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Train firms plan mass closures of ticket offices - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A public consultation has been launched on proposals to close hundreds of station ticket offices in England. | Business | Train companies are pressing ahead with plans to close hundreds of station ticket offices across England over the next three years.
Under the proposals, some ticket kiosks would remain in large stations, but elsewhere staff will be on concourses to sell tickets, offer travel advice and help people with accessibility.
The plan has been met with concern from unions and disability groups.
A 21-day public consultation has been launched to collect passengers' views.
Posters have gone up in stations, inviting the public to take part, after which the government will make the final decision on which offices will close.
Currently around three out of every five stations has a ticket office, although some are only staffed part time.
The issue is the latest flashpoint between train companies and unions, who have been in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions, which has resulted in a series of strikes since last summer.
The rail industry is under pressure from the government to cut costs after being supported heavily during the Covid pandemic.
"The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it's time for the railway to change with them," said Jacqueline Starr chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train companies. She said the changes would be phased in gradually.
Only 12% of tickets were sold at ticket offices last year, she said, with the rest bought online or from vending machines.
Under the plans, if a passenger was unable to purchase a ticket, they would be able to buy one during the journey, at a ticket office en-route or at their destination, the RDG said.
But many rail users, who rely on help at ticket offices, fear the changes will make it harder for them to travel.
Robert Calvert, 75, from Tamworth says his dyslexia and colour blindness make it hard to negotiate self-service machines.
"Remember not everyone has a smartphone these days," he says. "Everything is so automated, I feel slightly left behind."
Ann Jolly, 78, from Emsworth in Hampshire, often uses the train to travel to her native Scotland, but says she already finds the complication of how to buy train tickets "off-putting".
"I do use the self-service machine if I have to. Usually I manage, but I struggle with trying to find the different routes and knowing what I have to pay for. A lot of my friends feel the same.
"The train tickets are just incomprehensible online, especially when it says the tickets come from different companies, so I need a number of different ones for one trip."
The RDG says that staff will be just as readily available as they are now, but on the concourse or platform, where they can advise passengers on journey planning and sell tickets.
However, the UK's largest rail union the RMT and the TSSA union both warned the plans could ultimately lead to job cuts.
Some disability campaigners have also long opposed the idea.
Vivienne Francis from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said it would be "detrimental" for blind and partially-sighted people with only 3% of such people able to use a machine.
Stewart Palmer is director of Railfuture, which represents passengers and campaigns for better rail services, and is a former managing director South West Trains. He said the consultation was "putting the cart before the horse".
"One of the root causes of this issue is that the present ticketing system on the rail network in Britain is mind-bogglingly complicated," he told the BBC's Today programme.
"People want versatile, knowledgeable staff, not necessarily behind a glass screen, but they also want to be knowing they're buying the right product at the right price."
The RDG said the proposals to close ticket offices followed industrial action by unions over other changes designed to make the railway "sustainable in the long term". The RDG said rail revenues were still 30% below pre-pandemic levels.
The Department for Transport said the proposals were not about cutting jobs, but about modernising the railway to make sure the sector survived. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66097850 |
John Caldwell: Three charged in connection with officer's shooting - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The men, aged 45, 47 and 58, have all been charged with preparatory acts of terrorism. | Northern Ireland | Three men arrested earlier in connection with the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell have been charged with terrorism offences.
Det Ch Insp Caldwell was shot after coaching a youth football team in Omagh, County Tyrone, on 22 February.
The men, aged 45, 47 and 58, have all been charged with preparatory acts of terrorism.
The 45-year-old and the 58-year-old have also been charged with possessing articles for use in terrorism.
They have both been further charged with providing property for the purposes of terrorism.
All three men are expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The men were arrested under the Terrorism Act in Newtownabbey, Coalisland and Belfast on Tuesday.
There have been 31 arrests to date over the attack on Det Ch Insp Caldwell - a figure that includes individuals who have been arrested more than once.
The shooting happened at a sports complex in Omagh
The dissident republican group the New IRA said it carried out the shooting, at a sports complex car park.
Seven men have appeared in court charged in relation to the attack.
The shooting, which happened in front of school children, was widely condemned by political figures across Northern Ireland and beyond. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66095388 |
Israel's Jenin operation reignites Palestinian anger - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Neither Israel nor Palestinians are in any mood to talk peace even when fighting ends in Jenin, Jeremy Bowen reports. | Middle East | A thick crust of black ash has settled on the pavements and roads in the centre of Jenin.
It comes from barricades of burning tyres set up by young Palestinian men, who prowl streets where they might see an Israeli jeep. Some of them carry rocks or small home-made bombs to hurl at passing Israeli vehicles. In sporadic bursts, gunfire and explosions echo in the refugee camp, which is on high ground above the town centre. Israeli drones buzz constantly overhead.
At times, armed Palestinians emerge from the tyre smoke to fire at the Israelis.
Violence between Palestinians and Israelis has become almost a daily event this year. When blood is spilt there is often a dynamic of retaliation, that includes Palestinian armed groups, Jews who live in settlements in the occupied West Bank that are illegal under international law, and the Israeli army. The Israelis said they moved in on the Jenin camp because more than 50 relatively recent attacks were launched from there.
But the roots of violence, despair and hatred go much deeper than the latest violent confrontations. They thrive in the poison generated by a conflict over possession of the land that started more than a century ago. For a while, back in the 1990s, there were hopes that peace might come if an independent Palestinian state could be established alongside Israel, the so-called two-state solution. The attempt failed.
Powerful Western countries, including the US, European Union members and the UK still insist that two states are the only possible solution. Their words are empty slogans. The last American attempt to try to make the idea work collapsed in 2014.
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The Israeli operation here in Jenin was in the air for months. Despite regular smaller Israeli raids, Palestinian armed groups had become strong enough and united enough to control the Jenin refugee camp. They seemed to be getting stronger.
A fortnight ago they blew up an Israeli jeep and fought hard to repel an Israeli raid, in which the Palestinian dead included a 15-year-old girl. The next day four Israelis were killed by two Palestinians who burst into a restaurant not far from Jenin, where they were eating. The Israeli army protected Jewish settlers who rampaged through Palestinian villages burning cars and houses, in a series of reprisals.
It was a matter of time before the Israeli army moved against the Palestinians who controlled Jenin refugee camp. It says it is carrying out a systematic operation to track down and destroy weapons and explosives.
Fury and frustration rage through young Palestinian men who have gathered in angry knots at road junctions in the town and outside a hospital on the edge of the Jenin refugee camp. Their barricades of burning tyres leave behind black circles and piles of burnt rubber and twisted wire.
The Israeli army is releasing updates on explosives discovered and neutralised in the two days it has been in the camp, along with what it calls terrorist command centres. The business-like tone of the military communiques contrasts with the statements made by members of the Israeli cabinet who oppose any kind of Palestinian self-determination.
After a Palestinian was shot dead in Tel Aviv by a passer-by, after he had rammed his car into a crowd of Israelis, public security minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued a statement saying Israel's war in Jenin was also their war in Tel Aviv. Every Jew, he said, was a target for murderers.
Mr Ben Gvir and his political allies have been pressing for a punitive sweep through the West Bank to deal with their enemies. The Israeli army is more cautious, as it is more worried about the risks and consequences of escalation. All the indications are the Israeli army would like to restrict its operation to the Jenin refugee camp, declare victory soon and order its soldiers back to their bases.
Israeli victories after an operation like this never last long. Palestinian armed groups restock their armouries and the cycle begins again. Plans to expand settlements for Jews on occupied land that Palestinians want for a state, sometimes called a Zionist response by Israeli politicians, also raise the temperature.
Many Palestinians are disenchanted with their own ageing and ineffective leaders in the Palestinian Authority, a legacy of the 1990s peace process that was supposed back then to build the institutions necessary to create their own state.
When this operation ends, on past form both sides will claim victory. Then the current realities of this long conflict will reassert themselves. Anger, despair and poverty will reinforce the culture of resistance that has embedded itself in Palestinian society, especially here in Jenin and in Nablus. And Israel's right-wing, hyper-nationalist government, as long as it lasts, will try to match its rhetoric with action.
The real danger is that Israelis and Palestinians are sliding into an even more violent phase of their long conflict. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-66098694 |
Nigel Farage bank account shut for falling below wealth limit, source tells BBC - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Nigel Farage's account with the bank Coutts is not being closed for political reasons, the BBC is told. | Business | Update 21st July 2023: We acknowledge that the information we reported - that Coutts' decision on Nigel Farage's account did not involve considerations about his political views - turned out not to be accurate. Since this article was originally published on the 4th July, Mr Farage submitted a subject access request to Coutts bank and obtained a report from the bank's reputational risk committee. While it mentioned commercial considerations, the document also said the committee did not think continuing to have Mr Farage as a client was "compatible with Coutts given his publicly-stated views that were at odds with our position as an inclusive organisation". We have amended this article's headline and copy to make clear that the details about the closure of Nigel Farage's bank account came from a source.
Nigel Farage fell below the financial threshold required to hold an account at Coutts, the prestigious private bank for the wealthy, the BBC has been told.
It is understood he was subsequently offered a standard account at NatWest which owns Coutts.
Mr Farage has said he believes his account is being shut for political reasons and he has since been turned down by nine other lenders.
But a source familiar with Coutts' move said it was a "commercial" decision.
"The criteria for holding a Coutts account are clear from the bank's website," they told the BBC.
Coutts requires its customers to borrow or invest at least £1m with the bank or hold £3m in savings.
Speaking to the BBC from France, Mr Farage did not dispute the fact that he did not meet Coutts' threshold, but added: "They didn't have a problem with it for the last 10 years."
The former leader of the UK Independence Party and Brexiteer later tweeted that at "no point"" had Coutts given him a minimum threshold.
He added that his business account was being closed despite the fact that last year he had "large significant positive cash balances" going through it.
Coutts said it did not comment on individuals' accounts.
Mr Farage recently posted a six-minute video on Twitter blaming "serious political persecution" from an anti-Brexit banking industry.
He said that losing his bank account was the equivalent of being a "non-person" and that the decision may "fundamentally affect my future career and whether I can even go on staying living here in this country".
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's the World at One on Tuesday, Mr Farage said that Coutts had given him "no reason whatsoever" when they wrote to say that his accounts would be closed, and he was given two months to find a new bank.
Mr Farage also disputed the fact that he was offered a NatWest account at the time his Coutts accounts were withdrawn. He says the offer of a NatWest account came late last week.
The former politician said the bank only did this when he "went public" with his story, and that it only offered him a personal account, not a business account.
"Well what use to me is that?" he told the BBC. "I operate through a business, that's how I live. Any income that comes to me personally comes through my business."
The BBC understands that the offer of a NatWest account still stands.
Mr Farage claims other banks have refused to take him on as a customer on the grounds that he is a "politically exposed person" (PEP).
A PEP generally presents a higher risk for financial institutions as regulators consider such people to be more exposed to the risk of potential involvement in bribery and corruption by virtue of their position and the influence they may hold.
Mr Farage told the BBC: "Are you telling me that all the other banks say it was a PEP thing and Coutts wasn't? Draw your own conclusions."
Speaking on GB News later on Tuesday, he questioned why Coutts's had been "discussing my financial situation publicly," adding it was not "ethical".
A Treasury spokesman said it would be a "serious concern" if financial services were being denied to those exercising their right to lawful free speech.
"We are already looking into this issue and have passed a law that requires the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to review how banks treat politically exposed persons - so we can strike the right balance between the customer's right to free speech and the bank's right to manage commercial risk."
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Taliban order Afghanistan's hair and beauty salons to shut - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Women's freedoms have steadily shrunk since the Taliban seized power in 2021. | Asia | Beauty salons in Afghanistan have one month to shut shop
The Taliban have ordered hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan to shut in the latest restriction faced by women.
A Vice and Virtue Ministry spokesman told the BBC businesses had one month to comply, starting from 2 July when they were first informed of the move.
Women's freedoms have steadily shrunk since the Taliban seized power in 2021.
They have barred teenage girls and women from classrooms, gyms and parks, and most recently even banned them from working for the United Nations.
The Taliban have also decreed that women should be dressed in a way that only reveals their eyes, and must be accompanied by a male relative if they are travelling more than 72km (48 miles).
The restrictions have continued despite international condemnation and protests by women as well as activists speaking up on their behalf.
Shutting beauty salons was part of a wide range of measure imposed by the Taliban when they were last in power between 1996 and 2001. But they reopened in the years after the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Reacting to the new closure, an Afghan woman speaking anonymously told the BBC: "The Taliban are taking away the most basic human rights from Afghan women.
"They are violating women's rights. By this decision, they are now depriving women from serving another women. When I heard the news, I was completely shocked.
"It seems the Taliban do not have any political plan other than focusing on women's bodies. They are trying to eliminate women at every level of public life."
Beauty salons remained open even after the Taliban retook power two years ago following the withdrawal of US forces. But shop windows were often covered up and images of women outside salons were spray painted to hide their faces.
The Taliban government has not explained what prompted the ban, or what alternatives, if any, would be available to women once the salons shut.
Another Afghan woman who asked not to be named said her friends had confirmed the closure of hair salons in Kabul and elsewhere. "It's more shocking news for Afghan women," she told the BBC. "I went out and saw all the salons in my locality were closed."
Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66094490 |
Secret Service investigates cocaine found at White House - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Agents are poring over visitor logs and footage for clues as to who left the drug in the West Wing. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The US Secret Service is investigating how cocaine was found at the White House on Sunday night, with visitor logs and footage combed for clues.
The discovery in the West Wing, which contains the Oval Office and other working areas for presidential aides and staff, led to a brief evacuation.
Secret Service agents found the powder during a routine inspection in an area that is accessible to tour groups.
President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David in Maryland at the time.
A senior law enforcement official told the BBC's US partner CBS News the substance was found in a storage facility routinely used by White House staff and guests to store mobile phones.
The White House complex was closed as a precaution at around 20:45 local time (00:45 GMT) on Sunday after it was discovered.
A preliminary test later confirmed the substance was cocaine.
The Secret Service will lead a full review of how it got into the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.
White House staff are permitted to give tours of some parts of the West Wing to friends and family. Visitors who are not accredited staff must store mobile phones and other personal belongings in cubicles.
"It was in one of the cubbies," a source familiar with the investigation told Reuters.
The drug was found in the heart of one of the world's most carefully guarded buildings
Speaking at a daily press briefing on Wednesday, Ms Jean-Pierre said that the area where the cocaine was discovered is a "heavily travelled" part of the White House.
"We have confidence that the Secret Service are going to get to the bottom of this," she said.
President Biden was briefed on the matter, Ms Jean-Pierre added. Mr Biden did not answer reporters' questions about the incident on Wednesday.
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, a top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote to the Secret Service's director with a list of questions about how such a drug could end up in one of the world's most carefully guarded buildings.
He asked about the White House's security and visitor screening process, and how many times drugs have previously been discovered at the presidential mansion.
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has a high potential for abuse, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
The West Wing is a large, multi-level part of the White House that contains the offices of the president of the United States, including the Oval Office and the Situation Room.
It also houses the offices of the vice-president, the White House chief of staff, the press secretary, and hundreds of other staff who have access. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66104993 |
ULEZ: London mayor lacks powers to expand zone, High Court told - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A barrister for five councils says expanding the ultra-low emission zone is beyond Sadiq Khan's powers. | London | Protesters against the scheme's expansion staged a protest outside the High Court
London's mayor "lacks the legal powers" to extend the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), five Conservative-led councils have argued at the High Court.
Craig Howell Williams KC, for the councils, also said Sadiq Khan's plan to extend the zone was to create a "master charging scheme" for London.
The Labour mayor's legal team said the scheme was "entirely lawful" and that it would improve London's air quality.
Currently ULEZ covers the area between the North and South Circular roads.
If the expansion goes ahead as planned on 29 August, the zone would be three times its current size with new borders reaching Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.
The ULEZ scheme currently requires people who drive in non-compliant or more polluting vehicles to pay a daily charge of £12.50 on days these are driven within inner London. Motorists face a maximum £160 fine if they do not pay.
Lorries, buses, coaches and heavy vans which are non-compliant are charged £100 under a separate low emission zone scheme, which already covers most of London.
Claims that nine out of 10 cars already complied with ULEZ standards in outer London were based on data from just 106 cameras, the High Court heard.
The barrister for the councils said people should have been told this during the consultation last year. "This is key information which was not available", said Mr Howell Williams.
He added that consultees might have concluded that forecast compliance rates from such a small number of cameras were "unlikely to be reliable given the size of the area being covered".
Transport for London (TfL) submitted information about its ANPR camera network ahead of the judicial review proceedings. It shows that while there are 1,156 cameras gathering data in the inner London "middle ring" of ULEZ, there were just 106 cameras covering the whole of outer London on which it based its claims about compliance.
In the lead-up to the judicial review, the BBC repeatedly requested data from the Mayor of London and TfL on how the 91% compliance rate was calculated.
Both bodies refused to make this information public.
Ben Jaffey KC, representing the mayor and TfL, said the use of ANPR camera data was "one of several different inputs into a complex model of compliance rates, traffic, emissions and air quality".
The barrister said TfL had been "clear" that camera coverage was "not comprehensive" and that for "full enforcement" it would install 2,750 more cameras.
The mayor plans to extend the scheme from 29 August
Mr Howell Williams, acting on behalf of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey councils, told the judicial review that Mr Khan did not have the legal right to vary existing regulations in this way.
In written arguments, he added that the mayor and TfL's approach would "bypass legal safeguards", which were "designed to ensure that any new charging scheme was properly considered before coming into effect".
The councils' barrister said material provided when gathering views on the plans was "unintelligible" and gave a "confused picture".
As a result, "intelligent responses were prevented", Mr Howell Williams said.
The barrister also said the mayor's plans for a £110m scrappage scheme, to provide grants to people to support them getting rid of non-compliant vehicles, were also unlawful because a "buffer zone" for "non-Londoners" affected by the extended charging zone was not considered.
Mr Jaffey said in his written arguments that the "primary objective" was "to improve London's air quality, in particular reducing nitrogen oxides and particulates".
The barrister said Mr Khan's decisions would help to get London's air quality closer to legal limits, in the areas where it is exceeded, and for World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines to be reached everywhere.
A majority of cars driven in London are ULEZ-compliant
He added that over the past 16 years, London's mayors had used powers to order changes to emissions zones rules in the capital on many occasions.
"It would be bizarre if orders could not be amended to improve emissions standards as required," the barrister said, adding that "one might expect it to have come up before now".
Mr Jaffey went on: "The consultation materials were clear, detailed and provided more than ample information to enable an intelligent response and satisfy the requirements of fairness for consultations."
He said Mr Khan had "personally considered" the level of funding available for the scrappage scheme and had "rationally" concluded it would mitigate some of the impact of the ULEZ expansion.
Mr Jaffey added: "Where there are finite public funds, if there are good reasons for giving preference to Londoners, that inevitably means not giving others the same benefit. These are discretionary public spending decisions."
The hearing, before Mr Justice Swift, is due to conclude on Wednesday and the judge is expected to give his ruling at a later date.
Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66094244 |
Colin Pitchfork: Parole Board asked to reconsider killer's release - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk says it is "absolutely vital" dangerous offenders are kept behind bars. | Leicester | Colin Pitchfork was jailed for life for raping and strangling two 15-year-old girls, Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth
The Lord Chancellor has asked the Parole Board to reconsider its decision to allow child killer Colin Pitchfork to be released from prison.
Pitchfork was jailed for life for raping and strangling two teenage girls in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said it was "absolutely vital" dangerous offenders were kept behind bars.
He said there was an arguable case the board's decision was irrational.
Pitchfork became the first murderer to be convicted using DNA evidence.
He was jailed for a minimum of 30 years in 1988 for the murder of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth.
This was later reduced to 28 years for good behaviour.
Dawn Ashworth and Lynda Mann were raped and murdered by Pitchfork
The 63-year-old was released from prison in 2021 but was arrested and sent back to prison two months later.
He was granted parole in June following a hearing held in private in April.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Chalk said: "My thoughts remain with the families of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, whose lives were changed forever by the heinous crimes of Colin Pitchfork.
"My number one priority is public protection and after careful assessment I have asked the Parole Board to reconsider their decision to release him.
"It is absolutely vital that every lawful step is taken to keep dangerous offenders behind bars."
The Lord Chancellor is a senior member of the cabinet and heads the Ministry of Justice.
His intervention comes after the Conservative MP for South Leicestershire Alberto Costa called for the parole decision to be challenged.
Mr Costa said: "I am very grateful to the justice secretary for listening to me and my constituents by challenging the Parole Board's deeply disappointing decision.
"Like many, I was aghast at the recent decision.
"The Parole Board now has a further opportunity to get this decision right and to ensure that Colin Pitchfork stays in prison where he belongs".
After the decision was made public last month, a Parole Board spokesperson said: "Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority, however our sole focus in law is risk, not punishment, and must be based on evidence.
"This case is eligible for reconsideration if any party thinks the decision is irrational or unfair."
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-66090922 |
Wimbledon 2023 results: Novak Djokovic overcomes rain delay to beat Pedro Cachin - BBC Sport | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | null | Novak Djokovic dries the court with a towel and urges the crowd to "blow" amid rain delay as he begins his Wimbledon title defence with a win. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. More coverage details
Novak Djokovic dried the court with his towel and urged the crowd to "blow" in a farcical rain delay as his Wimbledon title defence began with a win.
But after the first set there was no play for 80 minutes, despite the closed roof, with Djokovic dabbing the grass before ground staff used leaf blowers.
"Every time I come out I normally have racquets, not towels - it was fun to do something different," Djokovic said.
"It was a little bit [of] a strange feeling but hopefully you guys liked it.
"It was definitely frustrating for all the crowd waiting for us to come out on court. We both wanted to play but the conditions were not great and still slippery.
"Once the roof was open it was a different story and after five or 10 minutes we were able to play."
Djokovic, aiming to secure his eighth Wimbledon title and match Roger Federer's record for a male player, will now play Australia's Jordan Thompson, ranked 70th in the world, following his five-set win over American Brandon Nakashima, 55th in the world.
Amusing scenes as Djokovic tries to dry the court
Djokovic, who has not lost on Centre Court since being beaten by Andy Murray in the 2013 final, was a break up in the first set, but complained the surface was getting slippery with drops of rain falling.
He wrapped up the set just before a shower at 14:20 BST, with the roof then fully closed 15 minutes later.
But in that time enough water had got on to the court before the covers came on to cause a lengthy delay.
With the covers off and the roof still closed, the players inspected the surface at 14:55, but were not happy with it and the crowd were told by the umpire that "the court is taking longer than expected to dry".
There followed some amusing scenes when Djokovic appeared with a towel, urged the 15,000-strong crowd to "blow" at the same time to dry the court, with him then wiping the grass himself.
After that, three members of ground staff, each armed with a leaf blower, also tried to dry the surface, while the fans began to get restless with a half-hearted slow hand clap and then a Mexican wave.
With the leaf blowers and the towel not doing enough, the roof was reopened at 15:40 in an attempt to dry the grass naturally with the rain having stopped.
It did the job and play resumed just before 15:50 with Djokovic able to take control with two breaks in the second set against his opponent, who battled hard but was outclassed.
If he keeps winning, Djokovic will not have to play a top-30 ranked opponent until the fourth round at the earliest.
Russia's seventh seed Andrey Rublev is a potential opponent for Djokovic in the quarter-finals and he began his campaign with a 6-3 7-5 6-4 success over Australia's Max Purcell.
Rublev, unable to play at Wimbledon in 2022 because of the ban handed out to Russian and Belarusian players after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was only in trouble in the second set at 5-2 down before he won five games in a row in a 6-3 7-5 6-4 victory.
"I feel really happy to be back, because I haven't played much Wimbledon - I was injured or it was the pandemic or then they ban us," said Rublev.
"It feels really special to play at one of the best tournaments and to get a win was a nice moment."
Asked if he felt Wimbledon made a mistake by forcing the ban on Russian players last year, Rublev, who wrote 'No War Please' on a camera lens after advancing to the final at the Dubai Championships in February 2022, replied: "We were talking and I think we could find the solution.
"If we really want to help or do what is better for tennis and for the people, obviously there were better options. Not just to ban, because in the end, [there] was no difference.
"But it is what it is. Now we are here, and I'm really happy to be back and to compete."
Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud, who lost to Djokovic in last month's French Open final, was tested by Laurent Lokoli of France before eventually going through in four sets on Court One.
Ruud will play Great Britain's Liam Broady in the second round.
Elsewhere, there were successes for 14th seed Lorenzo Musetti and 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz against Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru and Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain respectively.
But there was a first-round exit for Canadian 11th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who lost in four sets to American Michael Mmoh.
The first three sets all went to tie-breaks before Mmoh, ranked 119th in the world and whose only previous singles appearance at Wimbledon was a first-round loss in 2018, closed out a 7-6 6-7 7-6 6-4 victory.
Number eight seed Jannik Sinner from Italy completed his victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo on Centre Court at 21:20 BST, but ninth seed Taylor Fritz was one of the players forced off by bad light - the American is 3-2 up on serve in the final set against Germany's Yannick Hanfmann.
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Rishi Sunak urges people to hold their nerve on interest rates - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The prime minister continues to back the Bank of England as mortgage pressure rises for homeowners. | Business | 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
The UK Prime Minister has urged homeowners and borrowers to "hold their nerve" over rising interest rates aimed at bringing down stubborn inflation.
Rishi Sunak told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "I want people to be reassured that we've got to hold our nerve, stick to the plan and we will get through this."
This week the Bank of England raised interest rates to a 15-year high of 5%.
Millions of people are facing higher mortgage repayments following the rise.
Meanwhile, those who rent could face higher payments or the prospect of squeezed landlords selling their property, according to the National Residential Landlords Association.
Mr Sunak continued to back the Bank of England despite some Conservatives saying it has not done enough to bring inflation back to its 2% target.
Inflation - which measures the rate at which prices are rising - remained at 8.7% in May despite the Bank raising interest rates 13 times since December 2021.
"I can tell you as prime minister, the Bank of England is doing the right thing," Mr Sunak told the BBC. "The Bank of England has my total support. Inflation is the enemy."
He said: "People need help, not a prime minister instructing them to hold their nerve.
"Struggling homeowners will be rightly furious after watching an out of touch prime minister who has no idea of the pain caused by rising mortgage rates."
Mr Sunak has pledged to halve inflation by the end of the year.
But former Treasury Minister Andrea Leadsom accused the Bank of doing "too little, too late".
While Karen Ward, a member of chancellor Jeremy Hunt's economic advisory council, said the Bank had "been too hesitant" in its interest rate rises so far and called on it to "create a recession" to bring inflation under control.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: We've got to hold our nerve and stick to plan on finances, says Sunak
Mr Sunak said: "I've never said that it's not challenging. I've never said that this isn't going to be a difficult time to get through. But what I want to give people the reassurance and confidence is, that we've got a plan, the plan will work and we will get through this."
In recent weeks, banks and building societies have been withdrawing mortgage deals in anticipation of higher interest rates.
The average two-year fixed residential mortgage is now 6.19% while the five-year rate is 5.82%. In June last year, those rates were closer to 3%.
Last week, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt met with UK banks who have agreed that borrowers will be able to make a temporary change to their mortgage terms.
The voluntary changes allow homeowners to just pay the interest on their mortgages and Mr Hunt said this would not affect borrowers' credit scores.
Labour has called for the agreements to be mandatory and rolled out across the banking sector. Otherwise, according to Labour's housing secretary Lisa Nandy, an estimated two million people "will not experience the benefits".
The government must "not just talk a good game," Ms Nandy told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg,"but make sure that it happens".
Elsewhere Labour has called on banks to pass on interest rate rises to savers in order to reduce inflation.
The Lib Dems have called for a targeted Mortgage Protection Fund, paying grants of up to £300 a month to homeowners on the lowest incomes and those suffering from the sharpest rises in rates. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66012301 |
Thames Water fined £3.3m over river sewage - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The firm pumped millions of litres of sewage into rivers, turning them black and killing fish. | Sussex | The incident killed more than 1,400 fish, the court heard
Thames Water has been fined £3.3m after it discharged millions of litres of undiluted sewage into two rivers, killing more than 1,400 fish.
There was a "significant and lengthy" release of sewage from treatment works near Gatwick Airport in October 2017 into the Gatwick Stream in Sussex and River Mole in Surrey, a court heard.
Thames Water admitted four charges in an Environment Agency prosecution.
It was handed the fine during sentencing at Lewes Crown Court.
The company, which serves 15 million households, faces concerns over its future amid mounting debt.
Judge Christine Laing KC said she believed Thames Water had shown a "deliberate attempt" to mislead the Environment Agency, by omitting water readings and submitting a report to the regulator denying responsibility.
The court heard how a storm pump unexpectedly activated and was filling up the storm tank, despite no substantial rainfall, for 21 hours, which went unnoticed.
The pump then spilled sewage into the river for an estimated six hours but no alarm was in place to alert staff to the overspill, the court was told.
When an alarm was heard, the lead technician was uncontactable because they were awaiting a new mobile phone, the court was told.
Thames Water pleaded guilty to four charges relating to polluting the rivers
The judge said she found it "utterly extraordinary" that environmental disasters could occur because of issues such as this.
She said the company "should have put in every effort into tidying up the problem areas".
Thames Water has had 20 previous fines for pollution spillage.
Last week, the company's chief executive, Sarah Bentley, stepped down after two years in the role, weeks after giving up her bonus over sewage spills.
Outside court, Jamie Lloyd, Environment Agency senior officer, told the BBC: "Firstly, when the alarm at the sewage works went off, they didn't inform the Environment Agency. They told us actually several times that nothing had happened at the sewage works.
"When they did accept responsibility, they then submitted a formal challenge asking us to remove the incident from our records, so, yes, they seemed to try and mislead the investigations that we were undertaking."
The Environment Agency said the firm allowed untreated sewage to pour into rivers outside storm conditions, which was illegal.
It said a stretch of river measuring nearly 5km, containing protected species such as European eel and brown trout, was in grave danger.
The agency said the storm lagoon was three-quarters of its legally-required size, meaning it filled with sewage earlier, discharged into rivers sooner, and gave less protection to fish.
Mitigation measures were available but missed and logbooks showed staff rated equipment as "unsatisfactory", before and after the incident, the agency said.
After sentencing, Richard Ayland, sustainability director for Thames Water, said: "This incident happened six years ago. That was then, this is now.
"We've had a new chief executive who came in and has spent three years devising a turnaround plan which is setting us on the road to a much more secure future for the company and the environment."
A spokesman for the Department for Environment said the fine would be paid into a treasury fund, but in the future water company environmental fines and penalties would be reinvested into the government's water restoration fund.
The record fine against a water company for illegal discharge of sewage is held by Southern Water at £90m.
That fine followed nearly 7,000 incidents across Hampshire, Kent and Sussex in a case brought by the Environment Agency in 2021.
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Unilever: Cornetto maker defends decision to stay in Russia - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Unilever said exiting was "not straightforward" as its operations would be taken over if it abandoned them. | Business | The maker of Dove soap and Cornetto ice cream has defended its decision to keep operating in Russia more than a year after the country invaded Ukraine.
Unilever said that exiting was "not straightforward" as its operations would be taken over by the Russian state if it abandoned them.
It comes after a campaign group estimated the firm is contributing £579m to the Russian economy annually.
The Moral Rating Agency accused the firm of facilitating Russia's invasion.
"Unilever must stop hiding behind its balance sheet and excuses to face the reality that selling an ice cream can allow Putin to pay for a bullet," said founder Mark Dixon.
A host of Western companies from Apple to Levi's quit Russia in the wake of its illegal invasion of Ukraine last year, both for ethical reasons and because sanctions have made it difficult to operate in the country.
However, some firms are still doing business there such as US consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, which has said it has limited its activities in the country.
Unilever, which sells products in the UK such as Marmite and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, said it had stopped exports and imports to and from Russia and ceased advertising there.
It also claims to be selling only "essential" products in the country, including everyday food and hygiene products.
But the Moral Rating Agency (MRA) said that Unilever's production facilities in Russia continued to manufacture and sell most of its original goods in the country.
It said its calculations accounted for the total amount Unilever paid into the Russian treasury annually, along with money spent on local suppliers, employees and for other costs such as rent and technology.
"The MRA calculation starts with Unilever's admission in its 2022 Annual Report that its Russian business represents 1.4% of turnover," the group added.
Referring the BBC to its most recent statement in February, Unilever said: "We understand why there are calls for Unilever to leave Russia.
"We also want to be clear that we are not trying to protect or manage our business in Russia. However, for companies like Unilever, which have a significant physical presence in the country, exiting is not straightforward."
The company, which employs around 3,000 people in Russia, said that if it were to abandon its brands in Russia, "they would be appropriated - and then operated - by the Russian state".
The consumer goods giant said it had been unable to find a way to sell the business that "avoids the Russian state potentially gaining further benefit, and which safeguards our people".
It said there were no "desirable" options, but that continuing to run the business with "strict constraints" was the best way forward in the circumstances.
This week, Shell was criticised for continuing to trade in Russian gas more than a year after pledging to withdraw from the Russian energy market.
The oil giant said the trades were the result of "long-term contractual commitments" and do not violate laws or sanctions. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66101852 |
Ipswich toddler death: Pair charged with murdering two-year-old girl - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police say the pair, both aged 22, will appear at court in Ipswich on Wednesday. | Suffolk | Police cars were parked outside the temporary housing unit in Sidegate Lane on Friday
A man and woman have been charged with murder following the death of a two-year-old girl.
The body was found by police at a temporary housing unit in Sidegate Lane, Ipswich, at about 11:45 BST on Friday.
Suffolk Constabulary said officers arrested two people in Bury St Edmunds in the early hours of Saturday.
Scott Jeff and Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell are now due to appear at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The force said that the pair - both aged 22 and of no fixed address but previously from Bedfordshire - were known to the victim.
Floral tributes were left at the housing unit after the toddler was found dead on Friday
Further tests were required as part of the post-mortem examination, officers said.
Suffolk Constabulary also said a mandatory referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because of previous police contact with the deceased "elsewhere".
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66105493 |
Brighton teenager charged with terrorism offences - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The charges against him relate to an "extreme right-wing ideology", counter-terrorism police say. | Sussex | A man from Brighton has been charged with 11 terrorism-related offences.
Mason Reynolds, 18, of Moulsecoomb Way, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, and will next appear at the Old Bailey on 21 July.
The charges against him are linked to an "extreme right-wing ideology", counter-terrorism police say.
Among the charges are five counts of collecting information which could be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
He is also charged with five counts of dissemination of terrorist publications, and a further count of possessing an article for the purpose of terrorism.
The investigation which led to his arrest was carried out by the Counter Terrorism Policing South East unit.
Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-66094245 |
Man and two-year-old child hit by train in Glasgow - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The pair are being treated for their injuries in hospital following the incident in Glasgow on Sunday. | Glasgow & West Scotland | A man and a two-year-old child are in hospital after being hit by a train in Glasgow.
British Transport Police said they were alerted to the casualties on the tracks at Garrowhill Station shortly before 19:30 on Sunday.
Officers said the man was in a serious condition, and the child's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Detectives believe there were a number of people on the platform who may have witnessed what happened.
They said any witnesses who had not yet spoken to the police should get in touch with British Transport Police.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-66087518 |
Buck Moon: July supermoon appears brighter than usual in the sky - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | July's full Moon, known as a Buck Moon, is closer than normal in its orbit around the Earth. | World | The moon illuminated the sky as it rose over the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow, Russia
The Moon has left people gazing up at the sky after appearing brighter and larger than usual on Monday evening.
July's supermoon is appearing full for up to three days, according to Nasa.
Known as a Buck Moon, it is closer than normal in its orbit around the Earth.
This is because the Moon's orbit is not a perfect circle due to the Earth's gravitational pull; instead it is elliptical, like an elongated circle or oval.
Because of this, there are times in the Moon's 27.32-day orbit when it is closer to the Earth and other times when it is further away.
A supermoon happens when the Moon is at the closest point to Earth in its orbit and also in its full Moon phase.
The full Moon in July was given the Native American name of Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer are in full growth mode in July, according to the Royal Observatory. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers.
The Moon reached peak illumination at 12:39 BST (07:39 Eastern Time) on Monday, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
The Almanac, which has published astronomical data for centuries, said the Buck Moon would orbit closer to the Earth than full Moons we have already had this year.
August's full Moon will be the only supermoon closer to the Earth this year, the publication said.
Here are some pictures of the Buck Moon from around the world on Sunday and Monday:
The moon was seen clearly in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday
The supermoon provided a captivating backdrop while a tractor ploughed a field near the city of Ashkelon, in southern Israel, on Monday
The Buck Moon lit up the blue sky as it rose over St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear on Sunday
The full moon rose above the Ancient Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, in Sounion, Greece on Sunday
The moon rose behind the Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China on Monday
The dark sky in Stockingford, Warwickshire, was illuminated by the orange tones of the Buck Moon on Sunday
A full moon sets behind the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday
New York City's iconic Statue of Liberty shared the skyline with the Buck Moon on Sunday
Spectators watching a sports game do not appear to notice the full moon behind them in Kutaisi, Georgia on Sunday
The supermoon was spotted next to a street lamp light in L'Aquila, Italy on Sunday
A bird flies past the Buck Moon as it rises in the sky over a lighthouse at the port of Malaga, Spain
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Byker Grove: Ant and Dec to produce children's drama reboot - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The pair say they are "beyond excited" to bring back the series, which ran from 1989 to 2006. | Tyne & Wear | Declan Donnelly and Ant McPartlin - disconcertingly the wrong way round - found fame as PJ and Duncan on Byker Grove
TV series Byker Grove is to make a comeback - produced by former stars Ant and Dec.
The children's series - set in Newcastle - aired on the BBC from 1989 to 2006 and focused on the lives of youngsters who attended the youth club of the same name.
It saw Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly find fame as PJ and Duncan.
The pair, who will be executive producers on the reboot, said they were "beyond excited".
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The programme - to be simply called Byker - will be aimed "at a primetime audience" and "engage with a new generation of teenagers navigating the different challenges faced by young adults today", production company Fulwell 73 said.
It has not been announced if the show - which also launched the careers of Donna Air, Jill Halfpenny, Andrew Hayden-Smith and Charlie Hunnam - will be broadcast on the BBC or when filming will begin.
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Donnelly said it would "help shine a spotlight on the North East and the talent the region has to offer both in front of the camera and behind it".
"Byker Grove will always be very special to us as the show which gave us our break, so we are beyond excited," he added.
"We are looking forward to bringing this fresh incarnation to a whole new generation as well as those who remember it as fondly as we do."
The original filming location of the youth club was Grade II-listed Benwell Towers in Newcastle, which is now home to Islamic school Bahr Academy.
McPartlin - whose character PJ famously was accidentally blinded during a paintball fight in one episode - added the pair "owe such a lot to Byker Grove and the North East so we can't wait to start working to bring this iconic series back to life".
"Already talking characters and storylines has us all buzzing at the possibilities ahead," he added.
The series will be made by North East-based Fulwell 73 - which was behind Friends: The Reunion, The Kardashians and Gavin and Stacey: Christmas Special - along with Ant and Dec's Mitre Studios, which produced Saturday Night Takeaway.
Ant and Dec will act as executive producers on the rebooted series
It will be filmed across Newcastle and Sunderland as part of both companies' commitment to their home region and local production offices.
Leo Pearlman, from Fulwell 73, told BBC Radio 5 Live the intention was to recruit "as much as possible" from the North East for roles on and off-screen.
"The whole creative industry is so much stronger when it is geographically diverse, culturally, socially diverse and I think the North East has been left behind in that regard for a number of years," he said.
"Alongside our plans we are building this enormous studio - Crown Works studios - and this is a big part of that overall plan, to create content that is developed, that is written, that is starring talent and voices from the region and give a voice back to a region that I think has been lost."
He also hinted its familiar theme tune - written by North East group The Kane Gang - "could do with a little update".
McPartlin and Donnelly will also integrate their Prince's Trust Making It In Media course into the production to help give experience to local young people.
Saturday Night Takeaway was just one of a number of shows fronted by the pair, including Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and Britain's Got Talent.
The original filming location of "The Grove" was Benwell Towers in Newcastle
The pair - who have won the National Television Awards best TV presenter category every year since 2001 - moved into primetime after working on children's TV shows such as the Ant and Dec Show and SM:TV Live, prompted by their appearances on Byker Grove.
As part of one storyline on the drama their alter egos PJ and Duncan performed a song, which led them in real life into the world of music.
They recorded two albums in their characters' names and over four years had 14 Top 20 hits, with the most famous - Let's Get Ready to Rhumble - nominated for a Brit Award.
The final episode of Byker Grove in 2006 saw the characters realising they were actors in a TV show, before a T-Rex showed up, ate some mummies and was then shot by a spaceship.
It concluded with all the characters - and the Byker Grove building - seemingly being blown up by explosives.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66092428 |
Scottish Green leaders to snub King's cathedral ceremony - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Patrick Harvie will attend an anti-monarchy rally and Lorna Slater says that monarchy is "nothing to celebrate". | Scotland | Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater pictured at the Scottish Greens' spring party conference earlier this year
The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens have confirmed they will not attend a service of thanksgiving for King Charles III in Edinburgh this week.
Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are both outspoken republican MSPs as well as government ministers.
Mr Harvie will instead speak at a rally outside Holyrood organised by the anti-monarchy group Our Republic.
Scottish Conservative MSP Donald Cameron said the decision was "akin to student politics".
Alex Salmond, the former first minister and SNP leader, also said he had "politely declined" an invitation to attend the ceremony.
The national service of thanksgiving on Wednesday will see the King being presented with the Scottish crown jewels in a ceremony to mark his Coronation.
Last year, members of the Scottish Greens boycotted a debate at Holyrood at which MSPs congratulated the late Queen on her Platinum Jubilee.
At the time, the party - which is part of a Scottish government power-sharing deal - said a head of state should be chosen by, and be accountable to, voters.
Confirming her intention not to attend Wednesday's ceremony, Ms Slater said: "In 21st Century Scotland, the monarchy is nothing to celebrate."
She added: "It is an out-of-date and undemocratic institution.
"How can we justify a system that allows one family to enjoy so much unearned wealth and privilege at a time when millions of people have so little?"
Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater met the Queen at the opening of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament in October 2021
Mr Harvie added that the monarchy was one of the reasonshe supported Scottish independence.
He said: "There are many people in Scotland who regard the monarchy as a tiresome spectacle and a symbol of values we don't hold."
"I will be proud to speak at the Our Republic rally, and to stand with others who want to build a more democratic society, where power and wealth belongs to the people rather than being passed down as an inheritance."
Donald Cameron said Mr Harvie's choice to speak at the rally instead was "predictably infantile".
He added: "If he wants to ask big questions, he should start with how he conducts himself as a government minister.
"The Greens may have failed to deliver a deposit-return scheme, but they can definitely recycle tedious anti-monarchy rants.
"As on so many issues, the extremist Greens are out of touch with the majority of Scots, who see the Coronation and the King's commitment to Scotland as something to celebrate."
Meanwhile, Mr Salmond - who publicly backed keeping the monarchy in an independent Scotland while he was first minister - predicted that King Charles would be the "last king of Scots".
He added: "This really is not the time to be wasting money on public displays of fealty to a King. It is the time for a renewed debate on why Scotland needs to take its own future into its own hands.
"I believe Scotland will become an independent country, and when we do, I suspect the majority of people will want a fresh start on the basis of an elected head of state."
The King won't exactly be shocked to hear that Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater will not be attending the service.
He will know they are not there. It's not something that will slip under the radar - he is kept up-to-date with all affairs of state.
For the Greens, as avowed republicans, if they did go to St Giles's, they would feel they were betraying their own principles.
Mr Harvie will address the Our Republic demonstration instead.
Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are ministers of the Crown - some maybe question if there's a "disloyalty" here?
However, it's not the Middle Ages and heads will not roll.
They were, after all, democratically elected by people who clearly share their views.
Widening this out though, the first minister will attend - although he's a republican too.
It's easy for him to make an argument about why he has to be present at the service.
Mr Yousaf previously made clear he went to the Coronation as he represents all the people of Scotland.
Perhaps there's a certain irony though about the nature of the Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication.
The King was crowned as King of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey - and this is most certainly not a "Scottish Coronation".
But all the rich panoply of what would seem to be Scottish "statehood" will be on show at St Giles.
It highlights Scotland's history as an independent nation and the service now emphasises that ancient past in the United Kingdom.
So despite the opposition from some quarters, others who share pro-independence views will take a different view about the event.
Some Scottish nationalists who hail from the more traditional and monarchist wing of the movement will watch tomorrow with a real sense of "what could be" - as they see that sense of Scottish "statehood" played out in front of His Majesty. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66095611 |
Orkney votes to explore 'alternative governance' - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The council leader accused the Scottish and UK governments of discrimination before his motion was supported. | NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland | There have been calls for Orkney to become part of Norway
Orkney councillors have voted to investigate alternative methods of governance amid deep frustrations over funding and opportunities.
Council leader James Stockan said the islands had been "held down" and accused the Scottish and UK governments of discrimination.
His motion led to media speculation that Orkney could leave the UK or become a self-governing territory of Norway.
It was supported by 15 votes to six.
It means council officers have been asked to publish a report to Orkney's chief executive on options of governance.
This includes looking at the "Nordic connections" of the archipelago and crown dependencies such as Jersey and Guernsey.
A further change which would see the revival of a consultative group on constitutional reform for the islands was accepted without the need for a vote.
On Monday, the prime minister's spokesperson rejected the suggestion the islands could loosen its ties with the union.
Mr Stockan urged councillors to back his idea to find new ways to get greater financial security and economic opportunities for Orcadians.
Speaking to councillors on Tuesday, he said the motion was "not about us joining Norway".
He added: "I say it's time for government to take us seriously and I say it's time for us to look at all the options we've got.
"There is a far bigger suite of options here - this could even be that we could get our money direct from the Treasury in London and look after our own future.
"We have been held down and we all know most of what I could say today in terms of discrimination against this community from governments. We all know how much less we get compared to other island groups."
Council leader James Stockan says Orkney does not get fair funding within the UK
Orkney Islands Council previously voted in 2017 to look at whether the islands could have greater autonomy.
While councillors wanted to have a "stronger voice", they did not back full independence for Orkney.
Currently, most of the island's 21 councillors sit as independents - two are Greens.
Mr Stockan has said an ageing ferry fleet is among the issues being faced by islanders.
He previously told the BBC the situation was "critical" because the ferries, which are older than the Western Isles fleet, were beginning to fail.
His concerns were widely shared by other councillors, however some raised issues with self-governance, such as the cost of carrying out such investigations.
Cllr Steven Heddle also mentioned disadvantages including having to buy back the sea bed, and tuition fees for students wishing to study in Scotland.
He called Mr Stockan's efforts "politics of grievance" and said that every council felt hard done by, citing roads in Edinburgh that were "worse" than Orkney's despite the council having far more funding.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesperson said: "First and foremost there is no mechanism for the conferral of Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory status on any part of the UK.
"We have no plans to change the devolution settlement we are supporting Orkney with £50m to grow the economic prosperity of the Scottish islands, through the islands deal.
"But the government's position is that the UK is stronger united."
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.
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 spokesperson added it was "committed to supporting island communities".
The Norwegian government declined to comment on the proposals.
Today's vote was never about Orkney becoming part of Norway, or any of the other headlines we've seen over recent days.
Rather it was a chance for councillors to express their extreme frustration with what they see as the unfair deal they get from the Scottish and UK governments, with council leader James Stockan saying the islands had been failed by both of them.
The successful passing of the motion is the first of many hurdles in Orkney gaining a degree of greater autonomy.
Council officials will now be tasked with investigating options. Mr Stockan said that "nothing was off the table" - including of course the much-publicised return to Norway or Denmark.
Reaction to the vote on the streets of Kirkwall has been fairly mixed.
Some don't want to see any tax-payer money devoted to what one councillor described as "frankly bizarre fantasies".
Others feel that the council does get a raw deal from both Holyrood and Westminster, and that anything that gets the two governments to sit up and pay attention is worth looking at.
The eyes of the global media have been on Orkney for the past few days.
It's now up to the islands council to capitalise on that attention. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66090102 |
Mhairi Black to step down as SNP MP at next election - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ms Black became the parliament's youngest MP since 1832 when she was first elected in 2015 aged 20. | Scotland | Mhairi Black is one of six SNP MPs to announce they will quit at the next election
SNP MP Mhairi Black is stepping down at the next general election.
Ms Black, the party's deputy leader at Westminster, became the parliament's youngest MP since 1832 when she was elected aged 20 in 2015.
She is the sixth SNP MP to announce they will not contest the next election, which is expected to be held in 2024.
In a statement Ms Black, 28, described Westminster as an "outdated, sexist and toxic" working environment.
The Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP cited safety concerns, social media abuse and unsociable hours as she explained her decision.
"I have also made clear that I have no desire to have a long career in elected politics, and as we approach the next general election, I will have been elected for almost a decade," Ms Black said.
"I have dedicated a third of my life so far to Westminster - a truly unhealthy working environment."
She said it was "beyond demoralising" to see constituents "harmed by a UK government they never voted for".
The MP added: "Since 2015, the lives of my loved ones have been turned upside down and inside out.
"Between media attention, social media abuse, threats, constant travel, and the murders of two MPs, my loved ones have been in a constant state of anxiety for my health and safety."
Mhairi Black became the youngest MP in 300 years when she was elected in 2015
Ms Black, who married her partner Katie in June 2022, also said she wanted to spend more time with loved ones.
She said: "I will of course continue to represent my constituency to the best of my abilities, and I look forward to continuing to campaign for an independent Scotland and for the SNP at the general election, but I will do so as a campaigner rather than a candidate."
Humza Yousaf, the SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, described Ms Black as a "trailblazer" who was a "passionate supporter of independence, equality, social justice, and simply of trying to make life better for her constituents and the wider Scottish public".
He added: "She has also served as a role model for young people, especially women, with an interest or a desire to get involved in politics."
Mr Yousaf's predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, said the announcement by the Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP was the "loss of a unique talent".
She added on Twitter: "I only hope it's temporary. The world needs more Mhairi Blacks in politics, not fewer."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. People in Mhairi Black's constituency share their reaction to news that she will step down as an MP
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn tweeted that Ms Black is "in a class of her own".
Former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has already announced he will be standing down at the next election.
Party colleagues Peter Grant, Angela Crawley, Douglas Chapman and Stewart Hosie are also set to quit.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Mhairi Black MP🏳️🌈 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Ms Black defeated former Labour government minister Douglas Alexander as the SNP won a landslide north of the border in the 2015 election.
She successfully defended her seat in the 2017 and 2019 general elections.
The SNP MP's maiden speech – in which she paid tribute to her constituents and attacked benefit sanctions – was viewed online more than 10 million times within a week.
And early in her parliamentary career, she hit out at Westminster's "silly traditions", describing it as outdated.
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In 2018, she made headlines after detailing some of the abuse she received during a parliamentary debate on misogyny to mark International Women's Day.
She listed graphic misogynistic insults she had been sent during her time as an MP.
The next general election is due to be held by January 2025, with the autumn of next year seen as the most likely date.
Mhairi Black was a symbol of the SNP's landslide in 2015, the 20-year-old who conjured up a massive swing to unseat a Labour heavyweight in Douglas Alexander.
It wasn't just her youth. Her straight-talking style encompassed a lot of what the SNP wanted to be at Westminster - a renegade element in the Commons shaking things up and agitating for radical change.
But now, she is the latest in what is becoming a string of SNP members to announce they will not stand in the next election.
Is that too a symbol of something?
Labour are gearing up for a big push to try to retake ground from the SNP - Mr Alexander is targeting a comeback of his own, albeit in a different seat.
But Paisley and Renfrewshire South is fairly steady SNP territory these days, with Ms Black commanding a majority in excess of 10,000 votes in 2019 - or almost 25%.
The salient point may be that no SNP MP really wants to be at Westminster, and the question of independence has for years now been caught in a log-jam.
Perhaps what Ms Black fears isn't so much losing her seat - but the prospect of keeping it for the long term.
Scottish Conservative Chairman Craig Hoy MSP described Ms Black's announcement as "yet another damning verdict from a senior SNP MP on the failing leadership of both Humza Yousaf and Stephen Flynn".
He added: "It speaks volumes about how bitter those feuds have become that Mhairi Black has thrown in the towel, just a few months after agreeing to become deputy leader, and decided not to fight another election despite not yet turning 30."
• None Stewart Hosie to stand down at next election | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66101123 |
Ukraine war: At least 43 injured in daylight strike in Kharkiv region - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two babies were reportedly among the injured after a missile strike in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. | Europe | Pictures shared on Telegram show the damage caused by the missile strike
At least 43 people, including 12 children, have been injured after a missile struck the carpark of a residential building in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, local officials say.
What is believed to be a Russian Iskander missile landed in the town of Pervomaisky at about 13:30 local time.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said there were only residential buildings in the area.
A one-year-old and a 10-month-old were reportedly among the injured.
Mr Kostin said targeting the residential buildings amounted to another war crime from Russia.
Oleg Sinegubov, the Kharkiv regional governor posted several pictures of the damaged building to Telegram. They showed smashed windows, dark smoke clouds and an overturned car.
"At least half of the neighbourhood is in an uninhabitable state," Anton Orekhov, the chairman of Pervomaiskyi was quoted as saying by local media.
Russia has not immediately commented on the incident, but has previously denied targeting civilians.
Pervomaisky is about 90km (50 miles) south of the major city of Kharkiv and relatively far from the current fighting hotspots, which are predominantly in the Donbas region.
But the north-eastern Kharkiv region was the focus of heavy fighting in the early days of Moscow's full-scale invasion last year, with Ukrainian forces fighting back Russian attempts to advance further into the country.
Earlier on Tuesday, Russia said it had brought down five Ukrainian drones aimed at Moscow and its surrounding region, but reported no casualties or damage. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66102096 |
Australia PM Albanese backs cricket team after Jonny Bairstow Ashes row - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Anthony Albanese says his country stands "right behind" its team after the controversy over a key wicket. | Australia | Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outside Downing Street in March
Australia PM Anthony Albanese has backed his country's cricket team amid the Jonny Bairstow Ashes controversy.
Australia won the match after the English batsman left his position in the second test, apparently thinking the over had ended.
British PM Rishi Sunak agreed with the England captain's claim that Australia "broke the spirit of cricket" in taking the contentious wicket.
But Mr Albanese said the country stands "right behind" its team.
"Same old Aussies - always winning!" the prime minister tweeted, referring to the Australian side's two consecutive Test wins so far. His phrase also appeared to be a jibe at English fans who chanted "same old Aussies always cheating" after Bairstow was dismissed.
Some of Australia's best-known politicians were also at Lord's Cricket Ground in London that match, including the nation's second longest-serving Prime Minister John Howard.
Australian team captain Pat Cummins has maintained the Bairstow wicket was fair and within the rules.
But while his England counterpart Ben Stokes agreed Bairstow was out, Stokes said he would not have wanted to win a match "in that manner".
The debate over the Bairstow wicket has ramped up the consistently fierce rivalry between Australia and England during an Ashes Test series.
England fans were criticised for their behaviour at the member's club at Lord's on Saturday when a crowd heckled and yelled abuse at the Australian team players as they filed past after the match.
Following complaints from the Australian side, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) - which owns Lord's - issued an apology and said it had suspended three members over the incident.
On Tuesday, further footage emerged of Australian batsman Usman Khawaja, a Muslim player of Pakistani heritage, being taunted and jeered at by English members in the crowd.
The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported Khawaja had been "repeatedly singled out for abuse" in the room, and published a video showing Khawaja reacting to the crowd and pointing out hecklers to a security guard.
He described the comments as "disrespectful" and "really disappointing".
Australian captain Cummins also said members were "quite aggressive and abusive towards some of our players".
The Sydney paper reported that sources close to the England Cricket Board have denied any of the MCC investigations into the confrontation relate to racial abuse.
The incident comes less than a week after a landmark report into British cricket found racism, sexism, classism and elitism "widespread" in all levels of the English and Welsh cricket game.
Speaking after the second test, Australian captain Cummins also accused the English team of hypocrisy in game tactics - as match footage showed Bairstow trying to stump Australian batters in the same manner two days prior to the final day incident.
Australia has taken a two-nil lead in the Ashes against England, after winning the second test by 43 runs. There are three more tests to go. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-66094186 |
Welsh government had failings before Covid, Drakeford tells inquiry - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Covid inquiry continues hearing evidence on how prepared the UK was for the pandemic. | UK | That's it for today, and for evidence from Welsh officials for the time being.
We're now ending our coverage of the UK's Covid inquiry for today. Thanks for joining us.
Today's live page was written by David Deans with analysis from Hywel Griffith. The page was edited by John Arkless and Emily McGarvey.
You can read more about the Covid inquiry here. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66085086 |
Children should be taught about healthy relationships, report says - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | New Stormont framework recommends teaching children about healthy relationships as a key action. | Northern Ireland | A number of recent reports have been critical of aspects of approach to relationships and sex education in Northern Ireland
Children should be taught about "healthy, respectful relationships" from a young age.
That is one of the key actions in a new Stormont framework on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG).
It also said young people should be involved in developing new relationships and sex education (RSE) for schools.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without a specific EVAWG strategy at present.
The Stormont Executive first recommended a strategy should be developed to protect women and girls in Northern Ireland from violence in 2021.
The Executive Office has now published a "strategic framework" and initial action plan for consultation.
The aim of the framework is "a changed society where women and girls are free from all forms of gender-based violence, abuse and harm".
In her foreword to it, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady, said ending violence against women and girls was "one of the most difficult challenges facing our society today".
"It is also one of the most important," she added.
The action plan defines violence against women and girls as ranging from "everyday misogynistic attitudes and damaging social norms to harmful unwanted behaviours and serious criminal offences".
It said such acts were "overwhelmingly but not exclusively carried out by men".
The action plan also stated that a lot of abuse and harm went unreported, so what is reported is "only the tip of the iceberg".
There are 22 recommended actions in year one of the plan.
Those include a forum to decide how best young people can be taught about healthy, respectful relationships in school - including in Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).
A number of recent reports have been critical of aspects of approach to RSE in Northern Ireland.
A previous consultation on the EVAWG strategy also said that changes to RSE should be part of it.
The action plan includes initial work on measures to combat violence against women and girls in higher and further education, workplaces and the hospitality sector.
It found that an analysis of frontline provision should be carried out to improve services for victims.
That includes increasing the confidence of victims in the justice system.
The former High Court judge Sir John Gillen had previously recommended extensive changes to how sexual offences were dealt with in Northern Ireland.
Sir John said the justice system had "much to change".
Research suggests that four in five women first experienced men's violence before the age of 20
The Police Service of Northern Ireland recently published its first ever action plan aimed at reducing violence against women and girls.
The overall aim of the strategic framework, meanwhile, is on prevention, "tackling the root causes and stopping the violence before it starts".
Recent research quoted in the framework suggests that 75% of girls aged 16 have "experienced street harassment at least once in their lifetime".
Separate research suggests that four in five women "first experienced men's violence before the age of 20".
The framework also said that 42 women had been murdered in Northern Ireland from January 2013 to June 2023 - one every three months.
Among the measures put forward in the strategic framework are for children to be taught about healthy relationships from "early years" and for "accessible" RSE to be developed in collaboration with young people.
"Our young people are exposed to messages online which undervalue, demean and humiliate women and girls, as well as increased access to pornography from a young age," the framework document said.
"In addition, there has been a recent rise of online influencers who have a toxic influence on men and boys in our society, and negatively impact their views on women and girls."
Youth, faith and sport organisations should also engage men in tackling violence against women, the document said.
A number of other prevention strategies are suggested, including identifying "champions" and influencers to drive a change in attitudes across society.
The framework and action plan have been developed with a range of organisations in Northern Ireland, including Women's Aid, the Women's Resource and Development Agency, Nexus NI and Relate NI.
Sarah Mason from Women's Aid Federation NI said the current level of education around healthy relationships was not sufficient.
"We are leaving our young people to try and figure out relationships and intimate relationships in the palm of their hand in phones.
"And I mean, that's not where it should be. They should be in safe places understanding about respect," she said on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.
"We cannot keep losing women and girls to violence in this country. So the sooner that we get on this road and we start making the changes, the better.
"And money needs to be behind it."
• None Upskirting now a crime after campaign | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66091981 |
Rwanda ruling will be vigorously challenged - Sunak - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Sunak insists the government's plan to send migrants who arrive in the UK illegally to Rwanda is lawful. | UK Politics | Sometimes a gathering of the Liaison Committee can provide parliamentary fireworks - but today's session was relatively sedate.
For most of the 90 minutes, the prime minister faced gently probing questions and gave detailed if largely unsurprising answers.
Rishi Sunak denied his policy to tackle small boat crossings had stalled, insisted the government was committed to building enough houses and defended his approach to reducing inflation. The PM managed to gloss over the controversial topic of Boris Johnson's resignation honours list.
An exchange with Labour's Sir Chris Bryant provided one of the more dramatic moments.
Sunak was riled by the MP's questions about his attitude to Parliament. The PM couldn't answer when any of his predecessors had missed two PMQs sessions in a row, as he is expected to this month, but asked if the MP would prefer him not to attend a Nato summit for example.
As ever with these sessions where several subjects are covered in a limited time, often just as things were getting interesting the chair said it was time for the next topic. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-66093457 |
Rishi Sunak silent over Tory MPs' Partygate report attacks - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Rishi Sunak refused to say whether Tories critical of an inquiry into Boris Johnson should apologise. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Rishi Sunak was challenged over his attendance record at PMQs
Rishi Sunak has refused to say whether Tory MPs accused of undermining the Commons Partygate inquiry into Boris Johnson should apologise.
The Privileges Committee said last week that the MPs, including Nadine Dorries and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, had tried to "interfere" with the probe.
Asked whether they should say sorry, the prime minister didn't say, adding he hadn't read the committee's report.
MPs will decide whether to approve the findings at a debate next Monday.
Last month, the Commons backed the committee's finding, in a separate report, that Mr Johnson misled Parliament over Covid rule-breaking in No 10.
Mr Sunak has never said whether he agrees with the findings of that report - and missed last month's vote to approve it, blaming a diary clash.
The follow-up report by the Privileges Committee, published last week, said several allies of Mr Johnson had sought to "influence the outcome" of its original probe into the former prime minister.
It accused the seven MPs and three peers, all Conservatives, of mounting attacks on the committee designed to "discredit" its findings.
The report has led to a free speech row, with several of those named, including Ms Dorries and Sir Jacob, saying there is no reason they should not be able to criticise its conclusions.
At a scheduled appearance at the Commons Liaison Committee, Mr Sunak did not respond to a question from Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant about whether the MPs named should apologise.
Instead, he said he had not read the report - which runs to a handful of pages - from "cover to cover," although he was aware of its findings.
He confirmed he had asked Lord Zac Goldsmith, one of the Tory peers named in the report, to apologise - but said this was because of his then role as an environment minister.
Lord Goldsmith quit his government post last week, citing unhappiness with green policies. He has denied a claim from Mr Sunak that he had refused to apologise over being named in the report.
Sir Chris, who chairs the Privileges Committee but did not take part in its probe into Mr Johnson because he had criticised him before it began, also criticised Mr Sunak for missing the Commons vote on its findings.
The prime minister replied he couldn't attend because he was scheduled to speak at a charity event, but the Labour MP accused him of choosing "not be in Parliament".
"But yesterday, you opined on the rule of cricket. Take us through that," he added, in an apparent reference to Mr Sunak's criticism of the Australia team on Monday.
In a series of testy exchanges, he also took a swipe at Mr Sunak's attendance record in Parliament, noting that he is scheduled to miss the next two sessions of Prime Minister's Questions.
Mr Sunak replied he will miss this week's session because he is attending an event marking the 75th anniversary of the NHS, whilst next week he is at a summit of Nato leaders in Lithuania.
He denied that he had any control over the timing of the NHS event, telling Sir Chris "I did not decide when that was." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66102489 |
Six-year-old saves mum by calling for help on Alexa device - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Emma Anderson, who has a heart condition, described her daughter Darcey as a "wee superstar". | Glasgow & West Scotland | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From a young age, Darcey knew her mum had a "sore heart" and she could call for help on Alexa.
A Scottish mum who received a heart transplant has told how her six-year-old daughter saved her life twice using a smart speaker.
Emma Anderson, from Robroyston in Glasgow, was 15 when she was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
From a young age, her daughter Darcey knew her mum had a "sore heart" and she could call for help on Alexa.
Now Darcey has used Alexa twice to raise the alarm when her 27-year-old mum has been unwell.
"I set up the Alexa so that if I passed out or was feeling unwell all she had to do was say, 'Alexa, call help', and that would call my mum who lives around the corner," Ms Anderson said.
"And she's had to call on Alexa a couple of times, she even called an ambulance on her own and that time I was in a really bad way.
"I'm so proud of her, she is a wee superstar."
Emma said her heart was so damaged that she was hospitalised whilst waiting for a transplant
"Basically it means that the muscle surrounding the heart starts to grow too thick," she said.
"The way I was kind of described it was instead of beating against a cushion, it's like every beat the heart is beating against a brick wall so it's getting more and more damaged each time."
Mostly managed by medication through her life, she was told at a routine check-up that she needed a life-saving heart transplant urgently.
"Alexa, call help!" allowed Darcey to alert nearby family members to help Emma.
"I went in for my routine check up and was told that it had gotten really bad and I couldn't wait on the routine list at home anymore, I had to come in and be put on an urgent list because basically if I left the hospital I didn't have much time left," she said.
"I went into hospital and a few months in my heart completely failed.
"I ended up on an aortic balloon pump which kept my heart beating for me until we could hopefully get a transplant.
"And then it was about 10 days after going on that, we got a call saying a donor heart was available."
Emma received the transplant in April, 2022 at the NHS Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank.
Since her transplant, Emma has been able to do things she had never done before like take her daughter to swimming and to the park
When first diagnosed, she had an internal defibrillator implanted inside her chest, which "fired" three times last year.
She said the heart transplant had been transformative and she was able to marry her partner Conner last July.
Ms Anderson said: "Since my transplant I have a totally new life now.
"I can actually walk to school and pick Darcey up and walk back again, something I could never do before.
"Over Easter, I managed to take Darcey swimming and to the play park, the farm park, simple things I wasn't able to do before, I can do now. I'm able to be a mummy now."
After her transplant, Emma learned to walk again, being discharged around a week before her wedding
About 28,000 Scots have an inherited heart condition, the most common being hypertrophic cardiomyopathy according to the British Journal of Cardiology.
Ms Anderson said she was eternally grateful to her donor and their family for what they have done for her.
"Getting a transplant is a very hard road, it's not easy," she said.
"I was on life support and all sorts of other treatments after my operation for a long while, and my muscles deteriorated so much I couldn't walk any more.
"The only thing I seemed to care about once I was better was learning to walk again so I could walk down that aisle and get married.
"I was literally discharged just over a week before the wedding, I still had stitches in walking down the aisle."
Emma now stars in Tom Walker's the Best is Yet to Come music video
While recovering in hospital, Ms Anderson created a TikTok video with images of different stages of her heart journey using Scots singing star Tom Walker's song, The Best Is Yet To Come.
The singer was so touched by the video he invited her to London to appear in a video featuring people who had inspired him.
This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by TomWalkerVEVO This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
She said: "Tom contacted me and asked me to go down to London and be part of his music video to raise awareness.
"So I went down and did that with other people who were absolutely incredible, who had been through a lot in life too, and it was so nice of Tom to recognise that through his inspiring music.
"Like the lyrics say, I definitely think the best is yet to come for me thanks to my organ donor.
"It's a horrible situation to be in but…I'm eternally grateful. There are no words I could put into…what that donor family has done for me and my family and my child."
Chief executive of NHS Golden Jubilee, Gordon James, said: "As we celebrate 75 years of the NHS, Emma's inspiring story shows us how valuable and crucial the life-saving care the NHS provides is to our patients." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-66085014 |
Migration Bill: Lords vote to keep child migrant detention limits - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Peers voted to reverse a government plan to remove existing caps in the Illegal Migration Bill. | UK Politics | The House of Lords has voted against government plans to weaken detention limits for children and pregnant women in its migration bill.
The legislation would scrap existing legal caps on how long they can be held ahead of being removed from the UK for arriving illegally.
But peers voted to preserve the current protections in a series of amendments.
They also voted to ban the deportation of LGBT migrants to nations including Rwanda.
The proposed changes are among 11 defeats suffered by ministers on the Illegal Migration Bill in votes on Monday evening.
They can be overturned when the bill goes back to the House of Commons, where - unlike in the Lords - the government has a majority.
But it raises the prospect of another clash between ministers and Tory backbenchers over contested aspects of the legislation.
The bill, backed by MPs in March, is central to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's high-profile pledge to "stop" small boats crossing the English Channel.
It would place a legal duty on the government to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another "safe" third country.
The government says it is committed to its plan to remove migrants to Rwanda, despite the Court of Appeal ruling last week it was unlawful. It has already said it will appeal the decision at the Supreme Court.
There has been concern about how children will be treated under the new migration bill, as well as accusations that existing UK regulations to prevent modern slavery would be undermined.
Although the legal duty to deport migrants would not apply to under-18s the bill would give ministers new powers to deport them in certain circumstances.
It would also get rid of the current three day-limit on how long children and pregnant women can be detained, as well as the 24-hour maximum for children unaccompanied by an adult.
The government argues detention powers are necessary to ensure migrants destined for removal do not "disappear into the community" - and says no one would be held longer than is "absolutely necessary" to ensure they are deported.
It adds that there is also an over-arching legal duty to ensure the length of detention is "reasonable", adding that leaving the UK voluntarily will "always be an option for all".
However in series of votes on Wednesday, a handful of Conservatives teamed up with opposition peers to preserve the detention limits.
Tory peer Baroness Mobarik, who proposed the amendments, said "verbal assurances" from ministers were not enough and "necessary safeguards" had to be added to the bill itself.
"The psychological harms of detention on young children is significant and likely to impact them for the rest of their lives," she added.
Immigration Minister Lord Murray of Blidworth said safeguards were already in place for the detention of pregnant women, whilst those in the later stages of pregnancy would be released on immigration bail.
Child detention was also a contentious issue when the bill was debated in the Commons, with the government avoiding a showdown with Tory rebels by promising to listen to concerns.
Tim Loughton, who spearheaded the rebellion, said at the time he wanted a maximum limit to remain.
In other votes on Monday, the Lords voted to ban deportations of LGBT migrants to 10 mainly African countries, including Rwanda, Nigeria and Kenya - with a specific ban on trans men and women being deported to Brazil.
When the proposed bans were initially debated last week, Crossbench peer Lord Etherton, who suggested them, said the countries were "hostile and unsafe" for LGBT people.
Peers also approved an amendment to retain the role of the courts in deciding what a "reasonable" length of detention is - striking down new powers in the bill that would allow ministers to decide. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66089663 |
NHS to offer sight-saving drug to premature babies - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Premature babies can now routinely be given the drug ranibizumab on the NHS, to prevent blindness. | Health | For the first time on the NHS in England, premature babies can now routinely be given a drug treatment to prevent blindness, advice says.
Injections of ranibizumab can stop scarring caused by unusual blood-vessel growth in the back of the eye.
It is an alternative to laser therapy, which is not always suitable for tiny babies at risk of this sight problem affecting the retina of the eye.
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can be avoidable with the right treatment.
All premature and low-birth-weight babies are screened for it, with eye tests. Up to one in 20 may require treatment to avoid damage that can lead to sight loss.
Ranibizumab injections into the eye can block the action of vascular endothelial growth factor, which promotes growth of new blood vessels.
Very high levels can grow abnormal vessels that turn into scar tissue in the retina - the part of the eye that detects light and sends messages to the brain to enable sight.
Millie Swan, from Surrey, was born prematurely at 23 weeks and developed ROP.
When she was three months old, the condition became so severe in her left eye she needed urgent treatment to save her sight.
But when doctors gave her the sedative to prepare her for laser treatment, she did not tolerate it at all, so they could not start the procedure.
"At this point, we thought she would end up blind in her left eye," Millie's mother, Natalie, said, "but we were lucky enough to get offered this new treatment, which was an injection into the eye.
"I stayed with her for the procedure. Millie needed to have her eye clamped open but I was used to seeing that happen for her assessments. And the treatment was finished in a couple of minutes. That was much quicker than the laser surgery would have been. After the procedure, Millie spent a couple of days recovering.
"Millie will be three years old in July and her eyesight is now normal and she enjoys looking at the pictures in her books and aeroplanes in the sky.
"We feel so lucky that she got to have this procedure and avoided almost certain blindness in that eye - and now other families will be able to benefit from it too."
Around 20 babies a year in England might need the drug treatment rather than laser therapy, experts believe.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: "The impacts of vision loss can be absolutely devastating, particularly for children and young people, so it's fantastic that this treatment will now give families across the country another life-changing option to help save their child's precious sight.
"The national rollout of this lifeline treatment for babies who are too poorly to undergo laser therapy is a vital step forward in preventing avoidable vision loss."
Peter Bradley, from the premature baby charity Bliss, said: "It is absolutely brilliant to see this sight-saving treatment being rolled out nationally. Retinopathy of Prematurity affects many babies born premature, and can become very serious." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66085393 |
Care home payments: Commissioner for older people welcomes ruling - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The High Court quashes a Department of Health policy on paying for healthcare costs in nursing homes. | Northern Ireland | A decision to quash a Department of Health policy on paying for care costs in nursing homes has been welcomed by the NI commissioner for older people.
The commissioner, Eddie Lynch, was reacting to a decision by High Court judge Mr Justice Scoffield.
The judge ruled the department failed to properly consider the impact on elderly people who could potentially lose life savings to meet health costs.
He said it had been responsible for a "plain dereliction in its duty".
The commissioner, Mr Lynch, took a judicial review on behalf of Robin McMinnis.
The 75-year-old, who is quadriplegic and has complex medical needs, has been paying for his care while living in a Belfast nursing home.
The Continuing Healthcare Policy relates to the assessment of whether a person's needs can be met in a hospital which will not cost anything or is social-care related which could incur costs.
The judicial review highlighted that the criteria and threshold for when a person should pay for their care is unclear and operates differently between each health trust.
Eddie Lynch said the High Court ruling was a win for older people
All older people with assets worth more than £23,250 have to pay for their social care.
A change to the policy, introduced in February 2021, uses a single criteria question where people are asked: "Can your care needs be met properly in any other setting other than a hospital?"
Those people who are placed in a nursing home have to pay, while others who say they cannot go to a nursing home instead have their care paid for while in hospital.
The judge ruled that Mr McMinnis was unfairly refused the funding and ordered the Belfast Trust to reconsider his application.
He said he also proposed "to quash the decision of the department to adopt the 2021 policy".
Mr McMinnis said it had been "a long journey for me personally over the past six years with many setbacks".
"It has been a matter of principle for me, knowing that many others have been disqualified or were unaware of the Continuing Healthcare Policy," he continued.
Reacting to the judgement, Mr Lynch said he was delighted for Mr McMinnis.
"This is also a win for the many older people who have contacted my office over the past number of years in relation to issues with continuing healthcare assessments, all of whom will now be entitled to receive the fair assessment they deserve," he said.
On Tuesday he told BBC's Good Morning Ulster the ruling shows the system "was not fit for purpose".
"The bottom line here was older people were being failed by the system," the commissioner said.
"Older people whose costs should have been picked up by the NHS were paying for their care.
"People were left high and dry, people who were entitled to this [financial] support because the system was not set up properly to give them a fair assessment."
He said this ruling "overturns and quashes a policy that was ageist".
Mr Lynch said now that the policy has been quashed, the onus is on the Department of Health to "come up with a policy that treats people fairly".
The department said it "will be considering the judgement, before deciding on next steps". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66091980 |
China accuses UK of harbouring Hong Kong fugitives - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The UK had criticised Hong Kong for placing bounties on eight pro-democracy activists based overseas. | China | Critics warned the Hong Kong security law would shut down dissent - now activists overseas are in fear
China says the UK is sheltering fugitives after Hong Kong put bounties on the heads of eight pro-democracy activists who fled the territory.
The statement from its London embassy came after the UK said it would not tolerate attempts by China to silence individuals in the UK or overseas.
The eight left the former British territory after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020.
Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee said they would be "pursued for life".
He urged them to give themselves up, adding that otherwise they would spend their days in fear.
"British politicians have openly offered protection for fugitives," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said late on Monday, condemning what it alleged was "crude interference in Hong Kong's rule of law and China's internal affairs".
On Monday a bounty of HK$1m (£100,581; $127,637) was offered for the activists' arrest.
The eight named in the announcement are all based in the UK, the US and Australia - countries which do not have extradition treaties with China.
One pro-democracy campaigner who fled Hong Kong told the BBC his life has become more dangerous because of the bounty offered for his arrest.
Nathan Law, who lives in the UK, said he needed to be "more careful" about divulging his whereabouts as a result of the bounty.
The eight activists targeted are accused of colluding with foreign forces - a crime that can carry a sentence of life in prison. The offence comes under Hong Kong's draconian security law, which was imposed three years ago after widespread pro-democracy protests took place in 2019.
Beijing has said the security law is needed to bring stability to the city, but critics say it is designed to squash dissent.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "We call on Beijing to remove the national security law and for the Hong Kong authorities to end their targeting of those who stand up for freedom and democracy."
Under the law, hundreds of pro-democracy campaigners have been arrested and convicted in Hong Kong.
Mr Law, one of the most prominent figures in the pro-democracy movement, said that while he felt his situation was "relatively safe" in the UK, he would have to be more vigilant, including when transiting through certain countries.
"All these things may put my life in to dangerous situations if I'm not careful enough of who I meet or where I go. It makes me have to live in a more careful life."
One of the other exiled activists - Anna Kwok, executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council - said the bounty was aimed at intimidating her and her fellow activists.
She said in a statement they were all "united in our fight for freedom and democracy in our home, Hong Kong".
She told the BBC's Newshour programme she had felt initial shock on hearing of the bounties but wanted to speak out.
"That's exactly the kind of thing the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Communist party would do - which is to intimidate people into not doing anything, silencing them.
"And that's why immediately I thought OK, I should make this a big thing and I should definitely talk about the transnational repression that's going on here and also the scare tactics - as well as how the Hong Kong government is just trying to see by which point would the international community smack their hands and tell them to back off."
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government was "deeply disappointed" by the announcement and said Australia "remains deeply concerned by the continuing erosion of Hong Kong's rights, freedoms and autonomy".
The US state department said the move sets "a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world".
The other six activists named in the announcement are Ted Hui, Dennis Kwok, Mung Siu-tat, Elmer Yuen, Finn Law and Kevin Yam.
Dozens of Hong Kong civil society groups around the world have called on Western governments to introduce measures to protect the freedoms of Hong Kong activists in exile - and to make clear the security law does not apply in their jurisdictions.
The bounties were "further evidence that this draconian law is being used extraterritorially and retrospectively to silence pro-democracy voices and intimidate the Hong Kong community overseas," the groups said in a statement.
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-66098796 |
Gaza-Israel exchange of fire as Israeli forces complete Jenin withdrawal - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Israel strikes Gaza in response to Palestinian rocket fire, as troops end major West Bank operation. | Middle East | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Israel has carried out air strikes on Gaza in response to rocket fire from Palestinian militants, as Israeli forces completed their withdrawal from Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
It follows a major two-day operation inside the city's refugee camp which killed 12 Palestinians.
An Israeli soldier was also killed on Tuesday night during the withdrawal, which triggered more gun battles.
Early on Wednesday, the military said it intercepted five rockets from Gaza.
Shrapnel from one of the interceptor missiles damaged a house in the southern Israeli town of Sderot.
No militant group immediately claimed that it was behind the launches, but the Israeli military said fighter jets struck an underground weapons manufacturing facility used by Hamas, which governs Gaza, as well as a raw materials manufacturing facility for rockets.
The military said it held "the Hamas terrorist organisation responsible for all terror activities emanating from the Gaza Strip and will face the consequences of security violations against Israel".
On Tuesday afternoon, Hamas described a car-ramming and stabbing attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv as a "natural response" to the Jenin operation.
Israeli authorities said seven people were injured on a busy shopping street and that the attacker was a Palestinian man from the West Bank. He was shot dead by a civilian.
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said: "Whoever thinks that such an attack will deter us from continuing our fight against terrorism is mistaken."
He also warned that the Jenin operation would not be a "one-time action".
"We will continue as long as necessary to uproot terrorism. We will not allow Jenin to go back to being a city of refuge for terrorism," he added.
Palestinian leaders accused Israel of mounting an "invasion" in Jenin.
An Israeli military spokesman told the BBC on Wednesday morning that "the operation is officially over, and the soldiers have left the Jenin area".
The military launched its operation in Jenin refugee camp early on Monday with a drone strike that it said targeted a joint command centre of the Jenin Brigades - a unit made up of different militant groups, including Hamas.
Drones carried out further air strikes as hundreds of troops entered the camp and engaged in intense gun battles with armed Palestinians inside the camp.
The military said the "counter-terrorism operation" was focused on seizing weapons and "breaking the safe haven mindset of the camp".
Several thousand Palestinian families fled Jenin refugee camp during the operation
At a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the UN's humanitarian office said it was "alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin and continuing today in the West Bank, and especially [the] air strikes hitting a densely populated refugee camp".
She said the Palestinian health ministry had confirmed that three children - two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy - were among those killed, and warned that damage to infrastructure meant most of the camp now had no drinking water or electricity.
The World Health Organization said Palestinian ambulance crews had been prevented from entering parts of the camp, including to reach people who were critically injured. The health ministry has said more than 140 Palestinians have been injured, 30 of them critically.
A Palestinian Red Crescent official said about 3,000 Palestinians, including many sick and elderly, were allowed overnight to flee the drone strikes and gun battles between Israeli troops and armed Palestinians.
A man in a wheelchair who was escorted out of the camp with his family in the morning told the BBC that they had been held in a room by Israeli troops.
"We were encircled by a military barricade. Israeli soldiers came. Now we just went out. There were no people left in the camp. We were the only ones."
He added: "It's been a very difficult situation. The drone was shooting at us. Now we've just left. And we're all tired. We've had no food... No drink."
Outside a hospital in the nearby city centre, Palestinians protesters threw stones at an Israeli military vehicle, prompting it to fire tear gas in response.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières complained that paramedics had been forced to proceed on foot because Israeli military bulldozers had destroyed many roads, stripping them of tarmac.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday night, chief military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that no non-combatants had been killed during the operation.
He also said he had seen ambulances driving freely inside the camp during the day, adding: "We are assisting those ambulances to evacuate the wounded."
The admiral said bulldozers had dug up about 2km (1.2 miles) of roads inside the camp along which militants had concealed explosive devices, putting civilians and troops at risk.
The Israeli military says its bulldozers dug up streets to remove explosive devices planted by militants
Jenin has become a stronghold of a new generation of Palestinian militants who have become deeply frustrated by the West Bank-based 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.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh rejected statements from foreign governments saying that Israel had the right to defend itself.
"Israel is internationally recognised as the occupying power over our land and people," he tweeted. "[It] should be condemned for its use of force to destroy the camp's infrastructure, facilities, and homes, and to kill, arrest, and displace innocent people."
"It is the Palestinian people that have the right to self-defence. There is no such right for an occupying power," he added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-66095622 |
Kevin Spacey trial: Actor grabbed accuser's crotch, court hears - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The accuser alleges he was approached by the actor after he let his dog out accidentally. | UK | Kevin Spacey arrives at Southwark Court in London for the third day of his trial
Actor Kevin Spacey kissed a man twice and grabbed his crotch while telling his alleged victim to "be cool", a court in London has heard.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleges he was approached by the actor after he accidentally let his dog out.
His police interview was played to jurors at Southwark Crown Court during the third day of Mr Spacey's trial.
The American actor is facing 12 charges, all of which he denies.
The accuser told police in the recording that he was working in a pub at the time when the actor came in with a small dog.
He said Mr Spacey sat by the sofa area and introduced himself.
The man later told the actor that there were "very limited" things to do in the area where they were and that he was meeting some friends at another pub after he finished work.
The man told the detective that Mr Spacey replied: "Cool, I might see you down there".
When the man got to the other pub, he said he heard an American accent calling his name and looked up to see Mr Spacey.
The complainant then told the detective that he and others then went back to where Mr Spacey was staying for some drinks.
It was during the drinks that the complainant said he was looking for a coat in one of the cupboards, and remembered a "little dog" shooting out between his legs.
The man said he turned around, picked up the dog and put the animal back in the room.
It was then he alleged that the actor came towards him in a "huggy motion".
"We did an awkward man-hug... he hugged me, I did a sort of pat on the back type of thing.
"At that point he kissed my neck twice and grabbed my crotch. He said the words 'be cool, be cool' twice.
"I put my arm between us and pushed him against a wall. I said 'I am sorry, I don't bat for that team'."
He said Mr Spacey had a "panicked" look on his face and left the room.
The complainant said he then stood "momentarily for a couple of seconds almost in disbelief that that happened".
He left the property, and rang his father in a "bit of a panicky state".
In the police interview he told the detective he remembers thinking his father wouldn't believe him because it was April Fool's Day.
When asked by the detective how the alleged incident made him feel, the man replied: "It was unwanted. It shook me up."
Recalling when Mr Spacey had met him and his friends at the pub, he told police the star joined his group and began drinking double Jack Daniels and colas while he had pints of Guinness.
The man said the actor became "quite open" with them, but began touching the legs of members of the group.
He said: "There were a few moments where he had put his hand on your back, (or) pat you on the back, or put his hand on your knee or something.
"It was not anything that we thought too much about, just sort of moved to the side or moved his hands away."
Mr Spacey then allegedly told the group and others: "If you want to carry on the party I have got drink, wine and beer back at the house and a few spliffs."
Mr Spacey is accused of one charge of sexual assault in relation to this complainant, which the actor denies.
In January, Mr Spacey - who is referred to in court proceedings by his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler - pleaded not guilty to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
He also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
It is these 12 charges which Mr Spacey is currently on trial for, brought by four men stretching from 2001 to 2013.
All four accusers are entitled to lifelong anonymity under the law. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66097307 |
Tel Aviv: Seven injured in Palestinian car-ramming and stabbing attack - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A Palestinian drove into and stabbed people in the Israeli city before being shot dead, police say. | Middle East | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A spokesperson for Israel's police says a civilian 'neutralised the terrorist'
A Palestinian man has injured at least seven people in a car-ramming and stabbing attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, Israeli police say.
A police spokesperson said the "terrorist" rammed into pedestrians and then tried to stab them with a sharp object. He was shot dead by a civilian.
Three of the injured were in a serious condition, the spokesperson added.
The attacker has been identified as a Palestinian from the occupied West Bank who was a known Hamas activist.
The Palestinian militant group praised the attack, saying it was a "natural response" to the ongoing major Israeli military operation in Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank.
At least 10 Palestinians are said to have been killed since hundreds of Israeli troops, backed by drone strikes, entered the camp on Monday morning, triggering intense gun battles with militants inside.
The Israeli military said that while it was "operating to maintain stability in the Jenin camp by targeting the terrorist infrastructure, our civilians are consequently being targeted by terrorism".
CCTV footage from the scene of the attack in Tel Aviv shows pedestrians and customers of a cafe running for cover as a pick-up truck hits a bus stop on Pinchas Rosen Street.
The driver is seen climbing out of the vehicle's window and running runs towards a man standing near the cafe, who he appears to stab several times. He then chases after other people on the pavement.
A second video appears to shows another man wearing a motorcycle helmet shooting the attacker several times with a pistol as he lies on the ground.
The Israeli police spokesperson said three of the victims were in a serious condition, two were in a moderate condition and two were in a mild condition.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it had treated a 47-year-old woman who was in a serious condition, with multiple systemic injuries.
"I would like to praise the activity of the citizen with a lot of courage, that he was able to thwart the attack and prevent the continuation of that terrorist's killing spree," Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai told reporters at the scene, according to the Jerusalem Post newspaper.
He also said investigations were still being carried out into the attacker.
The Shin Bet security service said he was a Palestinian from the southern West Bank village of Samu who did not have "a previous security background" and who did not have a permit to enter Israel.
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 over the same period. All were civilians except one off-duty serving soldier and a member of the Israeli security forces. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-66095623 |
Keir Starmer's allies purging Labour left, says John McDonnell - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The former shadow chancellor says a "right-wing faction" has gained control of party selection processes. | UK Politics | Supporters of Sir Keir Starmer are "drunk with power" and conducting a purge of the Labour left, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said.
In a BBC Newsnight interview, the veteran left-winger warned that a "right-wing faction" was weakening the party.
He was speaking after figures on the left complained that they are being blocked from positions in the party.
He has raised his concerns with the Labour leader in writing, warning: "If you stumble, these are the people that will come for you."
The former shadow chancellor said: "What [Keir Starmer's] allowed to happen is a right-wing faction [has] become drunk with power and use devices within the party almost on a search and destroy of the left.
"They seem to be more interested in destroying the presence of the left in the party than getting a Labour government."
His intervention comes after aspiring MPs said they are being excluded from an approved list of parliamentary candidates drawn up by the party's National Executive Committee, Labour's governing body.
Sitting MPs facing selection battles in new seats created by the Boundary Review also say they are losing out to Starmer loyalists. Others on the left have been successful.
And Neal Lawson, director of campaign group Compass and a stalwart of the soft left, recently said he is facing an official investigation over some old tweets calling for cross-party co-operation.
The party says it is looking into his support for other political parties, which is a breach of Labour rules.
In a statement, a spokesperson told the BBC said it had "high standards" for prospective election candidates, and this was "absolutely right".
"This is a changed Labour Party back in the service of working people so we can build a better Britain," they added.
In his Newsnight interview, Mr McDonnell said: "I've written to Keir a few times saying: Look, this factionalism is causing us real problems for the future…There is a sort of a right-wing faction that have got into fairly senior positions and they seem be waging some form of purge against the left.
"And what I said to Keir, is we've always been a broad church. This doesn't help the party, and we're always successful when we're a broad church.
"Previous leaders and prime ministers of the Labour Party have always had in their cabinet a broad church approach - left, right and centre. They've tolerated different views within the party.
"In fact, many of them have welcomed it because you get better discussion, better debates and you get a better decision policy making as well.
"And I said: there's a faction here that actually are so intolerant of dissent that they're removing people, it will weaken our party. And I also said to him, if you stumble, these are the people that will come for you."
Mr McDonnell, a close ally of the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, has also raised concerns with Sir Keir over former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott's suspension as a Labour MP.
The Labour whip was withdrawn from the veteran left-winger in April, pending an investigation into a letter she wrote about racism to the Observer.
In the letter, she said "many types of white people with points of difference" can experience prejudice, but they were not subject to racism "all their lives". She later withdrew her remarks and apologised "for any anguish caused".
Mr McDonnell said her comments had been "wrong", but added that he had given Sir Keir "several examples of MPs where they've made similar mistakes, some of them worse," and had the party whip restored.
"Why are we discriminating against the first black woman in Parliament? Is it because she is on the left? And there's too many examples like that have taken place," he added.
John McDonnell is a close political ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn
The former shadow chancellor said he had advised the Labour leader to ask barrister Martin Forde KC, who was commissioned by Sir Keir in 2020 to examine allegations of bullying, racism and sexism, to re-examine "factionalism" within the party.
He added that he should also be consulted on "some of these issues about the individual cases and complaints that have been made".
"In that way, we might be able to restore confidence in the whole process within the party [around] selections and disciplinary process."
The former shadow chancellor also said that former PM Tony Blair, who is reviled by many on the left, had tolerated different views when he was prime minister.
Mr McDonnell said: "If you look at [it] under Tony Blair, we didn't have mass expulsions like this or anything like that. We didn't have the withdrawal of the whip unless it was something very extreme. There was an atmosphere of tolerance, but actually respect as well."
Josh Simons, director of the Labour Together think tank that is supportive of Sir Keir's leadership, denied there was a purge of the Labour left.
He told Newsnight that Sir Keir was building a party "capable and equipped to govern this country and transform it," including getting people "with talent, with energy, with vigour and commitment into Parliament to do that".
He also added that the Labour leader was implementing recommendations from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, which published a review in 2020 into how the party handled complaints of antisemitism within the party.
"And if there are people who have tweeted things, shared things on Facebook, engaged with posts that fall foul of those EHRC recommendations, then those people are and should be blocked from being part of the Labour party's leadership in the future," he added.
You can watch BBC Newsnight's interview in full on Tuesday 4 July from 22.30 BST on BBC Two. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66105250 |
Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter ordered to demolish home spa - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Captain Tom Foundation is also no longer taking donations due to an inquiry into its finances. | Beds, Herts & Bucks | Captain Sir Tom Moore became famous for his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown
The daughter of Capt Sir Tom Moore has been told to knock down an unauthorised building used as a spa after a planning application was rejected.
Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband used the Captain Tom Foundation name on the first plans for the building, with later revised plans turned down.
The charity is also no longer taking donations or making payments due to an ongoing inquiry into its finances.
Ms Ingram-Moore and the foundation have been contacted for comment.
Central Bedfordshire Council said the demolition order was subject to an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
The Army veteran walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden at the start of the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020, raising £33m for NHS Charities Together.
Capt Sir Tom, who was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, died in 2021 aged 100.
Capt Sir Tom won the nation's hearts with his fundraising walk, which took in 100 laps of his garden
After he became an international figure, his family set up a separate charity in his name.
In a statement on the Captain Tom Foundation website, the charity said its "sole focus...is to ensure that it cooperates fully with the on-going statutory inquiry by the Charity Commission".
"As a result, The Captain Tom Foundation is not presently actively seeking any funding from donors. Accordingly, we have also taken the decision to close all payment channels whilst the statutory inquiry remains open," it said.
The statement added that when the inquiry concluded it would "be in a better position to make a decision in relation to its future".
When the inquiry was started a year ago, the Charity Commission said "concerns have mounted" over the charity and independence from a business run by Capt Sir Tom's family.
Capt Sir Tom's daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, set up a charity following the veteran's death
Hannah Ingram-Moore is the younger of Capt Sir Tom's two daughters and lived with the Army veteran at the family home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.
It has emerged the Ingram-Moores requested planning permission for a "Captain Tom Foundation Building", which was "for use by occupiers... and Captain Tom Foundation", according to documents submitted to Central Bedfordshire Council in August 2021.
The local authority granted permission for the single-storey structure to be built on the tennis courts at the Grade II-listed home, as first reported in The Sun.
Then, in February 2022, the family submitted revised plans for the already partly constructed building, which called it the "Captain Tom Building".
The plans included a spa pool, toilets and a kitchen, which the Design & Access and Heritage Statement said was "for private use".
In November 2022, Central Bedfordshire Council refused the retrospective planning permission for the revised plans.
A council spokesperson said: "An enforcement notice requiring the demolition of the now-unauthorised building was issued and this is now subject to an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate."
The Captain Tom Moore Foundation did not respond to the BBC's request for comment on the planning application, but told The Sun the trustees were unaware and "would not have authorised" the plans had they known.
Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-66100178 |
Nigel Farage: Banks warned against closing accounts - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says she is concerned banks are shutting accounts for the wrong reasons. | Business | The Culture Secretary has said she is concerned banks may be closing customer accounts for political reasons following claims from Brexiteer Nigel Farage.
Lucy Frazer said it is something banks "should be thinking about carefully".
Last week, Mr Farage said his bank was closing his accounts, claiming it was "serious political persecution" from an anti-Brexit banking industry.
The government is investigating payment providers over account closures.
Last year, Paypal closed accounts run by Toby Young, who is general secretary of the Free Speech Union. They were later reinstated by the US payments company.
The government subsequently announced a review into payment services regulations, including the practice of firms apparently closing down the accounts of people or businesses that hold views the lender does not agree with.
Ms Frazer told LBC, the radio station: "I'm concerned people's accounts might be closed for the wrong reasons and it's something they [the banks] should be thinking about carefully.
"Banks are regulated, and those are the sort of things regulators should consider."
Mr Farage said that he was told two months ago that his bank, who he did not name but is understood to be Coutts, was closing down his personal and business accounts.
The BBC has approached Coutts' parent company NatWest for comment.
Mr Farage, who is the former leader of UKIP and a former member of the European Parliament, suggested that the reason for the decision could be related to laws that banks follow on "politically exposed person" or PEPs.
These are people who hold a prominent position or influence who may be more susceptible to being involved in bribery or corruption.
Banks are required to do extra due diligence on PEPs.
Mr Farage said he was told by his bank that closing his accounts was a "commercial decision".
UK Finance, which represents the banking industry, said lenders should discuss the closure of an account with a customer "so far as is feasible and permissible".
It said though there will "be situations where it may not be appropriate or permissible for a bank to engage in a dialogue to explain their reasoning".
This would include a breach of terms and conditions, "abusive or threatening behaviour to colleagues" or if banks have been directed not to by "regulators, HM Government, police and other authorities".
Mr Farage said he approached seven other banks to open personal and business accounts and was turned down by all of them.
However, he claimed there were other reasons why his existing bank acted.
"Either for reasons of being active in politics, or having opinions that modern day corporate banks don't agree with, far too many accounts have been closed in recent years," he told the BBC.
"I hope that my case blows the lid off the whole thing and that we can get changes to legislation. Everyone in the UK should be entitled to a bank account."
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, security minister Tom Tugendhat, said "This sort of closure, on political grounds - if that is indeed what has happened and after all we only have the allegation of it at this point - should be completely unacceptable.
"PEPs is there to prevent the corrupt use of banking facilities by politicians in corrupt regimes. It is not here to silence individuals who may hold views with which we may or may not agree."
The result of the government consultation on payment services regulations is expecting in the next few weeks. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66090522 |
Seven hurt in Tel Aviv attack as Israel's raid on Jenin continues - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Palestinian militant group Hamas calls the "heroic" attack in Tel Aviv a "natural" response to Israel's operation in the West Bank. | Middle East | Israeli security and emergency personnel inspect the car used in the attack in Tel Aviv Image caption: Israeli security and emergency personnel inspect the car used in the attack in Tel Aviv
A person who was at the scene of the car ramming attack in Tel Aviv today has been speaking about what they saw.
"I saw the grey pick-up pull up at peak speed and ram the bus stop, powerfully," Liron Bahash, a sports teacher who was on a lunch break, told Reuters news agency.
"In the first seconds you think it could have been a mistake by the driver.
"He exited through the window, not the door, like in a movie, with a knife in hand and started chasing civilians. Now you understand it's an attack. We ran for our lives." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-66085089 |
Fleetwood Town owner Andy Pilley jailed for fraud - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A judge tells Andy Pilley the case is a "sordid tale of squalid lies and greed". | Lancashire | The owner and former chairman of Fleetwood Town FC has been jailed for a multi-million pound fraud which "duped" firms into expensive energy contracts.
A trading standards investigation found Andy Pilley mis-sold gas and electricity contracts and posted fake customer comments on websites.
Pilley, 53, of Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, resigned as chairman and club director of the League One side following his conviction last month.
He was jailed for 13 years.
Pilley was found guilty at Preston Crown Court of two counts of running a business with the intention of defrauding creditors, one count of false representation, and one count of being concerned with the retention of criminal property.
Three other people were also jailed for their role in the scam.
On sentencing, Judge Knowles KC, said a "salesforce of cold-calling liars and manipulators duped very large numbers of honest and decent proprietors" into "long and expensive contracts" for their gas and electricity amounting to tens of millions of pounds.
The judge said Pilley "devised and enforced an elaborate pretence that the sales team were independent of the supply companies".
"The truth was that he owned them and called the shots," he added.
The judge told the court that while the supply companies were regulated by Ofgem, the sales companies were unregulated.
He told Pilley, who went to prison for four months in 1998 for conspiracy to steal from the Post Office when he was a counter clerk, "yours could have been the remarkable story of redemption".
"Instead it is a sordid tale of squalid lies, greed and fraud," he said.
The defendant was listed as a director of Fleetwood-based energy firm BES Utilities, an independent commercial utility supplier which provides services to businesses.
The firm has been contacted by the BBC for comment, but previously said it was "important to stress that the convictions in this case relate solely to individuals and not to any company".
They added he was no longer employed by any of the companies, and they "will continue to trade as normal".
Pilley was made chairman of Fleetwood Town in 2004.
Chief executive Steve Curwood replaced Pilley as chairman after he stepped down.
Following sentencing, Fleetwood Town said: "The club would like to reiterate convictions are against individuals and not Fleetwood Town FC, or any of the businesses associated with them, and will continue to operate as normal."
It added the club "remains in communication with the EFL in relation to the implications of the convictions and will now be making an application to the League in relation to a change of control".
Trading Standards launched the investigation into the fraud in 2014.
Kate Jones, of the North West Regional Trading Standards, told BBC Radio Lancashire she was "relieved and absolutely delighted" on behalf of all the small business owners who were victims of the fraud.
"I'm glad that we have been able to help them get justice," she said.
"It's been a slog to get here, but it's been worth absolutely every day for the verdicts," she added.
Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards (NTS), said: "Small business owners were deliberately deceived and locked in to long-term and expensive energy contracts, leaving them struggling to pay the bills and causing many businesses to go under."
A mention hearing about compensation and confiscation orders is expected to be held in due course, the NTS added.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-66099646 |
Chechnya Milashina attack: Armed thugs beat up Russian journalist and lawyer - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Yelena Milashina had received threats from Chechnya's leader before, but went to hear a court verdict. | Europe | Yelena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nomov were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries
Prominent investigative journalist Yelena Milashina has been badly beaten by masked men moments after flying in to the Russian republic of Chechnya.
She described being forced out of a car, hit with plastic pipes and having her head shaved and doused in green dye not far from the airport.
Ms Milashina has received death threats in the past from Chechnya's notorious leader, Ramzan Kadyrov.
She was travelling with lawyer Alexander Nemov, who was also wounded.
They had just arrived at Grozny airport to attend a court verdict for a mother of three exiled Kadyrov critics. But they were unable to make the hearing, where Zarema Musayeva was given a five-and-a-half-year jail term on charges condemned as politically motivated.
Chechnya has been run by Ramzan Kadyrov since 2007. A staunch ally of Vladimir Putin and a cheerleader for the war in Ukraine, he has been widely accused of ordering extrajudicial killings, abductions and torture at home.
The journalist and lawyer described how their car had been ambushed by a group of at least 10 masked men in three cars a short distance from the airport. She said later they believed the men had been waiting for them inside the airport.
"It was a classic kidnapping," Yelena Milashina told a Chechen human rights official in hospital in Grozny. "They pinned down then threw our driver out of his car, climbed in, bent our heads down, tied my hands, forced me to my knees and put a gun to my head."
"They threw us on the side of the road and started kicking us in the face, all over the body... they stabbed me in the leg," Mr Nemov was quoted as telling the Russian bar association.
They were then dragged into a ravine, Ms Milashina explained later, and the men started beating them with plastic polypropylene pipes, demanding that they unlock their mobile phones. She explained her password was too complicated to tap in while being beaten.
"They didn't understand, and by the time they did they had already shaved me and poured green dye on me and I didn't see a thing," she told Sergei Babinets of rights group Crew against Torture.
Although the dye is used as an antiseptic, it has also been used in earlier attacks on dissidents in Russia, including Alexei Navalny.
Alexander Nemov and Yelena Milashina were initially treated in hospital in Grozny before being moved out of Chechnya
She suffered a brain injury from the beating and was initially diagnosed with three broken fingers, although doctors said later they were still intact.
Alexander Nemov was also badly injured and Crew against Torture posted an image showing the stab wound to his leg. Ms Milashina said the polypropylene pipes they were beaten with were "very painful" and usually used on detainees.
The Kremlin said it was a very serious attack that had to be investigated. But Memorial, a human rights group banned by Russia, said there was no doubt that the Moscow and Grozny authorities were "united in their actions".
Ms Milashina fled Russia for some time in February 2022 after Kadyrov had called her a terrorist, saying "we have always eliminated terrorists and their accomplices". She was attacked in 2020 alongside another lawyer, Marina Dubrovina.
Her investigative reporting detailing human rights abuses in Chechnya followed in the footsteps of two women who were murdered for similar work there. In 2006 Novaya Gazeta colleague Anna Politkovskaya was murdered in Moscow, while her friend and campaigner Natalia Estemirova was abducted and shot in Grozny.
Ms Milashina told the BBC's Ukrainecast only last week that she was fully aware that Kadyrov and his entourage could "easily fulfil" the death threats he had issued.
"I'm kind of getting used to it because, several times almost every year, Kadyrov is passing threats to my address or the address of journalists of Novaya Gazeta... He behaves like [he's] the owner of the Chechnya region."
Zarema Musayeva was found guilty of fraud and assaulting a police officer - charges rejected by rights groups as trumped up
Amnesty International condemned what it called "this cowardly assault" and urged the Russian authorities to "swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of those who seek truth and justice".
A senior official at the Council of Europe, a major human rights watchdog, said it was "deeply worrying that this incident is part of a disturbing pattern of attacks on journalists and collaborators of Novaya Gazeta". The official, Dunja Mijatovic, urged the council's member states to "demand accountability and stand by journalists in the Russian Federation".
Last year the pro-Kremlin Chechen leader sent troops, known as "Kadyrovtsy", into Ukraine, where they have built a reputation for brutality. He has also been linked to the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
He was handed the presidency of the southern Russian republic by Mr Putin three years after his father was assassinated as president in 2004.
When Zarema Musayeva, 53, was detained by Chechen security officers last year, 1,800km (1,120 miles) north of Grozny, Kadyrov said the entire family should either be "in prison or underground".
Musayeva's three sons all fled Chechnya after they spoke out online about the Chechen leader's human rights abuses. Her husband, a former judge, was at one point detained, but also fled. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66096607 |
Threads: Instagram owner to launch Twitter rival on Thursday - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The move is the latest in a rivalry between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk. | Technology | The Threads app looks similar to Twitter
Facebook owner Meta is launching its new app to rival Twitter and says it will go live on Thursday.
The app, which is called Threads and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram.
Screengrabs show a dashboard that looks similar to Twitter. Meta describes Threads as a "text based conversation app".
The move is the latest in a rivalry between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk.
Last month, the pair agreed to a physical fight, though it is unclear how serious the two men were about actually holding a bout.
"Thank goodness they're so sanely run", Mr Musk responded to a tweet about Threads, in an apparent fresh swipe at Mr Zuckerberg.
Meanwhile, Twitter has said that the popular user dashboard, TweetDeck will go behind a paywall in 30 days time.
The move is the latest push by Mr Musk as he tries to get users to sign up to Twitter's subscription service, Twitter Blue.
On Saturday, the multi-billionaire restricted the number of tweets users could see, citing extreme "data scraping".
It appears from Meta's Threads app that it will be a free service - and there will be no restrictions on how many posts a user can see.
"Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what'll be trending tomorrow" the description on the App Store says.
Pictures show screengrabs from the app, that look almost identical to Twitter.
Threads will also hoover up data on your phone, including location data, purchases and browsing history.
Several apps that bear a striking resemblance to Twitter have sprung up in recent years - such as Donald Trump's Truth Social and Mastodon.
Another similar app, Bluesky claimed to have seen "record" traffic after Mr Musk's move to restrict usage at the weekend.
However, Threads could be the biggest threat faced by Twitter to date.
Mark Zuckerberg has a history of borrowing other company's ideas - and making them work.
Meta's Reels is widely seen as a TikTok copy, while Stories looks similar to Snapchat.
Meta has the resources to compete with Twitter. Threads will be part of the Instagram platform, so it will also be connected to hundreds of millions of accounts. It's not starting from zero, as other would-be rivals have had to do.
Although Mr Musk has been praised in some quarters for his commitment to free speech, he has also alienated some users.
Mr Zuckerberg will hope he can pull enough disenchanted users away from Twitter to create a genuine alternative. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66094072 |
Paris Fashion Week: Haute couture shows go ahead after riots - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | There had been mixed feelings about the event taking place against the backdrop of civil unrest. | Entertainment & Arts | US rapper and actress Cardi B wore a feathered ensemble for Monday's Schiaparelli show
Celebrities and designers have kicked off Paris's couture fashion week, which is taking place against a backdrop of five days of violence in the city.
US rap star Cardi B, singer Camila Cabello and actress Maisie Williams are among those in the French capital.
Camila Cabello (left) and Maisie Williams attended the Iris Van Herpen show on Monday
But there is some unease about the displays of materialism for the ultra-wealthy following serious civil unrest.
Some said catwalk shows and cocktail parties should be cancelled, and others said the fashionistas were "tone deaf".
The Telegraph's head of fashion, Lisa Armstrong, wrote: "These heavily scented, diamond-encrusted, removed-from-every-reality clients can seem weird even in normal times, but this week, they seem almost surreally tone deaf."
She added that one attendee noted how it was "quite odd to see how the big French brands haven't acknowledged what's going at all in their own country".
The violence in Paris and other French cities was sparked by the fatal shooting of teenager Nahel M during a police traffic stop, but the trouble appeared to have subsided by Monday.
Also on Monday, the first haute couture collections - the most elite branch of the fashion industry, where dresses are custom-made to fit clients for eye-watering sums - were unveiled.
Black Panther star Lupita Nyong'o was at the Chanel show on Tuesday
Some brands, like Chloe, did cancel parties at the weekend but only one major label, Celine, pulled a show entirely because of the riots.
Its menswear show on Sunday, which was believed to have been planned to include live music performances in an expression of French youth culture, was not part of the official fashion week calendar.
The Chanel catwalk was on the banks of the River Seine
Designer Hedi Slimane wrote on Instagram that "a fashion show in Paris, while France and its capital are bereaved and bruised, seems… inconsiderate and totally misplaced".
Others brushed aside concerns, getting on with shows on Monday inspired by Greek goddesses at Christian Dior, fine art at Schiaparelli and mermaids at Iris Van Herpen.
Models present creations by designer Maria Grazia Chiuri as part of her haute couture show for Dior on Monday
The Guardian's Jess Cartner-Morley wrote: "That they are proceeding untroubled by turbulence in less affluent areas of the city is perhaps a reflection of the polarisation that underpins the situation in France."
EJ Dickson of Rolling Stone magazine added that some influencers were acting as though they had been "mildly inconvenienced" by the protests.
Cardi B travelled to the French capital and attended Schiaparelli's display of its haute couture fall/winter 2023-2024 fashion collection.
Posting a picture of her outfit on Instagram, the star hailed the show as "beautiful". "They always have an amazing show so what's new?" she later told Vogue. "It never fails to surprise me."
Cardi B labelled the clothes on display at one show as "beautiful"
Dior, meanwhile displayed its latest classical era-inspired collection in the garden of the Musée Rodin, focusing on beige, gold and cream colours and fabrics, and simple "ancient garments" such as tunics and capes.
The brand's creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri said such items were "not only for the red carpet" but were in fact intended for people to "build a wardrobe".
Dutch designer Van Herpen - whose designs are a fixture of red carpets and feature in Beyonce's Renaissance tour - presented an aquatic and futuristic collection to a crowd including Cabello and Williams.
Actresses Margaret Qualley, Lupita Nyong'o and Jenna Coleman were among the stars at the Chanel show on the banks of the Seine on Tuesday, along with rapper Kendrick Lamar and directors George Lucas and Baz Luhrmann.
A model walks the grassy runway during the Iris Van Herpen's show
Monday saw the couture debuts of US designer Thom Browne and 26-year-old Charles de Vilmorin, who presented his own brand after having briefly served as artistic director of Rochas.
The Frenchman told AFP news agency: "I'm super happy to have lived through all this and to do my first show." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66094979 |
Backlash over bill banning boycotts of Israel goods from public bodies - BBC News | 2023-07-04T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The government says the move is needed to stop councils conducting their own foreign policy. | UK Politics | A picture shows the Jewish settlement of Kedar in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in June 2023
The government has been urged to rethink its plans to fine public bodies which initiate boycotts against Israel.
The proposals received initial backing but have been met with criticism from both Conservative and Labour MPs.
Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the bill would guarantee foreign policy remained a UK government matter.
But Labour says the bill undermines the UK's longstanding foreign policy towards the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The party warned the bill also risked undermining support for people around the world facing persecution, as well as placing "unprecedented restrictions" on elected councils, undermining freedom of speech and having potential "widespread and negative impacts" on local authority pension funds.
The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill seeks to prevent public bodies, including councils, from campaigning against, boycotting or sanctioning a particular international territory - unless that is endorsed by the UK government's own foreign policy.
First published last month, it received initial backing by 268 to 70 votes after several hours of debate in the House of Commons on Monday.
Much of the debate on the issue has focused on boycotts of Israel and Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement calls for broad-based economic and cultural boycotts of Israel and Israel settlements - similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era.
Such boycotts are backed by Palestinians who see them as applying pressure on Israel to end its military occupation.
The Israeli government, on the other hand, sees the entire BDS movement as unjustly singling out Israel and describes it as antisemitic.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Gove said there had been an "increase in antisemitic events following on from the activities of the BDS movement".
He added that although there were "legitimate reasons to criticise the Israeli government", the BDS movement was asking councils to "treat Israel differently from any other nation on the globe".
"Nothing in this bill prevents or impedes the loudest of criticisms of Israel's government and leaders," he added.
But Labour - and a number of Conservative MPs - raised concerns about the bill's potential impact on UK foreign policy.
Dame Margaret Hodge, who served in Labour governments under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, said the proposed legislation was "flawed, poorly drafted and will have damaging consequences both here and abroad".
"The bill is not a considered attempt to bring about peace, provide better security for Israel or respond to the threats posed by BDS," she said.
"It's about using Jews as a pawn in the government's political game."
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the government must remove references to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories from the bill.
She said the bill "essentially gives exceptional impunity to Israel", adding: "This is something we should not give to any country and I would be standing here making the same request if any country was named."
Longstanding UK government policy calls for an end to Israel's military occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of a negotiated "two-state solution".
The UK has for decades endorsed the position of international law, under which Israeli settlements are seen as illegal - although Israel disputes this - and sees their expansion as an "obstacle to peace".
The bill does not stop public bodies from complying with UK-wide sanctions, and it gives the government the power to make certain countries exempt from the restrictions.
For example, the government intends Russia and Belarus to be exempted.
But the bill does not allow the rules to exempt Israel, the Occupied Territories or the Occupied Golan Heights.
In doing so, it groups the three territories together, which critics including Labour argue undermines the UK's foreign policy position by suggesting boycotting Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories or Golan Heights would be the same as boycotting Israel - despite the illegality of the former two under international law.
Critics have also raised concerns that the bill would limit campaigns against human rights abuses in other parts of the world - such as against the Uyghur in Xinjiang, China.
Ahead of the vote on Monday, the government spokesperson said: "Public bodies should not be pursuing their own foreign policy agenda.
"The bill will not hinder the robust action we are taking against Uyghur forced labour in supply chains as it contains exceptions to the ban for labour related misconduct, including modern slavery.
"The ban on boycotts does not apply to individuals, including publicly elected officials, when carrying out private acts that are protected by the Human Rights Act."
A Labour amendment to the bill was defeated in the Commons by 272 votes to 212 - a margin of 60.
The amendment had sought to decline the bill a second reading over concerns it "risks significantly undermining support" for groups around the world facing persecution, for example the Uyghur, who are "currently victims of grave and systemic human rights abuses".
It said it opposed any "discrimination" by public bodies in how they spend their money and says all public bodies must act "without bias" when making decisions on procurement and investment. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66086671 |
Special Forces at centre of Afghanistan war crimes inquiry, MoD confirms - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The confirmation follows years of BBC reports that the SAS killed scores of unarmed people in the conflict. | UK | The MoD abandoned an effort to enforce restrictions on mentioning the SAS in an inquiry into the operations
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed for the first time that UK Special Forces are at the centre of a war crimes inquiry.
The MoD on Wednesday abandoned an effort to restrict any mention of Special Forces' involvement in alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
The MoD's stance had been challenged by bereaved family members and by several media outlets, including the BBC.
The inquiry follows years of reporting into alleged SAS unlawful killings.
In a statement ahead of a hearing of the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "The inquiry is now reaching the stage of substantive hearings, and I can confirm that the allegations relate to the conduct of UK Special Forces."
The decision to confirm the involvement of Special Forces units in operations under scrutiny from the inquiry reverses the position previously held by the MoD.
Mr Wallace said the confirmation of Special Forces involvement was made only "in the exceptional circumstances of this inquiry".
"Outside of this very specific context, such confirmation should not be seen to alter the longstanding position of this government, and previous governments, to not comment on the deployment or activities of the UK Special Forces," he said.
The MoD had previously argued that the inquiry should restrict from the public "any evidence or documents or words or passages of documents, that tend to confirm or deny the alleged involvement of United Kingdom Special Forces in the operations that are to be investigated".
But on Monday, less than 48 hours before they were due to argue their case in front of the chair of the inquiry, Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, MoD lawyers wrote to the inquiry saying the ministry "proposed to abandon that part of their application".
The reversal, confirmed at the hearing on Wednesday, means that evidence of involvement of UK Special Forces in the alleged unlawful killings in Afghanistan can be discussed openly in the inquiry hearings and reported publicly.
A long-running investigation by the BBC uncovered evidence clearly indicating that one SAS unit operating in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011 killed 54 people in suspicious circumstances in one six-month tour.
Further reporting by the BBC uncovered specific cases that caused concern at the highest level of UK Special Forces, including a 2012 raid in which a different unit killed two parents and gravely wounded their two infant boys.
The MoD is still pursuing a request for all Special Forces personnel involved in the operations in Afghanistan to automatically be granted anonymity, and for all witness evidence about the operations themselves to be held in closed hearings, away from both the bereaved families and the public.
The MoD's lawyer, Brian Altman KC, also said that the ministry intended to keep in place its "neither confirm nor deny" policy in relation to naming specific UK Special Forces units or sub-units, arguing that the identification of "particular force elements" would pose a risk to future capabilities and operations.
Lawyers for the families of Afghans killed in seven separate Special Forces operations argue that the overall restrictions being sought by the MoD are "unjustifiable and seriously damaging to the credibility of the inquiry".
Tessa Gregory, a partner at Leigh Day, the law firm representing the families, said that the relatives had suffered "years of cover up and obfuscation" and remained concerned even as the inquiry began that the MoD was "seeking to shut the door on them and prevent evidence being heard in public".
"The bereaved families now put their trust in the inquiry to uncover the truth," Ms Gregory said.
Speaking at the opening of the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Lord Justice Haddon Cave said that, in line with the 2005 Inquiries Act, "as much as possible should be heard in public to allay public concerns about the subject matter of the inquiry".
But the chair acknowledged that some evidence would need to be heard in closed hearings, because of national security concerns. "The essential task is to balance the competing considerations in the public interest," he said.
A spokesman for the MoD said: "It is not appropriate for the MoD to comment on cases which are within the scope of the Statutory Inquiry and it is up to the Statutory Inquiry Team, led by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, to determine which allegations are investigated."
A lawyer for the Royal Military Police, Paul Greaney KC, told the inquiry on Wednesday that it was currently investigating allegations of unlawful killings in Afghanistan and had received evidence from informants on a confidential basis.
Stressing the importance of continuing its investigations without prejudicing potential prosecutions, and avoiding discouraging new informants coming forward, the RMP said it was seeking its own restrictions around three key areas: matters relating to its ongoing investigations; the identities of confidential informants; and the covert techniques and methods employed by the RMP so far in its investigations.
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World’s largest video screen transforms the Las Vegas skyline - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | More than a million LED lights assembled as a sphere are the latest addition to the strip. | null | As part of a special show to celebrate the Fourth of July, the world's largest LED was completely illuminated in Las Vegas, creating a new landmark on the Las Vegas skyline.
The sphere is made up of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colours. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66114544 |
Nxivm cult: US actor Allison Mack released early from prison - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The television star pleaded guilty for her role in a sex-trafficking case related to the Nxivm group. | US & Canada | Prosecutors say Mack helped recruit and groom women as sexual partners for the leader of the Nxivm group
US actor Allison Mack has been released from prison early after serving two years for her role in a sex-trafficking case tied to a cult-like group.
The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges in April 2019 related to her efforts to recruit women to the Nxivm sex cult.
Mack, best known for her role in the television series Smallville, was sentenced to three years in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed she had been released on Monday.
Nxivm, pronounced "nexium", started in 1998 as a self-help programme. It claims to have worked with more than 16,000 people including the son of a former Mexican president and Hollywood actresses such as Mack.
Prosecutors say Mack helped recruit and groom women as sexual partners for the group's leader, Keith Raniere. Though Raniere, 62, was at the top of this structure and the only man, Mack served as one of his top female deputies.
Female recruits were allegedly branded with his initials and expected to have sex with him in exchange for becoming a part of the group, which was based in Albany, New York.
The news of Mack's release was initially reported by the New York newspaper Albany Times Union.
Mack, who was arrested in 2018, was facing as much as 17 years in prison but saw her sentence reduced after providing evidence to help prosecutors pursue their case against Raniere.
In 2020, he was sentenced to 120 years in prison for multiple crimes, including forcing women to be his sexual "slaves".
Before her sentencing, Mack apologised to those she said had been harmed by her actions, calling her involvement with the group "the biggest mistake and regret of my life".
"I am sorry to those of you that I brought into Nxivm," she said. "I am sorry I ever exposed you to the nefarious and emotionally abusive schemes of a twisted man." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66111026 |
John Berylson: Millwall owner and chairman died in car crash in Cape Cod, US police confirm - BBC Sport | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | Millwall owner John Berylson died after his car overturned and hit a tree in the US town of Falmouth, say police. | null | Last updated on .From the section Millwall
Millwall's owner and chairman John Berylson died from injuries sustained after his car overturned and hit a tree in the United States.
Police in Falmouth, Massachusetts, say no other vehicle was involved in the crash on Tuesday.
Emergency services responded shortly before 08:00 local time and found Berylson, the sole occupant, trapped inside the car.
The 70-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the crash - described by Millwall as a "tragic accident" - remains under investigation.
American businessman Berylson became a significant shareholder of Millwall in 2007 after he led a consortium which invested in the south-east London club, then in League One, and became chairman in October that year.
The Championship side hailed him as "a person of such remarkable generosity, warmth, and kindness", while former players and rival clubs have also paid tribute.
Falmouth Police Department said preliminary investigations into the crash showed that Berylson was driving his Range Rover south on Sippewissett Road in Falmouth, a coastal town on Cape Cod, when it lost control on a curve and left the road.
The car then rolled over into a ravine and came to rest against a tree.
Berylson was trapped inside the vehicle and was "extricated by mechanical means". He subsequently "succumbed to injuries received in the crash".
The crash is being investigated by the Falmouth Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police.
Berylson, who lived in Wellesley Hills in Greater Boston, is survived by wife Amy and children Jennifer, James, and Elizabeth. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66112895 |
Kyiv court explosion: Ihor Humeniuk dies after detonating explosive device - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ihor Humeniuk was at a hearing related to his involvement in a 2015 attack near Ukraine's parliament. | Europe | Police reportedly attempted to stop the man from escaping the court by firing in the air
A man has died after he set off an explosive device at a courthouse in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has said.
Ihor Humeniuk, who was detained in 2015 over an attack near Ukraine's parliament, detonated the device after barricading himself in a toilet.
Two police officers were injured as they tried to restrain the man, after he tried to escape following a hearing.
It does not appear that the incident is linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident at Shevchenkivskyi courthouse are unclear, but a number of explosions were reported, one of which injured the two officers and another which killed Humeniuk himself.
The policemen were later taken to hospital and are in a stable condition.
"Their lives were saved by their shields," Mr Klymenko said.
How Humeniuk actually obtained the explosives is unclear, but officials said the incident will now be the subject of a criminal investigation.
He may have died after inadvertently stepping on the explosives, Mr Klymenko told reporters.
Footage shared by Reuters news agency showed ambulances arriving at the courthouse, with police clearing a path for them.
Other videos circulating on social media showed one person being carried away from the scene on a stretcher.
Humeniuk was attending a hearing related to his involvement in a 2015 attack near the Ukrainian parliament.
He was blamed for throwing a grenade during a demonstration against plans to give more autonomy to Ukraine's Russian-backed separatist regions.
The 2015 blast left three members of the national guard dead and more than 140 people injured. Humeniuk denied throwing the grenade at the time. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66115916 |
Queen crossbow threat: Star Wars inspired Windsor Castle intruder - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Jaswant Singh Chail was caught with a loaded crossbow at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021. | Berkshire | Jaswant Singh Chail is expected to be sentenced on Thursday
A man who arrived at Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow "to kill" the late Queen was partly inspired by the Star Wars films, a court heard.
Jaswant Singh Chail, from Hampshire, was arrested on Christmas Day 2021 while Queen Elizabeth II was living at Windsor due to the pandemic.
He admitted a charge under the Treason Act and to making threats to kill and possessing an offensive weapon.
Chail had previously tried to get close to the royals, the Old Bailey heard.
The 21-year-old's sentencing hearing was told he applied for jobs within the armed forces that could have led to a "close proximity" to the monarch.
The former supermarket worker demonstrated a wider ideology focused on destroying old empires and creating a new one, including in the fictional context such as Star Wars, the court heard.
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died at Balmoral aged 96 in September 2022
Chail had described himself as a "Sith" and "Darth Jones" in a video and confided his murderous plan to an Artificial Intelligence companion.
He also wrote in a journal that if the Queen was "unobtainable" he would "go for" the prince as a "suitable figurehead", in an apparent reference to King Charles.
Alison Morgan KC, prosecuting, said Chail had applied for positions within the Ministry of Defence Police, British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Navy, but his applications were rejected.
She said Chail was "concerned" with the "injustice" of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which took place when British troops opened fire on thousands of people who had gathered in the city of Amritsar in India.
Chail, from North Baddesley, near Southampton, was born in Winchester and his family is of Indian Sikh heritage.
Chail's crossbow was found to be comparable to a powerful air rifle with the potential to cause fatal injury
In a video shown to the court, Chail, who was 19 at the time of the offences, was dressed all in black, wearing a mask and holding a crossbow.
Speaking into the camera, he said: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I've done and what I will do.
"I'm going to attempt to assassinate Elizabeth Queen of the Royal Family.
"This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
"It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated, and discriminated on because of their race."
Queen Elizabeth II was living at Windsor due to the pandemic
Ms Morgan said the "defendant's key motive was to create a new empire by destroying the remnants of the British Empire in the UK", and "the focal point of that became removal of the figurehead of the Royal Family".
She said his thinking was informed partly by the fantasy world of Star Wars and "the role of Sith Lords in shaping the world".
"He was attracted to the notoriety that would accrue in the event of the completion of his 'mission'," she added.
Ms Morgan also said that despite Chail's repeated references to sci-fi characters he knew the difference between fiction and reality.
Chail was spotted by a royal protection officer in a private section of the castle grounds just after 08:10 GMT on 25 December 2021.
The court was told Chail was wearing a mask and looked like "something out of a vigilante movie".
Chail was found by police wearing a hood and a mask
He told the officer he was there "to kill the Queen".
After being arrested he was sectioned and agreed he needed help with his mental health.
He told a nurse who assessed him that he did not consider himself to be suicidal and did not know of any mental health issues within his immediate family.
In February 2022 he was deemed fit to be interviewed.
The court was told Chail said he had realised "he was wrong" and he was not "a killer".
An initial doctor assessment concluded that the defendant required "long term management by the forensic psychiatric service".
He lied to his family about where he was going in the days before Christmas, with his sister believing he was going into an "army training".
The court was told this suggested "he had not lost touch with reality", but he began to be depressed towards the end of 2021.
Under the 1842 Treason Act it is an offence to assault the monarch or have a firearm, or offensive weapon in their presence with intent to injure or alarm them, or to cause a breach of peace.
In 1981, Marcus Sarjeant was jailed for five years under the section of the Treason Act after he fired blank shots at the Queen while she was riding down The Mall in London during the Trooping the Colour parade.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-66101070 |
Leicester City facing £880k fine for fixing replica kit prices - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Regulators say the club's "anti-competitive" conduct may have led to fans paying higher prices. | Leicester | The club said no current directors or senior managers were involved in price fixing
Leicester City faces a fine of up to £880,000 for colluding to fix the price of replica football kits, the UK's competition regulator has said.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the club and retailer JD Sports had admitted to anti-competitive behaviour, including "price fixing conduct".
It said both broke competition law between 2018 and 2021 with an illegal deal on clothing sales.
The club has accepted the CMA findings.
The 2015-16 Premier League champions, and their parent companies, have subsequently agreed to pay a fine up to the maximum penalty of £880,000, the CMA said.
JD Sports will avoid a fine after reporting the illegal activity.
JD Sports said it signed a leniency agreement with the CMA last month
The provisional findings of a CMA investigation revealed that, in August 2018, JD Sports said it would stop selling Leicester City-branded clothing online for the 2018-19 season, and in January 2019, JD Sports agreed it would "not undercut" the club in terms of online sales for the following season by making Leicester City items exempt from free delivery.
It said JD Sports continued the agreement to sell all Leicester City clothing with the delivery charge until at least January 2021.
Michael Grenfell, the CMA's executive director of enforcement, said: "Strong and unimpeded competition between retailers is essential to consumers' ability to shop around for the best deals.
"Football fans are well-known for their loyalty towards their teams.
"In this case we have provisionally found that Leicester City FC and JD Sports colluded to share out markets and fix prices with the result that fans may have ended up paying more than they would otherwise have done.
"Both parties have now admitted their involvement, allowing us to bring the investigation to a swift conclusion.
"The fine that Leicester City FC and its parent companies have agreed to pay sends a clear message to them and other businesses that anti-competitive collusion will not be tolerated."
The club, which was relegated to the Championship last season, stressed none of its current directors or senior management were involved in the arrangements.
"These arrangements related to a limited number of bulk orders by JD Sports, which were accepted by the club's retail sales team over the relevant period," it said in a statement.
"There was no intention on the part of the club to unlawfully restrict the resale of the goods supplied and no material financial advantage to be gained from doing so, given the limited amount of kit supplied to JD Sports.
"However, the club accepts the CMA's findings and has taken steps to strengthen its training and compliance measures to ensure the club's retail operations fully comply with competition law."
JD Sports also said no current or former directors or senior management of JD were involved in the offending conduct and that it signed a leniency agreement with the CMA last month.
The company added: "JD has taken a number of steps to strengthen its competition compliance programme and the board reaffirms its commitment to making the necessary resource available, internal and external, to ensure that this is embedded into its daily operations."
The announcement come almost a year after JD Sports, its rival Elite Sports and Rangers Football Club were handed fines over price fixing on replica kits.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-66110620 |
King Charles receives Scottish crown jewels… in 85 seconds - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | A service of thanksgiving has been held at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh to mark the King’s coronation. | null | King Charles has been presented with the Honours of Scotland - the nation’s crown jewels - at a ceremony in Edinburgh to mark his Coronation.
The day began with a ‘People’s Procession’ which travelled from Edinburgh Castle to St Giles’ Cathedral, where a service of thanksgiving for the King was held.
Take a look at some of the key moments from the day. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66114446 |
Thames Water needs 'substantial' sums of money - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The water regulator said talks with investors to raise the necessary funds were continuing. | Business | The UK's largest water company Thames Water will need "substantial sums of money" to stabilise its finances, the water regulator has said.
Ofwat boss David Black said talks between the firm and investors to raise the extra funding were continuing.
The company is billions in debt and under pressure to fix its finances over fears it could collapse.
There have been calls to nationalise the firm after its boss quit last week.
"We need to see their revised business plan but we think it's substantial sums of money [that are needed]," Ofwat boss David Black said
He told a Lord's business committee that the issues at Thames Water, which supplies a quarter of the population, were not as acute as at other UK water companies.
However, Mr Black admitted the regulator had taken a "relatively hands-off approach" to managing water companies since privatisation in the late 1980s.
The hearing came hours after it was announced that Thames Water had been handed a £3.3m fine for discharging millions of litres of undiluted sewage into two rivers in Sussex and Surrey, killing more than 1,400 fish in 2017.
Thames Water has faced heavy criticism over sewage discharges and leaks. The company leaks more water than any other water company in the UK, losing the equivalent of up to 250 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day from its pipes.
The company is also struggling with debts of nearly £14bn.
Amid fears that the water firm would collapse, the government said last week "a lot of work is going on behind the scenes" and that a process was in place "if necessary".
A few days later, one of the UK's largest private pension funds, Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), became the first major investor to publicly back the firm to turn around its finances and performance.
But Mr Black said there may not be an appetite from current investors to put further money into water companies.
He said that the industry had built up too much debt from around 2006 and faced "deep seated challenges".
"I think we should have stepped in at that point to stop companies gearing up," he said, implying that water firms were taking on too much debt relative to equity, or available funds.
"We've changed companies' licences, we have got the powers to stop that happening now.
"At the time, we really didn't have the power to stop that happening," Mr Black said, adding that now Ofwat was "very much of the view" that companies need to reduce their debt to reasonable levels.
If the firm cannot secure investment, it could be placed under government administration until a new buyer is found.
Baroness McGregor-Smith asked Mr Black how much customers' water bills were likely to rise, given the £10bn investment water companies say they need to tackle sewage spills.
Mr Black said that he understood all water companies were "looking at requesting a bill increase" when they submitted their business plans to Ofwat later in the year, and that most of them were looking at "quite significant bill increases," but that the regulator was "yet to see the maths worked out."
When asked how much of the £10bn would be funded by increased customer bills, Mr Black said that was something that would be "examined as part of the price review".
However, he said that investment that involved companies "catching up on their current obligations," he thought was "an issue for them and their shareholders to fund".
But he added: "Where they're going above and beyond existing standards...that will be an issue for customers to fund ultimately. So investors would pay upfront and it's recovered from customers over time."
Professor David Hall, who has investigated the finances of England's nine water and wastewater companies since privatisation, said delivering the investment needed to clean up rivers, improve services and plug leaks was key to the future of Thames Water.
He said Thames had suggested getting customers to cover the cost through bill increases of up to 25%. But Ofwat said that was "not acceptable".
He added that the regulator had the "very serious option" of temporarily nationalising Thames if it could not find the £2bn of funds needed to turn things around.
He said the government's special administration regime would be used "to protect the service, not to protect the company". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66103356 |
Ukraine plane: Iran facing legal action over downing of Flight PS752 - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the UK are seeking damages for the families of the 176 victims. | Middle East | A vigil was held in Toronto, Canada, on the third anniversary of the tragedy this January
Iran is facing legal action at the International Court of Justice over the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 in January 2020.
Four nations - Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the UK - are seeking damages for the families of the 176 people on board who were killed.
The plane was hit by two missiles fired by a Revolutionary Guards air defence unit after it took off from Tehran.
Three days later, Iran admitted mistakenly shooting down the plane.
The Revolutionary Guards' Aerospace Force said an air defence unit had mistaken the Boeing 737-800 for a US missile.
In April a court in Iran sentenced 10 armed forces personnel to prison but victims' families rejected the verdicts as "meaningless and unacceptable".
The four nations - whose citizens or residents were killed in the incident - say in the application to the International Court of Justice that Iran "violated a series of obligations" under a convention on civil aviation by shooting down the jet.
They accuse Iran of failing to take all practicable measures to prevent the downing of the plane, which happened during a time of high tension between Iran and the US.
Iran then failed to conduct an impartial, transparent and fair criminal investigation and prosecution, the group says.
The countries want the court to order that Iran publicly acknowledges its "internationally wrongful acts", apologise to the families and provide assurances that it will not happen again.
The application also asks the court to "order full reparation for all injury caused", calling on Iran to return the missing belongings of the victims and to provide "full compensation" to the families.
Lord Ahmad, the UK's Middle East minister, said they were "committed to pursuing justice for the victims and their families".
In December 2022, the group jointly requested that Iran submit to binding arbitration, arguing the missiles that hit the flight were launched "unlawfully and intentionally".
At the time a spokesperson for Canada's foreign affairs ministry told the BBC the Iranian government had six months to respond. This deadline has now passed, prompting the countries to move towards legal action. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-66110345 |
Kevin Spacey grabbed man like a cobra, court hears - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The man alleges he was grabbed by the Hollywood actor with "such force it was really painful". | UK | Kevin Spacey arrives at Southwark Court in London for the fourth day of his trial
Actor Kevin Spacey grabbed a man "like a cobra" in a West End theatre and made a "barrage of vile comments" which were of a sexual nature, a court has heard.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said the Hollywood star "smelled of booze" and grabbed him with "such force it was really painful".
In a police interview, played at Southwark Crown Court, the man said he froze and pushed Mr Spacey's arm away.
The American actor is facing 12 charges, all of which he denies.
On the fourth day of Mr Spacey's trial, jurors watched the taped police interview of one of the complainants, a man who alleges he was sexually assaulted by Mr Spacey while at a theatre event in 2005.
The man said that when they were alone, Mr Spacey grabbed his penis "like a cobra coming out and getting hold".
"It was aggressive," he said. "It wasn't trying to be a seduction. It was angry."
Asked about Mr Spacey's response, he said "he sort of laughed".
On his first impressions of Mr Spacey, the man said: "My opinion when he arrived was he smelled of booze. He looked dishevelled. He did not look like he had been to sleep."
The man told the police officer he was "taken aback" by the alleged crude comments made by the star, saying: "It was very aggressive. I have never had anyone talk to me in that way."
He said he was "feeling very shocked" and was "feeling very uncomfortable".
"It was an abuse of power," the man said.
Asked why he had come forward to police, he said it was as if he had "allowed somebody, in a way, to denigrate me".
"I hope he does the right thing - if he apologises then maybe I won't want him to go to court," he told police.
"I hope unburdening for me will bring some closure and justice. Because it was an injustice."
Mr Spacey, 63, is accused of sex offences against four men between 2001 and 2013.
He pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
He also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
All four accusers are entitled to lifelong anonymity under the law. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66112863 |
Teachers' strikes: School disruption as NEU members walk out again in England - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | With more strike ballots taking place, the dispute over pay could continue into the autumn term. | Family & Education | Many schools in England closed on Wednesday, as teachers walked out again over pay.
It was the sixth national strike by members of the National Education Union (NEU) in England since February - and another is planned for Friday.
As well as lessons, end-of-term events such as sports day, concerts and school trips were disrupted.
And with more strike ballots taking place, schools are bracing for further disruption in the new school year.
It has been more than five months since teachers first took to the picket lines in woolly hats, clutching takeaway coffees between gloved hands.
They received a 5% rise for the year 2022-23.
This time they are calling for above-inflation increases, plus additional money to ensure any pay rises do not come from schools' existing budgets.
The weather may have improved since that first strike on 1 February, but relations between the two sides in this dispute remain as frosty as ever.
There are no talks under way between the unions and the Department for Education (DfE), and there is no obvious resolution in sight.
There have been crunch points in recent months.
After intensive talks in March, the government offered teachers an additional one-off payment of £1,000. It also offered a 4.3% pay rise for most teachers next year - with starting salaries reaching £30,000.
The NEU, and three other unions involved in the dispute, rejected the offer - which means the one-off payment is now off the table.
As schools returned for the summer term, all four announced they would join forces to co-ordinate any future strike action.
More strikes have taken place since then.
The most recent walkout, on 2 May, affected more schools than previously - with less than half, only 45.3%, able to fully open.
Some teenagers we spoke to at the time were worried revision classes would be affected, as they prepared for exams. The NEU has said it did everything it could to make sure school was as normal as possible for those year groups taking examinations this summer.
Two things will determine what happens next.
The first is the announcement of how much teachers will be paid next year. The matter has been considered by the independent pay review body, and its recommendations are currently being appraised by the government.
We don't know when any announcement will be made on pay. If previous years are anything to go by, we can expect it to come in late July, as children prepare to break up for the summer holidays.
The other thing to watch will be the results of strike ballots, which are currently under way in all four unions.
It is the second time that members of the NEU, teachers' union NASUWT and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) have been asked whether they would be prepared to strike over pay. Last time, only the NEU received enough votes for industrial action to go ahead.
In addition, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) - another head teachers' union - is also balloting members, for the first time in its 150-year history. Head teachers have told the BBC, they are concerned about the effect pay has on recruitment and retention of staff.
With those ballots set to close in mid-to-late July, we could see a flurry of activity in the coming weeks.
Online tool Teacher Tapp quizzes thousands of primary and secondary teachers, in both the state and private sector, about their daily experiences in the classroom. One recent survey suggested almost four-in-10 Year 6 students had visits to their new secondary schools booked on strike days this week.
These could well be disrupted.
And if enough union members vote for further strike action, those same pupils could see their new Year 7 teachers walk out in the autumn term too.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said Education Secretary Gillian Keegan's "refusal to re-enter negotiations" had "united the teaching profession in its anger towards a government that is failing to recognise the serious challenges that need to be addressed in our education system".
A DfE official said: "Schools are receiving significant additional funding as part of the extra £2bn of investment we are providing for both 2023-24 and 2024-25, which will take school funding its highest level in history next year, as measured by the IFS [Institute for Fiscal Studies]."
The IFS said, in December, the increased funding would mean school spending per pupil "will grow in real terms through to 2024 and will return to at least 2010 levels".
Has your child's school closed? Are you a teacher on strike? 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/education-66053744 |
Wimbledon 2023 LIVE: Djokovic, Swiatek, Tsitsipas, Boulter all win - relive day three as it happened - Live - BBC Sport | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | Relive wins for Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Iga Swiatek on day three at Wimbledon 2023. | null | Right, we'll be back here at 10:45 BST for day four at Wimbledon.
It's going to be a classic with Briton Liam Broady, playing Casper Ruud, first up on Centre Court.
And then, tomorrow evening, two-time winner Andy Murray takes on fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.
We'll see you then, take care! | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/tennis/65583868 |
Wimbledon 2023: Just Stop Oil protesters interrupt play twice, jigsaws taken off sale - BBC Sport | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | Play is interrupted at Wimbledon twice after Just Stop Oil protesters throw orange confetti on to court 18. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Just Stop Oil protesters interrupted play twice at Wimbledon by throwing orange-coloured confetti and jigsaw pieces on to court 18.
The contest between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro was targeted by two protesters.
A third protester then targeted Katie Boulter's match against Daria Saville. Two men and a woman were arrested.
Environmental protest group Just Stop Oil has targeted various sporting events, including an Ashes Test.
Followers of the group - which calls for the government to halt all new oil, gas and coal projects - also disrupted the rugby union Premiership final and the World Snooker Championship.
In a statement after the first episode, the All England Club (AELTC) said: "Following an incident on court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the grounds."
A man and woman had run on to the court, throwing confetti and jigsaw pieces from a Wimbledon 'Centre Court View' jigsaw puzzle box on to the grass. The man sat down on court 18 before he was removed.
A couple of hours later another man ran on to the same court, where British number one Boulter had just resumed her rain-interrupted first-round match against Australian Saville.
The crowd booed the protesters with some heard shouting "get off".
Following the breaks in play, a Wimbledon shop worker told BBC Sport they had stopped selling jigsaws for now.
Just Stop Oil said in a statement its supporters had thrown "environmentally friendly orange confetti glitter and jigsaw pieces" and that "play was briefly delayed whilst marshals picked up the pieces".
• None Just Stop Oil: What is it and what does it want?
Home secretary Suella Braverman condemned the actions of the protesters as "selfish" and "unacceptable", and said she had chaired a meeting at Downing Street with representatives of various sports organisations to try to "prevent further disruptions".
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer added: "We must protect the right to peaceful protest, but that does not give licence to a vocal minority to spoil events that millions of us enjoy."
The meeting followed a spate of protests at high-profile sporting events, with Just Stop Oil disrupting the second Ashes cricket test at Lord's last week, attempting to spread orange powder on the wicket.
This year's Grand National was also disrupted after animal rights activists attached themselves to fences, with police making multiple arrests.
Wimbledon organisers previously urged spectators to "be considerate" when they were asked about the possibility of climate change protests, and they also increased security checks at this year's event.
The tighter security had led on Monday to delays in getting fans into the grounds.
Despite the measures, Wimbledon became the latest sporting event to find its green surface turned briefly orange.
AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton said earlier this week the club had "taken account of what we've seen elsewhere so security has been uplifted in various places around the grounds".
An environmental activist previously tied themselves to the net post during the French Open semi-final between Casper Ruud and Marin Cilic in 2022.
'It's not pleasant' - Dimitrov on interruption to his match
Bulgaria's Dimitrov won his first-round match against Shimabukuro after the brief protest early in the second set. Dimitrov said the disruption had been handled well by staff and the timing of a rain delay that came almost immediately afterwards had also been helpful.
"Obviously, it's not pleasant," he said. "Sometimes you're just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Everyone in a way did their part as quick as possible.
"Rain was coming so it was also a little bit fortunate to come off the court and have some time to kind of regroup a little bit and shake it off."
Boulter added: "I think we all sympathise with what they're going through completely. At the same time I don't know if it's the right place or time.
"When I think back to people who have sat here... 30 hours trying to watch tennis, it's really tough on them.
"I'm pretty sure there will be a reaction to what's been happening and there will be more security in place or whatever they need to do to ensure that it doesn't happen again."
Wimbledon have not said if they will be implementing any additional security measures, but are working "closely" with police.
"We are disappointed that three individuals sought to disrupt the enjoyment of others today and we continue to work closely with our partners in the Metropolitan Police as we look into every aspect of today's events," a statement read. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/66041547 |
NHS 75: Happy birthday - but can it survive to 100? - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | As the NHS celebrates its anniversary, a look at what needs to change to help it in coming decades. | Health | The NHS turns 75 on Wednesday, but the landmark anniversary has been greeted with dire warnings it is unlikely to survive until its 100th birthday without drastic change. So what is the solution? From sin taxes to cutting back on medical treatment for the dying, experts have their say.
When the NHS was created the main focus was on short bouts of treatment for injury and infection, but now the challenge is completely different.
The ageing population means huge numbers of people are living with chronic health problems, such as heart disease, dementia and diabetes that require long-term care and for which there is no cure.
It is already estimated about £7 out of every £10 spent in the NHS goes on people with these conditions. On average, those over 65 have at least two.
And the situation is only going to worsen. "The numbers are going to grow," Health Foundation director of research and economics Anita Charlesworth says. "The baby boomer generation is reaching old age.
"Their health is going to be shaped by the lives they have lived - and they are a generation that have lived through the rapid increase in obesity. Their ill health is baked in. The next two decades are going to be very challenging."
Increases in the NHS budget will be needed but this must be accompanied by a shift in how resources are distributed, she says, so more is spent "upstream" in the community, including on social care, which sits outside the NHS, and prevention, to help people better manage their conditions without hospital care.
But given the amount of public money spent on the NHS has been rising ever since the health service was created - it now accounts for more than 40p out of every £1 spent on day-to-day public services, once things such as welfare are excluded - many are asking whether such spending is sustainable.
Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who has floated the idea of charging to see a GP, arguing the NHS should be willing to learn from the approaches adopted by other countries, has called the current direction of travel "unsustainable".
But Ms Charlesworth, who used to be director of public spending at the Treasury, says extra money can be found, pointing out countries around the world are having to do the same.
"This is not unique to the the UK and our system," she says. "It is a global phenomenon. But increasing investment in the NHS is going to require economic growth - without that, you have to cut other services or increase taxation."
Healthcare spending should be seen as an investment in the country, rather than a cost, Ms Charlesworth says, pointing to data showing 2.5 million people are out of work because of poor health - equating to one person off long-term sick for every 13 in work.
"Economic growth depends on good health," she says, "but at the moment, we have got too many people on waiting lists - and there is a particular problem with mental health too."
King's Fund chief policy analyst Siva Anandaciva, who recently produced a report for the think tank looking at how the NHS compared with other rich nations, says as much as 5-6% extra a year may be needed in the short-term to tackle the immediate problems with the backlog and ageing infrastructure - the boost to the workforce announced by the government last week will take years to have an impact.
His report showed how the NHS had fewer staff and less equipment such as scanners than many other comparable countries - and to those who suggest a different model of funding may be needed, made it clear the findings were not an argument for moving to another system, adding there was little evidence any one particular approach was inherently better than another.
"History tells us that we do need to spend more on the NHS," Mr Anandaciva says. "Anything less than 2% is managed decline - and what we are spending now 3-4% is just standing still."
He says that will likely mean investing a greater proportion of public spending on the NHS, but says digital technology can make savings in other spending areas whereas the NHS is heavily reliant on labour. "At some point you will need a nurse to provide care," he adds.
Life expectancy gains since the NHS' creation have not been matched by increases in healthy life expectancy - on average, people are now expected to spend more than 20 years living in ill-health, according to the Office for National Statistics.
"We had hoped that medical advances would lead to people both living longer and living longer in good health - but that has not happened," Mr Anandaciva says. "It will require us to become much more active and healthier."
Many of the factors that influence the way people live are outside the NHS' control, he says. These so-called social determinants include education, work, housing and neighbourhoods.
Mr Anandaciva would like to see employers in particular more involved in the health of their workforce and backs the use of "sin taxes" such as minimum pricing for alcohol and levies on sugar and salt to influence behaviour.
But he says there will also need to be an honest debate on where to prioritise that spending. "At the end of life, our use of healthcare gets more intense and costs more," Mr Anandaciva says. "Would money be better used elsewhere?"
It is a point also made by Prof Sir David Haslam, who used to chair the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, which decides what treatments should be made available on the NHS.
Sir David, who has written a book, Side Effects, about the challenges facing the NHS, says there needs to be more focus on getting "most bang for our buck".
There is too much focus on drugs and treatment that simply extend life rather than services that support people to live in good health, he says.
"For example, research has shown seeing the same GP for years reduces hospital admissions significantly," Sir David says. "If that was a drug, we would hail it as a wonder treatment - but instead, we've watched the number of GPs fall."
He says the medical profession overall is too "super-specialised" and calls for more generalists in the community and hospital to treat "the individual rather than their organs".
"It's so wasteful - patients with six or seven conditions can spend all their time going to different hospital departments, seeing different people, often with poor co-ordination between them," Sir David says.
And he also questions the amount of medical intervention at the end of life.
"Too many frail elderly patients are dying in hospital when that may be a completely inappropriate place," Sir David says.
"We have over-medicalised the end of life. When I die, I want to be in the place that is my home, with good care being provided. This is not about rationing care, it is about providing rational care." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66087766 |
Tattoo artist death: Aidan Mann killer jailed for at least nine years - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Barry Donnelly, 38, is given an indeterminate custodial sentence for killing his neighbour Aidan Mann. | Northern Ireland | A man will spend at least nine years in prison for the killing of Northern Ireland tattoo artist Aidan Mann.
The 28-year-old, known as artist Zen Black, was stabbed 14 times at Church Street in Downpatrick, in January 2022.
The court said Aidan was an entirely innocent victim who did nothing to provoke the fatal attack.
Barry Donnelly, 38, whose address was given as Church Street in Downpatrick, admitted manslaughter pleading diminished responsibility.
He was given an indeterminate custodial sentence at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday.
The judge said Donnelly must serve at least nine years in prison before he is eligible to be considered for release.
A spokesman for the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland said it was investigating a complaint of alleged police failings prior to the killing.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "I just think life has so much to offer" - Aidan Mann archive recording
After the sentencing hearing Aidan's mother spoke of the devastating impact the killing has had on Aidan's loved ones.
Sonya Mann said Donnelly "stole my life when he killed my son".
"He chased my son down the street like an animal," she said.
"The fear my son must have felt and the suffering - that will never, ever leave me."
A previous hearing was told that Donnelly had been "actively psychotic" at the time of the attack.
He also pleaded guilty to the offences of possession of offensive weapons and assault occasioning actual bodily harm relating to a previous attack on a mother and son in June 2021.
CCTV footage shown in court traced Donnelly's movements on that day of Aidan's death.
The two were neighbours - although they barely knew each other.
The deceased left his flat at about 11:00 GMT. After being approached by Donnelly, Aidan crossed the road and started running along Church Street, still wearing a motorcycle helmet and being chased by him.
The fatal stabbing happened on Church Street in Downpatrick
The chase continued and, at one point, Aidan turned round, looked back at Donnelly and appeared to gesture at him before he crossed the road into oncoming traffic.
The CCTV footage then showed Donnelly catching up with Aidan on the pavement outside a car dealership.
After Aidan fell to the ground, Donnelly straddled his victim, who he stabbed repeatedly in the chest, leg and torso.
Members of the public intervened, pulled Donnelly off Aidan and called 999. He was arrested while still being restrained by the public.
Two large kitchen knives used by Donnelly were seized from the scene.
A prosecutor at an earlier hearing said that at the scene Donnelly shouted it was a revenge attack for his brother who had been murdered the previous evening, which the lawyer said "transpired to be completely wrong".
Donnelly was admitted to a psychiatric unit - the Shannon clinic - in the month after the killing where he remains.
Two consultant psychiatrists agreed that the defendant was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning arising from schizophrenia at the time of the attack.
A psychiatrist indicated that he would probably not need to remain for treatment much longer and envisaged him moving to prison.
Donnelly's defence barrister told the court that his client had not been aware that he was suffering from acute mental illness until after the "terrible act" in which Aidan died.
He said his client has expressed "regret, remorse and heartbreak".
Det Insp Foreman said said the "senseless" attack had happened in the late morning, "when members of the public were going about their business".
The detective thanked those who ran to Aidan's assistance and who phoned emergency services.
"There are no words that can undo the tragic events of that morning," Det Insp Foreman added.
"There's nothing that can ease the pain and sadness of those who knew and loved Aidan, and my thoughts are very much with them today."
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OnlyFans account billboards in London streets spark complaints - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | One of the adverts, showing a model wearing a green plunge bra, has been spray-painted over. | London | One of the adverts in Harrow has been spray-painted over
Billboards advertising a woman's explicit OnlyFans account have sparked complaints to the advertising watchdog.
The adverts, showing model Eliza Rose Watson in underwear, have appeared in Harrow and Edgware in north-west London and Lambeth in south-west London.
One of the adverts in Harrow has been spray-painted over, with the words "keep porn off our streets".
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says it is reviewing complaints about the advert.
In a statement, the ASA said it had received five complaints about the advert.
"Complainants believe the ad is inappropriate, in particular in untargeted media where children are able to view it," it said.
"We're reviewing these complaints to determine whether there are grounds for an investigation."
However, Ms Watson told the BBC the visual content of the adverts had been "very well thought out".
She explained: "The image in the art is simply a torso shot of a 34-year-old woman.
"I would say it's no more adult than an ad for alcohol and, actually, less racy even than ads you see for lingerie within big shopping centres.
"It's kind of an adult thing to do, to join the dots between the logo and the image."
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says it is reviewing complaints
Ms Watson, who said she paid for four adverts in London and two in New York, added that if a child or young adult recognised the OnlyFans logo then it was a "wider issue" because such content is widespread online.
She went on to suggest restricting where such adverts could be placed would only "demonise" them, asking: "Is applying shame and stigma to something the best way to be dealing with something that is everywhere?"
Members of the public in Harrow had mixed feelings about the adverts when asked about them by the BBC.
Alex Mitchell says it is wrong the advert is placed near schools
Alex Mitchell said: "I've got no issues with people following a career, if it's legal.
"But I think advertising issues like what's on the poster behind me when you're close to local schools - you've got a primary school up the end of this road, you've got a secondary school there - young people are impressionable, and it's completely out of order."
Pushpa says she does not like the advert because it is "suggestive"
Pushpa, who did not want to give her last name, said: "It's very suggestive and it's very distracting, I would say, for other drivers going around and pedestrians.
"I wouldn't want it here because it's not relevant to this kind of area, to any area."
Another woman, who did not want to be identified, said: "It doesn't really bother me.
"To be honest, I would walk past it and not even notice it, and also I've seen women in bikinis and stuff before so I wouldn't really take much notice."
She added those complaining were "slightly overreacting".
Another woman said: "If I walked past it I wouldn't glance twice at it, that's not something I would look at.
However, she continued by saying that since pupils were able to walk past the adverts, "they might see that and wonder why it's there, so I don't think it's a very good idea to keep it on the side of a building, especially on a crowded street".
A spokesperson for billboard company Amplify, which is hosting the adverts in London, told the BBC it follows "strict ASA rules" and the company had "stuck to the advertising guidelines".
"The contents of the campaign are those of the advertiser, not of Amplify," they said.
"We believe the adverts being displayed are well within the ASA rules."
OnlyFans says that as a "policy" it did not comment on "individual creator accounts" but was "not involved in the placement of this advertisement".
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66097347 |
Bank account closures probe must be fast tracked, says minister - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Treasury urges action after Nigel Farage complained his accounts were being closed for political reasons. | Business | A review into whether banks are closing accounts of people who are "politically exposed" should be prioritised, a Treasury minister has said.
In a letter to the Financial Conduct Authority, Andrew Griffith said it was vital elected officials could access banking services.
It comes after Nigel Farage said his accounts were being shut for political reasons - something people familiar with the decision dispute.
The FCA has been contacted for comment.
Mr Farage tweeted he was "delighted" the government was putting pressure on the watchdog to act.
Someone classed as a politically exposed person, or PEP, generally presents a higher risk for financial institutions as they are deemed to be more exposed to potential involvement in bribery and corruption by virtue of their position and the influence they may hold.
As a result, banks are required to do extra due diligence on them.
Mr Griffith, who is Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said in his letter to the financial watchdog that while he recognised the importance of measures to prevent money laundering, "it is crucial that an appropriate balance is struck" so that elected officials and their families can access banking services.
He added that it had been "made clear" that "some financial institutions may be failing to strike the right balance of taking a proportionate approach based on a careful evaluation of the actual risk".
"The government is clear that domestic PEPs should be treated in a manner which is in line with their risk, and that banks should not be closing individuals' accounts solely due to their status as a PEP," Mr Griffith said.
This week, Mr Farage, who is the former leader of UKIP, the Brexit Party, and a former member of the European Parliament, said his bank was closing his accounts without justification.
He said he believed his account was being shut because of his status as a PEP and that he had since been turned down by nine other lenders.
But the BBC has been told Mr Farage fell below the financial threshold required to hold an account at Coutts, the prestigious private bank for the wealthy.
On Tuesday, Mr Farage did not dispute the fact that he did not meet Coutts' threshold, but added: "They didn't have a problem with it for the last 10 years."
He added: "Are you telling me that all the other banks say it was a PEP thing and Coutts wasn't? Draw your own conclusions."
In response to the letter to the FCA, Mr Farage tweeted he was "delighted that the Chancellor and City Minister are putting pressure on the FCA to review why banks are giving UK PEPs such a hard time".
"Even better would be to change the law. It is an EU directive and a Brexit government ought to deal with it," he added.
The Treasury has previously said it would be a "serious concern" if financial services were being denied to those exercising their right to lawful free speech.
A spokesman said: "We are already looking into this issue and have passed a law that requires the Financial Conduct Authority to review how banks treat politically exposed persons - so we can strike the right balance between the customer's right to free speech and the bank's right to manage commercial risk." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66111090 |
Partygate: Police reopen investigation into Tory 'jingle and mingle' event - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Met reopens probe into Tory HQ party but will not investigate Boris Johnson over further alleged breaches of Covid rules. | UK Politics | The Daily Mirror previously obtained and published still images from the same party
The Metropolitan Police is reopening an investigation into breaches of Covid regulations at a Christmas gathering at Conservative Party HQ.
A video of the event, where aides were invited to "jingle and mingle", was published by the Sunday Mirror.
Police say they will not investigate alleged gatherings at the prime minister's country home, Chequers, when Boris Johnson was PM.
But they are also now investigating an event in Parliament on 8 December 2020.
According to the Guido Fawkes website, this event involved Conservative backbencher Sir Bernard Jenkin.
Sir Bernard sits on the Commons Privileges Committee, which last month published a highly critical report about Mr Johnson.
He told the BBC it was not appropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.
Mr Johnson - who stood down as an MP with a stinging attack on the committee - had accused Sir Bernard of "monstrous hypocrisy" if the allegations on the Guido Fawkes site were true.
Conservative MP Virginia Crosbie issued an apology for attending the event while Covid restrictions were in place.
The Ynys Mon MP confirmed the event took place but said she had not sent out any invitations.
The Met police investigated the December 2020 party at Tory HQ last year, after a picture emerged showing former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and Tory aides raising glasses besides buffet food, when indoor socialising was banned in the area.
In November, the Met said they were taking no further action against Mr Bailey or the others pictured.
They have now said they are reopening their inquiry, as the video published by the Mirror was not previously provided to officers.
An invitation to the gathering, seen by the BBC, invited people to a "jingle and mingle" party.
Mr Bailey - who was given a seat in the House of Lords in Mr Johnson's resignation honours list - previously said he apologised "unreservedly" for the event, which he said had "turned into something" after he left.
He claimed he was "very upset about the video" as he had "never seen it before".
The Liberal Democrats said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should stop Mr Bailey "from taking his seat as a peer while this investigation takes place".
Meanwhile, the Met Police and Thames Valley Police said they would not launch an investigation into potential rule-breaking between June 2020 and May 2021 at Downing Street and Chequers.
In May, the forces said they were assessing information handed to them by Cabinet Office officials after a review of Mr Johnson's official diary as part of preparations for the Covid inquiry.
Thames Valley police were looking into visits by Mr Johnson's family and friends to Chequers - the prime minister's country house in Buckinghamshire - during the pandemic.
The Met were looking at possible further rule-breaches in Downing Street.
In a jointly-issued statement on Tuesday, the forces said that after "further clarification" on the diary entries, they had decided the events did "not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation".
When news of his referral broke, Mr Johnson denied there had been any Covid breaches at the events, saying the actions of the Cabinet Office bore "all the hallmarks" of a "politically motivated stitch-up".
The Cabinet Office said at the time that the material it had passed to police came from the "normal" process of reviewing documents.
Former prime minister Mr Johnson stood down as an MP last month after a Commons committee accused him of misleading Parliament over separate events in Downing Street during the pandemic.
The BBC has approached him for a fresh comment.
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Jenin: Mourners fill streets for funerals as Israel ends assault - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Twelve Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed following clashes in the West Bank refugee camp. | Middle East | Israeli forces member on an armored bulldozer near the Jalamah checkpoint on 4 July Image caption: Israeli forces member on an armored bulldozer near the Jalamah checkpoint on 4 July
There were drone strikes, armoured bulldozers and hundreds of soldiers involved in Israel’s major two-day military operation in Jenin’s decades-old refugee camp.
The army says it uncovered weapons labs and stores and has today been showing journalists the large quantities of guns, bullets, explosive devices and protective vests which it says it seized in the camp.
It says some were found in hideouts, a mosque, pits and in vehicles.
The Israeli military claims that all 12 Palestinian men and teenage boys who were killed in its raid were militants and that it was successful in avoiding casualties of unarmed civilians.
So far, it has been confirmed to the BBC that eight of the dead were members of the military wings of the main Palestinian factions.
A Palestinian doctor told me that civilians were among some 120 people injured.
Longer-term, Israeli military analysts suggest the impact of this operation is likely to be limited.
“At best it’s a paracetamol for a terminal illness,” said Avi Issacharoff, a journalist known as one of the creators of the TV series, Fauda, in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
He predicted that the Jenin refugee camp might now be “a bit less dangerous in terms of the weaponry it holds” but that no reduction in the overall number of Palestinian attacks on Israelis should be expected. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-66104725 |
Protesters chant 'not my king' outside King Charles III's Coronation celebration - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Officers say four people were arrested and a further four were issued with a recorded police warning. | Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Royalist and republican protesters gathered on the Royal Mile
Protesters chanting "not my king" gathered in Edinburgh ahead of King Charles' thanksgiving service.
Republican as well as royalist activists lined the Royal Mile where the King's cavalcade passed on the way to St Giles' Cathedral.
Another anti-monarchy group hosted a rally outside Holyrood, which was attended by Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater.
Police Scotland later confirmed four people had been arrested.
They included two women, aged 20 and 21, who were arrested for breach of the peace after allegedly attempting to climb over a crowd safety barrier on the Royal Mile.
The force said one man was also arrested for theft, while another was arrested in connection with an outstanding warrant.
Three men and one woman were initially arrested for alleged threatening behaviour and failing to desist, but this was later changed to a recorded police warning.
Blacked-out barriers which are about 6ft (72in) in height were erected outside St Giles' where the service took place.
During the thanksgiving ceremony the King was presented with the Scottish crown jewels to mark his Coronation.
Black screens have been installed around St Giles' Cathedral
Grant McKenzie, from the Republic anti-monarchy pressure group, told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme his group would be vocal at the event, which he described as "undemocratic."
He said: "It's being forced upon us, we've got an unprecedented cost of living crisis.
"I don't think the public in the UK are particularly interested in their tax payer money being put towards a parade up and down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh - it's tone deaf.
"Of course people are going to be able to enjoy it if that's what they want to do. Protests by their very nature are disruptive, we will be making ourselves visible and heard."
Mr Harvie, who is the Scottish government's minister for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants' rights, addressed the Our Republic rally outside the Scottish Parliament.
He told the crowd: "It's really important for those who want an elected head of state to be heard."
The MSP said it was extraordinary to be "lavishing taxpayers money on some of the wealthiest people in the world so they can play some kind of Game of Thrones".
He added: "Passing unearned wealth from generation to generation is fundamentally at odds with the democratic society we are trying to build."
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, police lead for the event, said: "This significant constitutional event took place safely without any disruption to the ceremony or people's procession.
"Safety was our priority and a number of actions were taken to ensure this, which included an open approach to engaging with potential protest groups."
In the build-up to the event the force said it sought to strike a balance between the right to protest and public safety.
Assistant Chief Constable Mairs added: "I would like to thank the overwhelming majority of protestors who engaged with us and also our officers whose professionalism helped ensure the safe delivery of this event for everyone who attended."
Patrick Harvie spoke to journalists at the rally outside Holyrood
As well as those protesting the ceremony, crowds hoping to catch a glimpse of the monarch and people's procession also lined the streets.
One of those in attendance was royal fan Sheila Clark, from Newton Mearns.
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland, she said: "I'm as close to St Giles' as I possibly could be.
"It's a very special moment for me personally, I've followed the new King all my life really.
"I think it's an important part of our heritage throughout Britain and particularly in Scotland, because the King's roots are Scottish. His mother was Scottish, his grandmother was Scottish and I think Scotland is an important part of the United Kingdom." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-66108871 |
John Berylson: Millwall owner and chairman dies aged 70 in 'tragic accident' - BBC Sport | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | Millwall's owner and chairman John Berylson dies at the age of 70 following a "tragic accident", the club announce. | null | Last updated on .From the section Millwall
Millwall's owner and chairman John Berylson has died at the age of 70 following a "tragic accident" on Tuesday, the club have said.
The American businessman first became involved with the Championship club in 2006.
"He was a truly great man, incredibly devoted to his family," Millwall said in a statement.
Berylson is survived by wife Amy and his three children Jennifer, James, and Elizabeth.
The club added: "He was a person of such remarkable generosity, warmth, and kindness.
"He lived a storied life, one full of colour and joy, and was infinitely thoughtful of others with an endless desire to share his immense knowledge and experiences to help people."
Millwall have not released any further details around Berylson's death.
The club have said fans can pay their respects in a book of condolence which will be shared with his family.
Supporters can write in the book at the club's The Den stadium on Wednesday from 11:00 BST, or online.
"He has presided over some of the greatest moments in Millwall's history, and his influence in providing the platform for those was immeasurable," the club said.
"John continued to speak eagerly about the new season and his vision for the future, and any success moving forward will be in his memory and honour. It will be his legacy."
Millwall finished eighth in the Championship last season, just missing out on a play-off place on the final day.
Berylson became a significant shareholder of the club in 2007 after he led a consortium who invested in the then League One side.
He replaced Stewart Till as chairman in the same year and went on to oversee two promotions into the Championship.
The last promotion came in 2017 and the club have maintained their position in the second tier ever since.
Tributes have poured in for the owner with former Millwall right-back Alan Dunne saying: "My deepest condolences to not only my chairman for many years but also friend.
"John was a gentleman who put Millwall back on the map. What he has done for the club will always be remembered and can only thank him for everything he done for me and MILLWALL."
Aberdeen's chief executive Alan Burrows said: "Such awful, awful news. The thoughts of everyone at Aberdeen FC are with John's family, friends and everyone at Millwall FC. RIP."
The English Football League wrote: "The EFL is shocked and saddened by the news and sends its deepest condolences to John's family and everyone connected with Millwall."
Multiple clubs have sent their condolences, including rivals West Ham, who wrote: "Everyone at West Ham United sends their deepest condolences to John's family, friends and all at Millwall FC during this tragic time." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66105440 |
Ros Atkins on... Ukrainian nuclear plant fears - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | The BBC’s analysis editor assesses claims about the security of the Zaporizhzhia power station. | null | Ukraine says Russia has planted ‘objects resembling explosive devices’ on the roofs of two reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Russia has made counter-claims that Ukraine is planning to attack the plant.
The BBC’s Analysis Editor Ros Atkins looks at what we know about the allegations, and what they tell us about the risk of an incident at Europe’s largest nuclear power station. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66114024 |
Cancer patients welcome NHS drug policy change - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Bowel cancer patients say they feel relieved after the NHS lifted a ban on treatment breaks. | Suffolk | Steven Marsland, pictured with his family, said he felt anxious about potentially losing the drug keeping him alive
Cancer patients said they felt relieved they could continue taking life-saving drugs after a policy change.
Doctors were not allowed to automatically prescribe two bowel cancer drugs on the NHS in England if patients had taken a break from them.
Steven Marsland, 38, from Brantham, Suffolk, said the decision meant he now had "one less thing to worry about".
The policy affected the drugs cetuximab and panitumumab.
Mr Marsland has been through 93 rounds of chemotherapy and 28 lots of radiotherapy since he was diagnosed in 2018
Before the rule change, if a patient took a treatment break for longer than six weeks they would have to reapply for NHS funding, with no guarantee it would be approved.
Mr Marsland, who has incurable cancer, needed to pause his treatment for a hernia operation last year. He had to take a shorter break due to the policy and was left worrying he might have to fund cetuximab himself in the future.
The father-of-two, who works as a principal technologist for BT, has been through 93 rounds of chemotherapy and 28 lots of radiotherapy since he was diagnosed in 2018.
Mr Marsland, pictured with his wife Emma, campaigned to change the policy alongside the charity Bowel Cancer UK
"This decision means I no longer need to live with the anxiety of losing a line of treatment," he said.
"It will open up many options for people to have skin recovery breaks, holidays and minor surgeries. I won't have to cover up illnesses in the fear of having the rug pulled out."
Jane Ashford said she lived in constant fear of her drug being taken away
Jane Ashford, from Bristol, described the development as "amazing", saying she had lived in "constant fear" of her treatment being taken away.
The 50-year-old, who is now in remission from bowel cancer, said her oncologist was keen for her to have a break "as the toxicity of the drugs was leading to serious health issues" but she had "no choice but to continue with no breaks under the arbitrary rule".
"I had to leave my job as an NHS lead nurse specialist because of the physical, emotional and psychological side effects," she said.
The rule change has come too late for some patients. Roy Davison, a father-of-three from Preston, was told he could not go back on panitumumab on the NHS after taking a break for liver surgery.
Roy Davison, pictured with two of his daughters, would have done anything for anyone and had a huge heart, his family said
The engineer, diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014, was making good progress and the drug had shrunk his tumours enough to make them operable, his wife Carolyn said.
"Then the doctors told us the rules had changed and suddenly the drug was snatched away. It seemed so wrong and so cruel.
"It was like a prescription was written but he was only allowed to have half of it. We sought second opinions from oncologists who all said they would like to put him back on panitumumab if they could," she said.
They wrote to their MP and the drug company explaining his situation, but Mr Davison was forced on to other drugs and his cancer spread. He died aged 59 in 2017.
Genevieve Edwards, chief executive at Bowel Cancer UK, which has spent five years campaigning on the issue, said: "Patients with advanced bowel cancer have very few treatment options and these drugs are often their only lifeline.
"This decision by NHS England will bring new hope for advanced bowel cancer patients to have a better quality of life, spend more time with loved ones and, for some, even the chance of full remission."
A spokesperson for NHS England said: "The publication of this new policy provides additional flexibility for patients with colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab and panitumumab, enabling them to restart treatment even if their cancer has progressed whilst they were on a treatment break, provided their doctor believes they are likely to benefit from these drugs."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-63648445 |
SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC finds - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Internal emails seen by the BBC show top special forces officers were aware of concerns over killings. | UK | SAS troops conducted night raids in Afghanistan, aiming to kill or capture Taliban targets
SAS operatives in Afghanistan repeatedly killed detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances, according to a BBC investigation.
Newly obtained military reports suggest that one unit may have unlawfully killed 54 people in one six-month tour.
The BBC found evidence suggesting the former head of special forces failed to pass on evidence to a murder inquiry.
The Ministry of Defence said British troops "served with courage and professionalism in Afghanistan".
The BBC understands that General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the former head of UK Special Forces, was briefed about the alleged unlawful killings but did not pass on the evidence to the Royal Military Police, even after the RMP began a murder investigation into the SAS squadron.
General Carleton-Smith, who went on to become head of the Army before stepping down last month, declined to comment for this story.
BBC Panorama analysed hundreds of pages of SAS operational accounts, including reports covering more than a dozen "kill or capture" raids carried out by one SAS squadron in Helmand in 2010/11.
Individuals who served with the SAS squadron on that deployment told the BBC they witnessed the SAS operatives kill unarmed people during night raids.
They also said they saw the operatives using so-called "drop weapons" - AK-47s planted at a scene to justify the killing of an unarmed person.
British special forces killed hundreds of people on night raids in Afghanistan, but were some of the shootings executions? BBC Panorama's Richard Bilton uncovers new evidence and tracks down eyewitnesses.
Several people who served with special forces said that SAS squadrons were competing with each other to get the most kills, and that the squadron scrutinised by the BBC was trying to achieve a higher body count than the one it had replaced.
Internal emails show that officers at the highest levels of special forces were aware there was concern over possible unlawful killings, but failed to report the suspicions to military police despite a legal obligation to do so.
The Ministry of Defence said it could not comment on specific allegations, but that declining to comment should not be taken as acceptance of the allegations' factual accuracy.
An MOD spokesperson said that British forces "served with courage and professionalism" in Afghanistan and were held to the "highest standards".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. SAS killings in Afghanistan: The story of one suspicious death
In 2019, the BBC and the Sunday Times investigated one SAS raid which led to a UK court case and an order to the UK defence minister to disclose documents outlining the government's handling of the case.
For this latest investigation, the BBC analysed newly obtained operational reports detailing the SAS's accounts of night raids. We found a pattern of strikingly similar reports of Afghan men being shot dead because they pulled AK-47 rifles or hand grenades from behind curtains or other furniture after having been detained.
The total death toll during the squadron's six-month tour was in the triple figures. No injuries to SAS operatives were reported across all the raids scrutinised by the BBC.
A senior officer who worked at UK Special Forces headquarters told the BBC there was "real concern" over the squadron's reports.
"Too many people were being killed on night raids and the explanations didn't make sense," he said. "Once somebody is detained, they shouldn't end up dead. For it to happen over and over again was causing alarm at HQ. It was clear at the time that something was wrong."
Internal emails from the time show that officers reacted with disbelief to the reports, describing them as "quite incredible" and referring to the squadron's "latest massacre". An operations officer emailed a colleague to say that "for what must be the 10th time in the last two weeks" the squadron had sent a detainee back into a building "and he reappeared with an AK".
"Then when they walked back in to a different A [building] with another B [fighting-age male] to open the curtains he grabbed a grenade from behind a curtain and threw it at the c/s [SAS assault team]. Fortunately, it didn't go off…. this is the 8th time this has happened... You couldn't MAKE IT UP!"
As the concerns grew, one of the highest-ranking special forces officers in the country warned in a secret memo that there could be a "deliberate policy" of unlawful killing in operation. Senior leadership became so concerned that a rare formal review was commissioned of the squadron's tactics. But when a special forces officer was deployed to Afghanistan to interview personnel from the squadron, he appeared to take the SAS version of events at face value.
The BBC understands that the officer did not visit any of the scenes of the raids or interview any witnesses outside the military. Court documents show that the final report was signed off by the commanding officer of the SAS unit responsible for the suspicious killings.
None of the evidence was passed on to military police. The BBC discovered that statements containing the concerns were instead put into a restricted-access classified file for "Anecdotal information about extrajudicial killings", accessible only to a handful of senior special forces officers.
In 2012, General Carleton-Smith was appointed head of UK special forces. The BBC understands that he was briefed about the suspicious killings, but he allowed the squadron to return to Afghanistan for another six-month tour.
When the Royal Military Police launched a murder investigation in 2013 into one of the raids conducted on that tour, General Carleton-Smith did not disclose to the RMP any of the earlier concerns over unlawful killings, or the existence of the tactical review.
Colonel Oliver Lee, who was commander of the Royal Marines in Afghanistan in 2011, told the BBC that the allegations of misconduct raised by our investigation were "incredibly shocking" and merited a public inquiry. The apparent failure by special forces leadership to disclose evidence was "completely unacceptable", he said.
General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith was head of UK Special Forces when military police investigated the SAS in 2013
The BBC's investigation focused primarily on one six-month deployment by one SAS squadron that arrived in Afghanistan in November 2010.
The squadron was operating largely in Helmand province, one of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan, where Taliban ambushes and roadside bombs were common and Army losses were high.
The squadron's primary role was carrying out deliberate detention operations (DDOs) - also known as "kill or capture" raids - designed to detain Taliban commanders and disrupt bomb-making networks.
Several sources who were involved in selecting targets for special forces operations told the BBC that there were grave problems with the intelligence behind the selection process, meaning civilians could easily end up on a target list.
According to a British representative who was present during target selection in Helmand in 2011, "Intelligence guys were coming up with lists of people that they figured were Taliban. It would be put through a short process of discussion. That was then passed onto special forces who would be given a kill or capture order."
According to the source, the targeting was pressured and rushed. "It didn't necessarily translate into let's kill them all, but certainly there was a pressure to up the game, which basically meant passing out judgements on these people quickly," he said.
Sources told the BBC that the targeting process for night raids was often rushed and could mislabel innocent civilians
During the raids, the SAS squadron used a recognised tactic in which they called everyone from inside a building out, searched and restrained them with cable-tie handcuffs, then took one male back inside to assist special forces operatives with a search.
But senior officers became concerned by the frequency with which the squadron's own accounts described detainees being taken back inside buildings and then grabbing for hidden weapons - an enemy tactic not reported by other British military forces operating in Afghanistan.
There were also concerns among officers that on a significant number of raids, there were more people killed than weapons reportedly recovered from the scene - suggesting the SAS was shooting unarmed people - and that SAS operatives might be falsifying evidence by dropping weapons at scenes after killing people.
After similar concerns were raised in Australia, a judge-led inquiry was commissioned and found "credible evidence" members of Australian Special Forces were responsible for the unlawful killing 39 people, and used 'drop weapons' in an attempt to justify shootings.
By April 2011, the concerns were so great in the UK that a senior special forces officer wrote to the director of special forces warning that there was evidence of "deliberate killing of individuals after they have been restrained" and "fabrication of evidence to suggest a lawful killing in self-defence".
Two days later, the UK Special Forces assistant chief of staff warned the director that the SAS could be operating a policy to "kill fighting-aged males on target even when they did not pose a threat."
If the suspicions were true, he wrote, the SAS squadron had "strayed into indefensible ethical and legal behaviour".
The SAS squadron operated in some of the most dangerous areas in southern Afghanistan, often raiding residential compounds in villages
The BBC visited several of the homes raided by the SAS squadron in 2010/11. At one, in a small village in Nad Ali in Helmand, there was a bricked up guesthouse where nine Afghan men including a teenager were killed in the early hours of 7 February 2011.
The SAS operatives arrived in helicopters under the cover of darkness and approached the house from a nearby field. According to their account, insurgents opened fire at them, prompting them to shoot back and kill everyone in the guesthouse.
Only three AK-47s were recovered, according to the SAS account - one of at least six raids by the squadron on which the reported number of enemy weapons was fewer than the number of people killed.
Inside the guesthouse, what appeared to be bullet holes from the raid were clustered together on the walls low to the ground. The BBC showed photographs from the scene to ballistics experts, who said that the clusters suggested multiple rounds had been fired downward from above, and did not appear indicative of a firefight.
Leigh Neville, an expert on weapons used by UK Special Forces, said the bullet patterns suggested that "targets were low to the ground, either prone or in a sitting or crouching position close to the wall - an unusual position if they were actively involved in a firefight".
The same pattern was visible at two other locations examined by the BBC. Ballistics experts who reviewed images said the bullet holes were suggestive of execution-style killings rather than firefights.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an RMP investigator confirmed to the BBC that they had seen photographs from the scenes and that the bullet mark patterns had raised alarm.
"You can see why we were concerned," the investigator said. "Bullet marks on the walls so low to the ground appeared to undermine the special forces' version of events."
In 2014, the RMP launched Operation Northmoor, a wide-ranging investigation into more than 600 alleged offences by British forces in Afghanistan, including a number of killings by the SAS squadron. But RMP investigators told the BBC that they were obstructed by British military in their efforts to gather evidence.
Operation Northmoor was wound down in 2017 and eventually closed in 2019. The Ministry of Defence has said that no evidence of criminality was found. Members of the investigations team told the BBC they dispute that conclusion.
The Ministry of Defence said British troops were held to the highest standards. "No new evidence has been presented, but the Service Police will consider any allegations should new evidence come to light," a spokesperson said.
In a further statement, the MoD said it believed Panorama had jumped to "unjustified conclusions from allegations that have already been fully investigated".
It said: "We have provided a detailed and comprehensive statement to Panorama, highlighting unequivocally how two Service Police operations carried out extensive and independent investigation into allegations about the conduct of UK forces in Afghanistan.
"Neither investigation found sufficient evidence to prosecute. Insinuating otherwise is irresponsible, incorrect and puts our brave Armed Forces personnel at risk both in the field and reputationally.
"The Ministry of Defence of course stands open to considering any new evidence, there would be no obstruction. But in the absence of this, we strongly object to this subjective reporting." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62083196 |
Prince William and Kate meet NHS's first ever baby - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Prince and Princess of Wales hear from the first person born after the NHS was founded, in 1948. | UK | Aneira Thomas told Prince William she had been born on the same day as the NHS
The Prince and Princess of Wales have met the first person born under the National Health Service, at a tea party celebrating the NHS's 75th anniversary.
Aneira Thomas told them she had been born in Carmarthenshire at 00:01 on 5 July 1948, the same day as the NHS.
She was named after the NHS founder and then Health Minister Aneurin Bevan.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, told current and ex-NHS staff at the party, at St Thomas' Hospital, in London, "I wanted to come here and say thank you."
Mrs Thomas told the royal couple: "Every maternity ward in the country was waiting for the first baby.
"The doctors delivering me kept looking at the clock, looking back at Mum.
"She was waiting to hear the word 'push' - but all she heard was, 'Hold on, Edna.'
The Prince and Princess of Wales were putting the icing on cakes for the NHS birthday celebrations
Mrs Thomas went on to work in the NHS, as a mental-health nurse. Her four sisters also became nurses.
The NHS had also "saved both of my children", she said, when her son and daughter had suffered "life-changing brain haemorrhages".
Mrs Thomas has previously told a family story from before the founding of the NHS, recalling that when her grandfather broke his leg they had to sell their piano to pay the doctor's bill.
Prince William and Catherine also spoke to Blanche Hines, a nurse for almost 50 years and part of the Windrush generation, whose daughter and grandson also work in health services.
"Wishing everyone a very happy 75th birthday at the NHS," Prince William told guests at the event, organised by NHS Charities Together.
The anniversary comes in a year when NHS staff have been taking industrial action in disputes over pay.
The NHS charities focus on the wellbeing of the workforce, including offering psychological support and counselling.
Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Neil Rees said Prince William had "really understood the issues and complexities - particularly with the current challenges we're facing".
The royal visitors, filmed preparing cakes for the party, also addressed another question. Which goes on top on a scone - the jam or the cream?
"I always do jam and then cream," Catherine said.
But Prince William, remaining politically neutral, replied: "I go for whichever is closest to me."
Read the latest royal news and insights in a free, weekly newsletter - sign up here. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66095251 |
Climate change: World's hottest day since records began - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Monday 3 July was the warmest day yet recorded with temperatures averaging over 17C for the first time. | Science & Environment | People feel the stress in China amid an ongoing heatwave
The world's average temperature reached a new high on Monday 3 July, topping 17 degrees Celsius for the first time.
Scientists say the reading was the highest in any instrumental record dating back to the end of the 19th century.
The high heat is due to a combination of the El Niño weather event and ongoing emissions of carbon dioxide.
Researchers believe there will be more records in the coming months as El Niño strengthens.
Since the start of this year, researchers have been growing increasingly concerned about rapidly rising temperatures on land and at sea.
Record spring heat in Spain and in many countries in Asia was followed by marine heatwaves in places that don't normally see them, such as in the North Sea.
This week China continued to experience an enduring heatwave with temperatures in some places above 35C, while the southern US has also been subject to stifling conditions.
Against this background, the global average temperature reached 17.01C on 3 July, according to the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction.
This broke the previous record of 16.92C that had stood since August 2016.
Monday's high was also the warmest since satellite monitoring began in 1979.
India has also felt the impacts of heat and drought
The El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, as it is properly called, has three different phases: Hot, cold or neutral. It is the most powerful fluctuation in the climate system anywhere on Earth.
In June, scientists declared that El Niño conditions were present. This means that additional heat is now welling up to the surface of the Pacific ocean, pushing up the global temperature.
"The average global surface air temperature reaching 17C for the first time since we have reliable records available is a significant symbolic milestone in our warming world," said climate researcher Leon Simons.
"Now that the warmer phase of El Niño is starting we can expect a lot more daily, monthly and annual records breaking in the next 1.5 years."
Monday's record temperature comes as the month of June was also confirmed as the hottest June in the global record.
Average temperatures across the planet were 1.46C above the average in the period between 1850 and 1900.
The impact of high temperatures is also being felt at the world's extremes. In Antarctica, the July temperature record was recently broken with a reading of 8.7C taken at Ukraine's Vernadsky Research base.
With El Niño likely to strengthen over the coming months, it's likely that more records will be shattered as the northern hemisphere summer goes on.
"Chances are that July will be the warmest ever, and with it the hottest month ever: 'ever' meaning since the Eemian which is some 120,000 years ago," said Karsten Haustein, from the University of Leipzig.
"While southern hemisphere temperatures will drop a bit in the next few days, chances are that July and August will see even warmer days yet given that El Niño is now pretty much in full swing". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66104822 |
Hannah Dingley: Forest Green Rovers name first female boss of a men's professional football side - BBC Sport | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | Forest Green Rovers name Hannah Dingley as their new caretaker boss, making her the first woman to manage a professional men's team in English football. | null | Last updated on .From the section Forest Green
Forest Green Rovers have named Hannah Dingley as their new caretaker boss, making her the first woman to manage a professional men's team in English football.
The League Two side sacked Duncan Ferguson on Tuesday after just six months in charge.
Forest Green announced Dingley, the club's academy head, would be put in caretaker charge of the first team.
Her first match in charge will be a friendly at Melksham Town on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old said: "I'm really excited for this next step of my career. Pre-season has just begun, and the full season kicks off very soon.
"It's an exciting time in football. I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club."
She first joined the club in 2019 to take charge of the academy and remains the only woman to manage a men's English Football League academy.
Dingley, who was born and raised in Carmarthenshire, also initiated the club's girls academy which launched in 2021.
She has a Uefa Pro Licence and previously worked at Burton Albion.
"Hannah was the natural choice for us to be first team interim head coach - she's done a fantastic job leading our academy and is well aligned with the values of the club," club chairman Dale Vince said
"It's perhaps telling for the men's game that in making this appointment on merit, we'll break new ground - and Hannah will be the first female head coach in English [men's] football."
The EFL's head of equality, diversity and inclusion, Dave McArdle, praised the appointment: "This is a welcome moment for English football and with many highly skilled and experienced coaches across the game it was only a matter of time before the ongoing positive development of female coaches led to an opportunity in the first-team at an EFL club.
"It has always been a key priority for the EFL to create an environment in which clubs consider qualified candidates from an ever-widening pool of coaching talent and select the best possible person for a role.
"This represents another step forward as we strive to make our game representative of the communities we serve."
Women in Football's chair Ebru Koksal also tweeted that Dingley had broken "norms and barriers".
'More than capable of coaching at a men's level'
Dingley spoke to BBC Points West in March about breaking down barriers in the sport.
"You've got a responsibility as the first to open the doors for others and to encourage others," she said.
"You always say if you don't see it, you're probably not going to be it. The fact that I do this I hope it encourages more females to come into coaching, into football, into different roles. I feel a great responsibility to talk about that."
She said at the time that she did not think it would be long until a woman took charge of a men's professional team.
"It will come in sooner than you think," Dingley said. "The success that the Lionesses are having, that Emma Hayes is having at Chelsea.
"There are others, really good female coaches out there who I have more than faith in would be more than capable of coaching at a men's level."
• None In an emotional interview he opens up about what motivated him despite his very humble origins
• None Sue Barker travels the globe to find out | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66105649 |
Train firms plan mass closures of ticket offices - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A public consultation has been launched on proposals to close hundreds of station ticket offices in England. | Business | Train companies are pressing ahead with plans to close hundreds of station ticket offices across England over the next three years.
Under the proposals, some ticket kiosks would remain in large stations, but elsewhere staff will be on concourses to sell tickets, offer travel advice and help people with accessibility.
The plan has been met with concern from unions and disability groups.
A 21-day public consultation has been launched to collect passengers' views.
Posters have gone up in stations, inviting the public to take part, after which the government will make the final decision on which offices will close.
Currently around three out of every five stations has a ticket office, although some are only staffed part time.
The issue is the latest flashpoint between train companies and unions, who have been in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions, which has resulted in a series of strikes since last summer.
The rail industry is under pressure from the government to cut costs after being supported heavily during the Covid pandemic.
"The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it's time for the railway to change with them," said Jacqueline Starr chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train companies. She said the changes would be phased in gradually.
Only 12% of tickets were sold at ticket offices last year, she said, with the rest bought online or from vending machines.
Under the plans, if a passenger was unable to purchase a ticket, they would be able to buy one during the journey, at a ticket office en-route or at their destination, the RDG said.
But many rail users, who rely on help at ticket offices, fear the changes will make it harder for them to travel.
Robert Calvert, 75, from Tamworth says his dyslexia and colour blindness make it hard to negotiate self-service machines.
"Remember not everyone has a smartphone these days," he says. "Everything is so automated, I feel slightly left behind."
Ann Jolly, 78, from Emsworth in Hampshire, often uses the train to travel to her native Scotland, but says she already finds the complication of how to buy train tickets "off-putting".
"I do use the self-service machine if I have to. Usually I manage, but I struggle with trying to find the different routes and knowing what I have to pay for. A lot of my friends feel the same.
"The train tickets are just incomprehensible online, especially when it says the tickets come from different companies, so I need a number of different ones for one trip."
The RDG says that staff will be just as readily available as they are now, but on the concourse or platform, where they can advise passengers on journey planning and sell tickets.
However, the UK's largest rail union the RMT and the TSSA union both warned the plans could ultimately lead to job cuts.
Some disability campaigners have also long opposed the idea.
Vivienne Francis from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said it would be "detrimental" for blind and partially-sighted people with only 3% of such people able to use a machine.
Stewart Palmer is director of Railfuture, which represents passengers and campaigns for better rail services, and is a former managing director South West Trains. He said the consultation was "putting the cart before the horse".
"One of the root causes of this issue is that the present ticketing system on the rail network in Britain is mind-bogglingly complicated," he told the BBC's Today programme.
"People want versatile, knowledgeable staff, not necessarily behind a glass screen, but they also want to be knowing they're buying the right product at the right price."
The RDG said the proposals to close ticket offices followed industrial action by unions over other changes designed to make the railway "sustainable in the long term". The RDG said rail revenues were still 30% below pre-pandemic levels.
The Department for Transport said the proposals were not about cutting jobs, but about modernising the railway to make sure the sector survived. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66097850 |
NHS 75: Focus on same-day care to free up beds in Wales - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The demands on A&E are unrelenting, so new solutions are being sought. | Wales | Dr Nerys Conway says patients are becoming much more complex
Of the 70,000 people turning up to A&E each month in Wales, fewer than a quarter will be admitted.
But with so few beds available, the push is to reduce that further.
At the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf - as with others across Wales - it means a focus on same-day care and redirecting patients out of A&E.
Physiotherapists are on hand for trips, falls or musculoskeletal injuries often linked to sport or nights out.
For those with medical problems - hearts, lungs, or the nervous system - a referral is made to the same-day emergency care unit.
"Acute medicine is a fairly new specialty," said unit head Dr Nerys Conway.
"Where we're different to the emergency department is we don't see trauma, surgery or minor injuries.
"We are seeing patients coming through the door - they are frailer, older, they've got more complex medical issues like diabetes and heart disease, particularly in this area.
The Royal Glamorgan Hospital serves a large area of the south Wales valleys
"Patients are becoming much more complex, so acute medicine just allows us to deal with all of these issues."
But instead of admitting them, patients can have the relevant tests or scans done that day, before being sent home.
"I could bring them back the next day or the following week or even a couple of weeks later and just review them again. But I manage to do that by avoiding admission while still seeing them safely."
The most recent figures showed emergency departments in Wales experienced the busiest month for two years with 70,310 patients.
The Royal Glamorgan department was no different, with more than 5,200 patients coming through the front doors in May.
Donna Seldon says the Royal Glamorgan saw 200 patients in its A&E in a day
Contrast that with a weekly snapshot for the end of June showing the number of acute beds available at the hospital was one of the lowest on record, as 97.7% were occupied.
The acute unit on average might see 20 to 30 patients a day, busiest during afternoons and evenings, and while it is relieving some of the pressures on A&E, it is not a magic bullet.
"Yesterday was an extremely busy day," said Donna Seldon, senior nurse in the Royal Glamorgan's emergency department.
"Overall we saw around 200 patients in a 24-hour period - at one point there were 72 patients in the department.
"Each one of the 16 majors trolleys was full, and the crowding was very heavy in the waiting room."
And that's with a full complement of staff, she said.
"Every year we're seeing increasing numbers of attendances in the emergency department - what we're not seeing is an increase in the workforce."
Dr Farrow says finding trollies to manage patients is a daily challenge
"For us in the emergency department, winter pressure is a daily pressure," said Amanda Farrow, clinical lead for the department.
She said the growth of same-day care had meant improved flow through the department, with fewer patients waiting for beds, meaning ambulances have not been left waiting as long outside.
May's official figures for the "hours lost" by paramedics waiting to hand patients over to hospital staff back that up, falling from 2,867 hours to 964.
However, said Dr Farrow: "It's still a daily challenge of finding an available trolley to manage patients. And the waiting rooms can get incredibly full".
Patient Martin Walton says he prefers the same-day approach
The medical day unit also plays a big part in preventing admission of the very sickest patients, by helping them manage their symptoms and home.
Martin Walters, 70, from Ynyshir in Rhondda Cynon Taf, said: "They know I'm anaemic and am losing blood, so they're testing me to see if I need a blood transfusion.
"When I come here it's just a day turnaround - you come in and then you go home and I prefer that.
"If there's no problem, why take a bed? Leave it for somebody that's worse off than me."
Hepatologist Dr Dai Samuel sees a large number of his patients on the unit too, typically those in liver failure.
Dr Dai Samuel says it's difficult to get out of hospital once you are admitted
"We can keep some out of hospital. Once you're in hospital, it's actually very difficult to get out," he said.
As clinical director of pathology, he said the shortages in that specialty across the country also affected how quickly tests could be analysed.
"When you come in for a biopsy, you need the pathologists to report it. You then need to work out what's going on. You might need the haematologist or the radiologist to report those scans.
"Without those, the front door literally breaks down overnight and that's the difficulty here - the whole system's under pressure."
Many of the clinical leaders spoke of using staff differently - moving away from the traditional nurse and doctor model, to include more physiotherapists, advanced nurse practitioners and physicians associates.
That in turn "blurs some of the professional boundaries" by giving staff more responsibility, freeing colleagues.
"It's a very difficult time for the NHS and morale is low, but I came back to the Glam because I loved the morale here and the team effort and certainly I'm very lucky to work within a team that is beaten up," said Dr Samuel.
"But they're still one. And I think a lot of hospitals don't have that. And that's what I fear." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66030875 |
Police recover drill rapper's gun after dramatic chase through London - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | Ellis Heather, a drill rapper known as Rack5, has been jailed for 7 years and 9 months for firearm offences. | null | A drill rapper known as Rack5 has been jailed for seven years and nine months for firearm offences, after a dramatic chase through the streets of London.
Bodycam footage and CCTV shows the moment Ellis Heather, 23, ran away from the police in Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, and attempted to hide in the front garden of a residential address.
After detaining the suspect and searching the area, officers discovered a firearm nearby. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66114022 |
John Caldwell: Three charged in connection with officer's shooting - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The men, aged 45, 47 and 58, have all been charged with preparatory acts of terrorism. | Northern Ireland | Three men arrested earlier in connection with the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell have been charged with terrorism offences.
Det Ch Insp Caldwell was shot after coaching a youth football team in Omagh, County Tyrone, on 22 February.
The men, aged 45, 47 and 58, have all been charged with preparatory acts of terrorism.
The 45-year-old and the 58-year-old have also been charged with possessing articles for use in terrorism.
They have both been further charged with providing property for the purposes of terrorism.
All three men are expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The men were arrested under the Terrorism Act in Newtownabbey, Coalisland and Belfast on Tuesday.
There have been 31 arrests to date over the attack on Det Ch Insp Caldwell - a figure that includes individuals who have been arrested more than once.
The shooting happened at a sports complex in Omagh
The dissident republican group the New IRA said it carried out the shooting, at a sports complex car park.
Seven men have appeared in court charged in relation to the attack.
The shooting, which happened in front of school children, was widely condemned by political figures across Northern Ireland and beyond. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66095388 |
Scottish ceremony sees King Charles tread a thin line - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The British state is attempting to showcase and honour Scotland without encouraging nationalism. | Scotland | The autumn sunlight streamed in through the east window of St Giles' and lit up a scene for the ages.
In a coffin of oak, beneath the red and yellow royal standard of Scotland, lay Queen Elizabeth.
Around her stood clerics in scarlet, archers in green, and police officers wearing pristine white gloves.
All of the imagery was vivid but, as I recorded in my notebook moments after leaving the cathedral, one detail was especially striking.
It was the sight of the fragile golden crown of Scotland atop the coffin.
Here, adorned with gems, precious stones and freshwater pearls, was a palpable reminder of both the individual who had died and the ancient institution she had led - a crown first worn by James V at the coronation of his queen, Mary of Guise, in 1540.
Three years later it was used again, together with the sword and sceptre which make up Scotland's Crown Jewels, to crown the infant Mary Queen of Scots.
Now King Charles III returns to Edinburgh's High Kirk, where he stood guard over his mother's coffin after her death at Balmoral Castle in September, to be presented with the crown, the sceptre, and a new sword named after the late Queen, in the presence of the Stone of Destiny.
In doing so he follows in Elizabeth's footsteps. On 24 June 1953 tens of thousands of people packed the streets of Edinburgh for a glimpse of the young Queen as she toured the capital en route to St Giles' for a similar ceremony.
"Scotland," noted Sir Thomas Innes of Learney at the time, "yields to none in the warmth of its loyalty for the new-crowned Queen."
The Scottish crown was placed on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh
Sir Thomas, the Lord Lyon King of Arms, described how the Crown Jewels, also known as the Honours of Scotland, had been borne from Edinburgh Castle to the cathedral in "a procession of glittering splendour".
The Queen herself arrived in an open landau carriage drawn by four Windsor greys and flanked by the sovereign's bodyguards from the Royal Company of Archers.
Only her attire - a dress rather than ceremonial robes - went down badly, seen by some as insufficiently respectful.
Inside St Giles', a 1,700-strong congregation gave voice to psalms which had been sung at the coronations of Charles I at Holyrood in 1633 and of Charles II at Scone in 1651.
The Honours of Scotland are usually on display at Edinburgh Castle
There was a heart-stopping wobble as the crown, resting on a cushion, was presented to the monarch who held it for a brief moment before handing it back.
The event was not a coronation but it carried many of the trappings of one.
"Fifty-three is remarkable just from the public interest," says Dr George Gross, a visiting research fellow at King's College, London who specialises in royalty and coronation history. "The crowds are vast," he adds.
King Charles received First Minister Humza Yousaf at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Tuesday
Seventy years on, the event is not on the same scale. The monarch will travel directly from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' rather than process down Princes Street.
A plan for the King to use the landau has been abandoned in favour of an enclosed limousine.
Commentators have mused about Buckingham Palace's supposed sensitivity to cost of living pressures although it must he said that travel by State Bentley hardly screams austerity.
Prof Anna Whitelock, director of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy, describes the occasion as a "reduced, imitation coronation".
It is, she contends, "a poor man's re-enactment, where no-one actually gets to wear the crown. You're kind of shadowboxing with the past."
There may also be some shadowboxing with the present. Times have changed since the 1950s. The United Kingdom is wealthier than it was in the lean years after World War Two. It is also more ethnically diverse, less deferential and less Christian.
The royal couple kicked off the annual Holyrood Week on Monday
It is more atomised too. The ties which bind the union of Scotland and England have frayed as memories of the unifying experience of the war have faded and the shared enterprise of the British Empire, which brought such riches to Scotland, has been reappraised.
Politics has changed too. The last time a majority of voters in Scotland opted for a Conservative government, the late Queen was still in her twenties.
Now the nation's devolved parliament, which Elizabeth herself cautioned against in 1977 before embracing in 1999, is firmly established in Scottish life - "a new voice in the land," in the words of its draughtsman, Donald Dewar.
The 21st century has seen the Scottish Labour Party of Dewar swept aside, with the Scottish National Party now running the devolved government, handling affairs such as health, education and justice.
It will be a first minister who is both a republican and a nationalist, Humza Yousaf, who attends the thanksgiving service in his official capacity as Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.
The Scottish Green Party, Mr Yousaf's partners in government who also favour an elected head of state, will not be there - instead joining a rally organised by the campaign group Our Republic outside Holyrood.
Queen Elizabeth was presented with the Crown of Scotland inside St Giles' in 1953
"How can we justify a system that allows one family to enjoy so much unearned wealth and privilege at a time when millions of people have so little?" asks the Greens' co-leader Lorna Slater, rhetorically.
There appears to be more support for this position in Scotland than there is elsewhere in the UK.
Recent polling suggests that the monarchy is backed by less than half of the electorate in Scotland although it remains a more popular constitutional option than a republic.
There is a strong correlation between support for Scottish independence and support for a republic, with the youngest voters most likely to favour both propositions.
According to YouGov, only 31% of those who voted to leave the UK in 2014 support the monarchy, while 57% would prefer an elected head of state.
The polling firm's data also suggest majority support for a republic among voters aged 16-24, with only a fifth of that age group in favour of the monarchy.
Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, says there are also signs of a dip in support for the royals since the Queen's death.
Still, throughout the centuries, the institution of monarchy has weathered immense political, religious and social upheaval.
The king will be presented with a new sword named in honour of his mother as part of the ceremony
In 1567 the Honours of Scotland were used at Stirling to crown James VI, and, following his consolidation of the Scottish and English monarchies in the 1603 Union of the Crowns, at the coronation of his son, the ill-fated Charles I at Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse in 1633.
The Crown Jewels - now the oldest regalia in the British Isles - proved resilient.
After Charles' execution in 1649, England's Crown Jewels were melted down or sold on the orders of the republican revolutionary Oliver Cromwell as representative of the "detestable rule of kings".
When Charles' son was crowned as Charles II with the support of the Presbyterian Covenanters at Scone in 1651, Cromwell invaded Scotland, determined to regain control and to destroy the Scottish Honours in the process.
Cromwell prevailed, forcing Charles to flee for the continent, but the Honours, hidden at Kinneff Kirk in Aberdeenshire, escaped his grasp.
They were never again part of a coronation ceremony.
After the restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660, following Cromwell's death, the Honours were used ceremonially in the Scottish Parliament until the parliamentary union of Scotland and England in 1707, when they were locked away in an oak chest at Edinburgh Castle.
Sir Walter Scott is often considered the founding father of historical fiction
Their rediscovery and rehabilitation by Sir Walter Scott in 1818 was part of the author and historian's successful effort to create a new image of Scotland, romanticising the Gaelic way of life even as starving Highlanders were being driven from their homes in the Clearances.
At the heart of Scott's project was his popularisation of the kilt as a "national" rather than a "Highland" form of dress, stripping it of the Catholic associations of the House of Stuart which was deposed in 1688 and the Jacobites who fought to restore that line.
The period still resonates today not least because the kilt remains the favoured attire while north of the border of Charles III, defender of the Protestant faith in England and member of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
In his seminal work The Scottish Nation, Sir Tom Devine contends that "Highlandism answered the emotional need for the maintenance of a distinctive Scottish identity without in any way compromising the union."
With this week's service of thanksgiving, the modern-day British state is again treading a fine line, attempting to showcase and honour Scotland without encouraging Scottish nationalism or alienating sects or religions other than Protestantism.
"The politics of the SNP and all of the problems that have emerged in the last few months perhaps makes the ceremony a lot easier than it was before," argues Dr Gross, adding, "it doesn't look like we're imminently going to be having another referendum."
That may be so but with support for independence continuing to hover just below 50% in most polls, Charles III may yet face a challenge if he wants his Kingdom to remain united. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66100484 |
Watch: BBC editor ducks as gunfire interrupts report - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | null | Jeremy Bowen reports from Jenin as violence between Palestinians and Israelis continues. | null | The BBC's international editor, Jeremy Bowen, is interrupted mid-flow by loud bangs of gunfire as he reports from Jenin refugee camp where Israel has been carrying out raids.
Read more on this story: UN alarm as Israel's Jenin operation continues | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-66104321 |
King Charles III given Scottish crown jewels in lavish Edinburgh service - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The monarch is presented with a sword, sceptre and crown to mark his coronation during a ceremony in St Giles' Cathedral. | Scotland | King Charles III has been presented with Scotland's crown jewels in Edinburgh in a ceremony to mark his Coronation.
He received the crown and sceptre which form part of the Honours of Scotland.
The national thanksgiving service at St Giles' Cathedral also featured a new sword named after the late Queen Elizabeth.
Before the service, the crown jewels were brought from Edinburgh Castle to St Giles' in a procession down the Royal Mile involving about 100 people from various aspects of Scottish life.
More than 700 members of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force were part of the procession.
The event was rounded off by a 21-gun salute at Edinburgh Castle and a Red Arrows flypast.
Protesters chanted "not my king" gathered on Edinburgh's Royal Mile ahead of the thanksgiving service.
Another anti-monarchy group hosted a rally outside Holyrood, which was attended by Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater.
That concludes our coverage of the thanksgiving and dedication. The editors were Paul McLaren and Heather Sharp, and the writers were Bryn Palmer, Craig Hutchison and Antoinette Radford. Thank you for joining us. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-66100436 |
Watch live: Covid inquiry hears from top public health experts - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Dr Catharine Calderwood, who resigned during the pandemic after breaching restrictions, is among those being questioned. | UK | The Covid inquiry continues today with appearances from experts in public health.
This morning the former chief medical officer for Scotland, Dr Catharine Calderwood, faces questions from the inquiry.
She resigned during the pandemic after she was found to have breached lockdown travel restrictions by visiting a second home.
We’ll also hear from experts in public health and infectious disease epidemiology.
Our coverage today won’t feature any text updates, but you can watch a stream of proceedings at the inquiry by clicking play above. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66108002 |
Israel's Jenin operation reignites Palestinian anger - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Neither Israel nor Palestinians are in any mood to talk peace even when fighting ends in Jenin, Jeremy Bowen reports. | Middle East | A thick crust of black ash has settled on the pavements and roads in the centre of Jenin.
It comes from barricades of burning tyres set up by young Palestinian men, who prowl streets where they might see an Israeli jeep. Some of them carry rocks or small home-made bombs to hurl at passing Israeli vehicles. In sporadic bursts, gunfire and explosions echo in the refugee camp, which is on high ground above the town centre. Israeli drones buzz constantly overhead.
At times, armed Palestinians emerge from the tyre smoke to fire at the Israelis.
Violence between Palestinians and Israelis has become almost a daily event this year. When blood is spilt there is often a dynamic of retaliation, that includes Palestinian armed groups, Jews who live in settlements in the occupied West Bank that are illegal under international law, and the Israeli army. The Israelis said they moved in on the Jenin camp because more than 50 relatively recent attacks were launched from there.
But the roots of violence, despair and hatred go much deeper than the latest violent confrontations. They thrive in the poison generated by a conflict over possession of the land that started more than a century ago. For a while, back in the 1990s, there were hopes that peace might come if an independent Palestinian state could be established alongside Israel, the so-called two-state solution. The attempt failed.
Powerful Western countries, including the US, European Union members and the UK still insist that two states are the only possible solution. Their words are empty slogans. The last American attempt to try to make the idea work collapsed in 2014.
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The Israeli operation here in Jenin was in the air for months. Despite regular smaller Israeli raids, Palestinian armed groups had become strong enough and united enough to control the Jenin refugee camp. They seemed to be getting stronger.
A fortnight ago they blew up an Israeli jeep and fought hard to repel an Israeli raid, in which the Palestinian dead included a 15-year-old girl. The next day four Israelis were killed by two Palestinians who burst into a restaurant not far from Jenin, where they were eating. The Israeli army protected Jewish settlers who rampaged through Palestinian villages burning cars and houses, in a series of reprisals.
It was a matter of time before the Israeli army moved against the Palestinians who controlled Jenin refugee camp. It says it is carrying out a systematic operation to track down and destroy weapons and explosives.
Fury and frustration rage through young Palestinian men who have gathered in angry knots at road junctions in the town and outside a hospital on the edge of the Jenin refugee camp. Their barricades of burning tyres leave behind black circles and piles of burnt rubber and twisted wire.
The Israeli army is releasing updates on explosives discovered and neutralised in the two days it has been in the camp, along with what it calls terrorist command centres. The business-like tone of the military communiques contrasts with the statements made by members of the Israeli cabinet who oppose any kind of Palestinian self-determination.
After a Palestinian was shot dead in Tel Aviv by a passer-by, after he had rammed his car into a crowd of Israelis, public security minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued a statement saying Israel's war in Jenin was also their war in Tel Aviv. Every Jew, he said, was a target for murderers.
Mr Ben Gvir and his political allies have been pressing for a punitive sweep through the West Bank to deal with their enemies. The Israeli army is more cautious, as it is more worried about the risks and consequences of escalation. All the indications are the Israeli army would like to restrict its operation to the Jenin refugee camp, declare victory soon and order its soldiers back to their bases.
Israeli victories after an operation like this never last long. Palestinian armed groups restock their armouries and the cycle begins again. Plans to expand settlements for Jews on occupied land that Palestinians want for a state, sometimes called a Zionist response by Israeli politicians, also raise the temperature.
Many Palestinians are disenchanted with their own ageing and ineffective leaders in the Palestinian Authority, a legacy of the 1990s peace process that was supposed back then to build the institutions necessary to create their own state.
When this operation ends, on past form both sides will claim victory. Then the current realities of this long conflict will reassert themselves. Anger, despair and poverty will reinforce the culture of resistance that has embedded itself in Palestinian society, especially here in Jenin and in Nablus. And Israel's right-wing, hyper-nationalist government, as long as it lasts, will try to match its rhetoric with action.
The real danger is that Israelis and Palestinians are sliding into an even more violent phase of their long conflict. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-66098694 |
Nigel Farage bank account shut for falling below wealth limit, source tells BBC - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Nigel Farage's account with the bank Coutts is not being closed for political reasons, the BBC is told. | Business | Update 21st July 2023: We acknowledge that the information we reported - that Coutts' decision on Nigel Farage's account did not involve considerations about his political views - turned out not to be accurate. Since this article was originally published on the 4th July, Mr Farage submitted a subject access request to Coutts bank and obtained a report from the bank's reputational risk committee. While it mentioned commercial considerations, the document also said the committee did not think continuing to have Mr Farage as a client was "compatible with Coutts given his publicly-stated views that were at odds with our position as an inclusive organisation". We have amended this article's headline and copy to make clear that the details about the closure of Nigel Farage's bank account came from a source.
Nigel Farage fell below the financial threshold required to hold an account at Coutts, the prestigious private bank for the wealthy, the BBC has been told.
It is understood he was subsequently offered a standard account at NatWest which owns Coutts.
Mr Farage has said he believes his account is being shut for political reasons and he has since been turned down by nine other lenders.
But a source familiar with Coutts' move said it was a "commercial" decision.
"The criteria for holding a Coutts account are clear from the bank's website," they told the BBC.
Coutts requires its customers to borrow or invest at least £1m with the bank or hold £3m in savings.
Speaking to the BBC from France, Mr Farage did not dispute the fact that he did not meet Coutts' threshold, but added: "They didn't have a problem with it for the last 10 years."
The former leader of the UK Independence Party and Brexiteer later tweeted that at "no point"" had Coutts given him a minimum threshold.
He added that his business account was being closed despite the fact that last year he had "large significant positive cash balances" going through it.
Coutts said it did not comment on individuals' accounts.
Mr Farage recently posted a six-minute video on Twitter blaming "serious political persecution" from an anti-Brexit banking industry.
He said that losing his bank account was the equivalent of being a "non-person" and that the decision may "fundamentally affect my future career and whether I can even go on staying living here in this country".
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's the World at One on Tuesday, Mr Farage said that Coutts had given him "no reason whatsoever" when they wrote to say that his accounts would be closed, and he was given two months to find a new bank.
Mr Farage also disputed the fact that he was offered a NatWest account at the time his Coutts accounts were withdrawn. He says the offer of a NatWest account came late last week.
The former politician said the bank only did this when he "went public" with his story, and that it only offered him a personal account, not a business account.
"Well what use to me is that?" he told the BBC. "I operate through a business, that's how I live. Any income that comes to me personally comes through my business."
The BBC understands that the offer of a NatWest account still stands.
Mr Farage claims other banks have refused to take him on as a customer on the grounds that he is a "politically exposed person" (PEP).
A PEP generally presents a higher risk for financial institutions as regulators consider such people to be more exposed to the risk of potential involvement in bribery and corruption by virtue of their position and the influence they may hold.
Mr Farage told the BBC: "Are you telling me that all the other banks say it was a PEP thing and Coutts wasn't? Draw your own conclusions."
Speaking on GB News later on Tuesday, he questioned why Coutts's had been "discussing my financial situation publicly," adding it was not "ethical".
A Treasury spokesman said it would be a "serious concern" if financial services were being denied to those exercising their right to lawful free speech.
"We are already looking into this issue and have passed a law that requires the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to review how banks treat politically exposed persons - so we can strike the right balance between the customer's right to free speech and the bank's right to manage commercial risk."
Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66097039 |
Thirty million join Meta's Twitter rival Threads, Zuckerberg says - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Meta chief is hoping Threads, his new Instagram-linked app, will beat Twitter on numbers. | Technology | Thirty million users have signed up for Meta's newly launched Threads app on its first day, the company's chief Mark Zuckerberg says.
He pitched the app as a "friendly" rival to Twitter, which was bought by Elon Musk in October.
Experts say Threads could attract Twitter users unhappy with recent changes to the platform.
But Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino said though Twitter is "often imitated", its community can "never be duplicated".
Threads allows users to post up to 500 characters, and has many features similar to Twitter.
Earlier, Mr Zuckerberg said keeping the platform "friendly... will ultimately be the key to its success".
But Mr Musk responded: "It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter, than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram."
When asked on Threads whether the app will be "bigger than Twitter", Mr Zuckerberg said: "It'll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it.
"Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will."
The launch has had a warm response online, with one person telling the BBC they saw Threads as a "much-needed competitor" to Twitter.
Competitors have criticised the amount of data the app might use. This may include health, financial, and browsing data linked to users' identities, according to the Apple App Store.
Some users have also expressed concern that it is not possible to delete your Threads profile without deleting the associated Instagram profile. Meta told the BBC: "At this time, you can't delete your Threads profile without deleting your Instagram account. This is something we're working on. In the meantime, you can deactivate your Threads profile at any time.
"Deactivating your Threads profile will not deactivate your Instagram account".
Deactivation will mean your Threads profile, your posts and interactions with others' posts won't be visible, the firm added.
Users can download and delete Threads data by visiting their Instagram settings, Meta says.
Threads is now available to download in over 100 countries including the UK, but not yet in the EU because of regulatory concerns.
Have you signed up for Threads and what do you think of the app? Tell us by emailing: [email protected].
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Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, called the new app an "initial version", with extra features planned including the ability to interact with people on other social media apps like Mastodon.
"Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text," the firm said prior to its launch.
Despite Threads being a standalone app, users log in using an Instagram account. Their Instagram username carries over, but there is an option to customize their profile specifically for Threads.
Users will also be able to choose to follow the same accounts they do on Instagram, Meta says. The app allows users to be private on Instagram, but public on Threads.
The new app's release comes after criticism of Meta's business practices.
Last year, Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen said the company had put "profits over safety" and criticised how the platform was moderated.
The company was also rocked by a scandal in which it allowed third parties, including British political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, to access Facebook users' personal data.
In an apparent reference to this controversial past, Mr Musk joked on Monday "thank goodness they're so sanely run".
There are several alternatives to Twitter available, such as Bluesky and Mastodon, but these have struggled to gain traction.
Threads has a significant advantage because it is connected to Instagram, and the hundreds of millions of users already on that platform.
On Threads, posts can be shared to Instagram and vice versa and can include links, photos, and videos of up to five minutes in length.
However, some early users on Wednesday reported problems when uploading images, hinting at teething problems.
Users see a feed of posts, which Meta calls "threads", from people they follow as well as recommended content.
They are able to control who can "mention" them and filter out replies to posts that contain specific words.
Unfollowing, blocking, restricting or reporting other profiles is also possible, and any accounts users block on Instagram are automatically blocked on Threads.
While Meta stresses ties to Instagram, media coverage has focused on its similarity to Twitter, with some investors describing the app as a "Twitter killer".
Posts can be shared between Threads and Instagram and can include links, photos, and videos
On Saturday, Twitter boss Elon Musk restricted the number of tweets users could see on his platform per day, citing extreme "data scraping".
It was Mr Musk's latest push to get users to sign up to Twitter Blue, the platform's subscription service.
Twitter has also announced that its popular user dashboard TweetDeck will go behind a paywall in 30 days' time.
Since Mr Musk took over, many users of Twitter have publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the platform and his stewardship - citing erratic behaviour and political views.
Last month, Mr Musk and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg agreed - possibly in jest - to a cage fight, and Mr Zuckerberg's early posts on Threads mentioned his interest in mixed martial arts.
While Threads will be available in the UK, it is not yet available in the EU because of regulatory uncertainty, particularly around the EU's Digital Markets Act.
But the company says it is looking into launching in the EU.
That act lays down rules on how large companies such as Meta can share data between platforms that they own. The sharing of data between Threads and Instagram is part of the issue.
Meta maintains protecting privacy is fundamental to its business. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66112648 |
Netherlands: Phone ban announced to stop school disruptions - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Secondary schools are being asked to restrict devices to try and improve students' learning. | Europe | The Netherlands is the latest country to announce measures to ban devices in classrooms
Devices including mobile phones are set to be banned from classrooms to stop them from disrupting learning, the Dutch government has announced.
The initiative is being introduced in collaboration with schools and is to take effect at the start of next year.
There will be some exceptions, including for students with medical needs or a disability, and for classes focused on digital skills.
The ban is not legally enforceable but may become so in the future.
"Even though mobile phones are almost intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom," said Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf.
"Students must be able to concentrate there and be given every opportunity to learn well. We know from scientific research that mobile phones disrupt this."
Various studies have found limiting children's screen time is linked to improved cognition and concentration.
Other tech including tablets and smartwatches are also included in the Dutch ban.
The government said it would be up to individual schools to agree the exact rules with teachers, parents and pupils - including whether they wanted to completely ban devices from schools.
The scheme is the result of an agreement between the ministry, schools and related organisations.
It will be reviewed at the end of the 2024/2025 school year to see how well it had worked and whether a legal ban is needed.
The announcement follows a similar decision by Finland last week.
Its government announced it would change the law to make it easier to restrict the use of phones in schools.
Other countries, including England and France, have also proposed banning mobile phones to improve learning. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66107027 |
Migration Bill: Lords back Archbishop's plan for refugee strategy - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Justin Welby leads a defeat of the government in the Lords over its Illegal Migration Bill. | UK Politics | The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has been one of the most vocal critics of the Illegal Migration Bill
The House of Lords has voted to back an attempt to force the government to produce a 10-year strategy on refugees and trafficking, as part of its migration bill.
The Archbishop of Canterbury led the move to include the strategy in the government's flagship legislation to stop small boat crossings to the UK.
Justin Welby insisted the strategy would improve and not damage the bill.
Peers have voted to approve multiple changes to the bill in the Lords.
But ministers are expected to ask MPs to overturn the changes when the legislation returns to the House of Commons, where the Conservative government has a majority.
The bill is central to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's high-profile pledge to "stop" small boats crossing the English Channel - one of his five key pledges.
The number of migrants crossing from France set a record for June, pushing the total for the year above 11,000.
Earlier, Mr Sunak's spokesman said the government would press ahead with its Illegal Migration Bill, despite the string of defeats it has suffered in the Lords.
Mr Welby has been one of the most vocal critics of the bill, previously condemning the legislation as "morally unacceptable" and "politically impractical".
As peers debated the bill on Wednesday, Mr Welby tabled two amendments which would require the government to have a 10-year strategy for collaborating internationally to tackle refugee crises and human trafficking.
Speaking in the Lords, Mr Welby said the amendment was "intended to be helpful" and mitigate "some of the concerns about a lack of a global and long-term perspective on the issues".
"I urge the government to develop a strategy that is ambitious, collaborative and worthy of our history and up to the scale of the enormous challenges that we face," Mr Welby said.
Peers inflicted further defeats on the government as they debated and voted on detailed changes to the bill. There will be a further day of debate in the Lords before it returns to the Commons.
One amendment would make it a legal duty for ministers to create safe and legal routes to the UK for refugees by next spring. Two others reinstate and expand a right of appeal against age assessments for migrants claiming to be children.
Ahead of Wednesday's debate, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York urged ministers to back changes to the legislation to ensure a "just" and "compassionate" asylum policy.
In a letter to The Times signed by eight other faith leaders, the two archbishops warned the legislation "falls short of our obligation to the most vulnerable".
The prime minister's official spokesman said he was not going to respond to individual opinions.
But, he added, Mr Sunak was "clear that stopping the boats, stopping the cruel cycle of vulnerable people being exploited by criminal gangs, is the fair and compassionate thing to do".
If passed, the bill would place a legal duty on the government to detain and remove migrants arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another "safe" third country.
The government has stressed it remains committed to its plan to remove migrants to Rwanda, and has said it will challenge a Court of Appeal ruling last week that this was unlawful.
On Tuesday, Mr Sunak told the Liaison Committee of senior MPs the government's case would be made in the Supreme Court "confidently and vigorously".
In the first six months of 2023, 11,434 people were detected making the journey from France, according to provisional Home Office figures.
The June total of 3,824 was the highest since records began in 2018. In June last year, 3,140 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel.
Despite the record June number, the total for the first half of the year was 10% lower than for January-June 2022 (12,747).
In January, Mr Sunak set out five pledges which he said would address "the people's priorities", including passing new laws to stop Channel crossings. But he did not put a timescale on achieving the promise.
Last month, he insisted his plan was "starting to work".
Labour has accused the prime minister of chasing "short-term headlines instead of doing the hard work needed to tackle the problem".
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The numbers of dangerous crossings are rising again, hotel costs are spiralling, all while the government's flagship Rwanda policy unravels in front of their eyes."
Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66113300 |
Secret Service investigates cocaine found at White House - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Agents are poring over visitor logs and footage for clues as to who left the drug in the West Wing. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The US Secret Service is investigating how cocaine was found at the White House on Sunday night, with visitor logs and footage combed for clues.
The discovery in the West Wing, which contains the Oval Office and other working areas for presidential aides and staff, led to a brief evacuation.
Secret Service agents found the powder during a routine inspection in an area that is accessible to tour groups.
President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David in Maryland at the time.
A senior law enforcement official told the BBC's US partner CBS News the substance was found in a storage facility routinely used by White House staff and guests to store mobile phones.
The White House complex was closed as a precaution at around 20:45 local time (00:45 GMT) on Sunday after it was discovered.
A preliminary test later confirmed the substance was cocaine.
The Secret Service will lead a full review of how it got into the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.
White House staff are permitted to give tours of some parts of the West Wing to friends and family. Visitors who are not accredited staff must store mobile phones and other personal belongings in cubicles.
"It was in one of the cubbies," a source familiar with the investigation told Reuters.
The drug was found in the heart of one of the world's most carefully guarded buildings
Speaking at a daily press briefing on Wednesday, Ms Jean-Pierre said that the area where the cocaine was discovered is a "heavily travelled" part of the White House.
"We have confidence that the Secret Service are going to get to the bottom of this," she said.
President Biden was briefed on the matter, Ms Jean-Pierre added. Mr Biden did not answer reporters' questions about the incident on Wednesday.
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, a top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote to the Secret Service's director with a list of questions about how such a drug could end up in one of the world's most carefully guarded buildings.
He asked about the White House's security and visitor screening process, and how many times drugs have previously been discovered at the presidential mansion.
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has a high potential for abuse, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
The West Wing is a large, multi-level part of the White House that contains the offices of the president of the United States, including the Oval Office and the Situation Room.
It also houses the offices of the vice-president, the White House chief of staff, the press secretary, and hundreds of other staff who have access. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66104993 |
Llandudno: Great Orme goats roam town centre despite removal plans - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The goats have divided opinion - some believe they simply cause damage, others like seeing them. | Wales | The Great Orme goats were pictured with good traffic etiquette using a zebra crossing in Llandudno, Conwy on Wednesday morning
Goats have been spotted roaming a town centre after the local council announced plans to remove them.
The Great Orme goats have been a regular sight in Llandudno, Conwy, since they began venturing into the town during Covid.
In April, the council discussed how to control the goats, after they caused widespread damage to people's property.
At the time it said it was "looking at relocating strategies" on the grounds of conservation.
However, one shop owner welcomed the latest sighting, labelling the goats as "part of the character of Llandudno".
"I'm pro-goat, but I do sympathise when they munch the plants in your garden," said Mark Richards, 50, who runs furniture shop Statement in the town.
He said the goats were around "all the time" after lockdown, but that they have been "hardly seen" recently.
The Great Orme goats took an interest in furniture shop Statement on Wednesday morning, which Mark runs with his wife Amanda
"Obviously they're a bit of a nuisance munching people's hedges and plants so you can understand people objecting to them," added Mr Richards.
"But they are part of the town and I think there's a lot more love for them than not. I certainly wouldn't want them to see them relocated."
Dylan Taylor, 23, who runs nearby craft store The Wool Shop, said his customers love to see the goats roaming about the town.
"It's quite comical for them to see goats roaming around - because its really not something you see in the rest of the country," he said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The goats first took over Llandudno after the streets became deserted during the Covid lockdowns
"They seem to like it, they get photos with them and stuff like that... it's just part of the town's culture," he added.
Mr Taylor said he'd "never really had an issue" with the goats himself, and said he doesn't "see a solution" to the damage previously caused by them.
"It's not really something that you can fix you know, it's like people complaining that there's bees and wasps roaming around, you can't get rid of them or the world over," he added.
Dylan Taylor said the goats are "good for publicity"
Paul Luckock, an independent councillor at Conwy council, said it was up to property owners to protect their homes from any damage, but raised concerns about vulnerable resident unable to do so.
"People will build the fences or gates to keep the goats out, but for some - usually because of their age, health condition, sometimes disabilities - they really can't do that," he said.
"The council is trying to manage the situation as best they can, but some of these issues are a little out of their hands."
Conwy council said its feral goat management plan aims to "secure the future survival of the herd, and allow for co-existence of the herd alongside the local community and its needs". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66108809 |
NHS 75: Happy birthday - but can it survive to 100? - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | As the NHS celebrates its anniversary, a look at what needs to change to help it in coming decades. | Health | The NHS turns 75 on Wednesday, but the landmark anniversary has been greeted with dire warnings it is unlikely to survive until its 100th birthday without drastic change. So what is the solution? From sin taxes to cutting back on medical treatment for the dying, experts have their say.
When the NHS was created the main focus was on short bouts of treatment for injury and infection, but now the challenge is completely different.
The ageing population means huge numbers of people are living with chronic health problems, such as heart disease, dementia and diabetes that require long-term care and for which there is no cure.
It is already estimated about £7 out of every £10 spent in the NHS goes on people with these conditions. On average, those over 65 have at least two.
And the situation is only going to worsen. "The numbers are going to grow," Health Foundation director of research and economics Anita Charlesworth says. "The baby boomer generation is reaching old age.
"Their health is going to be shaped by the lives they have lived - and they are a generation that have lived through the rapid increase in obesity. Their ill health is baked in. The next two decades are going to be very challenging."
Increases in the NHS budget will be needed but this must be accompanied by a shift in how resources are distributed, she says, so more is spent "upstream" in the community, including on social care, which sits outside the NHS, and prevention, to help people better manage their conditions without hospital care.
But given the amount of public money spent on the NHS has been rising ever since the health service was created - it now accounts for more than 40p out of every £1 spent on day-to-day public services, once things such as welfare are excluded - many are asking whether such spending is sustainable.
Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who has floated the idea of charging to see a GP, arguing the NHS should be willing to learn from the approaches adopted by other countries, has called the current direction of travel "unsustainable".
But Ms Charlesworth, who used to be director of public spending at the Treasury, says extra money can be found, pointing out countries around the world are having to do the same.
"This is not unique to the the UK and our system," she says. "It is a global phenomenon. But increasing investment in the NHS is going to require economic growth - without that, you have to cut other services or increase taxation."
Healthcare spending should be seen as an investment in the country, rather than a cost, Ms Charlesworth says, pointing to data showing 2.5 million people are out of work because of poor health - equating to one person off long-term sick for every 13 in work.
"Economic growth depends on good health," she says, "but at the moment, we have got too many people on waiting lists - and there is a particular problem with mental health too."
King's Fund chief policy analyst Siva Anandaciva, who recently produced a report for the think tank looking at how the NHS compared with other rich nations, says as much as 5-6% extra a year may be needed in the short-term to tackle the immediate problems with the backlog and ageing infrastructure - the boost to the workforce announced by the government last week will take years to have an impact.
His report showed how the NHS had fewer staff and less equipment such as scanners than many other comparable countries - and to those who suggest a different model of funding may be needed, made it clear the findings were not an argument for moving to another system, adding there was little evidence any one particular approach was inherently better than another.
"History tells us that we do need to spend more on the NHS," Mr Anandaciva says. "Anything less than 2% is managed decline - and what we are spending now 3-4% is just standing still."
He says that will likely mean investing a greater proportion of public spending on the NHS, but says digital technology can make savings in other spending areas whereas the NHS is heavily reliant on labour. "At some point you will need a nurse to provide care," he adds.
Life expectancy gains since the NHS' creation have not been matched by increases in healthy life expectancy - on average, people are now expected to spend more than 20 years living in ill-health, according to the Office for National Statistics.
"We had hoped that medical advances would lead to people both living longer and living longer in good health - but that has not happened," Mr Anandaciva says. "It will require us to become much more active and healthier."
Many of the factors that influence the way people live are outside the NHS' control, he says. These so-called social determinants include education, work, housing and neighbourhoods.
Mr Anandaciva would like to see employers in particular more involved in the health of their workforce and backs the use of "sin taxes" such as minimum pricing for alcohol and levies on sugar and salt to influence behaviour.
But he says there will also need to be an honest debate on where to prioritise that spending. "At the end of life, our use of healthcare gets more intense and costs more," Mr Anandaciva says. "Would money be better used elsewhere?"
It is a point also made by Prof Sir David Haslam, who used to chair the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, which decides what treatments should be made available on the NHS.
Sir David, who has written a book, Side Effects, about the challenges facing the NHS, says there needs to be more focus on getting "most bang for our buck".
There is too much focus on drugs and treatment that simply extend life rather than services that support people to live in good health, he says.
"For example, research has shown seeing the same GP for years reduces hospital admissions significantly," Sir David says. "If that was a drug, we would hail it as a wonder treatment - but instead, we've watched the number of GPs fall."
He says the medical profession overall is too "super-specialised" and calls for more generalists in the community and hospital to treat "the individual rather than their organs".
"It's so wasteful - patients with six or seven conditions can spend all their time going to different hospital departments, seeing different people, often with poor co-ordination between them," Sir David says.
And he also questions the amount of medical intervention at the end of life.
"Too many frail elderly patients are dying in hospital when that may be a completely inappropriate place," Sir David says.
"We have over-medicalised the end of life. When I die, I want to be in the place that is my home, with good care being provided. This is not about rationing care, it is about providing rational care." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66087766 |
How a British special forces raid went wrong, and a young family paid the price - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Special forces killed two Afghan parents and shot their two boys. No one was held accountable. | UK | Bilal and Imran Uzbakzai, by their mother's grave. They cannot remember her now. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
When British special forces raided a family home in Afghanistan in 2012, they killed two young parents and gravely wounded their infant sons. A BBC investigation has revealed that special forces command didn't refer the incident to military police and it was never investigated, until now. In Afghanistan, a family is still trying to heal.
Late on the evening of 6 August 2012, in the courtyard of a family home in Afghanistan, Abdul Aziz Uzbakzai sat down for the last dinner he would ever have with his son. At the table were Abdul Aziz and his wife, four of their five children, and two of their young grandchildren. It was the 18th night of Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims fast. The family lived together in a modest home in a village called Shesh Aba in Nimruz province.
That day had begun like any other - a shared pre-dawn breakfast, before sunrise brought the fasting hours and family members went to work. Abdul Aziz's eldest son, Hussain, opened the small grocery shop he ran. Hussain's wife Ruqqia cared for their two young boys and began her work in the home. A goat was slaughtered by a neighbour in anticipation of evening meals that would break the day's fast.
The only thing out of the ordinary, according to the family's account, was the arrival of two unknown male visitors. In rural Afghanistan, it is not uncommon to receive unexpected guests, and tradition dictates that they are shown hospitality. But Abdul Aziz felt himself becoming wary of the two men, he said, and he called Hussain to close the shop early and come home.
After sunset, the two guests were given food and ate separately and they left without incident at 10pm, Abdul Aziz said. It was a hot summer night in Shesh Aba, so the family ate outside. At the end of the meal, Abdul Aziz stood up and said he was tired and would go to bed. He said "Goodnight Hussain Jan" - a term of loving affection - to his son, "Goodnight daughter" to Ruqqia, and "Goodnight boys" to the boys.
Abdul Aziz at the family home in Shesh Aba. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
The boys were young then - Imran three and his brother Bilal just one and a half. They do not remember anything now about what would unfold later that night, and the family has tried to shield them in the decade since from the worst of the horror. They know that before bedtime, their father had pulled their mattresses out into the courtyard, because the heat had made their shared room stifling, and that they had fallen asleep with their parents, for the last time, under the stars.
By that point, in 2012, coalition forces had been waging war in Afghanistan for a little over a decade. Elite special forces units from leading coalition countries were regularly carrying out so-called "Deliberate Detention Operations", also known as "Kill/Capture missions". Troops typically flew in by helicopter after dark and launched fast-moving assaults against suspected Taliban targets. For the UK, these night-time raids were usually executed by the SAS or SBS, the highly-respected special forces units of the British Army and Royal Navy.
But unknown to the British public at that time, SAS operatives were already suspected at the highest levels of UK Special Forces of illegally killing Afghan men who had surrendered and been detained, and later covering up the killings with fabricated reports. A BBC Panorama investigation published earlier this year revealed that one SAS squadron killed 54 people in suspicious circumstances in one six-month tour. The pattern led one of the highest-ranking special forces officers in the UK to warn in a secret memo to the head of special forces that there could be a "deliberate policy" in effect to kill detainees, "even when they did not pose a threat".
One of these "Kill/Capture" raids was about to be executed on Abdul Aziz's family home. At about 3am, British military helicopters descended through the dark sky over Nimruz and landed outside the village. Special forces operatives dropped to the ground and moved towards where the family were sleeping. Abdul Aziz was woken by the first gunshots, and within minutes foreign soldiers were in his room, he said, pushing him on the ground, handcuffing and blindfolding him.
"I pleaded with them to let me go to where my son and daughter-in-law and their children were sleeping," Abdul Aziz said. "I could hear my two daughters screaming and pleading for help. No one was helping them. I could not do anything for my children."
The family lives in a small village made up of traditional mud homes, in Nimruz province. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
Chaos had descended on the rural family home. According to his account, Abdul Aziz was blindfolded, beaten and interrogated. The foreign soldiers asked him about the visitors who came to the house earlier that day, he said. He would be kept inside, blindfolded, for the duration of the raid.
The special forces operatives had also gone to the house next door, where a widower called Lal Mohammad lived with his six sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Mohammad Mohammad, who was 12 at the time, told the BBC that he and his brothers were brought outside and detained by the assault team. He was blindfolded and - possibly because of his young age - taken separately to Hussain's home and held there for the rest of the raid.
It was only after the troops left the village, hours later, that Abdul Aziz was able to take off his blindfold and go out into the morning light to the place where Hussain and Ruqqia and the boys had been sleeping. "There was blood everywhere", he said, "blood soaked into the sheets and the mattresses." According to members of both families who saw Hussain and Ruqqia's bodies, both had been shot in the head. Imran and Bilal's bloody bedclothes lay there, but the boys were gone.
Mohammad Mohammad ran back next door to his family home, where he had last seen his older brothers detained by the soldiers. He found Mohammad Wali, who was 26, and Mohammad Juma, who was 28, inside the home, dead with gunshot wounds to the head, he said. Other family members said that the two were shot at close range in the head, and an image of Mohammad Wali's body seen by the BBC appears to show a head wound.
Mohammad Mohammad's account appears to mirror the pattern of killings that had already raised suspicions among senior special forces officers.
"I swear to God, my brothers were farmers," he said. "They worked from dawn until night. They were neither with the Taliban nor with the government. They were killed for no reason."
According to the accounts of Abdul Aziz and other family members who saw Hussain and Ruqqia's bodies, their eyes were closed and their jaws had been bound shut with cloth tied under the jaw and around the head, maybe to allow the assault team to accurately photograph their faces - a standard procedure after a fatal shooting.
The young parents appeared to have been killed in their bed, the family said. It was not clear if they had woken up before they died. At first, the family assumed Imran and Bilal were dead too. But the boys had been airlifted out with the special forces, one-year-old Bilal with bullet wounds to his face and shoulder, three-year-old Imran with a gunshot wound in his abdomen, fighting for his young life.
In the aftermath of the raid, a British military commander had a decision to make. Under UK law, commanders are obliged to inform military police if there is any possibility that a Schedule 2 offence has been committed by a person under their command. Schedule 2 offences are serious offences like unlawful killing and grievous bodily harm. The guidance for commanding officers says that the circumstances must only "indicate to a reasonable person that a Schedule 2 offence may have been committed" in order to legally oblige them to refer the incident to the military police. It is considered a low bar.
In Shesh Aba, a woman was among the dead and two infant boys had been shot. An Afghan newswire report published the day of the raid quoted the local governor as saying that the foreign forces had "killed and wounded six civilians", including "two children". A former investigator from the Royal Military Police told the BBC that, based on the available information, there was "no question in my mind that this incident should have been referred to military police".
But the BBC has discovered that the raid was never referred to military police and never investigated by anyone outside of UK Special Forces. The Royal Military Police (RMP) told us that they did not appear to have been informed of the Shesh Aba raid at the time, and are now reviewing the incident "as a direct result" of our inquiries.
When asked by the BBC, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that British forces were involved in the raid and that a Serious Incident Review, or SIR (an internal review undertaken automatically after an operation goes wrong in a serious way) had been carried out, but that the commanding officer had decided against referring the incident to military police.
The MoD said: "There is a comprehensive MOD policy in place for actions to be taken in the event of possible civilian casualties.
"Following a review by senior Army lawyers, it was decided by the Commanding Officer, in accordance with the Armed Forces Act 2006 and MoD policy, that the circumstances did not require a referral to the Service Police."
General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith was head of UK Special Forces at the time of the Shesh Aba raid in 2012.
The BBC asked both the MoD and RMP to reveal the rank of the commanding officer who made the decision, but both declined to say. The BBC has obtained a secret internal special forces document laying out the protocol for deciding on referrals to the military police. It appears to show that once an SIR has been completed, it has to go to the Director Special Forces - the highest-ranking special forces officer in the UK - for a decision on whether to refer the incident.
Director Special Forces at the time of the Shesh Aba raid was General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, who went on to become the head of the British Army, before stepping down earlier this year. Asked by the BBC about the Shesha Aba raid, General Carleton-Smith said he could not recall whether he was briefed on the "specific tactical detail of the operation", but that he was in no doubt he would have been "guided by the advice of the in-theatre commanders", as well as the legal judgement of a senior Army lawyer that no referral to military police was necessary.
He said the recommendation to him at the time from the commanding officer in Afghanistan was that there was no evidence of a criminal offence, that the Rules of Engagement hadn't been broken, and that "the circumstances of the operation justified the lethal use of force". He added: "And I certainly never saw or read any evidence or advice that suggested unlawful behaviour".
General Carleton-Smith told the BBC it remains his view that "the Rules of Engagement were correctly observed despite the occasionally tragic outcomes that are sadly inevitable during war".
The Rules of Engagement that applied to this raid dictated that lethal force could only have been used against someone who posed an imminent threat to life. There has been no suggestion from the Ministry of Defence that any weapons were found at Hussain and Ruqqia's home or that they were armed when they were shot.
Imran and Bilal play marbles in the courtyard, a few feet from a mulberry tree planted in the spot where their parents were killed. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
SIR reports were intended in part to help commanding officers make a decision about whether a referral to military police was necessary. But a former senior RMP officer who served at the time of the raid in Shesh Aba, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said there were "serious problems" across the Armed Forces with the use of the reports.
"Instead of getting to the bottom of what happened and correcting any criminal behaviour, SIRs became a way of cleansing an incident of any wrongdoing," he said. "Some senior officers were using SIRs as a tool to prevent scrutiny. It seemed they were deciding on non-referral and then writing the SIR to justify the decision."
The problem was "widespread", the senior officer said, but UK Special Forces was "notable in its lack of referrals". The BBC has identified at least three other occasions when an SIR was completed by UK Special Forces but not referred to the RMP. "In Special Forces, it's easier to keep it 'in house'," the former senior officer said. "There's a lot less oversight."
A former RMP investigator who spoke to the BBC said he was "not surprised" that the Shesha Aba raid was not referred. "I'm afraid, given my experience of these kinds of cases, I'm not surprised that the commanding officer decided not to inform the police," he said. "But it's clear it should have been looked into."
A spokesperson for the RMP said that its current review, prompted by the BBC's inquiries, "should in no way be taken as implying that the incident was unlawful or that the British Armed Forces had improperly failed to make the Service Police aware, although these are factors that will be considered by our review team as a matter of course".
The MoD said that it was "the long-standing policy of successive governments not to comment on matters relating to Special Forces" and that all British military operations were "conducted in accordance with UK and international law, including the Law of Armed Conflict".
The BBC asked the MoD if anyone had ever been officially disciplined over the Shesh Aba raid, but they declined to respond.
As dawn broke over Nimruz that day, the helicopters that had brought the troops flew back to base bearing the wounded Imran and Bilal. The special forces had also taken Hussain's youngest brother, Rahmat Ullah, who was 12.
Rahmat had been detained during the raid and he had no idea what had happened. When his blindfold was finally removed, aboard the helicopter, he saw his young nephews. Imran was conscious, crying. "He looked like he was in severe pain," Rahmat recalled. "He asked me for water, but I didn't have any."
The boys were sent to separate military bases. The family was not allowed to go to where Imran was so, aged just three, he spent the first part of his recovery alone. Eventually he was transferred, and it fell to Abdul Aziz and their grandmother Mah Bibi to comfort the boys and try to explain that their parents were gone.
"They were just too small to understand," Abdul Aziz said. "Imran would cry more, maybe because of the pain, but maybe because he could sense that his mother was no longer alive."
Imran stands by his parents' graves. "I wish our mother and father were with us today," he said. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
Abdul Aziz was offered some compensation at the military hospital for the boys' injuries but he refused the money, he said. "I refused to benefit from the murderers at that time, they had destroyed our world," he said.
When the boys were discharged, their grandparents took them home to the village. They have lived there since, with their older sister Hajira, in the home where they were shot. They don't remember anything about that night, or the weeks that followed, but after they came home Imran began to scream in his sleep and sleepwalk outside during the night. "I don't know why I do it," he said. "I am asleep when it happens, and my grandfather or grandmother brings me home."
Imran and Bilal doing their homework together. The boys look out for one another, Abdul Aziz said. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
Imran is 13 now. He has a long surgical scar down the front of his torso and a scar on the left of his belly, and more scar tissue across his lower back. He has bullet fragments inside his torso - including a large fragment embedded in his spine. "Running causes me pain, and I feel pain in my stomach," he said, pointing gently to the scars on his belly and back. "I also feel more pain in the winter and when the summer comes I'm relieved."
Bilal is 11. He has a scar on his face from a bullet that hit him millimetres from his left eye and a scar on his shoulder where another round hit him and left a bullet fragment inside his bone. He gets pain in his arm when he uses it a lot, he said, and the position of the scar on his face is a permanent reminder of how close he came to death.
Scars on Imran's abdomen show the damage from the bullet wound as well as his surgical incision. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
Both boys have bullet fragments inside them. Imran has a large fragment lodged in his spine. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
The boys go for a few hours in the mornings to a religious school, but there is no proper school nearby that they can attend for full time education. Imran enjoys the lessons, particularly reading. Bilal is less keen. "I don't like school," he said, with a smile. He likes playing with his older brother. On a cool afternoon in October, the two of them played marbles in the courtyard of their home, and they looked as though they were in their own little world. A few feet away, there was a Mulberry tree in the place where their parents were killed. Either side of the Mulberry tree were two thin Jujube trees, planted by Imran and Bilal, for Mohammad Wali and Mohammad Juma, their neighbours who were killed.
Imran and Bilal do not talk much about their parents. They have no memory of Hussain and Ruqqia, so their loss is defined by a general sense of absence. "I wish our mother and father were with us today," Imran said, "so we could go to the city to walk around and enjoy ourselves, as other children can."
The family is poor, and the boys have had limited access to medical care since they were discharged a decade ago. Recently, they travelled to the trauma hospital in the city of Lashkar Gah, about six hours' drive from the village, for a medical examination arranged by the BBC. X-rays showed the bullet fragments still lodged in their bodies. It was the first time the boys had ever seen them. The doctors said that nothing could be done to safely remove the fragments from Imran's torso, so he will have to live with them. "He is lucky to be alive," the surgeon said.
As the boys were examined, Abdul Aziz sat quietly alongside them and held their hands, just as he had sat with them 10 years ago, in another hospital, when they were much smaller, knowing that they were his responsibility now.
Imran sits in a hospital in Lashkar Gah, where the boys were examined in October. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
Abdul Aziz has raised the boys since the night of the raid. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
Hussain and Ruqqia were married on a hot summer's day in 2006, in Zahedan, Iran, where Ruqqia's family lived. Excitement had been building in the village in Afghanistan, and when the appointed day came Abdul Aziz and about 100 members of the wider family set out across the border for the ceremony.
When they returned a few days later with the new bride and groom, there were celebrations to rival the festival of Eid. Livestock was slaughtered to make rich meals for the family and their neighbours. Those who had new clothes wore them. Those who didn't have new clothes wore the best clothes they had. "It was a joyous moment for everyone," Abdul Aziz recalled. "From then on, I called Ruqqia my daughter."
Hussain opened a small grocery shop in the village. Ruqqia was a 'Hafiz Quran', a memoriser of the Muslim holy book, and she taught local children. Shortly after the wedding, their daughter Hajira was born, and then Imran, and a year and a half later Bilal. Hussain took on a new role as the head of the family and the financial provider. He doled out pocket money to his siblings, paid for their schooling and later their weddings. "He was our strength and power," said his younger brother, Mansour. "We didn't worry about a thing when he was alive."
The boys help with work in the fields. "I am getting older, it is harder to work," Abdul Aziz said. Image: Julian Busch/BBC
When Hussain was killed, it forced Abdul Aziz back to work. Now, at 55, he spends his days digging irrigation canals for 200 Afghani - less than £2 - per day. He regrets turning down the offer of compensation for the boy's injuries. If it came again today he would accept. "I am getting older, and it is harder to work and harder to feed the children," he said.
At one time, Abdul Aziz would set off every day after work, under the burning sun or through bracing cold, to the cemetery where his son and daughter-in-law are buried. Hussain's mother, Mah Bibi, often walked with him. Eventually, her sadness overtook her and became a depression that she has not recovered from, and now she cannot go as often. Abdul Aziz suffers too. He is physically tired. But every Friday he walks a kilometre along the dusty track that leads from the village to the graves. They lie in a small, walled off area of the cemetery reserved for those killed by the foreign soldiers. There are eight graves there in total. Two belong to Hussain and Ruqqia. Two to Mohammad Wali and Mohammed Juma.
Last Friday, Abdul Aziz set out for his weekly visit. For half an hour, as the sun set, he sat still by the graves and said prayers for Hussain and for Ruqqia. He spoke to his son. "I told him that I missed him, and that I could still remember him when he was just a little boy," Abdul Aziz said afterwards. He had not uttered a word by the grave. "I do not speak to him aloud," he said. "I speak to him in my heart."
Kiyya Baloch and Ahmad Naveed Nazari contributed to this report
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Ipswich toddler death: Pair charged with murdering two-year-old girl - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police say the pair, both aged 22, will appear at court in Ipswich on Wednesday. | Suffolk | Police cars were parked outside the temporary housing unit in Sidegate Lane on Friday
A man and woman have been charged with murder following the death of a two-year-old girl.
The body was found by police at a temporary housing unit in Sidegate Lane, Ipswich, at about 11:45 BST on Friday.
Suffolk Constabulary said officers arrested two people in Bury St Edmunds in the early hours of Saturday.
Scott Jeff and Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell are now due to appear at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The force said that the pair - both aged 22 and of no fixed address but previously from Bedfordshire - were known to the victim.
Floral tributes were left at the housing unit after the toddler was found dead on Friday
Further tests were required as part of the post-mortem examination, officers said.
Suffolk Constabulary also said a mandatory referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because of previous police contact with the deceased "elsewhere".
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66105493 |
Angela Rayner challenges Oliver Dowden on housing pressures at PMQs - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Labour's deputy leader says homeowners are "sick with worry" but deputy PM says they will be supported. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner has used her stand-in appearance at Prime Minister's Questions to attack the government's record on housing.
She said homeowners were "sick with worry" over mortgages, while renters' security had been "ripped away".
Ms Rayner also pressed Deputy PM Oliver Dowden on when the government would ban no-fault evictions.
Mr Dowden told MPs the government was standing behind both renters and mortgage holders.
He added that legislation to give renters greater security had been introduced by the government.
The Renters (Reform) Bill was tabled in Parliament in May but has yet to be debated by MPs.
Under the legislation, landlords would be banned from evicting tenants with no justification as part of a long-promised overhaul of the private rental sector in England.
Ms Rayner and Mr Dowden were standing in for their respective party leaders - Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak - who were both attending a celebration of the NHS at Westminster Abbey.
The pair will meet again next week as the prime minister will be attending a Nato Summit in Lithuania.
Ms Rayner began her questions by asking if the Conservatives could still claim to be the "party of homeownership" given families were "sick with worry about the cost of the Tory mortgage bombshell".
A typical five-year fixed mortgage deal currently has an interest rate of more than 6% - a sharp rise compared to this time last year - leaving homeowners who need to remortgage facing increases in their monthly payments.
The Bank of England has been raising interest rates in a bid to lower inflation.
Mr Dowden said he supported the bank's efforts and pointed to an assessment by the International Monetary Fund, which said the UK was taking "decisive and responsible action" to bring down inflation.
In contrast, he said a Labour government would pursue "endless borrowing" driving up prices.
Ms Rayner said renters would also suffer as landlords pass on the cost of higher mortgages to their tenants.
She noted there had been a 116% increase in no-fault evictions in 2023 and asked when the government would "finally deliver" on its 2019 manifesto promise to ban them.
"The chancellor will take all necessary measures to stand behind both mortgage holders and of course take necessary measures for renters," Mr Dowden replied.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Oliver Dowden: This government is delivering "record levels of housing".
Later in the question session, Labour MP Helen Hayes raised a housing case of one of her constituents, a first year university student, who took his own life in May.
He had signed a private sector tenancy agreement with his parents as guarantors, but the tenancy included a clause that said the responsibilities of the guarantor are unaffected by the death of a tenant.
Ms Hayes asked Mr Dowden to use the Renters Reform Bill to outlaw this practice and protect bereaved families.
The deputy prime minister said the case sounded "totally abhorrent" and would discuss measures to address the issue.
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Ofcom urged to toughen rules for politicians presenting on news TV - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The media expert who drew up the rules says the lines are being blurred between news and opinion. | UK Politics | Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg's show on GB News is one programme being investigated by Ofcom
The media expert who drew up the UK's broadcasting rules has urged the watchdog, Ofcom, to decide whether politicians should be allowed to present TV programmes on news channels.
Chris Banatvala said no-one foresaw the rise of politician presenters when the rules were being designed in the 2000s.
He said Ofcom should take "a view about whether what is emerging is acceptable in terms of due impartiality".
The regulator is reviewing its rules around politicians presenting TV shows.
Under Ofcom's rules, news must be presented with due impartiality, and politicians are not allowed to be newsreaders, interviewers or reporters "unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified".
Ofcom says there are no rules against politicians hosting current affairs programmes, as long as they reflect a range of views.
But there's been a debate about how these rules apply to the growing number of programmes fronted by politicians on GB News and Talk TV, both relatively new channels.
Last month, Ofcom commissioned research into these programmes after receiving hundreds of complaints about politicians presenting shows.
Then this week, the regulator launched two investigations into potential rule breaches on two programmes, including the GB News show presented by the former cabinet minister, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
In the episode in question, Sir Jacob read out a breaking story about the jury verdict in a civil case involving the former US president, Donald Trump.
Writing in the Telegraph this week, Ofcom's chief executive, Melanie Dawes, said the regulator had a "crucial role in preserving the integrity of broadcast news" and a duty to "ensure our rules remain effective".
Mr Banatvala was Ofcom's director of standards when the regulator's rules around politicians presenting programmes were introduced in 2005.
He told the BBC that in a changing media landscape, we need "a grown-up debate about whether and how we want to apply due impartiality to news".
"It's evident now that news channels are blurring the boundaries between genuine news, current affairs and opinion," he said. "That may be a good reason for Ofcom to look at these rules in the round."
He added: "We may need to look at whether these rules are fit for purpose, and whether we need to amend or adjust them."
He said the tenor of programme on some channels in the UK "is something that's come across the pond from America".
It's long been common to see politicians hosting programmes that veer between partisan commentary and news coverage on channels such as Fox News in the US.
The UK's impartiality rules go back decades and were included in Ofcom's broadcasting code following its creation as the communications regulator in 2003.
If broadcasters are found to have breached the code, Ofcom has powers to impose fines and other sanctions.
When the impartiality rules were drafted, Mr Banatvala said, they were felt to be "ample and adequate to prevent any programme from using the same political party over and over again".
"It wasn't ever envisaged that a news channel would use politicians from the same political party to present programmes, day in, day out," he said.
Grilling two Ofcom directors at a meeting of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in Parliament on Tuesday, SNP MP John Nicolson asked why the regulator was not taking more action over programmes fronted by sitting politicians.
John Nicolson suggested Jacob Rees-Mogg's show had "the grammar of a news programme"
Singling out Mr Rees-Mogg's programme on GB News, Mr Nicolson said "every day, he churns out the same pro-Brexit, right-wing stuff", arguing "what he's doing is blurring news presenting and commentary".
He asked: "Why don't you act to stop this?"
Kate Davies, Ofcom's public policy director, said the watchdog looks at current affairs programmes "differently" to those focused solely on news.
Following further frank exchanges, Mr Nicolson said "we've lost all sight of objective journalism" and suggested "we're going to proceed down a route where we end up with awful, American-style ranting at the camera, we're already seeing it, masquerading as news".
Kate Biggs, Ofcom's content policy director, said the media watchdog takes its responsibility on impartiality and accuracy rules "very seriously".
She said the regulator's investigations into programmes "do set a precedent for other editors".
TalkTV said it "will engage with the Ofcom process and looks forward to defending its output."
GB News has also been contacted for comment.
Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66105426 |
King Charles greets crowds as Scotland's royal week begins - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | King Charles was cheered by well-wishers in Bo'ness before being presented with the keys to Edinburgh. | Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland | King Charles III meets members of the public during his visit to Kinneil House, marking the first Holyrood Week since his coronation
King Charles III was greeted by crowds as he arrived in Scotland for a special week of events.
He met two Fair Queens in Bo'ness, Falkirk, before travelling to Edinburgh where he was presented with the keys to the city.
Earlier a practice procession was held in the capital's Old Town ahead of a special ceremony of thanksgiving.
King Charles will be presented with the Scottish crown jewels during the event at St Giles' Cathedral on Wednesday.
The celebrations mark the first Holyrood Week since his coronation in May.
An early morning practice procession has been held in Edinburgh's Old Town
Among those who met the King on Monday was Bo'ness Fair Queen, Lexi Scotland, who was wearing her ceremonial robes and a crown.
She was joined by May Garrow, 99, who won the title in 1936.
Afterwards Ms Garrow said: "I've never actually shook hands with him before. I'll not wash that hand anymore."
The King then met with Sustainable Thinking Scotland, which operates from Kinneil House on the outskirts of the town.
The organisation grows sustainable food which in turn is given for food parcels.
King Charles III attended a tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia, to mark 25 years since her arrival in Edinburgh
Later the King took part in the Ceremony of the Keys on the Palace of Holyroodhouse forecourt before he joined former Royal Yacht Britannia sailors in reviving an old navy tradition.
The King drank a tot of rum as he returned to the vessel the Royal Family called home at its dock in Leith.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are also expected to visit the Great Tapestry of Scotland, seeing a newly stitched panel dedicated to the couple.
Before the service at St Giles' on Wednesday, there will be both a royal procession and a people's procession along the Royal Mile.
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The people's procession will consist of about 100 people representing different aspects of Scottish life.
The Stone of Destiny will be present at the ceremony in St Giles' Cathedral, where the King will be presented with the Honours of Scotland.
Afterwards there will be a gun salute at Edinburgh Castle and a flypast by the Red Arrows.
Each year the monarch traditionally spends a week based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, known as Holyrood Week or Royal Week in Scotland.
King Charles III received the Keys to the City of Edinburgh from Lord Provost Councillor Robert Aldridge during the Ceremony of the Keys on the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse
Edinburgh City Council has said those wishing to view the processions should plan ahead.
Lord lieutenant Robert Aldridge said: "The eyes of the world will be upon us once again as we mark the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla."
He warned residents to expect disruption across the city, particularly in the Old Town.
"We're working with our partners to manage this as best we can and to keep residents, businesses and visitors updated on the events," he added.
"For those who wish to enjoy the royal and people's processions, I urge you to please plan ahead and keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the latest advice and guidance."
Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-66085947 |
Neighbours rally to fight Borders village eviction notices - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Residents of Westruther say housing associations are "ripping the heart" out of their community. | South Scotland | Protesters gathered outside the home of 67-year-old Grace Donaldson
Housing associations in the Borders have been accused of "ripping the heart" out of a rural village.
Eviction notices have been served on Berwickshire Housing Association (BHA) tenants in Westruther to allow for their homes to be pulled down.
An unfinished neighbouring development by Eildon Housing Association (EHA) also looks set for demolition.
Tenant Grace Donaldson said: "If I'm evicted I will lose my job. I will lose everything."
Westruther, with a population of about 600, sits on the lower slopes of the Lammermuir Hills between the towns of Lauder and Gordon.
Prior to the Covid pandemic, tenants on Edgar Road were looking forward to a planned programme of upgrades to their properties.
Planning permission had also just been granted to EHA for 10 family homes to be built on land across the road.
But during the summer of 2021, BHA's tenants were told they were being evicted - and work on the new Eildon development had stalled.
The new Eildon development at Edgar Road was abandoned by builders two years ago
One family, with three children, has now left Edgar Road to take an alternative home 11 miles away in Duns.
If eviction notices, which have been lodged at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, against their neighbours are successful the remaining tenants will also be forced to leave the village.
BHA said that it had been working with structural engineers since 2018 to establish options for the Edgar Road properties.
In May 2021 board members were told that it would cost £128,000 per property to bring them up to the required standards, leading to a decision that the outlay was not justifiable.
An offer to move across the road to Eildon's properties was made to all tenants when the planned demolition was announced.
A BHA spokesperson said: "All remaining Edgar Road customers have secured a priority move to the newly constructed Eildon homes, when they are completed.
"It is unfortunate that there is a time lag between customers being required to vacate their existing homes due to safety concerns and the new build homes being completed. "
The association said they had all been offered alternative accommodation but some customers had chosen not to take it leaving it with "no choice" but to start legal proceedings.
Grace Donaldson has lived in her Edgar Road home for 25 years
Grace Donaldson is the caretaker, cook and cleaner at the local primary school.
The 67-year-old also runs the local foodbank, heads up the village's floral gateway committee, chairs the village hall committee and is secretary of the area's community council.
Ms Donaldson said: "I stand to lose everything as neither me or my husband drive.
"This has been our home for 25 years and I didn't want to move, but they were so determined to get us out that I agreed that we'd move across the road to the Eildon development.
"That's not happening now and they want to move us to the other side of Coldstream - 20 miles away."
John Purves said the heart of the village was being ripped out
John Purves bought his home on Edgar Road about 15 years ago.
Despite what he describes as pressure from BHA, he is refusing to sell his semi-detached property.
Mr Purves said: "The development across the road is falling apart and there is a growing threat to the houses that are already here.
"The heart of this village is being ripped out by these housing associations."
EHA confirmed that attempts earlier this year to restart its development - following the collapse of previous contractors - had failed due to the condition of the on-site timber frames.
It also said demolition was the likely way forward.
A spokesperson explained: "A report will be presented to our board in August setting out the estimated costs and risks associated with the options.
"One of these options will be removing all current structural elements above ground-level and retendering the works to complete the build from the slab up.
"At this stage we are unable to advise on further arrangements until our board meet in August."
Retired engineer Bruce Brown is secretary of the Gordon and Westruther Community Council
More than 50 villagers last week attended a public meeting to agree plans for fighting the eviction notices.
Retired engineer Bruce Brown, who is secretary of Gordon and Westruther community council, said: "I feel there is a great injustice happening here.
"Just look at Grace (Donaldson) - she's the glue that holds this village together, and she could be forced to move away.
"And from everything we have seen, there are no issues with her house."
Ally Boyle is chair of the primary school's parent council
Since the start of the pandemic, Westruther's church and pub have both closed.
Ally Boyle, who is chair of the local primary's parent council, believes the school could be next.
She said: "The school is already in decline due to families moving because of the situation on Edgar Road, and neither Berwickshire or Eildon are offering homes for families to move into.
"It's heart-breaking to watch our neighbours being put through this.
"The stress they are going through is unbearable."
Berwickshire Housing Association's properties on Edgar Road are earmarked for demolition
The Scottish government has confirmed that BHA has followed guidance provided by the Scottish Housing Regulator regarding high repair costs.
But Housing Minister Paul McLennan urged tenants and housing officials to continue talking.
He said: "I would encourage both BHA and its residents to continue in dialogue to come to a solution that is acceptable for all." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-66089478 |
PMQs live: Oliver Dowden facing Angela Rayner at Prime Minister's Questions - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The deputy prime minister and Labour's deputy leader are standing in for their bosses, who are at an NHS event. | UK Politics | The prime minister’s official spokesman has denied that the government is set to miss its pledge on climate finance.
He said the government remained “committed to the £11.6bn of climate finance over the original timeframe of 21/22 to 25/26”.
He said the figures which he had seen quoted on the aid budget were “inaccurate” and fundamentally misrepresented the UK’s international aid spending.
He also said it was “inaccurate to claim that we are not committed to this target nor that we do not intend to meet it. The budget for the ICF extends just beyond the Foreign Office".
"Indeed it covers multiple government departments and it’s deliberately phased over a number of years to enable it to flex given we know that there will be different circumstances each year.” | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-66105224 |
Welsh government's Lee Waters votes wrong way three times - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lee Waters admits that voting against the government was "embarrassing and frustrating". | Wales | Lee Waters has said sorry for voting against the government three times
A minister has apologised after voting the wrong way, and against his own government, three times.
Deputy climate change minister Lee Waters admitted the mistakes were "embarrassing and frustrating" and he blamed a "lapse in concentration".
The first mistake was during a 16 May vote on the Agricultural Bill.
The Tories introduced an amendment which Labour voted against, but Mr Waters voted in favour of it, so it passed.
This meant the law had to return to the Senedd so the government could undo this.
For that to happen, another vote was needed on 24 May, when Mr Waters was the only Member of the Senedd to vote against.
Then, on 6 June, he voted with the Tories in favour of giving Senedd consent to the UK government on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.
The Welsh government voted against the consent motion.
"It is embarrassing and frustrating to have made mistakes when voting, but there's no excuse for the lapses in concentration," Mr Waters said.
"I have apologised to the chief whip." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66113920 |
Scottish Green leaders to snub King's cathedral ceremony - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Patrick Harvie will attend an anti-monarchy rally and Lorna Slater says that monarchy is "nothing to celebrate". | Scotland | Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater pictured at the Scottish Greens' spring party conference earlier this year
The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens have confirmed they will not attend a service of thanksgiving for King Charles III in Edinburgh this week.
Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are both outspoken republican MSPs as well as government ministers.
Mr Harvie will instead speak at a rally outside Holyrood organised by the anti-monarchy group Our Republic.
Scottish Conservative MSP Donald Cameron said the decision was "akin to student politics".
Alex Salmond, the former first minister and SNP leader, also said he had "politely declined" an invitation to attend the ceremony.
The national service of thanksgiving on Wednesday will see the King being presented with the Scottish crown jewels in a ceremony to mark his Coronation.
Last year, members of the Scottish Greens boycotted a debate at Holyrood at which MSPs congratulated the late Queen on her Platinum Jubilee.
At the time, the party - which is part of a Scottish government power-sharing deal - said a head of state should be chosen by, and be accountable to, voters.
Confirming her intention not to attend Wednesday's ceremony, Ms Slater said: "In 21st Century Scotland, the monarchy is nothing to celebrate."
She added: "It is an out-of-date and undemocratic institution.
"How can we justify a system that allows one family to enjoy so much unearned wealth and privilege at a time when millions of people have so little?"
Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater met the Queen at the opening of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament in October 2021
Mr Harvie added that the monarchy was one of the reasonshe supported Scottish independence.
He said: "There are many people in Scotland who regard the monarchy as a tiresome spectacle and a symbol of values we don't hold."
"I will be proud to speak at the Our Republic rally, and to stand with others who want to build a more democratic society, where power and wealth belongs to the people rather than being passed down as an inheritance."
Donald Cameron said Mr Harvie's choice to speak at the rally instead was "predictably infantile".
He added: "If he wants to ask big questions, he should start with how he conducts himself as a government minister.
"The Greens may have failed to deliver a deposit-return scheme, but they can definitely recycle tedious anti-monarchy rants.
"As on so many issues, the extremist Greens are out of touch with the majority of Scots, who see the Coronation and the King's commitment to Scotland as something to celebrate."
Meanwhile, Mr Salmond - who publicly backed keeping the monarchy in an independent Scotland while he was first minister - predicted that King Charles would be the "last king of Scots".
He added: "This really is not the time to be wasting money on public displays of fealty to a King. It is the time for a renewed debate on why Scotland needs to take its own future into its own hands.
"I believe Scotland will become an independent country, and when we do, I suspect the majority of people will want a fresh start on the basis of an elected head of state."
The King won't exactly be shocked to hear that Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater will not be attending the service.
He will know they are not there. It's not something that will slip under the radar - he is kept up-to-date with all affairs of state.
For the Greens, as avowed republicans, if they did go to St Giles's, they would feel they were betraying their own principles.
Mr Harvie will address the Our Republic demonstration instead.
Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are ministers of the Crown - some maybe question if there's a "disloyalty" here?
However, it's not the Middle Ages and heads will not roll.
They were, after all, democratically elected by people who clearly share their views.
Widening this out though, the first minister will attend - although he's a republican too.
It's easy for him to make an argument about why he has to be present at the service.
Mr Yousaf previously made clear he went to the Coronation as he represents all the people of Scotland.
Perhaps there's a certain irony though about the nature of the Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication.
The King was crowned as King of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey - and this is most certainly not a "Scottish Coronation".
But all the rich panoply of what would seem to be Scottish "statehood" will be on show at St Giles.
It highlights Scotland's history as an independent nation and the service now emphasises that ancient past in the United Kingdom.
So despite the opposition from some quarters, others who share pro-independence views will take a different view about the event.
Some Scottish nationalists who hail from the more traditional and monarchist wing of the movement will watch tomorrow with a real sense of "what could be" - as they see that sense of Scottish "statehood" played out in front of His Majesty. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66095611 |
Orkney votes to explore 'alternative governance' - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The council leader accused the Scottish and UK governments of discrimination before his motion was supported. | NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland | There have been calls for Orkney to become part of Norway
Orkney councillors have voted to investigate alternative methods of governance amid deep frustrations over funding and opportunities.
Council leader James Stockan said the islands had been "held down" and accused the Scottish and UK governments of discrimination.
His motion led to media speculation that Orkney could leave the UK or become a self-governing territory of Norway.
It was supported by 15 votes to six.
It means council officers have been asked to publish a report to Orkney's chief executive on options of governance.
This includes looking at the "Nordic connections" of the archipelago and crown dependencies such as Jersey and Guernsey.
A further change which would see the revival of a consultative group on constitutional reform for the islands was accepted without the need for a vote.
On Monday, the prime minister's spokesperson rejected the suggestion the islands could loosen its ties with the union.
Mr Stockan urged councillors to back his idea to find new ways to get greater financial security and economic opportunities for Orcadians.
Speaking to councillors on Tuesday, he said the motion was "not about us joining Norway".
He added: "I say it's time for government to take us seriously and I say it's time for us to look at all the options we've got.
"There is a far bigger suite of options here - this could even be that we could get our money direct from the Treasury in London and look after our own future.
"We have been held down and we all know most of what I could say today in terms of discrimination against this community from governments. We all know how much less we get compared to other island groups."
Council leader James Stockan says Orkney does not get fair funding within the UK
Orkney Islands Council previously voted in 2017 to look at whether the islands could have greater autonomy.
While councillors wanted to have a "stronger voice", they did not back full independence for Orkney.
Currently, most of the island's 21 councillors sit as independents - two are Greens.
Mr Stockan has said an ageing ferry fleet is among the issues being faced by islanders.
He previously told the BBC the situation was "critical" because the ferries, which are older than the Western Isles fleet, were beginning to fail.
His concerns were widely shared by other councillors, however some raised issues with self-governance, such as the cost of carrying out such investigations.
Cllr Steven Heddle also mentioned disadvantages including having to buy back the sea bed, and tuition fees for students wishing to study in Scotland.
He called Mr Stockan's efforts "politics of grievance" and said that every council felt hard done by, citing roads in Edinburgh that were "worse" than Orkney's despite the council having far more funding.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesperson said: "First and foremost there is no mechanism for the conferral of Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory status on any part of the UK.
"We have no plans to change the devolution settlement we are supporting Orkney with £50m to grow the economic prosperity of the Scottish islands, through the islands deal.
"But the government's position is that the UK is stronger united."
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.
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 spokesperson added it was "committed to supporting island communities".
The Norwegian government declined to comment on the proposals.
Today's vote was never about Orkney becoming part of Norway, or any of the other headlines we've seen over recent days.
Rather it was a chance for councillors to express their extreme frustration with what they see as the unfair deal they get from the Scottish and UK governments, with council leader James Stockan saying the islands had been failed by both of them.
The successful passing of the motion is the first of many hurdles in Orkney gaining a degree of greater autonomy.
Council officials will now be tasked with investigating options. Mr Stockan said that "nothing was off the table" - including of course the much-publicised return to Norway or Denmark.
Reaction to the vote on the streets of Kirkwall has been fairly mixed.
Some don't want to see any tax-payer money devoted to what one councillor described as "frankly bizarre fantasies".
Others feel that the council does get a raw deal from both Holyrood and Westminster, and that anything that gets the two governments to sit up and pay attention is worth looking at.
The eyes of the global media have been on Orkney for the past few days.
It's now up to the islands council to capitalise on that attention. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66090102 |
Mhairi Black to step down as SNP MP at next election - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ms Black became the parliament's youngest MP since 1832 when she was first elected in 2015 aged 20. | Scotland | Mhairi Black is one of six SNP MPs to announce they will quit at the next election
SNP MP Mhairi Black is stepping down at the next general election.
Ms Black, the party's deputy leader at Westminster, became the parliament's youngest MP since 1832 when she was elected aged 20 in 2015.
She is the sixth SNP MP to announce they will not contest the next election, which is expected to be held in 2024.
In a statement Ms Black, 28, described Westminster as an "outdated, sexist and toxic" working environment.
The Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP cited safety concerns, social media abuse and unsociable hours as she explained her decision.
"I have also made clear that I have no desire to have a long career in elected politics, and as we approach the next general election, I will have been elected for almost a decade," Ms Black said.
"I have dedicated a third of my life so far to Westminster - a truly unhealthy working environment."
She said it was "beyond demoralising" to see constituents "harmed by a UK government they never voted for".
The MP added: "Since 2015, the lives of my loved ones have been turned upside down and inside out.
"Between media attention, social media abuse, threats, constant travel, and the murders of two MPs, my loved ones have been in a constant state of anxiety for my health and safety."
Mhairi Black became the youngest MP in 300 years when she was elected in 2015
Ms Black, who married her partner Katie in June 2022, also said she wanted to spend more time with loved ones.
She said: "I will of course continue to represent my constituency to the best of my abilities, and I look forward to continuing to campaign for an independent Scotland and for the SNP at the general election, but I will do so as a campaigner rather than a candidate."
Humza Yousaf, the SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, described Ms Black as a "trailblazer" who was a "passionate supporter of independence, equality, social justice, and simply of trying to make life better for her constituents and the wider Scottish public".
He added: "She has also served as a role model for young people, especially women, with an interest or a desire to get involved in politics."
Mr Yousaf's predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, said the announcement by the Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP was the "loss of a unique talent".
She added on Twitter: "I only hope it's temporary. The world needs more Mhairi Blacks in politics, not fewer."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. People in Mhairi Black's constituency share their reaction to news that she will step down as an MP
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn tweeted that Ms Black is "in a class of her own".
Former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has already announced he will be standing down at the next election.
Party colleagues Peter Grant, Angela Crawley, Douglas Chapman and Stewart Hosie are also set to quit.
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Ms Black defeated former Labour government minister Douglas Alexander as the SNP won a landslide north of the border in the 2015 election.
She successfully defended her seat in the 2017 and 2019 general elections.
The SNP MP's maiden speech – in which she paid tribute to her constituents and attacked benefit sanctions – was viewed online more than 10 million times within a week.
And early in her parliamentary career, she hit out at Westminster's "silly traditions", describing it as outdated.
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In 2018, she made headlines after detailing some of the abuse she received during a parliamentary debate on misogyny to mark International Women's Day.
She listed graphic misogynistic insults she had been sent during her time as an MP.
The next general election is due to be held by January 2025, with the autumn of next year seen as the most likely date.
Mhairi Black was a symbol of the SNP's landslide in 2015, the 20-year-old who conjured up a massive swing to unseat a Labour heavyweight in Douglas Alexander.
It wasn't just her youth. Her straight-talking style encompassed a lot of what the SNP wanted to be at Westminster - a renegade element in the Commons shaking things up and agitating for radical change.
But now, she is the latest in what is becoming a string of SNP members to announce they will not stand in the next election.
Is that too a symbol of something?
Labour are gearing up for a big push to try to retake ground from the SNP - Mr Alexander is targeting a comeback of his own, albeit in a different seat.
But Paisley and Renfrewshire South is fairly steady SNP territory these days, with Ms Black commanding a majority in excess of 10,000 votes in 2019 - or almost 25%.
The salient point may be that no SNP MP really wants to be at Westminster, and the question of independence has for years now been caught in a log-jam.
Perhaps what Ms Black fears isn't so much losing her seat - but the prospect of keeping it for the long term.
Scottish Conservative Chairman Craig Hoy MSP described Ms Black's announcement as "yet another damning verdict from a senior SNP MP on the failing leadership of both Humza Yousaf and Stephen Flynn".
He added: "It speaks volumes about how bitter those feuds have become that Mhairi Black has thrown in the towel, just a few months after agreeing to become deputy leader, and decided not to fight another election despite not yet turning 30."
• None Stewart Hosie to stand down at next election | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66101123 |
France riots: 'For the politicians we are nothing' - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In one of Marseille's most deprived neighbourhoods, residents say local despair fuels riots. | Europe | Amine Kessaci was 17 when his brother was killed in one of Marseille's most notorious neighbourhoods
Amine was 17 when his brother's badly burned body was recovered from the boot of a torched car.
"My brother unfortunately fell into drugs early," he says, his face impassive as he glances up at the scruffy high-rise flats that surround us.
We sit, talking about his brother, who had trafficked drugs before his murder, in one of Marseille's most notorious neighbourhoods.
Amine, now 19, grew up here on the Frais-Vallon estate, a vast and deprived social housing project in the north of the city, which is blighted by gang and drug-related violence.
Not far away, a couple of young men lounge on a wall. Drug dealers work openly here in the harsh afternoon sunlight.
Trafficking is, Amine says, a seductive choice for the children who grow up here and have little money - and even fewer prospects.
"There are no other options. There are no companies coming here and saying we'll pay you more than minimum wage… here people are supermarket cashiers or cleaners or security guards. We can't be judges, lawyers or accountants."
A residential block on the Frais-Vallon estate in Marseille
He wasn't surprised by the recent riots, which were particularly bad in Marseille. Businesses here including a gun shop were vandalised and looted and a man aged 27 was killed.
Prosecutors say the man who died was hit in the chest by a type of police rubber bullet called a "flashball". He is thought to have suffered a heart attack but the circumstances are unclear.
The riots followed protests over the fatal shooting by police of 17-year-old Nahel M in Paris.
"We are always in the same mess, the same misery and nothing will change," says Amine, "so I understand the anger of the young people. I don't justify the violence, but I understand it."
The riots and their aftermath have revealed the depth of anger, frustration and abandonment felt by so many French citizens.
We met Mado, a middle-aged woman who lives on the estate, near what used to be a community police station here.
This was, for many, a physical link between them and the French state; its demise grimly symbolic of an increasing disconnection.
"It's like living in a bin here," says Mado. "It's not safe. People defecate in the lifts and stairwells. For the politicians we are nothing. We are really nothing."
It's like living in a bin here. It's not safe
A man, Mourad, speaks angrily as he tells us that there are rats everywhere here.
"We don't all have the same rights. Politicians go on the media and say there are no second-class citizens, but it's not true in reality."
But few, perhaps, comprehend more clearly the profound divisions in French society - or their consequences - than Amine.
He now works to steer youngsters on the estate away from crime, but also supports the families of those who have paid with their lives.
Last year there were 31 drug trafficking-related murders in Marseille. This year there have been 23. Two-thirds of the victims were under the age of 30.
The French authorities have acknowledged both the tragedy and the problem.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Marseille just prior to the riots
Two years ago, President Emmanuel Macron promised to fix Marseille. He announced a €5bn (£4.3bn; $5.4bn) plan to tackle crime and deprivation in the city.
He came back to the southern port city just before the riots to reinforce his commitment.
"Everything has to move faster," President Macron said at the beginning of a three-day trip, in which he visited the sites of regeneration projects including a police station, a school, a prison and a hospital.
But Amine, who has met him twice, has lost faith.
"When Macron comes, he comes to make announcements, not to listen to us."
Even the mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, acknowledges that he needs to bring his city together.
"For too long my town has been divided between people who are poor and people who are not. Between those who are considered by the public authorities and those who are not."
It is supposed to be a fundamental French value. But here, égalité (equality) is now an ambition. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66104632 |
Children should be taught about healthy relationships, report says - BBC News | 2023-07-05T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | New Stormont framework recommends teaching children about healthy relationships as a key action. | Northern Ireland | A number of recent reports have been critical of aspects of approach to relationships and sex education in Northern Ireland
Children should be taught about "healthy, respectful relationships" from a young age.
That is one of the key actions in a new Stormont framework on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG).
It also said young people should be involved in developing new relationships and sex education (RSE) for schools.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without a specific EVAWG strategy at present.
The Stormont Executive first recommended a strategy should be developed to protect women and girls in Northern Ireland from violence in 2021.
The Executive Office has now published a "strategic framework" and initial action plan for consultation.
The aim of the framework is "a changed society where women and girls are free from all forms of gender-based violence, abuse and harm".
In her foreword to it, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady, said ending violence against women and girls was "one of the most difficult challenges facing our society today".
"It is also one of the most important," she added.
The action plan defines violence against women and girls as ranging from "everyday misogynistic attitudes and damaging social norms to harmful unwanted behaviours and serious criminal offences".
It said such acts were "overwhelmingly but not exclusively carried out by men".
The action plan also stated that a lot of abuse and harm went unreported, so what is reported is "only the tip of the iceberg".
There are 22 recommended actions in year one of the plan.
Those include a forum to decide how best young people can be taught about healthy, respectful relationships in school - including in Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).
A number of recent reports have been critical of aspects of approach to RSE in Northern Ireland.
A previous consultation on the EVAWG strategy also said that changes to RSE should be part of it.
The action plan includes initial work on measures to combat violence against women and girls in higher and further education, workplaces and the hospitality sector.
It found that an analysis of frontline provision should be carried out to improve services for victims.
That includes increasing the confidence of victims in the justice system.
The former High Court judge Sir John Gillen had previously recommended extensive changes to how sexual offences were dealt with in Northern Ireland.
Sir John said the justice system had "much to change".
Research suggests that four in five women first experienced men's violence before the age of 20
The Police Service of Northern Ireland recently published its first ever action plan aimed at reducing violence against women and girls.
The overall aim of the strategic framework, meanwhile, is on prevention, "tackling the root causes and stopping the violence before it starts".
Recent research quoted in the framework suggests that 75% of girls aged 16 have "experienced street harassment at least once in their lifetime".
Separate research suggests that four in five women "first experienced men's violence before the age of 20".
The framework also said that 42 women had been murdered in Northern Ireland from January 2013 to June 2023 - one every three months.
Among the measures put forward in the strategic framework are for children to be taught about healthy relationships from "early years" and for "accessible" RSE to be developed in collaboration with young people.
"Our young people are exposed to messages online which undervalue, demean and humiliate women and girls, as well as increased access to pornography from a young age," the framework document said.
"In addition, there has been a recent rise of online influencers who have a toxic influence on men and boys in our society, and negatively impact their views on women and girls."
Youth, faith and sport organisations should also engage men in tackling violence against women, the document said.
A number of other prevention strategies are suggested, including identifying "champions" and influencers to drive a change in attitudes across society.
The framework and action plan have been developed with a range of organisations in Northern Ireland, including Women's Aid, the Women's Resource and Development Agency, Nexus NI and Relate NI.
Sarah Mason from Women's Aid Federation NI said the current level of education around healthy relationships was not sufficient.
"We are leaving our young people to try and figure out relationships and intimate relationships in the palm of their hand in phones.
"And I mean, that's not where it should be. They should be in safe places understanding about respect," she said on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.
"We cannot keep losing women and girls to violence in this country. So the sooner that we get on this road and we start making the changes, the better.
"And money needs to be behind it."
• None Upskirting now a crime after campaign | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66091981 |
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