known to police, but family lawyers stressed he had no criminal record.
He had given his mother a big kiss before she went to work, with the words "I love you, Mum".
Shortly after nine in the morning on Tuesday he was fatally shot in the chest, point-blank, at the wheel of a Mercedes car for driving off during a police traffic check. At 17 he was too young for a licence.
"What am I going to do now?" asked his mother. "I devoted everything to him," she said. "I've only got one, I haven't got 10 [children]. He was my life, my best friend."
His grandmother spoke of him as a "kind, good boy".
"A refusal to stop doesn't give you a licence to kill," said Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure. "All the children of the Republic have a right to justice."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Nahel had spent the past three years playing for the Pirates of Nanterre rugby club. He had been part of an integration programme for teenagers struggling in school, run by an association called Ovale Citoyen.
The programme was aimed at getting people from deprived areas into apprenticeships and Nahel was learning to be an electrician.
Ovale Citoyen president Jeff Puech was one of the adults locally who knew him best. He had seen him only a few days ago and spoke of a "kid who used rugby to get by".
"He was someone who had the will to fit in socially and professionally, not some kid who dealt in drugs or got fun out of juvenile crime," Mr Puech told Le Parisien.
He praised the teenager's "exemplary attitude", a far cry from what he condemned as a character assassination of him painted on social media.
He had got to know Nahel when he lived with his mother in the Vieux-Pont suburb of Nanterre before they moved to the Pablo Picasso estate.
Shortly after his death an ambulance man, Marouane, launched a tirade against a police officer, explaining later that he knew the boy as if he was his little brother. He had seen him grown up as a kind, helpful child. "He never raised a hand to anyone and he was never violent," he told reporters.
His mother believes the police officer who shot him "saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life". She told France 5 TV she blamed only the one person who fired the shot, not the police: "I have friends who are officers - they're with me wholeheartedly."
"May Allah grant him mercy," read a banner unfurled over the Paris ring road outside Parc des Princes stadium.
Flowers were left at the site where Nahel died
"Police violence happens every day, especially if you're Arab or black," said one young man in another French city calling for justice for Nahel.
But the family's lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, said this was not about racism, but about justice.
"We have a law and judicial system that protects police officers and it creates a culture of impunity in France," he told the BBC.
Nahel had been the subject of as many as five police checks since 2021 - what is known as a refus d'obtempérer - refusing to comply with an order to stop.
When he was stopped by police, he was driving a Mercedes with Polish number plates, with two passengers and no licence.
As recently as last weekend, he had reportedly been placed in detention for refusing to comply and was due to appear before a juvenile court in September.
His name was on a police file called a Taj, used by authorities for a variety of investigations.
Last September a judge imposed a "disciplinary measure". Most of the trouble he got into involved cars: driving without a licence or insurance and using false number plates.
But Nahel had never been convicted, said family lawyer Jennifer Cambla, and had no criminal record. Being known to police was not the same as a criminal record, because he had never been tried for anything listed on his police file, she told French TV.
"I think in this kind of suburb it's pretty rare that a young person hasn't been stopped by police or hasn't been in custody," Ms Cambla said.
The riots that his death has provoked are a reminder for many in France of the events of 2005, when two teenagers, Zyed Benna and Bouna Traoré, were electrocuted as they fled police after a game of football and ran into an electricity substation in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.
"It could have been me, it could have been my little brother," a Clichy teenager called Mohammed told French website Mediapart. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66052104 |
Cambridge flat fire: Two children and a woman die in fire - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A boy and a girl were rescued from the Cambridge property but died later in hospital. | Cambridgeshire | Three people, two of them children, have died in a flat fire in Cambridge
Two children and a woman have died after a fire in a flat.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) said more than 30 firefighters were called to Sackville Close, King's Hedges ward, Cambridge, at about 01:10 BST on Friday.
It said a boy and a girl were rescued, but died later in hospital, and a woman in her 30s died at the scene.
A man in his 30s escaped before crews arrived and remains in a critical condition in hospital.
The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) said an infant from an adjoining property was also taken to hospital for assessment.
Emergency services attended the scene on Friday morning and a police cordon remains in place
CFRS area commander Stuart Smith said it was "a devastating and deeply upsetting incident that will touch many people".
"Our thoughts are with the relatives, friends and neighbours of the family," he said.
Police, ambulance, air ambulance, and fire crews from across the county were sent to the scene.
Flowers have been laid close to where the fire took hold
Peter Griffin, 30, who lives close by, said it was "devastating".
"We woke up... and looked out and there was kind of an orange glow coming from the flat," he said.
He said the crews were "very organised" and "seemed to get the fire under control quite quickly".
CFRS said firefighters were met with smoke coming from the ground and first floor of a two-storey building and worked to stop it spreading to neighbouring properties.
Mr Smith said it would have "a huge impact on the local community".
"Our fire safety team was in the area visiting residents yesterday to provide fire safety information and reassurance, and will be returning next week," he said.
He added that the fire service was "looking after the welfare of all those who responded to or supported this incident".
EEAS said three ambulances, three Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles, two ambulance officer vehicles and response cars from the East Anglian Air Ambulance and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance "were called out".
A representative said the service wanted to "extend its deepest sympathies to all those affected".
An investigation into the cause of the fire has begun.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-66075750 |
Mum who stabbed baby twice in heart jailed for 20 years - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The woman was found guilty of murdering the eight-week old and trying to murder his two-year-old sister. | Northern Ireland | Toys and flowers were left outside the scene of the stabbings in 2021
A woman who murdered her eight-week old son and attempted to murder his two-year-old sister has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, accepted she stabbed the children in Northern Ireland on 27 July 2021 but had denied the charges.
In a statement, the children's father said: "Words cannot describe what my family and I have been through.
"We never got to see my son grow up but will never forget him."
The woman was convicted at Belfast Crown Court in March.
She was given an automatic life sentence and her minimum term has now been set.
During the trial a prosecution barrister put to the defendant that she had stabbed her children out of "spite and animosity" against her partner, which she denied.
A psychiatrist told the trial the woman told him: "He destroyed my life so I destroyed his."
After the woman stabbed the children she made five phone calls, including one to the children's father, telling him their daughter was "lying slowly bleeding".
It was only after this call that she phoned 999, telling police: "I killed my kid for him."
The woman was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court
Both children were taken to the emergency department at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and were treated as they lay side-by-side.
The young girl was successfully treated for a stab wound to her chest but her baby brother was later pronounced dead.
After her arrest the defendant made the case that she stabbed her children and then turned the knife on herself as she wanted them all to die together.
During police interview the woman detailed how she had lifted a knife to stab her baby but then stopped after he looked at her and smiled.
She said she kissed both children, told them they "would always be in her heart", then stabbed the baby twice through the heart.
A doctor who treated the little girl said her stab wound was "as close to penetrating the heart as you can get" and that she was "a very lucky little girl".
On Friday the court was told of the lasting impact witnessing her brother's death had on the girl, who is now four and who lives with foster carers.
A clinical psychologist's report found she had been observed "re-enacting" the incident through play, both in her foster placement and at nursery - where she was seen stabbing a toy doll with play scissors.
The court was told she had suffered "significant terror" and "the most serious breach of trust from the person who should have cared for her the most".
The girl has been left feeling "unsafe, confused, sad, stressed, terrified and anxious" - and that what she went through will have "a lifelong effect", the court heard.
The woman previously made references to her partner's use of drink and drugs, and also claimed that he beat and sexually abused her.
She described her relationship as making her feel like "a dog in a cage" and said stabbing the children and herself was her only chance to "escape him".
The court heard that her partner was not at home at the time of the stabbings. He had been excluded from the family home following an allegation of assault against the defendant three days previously.
On Friday Judge Donna McColgan said evidence read to the jury regarding the woman's partner made it clear that he was "a most unsavoury character".
Det Insp Gina Quinn says the murder of the baby boy was "senseless and tragic"
Judge McColgan said the breach of trust in the case was "exceptionally high" and that the defendant was suffering from "mild to moderate depression" at the time of the attacks.
She said it was an "exceptionally grave case".
Judge McColgan also paid tribute to the "tireless and unrelenting" work of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers who attended the scene and tried to save the lives of both children.
Speaking to reporters after court, police officer Det Insp Gina Quinn said that a tiny, innocent life was taken in "senseless and tragic" circumstances.
She added that the family had lost an opportunity to see one of the children grow up, while the surviving child has lost her brother.
"There is nothing I can do or say that will undo this loss or begin to ease their pain," she added.
"My thoughts, and that of the investigation team, are with the surviving child, the family and the wider community who have all been affected." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66054405 |
France shooting: Macron accuses rioters of exploiting teen killed by police - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | At a crisis meeting, France's president condemns three nights of riots as "unjustifiable". | Europe | Emmanuel Macron has accused protesters of exploiting the death of a teenager shot by police at point-blank range.
At a crisis meeting, France's president said more officers would be deployed to contain the violence, but stopped short of declaring a state of emergency.
He urged parents to keep rioting children at home and social media platforms to remove certain content.
France has been rocked by three nights of unrest after Nahel M, 17, was killed as he drove away from a traffic stop.
More than 915 arrests were made on Thursday night alone, officials said, and the government announced it would deploy 45,000 police officers in a bid to contain further violence.
Mr Macron said that about a third of those arrested for rioting were "young, or very young", with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin later clarifying that some were as young as 13.
Imploring parents to take action, he said it was their "responsibility" to keep any child intending to protest "at home".
Mr Macron condemned the violence of the last three days "with the greatest firmness" and said Nahel's death had been used to justify acts of violence - calling it an "unacceptable exploitation of the adolescent's death".
He also urged social media companies such as TikTok and Snapchat to take down "the most sensitive types of content" that had been posted, and supply authorities with the names of people using their services to organise violence.
A spokesperson for Snapchat said it had a "zero tolerance" for content that promoted violence and hatred, and would continue to monitor the situation closely.
From Lille and Roubaix in the north to Marseille in the south, shops were ransacked across France on Thursday night, streets were badly damaged and cars set on fire. The interior ministry said there had been more than 3,880 fires on public roads, compared with 2,391 on Wednesday.
Police in Marseille, France's second-largest city, had already arrested 80 people by Friday evening. It followed more clashes between protesters and riot police.
Public transport halted early in some places and curfews were enforced, with a nationwide curb on buses and trams running from 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
The damage in cities such as Roubaix became apparent as night turned to day on Friday
Some public events have also been cancelled, including two concerts by French pop star Mylène Farmer, due to take place at the Stade de France just outside Paris on Friday and Saturday night.
France's capital has been at the heart of the unrest because Nahel lived in Nanterre, a north-west Parisian suburb, and was killed there just after 09:00 on Tuesday.
He was shot after refusing to stop for a traffic check and died after emergency services attended the scene. A video, shared online in the hours following Nahel's death, showed two police officers trying to stop the vehicle and one pointing his weapon at the driver.
The officer who fired the fatal shot has since been charged with voluntary homicide and apologised to the family. His lawyer said he is devastated.
Nahel's death has reignited debate around the state of French policing, including a controversial 2017 firearms law which allows officers to shoot when a driver ignores an order to stop.
More widely, it has led to questions of racism in the force. The UN's human rights office said the unrest was a chance for France "to address deep issues of racism in law enforcement".
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A spokeswoman pointed to a recent report by the UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination, which last December expressed concern at aspects of French policing, including what the report suggested was the disproportionate use of identity checks and imposition of fines on specific ethnic groups.
Nahel's mother, Mounia, made her own accusations, saying the officer who shot her son "didn't have to kill" him.
"He saw the face of an Arab, of a little kid, he wanted to take his life," she told broadcaster France 5. Nahel was of Algerian descent.
On Thursday, Mounia led a largely peaceful march of more than 6,000 people in Nanterre. Wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan "Justice pour Nahel" ("Justice for Nahel"), she said she hoped the tribute would be an opportunity for the community in and around Paris to remember her only child.
By late afternoon, the march had descended into violence, sparking the third night of unrest. Police fired tear gas at masked protesters who set fire to various objects, with people thought to have been out on the streets until the early hours of Friday morning.
Nahel's funeral is due to be held in Nanterre on Saturday morning.
In the UK, travellers have been warned to expect disruptions when trying to reach France over the weekend. The Foreign Office told people to "monitor the media, avoid protests, check the latest advice with operators when travelling and follow the advice of the authorities". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66069080 |
Ukraine war corrosive for Vladimir Putin - CIA boss - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | William J Burns says dissatisfaction with the conflict in Russia is a valuable recruiting tool. | Europe | William J Burns said the failure of the Ukraine war risked undermining Vladimir Putin's leadership of Russia
The Ukraine war is having a "corrosive" effect on Vladimir Putin's leadership of Russia, according to the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Russian disaffection over the war is providing new opportunities for the CIA to collect intelligence, the agency's Director William J Burns said.
America's top spy made the comments while delivering the annual lecture at the Ditchley Foundation in the UK.
He was speaking a week after the mutiny by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Mr Burns said everyone had been "riveted" by the scenes last Saturday of Prigozhin's "armed challenge" to Moscow, when his Wagner mercenary forces marched towards Russia's capital.
Prigozhin's actions were "a vivid reminder of the corrosive effect of Putin's war on his own society and his own regime", he said.
The CIA director said the impact not just of Prigozhin's actions but also his statements - which included an indictment of both the rationale and execution of Russia's invasion - would play out for some time.
"Disaffection with the war will continue to gnaw away at the Russian leadership," Mr Burns said in his prepared remarks.
"That disaffection creates a once in a generation opportunity for us at CIA," referring to the role of the agency in recruiting human agents to provide intelligence.
"We are not letting it go to waste," he said to laughter from the audience. "We are very much open for business."
The CIA has recently launched a new social media campaign to try and reach people in Russia, including a video posted to the Telegram social media site, which is widely used by Russians. The campaign provided instructions on how to contact the CIA on the dark web without being monitored.
This video gained 2.5 million views in the first week.
Director Burns also reiterated the message other US officials have previously made in public that the US had no part in Prigozhin's mutiny.
He did not directly address recent reports in the Washington Post that he made a secret visit to the Ukrainian capital before the mutiny.
It was reported that discussions included the possibility that progress in Ukraine's counter-offensive might open the way for negotiations from a position of greater strength if substantial territory was taken.
Mr Burns - who previously served as the US Ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008 - said spending much of the last two decades trying to understand Russian President Putin had given him a "healthy dose of humility about pontificating about Putin and Russia".
But he added that one thing that he had learnt was that it was always a mistake to underestimate Mr Putin's fixation on controlling Ukraine.
The Russian leader believed that without Ukraine, Russia could not be a major power and Mr Putin himself could not be a great leader, he said.
"That tragic and brutish fixation has already brought shame to Russia and exposed its weaknesses," Mr Burns said.
"Putin's war has already been a strategic failure for Russia: its military weaknesses laid bare, its economy badly damaged for years to come, its future as a junior partner and economic colony of China being shaped by Putin's mistakes."
Turning to China, the CIA boss said it would be foolish for the US to attempt to decouple because of the deep economic interdependence between the two countries.
"China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do so," he said.
The US should instead "sensibly de-risk and diversify by securing resilient supply chains, protecting our technological edge and investing in industrial capacity", he added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66076564 |
Stephen Lawrence murder: How I found the new suspect 30 years on - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Racism killed Stephen and it was blocking the truth about the case - writes Daniel De Simone. | UK | Stephen Lawrence was killed in April 1993, at Eltham in south-east London
Earlier this week, the BBC publicly named a major suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder. In response, Stephen's mother Baroness Doreen Lawrence said, "It should not have taken a journalist to do the job that a huge, highly resourced institution should have done." Correspondent Daniel De Simone started investigating the case after the Metropolitan Police stopped.
Investigating the murder of Stephen Lawrence is a journey into the past and the present.
Stephen was murdered 30 years ago in a racist attack by a gang of young white men.
Two years ago, I set out to follow a lead which had the potential to bring significant new information to light.
The Met had stopped investigating Stephen's murder in 2020. I wanted to do what I could to investigate the outstanding suspects and hold them to account.
I had no previous experience of covering the case and I felt daunted by it. Journalists had been covering the story since the 1990s, and there had been more than 15 police investigations or official inquiries. Who was I to imagine I could find anything new?
The lead I followed related to a man who was said to have possibly been there when Stephen was murdered. I was unsure whether this was as a witness or a suspect. I did not know the man's identity, and it took months to get a name. In the meantime, I read everything I could about Stephen's case.
When I got a name, I realised the man - Matthew White - was the person in the case known as Witness K.
I had read a lot about Witness K. His claimed role did not involve being present during the attack, but instead acting as a central link in a chain of how information was passed around on the night of the murder.
This chain was said to have included a brief visit by K to the home of suspects Neil and Jamie Acourt.
White died in 2021, aged 50, around the time I started investigating, meaning I was unable to approach him.
A constant source of help and advice was Clive Driscoll, the retired Met detective who had brought two of Stephen's killers to justice. He told me that following the two murder convictions he achieved in 2012, he had focused on the other killers.
One of those he investigated was Matthew White, and Clive told an extraordinary tale of finding that an approach by one of White's stepfathers had been disastrously mishandled by the Met in 1993.
Clive had arrested White in late 2013, after personally tracing the right stepfather, who said White had admitted being present during the murder. But Clive had been unable to complete his investigation after Scotland Yard replaced him as senior investigating officer and he was asked to retire.
I felt silly even thinking it, but I was trying to conduct my own murder investigation.
An artist's impression of the "fair-haired attacker", Matthew White photographed a fortnight after the murder, and a police e-fit
The complexity of Stephen's case has increased with time - and the number of investigations and inquiries have only added to the already large volume of information.
I had to try to get across three decades of evidence, much of it hidden in police files. I gained access to previously secret documents about the case and read every transcript from the 1998 Macpherson public inquiry into the murder. Several people helped me confidentially, providing crucial information during the process of checking and corroboration.
It became clear there was a gaping hole in the case.
On the night of the murder, Stephen's friend Duwayne Brooks had said there were six attackers, and gave a description of a fair-haired attacker who did not fit the profile of the five well-known prime suspects. Eyewitnesses to the murder had described the same person. Who was he? Why did everyone seem to have forgotten about this key point?
In addition, Matthew White had been referred to many times in the case. I found Kent Police had told the Met in 1997 to get to the bottom of his role, and had raised the prospect of him being present during the attack. The issue had been raised during the Macpherson inquiry hearings the following year.
In 2000, I discovered a witness had told the Met about White confessing to being present during the attack and playing a leading role in it. This witness had spoken to police independently of White's stepfather, who Clive Driscoll tracked down. Checked against the evidence of Duwayne Brooks and eyewitnesses, the account of White's confession was compelling.
It was clear that White was a suspect and that police had eventually treated him as one. How fair was this designation? Was he the sixth man?
I sought to crosscheck everything else I was finding on White against other evidence, including witness accounts from 1993. White surely had an alibi for the night, given that he was known as Witness K and appeared so prominently in narratives of the case?
The failure of the first police investigation had polluted all later attempts to gather evidence and get to the truth. I found the same thing.
It was therefore surprising that, despite everyone accepting the first investigation had been a disaster, there was still a reliance on many statements gathered by it. I was particularly distrustful of anything gathered by a particular detective.
I did not want to take anything from 1993 at face value, so - where possible - I spoke to witnesses from the time myself. I spent weeks in Eltham, south-east London, and travelled all around the country finding people. Many witnesses remain reluctant to help, and I was frequently told to get lost.
I built a timeline of the night of the murder and the days following it. I also listed and investigated all possible case theories relating to White: these included various ways in which he could have played a part in the group that attacked Stephen, and various ways in which he could, instead, have been a witness.
The complexity of the scene that night in April 1993 meant I particularly wanted to check if White had somehow been an eyewitness to the attack or its aftermath - or had spoken to an eyewitness or attacker within moments of the murder.
There were people seen near the crime scene in the minutes before the attack who are not accounted for.
The sightings - on a roundabout in sight of where Stephen was stabbed - were by witnesses passing through the area.
One of those seen in the area could have been White, so I did what I could to check this possibility.
On the night of the attack, there was another group of young men near the scene. When spoken to by police, this group accepted being nearby, but generally denied going onto the roundabout. When I spoke to members of the group, they denied seeing White that evening.
When I spoke to another witness who had passed through the scene just before the attack, that person also denied seeing White.
I found nothing to support a case theory that White had been a bystander on the roundabout.
Over time, the least likely case theory of all came to be the "Witness K" one accepted by police in 1993. When I checked White's alibi, I found it did not exist. He had lied.
I also found that a witness had given a false account relating to White, which had allowed him to claim that he first heard about the stabbing from a local girl who had passed by the crime scene in the aftermath.
From my own research, it was apparent the Met had not checked his alibi for at least 15 years, despite sending a file to prosecutors after Clive Driscoll was prevented from completing his investigation.
The fact that a false account was told was a crucial discovery. Who else was not telling the full truth?
New evidence about the murder of Stephen Lawrence, uncovered by BBC investigative reporter, Daniel De Simone.
I sought to consider all evidence that undermined the possibility of White being present during the attack. There were reasons to doubt he would have behaved in some of the ways he apparently did - if he had been present - including visiting the scene after the attack and telling other people who was responsible for the murder.
But his stepfather said he had behaved like the murder had been an "everyday occurrence".
I also kept finding that people were sympathetic to White, in a way they were not towards suspects Neil and Jamie Acourt - or to David Norris, who was convicted of murdering Stephen in 2012.
The same thing kept happening in relation to Gary Dobson - the other man jailed in 2012 - with various people casting doubt on his conviction and saying he was a nice bloke. If people kept saying that about the racist drug-dealing murderer Gary Dobson, was it a surprise there was sympathy for White?
I also kept being told false and malicious rumours about Stephen Lawrence.
I realised what I was encountering was deep-seated racism that dehumanised Stephen. Some people clearly did not care about the victim. Racism had killed Stephen, and it was blocking the truth from being told.
White himself was plainly the source of some of the rumours. Two people with very close links to him made the same false claims to me, independently of one another. I shall not repeat the lies, but they showed that White was telling lies about Stephen to justify what happened to him.
This was deeply ironic given that White was a violent drug-using thief - a total contrast to Stephen.
In the end, it was clear to me that White was indeed a major suspect in the murder. The BBC decided to identify him as such, and Scotland Yard's highly unusual response was to name him as a suspect and apologise for its handling of the case.
The evidence relating to White points towards, not away from, outstanding suspects in the case.
Will there ever be full justice for Stephen Lawrence?
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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. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66034335 |
Jeremy Clarkson's Meghan article was sexist to duchess, press regulator rules - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A record 25,000 people complained about the piece, in which Clarkson said he "hated" the duchess. | Entertainment & Arts | Jeremy Clarkson had already admitted his language was "disgraceful" and said he was "profoundly sorry"
A column by Jeremy Clarkson in the Sun - in which he wrote about the Duchess of Sussex being paraded naked in the street - was sexist, the press regulator has ruled.
A record 25,000 people complained to Ipso, the Independent Press Standards Organisation, about the article.
The imagery was "humiliating and degrading towards the duchess", Ipso chairman Lord Faulks said.
They added that the article, published by the Sun in December 2022, was also spreading "dangerous conspiracy theories and misogyny".
Responding to the Ipso ruling the Sun said it "accepts that with free expression comes responsibility".
The Sun and its columnist apologised for the column last December and removed the article from its website. However while it has said the column fell "short of its high editorial standards and should not have been published" it has not accepted that it breached the editor's code, saying concerns raised were a "matter of taste and judgement".
Nevertheless after investigating the article, Ipso ruled the newspaper had indeed broken its editors' code of practice as the piece contained a "pejorative and prejudicial reference" to Meghan's sex.
The watchdog rejected complaints that the piece was discriminatory on the grounds of race, inaccurate or sought to harass the duchess.
In the column, Clarkson wrote that he was "dreaming of the day when [Meghan] is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while crowds chant, 'Shame!' and throw lumps of excrement at her".
He later explained that he had been thinking of a scene in Game of Thrones, but wrote the column in a hurry and forgot to mention the TV show.
The Sun has published a summary of the regulator's findings on the same page as the column usually appears, as well as running it on the front page of their website.
Elsewhere in the column, Clarkson wrote that he hated Meghan "on a cellular level".
Clarkson compared his hatred of the duchess with his feelings towards former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and serial killer Rose West. The regulator found this comparison was because all three are female.
Ipso's chief executive, Charlotte Dewar, told the BBC the regulator had considered complaints from gender equality charity The Fawcett Society and The Wilde Foundation, a charity that helps victims and survivors of abuse.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dismissed apologies from Clarkson and The Sun
She said the remedy for this breach was the publication of Ipso's decision for Sun readers and also for the wider public to know the reasons for the finding adding, they had conducted a "fair, independent, impartial and thorough investigation".
She confirmed the complaints about the article had not come from the duchess.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday, Ms Dewar said some complainants had felt passages had "racial connotations" but IPSO had not established these references were discriminatory.
Asked if it mattered if the Sun had not accepted that there was a breach of the editors' code, Ms Dewar said: "What matters to many people is that they did immediately remove the article very shortly after publication and they have apologised and accepted it should not have happened."
She said the complaint had been upheld and the finding meant the paper was required to look at the processes that led to the article.
Responded to Ipso's ruling, the Sun said: "Half of the Sun's readers are women and we have a very long and proud history of campaigning for women which has changed the lives of many."
It acknowledged Ipso ruled that Clarkson's column "contained a pejorative and prejudicial reference to the duchess's sex".
But it added the regulator had not upheld separate elements of the complaint - that the article was inaccurate, harassed the duchess or included discriminatory references on the grounds of race.
The BBC has contacted Prince Harry and Meghan for comment, along with Clarkson.
"This was a particularly egregious example of media misogyny, and our case was that the language in it and the tropes that Jeremy Clarkson used added up to sexism and discrimination against Meghan Markle that was harmful to her," she told the BBC.
She called for an investigation into how these "toxic comments" made it on to the pages "of one of our biggest newspapers".
Senior Labour MP Harriet Harman, the society's incoming chairwoman, called Ipso's ruling "a big step forward for women in the battle against sexism in the media".
Clarkson has said that when he read the article in the paper, he realised he had "completely messed up".
In January he said he had emailed the couple over Christmas 2022 to tell them "the language I'd used in my column was disgraceful and that I was profoundly sorry".
The Sun as well as deleting the column from its website said at the time that it was "sincerely sorry".
However, Harry and Meghan's spokesperson dismissed that apology, accusing the paper of profiting and exploiting "hate, violence and misogyny".
"A true apology would be a shift in their coverage and ethical standards for all," they said.
The article attracted the highest number of complaints since Ipso was established in 2014. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64489083 |
No free lunch for nationalisation of water firm says Lord Howard - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lord Howard, who led the privatisation of the water industry decades ago, denies move has failed. | UK | "There is no free lunch" when it comes to funding public companies such as Thames Water, Lord Howard has told the BBC.
The firm, which is billions of pounds in debt, faces a crisis, prompting fresh calls for it to be nationalised.
Lord Howard, who led the privatisation of the water industry more than 30 years ago, denied the plan has failed.
Green Party's Caroline Lucas said water firms should be placed under public ownership.
Thames Water, which serves a quarter of the UK population, has faced heavy criticism over its performance following a series of sewage discharges and leaks, with its chief executive quitting last week.
The company is in talks to secure extra funding, and the government has said "a lot of work is going on behind the scenes" and that a process was in place "if necessary".
Lord Howard, who was the minister charged with privatising the water under industry under Margaret Thatcher's government, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that long-term investments in infrastructure required major investment.
"You can pay for them by borrowing, in which case interest has to be paid to the lenders, or you can pay for them by raising private capital, in which case dividends have to be paid to the people who provide that capital," he said.
"That is the only choice available, there is no free lunch."
Lord Howard said industries under public ownership must "compete for resources" with the likes of health, education and police, saying that when water was nationalised it was "way down the queue".
"When you release it into the private sector, you have recourse to private capital - you can make the investment that's needed," said Lord Howard, who was also the former Conservative party leader.
However, he accepted with hindsight that some companies should have been raising more of their capital through issuing equity.
"I think it is arguable that the companies have been allowed to take on too much debt," he said.
Another Conservative peer, Lord Tyrie, said it would be a "mistake" to renationalise water companies, as they were "better off... in the private sector, subject to some discipline in the market".
A process of renationalising would be "disruptive", with costs passed onto customers through higher bills over a "sustained period", he told BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster.
But Lord Tyrie, the former chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), criticised "poor quality regulation" of the sector - and called for a commission to consider the issue.
Ms Lucas, a Green Party MP and former party leader, told the Today programme that when privatisation took place water firms were "essentially handed a monopoly". She accused them of "loading up debt to pay their dividends to shareholders".
"This is an experiment that has totally failed - water remains in public ownership in most other countries for good reason," she said.
"We should be prioritising public need and environmental protection, and not private profit."
Lord Howard described her remarks as a "diatribe".
The Lib Dems have joined calls for the water industry to operate on behalf of the public, drawing up a bill to relaunch the firms as US-style "public benefit companies".
Under the plans, they would not be renationalised, but the water regulator would force them to be run for the good of the environment, as well as for profit. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66074484 |
France shooting: Calmer night despite protests over Nahel M's killing, minister says - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A total of 719 people were arrested as disturbances gripped Marseille and other cities with Paris quieter. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
France has seen a quieter night of protests over the death of a teenager shot by police at point-blank range, the interior minister says.
There were fewer arrests compared to previous nights - 719 - with the worst clashes in the southern city Marseille.
In the Paris suburb L'Haÿ-les-Roses, attackers rammed a car into the house of the mayor, injuring his wife as she tried to flee with their two children.
French cities have seen unrest since the police shooting of a teenager.
Nahel M, 17, was shot during a traffic stop on Tuesday. Large crowds turned out for his funeral on Saturday.
In a tweet, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin praised law enforcement for their "resolute action" which had led to a "calmer night".
Around 45,000 police were deployed across the country for a second night on Saturday.
More than 1,300 arrests were made on Friday night and more than 900 on Thursday.
Officials hope that a turning-point may have been reached - that rioters are losing energy thanks to the security crackdown and the massive unpopularity of their exactions.
However, until more nights of quiet confirm the trend, no-one is assuming anything.
In Marseille, heavy clashes took place between police and rioters throughout Saturday evening.
In footage circulating online, police can be seen using tear gas against people in the city.
The video shows the clashes taking place on La Canebière, the main avenue in the heart of Marseille.
French media report that fighting took place between a large group of rioters and officers.
There was a heavy police presence along the iconic Champs-Élysée in Paris
In Paris, large numbers of police were seen along the iconic Champs-Élysées avenue.
There had been calls on social media for protesters to gather there but the police presence seems to have kept most of them away.
The capital's police said they made 194 arrests. The Paris region stopped all buses and trams after 21:00 for a second night running.
L'Haÿ-les-Roses Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun said his wife and one of his children had been injured when fleeing an attacker who had rammed his house with a car and then set the car on fire.
He called it "a murder attempt of unspeakable cowardice".
In the northern city of Lille, police special forces were seen on the streets. Images from the city overnight showed firefighters extinguishing blazes in cars that had been set alight by rioters.
Twenty-one people were arrested in the city of Lyon. Clashes were also reported in Nice and Strasbourg.
Nahel's funeral service was held at the mosque in Nanterre earlier on Saturday.
Supporters of the family told the news media to keep away. All filming - even on phones - was banned: "No Snapchat, no Insta," mourners were told.
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Nahel was shot after refusing to stop for a traffic check and died after emergency services attended the scene. A video, shared online in the hours following Nahel's death, showed two police officers trying to stop the vehicle and one pointing his weapon at the driver.
The officer who fired the fatal shot has since been charged with voluntary homicide and apologised to the family. His lawyer said he was devastated.
Nahel's death has reignited debate around the state of French policing, including a controversial 2017 firearms law which allows officers to shoot when a driver ignores an order to stop.
More widely, it has led to questions of racism in the force. The UN's human rights office said the unrest was a chance for France "to address deep issues of racism in law enforcement".
President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence on Friday "with the greatest firmness" and said Nahel's death had been used to justify acts of violence - calling it an "unacceptable exploitation of the adolescent's death". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66078723 |
London Pride: Seven arrests as Just Stop Oil protest delays parade - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police removed protesters who briefly disrupted the parade which saw thousands gather to celebrate. | London | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Seven Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested while trying to halt the annual Pride parade in central London.
Images on social media showed police removing demonstrators who managed to briefly stop the march.
The Metropolitan Police said seven people were arrested for public nuisance offences.
Before the parade started, LGBTQ+ Just Stop Oil members called on Pride to stop accepting sponsorship money from "high-polluting industries".
Organisers estimate more than 30,000 participants from across 600 organisations took part in the parade.
Speaking after the arrests, Will De'Athe-Morris, from Pride in London said he did not want the protest to overshadow the parade's core message.
"Pride is a protest and pride is a celebration," he told the BBC. "We are protesting for LGBT+ rights and for our trans siblings, who must never march alone."
"So for us anyone who tries to disrupt that protest and parade is really letting down those people who use this space once a year to come together to celebrate and protest for those rights."
Protesters stopped in front of a Coca-Cola float in Piccadilly
Police said the parade was briefly delayed for around 17 minutes while officers dealt with the protesters at Piccadilly's junction with Down Street.
BBC Radio London's Rob Oxley said the protesters "sat down in front of the Coke float for around 20 minutes".
"The DJ on the float continued to play music and the crowd cheered as they were removed."
Organisers estimated around 30,000 participants from across 600 organisations took part in the parade
Before the parade started, LGBTQ+ members of Just Stop Oil called on organisers to condemn new oil, gas and coal licences.
"These partnerships embarrass the LGBTQ+ community at a time when much of the cultural world is rejecting ties to these toxic industries," they said in a statement.
LGBTQ+ people are "suffering first" in the "accelerating social breakdown" caused by climate change, they added.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says many people involved in the parade are passionate about tackling climate change, but disruption isn't the right approach
The procession started at midday at Hyde Park Corner and people peacefully made their way through Westminster's streets - it finished at Whitehall Place.
A number of stages hosted performances from LGBTQ+ acts as part of the celebrations.
The parade began at Hyde Park Corner and weaved its way through central London - it is due to end at Whitehall Place
Mr De'Athe-Morris urged protesters not to "rain on this parade".
"There are so many more opportunities during the year to share your messages, please don't try and rain on this parade," he said.
"We don't want to see a day marred in any way by people trying to disrupt it."
Earlier, Sadiq Khan described Just Stop Oil as a "really important pressure group" despite the disruption threats. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66074939 |
MDMA: Australia begins world-first psychedelic therapy - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The drug and a key ingredient in magic mushrooms will be used nationally to treat PTSD and depression. | Australia | Earlier this year, researchers raised eyebrows when Australia's traditionally conservative medicines regulator approved the use of psychedelics to assist therapy sessions.
The decision will see psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, used for treatment-resistant depression. It will also allow MDMA, known as ecstasy in tablet form, for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The changes come into effect on Saturday, making Australia the first country to classify psychedelics as medicines at a national level.
While initial access to the drugs will be limited and costly, many experts and patients are hailing it as a landmark moment.
But major health organisations have also urged caution.
Marjane Beaugeois was diagnosed with severe depression in 2017. "Within two months, I lost my mother, grandmother, beloved pet dog and my romantic relationship," she recalls.
She couldn't eat, shower, or leave her house in Melbourne - but says prescription antidepressants left her "zombie-like, unable to cry, self-soothe or feel better".
"I'd still go to bed praying not to wake up," the 49-year-old says.
When her research for alternative therapies led her to a psilocybin clinic in Amsterdam, she was hesitant.
"I have no history of drug or alcohol use. As an addiction counsellor, I was always very against it," she says.
But she was also desperate to escape her treatment-resistant depression, so in 2018, she booked herself in.
The psilocybin was taken in a tea. "Colours became more vivid. I felt powerfully reconnected to the world; warm and fuzzy. I'm getting emotional just talking about it… it was a massive, beautiful experience of unconditional love."
Three sessions later, she felt healed. "I could smile, feel joy, go about my daily routine with clarity," she says. "When I got home, friends said they saw my eyes shining again."
When Glen Boyes suggested microdosing psychedelics to treat his crippling depression, his therapist was sceptical.
"He explained it wasn't something he does, but he couldn't stop me, and would do brain scans to track my progress," he says.
The 33-year-old veteran says he began experiencing "lingering PTSD" from his time in the army, during Covid-19 lockdowns in Sydney.
But after 10 weeks of microdosing and therapy sessions, red areas on his initial brain scans showing blockages had cleared. "My brain fog evaporated. I could think clearly again."
Due to no other country rescheduling these substances for clinical use on a national level, the cohort who've experienced psychedelic therapy is small.
Professor David Nutt, Head of Neuropsychopharmacology at the UK's Imperial College, congratulated Australia on "leading the world in this vital treatment innovation".
Psychedelic researcher and psychiatrist Dr Ben Sessa described the approval as pioneering. "This is where the global psychedelic spotlight now shines," he told the BBC.
Dr Sessa has resigned from his job running the UK's primary psychedelic clinical organisation and will spend the next 18 months travelling to Australia to deliver a bespoke psychedelic prescribing training programme.
Other countries have explored psychedelics for compassionate use, including Switzerland, Canada, and Israel - where regulators have made similar decisions, although not nationally like in Australia. Psychedelic clinics also operate legally in countries including Jamaica and Costa Rica.
But how Australia rolls out clinical prescriptions for both drugs, and at what price tag, will be closely watched.
First developed as an appetite suppressant in 1912, ecstasy was used in therapy sessions in the US until the mid-1970s when it was outlawed. It entered Australia in the 1980s as a party drug due to its reported effects of increased energy, empathy, and pleasure, and was criminalised in 1987.
In the 2000s though, research slowly started up again - with recent trials finding that both MDMA and psilocybin can quickly improve symptoms of severe depression, though little is known about how they do this.
Mind Medicine Australia (MMA), a charity which lobbied for psychedelic treatments, is helping to train health professionals tasked with procuring and prescribing the drugs.
To become an authorised prescriber, psychiatrists must apply to an ethics committee and to Australia's drugs regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). They'll then need to source and supply both MDMA and psilocybin.
Once all expenses are factored in - including the drugs themselves, supervision from multidisciplinary teams, psychiatrist sessions and hiring a private clinic - costs could spiral to A$30,000 (£15,700, $20,000) per treatment, according to one psychedelics expert.
Due to the prohibitive price tag, Dr Stephen Bright, senior lecturer at Edith Cowan University, says he doubts these treatments "will be very widely available at all" for the first 12-18 months.
Philanthropist Peter Hunt, chair of MMA, disputes those estimates, telling the BBC patients should expect to pay between A$10,000 for two psilocybin assisted therapy sessions, and A$15,000 for three MDMA assisted sessions. "We costed the treatments with a mental health clinic," he said.
But with no planned government subsidies, the five-figure treatments are expected to remain unaffordable for most patients.
Australia's major medical and mental health bodies are among the loudest voices pushing back against psychedelic treatments.
"There's been considerable caution from the scientific and medical community," said Kristen Morely, a professor of addiction medicine at the University of Sydney.
According to MMA, the "weight of submissions from thousands of Australians whose current mental health treatments just aren't working" helped get the TGA approval over the line.
But the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) have expressed serious concerns.
Both groups have called for larger-scale studies and better research into psychedelic treatments, warning of unknown risks, long-term side effects and "potentially very limited benefits" from their use in therapy.
"Psychedelic-assisted therapy may offer hope to a small number of people where other treatments have been attempted without success. But it's not a miracle cure," warned Professor Richard Harvey, who chairs the RANZCP's Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Steering Group, warned.
He urged a "cautious, considered and informed" approach, due to the "potential for psychedelic substances to cause fear, panic and re-traumatisation".
"Vulnerable people can understandably feel distressed if their experience doesn't match their expectations of this therapy," he said.
It's also unclear, he argued, whether the results from psychedelic treatments stemmed more from the substances themselves, or the psychotherapy.
"Put simply, psychedelic-assisted therapy is in its infancy. There is more we need to know." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-66049989 |
Rwanda asylum a risk to UK foreign policy, says ex-minister - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Justine Greening tells BBC Newsnight domestic policy should not affect efforts to tackle human rights abuses. | UK | The M23 rebel group remains active in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where civilians have fled fighting
The government's deal to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda risks "downgrading" UK foreign policy, a former cabinet minister has said.
A final report by a United Nations Group of Experts, published earlier this month, concluded that the Rwandans were supporting the M23 rebel group which is active in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is subject to UN and US sanctions.
Justine Greening withdrew £21m in aid funding to the country in 2012 when she was international development secretary after the United Nations first reported that the Rwandans were helping the M23 rebels.
While the US and EU have directly told the Rwandan government to cease its support for M23, a UK regional envoy released a more general statement condemning "external" support for rebels without naming Rwanda.
Ms Greening told BBC Newsnight: "It's important that UK foreign policy and this country's leadership on important matters of human rights atrocities including violence against women is not downgraded as a result of our domestic policy approaches.
"This UN report also underlines the practical complexity and sustainability issues of intertwining the delivery of Britain's asylum policy with any third country, particularly one facing such demonstrable wider regional stability challenges," she said.
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The UN report, written for the Security Council, said advances by the M23 group had displaced a million citizens in Kivu province and that in the mineral rich areas where it was active there were "incidents of rape, including gang rape by M23".
It also named Rwandan Defence Force generals and advisers to President Kagame as directing some M23 activity. The Rwandan government has said the report is "concocted".
On Thursday the Court of Appeal ruled that the UK government's Rwanda policy was unlawful.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to take the matter to the UK Supreme Court.
The five-year trial - announced in April 2022 - would see some asylum seekers sent to Rwanda on a one-way ticket, to claim asylum there.
They may be granted refugee status to stay in Rwanda. If not, they can apply to settle there on other grounds, or seek asylum in another "safe third country".
The government says the plan will deter people arriving in the UK through "illegal, dangerous or unnecessary methods", such as on small boats which cross the English Channel.
A government spokesperson told the BBC: "Our ground-breaking Migration and Economic Development Partnership will see those who make dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK relocated to Rwanda, where they will be supported to build new lives.
"Rwanda is a safe and secure country, with a track record of supporting asylum seekers." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66073718 |
Sex life of rare 'leopard-print' frog revealed - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Conservationists tracked it down amid deadly snakes and 50C heat in a forest known as 'hell on Earth'. | Science & Environment | Scientists have braved 50C heat and venomous snakes to track down a "leopard-print" frog virtually unknown to science and learn how it reproduces.
Argentinian conservation scientists are fighting to protect the tiny Santa Fe frog, which is under threat as its habitat in one of the world's driest forests, the Dry Chaco, is cut down.
They discovered it hides in caves, emerging only to call for a mate.
And for the first time they found tadpoles of the species.
"It's not been an easy journey so far, but we're determined to do what we can to secure the future for this wonderful amphibian," said Isis Ibañez, who leads the Santa Fe frog project, based in Buenos Aires.
The Santa Fe frog (Leptodactylus laticeps) is largely unknown to science despite being discovered more than a century ago.
Found only in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, the frog is now rare due to the loss of the tropical dry forests in which it lives.
The researchers set up camera traps to locate the brightly-coloured frogs and study their behaviour.
Most frogs attract a mate by calling loudly from a pond, stream or swamp, but this species lives underground.
The team found the males emerged at nightfall to advertise their presence, then hopped back down their burrows with interested females.
Finding the frogs meant searching in the dark
After digging for hours at night they eventually found evidence of eggs and tadpoles for the first time.
Investigating the frog's breeding behaviour is the first step towards protecting it in the wild.
By drawing attention to the plight of the frog the conservation scientists hope to highlight the biodiversity of the Dry (or Grand) Chaco - and other animals at risk of extinction.
"This species is a clear example of why we have to defend the forest in the Dry Chaco," said team member, Camila Deutsch. "We don't have much time."
The scientists are also liaising with local community leaders, hunters and farmers to learn more about the frog and how to better protect it.
Three of the team members: Camila Deutsch, Gabriela Agostini and Sofia Perrone
The Grand Chaco has a mixed landscape of low, dry forests and savannas
The Grand Chaco is a large expanse of forest and dusty plains straddling parts of Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay.
The Chaco woodlands have been gradually cleared over the past few decades to make way for cropland and ranches.
The forest has one of the highest deforestation rates on the planet though it attracts less attention than its Amazon neighbour.
The area has been dubbed "El Impenetrable" and even "hell on Earth" for its inaccessibility and extreme temperatures. Temperatures can reach 50C in the daytime and there is very little rainfall.
Yet wildlife thrives in the harsh conditions, including hundreds of different birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
"It's a dry forest with an incredible biodiversity," said Gabriela Agostini.
Amphibians are at high risk of extinction. A pathogenic fungus has been ravaging populations around the world for about 40 years.
The animals are also under pressure from habitat loss and hunting.
The Santa Fe frog project is supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) - an initiative run by Fauna & Flora, BirdLife International and the Wildlife Conservation Society. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66001590 |
Ukraine counter-offensive will be long and bloody, says US Gen Mark Milley - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The counter-offensive against Russia is advancing steadily but will be difficult, US Gen Mark Milley says. | Europe | Ukrainian soldiers have liberated villages during the counter-offensive, but President Zelensky acknowledges progress has been slow
Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia will be difficult and "very bloody", the US' highest-ranking military officer has said.
Gen Mark Milley said he was unsurprised that progress had been slower than predicted - but added that Ukraine was "advancing steadily".
"It goes a little slow, but that is part of the nature of war," he said.
It comes as Volodymyr Zelensky accused "some" Western partners of delaying promised training for Ukrainian pilots.
Several Western countries have pledged to train Kyiv's pilots on US-made F-16 fighter jets, but the Ukrainian president said some allies had been "dragging their feet" on the promise.
President Zelensky has previously acknowledged that the Ukrainian offensive was making slow progress.
Gen Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an audience at the National Press Club in Washington on Friday that the counter-offensive was "advancing steadily, deliberately working its way through very difficult minefields... 500m a day, 1,000m a day, 2,000m a day, that kind of thing".
He added he was not surprised that progress had been slower than expected. "War on paper and real war are different. In real war, real people die," he said.
"Real people are on those front lines and real people are in those vehicles. Real bodies are being shredded by high explosives.
"What I had said was this is going to take six, eight, 10 weeks, it's going to be very difficult. It's going to be very long, and it's going to be very, very bloody. And no-one should have any illusions about any of that."
Ukrainian soldiers were "assaulting through minefields and into trenches", he said, adding that "this is literally a fight for their life".
He said the US was giving Ukraine "as much help as humanly possible".
Gen Milley is the principal military adviser to the president, the secretary of defence, and National Security Council.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's military commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny said the counter-offensive had been hampered by a lack of adequate firepower.
In an interview with the Washington Post published on Friday, he said he was frustrated by the slow deliveries of weapons promised by the West, from modern fighter jets to artillery ammunition.
"I do not need 120 planes. I'm not going to threaten the whole world. A very limited number would be enough," he said.
Separately, the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns, is reported to have made an unannounced visit to Ukraine last month where he met President Zelensky and Ukrainian intelligence officials.
The CIA director is said to have discussed Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russian forces, as well as reaffirming the US commitment to intelligence-sharing. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66075786 |
Energy bills in NI to rise as government discount ends - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Single mum says school holiday cut-off of government energy support scheme is "worst timing ever". | Northern Ireland | The withdrawal of support will add hundreds of pounds to some household bills
Energy bills for most households in Northern Ireland will increase by hundreds of pounds a year from Saturday as government support comes to an end.
The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) Scheme was introduced in November 2022, applying a discount to the unit rate of electricity and gas prices.
But the discount no longer applies from Saturday, having been gradually reduced from since January.
A reduction in April meant bills rose despite price cuts by suppliers.
Deirdre McCausland, a single mother-of-two from west Belfast, who is with Budget Energy, said she was in shock at the increase in bills.
She said it was "the worst timing ever" and that "something needs to be done about it".
"I just keep thinking how much more pressure are families - not just single people like me - the working poor [under]. How much more are we going to be able to tolerate all this?" she told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra.
"I only found out about the rise through an email.
Deirdre McCausland, a single mother from west Belfast, said she was in shock at the increase in bills
"It is the worst timing ever. This is just before the summer - my children got off today, it is their last day of school, and then we are being hit with all these costs.
"I am just wondering, when is it going to stop?
"I have a 14-year-old and a nine-year-old. When I was young growing up my parents protected me from poverty; I can't protect my children [and] because of social media they are more aware than ever of what lies ahead.
"That is an absolute shambles and something needs to be done about it."
What will this mean for bills?
The majority of customers will see the tariffs charged by their supplier frozen or cut but the withdrawal of the EPG support will mean that their bills actually increase.
Raymond Gormley of the Consumer Council described the move as "unfortunate" as he said prices remained at about double the pre-Covid pandemic norm.
He said the government would review the need for the scheme every three months until next spring.
"So if energy prices increase significantly in the winter, the Consumer Council will make the argument to government that they should reinstate a subsidy".
Falling electricity prices have been offset by a reduction in government support
Power NI is the largest electricity supplier in Northern Ireland, with about 479,000 domestic electricity customers.
It announced a 7.1% decrease in its standard tariff but the end of the government discount means customers will see an increase of about £49 a year.
That means a typical annual bill will rise from £966 in June to £1,015 from July.
SSE Airtricity, Electric Ireland and Budget Energy are not changing their tariffs - customers will see their average bills rise by about £127 a year.
Click Energy is reducing its standard tariff by 10.36% and other tariffs also also being cut to offset the reduction of government support - customers will see no change in their typical yearly bills.
It is the smallest of the five Northern Irish electricity suppliers, with about 24,000 customers.
SSE Airtricity provides gas to about 195,000 customers in the Greater Belfast area
SSE Airtricity announced a decrease of 12.2% effective from July but customers will actually see their gas bills increase by about £134 a year because of the loss of government support.
That means a typical customer's annual bill will rise from £1,266 in June to £1,399 in July.
SSE Airtricity serves about 195,000 customers in the Greater Belfast area and 3,200 customers in the Gas to the West area.
Bills for Firmus Energy customers will increase by about £328 in both the Ten Towns gas network and the Greater Belfast gas network areas.
For those in the Ten Towns gas network area, a typical annual bill will rise from £1,147 in June to £1,475 in July.
A typical bill for customers in the Greater Belfast area will rise from £1,190 in June to £1,518 in July.
From January to March this year energy bills in Northern Ireland were being discounted by up to 13.6p a unit for electricity and 3.9p a unit for gas.
That support was reduced from April to June 2023 - bills were discounted by up to 3.8p per unit for electricity and 2.6p per unit for gas.
The EPG will drop from about £454 a year in discount for the average household to nothing from 1 July 2023.
In Northern Ireland, the Utility Regulator imposes price controls on the major suppliers: electricity firm Power NI, SSE Airtricity gas in greater Belfast and Firmus Energy gas in the so-called Ten Towns network.
The regulator approves the maximum tariffs based on the costs for providing the service and a small profit margin. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66022569 |
Equity in Cricket: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says ICEC report should be 'reset moment' for sport - BBC Sport | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | null | Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has spoken to leaders at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) following a report highlighting discrimination in cricket. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has spoken to leaders at the England and Wales Cricket Board after a report highlighted discrimination in cricket.
The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) said racism, sexism, classism and elitism are "widespread" in the game.
"For people who love cricket that was hard to read," said Sunak.
"My first reaction was that it is really sad to see a sport I love being described like that."
The ICEC was announced by the ECB in March 2021 in the wake of global movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too.
The damning report made 44 recommendations, including that the ECB makes an unreserved public apology for its failings. ECB chair Richard Thompson apologised on Tuesday.
"I've spoken to the team at the ECB and I think they have approached it in the right way," Sunak told BBC Test Match Special during the second Ashes Test at Lord's.
"They commissioned this report off their own back because they wanted to be proactive, so they deserve credit for that.
"From conversations I have had, they are absolutely committed to fixing the problems and for this to be a reset moment for cricket.
"We all want it to be open for everybody from all backgrounds and where everybody can feel respected and supported when playing it.
"I'm confident the leadership of the whole cricketing family share that ambition."
Sunak said he will monitor the ECB's response to the report in the coming months.
"I want to see cricket to be inclusive and open to everybody," he said. "I don't want to pre-empt how the ECB will respond."
The ICEC criticised the lack of cricket in state schools, saying a talent pathway structurally aligned to private schools is partly to blame for "elitism and class-based discrimination".
Sunak praised the African Caribbean Engagement Programme (ACE), which helps young people from more diverse communities into the game, and was asked how cricket could be brought back into state schools when many pitches had been sold off by a series of governments.
He said: "We as a government have put more money into school sports - £600m over the next couple of years. The government, typically, doesn't dictate what sports schools should play.
"After meeting the Lionesses [the England women's football team] we did support their campaign to make sure girls had access to the same sports as boys, as well as a minimum amount of sport we want all schools to do."
Sunak spoke of his own childhood playing and watching cricket. He said he had not experienced racism in the game but had in wider society.
"There are instances in your childhood that stay with you," he said.
"But those instances I suffered as a child don't think would happen to my kids today because we have made incredible progress as a country.
"Of course there are pockets where we are not doing as well and we have to strive to be better."
Sunak was also asked about the pressures of running the country and admitted it "weighs very heavily".
"When we have inflation at the levels it is at, the impacts on pay packets, budgets and what people can do for their kids," he added.
"It is my responsibility to fix it and make the situation better."
The prime minister distanced himself from his predecessors, saying he wanted to "act with integrity" when asked how he would restore trust in politicians.
He said: "There are lots of ways you can do that, acting with integrity, doing the right thing and doing the things you say." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66076354 |
Belfast court: Mother accused of baby murder breaks down in court - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The woman is charged with murdering her eight-week-old son and the attempted murder of his sister. | Northern Ireland | Toys and flowers were left at the scene in 2021
A woman charged with murdering her baby and attempting to murder her toddler told a court that her life was "a nightmare".
Giving evidence at Belfast Crown Court, she said she was "beaten, assaulted, threatened, abused" by her partner.
Her trial, now in its fourth week, had to be stopped early after the woman broke down when asked to describe what she had done to her children.
She accepts she stabbed her children in 2021 but denies the charges.
She is charged with murdering her eight-week-old son and attempting to murder his sister on 27 July 2021.
The woman cannot be named to protect the identity of her surviving child.
She told the court she met her partner in 2018 and moved in with him two weeks later.
She claimed he would lock her in the house for several days at a time, sometimes with no food, and would regularly physically and sexually abuse her.
She alleged that on one occasion, when her baby was a week old, she was sexually abused by her partner while both her children slept in the same room.
When asked what her life was like with her partner, she replied: "Like in a dog cage".
She said: "My life was a nightmare."
The woman claimed her partner showed her footage of men with guns, and told her: "These are my friends."
She alleged he threatened her and her family.
The woman said she "urinated" herself because of how scared she was.
She said when she heard her partner turning the key in their front door she would think: "What will he do to me today? How will he abuse me today?"
The woman said that after the birth of her son she felt "really distressed" and had "no help, no support" and was "isolated".
A defence barrister told the jury that as well as murder and attempted murder, they should consider if the defendant might be guilty of infanticide or manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
He said they should consider not just what she did, but why she did it.
He told the court her life was "one of horror."
The barrister said: "She lived in fear that he would kill her.
"In a click of his fingers she would be gone, disappeared in seconds.
"It all came tumbling down around her and doing what she did was the only solution she could see."
The barrister asked the woman if she could remember what happened on the day of the stabbings.
She replied: "I remember what I did."
But after being asked to recount what she did to her daughter, the woman repeatedly broke down and the trial was halted for the day. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64709613 |
French teen shooting: Piecing together what happened - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Prosecutors are due to interview a witness after he posted a version of events online. | Europe | A video still from the fatal Paris traffic stop shooting
Prosecutors have begun piecing together what happened before the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nahel M by a police officer.
The officer has been charged with homicide and remains in custody.
In their outline of events after questioning eyewitnesses and reviewing CCTV footage, prosecutors say the teenage driver had already ignored a police demand to stop, when officers caught up with the car and drew their weapons.
Meanwhile an account has been posted online by one of the passengers, which French media say they have verified but the BBC has not.
In this account the passenger, also a teenager, says the officers hit Nahel M with the butts of their guns three times, causing him to take his foot off the brake of the car.
Prosecutors are due to talk to this witness on Monday.
Around 08:00 on Tuesday, two policemen on motorcycles spotted a Mercedes with a Polish number plate driving fast in a bus lane, Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache told journalists.
Turning on their siren, the officers caught up with the car at a traffic light. Three young men were inside.
The officers told the driver to stop but the vehicle pulled away, ignoring the red light. The officers gave chase and notified their unit by radio.
At 08:16, the Mercedes stopped in heavy traffic. Both officers got off their motorcycles, drew their weapons and approached the car.
They later told prosecutors that they pointed their guns at the driver to "deter him from driving away again".
They asked the driver to turn off the ignition, but the car moved forward. One of the officers fired, fatally wounding the young man in the chest.
After the car ran into a roadside barrier, one of the passengers was arrested and the other fled on foot.
The passenger says the three friends were driving around Nanterre when the car strayed into the bus lane and was chased by two policemen on motorcycles.
After Nahel stopped the car, the young man says in his video and in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper, one of the officers hit the teenage driver with the butt of his gun.
He alleges that the second policeman also struck Nahel before the first officer again hit him.
He told Le Parisien that the blows left Nahel M "a little stunned".
The third blow, according to this account, caused Nahel to take his foot off the brake and the vehicle to move forward. After the officer fired, Nahel M slumped forward and his foot pressed on the accelerator, the passenger said.
When the car came a standstill, the passenger said, he decided to flee because he was afraid he would be shot too.
Questions have been asked about the car, a Mercedes A class AMG. Officials describe it as a rented vehicle.
The passenger who fled said that someone had lent it to the three youths, without giving any details.
According to the French motoring website Autoplus, German sportscars with Polish number plates can be hired for €300-3,000 (£260-2,600) a day.
This type of short rental is popular with young men in French housing estates, Autoplus says.
Nahel M did not have a criminal record but was known to police.
He had previously been cited for driving without a licence - he was too young to have one - and for refusing to comply with an order to stop.
He was due to appear before a juvenile court in September. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66075798 |
Social housing: Ballymena mum fears for family in mouldy home - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A mother, whose son has asthma, has asked the Housing Executive to fix the problem several times. | Northern Ireland | The woman is especially concerned about the effect of the mould on her children's health
A woman from County Antrim has said she is concerned black mould in her home is putting her children's health at risk.
The mother of three lives in a property in Ballymena owned by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
She has raised concerns several times in the past three years but told BBC News NI the problem was getting worse.
The Housing Executive said it was working on the issue and was "committed to getting the ongoing damp problems resolved" as soon as possible.
It said it had spent £6,000 on work so far, including fitting new insulation, improving windows, removing mould and supplying dehumidifiers.
The woman, whose name is not being disclosed by BBC News NI, said that mould on her ceiling is the first thing she sees when she wakes up and the last thing she sees when she goes to bed.
The woman says parts of her home are "literally crying with condensation"
The woman has fibromyalgia and said the biggest trigger for her condition was stress.
She told BBC News NI she is especially concerned for her son.
"The mould in his room appears faster than I can get rid of it," she said.
"He's asthmatic and there's health implications there too."
Her worries increased after learning last year about the death of a toddler in England who was exposed to mould, she said.
"It was heart-breaking and it was scary because I'm thinking my babies are living in conditions not dissimilar to what that child was living in."
She added: "I have told the Housing Executive, the people I am supposed to tell… to have this problem sorted and it never goes away. It is so demoralising.
"I have had suicidal thoughts about this place because it is just so difficult to keep fighting."
The Ballymena mum said the mould in her asthmatic son's bedroom "appears faster than I can get rid of it"
In May the Housing Executive said tenants may face some short-term delays to non-emergency repairs in the Mid and East Antrim area.
A previous contractor stopped working for the housing body on 30 April.
A new contractor is not due to begin work until September.
Urgent and emergency repairs would continue as normal, said the Housing Executive.
However the Ballymena mum said she had no confidence that the mould problem would be sorted anytime soon.
"I am resigned to the fact I am going to have another winter where I am burning gas just as quick as I put it in to the meter," she said.
"My walls are literally crying with condensation. It's bleak, it's miserable."
A Housing Executive spokesman said it planned to carry out "further substantial work to prevent damp and mould in this house".
This includes damp proofing, improving loft insulation and repairing the roof.
"It is our intention that this be completed as soon as possible," he said.
There are damp problems throughout the home
The spokesman added: "Our priority is to proactively ensure our tenants live in safe, warm and dry homes.
"We ask tenants to report suspected cases of damp and mould in their homes to us immediately so we can determine the cause and take remedial action.
"We take this issue very seriously and inspect any report we receive as a priority, with a maintenance officer inspecting each report of damp, mould or condensation".
Independent councillor Rodney Quigley said maintenance and repair delays were the biggest issue in the Ballymena area.
"I am getting phone calls on a daily basis and people calling in to the office weekly," he said.
"The longer this goes on the worse it is going to get. There is an avenue there to have these issues addressed but there is nobody there to do it."
He said there were more than 50 houses in the Ballymena area "that can't be rented out because of the maintenance issues".
"This has led to a shortage of housing," he added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66048092 |
Teen fatally stabbed and pulled from Grand Union Canal named - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Three teenagers aged between 14 and 17 have been arrested on suspicion of murder. | London | Victor Lee died from stab wounds, the Met Police said
A teenager who was fatally stabbed and then found in the Grand Union Canal in north west London has been named by police.
Victor Lee, 17, from Ealing, was pulled from the water near Scrubs Lane after police were called to reports of a stabbing on Sunday.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and a murder investigation was launched.
On Friday the Metropolitan Police arrested three teenagers, all on suspicion of murder.
The trio - aged 14, 15 and 17 - remain in custody at a south London police station, the Met added.
Police said a post-mortem examination held on Wednesday gave the cause of Victor's death as stab wounds.
Det Ch Insp Brian Howie continued to appeal for information and dashcam footage of anyone driving near Scrubs Lane between 17:15 and 18:15.
He added: "We are continuing to provide Victor's family with support during this traumatic time and our thoughts remain with them."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66074791 |
Watch: Driver cornered in cul-de-sac rams police car - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | null | Mikey Lee Neesham has been jailed for dangerous driving following the incident in North Yorkshire. | null | A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 17 months in prison for ramming a police car he was being pursued by, after failing to stop in North Yorkshire.
He then led a second police vehicle on a high-speed chase before crashing into a field.
Mikey Lee Neesham pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and to causing criminal damage to a police car. When arrested, officers found he had no insurance and that his provisional licence had expired. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66076804 |
Pride flag hate crime targeted Alliance Party councillor - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The homes targeted are those of a current and former Alliance Party councillor in Portrush. | Northern Ireland | Peter McCully was recently elected as a councillor for the Alliance Party
A suspicious item wrapped in a Pride flag was left at the home of a politician in Northern Ireland, with police treating it as a hate crime.
The Alliance Party said Peter McCully, who sits on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, was targeted in the incident in Portrush, County Antrim.
It was one of two hoax devices left outside homes in Hopefield Avenue.
In both cases the devices were wrapped in Pride flags. Controlled explosions were carried out on them by the Army.
The Alliance Party said the second alert was at the home of one of its former councillors.
The security operation in the area was declared over at 16:30 BST on Friday.
Hopefield Crescent, Hopefield Grove and Hopefield Avenue have been reopened and people have been able to return to their homes.
Mr McCully, who lives in his family home, told BBC News NI's Talkback that it was shocking and disruptive for him and his mother, who was in the house at the time.
"Portrush is a welcoming and inclusive place and to have this incident on our doorstep is tarnishing the reputation of the town," he said.
Another security operation began in Portrush on Friday
He and other residents who had to leave their homes were able to return at about 01:00 BST on Friday.
He said there had been a "toxic culture" emerging around LGBT issues in recent weeks and months.
"I feel this is almost an escalation of that - we have seen a number of incidents recently," he said.
"It's clear that we are facing a rising tide in prejudice of LGBT people."
Police said the devices were now being forensically examined and have appealed for anyone with information or footage from the affected area to contact them.
Det Ch Insp Hamilton said: "The placement of these devices has caused untold disruption to the lives of local people, many of whom have had to leave their homes while we made sure the area was safe for them.
"Those responsible care nothing for the impact they have on communities, nor do they care about the fear and uncertainty their actions cause.
"Such attempts to intimidate and threaten are completely unacceptable."
The Alliance Party said: "Nobody should face this kind of threat when simply doing their job."
Police have cordoned off Hopefield Avenue for much of Friday
It said the use of a Pride flag "adds an extra sinister edge" and "has echoes of both the dark days of our troubled past and more recent times".
Alliance condemned those behind what it described as the "appalling attacks".
Representatives of Northern Ireland's other main political parties joined in the condemnation.
A charity supporting LGBT people in Northern Ireland said it was concerned by the incident.
The Rainbow Project said support was available to anyone who was affected by the alert.
"Our thoughts are with all those caught up in this incident and we understand the alarm this incident will cause to LGBTQIA+ communities," it said.
Detectives are urging anyone who finds anything "unusual or out of the ordinary" not to touch it but to contact the police immediately. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66059197 |
Maya Forstater: Woman gets payout for discrimination over trans tweets - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Maya Forstater is awarded £100,000 by a tribunal after she found herself losing out on a job in 2019. | UK | Maya Forstater found herself out of a job after tweeting "gender-critical" views
A woman who lost out on a job after tweeting gender-critical views is to get a £100,000 payout after a decision from an employment tribunal.
Tax expert Maya Forstater did not have her contract renewed in March 2019 after writing tweets saying people could not change their biological sex.
She was found to have experienced discrimination while working for the Centre for Global Development (CGD).
The think tank said it would continue to try to build an inclusive workplace.
In their decision on Friday, three London judges said Ms Forstater should receive compensation of £91,500 and interest of £14,904.31.
The sum is to reflect lost earnings, injury to feelings and aggravated damages after the CGD's decision not to renew her contract or fellowship.
Ms Forstater, the founder of campaign group Sex Matters, believes biological sex is immutable and not to be conflated with gender identity.
She told The Times on Friday that the ruling "sends a message to employers that this is discrimination like any other discrimination".
Ms Forstater was congratulated in a tweet by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who has courted controversy with her own statements on trans issues.
The contentious and high-profile case even proved divisive in the courts.
Ms Forstater lost her original case in 2019, when she was told by a tribunal judge that her approach was "not worthy of respect in a democratic society".
But she appealed, and won the backing two years later of a High Court judge - who said her views were protected by the Equality Act 2010.
A fresh tribunal was ordered, and ruled last year that Ms Forstater experienced "direct discrimination" related to her beliefs.
Commenting on the July 2022 ruling, charity Stonewall said the decision did not "change the reality of trans people's workplace protection".
It added: "No-one has the right to discriminate against, or harass, trans people simply because they disagree with their existence and participation in society."
Responding to Friday's tribunal decision, a CGD representative said the organisation "has and will continue to strive to maintain a workplace that is welcoming, safe and inclusive to all" and would now be able "once again to focus exclusively on our mission - reducing global poverty and inequality through economic research that drives better policy and practice". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66076021 |
France riots: Hundreds more arrested on fourth night - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ministers hoped to stop further unrest, but reports of violence are coming from several cities. | Europe | Busy night for cab drivers after shutdown of public transport
Taxi drivers here in Paris and across France are having a busier night than usual, following the nationwide suspension of bus and tram services. People leaving Paris Gare du Nord are frantically trying to book Ubers, while others have been jumping in taxis waiting outside the station. The bus stops are empty. When I approach a driver and ask to go to Nanterre, the epicentre of the protests, he looks at me in shock. “Nanterre! Too dangerous.” I then head towards a group of drivers, who laugh - with one saying he’ll take me there for €250 (£215). Eventually one agrees to take me for a (far) more reasonable price. The 30-minute journey is quiet - the only sign of the protests is a burnt vehicle on the side of a road, and police cars driving past us, heading further into the district. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-66049895 |
Minister asks South Cambridgeshire council to end four-day week trial - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lee Rowley says a trial, which a council leader says cut the need for agency staff, should end now. | Cambridgeshire | The council's leader Bridget Smith said it had helped address a reliance on expensive agency staff
The local government minister has formally requested a council ends its trial of a four-day week "immediately" over concerns about "value for money".
South Cambridgeshire District Council's trial was due to run until 2024, but in a letter, Lee Rowley said such an approach could breach its legal duties.
The Liberal Democrat-led council is the first in the UK to trial the system.
Defending the scheme, leader Bridget Smith said it had helped address a reliance on expensive agency staff.
She said an assessment showed that "performance was maintained" and added that she was "surprised" to receive the letter and wanted to meet "with ministers to discuss this matter".
The authority started the pilot in January for the 450 desk-based staff at its office in Cambourne.
It was recently extended until next March.
Mr Rowley said his department would "shortly be issuing clear guidance" about the working practice
Mr Rowley wrote to Ms Smith with a formal request for the council to "end your experiment immediately".
He said he had concerns about the impact of the trial on the needs of local taxpayers at a time when the council should be "cutting backlogs, answering queries and improving efficiency".
"I strongly believe in the ability of councils to innovate and find new ways to discharge their responsibilities," he said.
"Removing up to 20% of the capacity to do those activities is not something which should be acceptable for a council seeking to demonstrate value for money for its taxpayers and residents."
He said while some private sector organisations "may choose to experiment with their own capital and capacity regarding 'four-day working weeks', local government should not do the same".
He added that such an approach could breach the council's legal duties under the Local Government Act and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities would "shortly be issuing clear guidance".
About 450 staff at South Cambridgeshire District Council have been trialling a four-day week
In a statement, the council leader said she was "surprised to receive Mr Rowley's letter and we have written to him to request a meeting with ministers to discuss this matter".
"This is a trial, but we have already seen strong independently assessed evidence which showed that performance was maintained, and in some cases improved, in the first three months," she said.
"At the start of our trial, we were carrying a £2m annual agency bill.
"During the first three months of the trial, we filled four permanent posts that had previously been impossible to fill [and] this has reduced our annual bill by £300,000."
She added that as time had gone on, it had become "increasingly clear that recruitment has been positively affected, both in terms of the quality and number of applicants, and the consequent success in filling vacant posts".
Joe Ryle, director of the 4-Day Week campaign group, also criticised Mr Rowley's request.
He said the move "flies in the face of all the evidence, which shows the four-day week has been a huge success at the council".
"The four-day week with no loss of pay is already being rolled out across the private sector, so it's only fair the public sector are included too," he added.
"There is no good reason to end this trial, which is already bringing many benefits to council workers, local residents and saving the council money."
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• None Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-66075471 |
Laura Kuenssberg: Love it or hate it, the NHS is here to stay - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | That it's almost impossible to discuss alternatives to the NHS is a tribute to its longevity, says Laura Kuenssberg. | UK Politics | The British have a love-hate relationship with the NHS.
According to researchers at the King's Fund, the public gave the NHS its worst rating since records began 40 years ago. Just 29% said they were satisfied with the NHS in 2022.
And yet we still love it. A whopping 90% of the public agrees the service should be free and available to everyone.
But with more than seven million people on waiting lists, almost everyone knows someone who isn't getting the care they need.
As the NHS approaches its 75th anniversary, politicians are falling over themselves to praise the service.
But when the cameras aren't rolling, the message you hear can be a very different one. Just like us, politicians have a love-hate relationship with the NHS.
"The whole system is paralysed and not improving - all the progress is going backwards." That's not the kind of thing you're likely to hear a minister say in public but it is the candid verdict of a former health minister talking privately.
They say the NHS chief executive has become the "rationer-in-chief" tasked with "spreading the jam more and more thinly" as the demand for care races ahead of what's available.
Another Conservative former minister tells me the "National Health Service is an oxymoron", a contradiction, because "the leadership is incredibly patchy and outcomes are mixed".
For Labour, a source says there is increasing "anxiety and jeopardy" about the future of the service and "it really is a case of change or die".
You'd be hard pressed to find a politician who would admit that services are being rationed but in off-the-record conversations that word comes up again and again.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Are you in a parallel universe on economy and NHS? - PM asked
One of the former ministers says "people have to understand that there is rationing according to wait" - saying that is the "trade-off" with the traditional model.
A former government adviser says "people know there is rationing - the service is pretty good when you get it - but you might not".
You won't find health rationing on any political leaflet or Facebook ad.
But the public's attachment to the concept of the NHS remains extremely strong. Before and after the pandemic voters are in no mood for a discussion about changing its core principles - despite all the problems.
The former government health adviser tells me that any serious conversation about fundamental change is nigh on impossible.
"Any sophisticated Tory politician knows they'd sign their own death warrant" if they raised the prospect of a wholesale change, they say.
Remember Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's proposal to fine patients if they missed a GP appointment? It was ditched almost as soon as it was suggested.
Another former official describes the public's strong emotional connection to the idea of the institution itself, saying: "It's like your family. I'll moan and moan and moan about it, but if someone else from outside has a go at them, I'll have them on toast. It's like criticising your football team - they can naff off!"
Plenty of politicians talk about reforms to the service - whether that is working with the private sector or this week's workforce plan. But whether it is required or not, it is almost unthinkable now that any mainstream politician would argue for a sweeping change to the whole system.
Of course, that has an impact on what governments choose to do to try and improve the service, which might not be the most effective long-term focus.
One former official suggests: "Politicians want solutions with easy metrics like cutting waiting lists.
"If you do cut them in the short term, that just means more operations, it doesn't address stopping people being ill in the first place."
A former minister says rather than go for bold reforms after the pandemic "we have gone straight back to the voodoo land of heroic pointless commitments that will never get met because as a country we are so ill".
Another suggests ministers are actually scared of telling the public hard truths about increasing cost pressures in the health service. "The public has unrealistic expectations of what we can deliver - the government is frightened of that," they say.
And as we've talked about many times here and on the show, unless and until governments confront the aching gaps in care for the elderly and vulnerable, the rest of the health service has to absorb the costly consequences of social care system that to a large extent just doesn't work.
One of the former ministers I've spoken to is intensely frustrated that it is so hard to have a full conversation about the NHS, saying that "it's a political problem, not a resources problem. Our politicians just aren't finding the space" to talk about really bold changes.
One former adviser agrees, saying "everyone of all stripes is scared to take it on".
Yet the fact politicians find it almost impossible to talk about alternatives is also a tribute to the longevity of the NHS and the public's belief in it.
The former adviser suggests that while people have to wait and outcomes vary "as a system it is extraordinarily fair and that has to be worth something".
Love it and hate it. It is most certainly here to stay. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66068224 |
England 0-0 Portugal: Lionesses draw with Portugal in World Cup send-off - BBC Sport | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | null | England's final match on home soil before heading to Australia for the Women's World Cup ends in a disappointing goalless draw. | null | Last updated on .From the section Women's Football
Sarina Wiegman says England are in a "good place" despite being held by Portugal in their final match on home soil before heading to Australia for the 2023 Women's World Cup.
The Lionesses were frustrated as they failed to find the net and twice hit the bar on their way to registering 23 attempts in front of a 26,267 crowd in Milton Keynes.
"We should have put it in the back of the net. We all know that," said the England boss, who flies to Australia with her players on Wednesday.
"We created lots of chances, and of course we wanted to score that goal. Today it just wouldn't go in.
"I think we are in a very good place. We did a lot of things, as individuals and as a team, both on and off the pitch.
"This was the first game after we've not seen each other for a long time."
• None Did England's draw with Portugal provide more questions than answers?
Wiegman's side were not at their fluent best, though they had chances to seal victory in the second half.
Georgia Stanway hit the bar at the end of the first half, substitute Alessia Russo was denied by a goalline block from Ana Borges, while Lucy Bronze's header also hit the bar.
England take on Canada in a friendly behind closed doors on 14 July, eight days before their opening match of the World Cup on 22 July,
Wiegman used 17 players and tried several systems throughout the game at Stadium MK in an attempt to fine-tune plans.
But the Lionesses, whose 30-game unbeaten run ended with defeat by Australia in their previous match, struggled to click for large periods against Portugal and looked frustrated.
All eyes were on the team selection as Wiegman had bold choices to make in attack, opting for Rachel Daly and Lauren James over Russo and Chloe Kelly from the start.
But it was a flat first half from England. They lacked energy, presumably impacted by the fact they had not played for several weeks following the end of the Women's Super League (WSL) season, and were forced out wide for large periods by a stubborn Portugal defence.
Daly should have scored early on though when Lauren Hemp curled in an inviting cross at the back post, only for her to poke the ball wide, while James showed glimpses of quality, combining nicely with full-back Bronze on the right-hand side.
However, it was not until the second half that the European champions started to show spark and their superiority.
• None All the best 2023 Women's World Cup content
Russo's introduction had an impact as she dropped in deep to link up with James, who moved to the number 10 position and was more effective than Ella Toone had been in the opening half.
The striker had the best of the chances, firing wide on two occasions when teed up by Kelly, as well as being denied by Borges' block on the line.
In a flurry of chances, Bronze's header crashed against the crossbar and Kelly also had a shot parried away. Hemp had an earlier chance but she could not get her header on target.
It gives Wiegman food for thought on team selection and what system to play, with England's opening game of the World Cup fast approaching.
England are not short of talent, even with several key players missing through injury, but finding a way for them to work together remains Wiegman's biggest challenge - and she appears to be more unsure on how the team will look than she was going into Euro 2022.
Several key players will miss the World Cup through injury including captain Leah Williamson and forward Beth Mead - who were both watching on in Milton Keynes - meaning England will have to adapt in Australia.
They were most effective when they were able to get in behind Portugal's defence in the second half, with Kelly particularly fruitful out wide.
As the game wore on, England's connections started to build, and James' link-up play with Bronze and Russo in particular helped her claim for a World Cup starting position.
The Chelsea forward was one of England's brightest players, while Daly failed to take her chance from the start as number nine, struggling to have an impact and missing a few opportunities.
Young Manchester City defender Esme Morgan was backed by Wiegman to start at centre-back despite struggling against Australia, but here she showed maturity and composure alongside Jess Carter.
If Millie Bright, who has not featured since March because of a knee injury, does not recover in time for the opening game of the tournament, Morgan has shown she is capable of playing there.
All in all, the shutout provided successful auditions for James, Morgan and Russo, less so for Toone and Daly.
• None Attempt blocked. Alessia Russo (England) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lauren James.
• None Diana Gomes (Portugal Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match because of an injury Inês Pereira (Portugal Women).
• None Attempt saved. Laura Coombs (England) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner.
• None Attempt blocked. Laura Coombs (England) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
• None Attempt missed. Chloe Kelly (England) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is too high.
• None Attempt blocked. Alessia Russo (England) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Katie Robinson.
• None Attempt missed. Chloe Kelly (England) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Niamh Charles with a cross.
• None Tatiana Pinto (Portugal Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66065939 |
Cardiff City: Football club told to pay Sala transfer balance - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | It is believed Fifa has told the club to pay more than €11m (£9.45m) to cover the fee. | Wales | Cardiff announced the signing of Emiliano Sala on 19 January, 2019, two days before the plane he was on went missing
Cardiff City has been ordered to pay Nantes the transfer balance for Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash before he could play for the Welsh side.
The BBC has been told that Fifa has told the Championship club to pay more than €11m (£9.45m).
That covers the last two instalments of the €17m agreed between the clubs.
Meanwhile, French prosecutors have confirmed several employees of FC Nantes have been arrested.
That is as part of an investigation into money laundering and tax fraud.
In a statement, Nantes public prosecutor's office said the FC Nantes club manager, his deputy general manager and two people, including a players' agent, were placed in police custody but have since been released pending an investigation.
Cardiff City has been in dispute with FC Nantes over the transfer fee since the striker's death in January 2019.
The Argentine had just become Cardiff City's £15m record signing when the plane carrying him from France to Wales crashed into the English Channel.
In May, the club said it would continue legal action against FC Nantes through the French courts after a Swiss Federal Tribunal decided the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) did not have the power to deal with the club's claim for damages.
Argentine artist Gabriel Griffa painted this mural of the player in Carquefou, near Nantes
Cardiff failed in its appeal to the CAS over the Fifa ruling, and in January paid the first instalment, believed to be around £7m, of the Sala fee to Nantes.
On Friday, the club issued a statement confirming the decision by Fifa they should pay the final two instalments.
But it questioned the timing of the Fifa ruling, saying: "It would have been fairer if the requirement to pay FC Nantes had been deferred until the conclusion of the French police investigations and the club's claim against FC Nantes in the French courts."
Separately, French investigators confirmed on Friday they were investigating employees of FC Nantes over a number of charges including:
Philippe Astruc, district attorney for the Court of Justice of Rennes said: "The French Football Federation has instituted civil proceedings before the investigating judge, as part of its mission to regulate the activity of sports agents in the discipline of football and to defend the moral and material interests of French football.
"The investigations mainly focused on the analysis of contracts, bank accounts and financial flows, with analysis of the numerous documents seized during the search.
Radar contact was lost when the aircraft was 22 nautical miles (40 km) north-north-west of Guernsey
"A laundering of large-scale tax evasion would also have been updated against one of the protagonists"
Cardiff City claims Sala's transfer had not been finalised at the time of his accident.
In May they launched a counter-claim in France for around €100m.
Nantes Commercial Court said last week it would hold a hearing on the merits of that case, probably in the second quarter of 2024. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66071830 |
Kenya lorry crash: Dozens killed after truck loses control - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A local police commander says the vehicle rammed into cars, motorcycles and people by the roadside. | Africa | Londiani Junction, near the western town of Kericho in Kenya, is said to be a busy area
At least 48 people have been killed in a road accident at a busy junction in Kenya, police and witnesses say.
It happened after a lorry carrying a shipping container lost control at Londiani Junction, near the western town of Kericho, local media report.
Police commander Geoffrey Mayek said 30 others were seriously injured but added the number "could be more".
He also raised concerns that "one or two" people could still be trapped underneath the overturned vehicle.
Tom Mboya Odero, another regional police commander, was quoted by AFP news agency as saying the lorry travelling towards Kericho "lost control and rammed into eight vehicles, several motorcycles, people who were by the roadside, vendors, and other people who were on other businesses".
Eye witnesses told Kenyan media the driver had been trying to avoid a bus that had broken down on the road.
Kenyan president William Ruto said he had been distressed to hear that some of those killed were "young people with a promising future and business people who were on their daily chores".
"We urge motorists to be extra cautious on roads, especially now when we are experiencing heavy rainfall," Mr Ruto added in a tweet.
An image circulated online showed what appeared to be a red shipping container lying on its side at the bottom of a small grassy bank, at the side of a road.
The town's governor, Dr Erick Mutai, described the incident as a "dark moment" for Kericho.
"My heart is crushed," he said in a Facebook post, alongside the photograph of the container.
Dr Mutai added that the necessary emergency services had been deployed to the scene.
Rainfall is thought to be hindering rescue operations, according to local reports, but it is not clear if the weather played a part in the accident.
Road accidents are a well known problem in East Africa, because roads outside the bigger cities are often narrow.
The World Health Organisation said on its website last year that the continent as a whole had the highest road traffic fatality rate in the world.
Last year 34 people died in central Kenya when their bus careered off a bridge and plunged into the Nithi River below. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-66070969 |
No plans to look at Nicola Bulley case, press regulator Ipso says - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A coroner found the mother-of-two drowned after accidentally falling into cold water. | Lancashire | Nicola Bulley went missing on a dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, on 27 January
The press watchdog said it was not currently planning to launch an editorial standards investigation into the coverage of Nicola Bulley's disappearance.
Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, while walking her dog and her body was found 23 days later.
A coroner found she drowned after accidentally falling into cold water.
Her family have criticised sections of the media for its coverage.
Lancashire Police came under fire for revealing Ms Bulley's struggles with alcohol and perimenopause.
During the huge search, police urged against people fuelling damaging rumours making their job harder and attracting sightseers to the village where she disappeared.
Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) chief executive Charlotte Dewar told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the watchdog was still considering the case.
She said: "We can conduct editorial standards investigation where there are serious and systemic breaches of the Editors' Code.
"I think at this point on this issue we aren't there, but we are very actively looking at it.
"And of course, should it be clear that that has transpired then then we would take that step."
Ms Bulley's phone was found on a bench close to River Wyre and was still connected to a work conference call
Ms Dewar was shown some examples of media coverage and was asked if she was happy that certain headlines were not an intrusion into Ms Bulley's family.
"I haven't said that," the Ipso boss said.
She added: "We look very specifically at individual instances of concern.
"We were in touch with family liaison officers who were representing the family and other public bodies involved.
"We've given a very clear opportunity and been very, very open that we'd like to engage with them about their concerns, but at this point, there's nothing active."
Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, said there was "no evidence" to suggest Ms Bulley intended to take her own life.
He said she would have had to have had "sufficient knowledge of cold water shock to realise as to how rapidly a death may occur as otherwise she may be spotted and saved".
Nicola Bulley drowned after falling into cold water, Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire ruled
Speaking after the inquest findings, Ms Bulley's family said they still received "negative targeted messages" on social media, as well as seeing "wildly inaccurate speculation" on a number of platforms months after her death.
They added: "The last few months have been extremely tough to process for our family.
"The emotional impact will stay long in our hearts and whilst we will never forget the loss of our Nikki, we will forever remember her as a brilliant mum, partner, daughter and sister that we all knew and loved so very much."
Ms Bulley, who worked as a mortgage adviser, was last seen walking her springer spaniel Willow after dropping off her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-66074973 |
Foreign Office warns Britons over travel to France during riots - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Updated Foreign Office advice warns of potential disruption and urges people to remain cautious. | UK | Britons travelling to France may face disruption and are advised to monitor the media, the Foreign Office has said, as the country grapples with widespread rioting.
In new travel advice, the government urged Britons to avoid the riots, saying their locations and timings were "unpredictable".
They also said it was "more important than ever" to get travel insurance.
Riots began on Tuesday after police shot a 17-year-old of Algerian descent.
Nahel M was killed as he drove away from a traffic stop. His death has reignited debate around the state of French policing, including questions of racism in the force.
The Foreign Office updated its travel advice for France on Friday, warning there could disruption to road travel and local transport, and that further curfews may be imposed by some local authorities.
Britons should check the latest travel information from operators and follow the advice of local authorities, it said.
The government said it was "more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover". It has also provided online guidance on foreign travel insurance.
So far, the Foreign Office has not changed its advice to warn against all but essential travel - a move which would invalidate many travel insurance policies.
More than 470 people were arrested in further violence on Friday evening, but France's interior minister insisted there had been a "downturn" in unrest.
President Emmanuel Macron said thousands more officers would be deployed to contain the violence, but stopped short of declaring a state of emergency.
Paris Aeroport, which manages Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports, reported road and rail disruptions from the capital to its airports from 21:00 local time.
As of early on Saturday morning, rail services from the UK to France on the Eurostar were scheduled as normal.
Around 17 million British nationals visit France every year, according to the Foreign Office.
Clamart, a Parisian suburb which was the first place to declare a curfew, announced restrictions between 21:00 and 06:00 local time from Thursday until Monday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66073996 |
US Supreme Court strikes down student loan forgiveness plan - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Mr Biden pledged to find another way to forgive student debt following the Supreme Court's decision. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Biden spells out new path for student loan relief
The US Supreme Court has struck down US President Joe Biden's proposal to wipe out billions in student debt.
The 6-3 ruling effectively cancels the plan, which would have forgiven about $10,000 (£7,800) per borrower - and up to $20,000 in some cases.
The decision affects the loans of more than 40 million Americans.
It has left the US public "angry," Mr Biden said. He pledged to put in place new measures to reduce university debt using other existing laws.
The loan forgiveness plan has been in limbo since some conservative states sued, arguing the president overstepped his authority. The Supreme Court agreed.
In the wake of the decision, Mr Biden spoke from the White House, saying: "I know there are millions of Americans in this country who feel disappointed and discouraged or even a little bit angry. I must admit I do too."
But he vowed to work with the Department of Education to find other means to help people ease the financial burden.
"Today's decision has closed one path. Now we're going to start another," he said.
The total federal student debt has more than tripled over the past 15 years, rising from about $500bn in 2007 to $1.6tn today.
Last year, the US Treasury took a $430bn charge to cover $300m in costs associated with the loan forgiveness programme, as well as additional costs associated with an extension of a Covid-era moratorium on payments through the end of the year.
The Biden administration faced plaintiffs in two separate cases, one involving six Republican-led states - Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina - and the other involving two individual student loan borrowers.
In both cases, plaintiffs argued the executive branch did not have the power to so broadly cancel student debt.
The Supreme Court ruled the two individual borrowers did not persuasively argue they would be harmed by the loan forgiveness plan, effectively ruling that they had no legal standing to challenge the Biden administration's proposal.
During arguments in February, the Biden administration said that under a 2003 law known as the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act, or Heroes Act, it had the power to "waive or modify" loan provisions to protect borrowers affected by "a war or other military operation or national emergency".
In its ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that while the act allows Mr Biden's education secretary, Miguel Cardona, to "make modest adjustments and additions to existing provisions, not transform them".
Justice John Roberts wrote that the modifications made by the Biden administration "created a novel and fundamentally different" loan forgiveness programme that "expanded forgiveness to nearly every borrower" in the US.
He added that the administration's use of the Heroes Act "does not remotely resemble how it has been used on prior occasions".
The high court's ruling fell along ideological lines, with its three liberal judges dissenting.
In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that "the result here is that the court substitutes itself for Congress and the Executive Branch in making national policy about student-loan forgiveness".
"Congress authorised the forgiveness plan... the [education secretary] put it in place; and the president would have been accountable for its success or failure," she wrote.
"But this court today decides that some 40 million Americans will not receive the benefits of the plan (so says the court) that assistance is too 'significant'".
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The White House had previously estimated that almost 90% of US student borrowers would have qualified for relief under the plan.
"This decision is going to impact a lot of people in this country. But it's disproportionately going to impact people who are already historically marginalised," Ranen Miao, a 22-year-old recent graduate told BBC News outside the Supreme Court.
"The people who take out student loans are not the children of millionaires and billionaires. They're the children of working families," added Mr Miao, who declined to disclose how much student debt he has.
Clegg Ivey told CBS, the BBC's US partner, the Supreme Court had "made the right decision" and that he disagreed with the Biden administration's approach to the issue.
"I have student loans and I certainly would have benefited," he said. "But if that's what we want, let's talk to our congressman. Congress... should actually do its job."
Polling data shows that support for the student loan forgiveness proposal largely fell along political lines.
One poll conducted by Marquette Law School in May found that 31% of Republicans favoured the proposal, compared to 69% of independents and 87% of Democrats.
The Supreme Court's ruling on Friday was swiftly applauded by senior Republican lawmakers.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the loan initiative is "unlawful" and would mean that Americans without student loans "are no longer forced" to pay for those who do.
In total, approximately 43 million people in the US owe money for student loans - or about one-in-six US adults with at least some post-secondary education.
Federal reserve data shows that the median student loan is about $17,000. About 17% of borrowers owe less than $10,000, while about 7% owe over $100,000.
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Among those on the high end of the debt spectrum is Satra Taylor, a part-time student and campaigner for the group Young Invincibles who owes about $103,000. She told the BBC she expects the figure to grow as she continues a doctoral programme.
"My family does not come from generational wealth. I had no other option but to take out student loans to ensure I could put food on my table and pay my rent," she said.
"I'm deeply saddened by this decision... but I'm also hopeful that President Biden will ensure student debt cancellation happens." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65931653 |
Twitter temporarily restricts tweets users can see, Elon Musk announces - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Elon Musk says verified accounts can read up to 10,000 posts a day while unverified ones are limited to 1,000. | Technology | Twitter has applied a temporary limit to the number of tweets users can read in a day, owner Elon Musk has said.
In a tweet of his own, Mr Musk said unverified accounts are now limited to reading 1,000 posts a day.
For new unverified accounts, the number is 500. Meanwhile, accounts with "verified" status are currently limited to 10,000 posts a day.
The tech billionaire initially set stricter limits, but he changed these within hours of announcing the move.
Mr Musk said the temporary limits were to address "extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation".
He did not explain what was meant by system manipulation in this context.
"We were getting data pillaged so much that it was degrading service for normal users," Mr Musk explained on Friday, after users were presented with screens asking them to log in to view Twitter content.
The move was described as a "temporary emergency measure".
It is not totally clear what Mr Musk is referring to by data scraping, but it appears he means the scraping of large amounts of data used by artificial intelligence (AI) companies to train large language models, which power chatbots such as Open AI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard.
In simple terms, data scraping is the pulling of information from the internet. Large language models need to learn from masses of real human conversations. But the quality is vital to the success of a chatbot. Reddit and Twitter's huge trove of billions of posts are thought to be hugely important training data - and used by AI companies.
But platforms like Twitter and Reddit want to be paid for this data.
In April, Reddit's chief executive Steve Huffman told the New York Times that he was unhappy with what AI companies were doing.
"The Reddit corpus of data is really valuable," he said. "But we don't need to give all of that value to some of the largest companies in the world for free."
Twitter has already started charging users to access its application programming interface (API), which is often used by third party apps and researchers - which can include AI companies.
There are other potential reasons for the move too.
Mr Musk has been pushing people towards Twitter Blue, its paid subscription service. It's possible he is looking at a model where users will have to pay to get a full Twitter service - and access to unlimited posts.
Signalled by a blue tick, "verified" status was given for free by Twitter to high-profile accounts before Mr Musk took over as its boss. Now, most users have to pay a subscription fee from $8 (£6.30) per month to be verified, and can gain the status regardless of their profile.
According to the website Downdetector - which tracks online outages - a peak of 5,126 people reported problems accessing the platform in the UK at 16:12 BST on Saturday.
In the US, roughly 7,461 people reported glitches around the same time.
Initially, Mr Musk announced reading limits of 6,000 posts per day for verified accounts, 600 for unverified accounts, and 300 for new unverified accounts.
In another update Mr Musk said "several hundred organisations (maybe more) were scraping Twitter data extremely aggressively".
He later indicated there had been a burden on his website, saying it was "rather galling to have to bring large numbers of servers online on an emergency basis".
A server is a powerful computer that manages and stores files, providing services such as web pages for users.
Adam Leon Smith from BCS, the UK's professional body for IT, said the move was "very odd" as limiting users' scroll time would affect the company's advertising revenue.
Mr Musk bought the company last year for $44bn (£35bn) after much back and forth. He was critical of Twitter's previous management and said he did not want the platform to become an echo chamber.
Soon after taking over, he cut the workforce from just under 8,000 staff to about 1,500.
In an interview with the BBC, he said that cutting the workforce had not been easy.
Engineers were included in the layoffs and their exit raised concerns about the platform's stability.
But while Mr Musk acknowledged some glitches, he told the BBC in April that outages had not lasted very long and the site was working fine.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66077195 |
France shooting: Policeman charged over teen's traffic stop death - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | France sees a third night of mass unrest, triggered by Tuesday's police shooting of a teenager. | Europe | Violence has erupted across France since the killing of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop on Tuesday
A French policeman has been charged with homicide and is now in custody over the killing of a teenager during a traffic stop near Paris on Tuesday.
The 17-year-old, named as Nahel M, was shot at point-blank range as he drove off and crashed soon afterwards.
Anger at his killing has sparked violence across the country. A march led by the boy's mother was marred by clashes on Thursday afternoon.
In a third night of unrest, 667 people were arrested, French officials say.
In Paris, shops were ransacked and cars set on fire overnight despite a heavy police presence.
Across France, 40,000 police officers were deployed, with 249 of them injured in Wednesday night's clashes, according to the interior ministry.
Earlier, bus and tram services in Paris and the wider region stopped operating at 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Thursday. Night-time curfews were in place in some suburbs.
In the town of Nanterre, where the teenager was killed, a huge fire engulfed the ground floor of a building where a bank is located.
Video and pictures on social media also appear to show piles of rubbish ablaze in several places.
Officers were injured on Thursday afternoon as well, during violence in Nanterre that followed a largely peaceful march calling for justice. It was attended by more than 6,000 people.
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne said she understood the outpouring of emotion following the 17-year-old's death, but condemned the riots.
"Nothing justifies the violence that's occurred," she said.
The teenager's death has sparked a wider conversation about the power of the police and the relationship between the authorities and people from France's suburbs, who feel segregated from the country's prosperous city centres.
"We have a law and judicial system that protects police officers and it creates a culture of impunity in France," Nahel's lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme.
But Nahel's mother said she did not blame the police in general, or the system, for the killing - just the officer who fired the lethal shot that killed her son.
The officer accused of killing him said he had fired because he felt his life was in danger. His lawyer told French radio station RTL that his client discharged his firearm "in full compliance of the law".
Speaking to the BBC on Friday morning, Thierry Clair, deputy secretary general of Unsad-Police trade union, said an investigation would "determine whether this is a case of a legal or illegal use of a weapon".
He said that by law, police officers may use their weapons in certain circumstances.
"The key thing is the principle of proportionality with the nature of the threat," Mr Clair said. "For instance, one of the cases refers to stopping a vehicle whose occupants refuse to comply and present a risk for someone else if they attempt to escape.
"And the incident we're talking about - in which a weapon was used - might fall into that category."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: 'They've taken my baby' - Mother of teen shot by police | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66061138 |
Deciphering Vladimir Putin's many appearances since mutiny - BBC News | 2023-07-01T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Russian president has popped up on TV screens multiple times since last weekend's dramatic events - but to what end? | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Where's Vladimir Putin? That's what we were wondering most of Monday - two days after a dramatic insurrection by the Wagner Group that saw a convoy of mercenary fighters headed to Moscow.
A spokesman for Mr Putin announced a deal to end the Wagner mutiny late on Saturday. But when would the president himself comment on the controversial agreement?
It was controversial because the Wagner mercenaries had rebelled, seized military sites (with apparent ease) and then marched on Moscow; Russian air force pilots had been killed in the mutiny. Yet the Kremlin had agreed not to prosecute Wagner fighters or their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in return for calling off the uprising.
Over the last week, President Putin has made a series of unusual public appearances - all televised - in an apparent attempt to steady the ship.
On Monday we hear from Mr Prigozhin: an audio message posted online presenting his side of the story. He says his men headed to Moscow to "hold to account" those leaders he blamed for "mistakes" in the Ukraine war.
Then late into the evening, an announcement is made. "Standby: President Putin will address the nation." Now it feels like the Kremlin leader is playing catch-up.
Putin appears on TV screens after 10pm. A late-night address from him is very unusual. Social media buzzes with rumours that this will be a speech that will "decide the fate of Russia". With trepidation we switch on Russian TV to hear the president speak.
It quickly becomes clear this address will not decide the country's fate. There are no major announcements. But the five-minute speech does provide clues to how the Kremlin is going to spin the dramatic events of the weekend to its benefit.
Putin paints a picture of a Russia that has united to defeat the treachery of Wagner's leaders.
He tries to bring everyone on side: he thanks the Russian public, Russian officials, religious leaders, the Russian armed forces and his security services. He distinguishes between the leaders of the mutiny and regular Wagner fighters and commanders, whom he praises as patriots. Crucially, he presents himself as the man who averted major bloodshed.
"As soon as these events began to unfold," he says, "in keeping with my direct instructions, steps were taken to avoid spilling blood".
Remember that controversy I was talking about? He doesn't address that. But, hey, Russia has stepped back from the brink. That's the main thing.
On Monday he was playing catch-up. By Tuesday morning it's full steam ahead to try to restore his authority.
At a hastily arranged event the Russian authorities are going heavy - very heavy - on the pomp and ceremony. Some 2,500 soldiers, Russian Guard and security officials are lined up on the Kremlin's Cathedral Square. This is the site of coronation (and funeral) processions of Russian tsars.
Cue Putin: To the presidential fanfare he descends the many steps of the Kremlin down onto the square (red carpet all the way, of course) and with a backdrop of the onion domes of Kremlin cathedrals the president - and commander-in-chief - delivers a speech to his troops.
But even before he starts to speak, the imagery says it all. It's all here in one place: the Orthodox Church, the Kremlin, the president and the army. It reminds me of the old Imperial Russian slogan: "For faith, for the Tsar and the Fatherland."
In other words, the visual messaging here is all about presenting Russia as a country uniting behind Vladimir Putin. It's almost as if they want Russians to think that the Church, the military, and the president are interlinked, even part of one whole.
In his brief address, President Putin again claims that Russian society has come together after the Wagner mutiny. But most of what he says is praise for his military for "stopping a civil war".
There's a minute's silence for the air force pilots who were killed. The president is paying his respects, but still not addressing the question of why Wagner fighters are not being prosecuted over their deaths.
Speech over. Cue the national anthem and a gun salute.
Overall message: the president's not only in charge. With the help of the Russian army and the Russian people, he's just scored a great victory.
This is probably the most surprising Putin video of the week - perhaps of the year. That's because it's a very un-Putin-like Putin we see, in terms of getting up close and personal with the crowds.
The official reason President Putin is visiting Dagestan is to chair a meeting on domestic tourism.
But it's not the meeting that dominates news bulletins later on Russian TV. It's the crazy scenes that follow.
The Kremlin leader is shown being mobbed by an adoring crowd in the city of Derbent.
We've grown used to seeing Vladimir Putin keeping his distance from those he comes into contact with. Remember those long Kremlin tables with Putin seated safely at one end and his guests at the other?
Not here. In Dagestan he's kissing children, hugging women, shaking hands and posing for photos.
"Screaming, squealing, applause," exclaims the presenter of a popular talk show on the Russia-1 channel. "Even rock stars don't get this kind of welcome. The West is scoffing that after Prigozhin's mutiny the president has been weakened. This proves the opposite is the case."
Putin's behaviour seems so out of character. On the other hand, nothing feels particularly normal any more in Russia.
The Russian president had just survived an armed mutiny. Perhaps he feels the need to demonstrate - to the country, to the political elite, and to himself - that he still has supporters out there. A "spontaneous" expression of public adoration would fit the bill.
As I view these images, I suddenly remember what happened last weekend, after the deal was done to end the mutiny. As Wagner fighters led by Mr Prigozhin had left Rostov on Saturday night, they were cheered on the streets.
Has Vladimir Putin seen those images? Does he feel the need for his own "hero" moment?
We'll probably never know.
President Putin's attending a business conference on Russian brands in Moscow. It doesn't exactly make for another rock-star moment.
Still, any opportunity to try to show (a) he's in charge (b) he's active (c) he has the support of the people.
The Russian president is applauded as he enters the hall. He sits down and listens to one of the organisers deliver opening remarks.
"Vladimir Vladimirovich, along with you and the whole country we, too, lived through the events of 24 June [the mutiny] with anxiety," she says addressing Putin. "We are all with you and we all support you."
As if to prove it, the delegates give Vladimir Putin a standing ovation.
From the same event, we see another slightly more bizarre video. President Putin is doodling on an interactive whiteboard.
The result is a cartoon-like red face with three strands of hair. A curious picture from a leader who has learnt the art of political survival.
Lines of loyal troops, gun salutes, screaming fans and a standing ovation. With these kinds of images, the Kremlin leader is trying to show he's back in control.
He even has time to doodle. He must be feeling confident.
Following the mutiny, we've witnessed a turbo-charged Putin this week. He was here, he was there, he seemed to be everywhere. It was almost as if he'd kicked off his campaign for re-election (his presidential term expires next year).
But positive pictures do not change the fact that the rebellion had taken the Kremlin by surprise. It was a threat. The Wagner fighters had been well on their way to Moscow when the mutiny was called off. It was an unprecedented challenge to Putin's authority.
And the long-term consequences of that are still unclear. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66065551 |
Joe Biden to meet King Charles and Rishi Sunak in UK visit - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | US President Joe Biden will meet King Charles at Windsor Castle on 10 July. | UK | The US president will meet King Charles III in London for the first time since he was crowned King. Here Mr Biden is seen with the then Prince of Wales at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.
US President Joe Biden is to travel to the UK to meet King Charles and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak later this month.
It is the first time the US president will have met the King since the Coronation in May.
Mr Biden's overseas diplomatic trip - in which he will also travel to Lithuania and Finland - will take place from 9 to 13 July.
Buckingham Palace confirmed King Charles was due to meet the president at Windsor Castle on Monday, 10 July.
Mr Biden did not attend the King's coronation in May - but his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, and his granddaughter went instead.
The Bidens were at Queen Elizabeth's funeral at Westminster Abbey in September. On the eve of the funeral they attended a reception hosted by the King for world leaders.
His visit follows Mr Sunak's two-day trip to Washington in June, where both leaders discussed Ukraine, a post-Brexit economy and the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence.
This month's meeting would "further strengthen the close relationship between our nations", the White House said.
Downing Street put out a similar statement, saying that Mr Biden's upcoming visit "reflects the strong relationship" between the UK and US.
"The prime minister looks forward to welcoming President Biden in the UK later this month," a No 10 spokesperson said.
"This reflects the strong relationship between the UK and US, building on a series of bilateral visits and meetings earlier this year.
"We'll set out further detail in due course."
Earlier this year, Mr Biden stopped in Belfast to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, and briefly met Mr Sunak.
After the UK, the US president will travel to Vilnius in Lithuania for the Nato summit, which takes place on 11 and 12 July.
On his final day, he will visit Helsinki, Finland for a US-Nordic Leaders Summit, where the focus of the talks is expected to be the Russia-Ukraine war. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66081123 |
NHS England head urges football clubs to consider gambling ad impact - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Clubs should think carefully before accepting sponsorship from gambling firms, says NHS England head. | Health | Football clubs should think about the impact on fans when accepting sponsorships from gambling firms, the head of NHS England has said.
Amanda Pritchard said the deals send a message to children that gambling was OK.
Her comments came after the news that the NHS is nearly doubling the number of gambling addiction clinics to 15 after a record number of referrals.
Some 1,389 patients were referred for gambling support in 2022-23.
This is up from 775 two years prior.
Seven new facilities are to be opened this summer on top of the eight already open.
Speaking on the BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Ms Pritchard described severe gambling addiction as a "cruel disease" and a "life destroyer".
"It would be really great to see the gambling industry, and also organisations like football clubs, really think seriously about their responsibilities here," she said.
Shirt sponsorship deals mean "that it's kids that are seeing every day now messages that say gambling is OK", she says.
She also highlighted the fact people can bet every hour of the day on their mobile phones, leading to a "really significant increase" in demand for NHS gambling addiction services.
In a separate statement to announce the new clinics, Ms Pritchard said children and adults were being "bombarded" with gambling adverts.
The NHS announcement follows a coroner's verdict on Thursday that one betting firm could have done more to help a gambler who took his own life in 2021 after amassing huge debts.
The company in question, Betfair, said it had met all the regulatory standards which were in place at the time, but conceded in hindsight that it should have done more.
Meanwhile, a campaign group this week urged the UK government to "step in" after three Premier League clubs announced new shirt sponsorship deals with betting firms.
When the full set of 15 NHS facilities are open across England, the health service hopes to be able to treat 3,000 patients a year, using techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
The seven new clinics are in Blackpool, Bristol, Derby, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, and Thurrock in Essex.
These are in addition to others already running in London, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent and Telford.
An eighth clinic in London exists to treat not only gambling but also gaming addiction in children and young people.
Public health minister Neil O'Brien said the government had set out plans to tackle gambling, including a commitment to introduce a statutory levy so gambling companies pay their "fair share" towards treatment services.
The publication of the government's white paper in April marked the biggest shake-up of regulation in the sector since the advent of the smartphone.
Among the measures proposed were a stake limit of £2 on online slot machines for young gamblers - but campaigners attacked a lack of action on adverts.
The new addiction facilities were described as "heartening" by the charity Gambling with Lives, whose strategy director Will Prochaska said the clinics "couldn't come at a more pertinent moment, whilst gambling advertising lures more people into harm".
The announcement was also welcomed by Matt Zarb-Cousin, the director of Clean Up Gambling, who said the current business model was built on "harm".
The Lib Dems said news of record addiction referrals showed the Conservatives were not doing enough to protect gamblers.
"Far too many people are suffering from gambling harms," said health spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP, accusing the government of "dragging their feet" on the issue.
"These new figures must be a wake-up call to ministers to stop dithering and act now, before more lives are ruined."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article you can visit the BBC's Action Line for information and support. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66076015 |
Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini treated for suspected poisoning - aide - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The monarch's traditional prime minister says he is being treated in a hospital in Eswatini. | Africa | The monarch has been at the centre of bitter feuds within the royal family
South Africa's Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini is being treated in hospital for suspected poisoning, his traditional prime minister has said.
The king sought medical attention in Eswatini as he is uncomfortable with seeking treatment in South Africa, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi added.
This follows the sudden death of one of his senior advisers, also of suspected poisoning, Chief Buthelezi said.
However, the king's official spokesman said he was in "perfect health".
The monarch was currently not in hospital, and "unnecessary panic" should not be created, Prince Africa Zulu said, in what appeared to be an indirect reference to Chief Buthelezi's statement.
King Misuzulu was crowned in front of thousands of his subjects last October.
But a vicious power struggle has been raging within the royal family over the 48-year-old's accession, and tensions have also recently surfaced between the monarch and Chief Buthelezi.
The Zulu king does not have formal political power and the monarch's role within broader South African society is largely ceremonial, but he remains hugely influential with a yearly government-funded budget of several million dollars.
A faction within the family is challenging his claim to the throne in court, insisting that he is not the rightful heir of his late father, King Goodwill Zwelithini.
They insist that another son of the late king, Prince Simakade, should be the monarch.
King Zwelithini had six wives and at least 26 children.
His will has also been challenged in court by his first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu, and her two daughters.
A court dismissed their case last year, but they said they would appeal against the ruling.
There is no suggestion that any members of the royal family are behind King Misuzulu's suspected poisoning.
The South African police have not yet commented on the claims.
In his statement, Chief Buthelezi said King Misuzulu's senior aide, Douglas Xaba who stayed with him, "passed on quite suddenly and that there are suspicions that he was poisoned".
"When His Majesty began to feel unwell, he suspected that he too may have been poisoned.
"He immediately sought out medical treatment in Eswatini. I am informed that His Majesty felt uncomfortable seeking treatment in South Africa, as his parents had both received treatment in South Africa and subsequently died," Chief Buthelezi said.
Chief Buthelezi added that while the king had recently appointed Prince Africa as the head of communications in his office, he, as the traditional prime minister, had an obligation to inform the Zulu nation of "this worrying situation".
"Our immediate concern is the King's wellbeing. We as the Zulu nation pray for His Majesty's full and swift recovery.
"Should there be any reason for further investigations, that will be attended to by the authorities," Chief Buthelezi said.
In his subsequent statement, Prince Africa said there appeared to be an "orchestrated agenda and a desperate narrative to communicate defamatory and baseless claims" about the king's health.
"Ultimately, this creates unnecessary panic and perceptions of instability in the Royal Crown," he added.
However, Prince Africa confirmed the monarch had undergone a thorough medical examination in Eswatini while visiting his uncle, King Mswati III.
The checks were carried out because of "our current times of pandemics such as Covid-19 and other dangerous ailments", and also "to mitigate against any untimely eventuality, given the reports of Mr Xaba's sudden passing".
King Misuzulu's accession to the throne was sooner than expected, and he has been at the centre of palace intrigue.
His father died during the Covid pandemic in March 2021 of diabetes-related complications.
He was the Zulu nation's longest-reigning monarch, having served on the throne for almost 50 years.
King Misuzulu's mother, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, then became the regent, but she died a month later.
She was the sister of Eswatini's King Mswati III - Africa's only absolute monarch.
At the time, Chief Buthelezi dismissed rumours that she had been poisoned.
He had backed King Misuzulu's accession to the throne after her death, but recent reports suggested that sharp differences had emerged between the two.
It followed a dispute over the chairmanship of the Ingonyama Trust Board, which manages vast tracts of land controlled by the monarch.
The king appointed Chief Thanduyise Mzimela as its chairman, but this was opposed by Chief Buthelezi who felt he was inexperienced for the post, according to local media. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-66079600 |
NHS England chief Amanda Pritchard says strike disruption will get worse - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Amanda Pritchard told the BBC that July's strikes could be the worst yet for patients. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Patients paying the price" for strikes, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard says
The head of NHS England has warned that July's planned strikes in the health service could be the worst yet for patients.
Amanda Pritchard said industrial action across the NHS had already caused "significant" disruption - and that patients were paying the price.
This month's consultant strike will bring a "different level of challenge" than previous strikes, she said.
Junior doctors and consultants will strike for a combined seven days.
Ms Pritchard told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that the work of consultants - who are striking for the first time in a decade - cannot be covered "in the same way" as junior doctors.
"The hard truth is that it is patients that are paying the price for the fact that all sides have not yet managed to reach a resolution," she said.
Last month, junior doctors in England voted for five days of strikes in mid-July - their longest strike yet.
They will walk out between Thursday 13 July and Tuesday 18 July after rejecting a government pay offer.
A few days after that strike ends, on 20 and 21 July, hospital consultants in England will strike over pay.
Negotiators for consultants and junior doctors have been asking for a 35% pay increase to make up for what they say are 15 years of below-inflation rises - a figure Health Secretary Steve Barclay called unaffordable.
Instead, junior doctors have been offered a 5% rise this year, which was rejected, while there has been no offer so far for consultants.
Consultants are also calling for reforms to the doctors' pay review body to ensure the issue is "fixed for the future". Mr Barclay told Laura Kuenssberg he is "ready to have discussions" on other issues, such as how consultants' pay progresses over time.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he was prepared to negotiate with consultants
"There's things we're open to discussing, but we need to get the balance right," he said.
The health service has been plagued by strike action throughout this year, with doctors, nurses, ambulance workers, porters and others walking out in disputes, mainly over pay.
A breakthrough came in May, when unions representing all NHS staff except doctors and dentists backed a deal to receive a 5% pay rise.
However, junior doctors and hospital consultants have still not reached an agreement with the government.
Health is a devolved issue, meaning this only relates to the NHS in England.
Ms Pritchard acknowledged that it would be several years before the situation in the health sector returned to anything like good enough, and stressed that the service was doing all it could to bring waiting lists down.
NHS England says more than 600,000 appointments have been cancelled in previous strikes. The ongoing failure of the government and some of the medical unions to find agreement is only going to crank the pressure up still further.
Ms Pritchard called for the industrial action to be brought to an end as soon as possible, saying it cannot become "business as usual in the NHS".
She also discussed NHS England's new 15-year workforce plan, which she introduced alongside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this week.
The NHS currently has one out of every 10 posts unfilled, creating major pressure on staff and leading to long waiting times for patients.
The new plan is focused on training and retaining more staff. Ms Pritchard said the plan is not an "overnight" fix , but that it is part of efforts to "treat people as quickly as possible, without delay".
Also on the show was former Conservative health minister Lord Bethell who described the current approach to treatment in the NHS as "rationing".
"If someone has a need for an operation and you simply don't have the resources to give them what they need then you are going beyond the important protocols of allocating scarce resources in the best way possible and you are being defined by the amount of resources that you have available," he said.
"I think that there is a difference between reasonable allocation of resources and making tough decision which is part of every day life, and having to cope with a system as overwhelmed with illness." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66079976 |
English Greyhound Derby: Racing disruption attempt sees 13 arrests - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Thirteen people were arrested over an attempt to disrupt the English Greyhound Derby, police say. | Northampton | Police said a "peaceful protest" was held "without incident" before the event
Thirteen protesters have been arrested over an attempt to disrupt the English Greyhound Derby, police have said.
Northamptonshire Police said a "peaceful protest" before the Towcester Racecourse event "passed off without incident", but activists later made a failed attempt to disrupt the race.
The force said 10 people were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and going equipped to lock on.
It said three Animal Rising members had been arrested earlier in the day.
The animal rights group said it had targeted the race over the "harm" caused to "thousands of greyhounds every year".
A force representative said the first three arrests were on suspicion of aggravated trespass after activists broke "into the race circuit shortly after midday" and climbed on to scaffolding around a big screen.
They said "specially trained protest removal officers were deployed" and three men were removed prior to the event starting.
Protesters climbed scaffolding around a big screen on the site in an effort to disrupt the racing
They said a "peaceful protest, facilitated by police, passed off without incident" ahead of the start of the racing, but a "small number of protesters attempted to make their way on to the track ahead of the final, main race".
"They were prevented from doing so by police officers who made 10 arrests for offences of aggravated trespass and going equipped to lock on," they said.
They added that three activists had also been arrested before the event on Friday.
Ch Insp Pete Basham said it had been "a well-planned operation" on what the force had expected to be "a challenging day".
"I'm pleased to say there was no actual disruption to the event... and the spectators were able to see all races completed as scheduled," he added.
A Towcester Racecourse representative said about 4,000 people had attended the event and the "entire evening proceeded with no disruption".
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-66080029 |
RNLI staff surveys raise concerns about sexist behaviour - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The UK lifeboat charity says it will take action and on the issues raised in surveys of its workers. | UK | A number of workers at the RNLI have raised some concerns about sexist and bigoted behaviour at the organisation.
Internal surveys from 2021 and 2022 on the attitudes of staff and volunteers working at the UK lifeboat charity cite sexism and bullying.
The documents, first reported by the Times, have been seen by the BBC.
The RNLI told the BBC it was sorry to anyone who had faced "behaviours and actions that no one should have to tolerate" and "will act".
The organisation, which has more than 30,000 staff and volunteers, had about 3,600 survey responses over two years, mostly positive comments.
But the survey results show concerns also included "blame" culture, misogyny, being overworked, and a lack of space to openly call out inappropriate behaviour.
In the 2022 survey, one female respondent recounts being "repeatedly" called sexist terms by male colleagues.
"I have not once felt like the RNLI supports women or minorities," she said, adding that she would not recommend it "as an employer to anybody".
A comment in the previous year's survey described the level of sexism at RNLI stations and around the coast as "abhorrent".
"I have never been at a station/around a branch and not heard an inappropriate comment or joke regarding race, sex or sexual orientation".
Matters reported to senior members were "not dealt with effectively and timely," the person said, leading to some individuals getting away with "disgraceful behaviour".
A respondent to the 2022 survey said their mental health has been affected by many factors, including a lack of holding people to account, being overworked and "awful misogyny".
Bullying was mentioned in a number of survey responses. There were no specific examples given but a respondent to the 2022 poll talked about experiencing a "culture of bullying and harassment".
But colleagues were praised for being "caring" by many survey respondents, and one comment says the RNLI is "very inclusive of everyone and the relationships in the team make it a great place to work".
The RNLI's Code of Conduct says volunteers must not "participate in any form of inappropriate behaviour or activity", including bullying, harassment or unlawful discrimination.
Sue Barnes, RNLI's People Director, said: "We are sorry to our volunteers and staff who have faced behaviours and actions that no one should have to tolerate.
"There is no place for misogynistic, sexist, and non-inclusive behaviours at the RNLI and we are committed to taking action and tackling such behaviour."
She added that it has a "range of methods" members can use to report unacceptable behaviour, including a whistleblowing reporting line.
"We know we have more work to do to ensure we become the truly inclusive lifesaving charity we strive to be," she said.
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can 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-66074488 |
Man and woman held after body of girl, 2, found in Ipswich - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two 22-year-olds who were "known to the victim" have been arrested on suspicion of murder, police say. | Suffolk | Police cars were parked outside the temporary housing unit in Sidegate Lane on Friday
A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a two-year-old girl was found at a property, police have said.
Suffolk Police said the toddler's remains were found at a temporary housing unit on Sidegate Lane in Ipswich at about 11:45 BST on Friday.
The force said a Bedfordshire man and a woman of no fixed abode, who are both 22, were arrested in Bury St Edmunds.
A representative said the pair were "known to the victim".
They added that officers were "not seeking any other suspects in connection with this case at this time".
Appealing for information, Supt Jane Topping said the force was "still looking to establish the exact circumstances leading to the death of this child".
"Clearly, such a discovery is extremely distressing for everyone concerned," she said.
"We'd ask people not to speculate on social media as to the identity of the child or to the circumstances surrounding her death."
Ipswich Borough Council, which operates the housing unit, has declined to comment
She added that a "highly visible presence of officers" would "continue in the area for the next few days with reassurance patrols".
"These officers are available to speak to concerned members of the community," she said.
"This is a fast-moving investigation and we are appealing to the local community for any information which may aid this investigation."
Ipswich Borough Council, which operates the housing unit, has declined to comment.
Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66075779 |
Civil servants consider September strike over 'insulting' pay offer - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Nipsa general secretary Carmel Gates says staff in Northern Ireland feel they need to make "noise". | Northern Ireland | Strike action, like this one in 2019, could take place in September, according to Nipsa
Civil servants in Northern Ireland feel so insulted and angry that they are considering a general strike over pay in September, the general secretary of the Nipsa trade union has said.
Carmel Gates told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme a recent pay offer of £552 has left union members feeling "very badly treated by a secretary of state".
She said civil servants felt they needed to "make a bigger noise".
Some are questioning their futures.
Northern Ireland's civil servants "have been treated worse than any other public servants and yet they're the ones who are now carrying the can for all the extra work [Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris] has given Stormont departments," due to budget cuts, Ms Gates said.
She added: "Unless there is additional funding, not just for the services but for the professionals and the people who work in them, then the services are going to suffer."
Ms Gates said cuts have already had a huge impact on services and that workers including teachers, health workers and civil servants are beginning to doubt whether they should remain in the public service.
"If you want to decent public services then you have to pay public servants a decent wage," she said.
Carmel Gates says she has spoken to all of Northern Ireland's main political parties about the pay issue
In January, workers were offered a pay rise of £552, backdated to August 2022.
It is worth less than two percent to a typical member of staff.
Trade unions had called for a rise in line with inflation, plus five percent, and thousands went on strike in April.
Ms Gates said there is currently no prospect of a better pay offer for staff.
"It [£552] amounts to seven or eight pounds a week - absolutely negligible in the overall scheme of things and how everything has increased," she said.
She added that civil servants in Great Britain who had already received a bigger pay offer than their Northern Ireland counterparts had been offered a compensatory payment of £1,500, but unions in Northern Ireland had been given no indication that extra payment will be forthcoming.
Asked about plans for a general strike in the autumn, Ms Gates said: "I believe that we need to take wider action to ensure the message gets across."
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Office said the UK government had no authority to negotiate pay in Northern Ireland.
"The secretary of state's priority is to see the return of locally elected, accountable and effective devolved government, which is the best way for Northern Ireland to be governed," they added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66080452 |
Northern Ireland scientist's role in black hole shock-waves find - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | "Nasa-mad" Lisburn man Dr Stephen Taylor chairs a team studying how gravitational waves affect pulsars. | Northern Ireland | This week, scientists published evidence that supermassive black holes send shockwaves which distort space and time as they orbit each other.
One of the groups that made the discovery is the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOgrav) Collaboration, which is chaired by Northern Ireland native Dr Stephen Taylor.
The 35-year-old credits his love of all things space-related with seeing a partial solar eclipse during the summer of 1999, which also happened to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the first moon landing.
"The combination of those things and us learning about it at school - it just really sparked my imagination," Dr Taylor said.
He continued his education at Wallace High School in his home town of Lisburn and his passion for science, he says, never left him.
"I was always fascinated by it and that really played a big role in what subjects I chose for GCSE and A-level," he said.
Artist impression: Supermassive black holes at the heart of galaxies spiral in on each other, sending gravitational shock waves across the Universe
While studying for his A-level's, Dr Taylor went for work experience at a laser laboratory in Oxford.
It is there that he had a chance encounter with another Northern Ireland scientist whose work played a large role in his later research.
While at Oxford, he had the opportunity to attend a talk by Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell who discovered pulsars while a grad student at Cambridge.
Pulsars are dead stars which rotate and send out bursts of radio signals at extremely precise intervals.
"She gave a fantastic talk and I went up afterwards spouting the popular science I had read, thinking I knew everything," he said.
"But she was just really nice and kind of humoured me, if I am honest."
Pulsars would then be measured by Dr Taylor and his team in this latest paper.
"I think it's really nice that Northern Irish people are on both ends of this - because I certainly didn't hear accents like mine giving these kind of science interviews or talks," he said.
Dr Taylor then went on to do his undergraduate degree at Oxford, followed by a PhD at Cambridge looking at gravitational waves.
"At the time the idea was still theoretical. There were mainstream projects such as Ligo" - the US-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory - "but people were more focused on other aspects of physics.
"But my philosophy was, if I am going to do this I am going to enjoy it and this was what fascinated me most."
The first in his family to go to university, Dr Taylor said his parents always encouraged him to make choices that made him happy.
From there, the "Nasa-mad" Dr Taylor had the opportunity to work at the space agency's jet propulsion laboratory before spending some time at the California Institute of Technology.
This led him to begin taking up leadership roles, chairing a working group looking at gravitational waves and getting a permanent position at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
His team have been studying the signals which are emitted by pulsars and the affects of gravitational waves on their frequencies.
Dr Taylor described the radio beams from pulsars as being like light beams from a lighthouse. When the frequency at which they hit Earth changes, this shows gravitational waves as predicted by Einstein.
He said the most plausible cause of these waves is the orbit of supermassive black holes.
"We've seen loads of hints along the way but this is the first evidence in this kind of data set which is really exciting."
Dr Taylor said that, due to the frequencies, these black holes would be billions of times as massive as the sun and sit at the centres of galaxies.
"I never thought I would be involved in something like this. It was fun to be part of the physics and maths problems but I never thought it would get to this point," he said.
Dr Taylor said that the support of family, friends and his schools played a vital role.
"They never put up road blocks. I mean, if someone said they wanted to be a theoretical astrophysicist and try to make a big discovery, many would say, 'Catch yourself on'.
"But no-one ever really said that."
But it is not all plain sailing for people in Dr Taylor's field.
"It is not like in the movies, with a load of scientists around a computer saying, 'We got it; we're in'. There is no eureka moment.
"In this line of work it is a lot more about the small successes. The big breakthrough moments rarely happen and are often a long time coming."
Dr Taylor is looking forward to collaborating with similar projects around the world, combining their readings in order to learn more about these black holes and their gravitational affects. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66046717 |
Paris riots: Suburban mayor's wife hurt as rioters attack their home - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Attackers tried to set the house on fire before firing rockets at the mayor's fleeing wife and children. | Europe | Attackers in France tried to set fire to the home of a suburban Paris mayor's home overnight and fired rockets at the official's fleeing wife and children.
The incident has caused widespread shock and is being treated as attempted murder. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne described it as intolerable.
Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun was not at home, but his wife suffered a broken leg and a child was also hurt.
France has seen violent protests after police killed a teenager on Tuesday.
The suspects in the incident in L'Haÿ-les-Roses, south of Paris, have not been identified.
Mr Jeanbrun said he had been in his office overseeing the situation when the attack on his home occurred at 01:30 (23:30 GMT on Saturday).
The attackers used a car to ram through the gates of their home before setting the vehicle on fire so that the blaze would spread to the house, the mayor said in a statement.
Then when his wife, Melanie Nowak, tried to flee with the children, aged five and seven, they were attacked with firework rockets.
"A line has been crossed," he said.
"If my priority today is to take care of my family, my determination to protect and serve the Republic is greater than before," he added.
Attackers used a burning car to try to set Mayor Jeanbrun's home ablaze
The mayor, from the centre-right Les Republicains, has received widespread support from across the French political spectrum.
The public prosecutor's office has started an investigation for attempted murder.
The attack on Mayor Jeanbrun's home came during the fifth night of violent protests across France over the death of Nahel M, 17, who was shot by police at point-blank range during a traffic stop.
Around 45,000 police were deployed in France on Saturday to control the protests and the interior ministry said Saturday night had been quieter, with fewer arrests overall.
However there were more than 700 arrests across the country and more than 800 fires were lit by rioters during the course of the night, officials said.
Mr Jeanbrun had urged the French government earlier to impose a state of emergency in response to the riots, which President Emmanuel Macron has so far declined to do.
The French leader is due to meet with top officials later to discuss the crisis. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66079408 |
Watch: Mexican mayor weds caiman in harvest ritual - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | null | The ceremony is part of an age-old ritual in which the reptile represents mother earth. | null | A mayor of a small Mexican town has wed a caiman bride in an age-old ritual for prosperity. He could be seen kissing the reptile, whose snout had been tied shut.
The seven-year-old caiman, nicknamed 'little princess', is thought to represent a deity linked with mother earth. Her marriage to the local leader symbolises the joining of humans with the divine.
The tradition likely dates back centuries to Oaxaca state's Chontal and Huave indigenous communities. "It is the union of two cultures. The union of the Huaves and the Chontales," Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa told reporters. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-66082749 |
France shooting: How a teenager's death sparked riots - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | null | The death of 17-year-old Nahel M, during a traffic stop, has provoked anger across the country. | null | Intense and widespread rioting has been taking place across France, following the shooting of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop.
Video on social media showed the moment the police shooting of Nahel M took place, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on 27 June.
Riots erupted later that same day and have continued each day since, spreading throughout the country.
The officer involved has apologised to the family and been charged with voluntary homicide. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66068964 |
Aslef overtime ban sparks reduction in train services - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Fifteen train companies based in England will be hit from Monday to Saturday this week. | Business | Rail passengers are being warned of disruption for the next six days, due to an overtime ban by train drivers in the Aslef union.
Fifteen train companies based in England will be hit from Monday until Saturday, in the latest move in the long-running pay dispute.
Many will reduce their service levels, and passengers are being advised to check before they travel.
Aslef said the latest pay offer was like a return to "Victorian times".
Strikes by other rail workers in the RMT union are set to take place later this month, on 20, 22 and 29 July.
Most train companies rely on drivers working overtime to run their full schedules.
Among the disruption expected this week:
The long-running pay dispute by train drivers centres around union members accepting a deal worth 4% two years in a row, bringing drivers' average pay to £65,000. This offer has already been rejected by Aslef.
It would have been contingent on changes to working practices, which the employers and government - who dictate what is under discussion in talks - say are needed to cut costs and modernise how the railway runs.
"They wanted to go back to Victorian times, in relation to how we roster, how we recruit, how we do things," Aslef general secretary Mr Whelan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "The word 'reform' is 'want productivity for nothing'."
The union argues members, who have not had a pay rise in four years, should not have to sacrifice working conditions in return for a below-inflation wage increase.
Last month, Aslef members at 10 operators backed further strike action, meaning it could last for another six months if there is no settlement.
Mr Whelan said the situation was a "Westminster ideological problem" and claimed the union did not have issues in Scotland, Wales, with freight, the London Underground, Crossrail or Eurostar.
"We did 14 pay deals in the last 12 months. The only place we can't get a pay deal is with the Westminster government," he added.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said Aslef had rejected a "fair and affordable offer" without putting it to its members. "We ask Aslef to recognise the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better, more reliable railway with a strong long-term future," it added.
Aslef does not have any further strikes planned at present but said more dates could "quite possibly" be added soon.
Meanwhile, workers such as train guards in the RMT union are expected to walk out later this month in their dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.
The strike action has now lasted over a year. With no resolution in sight, the train companies are preparing to move ahead with plans to close hundreds of ticket offices.
The RDG said only 12% of tickets were now sold at station kiosks.
Its spokesperson said under proposed changes staff would be moved on to concourses to help and advise more customers. They added that employees and the public would be consulted about any changes.
But RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said last week his union would not "meekly sit by and allow thousands of jobs to be sacrificed or see disabled and vulnerable passengers left unable to use the railways as a result".
The union suggested it could take further industrial action over the issue. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66059122 |
Three teens charged with murder of boy found stabbed in London canal - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Three boys, aged 14, 15 and 17, are charged with murder and robbery after the stabbing of Victor Lee, 17. | London | Victor Lee died from stab wounds, the Met Police said
Three teenagers have been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Victor Lee, who was found dead in a canal in north-west London last Sunday.
Victor's body was pulled from the Grand Union Canal after police were called to reports of a stabbing. He was declared dead at the scene.
Three boys, aged 14, 15 and 17, were charged with murder and robbery on Saturday.
They are set to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Monday.
A post-mortem examination on Wednesday concluded that the 17-year-old from Ealing died from stab injuries.
Police are continuing to appeal to the public for information and witnesses, earlier asking for dashcam footage of anyone driving near Scrubs Lane between 17:15 and 18:15 on Sunday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66078488 |
France protests: Police throw tear gas in Marseille - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | null | Heavy clashes have been taking place between police and protesters all evening in the French city. | null | Footage widely shared online shows police using tear gas against people in the city of Marseille, in southern France.
The video is from Saturday evening and shows clashes taking place on La Canebière, which is the city's main avenue.
France has been rocked by five nights of unrest after police fatally shot a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent, Nahel, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66078692 |
Golden Ears Park: Missing Canadian teen found after 54-hour search - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Esther Wang disappeared in Golden Ears Park, Canada, sparking 16 search teams into action. | US & Canada | Esther Wang disappeared on Tuesday at Golden Ears Park in the province of British Columbia
A Canadian teenager has been found two days after she went missing in the wilderness of a vast provincial park.
Esther Wang, 16, disappeared after she was separated from her hiking group in the 555sq km (214sq mile) Golden Ears Park in British Columbia.
But the teen emerged uninjured from a trail on her own on Thursday.
Police said Ms Wang was recovering with her family.
"She's healthy, she's happy, she is with family. That's the best possible outcome for us," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Supt Wendy Mehat said in a statement.
"Esther's family has expressed sincere gratitude to all first responders and Search and Rescue groups," Supt Mehat added. "They are very thankful for this outcome and request privacy at this time."
Officials said Ms Wang emerged from the East Canyon trail on which she had initially gone missing at around 21:30 local time on Thursday (04:30 GMT Friday).
It is unclear how she was separated from her group. Local media reported that the group left a lookout point around 14:45 on Tuesday, and realised that Ms Wang was not with them around 15 minutes later.
The group leader returned to the lookout but could not find her, and so raised the alarm. A search was launched soon after.
Ms Wang was checked by emergency services, who determined that she was unharmed during the ordeal - with the exception of some mosquito bites. She was then permitted to return home with her parents.
"We're elated at the outcome of the search and Esther being returned to her family is what our objective was," search and rescue spokesperson Ryan Smith said.
"We used as many resources as we could. I'd like to thank our partner organizations, the RCMP, other first responders, the helicopter companies that assisted us in this exhaustive search." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66076558 |
Watch: 'Dark explorer' telescope launched into space - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | null | The launch is part of a mission that will map the cosmos to try and investigate so-called dark matter. | null | The Euclid telescope has successfully launched into space on a mission to understand some of the Universe's greatest mysteries.
The €1.4bn (£1.2bn) telescope was primed to go up on a Falcon-9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday.
Euclid's goal is to make an immense 3D map of the cosmos in a bid to better understand so-called dark matter and dark energy.
Researchers know virtually nothing about these phenomena, which appear to control the structure and expansion of the cosmos.
Although primarily a European Space Agency project, the mission also has significant scientific and engineering inputs from the US space agency Nasa.
Euclid will carry out its work from an observing position on the opposite side of our planet to the Sun. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66077409 |
Violence in French cities is 'not for Nahel', says family member - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A relative of the boy whose killing by French police sparked riots calls for an end to looting and burning. | Europe | Several schools have been targeted by the rioters. One of them is Nursery School Albert Samain – its canteen was severely damaged by the flames.
Some of the pupils wrote a sign and hung it outside the main entrance. It reads:
“Please do not burn the schools. It’s super important. Thank you.”
Marie is a mother-of-four, and spoke to us outside her home.
“We are scared for our children. They cried all night long, because of the fire and the explosions.”
Her son chimes in: “I couldn’t sleep because of the explosions. I thought they were going to burn our home. I thought they were going to burn me too.”
Yesterday we reported from an office building that was burned to the ground.
Today, residents told us that some of the people who set fire to it were directly related to the people who worked there. Several of them were their cousins.
The 500 employees who had offices there are likely to be temporarily laid off.
Kamel, a man in his 40s who’s lived in Roubaix his whole life, summed up what so many people in this area feel:
“These people are destroying their own communities and their own neighbourhood. The riots are incomprehensible.” | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-66073728 |
Jess Phillips is not racist, Labour's Bridget Phillipson says after online row - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A senior headteacher accused Ms Phillips of racism and bullying following a Twitter row. | UK Politics | Labour MP Jess Phillips is not racist, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said, following a social media row involving Ms Phillips and a prominent headteacher.
Katharine Birbalsingh - from the Michaela Community School - has accused Ms Phillips of racism and bullying.
On Sunday, Ms Phillipson said Ms Birbalsingh should raise any concerns through a formal parliamentary process.
Ms Birbalsingh had already written to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
The Twitter row began after Ms Birbalsingh posted a picture in May of the late popstar Tina Turner alongside Ms Turner's abusive ex-husband, Ike Turner, with the caption: "Good times."
In response, Ms Phillips, who is shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, wrote: "Domestic abuse is never OK and we will defeat those who prop up the status quo."
Shortly afterwards Ms Birbalsingh deleted the tweet, then posted: "To the lunatics accusing me of celebrating wife beating - I tweeted a gif with a number of photos of Tina.
"For some reason it rested on one photo which I didn't notice when I tweeted... nor did I know that was Ike."
She added that "the explanation is not that I like wife beating".
Later that same day - 24 May - Ms Phillips wrote on Twitter: "Seems that far from holding any kind of line that headteacher woman seems not to be able to take criticism of her actions. I'd be keen to hear of domestic abuse policies she has in her school or teaching plans, perhaps I'll write."
On Saturday, Ms Birbalsingh posted an open letter to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on her Twitter account, writing that Ms Phillips' behaviour was "a clear example of 'unconscious bias'".
In the four-page letter, she wrote that Ms Phillips "hates me, despite not knowing me, because she subscribes to the idea that black and Asian individuals in public life owe a duty to voice opinions that match with a left wing view of the world, or they are worthy of her contempt".
Ms Birbalsingh said that she was not suggesting Ms Phillips "hates all people of colour".
She added that Ms Phillips called into question her school's safeguarding policies "in a deliberate attempt to challenge my competence as a headteacher".
She said that after Ms Phillips' tweets, people contacted her institution saying it was "unsafe for female teachers and pupils". She said the Teaching Regulation Agency had been contacted with a demand that she be struck off.
Asked on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show whether she thought Ms Phillips was racist, Ms Phillipson said: "No, I don't. But I think it's important that, if people have concerns, if they're unhappy about the conduct of a member of parliament, that can be investigated as part of that process."
Ms Phillips did not refer to Ms Birbalsingh's ethnicity in any of her posts.
Ms Birbalsingh - dubbed Britain's strictest head teacher - attracted controversy during her time as the chair of the Social Mobility Commission between November 2021 and January 2023.
She came under fire last April for saying girls are less likely to choose physics A-level because it involves "hard maths" - later admitting her remarks had been "clunky".
She resigned as the government's top social mobility adviser in January saying that she was doing "more harm than good" in the role.
More recently, Ms Birbalsingh - who describes herself as a "floating voter" - spoke at the National Conservatism conference.
The BBC has contacted Ms Phillips for comment. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66081242 |
Nick Kyrgios withdraws from Wimbledon 2023 with wrist injury - BBC Sport | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | null | Last year's men's singles runner-up Nick Kyrgios withdraws from Wimbledon 2023 with a wrist injury. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with comprehensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, BBC Sport mobile app and Red Button.
Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from Wimbledon 2023 with a wrist injury.
The Australian, 28, lost to Novak Djokovic in last year's men's singles final and has only played one tournament this year because of a knee injury that required surgery.
Kyrgios announced on Sunday evening that he had torn a ligament in his wrist during his comeback.
"I'm really sad to say that I have to withdraw from Wimbledon this year," he posted on Instagram.
"I tried my hardest to be ready after my surgery and to be able to step on the Wimbledon courts again.
"During my comeback, I experienced some pain in my wrist during the week of Mallorca.
"As a precaution I had it scanned and it came back showing a torn ligament in my wrist.
"I tried everything to be able to play and I am disappointed to say that I just didn't have enough time to manage it before Wimbledon."I'll be back and, as always, I appreciate the support from all my fans."
Kyrgios was seeded 30th in SW19 and was set to face Belgian David Goffin in the opening round.
Wimbledon responded to Kyrgios' withdrawal by wishing him a "swift recovery" on social media.
"Sorry to hear your news Nick Kyrgios. Wishing you a swift recovery and hope to see you back on our courts next year," Wimbledon tweeted.
• None Who's playing who? Details of the Wimbledon draw
• None Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone
The start of an injury-hit season saw Kyrgios pull out of the Australian Open in January, a decision made on the eve of the tournament that left him "devastated".
Surgery on a cyst growing in his meniscus quickly followed and he was not able to return to competitive action until June.
Kyrgios suffered a first-round loss to China's Wu Yibing at the Stuttgart Open, struggling with his movement during a straight-set defeat, then pulled out of the Halle Open the following week.
He had been practising at the All England Club this week, saying his body felt "OK" after sets against fellow Australian Jordan Thompson and American Maxime Cressy.
Kyrgios, known for his fiery temperament as well as his exciting tennis, reached his maiden major final at Wimbledon last year. He took the opening set before losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
Britain's Joe Salisbury and American Rajeev Ram, three-time major men's doubles champions, were due to face Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinaki in their opening doubles match. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/66083104 |
John Caldwell shooting: Children 'witnessed horrors that no child should ever have to' - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was speaking publicly for the first time since he was shot in February. | Northern Ireland | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was speaking at an awards event
A senior detective has said that children present when he was shot at a sports complex in Omagh in County Tyrone in February witnessed "horrors that no child should ever have to".
Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was speaking at the Sunday Life's Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards on Friday night.
The shooting happened in front of schoolchildren, including his son.
Receiving a special award at the event he also praised the "amazing" medical staff who treated him.
"I am just sorry that these innocent children, including my own son, were subjected to such a harrowing ordeal," he said.
"I am so glad that my son and his friends were not injured, although I appreciate that any psychological trauma will take longer to recover from.
"We will get through it together," he added.
The shooting happened at a sports complex in Omagh
He also thanked those who helped him on the night he was targeted.
"To the brave people who ran to help me when I was shot - that took some guts as they were putting themselves in harm's way," he said.
"And thank you to the emergency services and the amazing medical staff who looked after me in many ways, for many months."
In a pre-recorded message played at the event, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the detective as "a true hero of Northern Ireland".
Mr Sunak visited him in hospital and met his family in April.
"When I visited him in his hospital bed, he was still thinking about the future of the society he loves," Mr Sunak said.
The event was Mr Caldwell's second public appearance since he left hospital in April.
It is understood he had a private meeting with King Charles during the monarch's first official visit to Northern Ireland after the coronation.
The chief constable said the PSNI was proud of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne also paid tribute to the senior officer.
In a recorded message, Mr Byrne said he was "proud of his determination and stoicism".
"As an organisation, we are so proud of what you have done and what you represent for us, both now and going forwards," he added.
The dissident republican group the New IRA said it carried out the shooting.
Seven men have appeared in court charged in relation to the attack.
They were remanded in custody to appear before Omagh Magistrates' Court on 27 June. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66075686 |
Orkney council to look at proposals to become territory of Norway - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The islands' councillors will consider a motion to investigate alternative forms of governance. | NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland | A previous vote in 2017 did not back full independence for Orkney
The Orkney Islands could change their status in the UK or even become a self-governing territory of Norway under new proposals.
A motion will go before the council next week to investigate "alternative forms of governance".
Council leader James Stockan said Orkney does not get fair funding with its current relationship within the UK.
He wants to look at Crown Dependencies like the Channel Islands and overseas territories like the Falkland Islands.
He suggested another possible future could be like the Faroe Islands - which is a self-governing territory of Denmark.
Councillor Stockan told BBC Radio Scotland there were many areas where Orkney was being "failed dreadfully" by both the UK and Scottish governments.
He said: "We are really struggling at the moment, we have to replace the whole ferry fleet which is older than the CalMac fleet.
"We are denied the things that other areas get like RET (Road Equivalent Tariff) for ferry fares.
"And the funding we get from the Scottish government is significantly less per head than Shetland and the Western Isles to run the same services - we can't go on as we are."
Council leader James Stockan says Orkney does not get fair funding within the UK
Mr Stockan said an in-depth study of the finances had never been carried out.
"We know that we have contributed for the last 40 years through north sea oil, and the dividend we get back isn't sufficient to keep us going," he said.
"We've got a unique opportunity right at the heart of all the wind projects round our waters."
Mr Stockan is urging councillors to back his idea to find new ways for Orkney to get greater financial security and economic opportunities for Orcadians.
Orkney Islands Council previously voted in 2017 to look at whether the islands could have greater autonomy.
While they wanted to have a "stronger voice", they did not back full independence for Orkney.
Mr Stockan's motion also cites British Crown Dependencies Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man as potential models to follow.
Orkney was held under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472
But he warns that a large amount of staff resource would be needed to investigate the options and consult the public.
"The council will decide whether it supports this motion and from there we will take our time, because we don't want to do this emotionally," he said.
"We want to look at all the practical implications and then we'll evaluate the results.
"We are looking for the very best position for future generations and our place in the world.
Mr Stockan also suggests that the council should investigate how Orkney could secure a "Nordic connection" with Denmark, Norway or Iceland.
Orkney was previously held under Norwegian and Danish control until it became part of Scotland in 1472.
The islands were used as security for the wedding dowry of Margaret of Denmark, the future wife of King James III of Scotland.
Mr Stockan said: "We were part of the Norse kingdom for much longer than we were part of the United Kingdom.
"On the street in Orkney people come up and say to me when are we going to pay back the dowry, when are we going back to Norway,
"There is a huge affinity and a huge deep cultural relationship there. This is exactly the moment to explore what is possible."
The UK government said it was providing £2.2bn to level up UK communities, including £50m to grow the economies of Scotland's Islands - including Orkney.
A spokesperson said: "We will always be stronger together as one United Kingdom, and we have no plans to change the devolution settlement."
The Scottish government said in 2023-24 Orkney Islands Council would receive £89.7m to fund services, with an extra £4.6m from an increase in council tax by 10%.
A Scottish government spokesperson said it was "committed to supporting island communities".
The motion will be discussed by Orkney Islands Council on Tuesday.
Additional reporting provided by Andrew Stewart at the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
• None Orkney steps up calls for more autonomy | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66066448 |
Wagner: Russians reflect on group's advance towards Moscow - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Russians have told the BBC they feared Wagner could unleash the violent tactics it uses in Ukraine on them. | Europe | The Wagner group entered the country via Rostov-on-Don in a bid to get closer to Moscow
A week on from the dramatic mutiny by Wagner forces, residents in Rostov-on-Don - the city the mercenary troops seized - have been reflecting on the events that rocked Russia.
In just 24 hours, leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, staged an insurrection, sending troops into the city of a million people and further on towards Moscow.
Due to the current laws against criticising the so-called "special military operation" in Russia, the BBC has chosen to protect the identities of the citizens who spoke to us.
One Rostov-on-Don local - who the BBC is calling Vadim - described the moment he spotted Wagner forces in the city.
"I had to leave my home that day just to pop out and get something from the shop. About ten or eleven, I saw these armed people that had closed off the road. They were checking cars, asking people for documents but passers-by were simply allowed to carry on walking," he told the BBC World Service's Weekend programme.
In Rostov, troops were positioned around the city
When Vadim got home, he started receiving calls from worried friends asking him if he was okay. He decided to stay at home for the rest of the day.
"If I am to speak of the feelings I experienced that day, I suppose you could say I was alarmed and perhaps even scared. We knew that Prigozhin had planned to do something and Wagner is known for its crimes in various countries.
"The association that we have of Wagner killing someone with a sledgehammer caused me to be afraid," he added.
Vadim says the war in Ukraine has changed the city completely. Its become more militarised and has a number of military hospitals and wounded people.
"The city is really quite close to the front and that's how it feels."
Anastasia, who was in Moscow, said that the uncertainty of the situation made her anxious
As Vadim sat at home in Rostov-on-Don, Anastasia was visiting Moscow from St Petersburg.
"We were checking the news together through the night and we woke up in the morning and there was even more news," she said. "That was intense".
Anastasia, also a pseudonym, was staying with a friend in the southwest of the city, where preparations for the arrival of Wagner forces had started. She wasn't frightened that the troops would overtake the capital, she said. What made her anxious was the sheer uncertainty of the situation.
"All these things that seemed unreal previously, were beginning to happen. And it was completely unclear what was coming next. It was kind of scary, that uncertainty," she recalled.
"When Prigozhin started his march to Moscow, we didn't have any optimistic scenarios or what will happen. No one around me was happy about Prigozhin taking Moscow," Anastasia said.
"All scenarios seemed pretty bad. And the only thing that kind of felt hopeful was that something seemed to be changing. Some factors were making it possible to change. And then it ended."
By the end of Saturday, Prigozhin called the advance off and ordered his men back to base. His troops had come within 124 miles (200km) of reaching Moscow.
They retreated and by Monday, Wagner troops started leaving the city of Rostov-on-Don.
In Rostov-on-Don, some Russians greeted the Wagner troops with open arms
Vadim said life in the city has returned to normal but everyone has been joking about the events of the past week.
"We've been saying that on Saturday there was a mutiny, Sunday there was a day off, Monday there was a fire in the zoo, Tuesday there was flooding because of heavy rain and on Wednesday there were some people fighting with knives."
In regards to the political situation in Russia right now, Vadim says there hasn't been stability in the country since the invasion of Ukraine.
"You know there's a saying in Chekov that in the first scene, the gun is hung on the wall and in the final scene, it fires. And you reap what you sow. So none of this is very unexpected." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66080682 |
The Ashes 2023: Ben Stokes unable to give England win over Australia at Lord's - BBC Sport | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | null | Yet another sublime century from Ben Stokes cannot prevent Australia beating England at Lord's in one of the most incredible and controversial finishes ever. | null | Second LV= Insurance Ashes Test, Lord's (day five of five)
Yet another staggering century from Ben Stokes was not enough to carry England to an astonishing second-Test victory over Australia at Lord's in one of the most incredible and controversial finishes in the history of the game.
In an effort up there with his match-winning knocks against Australia at Headingley four years ago and in the World Cup final against New Zealand on this ground, England captain Stokes belted 155 in what threatened to become the greatest innings ever played in Test cricket.
Supported by the courageous Stuart Broad, Stokes added 108 for the seventh wicket in little more than 20 overs, but finally miscued Josh Hazlewood with England 70 adrift of their target of 371.
He left to a rousing standing ovation and, without their inspirational skipper, England were bowled out for 327 to give Australia victory by 43 runs and a 2-0 series lead.
Stokes and Broad, the fiercest of Ashes competitors, were fuelled by a hugely contentious stumping of Jonny Bairstow, which left England needing 178 runs with just four wickets in hand.
Believing the ball to be dead, Bairstow wandered out of his ground as wicketkeeper Alex Carey under-armed the ball at the stumps. Australia celebrated and Bairstow was given out by TV umpire Marais Erasmus.
As the furious Bairstow departed, Lord's showered Australia with boos that would last for the rest of the day - some players were confronted by spectators in the Long Room, for which the Marylebone Cricket Club issued an apology.
On the field, Stokes channelled his frustration into some stunning hitting, hammering 38 runs from the next 16 balls he faced after the Bairstow dismissal and clubbing Cameron Green for three successive sixes to reach his century.
Stokes, who was dropped on 77 and twice on 114, made Australia pay with a total of nine maximums - a record for an Ashes innings.
But this was a miracle beyond even Stokes and Australia now need to win only one of the remaining three Tests to take victory in an Ashes series in this country for the first time in 22 years.
Somehow, players on both sides must regroup for the third Test at Headingley on Thursday.
Pace bowler Matthew Potts and leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who was called up as cover for Moeen Ali, have dropped out of England's squad for the third Test.
• None How an astonishing final day at Lord's unfolded
• None I wouldn't want to win in that manner - Stokes
• None TMS podcast: Super Stokes goes down in vain
Australia almost pay for poking the bear
Even by the standards of past Ashes dramas or daring Stokes feats, this was utterly sensational and will last longer in the memory than the eventual outcome of this series.
Whether or not the Bairstow decision was correct, or within the spirit of the game, Australia made the error of awakening Stokes and almost paid the ultimate price.
From England's 114-4 overnight, Stokes had to overturn being given lbw to Mitchell Starc on 39 in a stand of 132 with Ben Duckett, who played one hook too many and was well caught by Carey off Hazlewood for 83.
The wicket punctured English hope and seemed to put Australia on course for victory, only for the Bairstow controversy to change the course of the final day.
With Broad's determination to survive matched only by his eagerness to antagonise the Australians, Stokes slipped into a gear not seen since Headingley 2019.
When he belted a return catch through the hands of Pat Cummins, it felt like a personal blow directed at his opposite number.
Time and again he swatted enormous blows over the leg side. The three hits off Green, one of which was dropped over the boundary by Starc, were celebrated by increasingly loud cheers from a Lord's crowd that had reached fever pitch. The third six gave Stokes his 13th Test ton - he had taken 35 from 10 Green deliveries.
The arguing continued as the players left for lunch, Australia jeered all the way. Usman Khawaja and David Warner confronted spectators in the Long Room.
The break could have derailed England's momentum, but Stokes imperiously hit Hazlewood's second ball after the resumption back over his head for six and, in the same over, Steve Smith dropped a sitter at deep square leg, while a diving Carey just missed a glove down the leg side.
When Stokes was on strike, Australia had all nine fielders on the boundary, so he hit the ball into the crowd - twice more off Hazlewood. The fired-up Broad was trusted with one or two deliveries each over, bravely fending off bouncers. Australia, without injured spinner Nathan Lyon, had their minds scrambled into poor plans with the ball and mistakes in the field.
Just as Australia were out of ideas and Stokes was in complete control, an error came out of nowhere. A miscue off Hazlewood looped up for Carey and the excitement and expectation in Lord's was instantly deflated.
Ollie Robinson was out on the hook to Cummins, Broad in the same way to Hazlewood for 11 from 36 balls.
James Anderson, in what could be his last Lord's Test, was cheered all the way to the crease and took a sickening blow to the helmet off Starc.
Anderson added 25 for the last wicket with Josh Tongue before Tongue was bowled by Starc and the victorious Australians were again barracked off the field.
The Bairstow decision has already become one of the most infamous incidents in Ashes history, a moment that incensed the usually genteel Lord's crowd. On more than one occasion, there were chants of "cheat, cheat, cheat".
The laws of the game state: "The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler's end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play."
Carey clearly did not think the ball was dead - he threw it as soon as he could. Bairstow did believe it to be dead, with the added variable being the end of the over.
The key seems to be standing umpire Ahsan Raza, who was not watching the action and preparing to return a cap to bowler Green as the ball hit the stumps.
Though the decision appears correct by the letter of the law, Australia could have opted to withdraw their appeal.
That they did not almost cost them the match. It may yet have longer ramifications in this series.
England on the brink despite Stokes heroics
This is already an Ashes series for the ages, but the fact remains that England have to come from 2-0 down in order to lift the urn - something they have never done before.
The heroics of the final day came too late at Lord's. On the previous four they failed to take advantage of bowling on a dank first day and threw away wickets in their first innings with some infuriating batting. England dropped catches and, even at the beginning of Australia's second innings, had favourable conditions in which to bowl.
Moving forwards, England have problems to solve. There are fitness doubts over Ollie Pope, Mark Wood and Moeen Ali, and there is a need to refresh a pace attack that includes a tired-looking Anderson.
But, what has the final day at Lord's done to galvanise England and damage an Australia team that previously looked unstoppable?
The teams head to Leeds knowing England will receive fervent support and the Australians a hostile reception.
Headingley is the home of famous Ashes comebacks. England now need to start the most unlikely of them all.
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on Test Match Special: "There is a lot to talk about but the bottom line is that Australia are 2-0 up in the series with three more games to go."
England captain Ben Stokes: ""We nearly got there but nearly is not enough unfortunately. All we are thinking about is 3-2."
Australia captain Pat Cummins: "Another wonderful game, right down to the wire. Stokesy gave us a few heart-stopping moments and the crowd seemed to enjoy it."
Former England captain Michael Vaughan on TMS: "I said it from day one, England were too friendly. This has really shown England they can't be like that."
Australia batter Steve Smith: "Stokes is an unbelievable player, some of the things he can pull off. He's a freak." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66080512 |
Twitter temporarily restricts tweets users can see, Elon Musk announces - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Elon Musk says verified accounts can read up to 10,000 posts a day while unverified ones are limited to 1,000. | Technology | Twitter has applied a temporary limit to the number of tweets users can read in a day, owner Elon Musk has said.
In a tweet of his own, Mr Musk said unverified accounts are now limited to reading 1,000 posts a day.
For new unverified accounts, the number is 500. Meanwhile, accounts with "verified" status are currently limited to 10,000 posts a day.
The tech billionaire initially set stricter limits, but he changed these within hours of announcing the move.
Mr Musk said the temporary limits were to address "extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation".
He did not explain what was meant by system manipulation in this context.
"We were getting data pillaged so much that it was degrading service for normal users," Mr Musk explained on Friday, after users were presented with screens asking them to log in to view Twitter content.
The move was described as a "temporary emergency measure".
It is not totally clear what Mr Musk is referring to by data scraping, but it appears he means the scraping of large amounts of data used by artificial intelligence (AI) companies to train large language models, which power chatbots such as Open AI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard.
In simple terms, data scraping is the pulling of information from the internet. Large language models need to learn from masses of real human conversations. But the quality is vital to the success of a chatbot. Reddit and Twitter's huge trove of billions of posts are thought to be hugely important training data - and used by AI companies.
But platforms like Twitter and Reddit want to be paid for this data.
In April, Reddit's chief executive Steve Huffman told the New York Times that he was unhappy with what AI companies were doing.
"The Reddit corpus of data is really valuable," he said. "But we don't need to give all of that value to some of the largest companies in the world for free."
Twitter has already started charging users to access its application programming interface (API), which is often used by third party apps and researchers - which can include AI companies.
There are other potential reasons for the move too.
Mr Musk has been pushing people towards Twitter Blue, its paid subscription service. It's possible he is looking at a model where users will have to pay to get a full Twitter service - and access to unlimited posts.
Signalled by a blue tick, "verified" status was given for free by Twitter to high-profile accounts before Mr Musk took over as its boss. Now, most users have to pay a subscription fee from $8 (£6.30) per month to be verified, and can gain the status regardless of their profile.
According to the website Downdetector - which tracks online outages - a peak of 5,126 people reported problems accessing the platform in the UK at 16:12 BST on Saturday.
In the US, roughly 7,461 people reported glitches around the same time.
Initially, Mr Musk announced reading limits of 6,000 posts per day for verified accounts, 600 for unverified accounts, and 300 for new unverified accounts.
In another update Mr Musk said "several hundred organisations (maybe more) were scraping Twitter data extremely aggressively".
He later indicated there had been a burden on his website, saying it was "rather galling to have to bring large numbers of servers online on an emergency basis".
A server is a powerful computer that manages and stores files, providing services such as web pages for users.
Adam Leon Smith from BCS, the UK's professional body for IT, said the move was "very odd" as limiting users' scroll time would affect the company's advertising revenue.
Mr Musk bought the company last year for $44bn (£35bn) after much back and forth. He was critical of Twitter's previous management and said he did not want the platform to become an echo chamber.
Soon after taking over, he cut the workforce from just under 8,000 staff to about 1,500.
In an interview with the BBC, he said that cutting the workforce had not been easy.
Engineers were included in the layoffs and their exit raised concerns about the platform's stability.
But while Mr Musk acknowledged some glitches, he told the BBC in April that outages had not lasted very long and the site was working fine.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66077195 |
Jenin: Israeli military launches major operation in West Bank city - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Nine Palestinians are killed as troops carry out an air and ground assault in the West Bank city. | Middle East | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Explosions and gunfire as BBC reports from Jenin
There have been intense exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and armed Palestinian militants in Jenin refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military began what appears to be one of its most extensive operations in the territory in years with drone strikes early on Monday.
Nine Palestinians have been killed and 100 injured, health officials say.
Israel said it was putting a stop to Jenin being "a refuge for terrorism". Palestinians accused it of a war crime.
The Palestinian Red Crescent says its crews have evacuated 3,000 people - including patients and the elderly - from the camp to hospitals.
It says dozens of people had been detained by Israeli forces in their homes since early Monday, without being provided or allowed any food or drink.
The Israeli military said there was no specific timeline for ending the operation, but that it could be "a matter of hours or a few days".
Jenin has become a stronghold of a new generation of Palestinian militants who have become deeply frustrated by the Palestinian Authority's aging leadership and the restrictions of the Israeli occupation.
The city has seen repeated Israeli military raids in the past year as local Palestinians have carried out deadly attacks on Israelis. Other Palestinian attackers have hidden there.
In 2002, during the second Palestinian intifada, Israeli forces launched a full-scale incursion in Jenin. At least 52 Palestinian militants and civilians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed during 10 days of intense fighting.
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers were still operating inside Jenin on Monday night, more than 20 hours after the operation began.
As well as the hum of drones overhead, regular bursts of gunfire and the loud thuds of explosions came throughout the day from the densely populated refugee camp, which is home to some 18,000 people and is now declared a closed Israeli military zone.
Acrid smoke from burning tyres lit during protests also hung in the air above the city centre. A few young Palestinians were out on the streets, standing close to shuttered shops and staring nervously in the direction of the camp.
The Israeli military has cut off telephone communications and the electricity supply to the camp, making it difficult to get an accurate picture of what is happening. Palestinian medics have also been struggling to reach the dozens of injured there.
At the Palestinian hospital by the main entrance to the camp the mood was grim.
One man told the BBC: "I met my brother's friend. I went up to him and had barely said a few words when he dropped on the ground. I went to run away, then I got hit by two bullets."
Another man said there was a "massacre" in the camp.
"There are children and civilians and they're not letting them out," he added. "Our electricity is cut, they have dug up all our roads. The camp will be destroyed."
Jovana Arsenijevic of the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières told the BBC she was at a hospital that had seen more than 90 patients wounded by gunfire or shrapnel from explosive devices.
The Israeli military said it was acting on precise intelligence and did not to seek to harm civilians, but many have been caught in the crossfire.
The military allowed about 500 Palestinian families to leave the camp on Monday night. Some raised their hands or waved makeshift white flags in a gesture of surrender.
People told the BBC that some men and teenaged boys had been stopped by soldiers, and kept behind.
Hundreds of Israeli forces are on the ground in Jenin, said to be seizing weapons and explosives
The first drone strike overnight targeted an apartment that the military said was being used as a hideout for Palestinians who had attacked Israelis and as a "joint operational command centre" for the Jenin Brigades - a unit made up of different Palestinian militant groups including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Drones were used for further air strikes and a brigade-size force of troops was deployed in what a military spokesman described as a "counter-terrorism operation" focused on seizing weapons and breaking "the safe haven mindset of the camp, which has become a hornet's nest".
In the past year and a half, Palestinians behind some 50 attacks targeting Israelis have come from Jenin, according to the military.
As armed Palestinians began fighting back from inside the camp, the Jenin Brigades said: "We will fight the occupation [Israeli] forces until the last breath and bullet, and we work together and unified from all factions and military formations."
The Palestinian health ministry said nine Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces, including three in the overnight drone strike. They all appeared to be young men or in their late teens - some confirmed as belonging to armed groups.
The ministry warned that the death toll might rise because 20 of the injured were in a critical condition.
Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire during a related protest near the West Bank city of Ramallah, it added.
The Israeli military said the Palestinians killed in Jenin were affiliated to militant groups.
Troops had also apprehended some 50 militants during the operation, and seized weapons and ammunition, it added.
On Monday evening, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised its forces for entering what he called the "nest of terrorists" and asserted that they were doing so "with minimal injury to civilians".
"We will continue this action as long as necessary in order to restore quiet and security," he added.
There was a furious response to the operation from the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Mohammed Shtayyeh.
"What's going on is an attempt to erase the refugee camp completely and displace the residents," he said.
Neighbouring Jordan said the operation was "a clear violation of international humanitarian law", but the US expressed its support for what it called "Israel's security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups".
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the plan was not to expand the military operation outside Jenin, but already Palestinian protests have reached the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip. And the longer this action goes on in Jenin, the greater the risk of another dangerous, wider escalation.
The Jenin Brigade group has said its militants will fight back with their "last breath and bullet"
There has been a surge of violence in the West Bank in recent months.
On 20 June, seven Palestinians were killed during an Israeli raid in Jenin which saw the military's first use of an attack helicopter in the West Bank in years.
The next day, two Hamas gunmen shot dead four Israelis near the settlement of Eli, 40km (25 miles) to the south.
A Palestinian man was later shot dead during a rampage by hundreds of settlers in the nearby town of Turmusaya.
That week also saw three Palestinian militants from Jenin killed in a rare Israeli drone strike.
Since the start of the year, more than 140 Palestinians - both militants and civilians - have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, while another 36 have been killed in the Gaza Strip.
Twenty-four Israelis, two foreigners and a Palestinian worker have been killed in attacks or apparent attacks by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank. All were civilians except one off-duty serving soldier and a member of the Israeli security forces.
Additional reporting by Rushdi Abu Alouf in Gaza City and Robert Greenall in London | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-66083295 |
Hachiko: The world's most loyal dog turns 100 - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Akita Inu has been lionised in Japan and beyond as a symbol of devotion and fidelity. | Asia | A statue of Hachiko has stood outside Shibuya station in Tokyo since 1948
The Chinese tagline on the movie poster says it all: "I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes."
It tells the true story of Hachiko, the faithful dog that continued to wait for its master at a train station in Japan long after his death.
The cream white Akita Inu, born 100 years ago, has been memorialised in everything from books to movies to the cult science fiction sitcom Futurama. And the Chinese iteration - the third after a Japanese version in 1987, and the Richard Gere-starrer in 2009 - is a hit at the box office.
There have been tales of other devoted hounds such as Greyfriars Bobby, but none with the global impact of Hachiko.
A bronze statue of him has stood outside Shibuya Station in Tokyo, where he waited in vain for a decade, since 1948. The statue was first erected in 1934 before being recycled for the war effort during World War Two. Japanese schoolchildren are taught the story of Chuken Hachiko - or loyal dog Hachiko - as an example of devotion and fidelity.
Hachiko represents the "ideal Japanese citizen" with his "unquestioning devotion", says Professor Christine Yano of the University of Hawaii - "loyal, reliable, obedient to a master, understanding, without relying upon rationality, their place in the larger scheme of things".
Hachiko was born in November 1923 in the city of Odate in Akita prefecture, the original home of Akitas.
A large-sized Japanese dog, the Akita is one of the country's oldest and most popular breeds. Designated by the Japanese government as a national icon in 1931, they were once trained to hunt animals like wild boar and elk.
"Akita dogs are calm, sincere, intelligent, and brave [and] obedient to their masters," said Eietsu Sakuraba, author of an English language children's book about Hachiko. "On the other hand, it also has a stubborn personality and is wary of anyone other than its master."
The year Hachiko was born, Hidesaburo Ueno, a renowned agricultural professor and a dog lover, asked a student to find him an Akita puppy.
Hachiko became nationally known in Japan after a newspaper article in 1932
After a gruelling train journey, the puppy arrived at the Ueno residence in Shibuya district on 15 January 1924, where it was initially thought dead. According to Hachiko's biographer, Prof Mayumi Itoh, Ueno and his wife Yae nursed him back to health over the next six months.
Ueno named him Hachi, or eight in Japanese. Ko is an honorific bestowed by Ueno's students.
Ueno took a train to work several times a week. He was accompanied to Shibuya station by his three dogs, including Hachiko. The trio would then wait there for his return in the evening.
On 21 May 1925, Ueno, then 53, died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Hachiko had been with him for just 16 months.
"While people were attending the wake, Hachi smelled Dr Ueno from the house and went inside the living room. He crawled under the coffin and refused to move," writes Prof Itoh.
Hachiko spent the next few months with different families outside Shibuya but eventually, in the summer of 1925, he ended up with Ueno's gardener Kikusaburo Kobayashi.
Having returned to the area where his late master lived, Hachiko soon resumed his daily commute to the station, rain or shine.
"In the evening, Hachi stood on four legs at the ticket gate and looked at each passenger as if he were looking for someone," writes Prof Itoh. Station employees initially saw him as a nuisance. Yakitori vendors would pour water on him and little boys bullied and hit him.
However, he gained nationwide fame after Japanese daily Tokyo Asahi Shimbun wrote about him in October 1932.
The station received donations of food for Hachiko each day, while visitors came from far and wide to see him. Poems and haikus were written about him. A fundraising event in 1934 to make a statue of him reportedly drew a crowd of 3,000.
Hachiko's eventual death on 8 March 1935 made the front page of many newspapers. At his funeral, Buddhist monks offered prayers for him and dignitaries read eulogies. Thousands visited his statue in the following days.
Hachiko's statue is a popular spot and often a place for political protests
In impoverished post-war Japan, a fundraising drive for a new statue of Hachiko even managed to raise 800,000 yen, an enormous sum at the time, worth about 4bn yen (£22m; $28m) today.
"In retrospect, I feel that he knew that Dr Ueno would not come back, but he kept waiting - Hachiko taught us the value of keeping faith in someone," wrote Takeshi Okamoto in a newspaper article in 1982. As a high school student, he had seen Hachiko at the station daily.
Every year on 8 April, a memorial service for Hachiko is held outside Shibuya Station. His statue is often decorated with scarves, Santa hats and, most recently, a surgical mask.
His mount is on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo. Some of his remains are interred at the Aoyama Cemetery, alongside Ueno and Yae. Statues of him have also been cast in Odate, Ueno's hometown Hisai, the University of Tokyo and Rhode Island, the American setting for the 2009 movie.
Odate also has a series of events lined up this year for his 100th birthday.
Will the world's most loyal dog still be celebrated a century from now? Prof Yano says yes because she believes the "heroism of Hachiko" is not defined by any particular period - rather it is timeless.
Mr Sakuraba is equally optimistic. "Even 100 years from now, this unconditional, devoted love will remain unchanged, and the story of Hachiko will live on forever." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65259426 |
France shooting: Who was Nahel M, shot by French police in Nanterre? - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | He was learning to be an electrician and played rugby league but died at a police check near Paris. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: 'They've taken my baby' - Mother of teen shot by police
The killing of Nahel M, 17, has sparked riots in cities across France as well as the town of Nanterre to the west of Paris where he grew up.
An only child brought up by his mother, he had been working as a takeaway delivery driver and played rugby league.
His education was described as chaotic. He was enrolled at a college in Suresnes not far from where he lived, to train to be an electrician.
Those who knew Nahel, who was of Algerian descent, said he was well-loved in Nanterre where he lived with his mother Mounia and had apparently never known his father.
His record of attendance of college was poor. Nahel had been in trouble before and was known to police, but family lawyers stressed he had no criminal record.
He had given his mother a big kiss before she went to work, with the words "I love you, Mum".
Shortly after nine in the morning on Tuesday he was fatally shot in the chest, point-blank, at the wheel of a Mercedes car for driving off during a police traffic check. At 17 he was too young for a licence.
"What am I going to do now?" asked his mother. "I devoted everything to him," she said. "I've only got one, I haven't got 10 [children]. He was my life, my best friend."
His grandmother spoke of him as a "kind, good boy".
"A refusal to stop doesn't give you a licence to kill," said Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure. "All the children of the Republic have a right to justice."
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Nahel had spent the past three years playing for the Pirates of Nanterre rugby club. He had been part of an integration programme for teenagers struggling in school, run by an association called Ovale Citoyen.
The programme was aimed at getting people from deprived areas into apprenticeships and Nahel was learning to be an electrician.
Ovale Citoyen president Jeff Puech was one of the adults locally who knew him best. He had seen him only a few days ago and spoke of a "kid who used rugby to get by".
"He was someone who had the will to fit in socially and professionally, not some kid who dealt in drugs or got fun out of juvenile crime," Mr Puech told Le Parisien.
He praised the teenager's "exemplary attitude", a far cry from what he condemned as a character assassination of him painted on social media.
He had got to know Nahel when he lived with his mother in the Vieux-Pont suburb of Nanterre before they moved to the Pablo Picasso estate.
Shortly after his death an ambulance man, Marouane, launched a tirade against a police officer, explaining later that he knew the boy as if he was his little brother. He had seen him grown up as a kind, helpful child. "He never raised a hand to anyone and he was never violent," he told reporters.
His mother believes the police officer who shot him "saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life". She told France 5 TV she blamed only the one person who fired the shot, not the police: "I have friends who are officers - they're with me wholeheartedly."
"May Allah grant him mercy," read a banner unfurled over the Paris ring road outside Parc des Princes stadium.
Flowers were left at the site where Nahel died
"Police violence happens every day, especially if you're Arab or black," said one young man in another French city calling for justice for Nahel.
But the family's lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, said this was not about racism, but about justice.
"We have a law and judicial system that protects police officers and it creates a culture of impunity in France," he told the BBC.
Nahel had been the subject of as many as five police checks since 2021 - what is known as a refus d'obtempérer - refusing to comply with an order to stop.
When he was stopped by police, he was driving a Mercedes with Polish number plates, with two passengers and no licence.
As recently as last weekend, he had reportedly been placed in detention for refusing to comply and was due to appear before a juvenile court in September.
His name was on a police file called a Taj, used by authorities for a variety of investigations.
Last September a judge imposed a "disciplinary measure". Most of the trouble he got into involved cars: driving without a licence or insurance and using false number plates.
But Nahel had never been convicted, said family lawyer Jennifer Cambla, and had no criminal record. Being known to police was not the same as a criminal record, because he had never been tried for anything listed on his police file, she told French TV.
"I think in this kind of suburb it's pretty rare that a young person hasn't been stopped by police or hasn't been in custody," Ms Cambla said.
The riots that his death has provoked are a reminder for many in France of the events of 2005, when two teenagers, Zyed Benna and Bouna Traoré, were electrocuted as they fled police after a game of football and ran into an electricity substation in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.
"It could have been me, it could have been my little brother," a Clichy teenager called Mohammed told French website Mediapart. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66052104 |
NHS staff sickness hits record high in England - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The equivalent of 75,000 staff are lost to illness, as the absence rate jumps 29% since before the pandemic. | Health | Staff sickness in the NHS in England has reached record levels.
Figures for 2022 show an absence rate - the proportion of days lost - of 5.6%, meaning the NHS lost the equivalent of nearly 75,000 staff to illness.
This is higher than during the peak pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 - and a 29% rise on the 2019 rate.
Mental health problems were the most common cause, responsible for nearly a quarter of absences, the Nuffield Trust analysis of official NHS data shows.
Big rises were also seen in cold, coughs, infections and respiratory problems, likely to be linked to the continued circulation of Covid as well as the return of flu last year.
There were three categories covering these types of illnesses. If combined, they would be responsible for more sickness than mental health.
The think tank warned the NHS was stuck in a "seemingly unsustainable cycle" of increased work and burnout, which was contributing to staff leaving.
The analysis, exclusively for BBC News, comes ahead of the publication of the government and NHS England's long-awaited workforce plan.
Nuffield Trust senior fellow Dr Billy Palmer said: "The health service is grappling with a difficult new normal when it comes to staff sickness leave.
"There has been a lot of focus on recruitment but we need more endeavour to improve the working conditions of existing staff and protect them from illness.
"The workforce plan needs to have concrete support to enable employers to improve NHS staff experience if the service is to break this cycle of staff absences, sickness and leaving rates."
The NHS sickness rate, the highest since records began, in 2010, is above the public sector average of 3.6%.
The Nuffield Trust warned it was likely to be an undercount of the true figure as not every absence would have been recorded.
And while recording systems differed in Wales and Scotland, it was clear those nations were also seeing increased levels of sickness in the NHS.
Miriam Deakin, of NHS Providers, which represents health managers, said the findings "laid bare the psychological strain on staff".
She said the absences came on top of 110,000 vacancies in the health service and warned the situation was having a "knock-on effect on patient care".
Unison head of health Sara Gorton said the rise in illness was due to the "unrelenting pressure" on the NHS.
"Until the NHS has sufficient employees to care for and treat all the people needing its help, absence levels will keep going through the roof. If there's to be a healthy NHS, it first needs a healthy workforce."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said high rates of Covid at the start of 2022 would have had an influence on the figures.
"For those staff that need it the NHS provides physical and mental health support - including targeted psychological support and treatment," she added.
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Lord Kerslake: Former Civil Service head dies aged 68 - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | He was Cabinet Secretary between 2012 and 2014 during David Cameron's coalition government. | UK Politics | Lord Kerslake, a former head of the Civil Service, has died at the age of 68.
Lord Kerslake, who had been diagnosed with cancer, died on Saturday, his sister and daughter announced on Twitter.
He led the Civil Service between January 2012 and September 2014, during David Cameron's coalition government.
He had recently been working with the Labour Party on its preparations for the next general election.
Bath-born Lord Kerslake started his career in local government with the Greater London Council, and was knighted in the 2005 New Year honours list for services to local government.
As Bob Kerslake, he served as chief executive of Sheffield City Council between 1997 and 2008, before heading to the Homes and Communities Agency.
He was permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government from 2010 to 2015 - he retained this role when he became the head of the Civil Service.
He left the Civil Service in 2015, he became chair of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and chair of the board of governors at Sheffield Hallam University.
He was also president of the Local Government Association from 2015 to 2021, and chaired the independent investigation into the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, which reported in 2018.
He was introduced as a crossbench life peer in the House of Lords in 2015.
Following the news of his death, senior Labour figures paid tribute, including party leader Sir Keir Starmer, who described Lord Kerslake as a "talented public servant, utmost professional, and a good man... rightly respected across Westminster for his experience and wisdom".
Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy described him as "an endless source of advice and encouragement," adding that his knowledge of both central and local government was "unparalleled".
The chairman of the FDA union, David Penman, said he was "an engaging and committed leader of the Civil Service".
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Lord Kerslake's "kindness and commitment to improving our city and country will always be remembered".
As well as his political commitments, Lord Kerslake was the chair of the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The theatre group said they were "deeply saddened" by his death.
"Lord Kerslake guided the organisation with generosity, passion and kindness," the statement from the Crucible Theatre added, "we are so grateful for his huge contribution to our theatres and our city". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66080174 |
Spilled milk closes the M6 motorway after tanker crash - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The M6 near Preston was closed for most of the day after milk spilled on to both carriageways. | Lancashire | The M6 was closed for most of the day after the tanker crash and spilled milk
The M6 was closed after a large quantity of milk spilled on to the carriageway when a tanker crashed.
It hit the central reservation while travelling north between junctions 31 and 32 near Preston at about 07:00 BST and then crashed through into the southbound carriageway.
Lancashire Police said the motorway was closed for "most of the day" after the spillage, but later reopened.
The male driver and woman passenger were injured and taken to hospital.
A male driver and his female passenger were injured in the crash which caused a large milk spillage
Ch Insp Patrick Worden said emergency teams had need time to recover the tanker and "due to the large scale milk and diesel spillage", the motorway's surface had to be "treated appropriately".
Drivers were advised to make plans for alternate routes while the closure was in place.
A police representative said even though the road had reopened, traffic was "expected to be slow moving and congested for some time so please avoid the area where possible".
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-66080113 |
Ukraine war corrosive for Vladimir Putin - CIA boss - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | William J Burns says dissatisfaction with the conflict in Russia is a valuable recruiting tool. | Europe | William J Burns said the failure of the Ukraine war risked undermining Vladimir Putin's leadership of Russia
The Ukraine war is having a "corrosive" effect on Vladimir Putin's leadership of Russia, according to the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Russian disaffection over the war is providing new opportunities for the CIA to collect intelligence, the agency's Director William J Burns said.
America's top spy made the comments while delivering the annual lecture at the Ditchley Foundation in the UK.
He was speaking a week after the mutiny by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Mr Burns said everyone had been "riveted" by the scenes last Saturday of Prigozhin's "armed challenge" to Moscow, when his Wagner mercenary forces marched towards Russia's capital.
Prigozhin's actions were "a vivid reminder of the corrosive effect of Putin's war on his own society and his own regime", he said.
The CIA director said the impact not just of Prigozhin's actions but also his statements - which included an indictment of both the rationale and execution of Russia's invasion - would play out for some time.
"Disaffection with the war will continue to gnaw away at the Russian leadership," Mr Burns said in his prepared remarks.
"That disaffection creates a once in a generation opportunity for us at CIA," referring to the role of the agency in recruiting human agents to provide intelligence.
"We are not letting it go to waste," he said to laughter from the audience. "We are very much open for business."
The CIA has recently launched a new social media campaign to try and reach people in Russia, including a video posted to the Telegram social media site, which is widely used by Russians. The campaign provided instructions on how to contact the CIA on the dark web without being monitored.
This video gained 2.5 million views in the first week.
Director Burns also reiterated the message other US officials have previously made in public that the US had no part in Prigozhin's mutiny.
He did not directly address recent reports in the Washington Post that he made a secret visit to the Ukrainian capital before the mutiny.
It was reported that discussions included the possibility that progress in Ukraine's counter-offensive might open the way for negotiations from a position of greater strength if substantial territory was taken.
Mr Burns - who previously served as the US Ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008 - said spending much of the last two decades trying to understand Russian President Putin had given him a "healthy dose of humility about pontificating about Putin and Russia".
But he added that one thing that he had learnt was that it was always a mistake to underestimate Mr Putin's fixation on controlling Ukraine.
The Russian leader believed that without Ukraine, Russia could not be a major power and Mr Putin himself could not be a great leader, he said.
"That tragic and brutish fixation has already brought shame to Russia and exposed its weaknesses," Mr Burns said.
"Putin's war has already been a strategic failure for Russia: its military weaknesses laid bare, its economy badly damaged for years to come, its future as a junior partner and economic colony of China being shaped by Putin's mistakes."
Turning to China, the CIA boss said it would be foolish for the US to attempt to decouple because of the deep economic interdependence between the two countries.
"China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do so," he said.
The US should instead "sensibly de-risk and diversify by securing resilient supply chains, protecting our technological edge and investing in industrial capacity", he added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66076564 |
France shooting: Macron accuses rioters of exploiting teen killed by police - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | At a crisis meeting, France's president condemns three nights of riots as "unjustifiable". | Europe | Emmanuel Macron has accused protesters of exploiting the death of a teenager shot by police at point-blank range.
At a crisis meeting, France's president said more officers would be deployed to contain the violence, but stopped short of declaring a state of emergency.
He urged parents to keep rioting children at home and social media platforms to remove certain content.
France has been rocked by three nights of unrest after Nahel M, 17, was killed as he drove away from a traffic stop.
More than 915 arrests were made on Thursday night alone, officials said, and the government announced it would deploy 45,000 police officers in a bid to contain further violence.
Mr Macron said that about a third of those arrested for rioting were "young, or very young", with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin later clarifying that some were as young as 13.
Imploring parents to take action, he said it was their "responsibility" to keep any child intending to protest "at home".
Mr Macron condemned the violence of the last three days "with the greatest firmness" and said Nahel's death had been used to justify acts of violence - calling it an "unacceptable exploitation of the adolescent's death".
He also urged social media companies such as TikTok and Snapchat to take down "the most sensitive types of content" that had been posted, and supply authorities with the names of people using their services to organise violence.
A spokesperson for Snapchat said it had a "zero tolerance" for content that promoted violence and hatred, and would continue to monitor the situation closely.
From Lille and Roubaix in the north to Marseille in the south, shops were ransacked across France on Thursday night, streets were badly damaged and cars set on fire. The interior ministry said there had been more than 3,880 fires on public roads, compared with 2,391 on Wednesday.
Police in Marseille, France's second-largest city, had already arrested 80 people by Friday evening. It followed more clashes between protesters and riot police.
Public transport halted early in some places and curfews were enforced, with a nationwide curb on buses and trams running from 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
The damage in cities such as Roubaix became apparent as night turned to day on Friday
Some public events have also been cancelled, including two concerts by French pop star Mylène Farmer, due to take place at the Stade de France just outside Paris on Friday and Saturday night.
France's capital has been at the heart of the unrest because Nahel lived in Nanterre, a north-west Parisian suburb, and was killed there just after 09:00 on Tuesday.
He was shot after refusing to stop for a traffic check and died after emergency services attended the scene. A video, shared online in the hours following Nahel's death, showed two police officers trying to stop the vehicle and one pointing his weapon at the driver.
The officer who fired the fatal shot has since been charged with voluntary homicide and apologised to the family. His lawyer said he is devastated.
Nahel's death has reignited debate around the state of French policing, including a controversial 2017 firearms law which allows officers to shoot when a driver ignores an order to stop.
More widely, it has led to questions of racism in the force. The UN's human rights office said the unrest was a chance for France "to address deep issues of racism in law enforcement".
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A spokeswoman pointed to a recent report by the UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination, which last December expressed concern at aspects of French policing, including what the report suggested was the disproportionate use of identity checks and imposition of fines on specific ethnic groups.
Nahel's mother, Mounia, made her own accusations, saying the officer who shot her son "didn't have to kill" him.
"He saw the face of an Arab, of a little kid, he wanted to take his life," she told broadcaster France 5. Nahel was of Algerian descent.
On Thursday, Mounia led a largely peaceful march of more than 6,000 people in Nanterre. Wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan "Justice pour Nahel" ("Justice for Nahel"), she said she hoped the tribute would be an opportunity for the community in and around Paris to remember her only child.
By late afternoon, the march had descended into violence, sparking the third night of unrest. Police fired tear gas at masked protesters who set fire to various objects, with people thought to have been out on the streets until the early hours of Friday morning.
Nahel's funeral is due to be held in Nanterre on Saturday morning.
In the UK, travellers have been warned to expect disruptions when trying to reach France over the weekend. The Foreign Office told people to "monitor the media, avoid protests, check the latest advice with operators when travelling and follow the advice of the authorities". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66069080 |
France shooting: Calmer night despite protests over Nahel M's killing, minister says - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A total of 719 people were arrested as disturbances gripped Marseille and other cities with Paris quieter. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
France has seen a quieter night of protests over the death of a teenager shot by police at point-blank range, the interior minister says.
There were fewer arrests compared to previous nights - 719 - with the worst clashes in the southern city Marseille.
In the Paris suburb L'Haÿ-les-Roses, attackers rammed a car into the house of the mayor, injuring his wife as she tried to flee with their two children.
French cities have seen unrest since the police shooting of a teenager.
Nahel M, 17, was shot during a traffic stop on Tuesday. Large crowds turned out for his funeral on Saturday.
In a tweet, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin praised law enforcement for their "resolute action" which had led to a "calmer night".
Around 45,000 police were deployed across the country for a second night on Saturday.
More than 1,300 arrests were made on Friday night and more than 900 on Thursday.
Officials hope that a turning-point may have been reached - that rioters are losing energy thanks to the security crackdown and the massive unpopularity of their exactions.
However, until more nights of quiet confirm the trend, no-one is assuming anything.
In Marseille, heavy clashes took place between police and rioters throughout Saturday evening.
In footage circulating online, police can be seen using tear gas against people in the city.
The video shows the clashes taking place on La Canebière, the main avenue in the heart of Marseille.
French media report that fighting took place between a large group of rioters and officers.
There was a heavy police presence along the iconic Champs-Élysée in Paris
In Paris, large numbers of police were seen along the iconic Champs-Élysées avenue.
There had been calls on social media for protesters to gather there but the police presence seems to have kept most of them away.
The capital's police said they made 194 arrests. The Paris region stopped all buses and trams after 21:00 for a second night running.
L'Haÿ-les-Roses Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun said his wife and one of his children had been injured when fleeing an attacker who had rammed his house with a car and then set the car on fire.
He called it "a murder attempt of unspeakable cowardice".
In the northern city of Lille, police special forces were seen on the streets. Images from the city overnight showed firefighters extinguishing blazes in cars that had been set alight by rioters.
Twenty-one people were arrested in the city of Lyon. Clashes were also reported in Nice and Strasbourg.
Nahel's funeral service was held at the mosque in Nanterre earlier on Saturday.
Supporters of the family told the news media to keep away. All filming - even on phones - was banned: "No Snapchat, no Insta," mourners were told.
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Nahel was shot after refusing to stop for a traffic check and died after emergency services attended the scene. A video, shared online in the hours following Nahel's death, showed two police officers trying to stop the vehicle and one pointing his weapon at the driver.
The officer who fired the fatal shot has since been charged with voluntary homicide and apologised to the family. His lawyer said he was devastated.
Nahel's death has reignited debate around the state of French policing, including a controversial 2017 firearms law which allows officers to shoot when a driver ignores an order to stop.
More widely, it has led to questions of racism in the force. The UN's human rights office said the unrest was a chance for France "to address deep issues of racism in law enforcement".
President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence on Friday "with the greatest firmness" and said Nahel's death had been used to justify acts of violence - calling it an "unacceptable exploitation of the adolescent's death". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66078723 |
London Pride: Seven arrests as Just Stop Oil protest delays parade - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police removed protesters who briefly disrupted the parade which saw thousands gather to celebrate. | London | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Seven Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested while trying to halt the annual Pride parade in central London.
Images on social media showed police removing demonstrators who managed to briefly stop the march.
The Metropolitan Police said seven people were arrested for public nuisance offences.
Before the parade started, LGBTQ+ Just Stop Oil members called on Pride to stop accepting sponsorship money from "high-polluting industries".
Organisers estimate more than 30,000 participants from across 600 organisations took part in the parade.
Speaking after the arrests, Will De'Athe-Morris, from Pride in London said he did not want the protest to overshadow the parade's core message.
"Pride is a protest and pride is a celebration," he told the BBC. "We are protesting for LGBT+ rights and for our trans siblings, who must never march alone."
"So for us anyone who tries to disrupt that protest and parade is really letting down those people who use this space once a year to come together to celebrate and protest for those rights."
Protesters stopped in front of a Coca-Cola float in Piccadilly
Police said the parade was briefly delayed for around 17 minutes while officers dealt with the protesters at Piccadilly's junction with Down Street.
BBC Radio London's Rob Oxley said the protesters "sat down in front of the Coke float for around 20 minutes".
"The DJ on the float continued to play music and the crowd cheered as they were removed."
Organisers estimated around 30,000 participants from across 600 organisations took part in the parade
Before the parade started, LGBTQ+ members of Just Stop Oil called on organisers to condemn new oil, gas and coal licences.
"These partnerships embarrass the LGBTQ+ community at a time when much of the cultural world is rejecting ties to these toxic industries," they said in a statement.
LGBTQ+ people are "suffering first" in the "accelerating social breakdown" caused by climate change, they added.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says many people involved in the parade are passionate about tackling climate change, but disruption isn't the right approach
The procession started at midday at Hyde Park Corner and people peacefully made their way through Westminster's streets - it finished at Whitehall Place.
A number of stages hosted performances from LGBTQ+ acts as part of the celebrations.
The parade began at Hyde Park Corner and weaved its way through central London - it is due to end at Whitehall Place
Mr De'Athe-Morris urged protesters not to "rain on this parade".
"There are so many more opportunities during the year to share your messages, please don't try and rain on this parade," he said.
"We don't want to see a day marred in any way by people trying to disrupt it."
Earlier, Sadiq Khan described Just Stop Oil as a "really important pressure group" despite the disruption threats. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66074939 |
French teen shooting: Piecing together what happened - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Prosecutors are due to interview a witness after he posted a version of events online. | Europe | A video still from the fatal Paris traffic stop shooting
Prosecutors have begun piecing together what happened before the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nahel M by a police officer.
The officer has been charged with homicide and remains in custody.
In their outline of events after questioning eyewitnesses and reviewing CCTV footage, prosecutors say the teenage driver had already ignored a police demand to stop, when officers caught up with the car and drew their weapons.
Meanwhile an account has been posted online by one of the passengers, which French media say they have verified but the BBC has not.
In this account the passenger, also a teenager, says the officers hit Nahel M with the butts of their guns three times, causing him to take his foot off the brake of the car.
Prosecutors are due to talk to this witness on Monday.
Around 08:00 on Tuesday, two policemen on motorcycles spotted a Mercedes with a Polish number plate driving fast in a bus lane, Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache told journalists.
Turning on their siren, the officers caught up with the car at a traffic light. Three young men were inside.
The officers told the driver to stop but the vehicle pulled away, ignoring the red light. The officers gave chase and notified their unit by radio.
At 08:16, the Mercedes stopped in heavy traffic. Both officers got off their motorcycles, drew their weapons and approached the car.
They later told prosecutors that they pointed their guns at the driver to "deter him from driving away again".
They asked the driver to turn off the ignition, but the car moved forward. One of the officers fired, fatally wounding the young man in the chest.
After the car ran into a roadside barrier, one of the passengers was arrested and the other fled on foot.
The passenger says the three friends were driving around Nanterre when the car strayed into the bus lane and was chased by two policemen on motorcycles.
After Nahel stopped the car, the young man says in his video and in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper, one of the officers hit the teenage driver with the butt of his gun.
He alleges that the second policeman also struck Nahel before the first officer again hit him.
He told Le Parisien that the blows left Nahel M "a little stunned".
The third blow, according to this account, caused Nahel to take his foot off the brake and the vehicle to move forward. After the officer fired, Nahel M slumped forward and his foot pressed on the accelerator, the passenger said.
When the car came a standstill, the passenger said, he decided to flee because he was afraid he would be shot too.
Questions have been asked about the car, a Mercedes A class AMG. Officials describe it as a rented vehicle.
The passenger who fled said that someone had lent it to the three youths, without giving any details.
According to the French motoring website Autoplus, German sportscars with Polish number plates can be hired for €300-3,000 (£260-2,600) a day.
This type of short rental is popular with young men in French housing estates, Autoplus says.
Nahel M did not have a criminal record but was known to police.
He had previously been cited for driving without a licence - he was too young to have one - and for refusing to comply with an order to stop.
He was due to appear before a juvenile court in September. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66075798 |
The Ashes 2023: MCC suspends three members over Australia Long Room confrontations - BBC Sport | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | null | The Marylebone Cricket Club suspends three members over altercations with Australia players at Lord's on day five of the second Test. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
The Marylebone Cricket Club has suspended three members over altercations with Australia players at Lord's on day five of the second Test.
Television footage appeared to show clashes between Usman Khawaja and David Warner and spectators in the Long Room as Australia walked off for lunch.
The incident came after England's Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped by Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
The MCC said it had apologised "unreservedly" before confirming it had suspended three members identified from the incident.
"They will not be permitted back to Lord's whilst the investigation takes place," the MCC added in a statement.
"We maintain that the behaviour of a small number of members was completely unacceptable and whilst there was no suggestion by [Australia captain] Pat Cummins in the post-match press conference that there was any physical altercation, it remains wholly unacceptable to behave in such a way, which goes against the values of the club.
"MCC condemns the behaviour witnessed and once again we re-iterate our apology to Cricket Australia."
Khawaja said the behaviour of the members was "really disappointing", while Cummins added he thought some could lose their memberships as a result.
"Lord's is one of my favourite places to come," said Khawaja. "There's always respect shown at Lord's, particularly in the members' pavilion in the Long Room, but there wasn't today.
"Some of the stuff that was coming out of the members' mouths is really disappointing and I wasn't just going to stand by and cop it. So I just talked to a few of them.
"A few of them were throwing out some pretty big allegations and I just called them up on it and they kept going, and I was like, well, this is your membership here.
"It's pretty disrespectful, to be honest. I just expect a lot better from the members."
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Australia asked the MCC to investigate, initially saying players had been "physically contacted" as well as verbally abused.
Based at Lord's, which it owns, the MCC acts as custodian and arbiter of the laws and spirit of cricket.
"We have unreservedly apologised to the Australian team," the MCC said in a statement.
Tempers flared after Carey threw down the stumps to dismiss Bairstow, who left his crease after seemingly believing the ball was dead at the end of the 52nd over in England's second innings.
Australia's players were booed and players from both sides exchanged words as they walked off the field at lunch before Khawaja and Warner appeared to be confronted by members.
"MCC came and apologised for the behaviour of some of the members," said Cummins.
"I think some of them might lose their memberships over the way they behaved. Other than that one time, they were fantastic all week. Normally fantastic, really welcoming.
"They were just quite aggressive and abusive towards some of our players, which I know the MCC weren't too happy with." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66082409 |
Labour plan to give teachers £2,400 to stop them quitting - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The party would also make it compulsory for new joiners to have a formal teaching qualification. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A Labour government would give £2,400 to teachers in the very early stages of their career in England to try to stop them leaving the profession.
The party says it would also make it compulsory for new teachers to have a formal teaching qualification or be working towards one - a requirement scrapped by the coalition in 2012.
Nearly one in five teachers who qualified in 2020 have since quit, according to government figures.
Teacher vacancies have doubled in the last two years, according to the most recent official data for England, while more than 40,000 left their jobs in the last year.
The plans to improve retention rates, announced by Labour's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson on Sunday, would see new incentive payments awarded once teachers had completed a training programme known as the Early Career Framework, which covers their first two years in the classroom.
Appearing on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Ms Phillipson said she would introduce extra payments for teachers who have completed their first two years of the early careers framework - a package of training and support for newly qualified educators.
She told the the programme, payments to get teachers to stay in the profession will "recognise" their "really important development and training".
Ms Phillipson said she aims to "reset the relationship" between government and the profession.
Laura Kuenssberg emphasised how previous governments have offered one-off payments and repeatedly asked the Labour MP how her new plans would make a difference.
Ms Philipson responded, saying, it is about "respecting and valuing" the profession.
"Teachers and school leaders want the status of teaching restored once more,"she said.
Labour says the payments would be funded by removing tax breaks for private schools.
It also said it would offer more professional development to teachers and merge the "complex network" of different funds that provide financial incentives to teachers into just one, which it says would make it easier to fill shortages in specific subjects or geographical areas.
Additional measures for all new teachers to have qualified teacher status would drive "high and rising standards" in England's schools, the party said.
Education is a devolved issue, which means the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own rules.
The current starting salary for qualified primary and secondary teachers in England is a minimum of £28,000 outside of London, rising to £34,502 in inner London.
Since 2018, the government is already offering teachers in subjects hit by staffing shortages - Maths, chemistry, physics and languages - early-career payments of between £2,000 and £5,000 based on how long ago they completed their training. Teachers are eligible to apply for the payments from September 2023 and March 2024.
Academies and free schools in England have been able to recruit teachers without formal teaching qualifications since 2012, when the requirement was scrapped by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government.
It is unclear if the new policy would affect private schools, which are also able to recruit teachers without formal qualifications.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), welcomed Labour's plans but said the party could still do more.
"Schools are in the middle of a recruitment and retention crisis, so it is right that Labour should make this a high priority," he said.
"The ambition for every class to be taught by a qualified teacher is also welcome - every parent should be able to expect that their child is taught by someone with the requisite expertise.
"Plans to improve early career training and ongoing professional development are sensible but Labour will need to be prepared to go further if they are to begin to solve the current crisis.
"We know that issues such as uncompetitive pay and a punitive inspection system are key factors in pushing people out of the profession, and it is only by tackling these that we will see teaching and school leadership become an attractive proposition once again."
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Conservative Party said: "We have seen yet more evidence this morning that Labour cannot be trusted on a word they say.
"Labour have flip-flopped so many times on education policy there is no guarantee they will actually stick to this latest announcement.
"Only the Conservatives are delivering on education and driving up literacy rates - putting parents and pupils first." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66078820 |
Shell still trading Russian gas despite pledge to stop - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The firm is still shipping gas from Siberia despite its promise to withdraw from the Russian energy market. | Business | The Nikolay Zubov LNG tanker, docking in the UK in 2021
Shell is still trading Russian gas more than a year after pledging to withdraw from the Russian energy market.
The company was involved in nearly an eighth of Russia's shipborne gas exports in 2022, according to analysis from campaign group Global Witness.
Oleg Ustenko, an adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, accused Shell of accepting "blood money".
Shell said the trades were the result of "long-term contractual commitments" and do not violate laws or sanctions.
As recently as 9 May, a vast tanker capable of carrying more than 160,000 cubic metres of gas compressed into liquid form - liquefied natural gas or LNG - pulled out of the port of Sabetta, on the Yamal peninsula in Russia's far north.
That cargo was purchased by Shell before heading onwards to its ultimate destination, Hong Kong.
It is one of eight LNG cargoes that Shell has bought from Yamal this year, according to data from the Kpler database analysed by Global Witness.
Last year Shell accounted for 12% of Russia's seaborne LNG trade, Global Witness calculates, and was among the top five traders of Russian-originated LNG that year.
In March 2022, in the weeks following the invasion of Ukraine, Shell apologised for buying a cargo of Russian oil, and said it intended to withdraw from Russian oil and gas.
It said that it would stop buying Russian oil, sell its service stations and other businesses in Russia, which it has done. It has also ended its joint ventures with the state energy giant Gazprom.
And it said it would start a "phased withdrawal from Russian petroleum products, pipeline gas and LNG". But it warned that it would be a "complex challenge".
Shell said last year it would close all its service stations in Russia
Since then, it has kept taking cargoes of LNG from two Russian ports, the one at Yamal and one at Sakhalin in the far east.
Shell used to be a minority investor in the Sakhalin gas project, but abandoned that claim in September last year after the Russian government transferred its shares to a local business - and since then has taken no gas from Sakhalin.
But it still honours the contract with the Russian LNG company Novatek, which obliges it to buy 900,000 tonnes a year from Yamal until the 2030s, according to the Reuters news agency.
Novatek is Russia's second biggest gas company, and the taxes it pays are a significant contributor to the Russian government's budget.
Oleg Ustenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said: "It is quite simple: by continuing to trade in Russian gas Shell is putting money into Putin's pockets and helping to fund Russia's brutal aggression against the people of Ukraine.
"The vast sums that Shell and the whole oil industry have made in Russia should be used to help fund the reconstruction of Ukraine, rather than lining the pockets of their shareholders."
A spokesman for Shell said: "Shell has stopped buying Russian LNG on the spot market, but still has some long-term contractual commitments. This is in full compliance with sanctions, applicable laws and regulations of the countries in which we operate.
"There is a dilemma between putting pressure on the Russian government over its atrocities in Ukraine and ensuring stable, secure energy supplies. It is for governments to decide on the incredibly difficult trade-offs that must be made."
Shell is the world's largest trader of LNG, which is not subject to European sanctions, making billions of dollars in profits trading oil and gas last year.
Russia massively reduced its deliveries of gas by pipeline last year, but it has increased the amount of gas it supplies by ship, including to Europe.
The UK has not imported any Russian gas for over a year, while EU politicians are trying to reduce the amount of Russian LNG the bloc imports. In March, the EU's Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson called on countries and firms to stop buying Russian gas, and not to sign new contracts.
"It's long overdue that the trading of Russian LNG is looked at with the same disgust as Russian oil trading. Targeting Putin's energy income cannot be about symbolic measures but must concretely put a stop to the huge fossil fuel sums that cement his power," said Jonathan Noronha-Gant, senior campaigner at Global Witness.
The France-based energy company TotalEnergies is a minority shareholder in the Yamal project, and was also a major trader in Russian LNG, the Global Witness analysis reported.
The BBC has approached TotalEnergies for comment. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66021325 |
France teen's family tell BBC police use of lethal force must change - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | One of Nahel's relatives says the riots do not honour Nahel's death, and the family want them to stop. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Nahel's family say violence won’t bring justice for the boy they lost
A relative of the French teenager shot by police has told the BBC the family did not want his death to spark riots, but insisted the law around lethal force at traffic stops must change.
Nahel M was shot point-blank by police after failing to stop for a traffic check last Tuesday.
"We never called for hate or riots," the relative said.
France has seen five days of violent rioting.
But the unrest ebbed again on Sunday night, with 157 arrests reported by the early hours of Monday morning.
The previous night, there had been more than 700 arrests.
Speaking to the BBC near the family home in Nanterre, the relative said the rioting - which has seen thousands arrested, shops looted and hundreds of vehicles set alight across France - did not honour Nahel's memory.
"We didn't ask to break or steal. All of this is not for Nahel," they told the BBC, speaking on condition of anonymity because tensions are so high following Nahel's shooting.
They said they had called for a "White March in the street. Walking in memory of Nahel. Walking, even being angry in the street, demonstrating, but without outbursts".
Nahel M was shot dead by police on Tuesday, sparking days of protest and unrest
The relative said French authorities must now change the law that allows police officers to shoot during traffic stops.
Nahel's relative called for "better training for the French police, weapons regulation for police, and reviewing the law that allows police to use lethal force if a young person refuses to stop at a traffic stop".
France's penal code was changed in 2017 to allow for a broader use of firearms after police said they were facing increased levels of violence.
Critics argue the increase in traffic related shootings is a direct result of that change, which they say is much too vague because it leaves officers to determine whether the driver's refusal to comply poses a risk.
So far this year, three people have been killed during police traffic stops - following a record 13 people killed in traffic stop incidents last year. According to Reuters news agency most of those victims have been of black or Arab origin.
Anais, a family friend and neighbour also told the BBC that being a young black man in France's suburbs meant being subject to racism, violence and racial profiling on a daily basis.
"They [the police] humiliate, insult and don't speak properly to them. And now they kill them! Nahel was covered by the press, but it's not the first time this has happened," she said.
Nahel's relative said as a result of the ongoing chaos, the family had not had a moment to sit down together and remember him.
"We want everything to calm down. Social media, riots, everything needs to calm down. With all of this, we haven't had time to sit down for five minutes together and think about how he's gone now," they said.
Earlier on Sunday, Nahel's grandmother also called for an end to the violence and accused rioters of using Nahel's death as an excuse.
"Don't destroy the schools, don't destroy the buses. It is other mothers who take these buses," Nadia, Nahel's grandmother, told BFMTV. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66080505 |
Big Thames Water investor backs turnaround plans - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | One of the UK's largest pension funds is the first investor to come out and support Thames Water. | Business | One of the UK's largest private pension funds has backed Thames Water to turnaround its finances and performance after fears the firm could collapse.
Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), a major investor in the water firm, is the first to publicly support it as it looks to secure extra funding.
Thames Water is billions of pounds in debt and there have been calls for it to be nationalised.
USS said the firm "could benefit" from having it among its shareholders.
"We know that leakage and sewage remain major issues, but we also know there are no quick fixes where a complex network of pipes stretching for miles - some of which have been in the ground for 150 years - need to be replaced," said USS group chief executive Bill Galvin.
Mr Galvin added improvements would "take time" and added "significant investment is needed".
Thames Water, which serves a quarter of the UK population, has faced heavy criticism over its performance in recent years due to sewage discharges and leaks. The company leaks more water than any other water company in UK, losing the equivalent of up to 250 Olympic size swimming pools every day from its pipes.
Its chief executive, Sarah Bentley, resigned last week, weeks after she was asked to forgo her bonus over the company's handling of sewage spills.
Thames Water is a private company, owned by a group of investors, with the largest being the Canadian pension fund, OMERS, with 31.8%.
OMERS has declined to comment on the water firm's current situation, but USS, a pension fund for UK academics and the second biggest investor with a 19.7% stake, is the first to announce its support.
"We have given our backing to Thames Water's turnaround plan and Net Zero roadmap and engage with them regularly to support their long-term strategy," Mr Galvin said in note to staff, which was first reported by the Financial Times.
"We remain of the view that, with an appropriate regulatory environment, the long-term objective of repairing important UK infrastructure and paying pensions to our members are in strong alignment."
Thames Water said last week that it was trying to raise the cash it needs to improve.
It said it was keeping water regulator Ofwat informed on progress, and that it still had "strong" cash and borrowing reserves to draw on.
The government has said it was ready to act in a worst case scenario if Thames Water collapsed.
Regardless of what happens, water supplies will continue as normal to customers.
Last year Thames Water's owners - including USS - pumped £500m into the business and pledged a further £1bn to help it to improve.
But the company is understood to be struggling to raise the remaining cash which it needs to service its substantial debt pile, which is around £14bn. Interest payments on more than half of its debt are linked to the rate of inflation, which has soared over the last year.
Other water firms are also facing similar pressures due to higher interest payments on their debts and rising costs including higher energy and chemical prices. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66079676 |
Energy boss says prices might rise this winter - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Governments may need to give energy bill help this winter, says the head of the International Energy Agency. | Business | Energy prices could spike this winter forcing governments to step in and subsidise bills again, the head of the International Energy Agency has said.
If the Chinese economy strengthens quickly and there is a harsh winter, gas prices could rise, putting pressure on consumers, Fatih Birol said.
He added that governments should push for energy-saving and boost renewables.
However, a UK government spokesperson said annual energy bills are set to fall by an average £430 this month.
Gas prices soared after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, driving up energy bills around the world.
A number of governments then stepped in with support for households, including in the UK, to try to soften the blow to consumers.
The IEA is an agency that works with governments and industry to provide data, analysis and recommend policies.
Mr Birol told the BBC's Today programme that many European governments made "strategic mistakes", including an over-reliance on Russia for energy, and that foreign policy had been "blindfolded" by short-term commercial decisions.
He said this winter "we cannot rule out" another spike in gas prices.
"In a scenario where the Chinese economy is very strong, buys a lot of energy from the markets, and we have a harsh winter, we may see strong upward pressure under natural gas prices, which in turn will put an extra burden on consumers," he said.
The Chinese economy had been bouncing back after Covid restrictions were lifted, but recently its economy has been slowing down.
Ratings agency S&P Global this week cut its forecast for Chinese growth, saying "the risk is that its recovery loses more steam amid weak confidence among consumers and in the housing market".
Investment banks including Goldman Sachs have also been cutting forecasts for Chinese growth.
Nevertheless, Mr Birol said governments including the UK should "continue to push measures to save energy, especially as we enter the winter".
They should also push renewable technologies so they "see the light of day as soon as possible" and cut the time it takes for them to get permits, and look for "alternative energy options", he said.
He said he "wouldn't rule out blackouts" this winter as "part of the game".
"We do not know yet how strongly the Chinese economy will rebound," he said.
National Grid said last winter that short power cuts were a possibility - in the end, this was not necessary.
A UK government spokesperson said: "We spent billions to protect families when prices rose over winter covering nearly half a typical household's energy bill, with them set to fall by around £430 on average from this month."
Domestic gas and electricity bills in the UK fell at the weekend after a change to the energy price cap came into force, and a further, smaller fall is expected this winter.
However, with the annual energy bill of a typical household set to be about £2,000, costs are still much higher than the pre-pandemic norm.
Last week the head of Centrica, which owns British Gas, warned energy bills were likely to stay high for the foreseeable future.
Russia's war in Ukraine led to a "gold rush" of new fossil fuel exploration, and the UK defied climate warnings by issuing a new licensing round for North Sea oil and gas.
More than 100 applications have been submitted to drill for new oil and gas in the North Sea.
This was at odds with international climate scientists who say fossil fuel projects should be closed down, not expanded.
They say there can be no new projects if there is to be a chance of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5C.
Mr Birol said "if the world is serious" about the "climate cause" then "we have to reduce the use of oil and gas significantly in the next years to come".
If we can reduce consumption, existing oil and gas fields will be enough to meet declining demand, he added.
He said he has discussions with the chief executives of UK oil companies.
Mr Birol said he has "no problem" with oil firms making profits, but if they say: "I am going to increase my production by four million barrels per day, and my company's strategy is in line with the Paris Climate Agreement - it doesn't work, there is a problem here."
The Rosebank field in the North Sea, which has the potential to produce 500 million barrels of oil, could be approved by the government within weeks.
The UK government said it was "committed to reaching net zero by 2050 and have already come a long way to meet that target, cutting emissions faster than any other G7 country while keeping the economy growing and with low-carbon sources like renewables and nuclear providing half of the UK's electricity generation".
But a spokesperson added "the transition to cleaner energy cannot happen overnight and we will continue to need oil and gas over the coming decades, as recognised by the independent Climate Change Committee".
Emma Pinchbeck, the chief executive of Energy UK, which represents British energy companies, told the BBC's Today programme that the long-term solution to high bills "is to invest in renewables and energy efficiency to make sure that we're not reliant on volatile international gas".
"We expect that investment in more infrastructure in renewables and energy efficiency and alternative technologies to deliver cheaper bills in the long run... and that's why it's so important that we move quickly, particularly with increased international competition for these technologies."
Here are some energy saving ideas from environmental scientist Angela Terry, who set up One Home, a social enterprise that shares green, money-saving tips:
Are you struggling to pay your energy bills? Are you concerned about a potential spike in prices this winter? 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/business-66061853 |
Laura Kuenssberg live: NHS England boss says strike disruption will get worse - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The health secretary says he is "ready" to talk to consultants about their contract in a bid to prevent strikes. | UK Politics | There is no hiding the fact that millions of people are having to wait for NHS care that they need.
Amanda Pritchard, the boss of NHS England, didn’t deny that lots of people are not getting treatment that they require right now.
And she acknowledged that it would be several years before the situation returned to anything like good enough. No surprise that Pritchard wanted to emphasise the work that the service is doing to try to improve the situation, and bring waiting lists down.
But she made no secret too of matters being made worse by continuing industrial action in the NHS, with consultants soon to join junior doctors in walking out. She said that “patients were paying the price” for industrial action.
More than 600, 000 appointments have already been cancelled , and the ongoing failure of the government and some of the medical unions to find agreement is only going to crank the pressure up still further.
Pritchard was also clear that the NHS is having to pick up the problems caused by other changes in modern society, like the new gambling clinics that are opening soon.
She stopped short of calling for more regulation, too diplomatic a public servant perhaps?
But she did imply that ministers should think harder about the system, and asked football clubs to think about their links with the gambling industry.
As it heads to its 75th anniversary, the NHS is having to deal with a society unimaginable at its birth. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-66072121 |
Maya Forstater: Woman gets payout for discrimination over trans tweets - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Maya Forstater is awarded £100,000 by a tribunal after she found herself losing out on a job in 2019. | UK | Maya Forstater found herself out of a job after tweeting "gender-critical" views
A woman who lost out on a job after tweeting gender-critical views is to get a £100,000 payout after a decision from an employment tribunal.
Tax expert Maya Forstater did not have her contract renewed in March 2019 after writing tweets saying people could not change their biological sex.
She was found to have experienced discrimination while working for the Centre for Global Development (CGD).
The think tank said it would continue to try to build an inclusive workplace.
In their decision on Friday, three London judges said Ms Forstater should receive compensation of £91,500 and interest of £14,904.31.
The sum is to reflect lost earnings, injury to feelings and aggravated damages after the CGD's decision not to renew her contract or fellowship.
Ms Forstater, the founder of campaign group Sex Matters, believes biological sex is immutable and not to be conflated with gender identity.
She told The Times on Friday that the ruling "sends a message to employers that this is discrimination like any other discrimination".
Ms Forstater was congratulated in a tweet by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who has courted controversy with her own statements on trans issues.
The contentious and high-profile case even proved divisive in the courts.
Ms Forstater lost her original case in 2019, when she was told by a tribunal judge that her approach was "not worthy of respect in a democratic society".
But she appealed, and won the backing two years later of a High Court judge - who said her views were protected by the Equality Act 2010.
A fresh tribunal was ordered, and ruled last year that Ms Forstater experienced "direct discrimination" related to her beliefs.
Commenting on the July 2022 ruling, charity Stonewall said the decision did not "change the reality of trans people's workplace protection".
It added: "No-one has the right to discriminate against, or harass, trans people simply because they disagree with their existence and participation in society."
Responding to Friday's tribunal decision, a CGD representative said the organisation "has and will continue to strive to maintain a workplace that is welcoming, safe and inclusive to all" and would now be able "once again to focus exclusively on our mission - reducing global poverty and inequality through economic research that drives better policy and practice". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66076021 |
London Pride: Five Just Stop Oil protesters charged - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police removed protesters who briefly disrupted the annual Pride parade. | London | Police moved to arrest a group of protesters in Piccadilly as the annual Pride parade got under way
Five Just Stop Oil protesters have been charged over demonstrations which briefly led to London's annual Pride parade being delayed.
Images on social media on Saturday showed police removing demonstrators who managed to briefly stop the march.
Seven people were arrested by the Metropolitan Police. Five have since been charged and two have been bailed.
The five people, aged between 20 and 68, have been charged with Public Order offences.
They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Police said the five charged are Ben Plumpton, 68, of Underbank Ave, Charlestown, Calderdale; Zosia Lewis, 22, of Melbourne Street, Newcastle upon Tyne; Oliver Clegg, 20, of Olney Street, Manchester; Gosse Bootsma, 25, of no fixed address, and Callum Goode, 23, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
Organisers estimated about 30,000 participants from across 600 organisations took part in the parade
In addition, two males, aged 19 and 22 have been released on bail pending further enquiries, the Met added.
This year's Pride procession started at midday at Hyde Park Corner and people peacefully made their way through Westminster's streets before it finished at Whitehall Place.
A number of stages hosted performances from LGBTQ+ acts as part of the celebrations.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66080222 |
Swansea fire: Boy, 3, dies in West Cross house blaze - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | To lose a child is "everybody's worst nightmare," a councillor in the area says. | Wales | Floral tributes could be seen outside the property as investigations continued on Sunday
The child who died in a house fire in Swansea was a three-year-old boy, police have said.
Emergency services were sent to an address on Gonhill in the West Cross area at about 13:30 BST on Saturday.
Three people were taken to the city's Morriston Hospital where a 51-year-old man remains in a serious condition.
South Wales Police said a girl, 13, and a woman, 39, suffered smoke inhalation and added that its investigation into the incident was ongoing.
Siany Martin, whose home overlooks the house, described the people living there as a "beautiful family" who are "loved by everyone".
"All of us, the community, we're just praying for them we just want them to know that we're here. We're just sending our love to them," she said.
Floral tributes and a teddy bear have been laid near the scene of the fire
Ms Martin said she heard a bang shortly after 13:00 BST, about five minutes after she had returned inside from watching planes fly over as part of the Swansea Air Show.
"I thought it was part of the air show, and then just heard screaming," she said.
"After that it's kind of a blur, just black smoke coming out, people running everywhere trying to do something."
Neighbour Siany Martin said she heard "screaming" coming from the house
The exact circumstances of the fire, which was contained to one house, were not yet know, South Wales Police said.
Det Insp Carl Price said: "Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the young boy who sadly died at a house fire in West Cross, Swansea."
He thanked members of the community who helped at the scene and those who came forward with information.
A child has died and a man is in a serious condition in hospital
Swansea council leader Rob Stewart described what happened as "tragic".
"Our thoughts, condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends at this very difficult time," he said on Facebook, adding that the council would "assist and support" those affected by the fire.
Councillor Rebecca Fogarty, who represents West Cross, said the community was in mourning.
She said: "It's absolutely devastating news. It's everybody's worst nightmare, isn't it?
"The loss of a child - I cannot express more sincerely my sympathy for the family, for the friends and for the neighbours."
An online page set up to raise money for those affected has raised more than £13,000.
Gas network Wales and West Utilities said it was not called to the property following the fire. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66077474 |
Emmerdale and Coronation Street actress Meg Johnson dies - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The soap stalwart, who appeared in Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Brookside, has died aged 86. | Manchester | Johnson was "kind and wonderful" and always had "a twinkle in her eye", her family and representatives said
Actress Meg Johnson, who appeared in three of the UK's most popular soap operas, has died at the age of 86.
A soap stalwart, Johnson was Coronation Street's Eunice Gee and Brookside's Brigid McKenna, before joining Emmerdale as Pearl Ladderbanks in 2003.
In a statement, her family, talent agency Jorg Betts Associates and ITV said she had been "kind and wonderful" and always had "a twinkle in her eye".
They said she had dementia in recent years, but "battled on" regardless.
They said it was with "great sadness" that they had to announce she died "peacefully" on Saturday evening, "surrounded by her family"
"Meg was a kind and wonderful lady, full of warmth and always with a twinkle in her eye," they said.
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They said she had had "an outstanding career" and had "battled on personally and professionally regardless" after her dementia diagnosis.
"She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her," they added.
A host of soap stars took to social media to pay tribute to Johnson, including her Emmerdale co-star Danny Miller, who said he was "truly devastated".
"Pearl was a fair way to describe our lovely Meg," he said.
He said she was the creator of the phrase "pig's bum" which she would say whenever she forgot her lines and had been "a loved soul throughout the building".
Former cast member Gemma Oaten said the "late and great" Johnson had been a "beautiful woman inside and out, who was always so kind to me".
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Born in Manchester in 1936, Johnson had a number of TV roles before making her Coronation Street debut in 1976 as Brenda Holden.
She went on to jon the soap's cast as Eunice Gee in 1981, a role she returned to several times for the next two decades.
She was also part of the cast of Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV in the mid-1980s, alongside the late comedian, as well as Dame Julie Walters and Celia Imrie, and in 1997, she took to the stage in the original cast of the London revival of Chicago, playing prison warder Matron Mama Morton for more than a year.
In 2000, she was cast as Brigid McKenna in Channel 4's Brookside, playing the role until the soap's cancellation in 2003, when she moved on to Emmerdale, where she portrayed the much loved character Pearl Ladderbanks for 17 years.
Johnson was married to ITV Granada continuity announcer Charles Foster, who was widely reported to have died earlier in 2023.
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Water cremation: Co-op Funeralcare to be first UK company to offer resomation - BBC News | 2023-07-02T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The process, used in the US and Canada, will be available later this year through Co-op Funeralcare. | UK | Water cremation is set to be made available for the first time in the UK.
The process, known as resomation, uses a mix of potassium hydroxide and water to break down human remains in what is billed as a more sustainable option.
It takes four hours - the bones remain, and are powdered then returned to loved ones in a similar way to ashes, in an urn.
Resomation is used in Canada, South Africa and many US states.
It will be the first alternative way to dispose of a body in the UK since the introduction of the Cremation Act in 1902 - and Co-op Funeralcare will be the first to offer it, starting later this year.
The British company Resomation, which supplies the equipment, claims the process produces a third less greenhouse gas than cremation and uses a seventh of the energy.
According to the founder of the company, Sandy Sullivan, the liquid used in resomation is "safely returned to the water cycle free from any traces of DNA".
Anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu chose the process for his funeral arrangements in South Africa - he died in late 2021.
Gill Stewart, managing director of Co-op Funeralcare, said that "land for burials is running out", and that resomation could help the industry "improve its carbon reduction targets and meet the capacity challenges of a growing population".
The funeral provider anticipates that the cost of resomation will be similar to that of a traditional cremation.
Initially, resomation will only be offered in certain locations - which are yet to be announced - with the intention of expanding it across the UK, the funeral chain said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66081058 |
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